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Lethal #1
Lethal Dose
Things are never what they seem…
A young Belfast man brags about how he selected his most recent mark – he stalks, abducts, drugs and then kills her before hiding the body out at sea.
The perfect crime all spelt out in clinical detail.
At the same time, across the Irish Sea in Liverpool, Detective Inspector Tara Grogan of Merseyside Police is called out to a gruesome murder scene on Crosby Beach.
The castrated body of a man – an investigative journalist – has been found half-buried head first in the sand.
Did the victim, who earned a reputation for hounding drug-dealers, dodgy property developers and corrupt councillors, make enemies brutal enough to prompt a gang-style execution?
Could it be possible that these horrific events are somehow linked?
The parallel lives of a sex-crazed psychopath and a pretty, intelligent young police inspector go about their daily lives, unaware that they are destined to collide.
More pretty young girls – in London, Manchester and Liverpool – have mysteriously disappeared as their killer delights in telling.
And another frenzied murder on Merseyside envelops DI Grogan in an increasingly labyrinthine investigation when she discovers that the dead journalist’s sister could be one of the missing.
In a thrilling climax, DI Grogan’s instincts are put to the ultimate test after dating a persistent admirer she senses is not quite right.
Lethal Dose is a gripping and uncompromising crime thriller in which a series of unspeakable crimes unfold in parallel. McCracken ramps up the suspense as two paths close to a point where one must surely disappear…
A young Belfast man brags about how he selected his most recent mark – he stalks, abducts, drugs and then kills her before hiding the body out at sea.
The perfect crime all spelt out in clinical detail.
At the same time, across the Irish Sea in Liverpool, Detective Inspector Tara Grogan of Merseyside Police is called out to a gruesome murder scene on Crosby Beach.
The castrated body of a man – an investigative journalist – has been found half-buried head first in the sand.
Did the victim, who earned a reputation for hounding drug-dealers, dodgy property developers and corrupt councillors, make enemies brutal enough to prompt a gang-style execution?
Could it be possible that these horrific events are somehow linked?
The parallel lives of a sex-crazed psychopath and a pretty, intelligent young police inspector go about their daily lives, unaware that they are destined to collide.
More pretty young girls – in London, Manchester and Liverpool – have mysteriously disappeared as their killer delights in telling.
And another frenzied murder on Merseyside envelops DI Grogan in an increasingly labyrinthine investigation when she discovers that the dead journalist’s sister could be one of the missing.
In a thrilling climax, DI Grogan’s instincts are put to the ultimate test after dating a persistent admirer she senses is not quite right.
Lethal Dose is a gripping and uncompromising crime thriller in which a series of unspeakable crimes unfold in parallel. McCracken ramps up the suspense as two paths close to a point where one must surely disappear…
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2016
236 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCracken
19 books32 followersBorn in Belfast. Spent some of my childhood in Australia. Back in Northern Ireland I attended Dundonald Boys High School. Studied Chemistry at University of Ulster, gained a PhD in agricultural food science from Queen's University, Belfast. Worked for thirty-four years at Department of Agriculture, latterly, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute.
My first novel, An Early Grave, was published in 2015. I am married and live in County Down.
My first novel, An Early Grave, was published in 2015. I am married and live in County Down.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 4, 2016
He stalks, abducts, drugs, then kills his prey and drops her overboard at sea. Every other chapter reveals his thoughts, his actions …. He spells it all out for the reader.
DI Tara Grogan of Merseyside Police is called out to investigate the murder of a well-known journalist. He’s been found half-buried head first in the sand.
As her investigation begins, they find many pictures of young girls on the walls of his bedroom. The pictures are of girls gone missing and never found. His sister is one of them.
Was he getting too close to the killer and the killer got rid of him? Or was his death in retaliation for his reputation of making enemies with his stories?
And what happens when the killer turns his attention to DI Grogan? The DI’s gut feelings are talking to her after she dates a determined admirer .. someone who isn’t quite right.
The ending is unexpected, and leaves a little room for a possible 3rd book. This is a terrific crime thriller, seamlessly written, with characters that are stand out. Tara is young, but not at young at she looks. She does have a brain and she proves herself worthy of her position over and over again. With the killer’s voice in your head, it’s like mucking around in quicksand.
This was a new author to me and I look forward to checking out his other works.
My thanks to the author / Endeavor Press / Netgalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
DI Tara Grogan of Merseyside Police is called out to investigate the murder of a well-known journalist. He’s been found half-buried head first in the sand.
As her investigation begins, they find many pictures of young girls on the walls of his bedroom. The pictures are of girls gone missing and never found. His sister is one of them.
