Bitter Blue

Sal Kilkenny #6

by Cath Staincliffe

Manchester private eye Sal Kilkenny has a new client - elegant hotel receptionist Lucy Barker has been receiving offensive poison pen letters, and the strain is starting to show. Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Ecclestone ask Sal to get some background information to help their house purchase. As she prepares to stake out the streets, a bitter cold snap brings arctic conditions. On the home front, why is Sal's daughter Maddy reluctant to go to school? As her surveillance duties bring a grim discovery, her other problems escalate...and there is one more nightmarish surprise for her.

Genres: Crime

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Cath Staincliffe is a best-selling, award-winning novelist, radio playwright and the creator of ITV's hit series, Blue Murder, starring Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis. Cath's books have been short-listed for the British Crime Writers Association best first novel award, for the Dagger in the Library and selected as Le Masque de l'Année. In 2012 Cath won the CWA Short Story Dagger for Laptop, sharing the prize with Margaret Murphy with her story The Message. Cath was shortlisted again with Night Nurse in 2014. Cath's Sal Kilkenny private eye series features a single-parent sleuth working the mean streets of Manchester. Trio, a stand-alone novel moved away from crime to explore adoption and growing up in the 1960s, inspired by Cath's own experience. Letters To My Daughter's Killer was selected for Specsavers Crime Thriller Book Club in 2014 and featured on ITV3s Crime Thriller Club. Cath also writes the Scott & Bailey novels based on the popular UK TV series. Cath's latest stand alone book, The Girl in the Green Dress, was inspired by her experience as the parent of a transgender child. It tells the story of a transphobic hate crime and asks the question: how far would you go to protect your child? Cath is one of the founding members of Murder Squad - a group of Northern crime writers who give readings, talks and signings around the country. Cath was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, UK and now lives in Manchester, Lancashire with her family. You can follow her on Twitter, @CathStaincliffe, which she does when she should be busy writing!

Reviews

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another decent Kilkenny tale for our domesticated single parent PI, one begins to see parallels with Kinsey Millhone in Grafton's Alphabet series

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good read in the Sal Kilkenny series.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read Sal Kilkenny book before.
This novel was good, but not as engaging as the Scott and Bailey Books.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Cath Staincliffe's books especially the Scot and Bailey series. As always a nicely written and engaging enjoyable book.

[Gillian Housley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitter Blue.

A well written unusual story with lots of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down until I reached the end.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that I was slightly disappointed in this Cath Staincliffe book. I figured out the main storyline mystery roughly 20 pages in and the second storyline mystery is the one that really had me stumped. As usual CS writing, though, I couldn't put this one down. Read it in approximately 2 hours.