A lone sniper killed Grant Burnside, the leader of a violent gang in May 2014. Four years on, Gus Freeman and his team review a case that refused to give up any answers. Why does every stone they turn over lead to the solving of unrelated crimes? The Burnside family pride itself on being impregnable. Nobody speaks out against them and lives. Gus keeps digging away at the foundations until the fortress topples like a house of cards. But will Gus find Grant Burnside’s killer?
Ted Tayler is the international best-selling indie author of the Freeman Files and Phoenix series. Ted lives in the English West country, where his stories are based. He was born in 1945 and has been married to Lynne since 1971. They have three children and four grandchildren.
His thought-provoking mysteries appeal to readers of Sally Rigby, Joy Ellis, Pauline Rowson, and Faith Martin. His action-packed thrillers are a must for fans of Mark Dawson and J C Ryan.
Gus Freeman’s cold case investigations are carried out with reasoned deduction rather than bursts of frantic action. In each of the 24 books, unsolved murders are accompanied by romance, humour, and country life. The core message in the 12 Phoenix novels is that criminals should pay for their crimes. Unfortunately, the current system fails to deliver the correct punishment, so Phoenix helps redress the balance.
Gus Freeman, a consultant for the police, heads the Crime Review Team, looking back on cold cases.
Four years ago, a sniper killed Grant Burnside, leader of a violent gang, involved in drugs, trafficking, prostitution, you name it, he and his family were deeply rooted in crime. The killer was never caught'
Freeman and his team's investigation seems to only lead to other unsolved crimes ... crimes that were probably done by Burnside and his adult children, one of whom loves to torture anyone who gets in his way.
There are many and varied suspects, but to Freeman it's like smoke and mirrors. Will this be the first cold case he can't solve?
This is a well written police procedural with an intricate plot and deftly drawn characters. I enjoy how Freeman and his team work together. There is a second story revolving around two of his team members who are in a relationship, another of his team, a married man, becoming involved with someone other than his wife, and of course, Gus, who is enjoying time with his girlfriend. Soon to come is the addition of two more members who will be joining the team ..... that sounds interesting.
Although 7th in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. I high recommend starting at the beginning of this riveting series.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Creature Discomforts: The Freeman Files - Book 7 by Ted Tayler
In the 7th Freeman Files book Gus is tackling a cold case. Back in 2014 Grant Burnside is murdered. Grant is from a prominent "Gang" family and his death is not taken lightly. Gus is finding it hard to get answers, as no one wants to speak ill of the crime family.This may be one of Gus's most difficult cases, as he delves deeper and deeper, he will not stop until he solves this
The story moves at a steady pace with an intense plot. Twists, turns, and many suspects and to the suspense. With well developed characters, I really got a feeling of being part of Gus's team. Ted Tayler know how to grab your attention and not let go. I highly recommend Creature Discomforts: The Freeman Files - Book 7 to those who love a great murder mystery.
Tayler pens a wonderfully suspenseful story in Creature Discomforts, which is the latest in Tayler's Freeman Files series. I've read each one and they get better and better. Gus and his team grow as characters, and are exactly how the reader wants them to be. Their latest cold case has them searching for a sniper. This author brings the stories to life. What I love about the crime review team is that they each have their own personality and fits in to the team. It's not all about the solace of the case, but about life, and solving the crime. The author's technique of intense characters and great plotlines is a gift. It's a great story to follow and try to figure out what will happen next. This author's characters develop and interacts well with the other characters. I am a big fan of Tayler's and never turn down a chance to read his work. I have yet to be disappointed by his stories. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
The next cold case given to Gus Freeman and his Crime Review Team (CRT) is the 2014 murder of Grant Burnside, a Swindon gang leader. Burnside had been gunned down by a sniper one Sunday morning at a storage facility.
To try and identify potential motives and killers, the CRT interview the various surviving members of the Burnside family. Learning about the crimes of the Burnsides themselves turns out to much easier than finding the sniper.
As in other entries in the series, the effficient work of the CRT keeps the story moving at a brisk pace.
This book really shows Mr. Taylor as a great writer who has believable characters. The CRT group and Gus would not exist if every crime was solved. They follow the leads and talk to persons of interest, but sometimes the answers are not there. The case will come back later!
As from before , an excellent mystery from a writer that knows his craft
Every time I am lucky enough to find a new Freeman File mystery, I know that I will get no sleep until the puzzle that is a cold case is solved because Ted Tayler is that good!
Most of Teds books have me absorbed from first chapter! Not so this book. It felt very disjointed and confusing. Will read next in series and hope it’s better, otherwise I’ll find a new favorite author
I know its a story but I've never been a fan of gangster type stories. I'm for they all get their Just desserts but Gus is a puzzle guy no matter the puzzle he works with
Great series with believable characters. Started slow but picked up the action and my interest with each book. Nice catchup feature at beginning of each book, so if you read something else in between, you can find your way again .
I think this is the second book I'm this series to not be tackled in the same book. This book certainly asks more questions rather than answers both for the readers and for Gus Freeman
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I read the first chapters and decided this one was too violent for me to read right now. Sorry to say good-bye to Gus Freeman and his gang. Book 8 is a possibiity although that looks like a pretty rough start too.
I can return to it on my Kindle app later. ------------ I did return to it--April 2021--and read almost all of it when I got sickened again and checked out the end of the book. Only to learn that not everything is solved! That's it. No more violent, sad mysteries for a while for me--even if I do like reading about Freeman and his colleagues.