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DCI Cooper #1
Cut The Deck
Pick a card. Any card. This killer wants the whole deck.
When the body of a teenage girl, dressed in a magician’s outfit, is discovered on a beach in North Tyneside, DCI Cooper fears she is dealing with a different breed of killer.
Some murderers leave a calling card, but this girl’s killer stitched his card into her flesh.
Cooper quickly gets to work and identifies the victim as missing fifteen-year-old, Rachel Pearson. As the investigation progresses, Cooper soon discovers that Rachel’s father has a short fuse and that her boyfriend, Will, has a possessive streak. Before she can track down Will, another girl is murdered.
Same killer. Same school. Different outfit.
With a serial killer stalking the teenagers of Tynemouth, Cooper’s boss and the press are demanding results. As Cooper’s self-confidence dwindles she works to find the connection. The eyes of the country are on Tynemouth and her investigation. Can Cooper put her personal issues behind her and stop the man tormenting her hometown before another mother loses her child and she loses her job?
327 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 26, 2025
3.5 stars
March 17, 2024
Based around the Tynemouth area... I live in Newcastle upon Tyne so super close to me.. Well written.. Accurate... And a good story... Enjoyed it starting her next book tonight 😊
October 2, 2022
Loved it great story and really enjoyed being able to relate to area as know it well.
November 5, 2025
What a great start to a series. Erica Cooper is back from sick leave and immediately is in the thick of it with the discovery of a schoolgirl's body. She has been dressed and a tarot card left at the scene. Further incidents with other students from the same school is very close to home as Erica's daughter is also a student there.
This was easy to read. I was hooked immediately and also liked Erica and her team. I was fooled by the reveal of the killer. Quite a page turner overall and I'll definitely be reading more from this author.
This was easy to read. I was hooked immediately and also liked Erica and her team. I was fooled by the reveal of the killer. Quite a page turner overall and I'll definitely be reading more from this author.
February 25, 2026
fantastic start to the series, I've found a new author to follow
November 6, 2019
Good read,interesting plot and Characters. MORE PLEASE.
January 2, 2020
There’s so much going on in this book and I love it – DCI Cooper is investigating a sensational and horrifying series of murders of teenagers, while at the same time juggling her own personal life.
What I love about this book is that the police procedure is very realistic without going into the more boring aspects, though the crimes themselves are more theatrical than is entirely believable (that said, it’s probably happened somewhere).
The book introduces DCI Cooper as a main character and she is a busy lady, the author won me over by describing a woman with a very important job that she has to balance alongside all of the personal life nightmares that some people face. She’s a single parent of a teenage daughter, trying to find a space in their lives for the newly re-appeared father of her daughter; she’s a woman who has been unlucky in love so far but is still hopeful that things will change; and she’s recovering from cancer and chemotherapy. To begin with I wondered if that was too much character information for this kind of book until I realised that, hell no, it’s the perfect reminder of how multidimensional people really are.
The pacing of this book is excellent, the laying down of clues and suspects just right so the ending isn’t given away too soon and the reader remains invested throughout, I was on tenterhooks to find out what was going to happen next throughout.
Funnily enough, my favourite character in this book was Tina, DCI Cooper’s daughter – she didn’t play a huge role in this book but she’s funny, switched on and has a huge amount to offer future books in this series.
This is the perfect crime thriller if you enjoy a good split between the procedural and personal side of the detective – personally, I love it as it’s always the detective’s personality that keeps me coming back for more in a series once the crime has been resolved.
What I love about this book is that the police procedure is very realistic without going into the more boring aspects, though the crimes themselves are more theatrical than is entirely believable (that said, it’s probably happened somewhere).
The book introduces DCI Cooper as a main character and she is a busy lady, the author won me over by describing a woman with a very important job that she has to balance alongside all of the personal life nightmares that some people face. She’s a single parent of a teenage daughter, trying to find a space in their lives for the newly re-appeared father of her daughter; she’s a woman who has been unlucky in love so far but is still hopeful that things will change; and she’s recovering from cancer and chemotherapy. To begin with I wondered if that was too much character information for this kind of book until I realised that, hell no, it’s the perfect reminder of how multidimensional people really are.