Was he getting too close to the killer and the killer got rid of him? Or was his death in retaliation for his reputation of making enemies with his stories?
And what happens when the killer turns his attention to DI Grogan? The DI’s gut feelings are talking to her after she dates a determined admirer .. someone who isn’t quite right.
The ending is unexpected, and leaves a little room for a possible 3rd book. This is a terrific crime thriller, seamlessly written, with characters that are stand out. Tara is young, but not at young at she looks. She does have a brain and she proves herself worthy of her position over and over again. With the killer’s voice in your head, it’s like mucking around in quicksand.
This was a new author to me and I look forward to checking out his other works.
My thanks to the author / Endeavor Press / Netgalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
June 28, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of Lethal Dose, a police procedural set in Liverpool.
The novel opens with "Guy" telling us about how he stalks, rapes, murders and disposes of young women. The next chapter switches to Inspector Tara Grogan and her investigation into the gruesome murder of Terry Lawler, an investigative journalist with plenty of enemies. The police are stumped for a prime suspect but as they keep investigating they uncover Terry's threat to publish bribery allegations involving his ex wife's husband and a local councillor. He was also working on an expose of local drug dealers and trying to find out what happened to his sister who disappeared months earlier and who was, he believes, the victim of a previously unsuspected serial killer.
The chapters in the novel alternate between Guy's first person narrative and the third person narrative of Tara's investigation. I can't really say how it all ties together without giving away too much of the plot but the confluence of these two plot lines is fascinating. Guy, not his real name which we are never given, is a psychopath. He is eerily dispassionate and clinical when explaining his methodology which is designed to let him "make love" to the women of his choice without getting caught. He is keen to explain that he is not a serial killer because the killing is just an easy way of disposing of evidence and doesn't give him any pleasure. His reasonable tone is enough to send a shiver down the spine. I did wonder, however, how he afforded it all.
I'm not so sure about the police side of things. The investigation is a mess with no clear strategy and a lot of conjecture and while it makes for good reading I don't think it is particularly realistic as modern investigation is very structured with clear, unambiguous strategies to follow. I did however like the interaction between the characters which I did find realistic. Tara, in particular, is very well drawn, dedicated but sometimes uncertain of her ability and who unwinds by drinking with her friends.
Lethal Dose is a long novel but as it is an engrossing read I didn't notice it too much although it does get a bit repetitive at times which I take to be more realism - the constant requirement by the police to ask the same questions over and over until the truth emerges and Guy's need to relive his triumphs.
Lethal Dose is not perfect but it is a good read which held my attention throughout so I have no hesitation in recommending it.
The novel opens with "Guy" telling us about how he stalks, rapes, murders and disposes of young women. The next chapter switches to Inspector Tara Grogan and her investigation into the gruesome murder of Terry Lawler, an investigative journalist with plenty of enemies. The police are stumped for a prime suspect but as they keep investigating they uncover Terry's threat to publish bribery allegations involving his ex wife's husband and a local councillor. He was also working on an expose of local drug dealers and trying to find out what happened to his sister who disappeared months earlier and who was, he believes, the victim of a previously unsuspected serial killer.
The chapters in the novel alternate between Guy's first person narrative and the third person narrative of Tara's investigation. I can't really say how it all ties together without giving away too much of the plot but the confluence of these two plot lines is fascinating. Guy, not his real name which we are never given, is a psychopath. He is eerily dispassionate and clinical when explaining his methodology which is designed to let him "make love" to the women of his choice without getting caught. He is keen to explain that he is not a serial killer because the killing is just an easy way of disposing of evidence and doesn't give him any pleasure. His reasonable tone is enough to send a shiver down the spine. I did wonder, however, how he afforded it all.
I'm not so sure about the police side of things. The investigation is a mess with no clear strategy and a lot of conjecture and while it makes for good reading I don't think it is particularly realistic as modern investigation is very structured with clear, unambiguous strategies to follow. I did however like the interaction between the characters which I did find realistic. Tara, in particular, is very well drawn, dedicated but sometimes uncertain of her ability and who unwinds by drinking with her friends.
Lethal Dose is a long novel but as it is an engrossing read I didn't notice it too much although it does get a bit repetitive at times which I take to be more realism - the constant requirement by the police to ask the same questions over and over until the truth emerges and Guy's need to relive his triumphs.
Lethal Dose is not perfect but it is a good read which held my attention throughout so I have no hesitation in recommending it.
June 30, 2016
Simply Fabulous. If you like Murder Mysteries then this is a must read. Robert McCraken has done a wonderful job of incorporating some very interesting and diverse characters, into an intriguing and thoroughly entertaining story. Poor Holly never had a chance against her killer. He was far too organised when he grabbed her off the street, and she was quite short and slim, so unable to put up much of a fight. Plus by the time he snatched Holly, he had just about perfected his technique on quite a few other girls. As he says, it’s like picking fruit off a tree. The Police are going to have quite a hard time proving that he is guilty of any of the crimes, with him disposing of the bodies at sea, and not leaving any evidence that anything has actually happened to them. For anyone knows, the girls have simply disappeared and their whereabouts unknown. However he may have got a bit too confident in killing a nurse that he worked with, and her brother decides to investigate her disappearance. Detective Inspector Tara Grogan and DS Alan Murray have been called out to an unusual murder scene of a male buried naked, upside down in the sand. Unfortunately for the victim Terry Lawler an Investigative Reporter, he was castrated, beaten, and possibly buried while he was still breathing. Terry was a well know reporter for upsetting allot of people around town. He didn’t mind exposing people’s secrets, whether they be celebrities, councillors, or drug dealers. What baffles Tara and Alan when they go to Terry’s flat to investigate his murder, is all the pictures of young women stuck to his wall. Add this book to your reading list, you won’t be disappointed.
June 30, 2016
A gripping tale of "Guy" a crazy psychopathic serial killer and DI Grogan a young police officer from Merseyside. It was fast paced as the body count was ever rising. Kept me engrossed as the tale unfolded and the parallel lives reached a climax.I would recommend this book to thriller readers. Thank you Net Galley for my copy.
May 16, 2022
VERY PREDICTABLE, DETECTIVE WORK WAS NOT VERY GOOD. THEY WEREN'T KEYSTONE COPS BUT THEY KEPT MISSING THE OBVIOUS. THIS HAD TOO MANY CHARACTERS AND MADE THE PLOT CONFUSING AT TIMES AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND. IT HAD TWO STORYLINES RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME THE REAL ENDING LEADS TO THE NEXT BOOK. GROAN. NO THANKS. ;<
March 12, 2022
This book is well written. The plot and characters grabbed me from the beginning and I enjoyed the possibilities. Then it slowed, and I found myself putting it down and leaving it for a day or so which is not like me. If a book has me it is the opposite and I do not want to put it down. This is the only way I can explain the 3 stars. Something slows it down and I know why but cannot explain it for obvious reasons. I am not a series reader and I should have noted it was Grogan 4. It probably is the answer to why I found myself putting it down. If authors are going to write a number of books with several characters in all of them, finish the stories, otherwise you lose me as a reader & follower. A novel is meant to be a complete story. There are no spoilers here, I did my best to make sure of that.
August 3, 2023
First of all, I don't like this (relatively modern?) habit of chapters alternating with the story from the perspective of different characters. However, it is even worse when it appears to be two totally unconnected stories that are being told! One of the stories should probably be banned, as it carefully explains how to abduct, rape, and murder young women, and then dispose of their bodies.
Eventually, the two stories do coincide, but the ending shows that as with so many, this is not a "series" but a "serial"! There is a BIG difference between the two!
On the positive side, there was no blasphemous language involved.
Eventually, the two stories do coincide, but the ending shows that as with so many, this is not a "series" but a "serial"! There is a BIG difference between the two!
On the positive side, there was no blasphemous language involved.
May 23, 2023
This series meets many of my favorite requirements for a good read. Female DI, English, Irish or Scottish setting. I am confused by the order of the individual titles. I realize that the writer may have a reason for the lack of chronological order, this does not make sense to me. I generally do not read male authors because of the tendency to use graphic descriptions of violence. Although methods of murder are necessary in police procedurals this ongoing character has unusually minimally violent methods. I am ready for a new story line.
September 5, 2023
That was an excellent read - well done author Robert McCracken!
The murder content might not suit everybody, but I'm OK with it as fiction. Very clever interleaving of the different characters, one written in the first person the others in the third, made the book easy to follow. The writing style is very clear and the whole plot just drew me in and kept me engaged.
I'll surely be looking for more of this author's work.
PS: for the publishers - there are still a few little typos and wrong words in the text, eg bearing instead of baring...
The murder content might not suit everybody, but I'm OK with it as fiction. Very clever interleaving of the different characters, one written in the first person the others in the third, made the book easy to follow. The writing style is very clear and the whole plot just drew me in and kept me engaged.
I'll surely be looking for more of this author's work.
PS: for the publishers - there are still a few little typos and wrong words in the text, eg bearing instead of baring...
June 27, 2021
Tense right to the end.
I'd not come across this writer and now I've read this book I think I've been missing out. My only regret is that I haven't read the previous books in this series, but that is something I can easily put right. That said this book works well as a stand alone story, but I think many, like me will want to read DI Tara Grogan's earlier cases as well.
I'd not come across this writer and now I've read this book I think I've been missing out. My only regret is that I haven't read the previous books in this series, but that is something I can easily put right. That said this book works well as a stand alone story, but I think many, like me will want to read DI Tara Grogan's earlier cases as well.
February 27, 2022
Terrifying
A true psycho serial killer with major skills. Very nearly rapes & kills a police superintendent he'd been stalking. He managed to get off with only one year, since he had no priors. After being relrased, he plans to recapture the police superintendent and finish what he started. Super creepy.
A true psycho serial killer with major skills. Very nearly rapes & kills a police superintendent he'd been stalking. He managed to get off with only one year, since he had no priors. After being relrased, he plans to recapture the police superintendent and finish what he started. Super creepy.
August 25, 2021
Another great book
Another great story by Robert McCracken featuring Inspector Tara Grogan. This time there were two cases which seemed to become entwined. Whilst one was solved the other leads you to ask what next?.
Another great story by Robert McCracken featuring Inspector Tara Grogan. This time there were two cases which seemed to become entwined. Whilst one was solved the other leads you to ask what next?.
May 23, 2022
O. M. G
Such an interesting book, I could picture it all. But how stupid is Tara, the things she must see through her work and to get so drunk that she has no control, stupid. Looking forward to the next one.
Such an interesting book, I could picture it all. But how stupid is Tara, the things she must see through her work and to get so drunk that she has no control, stupid. Looking forward to the next one.
August 8, 2022
I enjoyed the story for the locations mostly. It was well written but a hardcore sexual assault and murder story. The main character Tara Grogan could also have been more personalized as a character but I did enjoying meeting her in the story.
July 14, 2017
This boy can write!
August 2, 2021
Gripping detective thriller
sex crime told by the perpetrator, a journalist turns up dead, there are no clues, but he was also searching for something else.
sex crime told by the perpetrator, a journalist turns up dead, there are no clues, but he was also searching for something else.
March 2, 2022
Lethal Dose
Amazing writer, couldn't put it down. I would recommend reading this book. 👌
I absolutely loved it ❤ 😍 ♥
Amazing writer, couldn't put it down. I would recommend reading this book. 👌
I absolutely loved it ❤ 😍 ♥
March 5, 2022
Mired in details!
Definitely not a page turner. Two plots were overly developed throughout the novel, but neither was really brought to a close. No interest reading the next.
Definitely not a page turner. Two plots were overly developed throughout the novel, but neither was really brought to a close. No interest reading the next.
March 10, 2022
riveting read
A brilliant read a non stop story and compulsive page turner and look forward to reading more from this author
A brilliant read a non stop story and compulsive page turner and look forward to reading more from this author
March 21, 2022
First time I have read this author and I enjoyed this book very much. Good characters, action and suspense combined with realistic situations and dialog. What more could you want?
April 5, 2022
Intriguing story
Really enjoyed this story found it intriguing and quite gripping although the idea of the serial killer was alarming in the it could be real
Really enjoyed this story found it intriguing and quite gripping although the idea of the serial killer was alarming in the it could be real
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August 5, 2022Read 8/22
October 7, 2022
Another great read from this author
A real page turner and enjoyable read kept me enthralled to the end and very late night's but worth it
A real page turner and enjoyable read kept me enthralled to the end and very late night's but worth it
June 7, 2023
super book
A really great book. Great characters a really good story full of twists and turns a serial killer . Great friendship and a brilliant city .
A really great book. Great characters a really good story full of twists and turns a serial killer . Great friendship and a brilliant city .
February 3, 2024
Intense and full of twists! Characters to love and hate.
March 12, 2022
An freelance journalist is discovered dead on Crosby Beach. Was he various researches the cause for his death. What of his missing sister? DI Tara Grogan and her team investigate.
An entertaining and well-written crime story.
An entertaining and well-written crime story.
July 15, 2016
I received a free copy of this from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book really easy to get into but at about halfway it became a bit of a struggle. The story just didnt seem to be going anywhere. I stayed with it until the end and it was ok. Nothing spectacular but interesting enough.
I found this book really easy to get into but at about halfway it became a bit of a struggle. The story just didnt seem to be going anywhere. I stayed with it until the end and it was ok. Nothing spectacular but interesting enough.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews