A Confusion of Crows: A DC Cat McKenzie Mystery Book 1

DC Cat McKenzie Mystery #1

by Susan Handley

As the body count climbs, with little evidence and even less experience, rookie detective Cat McKenzie finds herself turning in circles when she tries to unravel the confusion amongst families bonded by self-preservation and blood ties that in some cases are thinner than water.

Adaptable and quick witted, crows are clever tricksters but when faced with more than one crow the question is: where do you aim the shotgun?

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 2018

About the author

Susan Handley grew up in the Midlands and despite a love of literature, and crime fiction in particular, she never dreamt of being able to carve out a career as a published writer. But the desire to write never left her and after years of writing by night she has at last been able to share the results of her efforts.

Susan now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and three cats. When she’s not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her veggie patch.

Reviews

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat McKenzie is a recently appointed detective. Her boss is her late brother’s best friend. Cat feels she has his memory to live up to. They begin to investigate the murder, by garrotte, of a young woman. They think they have the killer, only to find another woman murdered by the same method, while their suspect is in custody. Then a third body turns up. Are they connected?

This is an excellent debut novel and augurs very well for a potential series. Cat is sometimes hesitant, sometimes reckless, as a new detective would be when feeling her feet in the job. She has to contend with a chauvinist boyfriend and a sergeant who is a bit of a dinosaur. I found it all very realistic and exciting. It was great to see the way Cat grew both in her personal and professional life throughout the book. A highly recommended read.

[Laura Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read, and I'll definitely be picking up book 2 when I clear some other things off my to-be-read list!

I liked the main character, she was intelligent and capable but made mistakes and had insecurities that kept her feeling like a real person. Her inner voice was consistent and backstory was revealed as and when it was relevant, never in unwieldy exposition dumps.

The supporting cast was full of distinct and varied characters, some felt a little over-exaggerated but nothing egregious and I'd always rather that than have a lot of secondary characters who just blend into each other.

The plot was well-paced and gave enough information to keep you guessing without ever obviously giving the game away. It struck that most difficult of balances for a mystery: not so much obvious information available that the ending seemed obvious, but enough elements provided along the way that the ending felt like a satisfying piecing together of things we already knew.

In general as well the writing was polished and the tone consistent throughout.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written debut and bodes well for the rest of the series. Cat is a DC involved in her first murder investigation when the body of a young woman is found. Then when another body is found, it seems to Cat that these are connected.

Cat comes across initially as a bit naive and also hesitant in herself, especially when she has a chauvinist colleague to deal with at work and something similar at home with her boyfriend. As the investigation grows, I liked the way Cat becomes more confident in herself.

I enjoyed the plot in this story and it kept me engaged throughout. I look forward to reading further books by this author.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing read, I liked the slightly refreshing take on the crime The characters were great and really engaging you found yourself wanting to find out more about all of them, and the plot left you guessing, i thought i'd worked it out but got the wrong person entirely. I hope there are more to come in this series. 4* from me

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start as we get introduced to the characters but then starts to develop into a really good story. Cat and Alex are really interesting and engaging and love how the author really puts you into Cat’s mind as she tries to work things out. Good twist at the end. Has the makings of a really good series - I will be back for more!

[Will Templeton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

I really enjoyed this book, the twists and turns kept me guessing and the suspense kept me glued to the page (or screen, in this case). I look forward to reading more in this series.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly look for next in series, a great start.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one gripped at the end