The pacing of this book is excellent, the laying down of clues and suspects just right so the ending isn’t given away too soon and the reader remains invested throughout, I was on tenterhooks to find out what was going to happen next throughout.
Funnily enough, my favourite character in this book was Tina, DCI Cooper’s daughter – she didn’t play a huge role in this book but she’s funny, switched on and has a huge amount to offer future books in this series.
This is the perfect crime thriller if you enjoy a good split between the procedural and personal side of the detective – personally, I love it as it’s always the detective’s personality that keeps me coming back for more in a series once the crime has been resolved.
May 21, 2025
I spotted this on a Kindle Daily Deal and bought it as I live in Northumberland. Following the tried and tested formula of “cop with baggage”, the main character is a divorced, single mother with a teenage daughter, recovering from cancer (the mother, not the daughter), an absent father who has recently returned and now she is returning to work. One of the first of her colleagues we meet is Jack Daniel… nicknamed “Tennessee”. Oh dear. Despite all this, I decided to give it a chance and ploughed on. It turns out to be a fairly competent by-the-numbers police procedural that felt a little like it was going through the motions. The main character, DCI Cooper, wildly jumps from one suspect to another, with the scantest of evidence, convinced that she has the killer. With this and her impulsive behaviour and short fuse, it made me wonder how Cooper ever got to be and remain a DCI. In a perfect cliché ending, everything gets tied off with a nice bow and a roll of the eyes all round. Maybe after so many years of reading this genre I’m somewhat jaded. 5/10, generously rounded up from a local.
December 23, 2021
Absolute block buster of debut book by b.Baskerville
I have read alot if debut books by authors and I have to say this up there amongst the best absolutely brilliant it is.something when you start to read a book from the first chapter you read you know its going to be something special and this is special it had me hooked straight away so much I didn't put it down till I had finished it.its got everything you want to read in a thriller book a must read for anyone who reads these books.
D.l.purkiss .
I have read alot if debut books by authors and I have to say this up there amongst the best absolutely brilliant it is.something when you start to read a book from the first chapter you read you know its going to be something special and this is special it had me hooked straight away so much I didn't put it down till I had finished it.its got everything you want to read in a thriller book a must read for anyone who reads these books.
D.l.purkiss .
November 21, 2020
I loved this book! From the opening chapter I was intrigued by the characters and the story that lay ahead. First book I have read by B Baskerville and really loved her writing, great characters, who I found myself thinking about when I wasn’t reading. Living in the North East it was brilliant to read a compelling thriller set in locations I’ve been to. Have already started reading Rock, Paper, Scissors.
October 27, 2021
I've enjoyed reading this book
I will certainly read the next one
With coming from Seaton Delaval which is only about 15/20 miles away i know the area very well.But now living on the South Coast it brought back all the good times when i was growing up there .But back to the book i did enjoy from the first page to the last
I will certainly read the next one
With coming from Seaton Delaval which is only about 15/20 miles away i know the area very well.But now living on the South Coast it brought back all the good times when i was growing up there .But back to the book i did enjoy from the first page to the last
January 23, 2024
Not too bad.
As far as crime fiction goes, the book was engaging enough to keep me reading to the end but the characters felt a little bit flat and hammy. I know this is the first book in a series and character development probably improves as they go on, but it was a little off putting. All good if you’re looking for a fun whodunit.
As far as crime fiction goes, the book was engaging enough to keep me reading to the end but the characters felt a little bit flat and hammy. I know this is the first book in a series and character development probably improves as they go on, but it was a little off putting. All good if you’re looking for a fun whodunit.
May 26, 2024
Excellent Story
An excellent story and all the better for being set in the North East where I live. Once I started it I could not put it down. Great characters and an excellent storyline. I look for books by local authors and was not disappointed with this one. I will certainly be buying not in the series.
An excellent story and all the better for being set in the North East where I live. Once I started it I could not put it down. Great characters and an excellent storyline. I look for books by local authors and was not disappointed with this one. I will certainly be buying not in the series.
January 2, 2021
Cut The Deck
Extremely well written, fast moving, likeable characters and set in an area I know well. What is not to like. The first novel I have read by this author and I am moving straight to the next.
Extremely well written, fast moving, likeable characters and set in an area I know well. What is not to like. The first novel I have read by this author and I am moving straight to the next.
November 10, 2021
Enjoyable
Great characters and good storyline with plenty of twists. I was able to picture it well as it’s set in an area I am very familiar with so use of real places was excellent
Great characters and good storyline with plenty of twists. I was able to picture it well as it’s set in an area I am very familiar with so use of real places was excellent
March 30, 2023
Good solid start to this series featuring the wonderful Erica Cooper. Fast paced, well written and great characters - I really liked Erica’s daughter Tina. This is a series I’m looking forward to continuing with
February 7, 2024
Cut the Deck
New author for me but one I hope to read a lot more of.Really took to the main character and the storyline held me from start to finish.Going on Amazon now to seevif and when I can get book 2 in the series.
New author for me but one I hope to read a lot more of.Really took to the main character and the storyline held me from start to finish.Going on Amazon now to seevif and when I can get book 2 in the series.
February 28, 2024
Big love for this book being based in Newcastle / Northumberland and knowing places they mention!! Super interesting story and murder premise, would definitely continue to read from this author. Just wasn’t quite a 5/5 for me, but no objections at all.
December 16, 2024
I'm a geordie, so it's great reading books based in my local area, so perhaps that makes me biased. But this is a great book, I enjoyed it and felt a good connection to characters. It's also nice to have a nuerodiverse character, even if they're not a main character. I'd definitely recommend this book.
June 23, 2025
Good plot fast paced, good ending.
Here's a tip: please stop introducing " desk sergeant " they don't exist!!!! Civilians man reception not a highly skilled supervising officer who's probably costing around 40k+p.a.!!
It degrades the book and insults P.S. rank
Here's a tip: please stop introducing " desk sergeant " they don't exist!!!! Civilians man reception not a highly skilled supervising officer who's probably costing around 40k+p.a.!!
It degrades the book and insults P.S. rank
September 1, 2021
Good story, interesting characters, good interaction, well written. Looking forward to the next one.
September 10, 2021
Great read
Great police procedural - good plot not too many characters. Ending was a little predictable but enjoyable all the same.
Great police procedural - good plot not too many characters. Ending was a little predictable but enjoyable all the same.
May 28, 2022
An Excellent Start
A murder novel, set in and around Tynemouth, that draws you in deeper the more you read.
I can't wait to read the next episode of DCI Cooper.
A murder novel, set in and around Tynemouth, that draws you in deeper the more you read.
I can't wait to read the next episode of DCI Cooper.
October 14, 2022
Ann
The book was exciting had a few twists kept you involved from being to end
Enjoyed it so much
Couldn't put it down
The book was exciting had a few twists kept you involved from being to end
Enjoyed it so much
Couldn't put it down
January 24, 2023
Great story.
I really enjoyed this book as I live very close to Tynemouth it's nice to know the places in the story, it makes it feel like your part of it.
I really enjoyed this book as I live very close to Tynemouth it's nice to know the places in the story, it makes it feel like your part of it.
March 11, 2023
Good read, nice characterisation.
Will read more from this author.
Will read more from this author.
June 8, 2023
Surprisingly good, I’ll definitely pick up another book by this author. Characters felt very real, scenarios were plausible, and the language and tone of the story was all pretty good.
November 7, 2023
Really enjoyed this book. My first by Etsy but won't be my last! The story flowed perfectly and had me hooked! I highly recommend.
February 19, 2024
A great book. I loved how I knew all of the places where it was set. I would definitely recommend reading this and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews