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Blood Notes: A gripping murder mystery that will have you hooked
Lin Le Versha is not to be missed, the brilliant new talent on the British crime writing scene. If you love Rachel McLean's Dorset Crime Series and Ann Cleeves's Shetland Series, then you are going to adore Lin Le Versha.
Winner of a 2022 Chill With A Book Premier Reader's Award!
Former police detective Steph Grant has moved to the picturesque coastal Suffolk town of Southwold to rebuild her life following a bereavement, and gets a job working as the receptionist at a local sixth form college.
But when a student is found murdered in the music block, Steph is convinced to take up a new role as a civilian detective by her former boss, Chief Inspector Philip Hale.
The music department had become a hotbed of jealousy, after Edmund Fitzgerald, a musical prodigy, joined the school, monopolising the attentions of the college's ambitious Head of Music. Sheltered for most of his life by an overprotective mother, Edmund's arrival at the school caused ruptures in his life, as well as the delicate ecosystem of the school.
With a murder to solve, Steph and Hale will need to use all their sleuthing skills to unravel the dark truth at the heart of this close-knit community . . .
Blood Notes is a brilliant and powerful contemporary murder mystery by Suffolk-based novelist Lin La Versha, dealing with themes of teenage desire, jealousy and betrayal.
'A wonderful, witty, colourful, debut ‘Whodunnit’, with a gripping modern twist set in the dark shadows of a Suffolk town.' EMMA FREUD
FROM THE ADVANCE
'A dark and intriguing thriller.' Jenny McClinton
'I loved this book right from the beginning.' Rachel Revill
'From the first chapter I was hooked.' Janine
'I was completely blown away.' Surjit Parekh
Winner of a 2022 Chill With A Book Premier Reader's Award!
Former police detective Steph Grant has moved to the picturesque coastal Suffolk town of Southwold to rebuild her life following a bereavement, and gets a job working as the receptionist at a local sixth form college.
But when a student is found murdered in the music block, Steph is convinced to take up a new role as a civilian detective by her former boss, Chief Inspector Philip Hale.
The music department had become a hotbed of jealousy, after Edmund Fitzgerald, a musical prodigy, joined the school, monopolising the attentions of the college's ambitious Head of Music. Sheltered for most of his life by an overprotective mother, Edmund's arrival at the school caused ruptures in his life, as well as the delicate ecosystem of the school.
With a murder to solve, Steph and Hale will need to use all their sleuthing skills to unravel the dark truth at the heart of this close-knit community . . .
Blood Notes is a brilliant and powerful contemporary murder mystery by Suffolk-based novelist Lin La Versha, dealing with themes of teenage desire, jealousy and betrayal.
'A wonderful, witty, colourful, debut ‘Whodunnit’, with a gripping modern twist set in the dark shadows of a Suffolk town.' EMMA FREUD
FROM THE ADVANCE
'A dark and intriguing thriller.' Jenny McClinton
'I loved this book right from the beginning.' Rachel Revill
'From the first chapter I was hooked.' Janine
'I was completely blown away.' Surjit Parekh
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 7, 2024
Edmund Fitzgerald has led a protected life until his late teens. His mother recognised his prodigious talent at an early age and so decided to home school him, keeping him away from roughhouse kids, and allowing for five hours a day practice on his cello. Now at the stage of his career where he needs more, his mother enrols him at a local sixth form college that has a great reputation and teacher Harriet has the skills to nurture his talent to win the BBC Young Musician of the Year.
Edmund has escaped the stifling background of his overprotective mother but finds adapting to his new environment difficult. Still under his mother’s influence he dresses like a middle-aged man and is not allowed the hoody and jeans ‘uniform’ of his peers. He isn’t allowed junk food and has had few of the life experiences of other students. Little wonder he becomes a target for ridicule and bullying when he just wants to fit in. Still, he expresses his feelings in his diary which he will publish when he is famous.
Steph Grant had a long career in the police, but after the death of her husband, she left and is now rebuilding her life. She is the receptionist and personal assistant to the college principle, Peter, and has moved into a ground floor flat with her new canine companion Derek.
Edmund’s talent was clear to be seen and heard, but with Harriet spending more time with him on a one-to-one basis jealousies were forming, not least with the previous star pupil Justine. When her coveted final star billing place is given to Edmund at the next college recital concert, it sets in place a chain of events that leads to murder. It also sees Steph covering familiar ground too as she is asked to assist in the investigation.
Sleepy Suffolk amongst gentile folk might not be the most obvious setting for a crime novel, but don’t be fooled by this snapshot of middle England with its excellent sixth form college, this crime is dark and decidedly not cosy, despite appearances.
The setting, a college, provides an interesting location with lots of people, staff and young adults. There’s angst and petty arguments, and that is before we get to the students. Impressionable youth work well in a story as they struggle to come to terms with adulthood and all the attendant hopes and fears it brings, along with temperamental emotions. The thing is we can all relate to this because we have all been through it.
The story is the typical ‘fish out of water’ narrative, as a protected and naïve for his years late teen starts a new college. The students should know better, but of course he is so different which means he is easy to pick on, to make fun of and when things go too far eventually bully. Most will have experienced it or seen it with others, but it is an unpleasant surprise for Edmund who really wants to fit in but doesn’t know how to. Above all he must protect his precious hands, they are his future.
The plot has twists to keep the reader interested, at times being downright sneaky. The point of view is in the third person, except for Edmund’s diary entries which are of course first person, being very individual to him and how he interpretates this new world around him. This is one of those stories that creep up on you, what it first seems a little run of the mill quickly turns quite gripping.
The storyline allows plenty of room for character development and this is skilfully developed as the story progresses. Being the first in a series there is much groundwork to be laid, but this comes incidentally as the story unfolds, such that you almost don’t notice it. By the end the reader has a good impression of the central leads of Steph and Hale.
Without giving too much away, the theme of the story is ambition, for us and for others. We live in an increasingly fast moving, pressurised world where success can come at great personal cost, at times too great a cost.
Edmund has escaped the stifling background of his overprotective mother but finds adapting to his new environment difficult. Still under his mother’s influence he dresses like a middle-aged man and is not allowed the hoody and jeans ‘uniform’ of his peers. He isn’t allowed junk food and has had few of the life experiences of other students. Little wonder he becomes a target for ridicule and bullying when he just wants to fit in. Still, he expresses his feelings in his diary which he will publish when he is famous.
Steph Grant had a long career in the police, but after the death of her husband, she left and is now rebuilding her life. She is the receptionist and personal assistant to the college principle, Peter, and has moved into a ground floor flat with her new canine companion Derek.
Edmund’s talent was clear to be seen and heard, but with Harriet spending more time with him on a one-to-one basis jealousies were forming, not least with the previous star pupil Justine. When her coveted final star billing place is given to Edmund at the next college recital concert, it sets in place a chain of events that leads to murder. It also sees Steph covering familiar ground too as she is asked to assist in the investigation.
Sleepy Suffolk amongst gentile folk might not be the most obvious setting for a crime novel, but don’t be fooled by this snapshot of middle England with its excellent sixth form college, this crime is dark and decidedly not cosy, despite appearances.
The setting, a college, provides an interesting location with lots of people, staff and young adults. There’s angst and petty arguments, and that is before we get to the students. Impressionable youth work well in a story as they struggle to come to terms with adulthood and all the attendant hopes and fears it brings, along with temperamental emotions. The thing is we can all relate to this because we have all been through it.
The story is the typical ‘fish out of water’ narrative, as a protected and naïve for his years late teen starts a new college. The students should know better, but of course he is so different which means he is easy to pick on, to make fun of and when things go too far eventually bully. Most will have experienced it or seen it with others, but it is an unpleasant surprise for Edmund who really wants to fit in but doesn’t know how to. Above all he must protect his precious hands, they are his future.
The plot has twists to keep the reader interested, at times being downright sneaky. The point of view is in the third person, except for Edmund’s diary entries which are of course first person, being very individual to him and how he interpretates this new world around him. This is one of those stories that creep up on you, what it first seems a little run of the mill quickly turns quite gripping.
The storyline allows plenty of room for character development and this is skilfully developed as the story progresses. Being the first in a series there is much groundwork to be laid, but this comes incidentally as the story unfolds, such that you almost don’t notice it. By the end the reader has a good impression of the central leads of Steph and Hale.
Without giving too much away, the theme of the story is ambition, for us and for others. We live in an increasingly fast moving, pressurised world where success can come at great personal cost, at times too great a cost.
February 10, 2025
Well if the author/narrator wanted to shock the reader with the first chapter then they certainly did! It was not what I was expecting at all and made me really pause - and re read the chapter again!
Setting the intrigue for the rest of the book, “Blood Notes” is a mystery whodunnit that features Steph Grant as an ex Detective Sergeant, rebuilding her life and now working in a sixth form college as a receptionist/secretary. When Edmond, a teenage music prodigy with an over protective mother joins mainstream education for the first time in seventeen years, he struggles to fit in. Everything is alien to him and he finds it difficult to make friends and understand modern life. When jealous teenage rivals start causing disruption and trouble for Edmund, dark events engulf the college community and a student is found dead. When the police are brought in, Steph’s old boss, Chief Inspector Hale leads the investigation and asks her to become a civilian detective to help solve the case.
With this being a debut novel all the characters are new and it always takes time to fully endear to them, so it was good to get a quick recap on Steph’s back story and how she came to have a breakdown. I would incidentally like to revisit this and her role as a Detective Sergeant at some point in the future in more depth, especially as they also feature Hale and ex colleague Carter, a character who at the present is tormenting her.
Set in Suffolk, present day and told between chapters featuring Edmund’s voice and his memoirs and Steph’s third person account, it was a clever way to construct a mystery with the reader having to determine what actually is the truth and what is lies.
The author, Lin Le Versha is a debut novelist who has used her experience in London and Surrey schools and colleges as the inspiration for “Blood Notes” and as a debut novel it really is quite impressive.
I’m Interested enough in this series to want to follow it and I’m glad to hear there’s a second book soon to be published, again by ‘Hobeck’ books and I look forward to reading what mystery Lin Le Versha has in store for the reader this time.
#BloodNotes - 4 stars
Setting the intrigue for the rest of the book, “Blood Notes” is a mystery whodunnit that features Steph Grant as an ex Detective Sergeant, rebuilding her life and now working in a sixth form college as a receptionist/secretary. When Edmond, a teenage music prodigy with an over protective mother joins mainstream education for the first time in seventeen years, he struggles to fit in. Everything is alien to him and he finds it difficult to make friends and understand modern life. When jealous teenage rivals start causing disruption and trouble for Edmund, dark events engulf the college community and a student is found dead. When the police are brought in, Steph’s old boss, Chief Inspector Hale leads the investigation and asks her to become a civilian detective to help solve the case.
With this being a debut novel all the characters are new and it always takes time to fully endear to them, so it was good to get a quick recap on Steph’s back story and how she came to have a breakdown. I would incidentally like to revisit this and her role as a Detective Sergeant at some point in the future in more depth, especially as they also feature Hale and ex colleague Carter, a character who at the present is tormenting her.
Set in Suffolk, present day and told between chapters featuring Edmund’s voice and his memoirs and Steph’s third person account, it was a clever way to construct a mystery with the reader having to determine what actually is the truth and what is lies.
The author, Lin Le Versha is a debut novelist who has used her experience in London and Surrey schools and colleges as the inspiration for “Blood Notes” and as a debut novel it really is quite impressive.
I’m Interested enough in this series to want to follow it and I’m glad to hear there’s a second book soon to be published, again by ‘Hobeck’ books and I look forward to reading what mystery Lin Le Versha has in store for the reader this time.
#BloodNotes - 4 stars
October 31, 2023
Coastal intrigue
A great read...book one had me gripped...twists and turns and excitement.A great holiday read. Can't wait for the next book. Steph Grant is going to be a great leading character to follow through her I investigations...
Looking forward to books two and three now! Definitely a s.eries to get involved with.and based on Suffolk coast..adds atmosphere and scenic pictures to a great story
A great read...book one had me gripped...twists and turns and excitement.A great holiday read. Can't wait for the next book. Steph Grant is going to be a great leading character to follow through her I investigations...
Looking forward to books two and three now! Definitely a s.eries to get involved with.and based on Suffolk coast..adds atmosphere and scenic pictures to a great story
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews