Shot Through the Heart

D.I. Grace Fisher #2

by Isabelle Grey

A gripping thriller from screenwriter and novelist Isabelle Grey, for fans of Lynda La Plante's Prime Suspect and Sarah Hilary.

How far would you be willig to go for justice?

When a lone shooter claims the lives of five people on Christmas Day before turning the gun on himself, it's up to DI Grace Fisher to find out, not who did it, but why and how.

Tracing the illegal weapon and its deadly load of homemade bullets, she soon uncovers a toxic web of police corruption, personal vendettas and revenge. But when the enemy is within, who will believe her?

As threats to her safety mount up and the strain of secrecy begins to wreck her friendships, Grace must decide how far she wants to pursue justice - and at what cost.

'Full of well-handled forensics and the brooding atmosphere of the Essex coast' Mail on Sunday.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Detective

416 pages, ebook

First published March 24, 2016

About the author

I write the DI Grace Fisher series of crime novels, set in Colchester, Essex. 'The Special Girls', the third in the series, was a Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Month. The first three books in the series are 'Good Girls Don't Die', 'Shot Through the Heart' and 'The Special Girls. The murder detective's fourth investigation, 'Wrong Way Home', was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month.

Quercus also publish my novels of psychological suspense, 'Out of Sight' and the Amazon bestseller 'The Bad Mother', as well as historical fiction by my new writing persona, V.B. Grey.

As a screenwriter I've contributed episodes to such television crime dramas as 'The Bill', 'Wycliffe', 'Rosemary & Thyme' and 'Midsomer Murders' and, with Jimmy McGovern, an episode of the Bafta and International Emmy award-winning BBC series 'Accused'.

I enjoy writing crime and suspense because such gripping and tightly-woven stories offer a chance to explore how secrets come back to haunt us, the chilling emotions of why people kill, how love can go terrifyingly wrong, and the psychology of what we most fear.

I was born within the sound of Bow Bells in London's East End, grew up in Manchester, lived for ten years on what was once a tidal island at the edge of the Romney Marsh, and now live and work in north London.

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔]

Struggled. I love this authors work so I’m thinking maybe it’s me. I’ll go back at a later date and read this

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shot Through The Heart – A Gripping Thriller

Isabelle Grey’s experience of being a television screenwriter shines throughout Shot Through The Heart, as she knows how to set up a storyline and build tension to a crescendo at the end. Throughout the book we see the amount of in depth research that has gone in to this book, Shot Through The Heart is a screenplay for the mind.

Grace Fisher has not long moved in to her new house in Essex and was spending Christmas day with Lance her bagman and his partner Peter. When a call from Police HQ comes through to tell her there has been a mass shooting in a small town and she needs to get there and begin the search. By the time she arrives she knows that there are five dead, plus the gun man shoots himself in the Church grounds. To make matters worse one of those dead is a serving Police Officer, so she knows the pressure will be on.

This case brings her back in to contact with crime reporter Ivo Sweatman who had spoken up for her when she had her problems back in the Kent Constabulary. As evidence grows of police corruption, she is blocked at every turn, by her colleagues and she certainly does not want to upset the Police Federation.

As an ex-con is shot on his way to a hospital appointment the clues start to pile up especially when she gets a break in the case. Grace knows that she will still have to work hard to find the killer but also make sure she has the evidence to convict them.

Isabelle Grey deals with what could be a complex case of police corruption and murder with a light touch that does not drag you in to the minutia that would bore. We are given an opportunity to see Grace as a leader and the inner workings of a Major Investigations Team looking in to what is a complex serious incident, while fighting some who do not want her to find the truth.

Shot Through The Heart is an excellent thriller that sees Grace Fisher develop in her new Police role in Essex, and leave you wanting to see how her character will develop. Isabelle Grey knows how to capture the imagination of the reader and keep them interested until the end.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this book as convincing as the other two I've read in the series. I like Grace as a character and the overall story wasn't bad. However I did work out most of the plot lines for myself fairly easily. Not bad - not the best 3.5/5

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to in audio format.

This is the follow up to Isabelle's first book Good Girls Don't Die, she is currently writing her next DI Grace Fisher book.

The book starts on Christmas Day, divorcee Russell Fewell's children are spending Christmas day with their Mum's new partner Mark Kirkby a serving police officer. Russell goes to the house and shoots Kirby and some passersby before turning the gun on himself.

Russell had been arrested weeks before for drink driving. Russell was convinced that he had been 'fitted up' by Kirby's colleagues. Russell was a quiet hard working man who did not own or never shown an interest in guns. It is then discovered that the rifle was actually owned by Mark Kirkby without a licence.

Robyn Ingold's best friend Angie was killed in the shooting. Robin's father Leonard is a gunsmith. When Robyn sees Leonard throwing two carrier bags in a creek in the middle of the night she suspects he may be involved.

Grace and Lance uncover a web of police corruption. Mark Kirkby was a well respected man and his father John was an ex officer with the Police federation. Grace is told not to rattle any cages unless she wants to upset the wrong people.

Then DS Lance Cooper's partner Peter is found murdered outside a club, Grace is told by her superiors that Peter was actually working undercover for the security services. What was Peter investigating to get him murdered?

I loved this book, I could not stop listening. I have a niggle in the story however which was never explained. How did Russell steal the rifle from Mark Kirkby in the first place? This is just my own personal preference and did not ruin the story for me.

At the end of the book Lance did a 'throwing his badge on the floor in disgust' scenario. It will be interesting to see if he is in the next book.

[~ Cariad ~]

Sadly, DNF at somewhere between 25 and 30%. That was when I woke up, having dropped off to sleep at how boring this was to listen to...

Shame, loved book 1.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out well with many compelling threads that were looking like they would tie into a great story but at the novel continued I found myself getting a little bored and confused about all the characters and the interplay between them. I think the last thirty percent sort of drifted over my head and I was frustrated at the lack of finality of one sub plot. There was a lot of confusing jargon as well that I completely didn't understand but I think that's reader error and not having much knowledge about what the novel was talking about.
Not a bad book at all but one I don't think I'd rush to read again.

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent story and I loved the fact that Ivo and Grace felt it was important to find answers for the perpetrators children. The plot was well thought out and really clever. I felt I had made a connection with Grace Fisher in book 1, so reading about her in book 2 was like meeting up with an old friend. I was pleased she'd made friends and realised that I have to stop worrying so much about the social lives of fictional characters! Moving along at a brisk pace, it really made me think about how parents' actions impact on their children. How they get caught up in a problem not of their making and I'm still thinking about it now. Surely, those are signs of a good book. A thoroughly engrossing book that I definitely recommend. I'm looking forward to book 3.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slow paced but, nevertheless, highly gripping police procedural thriller. I've, so far, not read the first book in this series, so was unaware of the backstory between the two main characters, but this still didn't spoil my enjoyment.
The initial crime is the fatal shooting of five people in a small north Essex town. However, it soon becomes clear that there are far more wide-ranging and complex issues at stake. DI Grace Fisher and crusading journalist Ivo Sweatman find themselves mired in a case involving police corruption, vigilantism and illegal weapons smuggling.
In all, this is a deftly plotted novel with a couple of endearing central characters.

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio version of this book 📚- A good listen, a little slow in places but good storyline

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Grace Fisher series, and before I start this review, in this instance I really do think you need to start at the beginning, so if you haven’t done so read Good Girls Don’t Die.

This book opens with a superb set-up where we meet Russell Fewell driving his van through Dunholt a small Essex town on Christmas Day. In the back of the van are presents for his children on top of a rifle. Meanwhile DI Grace Fisher is enjoying a game of scrabble with her colleague Lance, and his partner Peter having eaten lunch in her new Essex home; and then she gets the call that there has been a shooting, five people are dead as is the shooter. Even more significant as far as wrapping the case up quickly is the news that one of the victims is a serving Police Officer.

Grace and Lance start the investigation, there is no query over the suspect but Grace wants to know where the gun came from and what precipitated the tragedy, one that the town won’t forget in a hurry. As she starts probing it seems that corruption among her fellow officers may have had a part to play and never one to shy away from the difficult stuff, as we found out previously, she isn’t prepared to brush their actions under the proverbial carpet, even if it is possible career suicide.

We also have some narration from a teenage girl who lost her best friend in the murderous spree, someone who sees the crime and its effects from a different perspective. Robyn Ingold lives apart from her classmates in relative isolation with her parents who carry out the more traditional country pursuits. The family of three are a close-knit group and her parents do their best to support her as she mourns her friend Angie.

Into the mix we meet up again with Ivo Sweatman, a crime journalist who is well aware of the problems Grace experienced with the Kent Police Force, before her move to Essex. These old links means that he is someone she turns to when she’s unable for various reasons to ask the questions that she needs the answers to. I was slightly wary of this somewhat symbiotic relationship in the previous book, far less so in this one where for Grace, following the legitimate path of investigation is only going to raise suspicions and hostility unless she knows all the facts.

This is a somewhat controversial book and one that I found disquieting at times, maybe because I struggled to truly accept Grace’s belief that the cause for the shooting was somehow outside the gunman’s control. Nevertheless you can’t fault the plotting, the scene setting or the level of tension that the author manages to create in this complex novel. There are plenty of dilemmas both personal and professional to keep the readers brain alert and questioning. Isabelle Grey’s work writing television dramas was abundantly apparent and I can easily see this one being transformed to the small screen. With a range of characters, most of whom are hiding different magnitudes of secrets it isn’t hard to see why the tension among them all runs so high, something that pleasingly translated into my reading experience.

TI highly recommend this series and can’t wait to see what impact the outcome of Shot Through The Heart has on the next episode.

I’d like to say a big thank you to Quercus for allowing me to read a copy of this book prior to publication on the 24 March 2016. This honest review is my thanks to them.

[Katie Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think my lack of enjoyment of this book can be clearly evidenced by how long I took to read it. I found the plot to be slow paced, and overly convoluted, and there was an unnecessary amount of characters, especially since most of them were underdeveloped. I persevered with this book in the hope that the plot would take a gripping turn; for me though, it unfortunately did not. I didn't enjoy the prequel, 'Good Girls Don't Die' either, so it's possible I'm just not a fan of Grey's writing style. I will say though, that this book was edited better than Grey's previous novel, which was littered with typos and poor grammar. Though there are some threads of continuity from 'Good Girls Don't Die', if you're interested in reading this book, I wouldn't say reading the first book is a prerequisite for understanding it.

[BoardInMalibu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Distressing subject matter: mass shootings and police corruption. In this novel Shot Through The Heart, Isabelle Grey has a new take on the victims of a mass shooting, the shooters family. Interesting slant on the many victims impacted by a mass shooting but I had a difficult time empathizing with DI Grace Fisher’s zeal to help the shooters son. The novel opens with the mass shooting and then quickly becomes a search for the illegal firearms. DI Fisher is a dithering character, pages and pages of her internal struggle are tedious. The protagonist does not adhere to standard police procedures and while not caught out, the results of not being a team player make DI Fisher implausible and frankly, not likable. Struggled to finish this book.

[Suzanne Rivett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am amazed at all the positive reviews of this book. I found it totally annoying . It rambled and meandered into four different plots and not one of them was compellingly interesting. Police corruption, Police culture, illegal arms sales, mass shootings. Pick one and make that your plot.and make it exciting. The horror of the mass shooting was dissipated by the meanderings that followed. Not one character seemed engagingly depicted other the teenage Robin Ingold , who showed all the emotional angst of a stressed teenager. And cliche is used excessively. If you are a good screenplay writer stick at that.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dull read. For a mystery there was no suspense . The characters were of little interest .

[C.J. Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

A top-notch detective novel
This is a top-notch detective novel by an author who is now firmly on my reading list. I’ve always been intrigued as to the motivations of a mass shooter, and through DI Grace Fisher’s eyes we come to eventually understand why and how the shooter did what they did. I loved the descriptions of the winter seascape, and could almost smell the mud from the estuary wafting from the book’s pages – wonderful. If you’re looking for a realistic and believable police procedural, then look no further. It’s a five-star example of its kind.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Isabelle Grey and this was my second book by her. The story is dynamic and fast-paced with interesting character and plot twists. Generally a well-thought out plot with lots of intricate pieces to the puzzle involving a whole host of the characters.

My only real remark for this book is around how Grace often (perhaps too often) comes up with the clue/idea but maybe this is just the traits of a good detective.

[Bryngel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very gripping nor very intriguing. DI Fisher is such a dull person, and perhaps that is why the books about her are so flat. I want this to be good, because it's very well written, it's the story that isn't good enough. I'll try The Special Girls and hope that it'll be better!

[Anne Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent crime novel. I assume this is part of a series and if so I want to read the rest. My "to read" pile is getting longer all of the time as I discover more new-to-me writers! Well drawn main female character. The males are either totally misogynist or incompetent or violent bullies. Or all three at once!

[Joyce Rigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only regret is that I didn’t read the first book first. There are so many little bits of information about Grace’s past in this book. However this is a solid story with believable characters, I must admit that I wouldn’t have connected the two crimes as quickly as Grace, but then I am not always good at seeing twists. If you are a fan of English who-dun-its then I would recommend this.

[Alan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant DI Fisher novel, plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
It does help to know the area though, as I can picture exactly where they are and where the action is taking place.
Looking forward to the next instalment.

[Kellie Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book - I do have a preference for murder mystery type book by English or Australian authors and this one neatly fits into this preference.

The characters felt real to me and the plot was an interesting one that kept me guessing.

[Siân Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down.

An intense follow-up to Good Girls Don’t Die, this novel sees the newly promoted DI Grace Fisher at Christmas as her team must investigate not the who, but the why, of a killer’s shooting spree. I have always been intrigued by the motive of murder, and Shot Through the Heart tackles this brilliantly. The story is well-paced, with the characters’ arcs shifting and moulding authentically around the narrative as the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together.

I’m so excited to see where Grace Fisher goes next!

[Sameeha Rahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far better than 'Good girls don't die'!!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent read, so glad I have the next one.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, well-written fun. I'll check out the series.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing compared to the other 2 books I’ve read in the same series. Pretty boring at times, too much focus on the internal rumination of the characters.

[Michelle Debnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this authors books

[Sophie Breese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book in the series. Highly recommended.

[Faye Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this and even though some of the plot lines could be figured out I still enjoyed it

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Worth reading more in the series.