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Drawn to Murder
Rita is an artist, still recovering from an attack by three men. Deborah is a nurse and a killer, as much at ease ending people’s lives as prolonging them. Maybe, if they hadn’t been lovers, it wouldn’t have gone beyond talk. But they are. And it does.
The police start finding bodies. And more bodies. Because, once you start killing people, it’s difficult to stop. New names get added to the list. All men, and all sexually interfered with. Why not? That’s what the three men did to Rita. Revenge is sweet.
PC Jamie Pearson and Rita were teenagers together once. Jamie wants to find Rita. Which is also the aim of reporter Bernadette Spence. Jamie wants Rita’s soul and Bernadette wants her story. And Deborah wants both of them dead.
The police start finding bodies. And more bodies. Because, once you start killing people, it’s difficult to stop. New names get added to the list. All men, and all sexually interfered with. Why not? That’s what the three men did to Rita. Revenge is sweet.
PC Jamie Pearson and Rita were teenagers together once. Jamie wants to find Rita. Which is also the aim of reporter Bernadette Spence. Jamie wants Rita’s soul and Bernadette wants her story. And Deborah wants both of them dead.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2021
26 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 2, 2021
When Rita was sixteen, she was brutally attacked by three men & the attack changed the course of her life. Now Rita, along with her partner, Deborah, decide to take revenge on those men. The police investigating the cases gradually realise that something links the killings, even though they took place in different parts of the country. PC Jamie Pearson wonders if he will end up as one of the victims as although he didn't take part in the attack, he was there & didn't try to stop it - he has always blamed himself & maybe Rita has too.
This is an okay debut crime novel, the writing style is good & the plot is fairly pacey. The police characters at times seemed more interested in their personal love lives than the cases they were investigating, & there was just something about the portrayals of some characters that didn't work in my opinion. Overall, it was an okay read but there are some aspects I wasn't sure of.
TW: sexual assault, murder scenes, some characters display homophobic opinions & speech.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BookGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
This is an okay debut crime novel, the writing style is good & the plot is fairly pacey. The police characters at times seemed more interested in their personal love lives than the cases they were investigating, & there was just something about the portrayals of some characters that didn't work in my opinion. Overall, it was an okay read but there are some aspects I wasn't sure of.
TW: sexual assault, murder scenes, some characters display homophobic opinions & speech.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BookGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
April 29, 2022
The first book in the Batterton Police series. A good police procedural, with a good storyline. Will be interesting to see how the main characters storylines develop in the next book in the series
Thank you to NetGalley and Booksgosocial for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to NetGalley and Booksgosocial for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
December 5, 2021
There are several different kinds of sub-genres within the crime genre ... cozy, thriller, private eye, hard-boiled, mystery, and so on. Drawn to Murder does not purport to be a thriller. Neither is it a mystery since the killers are made known to the reader almost from the outset. During the course of the novel, much time is expended explaining the ‘hows’ and whys’ of what the police are doing, and thus novel falls into the category of ‘police-procedural ... a perfectly acceptable and popular sub-genre.
However, one doesn’t normally associate the word ‘suspense’ with ‘police procedural’. The police procedural is for the most part cerebral as opposed to suspenseful. For many readers, among which I include myself, there is a great pleasure in following the police detectives’ struggles for answers, their puzzlement about the meaning of individual clues, the searching for answers during regular team briefings. This kind of writing can be fascinating, and in JJ Sullivan’s skilled hands, it is.
In the case of Drawn to Murder, however, JJ Sullivan not only writes a well-researched procedural, he also succeeds in weaving considerable suspense into his story. The shock opening creates an immediate edge of tension in the reader’s brain, ensuring that he will be constantly focussed on the story as he reads. Add to that the horror of the cruelly creative murder scenes, the icy callousness of the killers as they plot further atrocities, the concern the reader feels as he sees Jamie’s solo investigation leading him into a horrific trap. There is, indeed, much in this ‘procedural’ to keep the reader’s heart in his mouth.
This is an excellent debut crime novel that offers compelling reading to crime aficionados. The writing is competent and pacy, the plot is innovative with many gripping and unpredictable moments, the characters are well-drawn and believable, and their interactions, relationships, and frustrations give the story an additional dimension that lifts it out of the ordinary. This is a book that won’t disappoint. JJ Sullivan is definitely a name to watch out for.
However, one doesn’t normally associate the word ‘suspense’ with ‘police procedural’. The police procedural is for the most part cerebral as opposed to suspenseful. For many readers, among which I include myself, there is a great pleasure in following the police detectives’ struggles for answers, their puzzlement about the meaning of individual clues, the searching for answers during regular team briefings. This kind of writing can be fascinating, and in JJ Sullivan’s skilled hands, it is.
In the case of Drawn to Murder, however, JJ Sullivan not only writes a well-researched procedural, he also succeeds in weaving considerable suspense into his story. The shock opening creates an immediate edge of tension in the reader’s brain, ensuring that he will be constantly focussed on the story as he reads. Add to that the horror of the cruelly creative murder scenes, the icy callousness of the killers as they plot further atrocities, the concern the reader feels as he sees Jamie’s solo investigation leading him into a horrific trap. There is, indeed, much in this ‘procedural’ to keep the reader’s heart in his mouth.
This is an excellent debut crime novel that offers compelling reading to crime aficionados. The writing is competent and pacy, the plot is innovative with many gripping and unpredictable moments, the characters are well-drawn and believable, and their interactions, relationships, and frustrations give the story an additional dimension that lifts it out of the ordinary. This is a book that won’t disappoint. JJ Sullivan is definitely a name to watch out for.
December 17, 2021
A new author for me & a new series, the Batterton Police Series. If it was to be categorised, I suppose it’s a police procedural but it offers so much more.
A vivid prologue lets you know what you’re in for straight away. A pacy writing style, with some graphic descriptions & a way with words which does make you smile.
A crime was committed twenty years ago. Rita was the victim. It wasn’t reported to the police & the attackers got away with it. Now, she’s back with a partner & they are making the perpetrators pay.
A steady plot detailing the hoops the police have to jump through, together with the background of their personal lives, make this a good read. There are interesting side characters too & some creative red herrings which certainly sent me in the wrong direction.
Only recently published, I’m looking forward to the next instalment as I’m invested in those burgeoning relationships. Recommended.
A vivid prologue lets you know what you’re in for straight away. A pacy writing style, with some graphic descriptions & a way with words which does make you smile.
A crime was committed twenty years ago. Rita was the victim. It wasn’t reported to the police & the attackers got away with it. Now, she’s back with a partner & they are making the perpetrators pay.
A steady plot detailing the hoops the police have to jump through, together with the background of their personal lives, make this a good read. There are interesting side characters too & some creative red herrings which certainly sent me in the wrong direction.
Only recently published, I’m looking forward to the next instalment as I’m invested in those burgeoning relationships. Recommended.
April 25, 2022
This is the first book in a crime series following the Major Crime Investigation Team in Batterton, England. We meet DI Susanna David and her boyfriend DS Chris McAvoy as they work together to solve a series of murders of men seemingly unconnected. It is a police procedural that takes the reader through the steps of the investigation without being boring. It is also a story of revenge. Rita is an artist who was attacked by 3 men as a teenager twenty years ago. Most of the men have put her out of their minds. They shouldn't have. The characters are well developed and believable. Deborah was controlling and after hearing Rita's story convinced her what needed to be done. The detectives are thorough and they are human. Bernie the reporter is very believable in her attempt to get a story. The murdered men--well maybe they deserved it. I received a copy of this book from netGalley but this is an honest review. I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading more in this series.
March 20, 2022
2.5 stars. Would have been 3.5 but the romances seemed forced and a bit like filler. Served no purpose other than to take me out of the story, tbh.
January 13, 2024
This was an interesting debut novel and I am glad that I read it. It looks like there is promise to the series and the author is someone to watch and read more.
The story itself had a lot in there - perhaps too much but overall really enjoyed it.
I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
The story itself had a lot in there - perhaps too much but overall really enjoyed it.
I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
December 24, 2021
A very nice piece of British police procedural. A nice tight serial revenge killer plot with a nice (well...) twist. Well rounded characters for a first novel, well set to be developed into a series. Liked it a lot. Certainly looking forward to more.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews