A series of murders of minor celebrities leads Palmer and the team to a Drama School and an incident that happened many years ago. The killer's clue left at each scene is a line from a poem. Can Palmer piece the clues together before the next murder? The trail leads him into the world of publishing and children's drama colleges with all its bullying and shattered egos until a twist at the end ties it all neatly together.
Barry Faulkner was born into a family of South London petty criminals who ran with the Richardson's Crime Gang in the 60's-90's. Being the youngest his mother, a top fashion model, was determined he would not follow in the criminal footsteps of the rest of the family and enrolled him into the Morely Academy of Dramatic Art to pursue a career in acting. Sadly young Faulkner was asked to leave after three months when no acting ability had surfaced. He went onto become an advertising copywriter with the English branch of the US Agency Erwin Wasey Ruffraf and Ryan where he got lucky with some scripts he sent to the BBC TV and became a scriptwriter and editor for them and several ITV companies. During this time the DCS Palmer plots were amassed in various notebooks and three years ago Faulkner finally found time to write and publish them. His early insight into the criminal world of his family has added authenticity to the characters and plots that makes them credible and the pace keeps the reader glued to the end. His signature end twist will always surprise you. Check out his top rated crime blog at geezers2016.wordpress.com.
Poetic Justice is the perfect title for a novel focused on murders where the victim’s body is found with words from a poem. As the murder squad gets involved, they have three different deaths to deal with – all with the same modus operandi, but none of them giving sufficient clues to make their job easy.
On their third outing, DCS Palmer and DS Singh find themselves on the trail of a serial killer – one who leaves each of their victims with a line from a traditional poem. Palmer isn’t the usual kind of detective; he has a dislike for authority which often leads him into hot water. Surely, the main object of any enquiry should be to nab the culprit and put a stop to their shenanigans? With the assistance of Geeta Singh, that’s exactly how he spends his days – and then he goes home to the redoubtable Mrs P. and her friendship with his nemesis, flamboyant neighbour Benji who seems to irritate Palmer just by existing – bringing some light relief and humour to the serious business of murder. Well written, as always, this is a wonderful addition to this series making me ponder on who the protagonist is while quietly chuckling. Highly entertaining, and a series I’m very happy to recommend. 5*.
Returning to a favourite series is like catching up with an old friend, enjoying the company, reflecting on past times, recalling what brought you together. In this third outing of the Serial Murder Squad, DSC Palmer and the team are brought in to investigate three murders. The victims are left with a note that links to a traditional poem.
Not that this helps the team as they struggle to find the connection between the three victims and a motive. But it isn’t long before their enquiries yield leads that help to speed them along to a dramatic conclusion.
And if Palmer doesn’t have enough challenges at work, his neighbour and nemesis, the somewhat flamboyant Benji, has introduced Mrs Palmer to Skype. Only Palmer has neither the enthusiasm nor understanding needed to make sense of Skype. Along with the team banter, these encounters add a delicious layer of humour to the stories.
Palmer’s old school cynical know how contrasts beautifully with Gheeta’s technological prowess to form the backbone of the team. The direct, fast paced writing propels you along, resulting in an entertaining and exciting story that’s over too soon.