The Pick, The Spade and The Crow

The National Crime Agency #1

by Bill Rogers

When the body of a man is discovered in woodlands outside Manchester, a ten-year missing-persons investigation can finally be filed away. But this was no ordinary death: gagged, bound and buried alive, he was the victim of a sophisticated and sadistic killer. And there is something else that has the National Crime Agency puzzled. A single character carved into a nearby tree.

Newly promoted to the NCA's Behavioural Sciences Unit, Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart is determined to hunt down the perpetrator. Just as Jo's investigation begins to reveal links with other disappearances, there is another murder. This is no longer a cold case; she is dealing with the escalating violence of a chilling serial killer.

Stepping into a sinister world of secrets, symbols and rituals, Jo will have to confront the legacy of her own past and the violent memories that lurk there if she is going to solve this case. But at what cost?

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, British Literature

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay thriller, good to while away a few hours. Enjoyable.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years ago the body of a man was found in woodlands near Manchester. He had been gagged, bound and buried alive. There was a single letter carved into a nearby tree. Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart is determined to track down who ever committed this crime. Then there is another murder.

I loved the title of this book and the contents even more.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Thomas & Mercer and the author Bill Rogers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My, oh my - what a delight! What's even better is that this is the first book in a series. After finishing this one, it's a sure bet I'll be in the queue for the next installment.

See what I did there? The book, featuring Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart, takes place in merry old England, where they're wont to say things like "queue" instead of "line," get things "sorted" rather than "straightened out" and insist on putting an extra "e" in "judgment."

What happens in the story, though, is anything but merry. Jo has been assigned to the National Crime Agency's Behavioural Sciences Unit in Salford Quay, Manchester, where a body has been unearthed - literally - in a wooded area outside the city. Turns out it's a man who's been missing for 10 years, and (gulp!) he was tied up and buried alive. The team also finds a strange character carved into a nearby tree, adding another dimension to the very cold case.

There are few clues to follow, but Jo is committed to getting to the truth - in part to help justify her new assignment and gain approval of her new team. Together, they chip away at new leads and find a few connections with the past disappearances of other men. Then comes a second, brand-new murder - bringing with it the probability that they're dealing with a serial killer. Finding the real connection to the deaths, however, proves elusive until some of the clues begin coming together. Where they point is not only disturbing, but as Jo inches closer to the truth, puts her very life on the line.

The plot moves along quickly, and the characters - Jo in particular - are well developed. In that regard, while Jo's life with her female partner plays a role in the emotional turmoil she faces every day, it never becomes a "gay" issue at home or at work. Rather, it's dealt with in the same matter-of-fact manner as any other male-female relationship would be. How refreshing!

Many, many thanks to the author and publisher (via NetGalley) for giving me the opportunity to read this terrific book in exchange for an honest review. Do I hope to be on the list for the next one? Yes, please!

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fairly good read, I would give it 3.5 stars.
D.I. Joanne Stuart is seconded to the National Crime Register and immediately gets embroiled in the case of a man buried alive. It's soon obvious there is a brutal serial killer on the loose as other men are attacked or disappear. The ending is a bit predictable, but exciting and there are some fascinating glimpses into the secretive world of the Masons and why people join this mysterious world. Sounds to me it's mainly for business reasons, but the symbolism is appealing in a way.
Jo Stuart was not a sympathetic character to me, a bit cold and distant, but since this was the first in a new series I'm hoping she'll grow on me.
Thank you, Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and Bill Rogers for the ARC.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 3 out of 5]

A British police procedural, this is slated to be the first in a series about the National Crime Agency. It introduces Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart and the rest of the team with whom she will be working. Stuart's character was well developed and although there were no real twists or surprises, the novel held my attention and it was a quick read. I look forward to the next in the series.

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio version of this book 📚- Good start to series but dreadful narrator who unfortunately does all of the books in the series

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is listed as the first in a series about the National Crime Agency. This may be why I found it a bit frustrating at first. A lot of what seemed to be 'filler' descriptions of people, places and things like cars and meals.

However the story grew on me because it proved to have an intriguing plot with plenty of twists and turns.

I must be careful not to spoil the story, suffice to say there a few red herrings before the real perpetrator is finally unmasked!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. While not great, this book was pretty readable and I'll try one more. I picked this up for the title - who could resist The Pick, The Spade and The Crow? It doesn't always work for me but in this case I'd say it was a win.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: Manchester, England; modern day.
This is the first in a series involving detective Jo Stuart, newly-appointed to a role with as Senior Investigating Officer with the National Crime Agency, having previously worked for Greater Manchester Police, and based in new offices on Salford Quays.
Her first investigation involves the discovery of a body that has been buried for nearly ten years. When her investigations lead to a link with the Freemasons, Jo uncovers a serial killer who has been targeting members of the organisation for several years, with 'disappearances' covering several force areas. Using the National Crime Agency's co-ordination powers, Jo is able to draw on the resources of the various forces but the investigation still proves complex and difficult to solve....
This is a good first outing for this new (to me!) series - interesting characters and personal stories which will clearly be made more of in future books and intense and complicated investigations to hold the attention means that I am looking forward to reading the next in the series - 8.5/10.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

S.I. Jo Stuart is newly assigned to the Behavioral Crimes Unit in Manchester. A body is discovered and opens up a 10 year old cold case - the first one she is assigned in her new post. She diligently & methodically investigates the murder and finds evidence of other similar crimes that involve Masonic members. Interesting read, and I was glad for my Kindle's ability to look up unfamiliar U.K. lingo.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but a bit too over done in places. However, this is a solid crime novel. It just wasn't my thing.

[Arathi Chitrapura · Rating 3 out of 5]

great storyline, thrilling - Jo was a likeable character.
I am happy I got this book, will read the rest of them in the series

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for approving the ARC

[Ateana · Rating 4 out of 5]

[NetGalley lend me a free ebook version of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.]
[Reminder: I only rate 5 stars for *exceptional* books, the kind that 'forced' me to read without stopping for breath, and that I want a collector, gold plated edition of.]

I'm going to rate this a four stars, because I really loved the diverse cast, not so 'straight forward' plot, and the glimpse into the thankless world of law enforcers. I work for my government too, and I can confirm: their f***** stats will be the death of us. They prefer numbers to results, and one day, they finally, finally will realize what a mess they've done of pretty much all branches of administration. Anyway.

This book: (at the end of this review, you'll find a short who's who summary. I'm so bad at remembering names, I have to write it down, or else three pages later I don't remember who was that guy. And since I already wrote it down...).

THE CAST. oh my god. All those characters, seriously. You've got Shah, who's British Asian, Nailor, the large gruff man sort of, Andy the vegan family man, Barbara the deputy director of the whole damn agency (go girl!) and so on and so forth. And what's brilliant is that it's not something huge. The main character meets another, we get a bit of description, and then they move on. It's so nice for a situation like this to feel natural. Even these days, with a lot of people demanding more and more diversity, it's not a guaranty, and certainly not of quality.
Oh, and he didn't kill off the main character's lover, yeah! (I won't explain further because I don't want to spoil, but it's a trope that I've come to despise from repeated exposure).

THE PLOT. Well, first thing first: this is set in England. Which is great, except that I don't know about you, but I more or less understand the American justice system, since we've been spammed with procedural series, but the British... yup. I was a bit lost during the second chapter when they talked about the different divisions. Which is also why I wrote it down.
Well, the main point to know for a non-British reader? The National Crime Agency, also known as NCA = +/- the FBI. Seriously, just realizing this helps a lot, when they start talking about coordinating with the DI and such.
Anyway, once I got used to this, the plot itself was a pleasure. Nothing exceptionally complicate (or unbelievable, which isn't a bad thing!), and no blood 'n' gore the American way, which is such a nice change. There was suspense, there were various suspects, there was investigation, and some action. Overall, a very good pace, held up by short chapters, and enough 'telling'/descriptions, without bogging down the narration.

One thing I really loved, was the glimpses of how the other police departments worked, and how they interacted between each others, the casual sexism a successful woman like our main character has to deal with all the time and the way she deals with it. The foreshadowing for the next book was really interesting too.

My one pet peeve isn't really one: it's a case of the writing style. I haven't read any other work from this author yet, but sometimes, when introducing new characters/settings, the writing feels a bit... halting/less smooth. A case of 'he did this, then that. He went there, put down his thing. Then he started walking again and did this'. The feeling never lasted long, I think it was usually two or three paragraphs at the beginning of some chapter, and stuff like that. Nothing too bad, just broke my reading pace from time to time.

***

Short who's who (potential spoilers, read at your own risks!):

Deputy Director Barbara Bryce of the National Crime Agency (which is basically FBI)

Abbie, Jo's girlfriend or wife

NCA's Behavioural Sciences Unit (moving from their previous offices, but still in Manchester)
Team A goes to Sunningdale
Team B (Jo's) goes to Salford Quays

Harry Stone, Deputy Director of Specialist Services, BSU's boss (55, was a Chief Superintendent in the Met, lost his wife, mother&child nag, built like a tank, salt&pepper, North London accent)

Team B: (so far)

SI Joanne Stuart - head of team/investigator (previously DI)

Ram Shah - analyst (British Asian, single)

Max Nailor - investigator (huge, rugbyman like, mid blond hair, Home Countries accent trace of East End, gruff, single)

Andy Swift - psychology/more or less profiler (vegan, short brown curly hair, into photo, 2 children, wife Rachel = Deputy Director of Student Support at a local high school. Masters in Investigative Psychology)

Dorsey Zephaniah - administrator (oval face, the colour of creamy coffee, jet-black braided hair, lives in Chorlton)

[harshv · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Pick, The Spade and The Crow - a really promising title, and I was very intrigued by the blurb. I jumped at the opportunity to read and provide feedback through NetGalley.

Unfortunately for me the story did not live up to the promise of the blurb.

Jo Stuart, a promising detective, is pleasantly surprised when she is appointed as a lead investigator with the newly formed National Crime Agency. The office is located in Manchester which means that her personal life with her partner Abbie can continue without any relocation blues. New colleagues Ram Shah, Andy Swift and Max Nailor make up the rest of the team while Harry Stone is the boss (with a tough commute from London!).

A retired cop out for a walk with his dog discovers a carefully concealed corpse in the woods. For reasons I didn't quite follow, this case was referred to the NCA straightaway and Jo picks it up as her first case.. Carved into one of the trees close to where the corpse was found is a symbol which Harry identifies as a Masonic symbol. From this point onwards Jo seems convinced that she is dealing with a serial killer; I wasn't convinced that this conclusion was justified at this point in the story.

With the help of her colleagues Jo discovers a series of events that seem to fit the pattern she believes the killer follows. As she researches these past events (with very reluctant assistance from the non NCA police teams), Ram Shah provides her excellent information and insight through his research. He did come across as a bit of a smart-aleck but proves very useful to Jo. Her other colleagues chip in as bit part actors in the story and even her boss Harry Stone disappears to deal with a domestic incident at a key point in the story.

I found Jo's conclusions a bit abrupt and unconvincing; equally unconvincing was the fact that the killer continues their killing even when they know that Jo is hot on their heels. Jo also manages to get some key people to talk to her about very dark and disturbing periods in their lives without any difficulty - while this helps her investigation move forward very rapidly, I couldn't help thinking that in reality people would be far less talkative about their personal lives.

I also thought that the masonic symbols didn't really come to life in the story as they might have (and as I thought they would, based on the blurb).

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of The Pick, The Spade and The Crow, a contemporary police procedural set in northwest England.

DI Joanne Stuart is seconded from Greater Manchester Police to the National Crime Agency whose remit is to provide support to local police areas when requested. Jo's first case is to help find the killer of Charles Deighton who disappeared 10 years ago and whose buried alive body has recently been found, along with some strange markings on a nearby tree. Given the nature of the killing Jo suspects there is some sort of ritual involved and that there may be more bodies. When the markings are identified as Masonic symbols the hunt is on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It has a straightforward, linear narrative with facts leading to more facts and conjecture which, in turn, lead to suspects. The problem for Jo is proving it all to a satisfactory level of evidence and getting the local investigators on side. Although she is supposed to have an advisory role, the locals are happy to let her investigate because they already have heavy caseloads and no time to devote to the detail she requires. The outsider role also allows Mr Rogers to highlight police politics and the increased workload created by the budgetary cuts.

Initially I wasn't sure about this novel. There is a lot of lecturing on the criminal mind which most readers of crime fiction will already be familiar with and should not be any surprise to Jo. I found it boring and didactic. Fortunately, once that is out of the way the novel proper begins and never lets up.

Jo is an interesting character. She is obviously bright and motivated but seems to be a loner, the stereotypical lone wolf detective. Her girlfriend, Abbie, is desperate to start a family but Jo is reluctant, more for the impact it would have on her job than anything else and this leads to trouble. She also seems fairly uninterested in her new colleagues' backgrounds as we learn next to nothing about them. Strange.

If you like a good read I have no hesitation in recommending The Pick, The Spade and The Crow.

[Shai Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like celebrating because I managed to stumble into an enjoyable crime series at the beginning. It seems that I always manage to find them after multiple books have been published and then I end up playing catch up. Not this time around though and it is a definite bonus that this appears to be a series that I will be following.



This series is set in England and seeing the differences between their police department and the one we have here in the States was quite interesting. You can tell that their focus is more on the keeping the peace while avoiding violence whereas we are seeing more and more cases of police brutality here. Heck Jo isn't even armed with a handgun while she is on duty.



While there are definite differences, people are people no matter where they live. As a woman, she has to deal with the old guard who don't feel that females can do the job. And killer exist everywhere. I really enjoyed getting to know Jo who is a strong woman and a great character. Just watching her investigation was enough to keep me glued to the pages until the very end.



I also very much enjoyed a peek into the world of the Masons. Of course it was just a peek since they are such a secretive society as far as their rituals are concerned.



I do recommend this book to any of my readers who enjoy police procedural books as well as anyone who enjoys books set in England. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a tense and gripping start, this crime thriller did fizzle out a little bit but it managed not to lose the sense of mystery that embodied the opening scene. The story is inventive and intriguing and keeps you guessing throughout, even as Jo pulls together the various puzzle pieces. I did find Jo and Abbie's relationship a little odd and needlessly intrusive to the story. It was odd how staunchly the traditional role of care-giver ('wife') and care-taker ('husband') prevailed despite the fact that both are strong driven women and yet Jo happily let Abbie mother her and do all the household aspects while balancing her career as a nice while she (Jo) seemed to do very little on the domestic front. This isn't integral to the story but every time they interacted, these were the roles they took and it really struck me as out of place given what else we know about them. That said, I did find a similar stereotype cropping up in the detectives, inspectors and other people that Jo worked with and spoke to as she went about her work. I may just have read far too many crime thrillers you know.

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book right away. If you enjoy gritty crime novels where the author doesn't hold back on giving us believable descriptions of crime scenes and interesting motives, you won't want to miss this one. I was particularly fascinated with this one because of the secret society connections, the author did a fantastic job in his research and creating a main character that has a colourful past and a reason to keep rooting for her.

This story has a very natural evolution and it never felt rushed. I liked that I had time to get to know the central characters before the book ended and that the suspect list was long enough I couldn't guess the outcome right away.

The setting was described very well, with a broad use of language so the book never felt boring or like the author was just trying to fill in space for a longer book. The thing I enjoyed the most I think, was the dialogue. Dialogue is notoriously hard to write, but Bill Rogers makes you feel as if you are there with the characters, listening to an actual conversation. Plus, he didn't overdo it with tags, which made the flow much better.

I would definitely recommend this book to others that enjoy crime novels. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Kerry sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow this is just wow.... I am blown away with how good this was . I felt like I was an observer to the whole this so experienced the events along with Jo. As an opener to a series it was fantastic and I already have book 2 but more then that it has made me look at the authors other series about her previous team. so loads more books to read! :)

[Maurice Spokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down

It was gripping from the first chapter till the last. I think this is the first time that I've ever read a book in one day. I will certainly look out for more in this series.

[Chas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drivel, thankfully only paid a quid for it

[Trina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this arc from Netgalley.

This is one of the most boring and dull book that I've read this year. Terrible!! Don't waste your time reading this disaster.

[Roddy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a point within the first couple of chapters where I was planning to give up, and that is where the problem lies. There is the murderous prologue where a seemingly very ordinary man is kidnapped and buried alive. Ten years later Joanne Stuart is promoted to the post of Senior Investigator in the National Crime Agency's Behavioural Science Unit. Our introduction to the NCA is problematic simply because we are introduced to about four characters immediately, as well as Joanne's terminally tedious girlfriend, Abbie. I know this a spoiler but Abbie eventually gets vexed and walks out and good riddance to her. I'm not sure why Abbie was there in the first place since there is nothing likeable about her, and for the reader to care about her, there needs to be something engaging there. All Abbie has is the literary equivalent of a post-it on her head that says 'Needy Nurse'. 'Bye Abbie!
I should also take into account that this is the first in a spin-off series from another set of books and fans may be familiar with at least the main character, but even so, we could have done with a beginning that was a little more invigorating.
Having said all that, when long dead Mr Deighton from the prologue is dug up, the case becomes Joanne's and things get far more interesting. SI Stuart, as she asks to be called, is somewhat cold, but has a past that may explain her behaviour. Her relationship with her team (and her Charlies Angels type boss, who likes to be called 'boss') settles into something very readable and the research and investigation (which involves treading on the toes of the main police force) is expertly handled. It's a case which opens up into that of a serial killer preying on Freemasons, but who the killer is and what their motivation might be proves a tough nut to crack.
I was won over once the plot kicked in and Abbie flounced off on in a huff with her nurses uniform and her vegetarian lasagne recipe slung over her shoulder.
I'll give the next one a go, with my fingers crossed that she's not coming back. SI Stuart can do much better than that.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my 'currently reading' list for at least three years... each time I tried to pick up from where I left off, I found myself struggling to remember who was who, and didn't want to reinvest the time reading from the beginning again. That's why I gave this book a 4 star review, rather than 5.
For what it's worth, to anyone who comes across the same problem of trying and failing to pick up from where you left off, I implore you to re-read from the beginning to regain a full understanding of what's going on, and who is who, in order to gain maximum enjoyment from this brilliant book. One of the highlights of using Amazon's Kindle reader was that it let me 'search' for character names, and then revisit an earlier excerpt in which the character was featured to remember who they were/ how they were involved in the story.

Now, the actual storyline itself: brilliant! Keeps the reader on its toes, with lots of lovely description and mentions of relevant procedures - it is clear that Rogers has done his research. The typical witty British humour doesn't go amiss either, and I think the book is better for it. I was pleased that the main character was female, but not only that; she was gay! Strong female leads are something I always hope to see more of, so I am grateful to Rogers for spinning off from his DCI Tom Caton series with a strong, realistic female lead in this series. I look forward to revisiting Jo's professional and personal life in the next book of the series!

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solidly written police procedural by Bill Rogers. I didn't have very high expectations for this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised. This is the first book I've read by Mr. Rogers, but I've already bought the second book in the series. As a reader, I have noticed and greatly respect the amount of research that has gone into the creation of this book, and am grateful that the author put in actual facts (real serial killers, actual crime scene protocol, etc.) instead of just making up random tidbits. I also really enjoyed that when the perperatrator was caught, the book wasn't over. SI Stuart still had to interview, collect evidence, and put together a case that would stand up. I appreciated this, because it reads more like a police procedural and less like fluff (it's happily ever after the moment the perp is in handcuffs!). There are many authors that end their books the moment the perp is caught, and you never truly figure out the 'why' behind it, and to me, that's lazy writing because the police can speculate all they want, but the author never gives a solid reason and the reader is left guessing. I digress: this is a solid British police procedural, and is written in British English and not American English. I highly recommend if you're a fan of Angela Marsons or Charles Deighton. Don't worry, no cliffhanger endings and can be read as a standalone.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senior Investigator Jo Stuart is assigned to the National Crime Agency to hunt for the killer of a man recently unearthed in woodland outside Manchester. It's discovered he had been bound, gagged and buried alive some ten years earlier. When Jo finds links to other disappearances, she realises she must act quickly to prevent a further tragedy at the hands of a serial killer.

The Pick, The Spade and The Crow was an engrossing British police procedural novel with an engaging female protagonist. It was a fairly quick and easy read without in-depth descriptions of violence and murder. I felt the balance was just right; I was able to visualise the horror without the author needing to paint it in vivid colour. Links to Freemasonry and its symbolism were a good addition, despite having been somewhat overdone in fiction of recent years. Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable read that wasn't bogged down by its own self-importance.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://barnseybooks.blogspot.co.uk/2...

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is the start of a new series, lead character Jo Stuart comes from a previous series of books. There is therefore a lot of backstory missing, making the early parts of the novel a little frustrating.

Stuart is seconded from Greater Manchester Police into the National Crime Agency and there is some adjustment required. She becomes involved in working a case across the north west, meaning developing new relationships with local police forces. Once the novel settles into her investigation proper, it turns into a decent police procedural. Several linked cases are identified and Jo has to work out what and why,as there are clear similarities. Without spoilers, there are a few red herrings before all finally becomes clear.

The novel starts slowly but the pace picks up in the second half. Perhaps there is too much police politics and not enough investigation initially. Jo Stuart is a good lead character and is strong enough to carry the plot as she works largely alone throughout.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Newly promoted to the NCA's Behavioural Sciences Unit, Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart is the lead when a 10 year missing persons body turns up gagged, bound and buried alive complete with strange symbols. Now, there’s a new murder and Jo is sure it’s the work of a serial killer.
I loved the first part of this book. I enjoyed the writing more than anything even though I found Jo cold and hard to relate to initially. The build-up of the murders, the inclusion and significance of the symbols really intrigued me. The sexism Jo has to deal with and the emotional trouble she goes through with her partner added depth to the story I wasn’t expecting.
My only problem lay in the obviousness of the ending. It ultimately wasn’t all that shocking and I was expecting a twist on the level of Angela Marsons with the tone the book set but was disappointed.
Not a bad read if you like procedurals. Needs perhaps more character development and better fleshed out motivations but still quite enjoyable.

[Allison McDaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the 4th book in this series in a Good Reads giveaway. I do love a good detective story and I was in the mood to start another after having just finished J.T. Ellison's lengthy Taylor Jackson series so I decided to start from the beginning with this, the first book in the series. I'm so glad I did! This was so well done and I'm excited to continue with the series. His description of the first burial site was fascinating. That scene alone could have bumped it from four stars to five in my opinion, however, I had to keep it at four stars for two reasons. First, what about the cat?! It was mentioned just enough throughout the book that I thought it would mean something in the end, but alas, no mention of the cat at all.... Second, I think the characters could have been developed slightly better, but since our main character is just meeting them for the first time, I hope the next books in the series will flesh them out a bit more along with the protagonist.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I wasn't expecting anything good from this book - I think I had it mixed up with another - and yet, it won me over quickly.

The research into criminal profiling has clearly been done - the author references real life works and scenarios that wouldn't turn up on the first page of google. The characters were well drawn and a bit different to the usual (although we have another detective giving their all to their work and shredding their personal life in the process), and they're a cast I'd be interested in following to the next book in the series.

While the central mystery wasn't overly convoluted, this is the perfect example of a train or plane book - the writing is great, and easily draws you into the read.

I was provided with a free copy of this book by Netgalley, in return for an honest review