The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

September 14, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Far below Norwich is a maze of old mining tunnels. When Ruth Galloway is called to examine a set of human remains in one of them, she notices the bones are almost translucent, a sign they were boiled soon after death. Once more, she finds herself at the helm of a murder investigation. Meanwhile, DCI Nelson is looking for a homeless woman who he hears has gone “underground.” Could she have disappeared into the labyrinth? And if so, is she connected to the body Ruth found? As Ruth and Nelson investigate the tunnels, they hear rumors of secret societies, cannibalism, and ritual killings. And when a dead body is found with a map of what seems to be the full maze, they realize their hunt for the killer has only just begun—and that more bodies may be underfoot.

Dr Ruth Galloway is called in when a local contractor discovers bones in an old miners tunnel. They expect the bones will be mediaeval and date back to when the tunnels and old chalk pits were last in use – but they are all very surprised to find the bones are not just modern, but less than ten years old and show signs of cannibalism. DCI Harry Nelson is called in, but he already has a lot on his plate with a number of murders of local rough sleepers, and then things get even harder when a young mother also mysteriously disappears. Can Ruth and Harry work out what’s behind all this?

I’ve been really enjoying this series and found this to be an excellent addition to the series. There is some progress in the rather complicated relationship between Ruth and Harry – though very clearly this is a long-running plotline that might never actually reach a full conclusion. I did enjoy seeing the many strong secondary characters as well. While I do feel a reader can pick this book up and both understand and enjoy the plotline having not read any of the previous books there is a lot of history between a number of the characters and I feel for a really richer enjoyment at least some of the previous books should have been read first.

I did really enjoy though how the plotlines and police procedural aspect to the mysteries were written. There is a good pace to the plot – with plenty of forward momentum but still enough time for the reader to try and figure everything out themselves as well. I feel readers who expect a high level of action or a really fast pace to their stories might feel this is a somewhat slower paced book – but I think most British police procedural fans will enjoy the many layers to the plot and the chance to try and sort it out for themselves as well.

I was also pleased that while the archaeology definitely took more of a back seat in this story it was not forgotten nor did it feel to me like something just added in for the sake of it or half-hearted. I really enjoyed the extra level it added to the story as a whole and while it wasn’t as front-and-center as I enjoy in some of the other books in this series, it definitely added properly to the story in my opinion.

A good read and a well written mystery; this was an enjoyable book.

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Death In The East by Abir Mukherjee

September 12, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Death In The East by Abir Mukherjee
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

1905, London. As a young constable, Sam Wyndham is on his usual East London beat when he comes across an old flame, Bessie Drummond, attacked in the streets. The next day, when Bessie is found brutally beaten in her own room, locked from the inside, Wyndham promises to get to the bottom of her murder. But the case will cost the young constable more than he ever imagined. 1922, India. Leaving Calcutta, Captain Sam Wyndham heads for the hills of Assam, to the ashram of a sainted monk where he hopes to conquer his opium addiction. But when he arrives, he sees a ghost from his life in London—a man thought to be long dead, a man Wyndham hoped he would never see again. Wyndham knows he must call his friend and colleague Sergeant Banerjee for help. He is certain this figure from his past isn’t here by coincidence. He is here for revenge . . .

After finally admitting his addiction problem, Captain Sam Wyndham has headed into the remote countryside of India at his doctor’s advice, to stay at an Ashram well known for its success in curing addicts. While there, Wyndham has many demons to face, and not all of them drug related. After finally coming out the other end, Wyndham realizes what he first mistook to be hallucinations caused by his getting clean are actually very, very real. Wyndham calls for his friend and colleague, Sargent Banerjee and together they can hopefully make things right again.

I was quite pleased the author didn’t skimp on the complexities and serious nature of Wyndham fighting – and beating – his addiction. This has been a slow burning plot from the very first book of the series and while I can understand some readers mightn’t be pleased that nearly the first three quarters of the book revolves around the Ashram and Wyndham fighting this particular battle I strongly felt such a long running – and life altering for Wyndham – plot deserved a good chunk of the story.

Indeed, the author managed to blend this “current” timeframe of Wyndham in 1922 with one of the very first cases the freshly minted police constable Wyndham ever came across back in 1905. At times I grew a little frustrated with the back and forth between the two timelines – I’m usually not a fan of this style of storytelling – but for the final quarter of the book it became crystal clear why the author had laid everything out in exactly this manner and I was quite pleased with how the two storylines dovetailed together and drew to the climax of the story.

I really love how this series crosses quite a few genres – it is a very well written historical series, also set in Colonial India, which has quite an injection of exoticness about it. It is also a very well plotted British police procedural style of murder mystery which is always a favourite of mine. I definitely feel this book – and the series as a whole – should appeal to quite a wide range of readers. This particular book might be better read in conjunction with at least a few others in this series. I do feel for the best emotional investment and appreciation of how hard this fight and resolution was for Wyndham – getting rid of his drug addiction – some of the background in previous books should give the reader a stronger attachment to this conclusion, but I have to be honest and I do feel this book would read quite well just by itself as well. Readers who find this book by itself shouldn’t hesitate to read it simply because it is one in a series – it holds up I feel exceptionally well just by itself.

Readers looking for a different style of murder mystery or police procedural definitely should give this a go. I enjoyed the plotting, characters and different setting and feel it’s a good book and well worth the read.

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An Unhallowed Grave by Kate Ellis

September 6, 2023 By Leave a Comment


An Unhallowed Grave by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A twisted murder mirrors a dark legend . . .

When the body of Pauline Brent is found hanging from a yew tree in a local graveyard, DS Wesley Peterson immediately suspects foul play. Then history provides him with a clue. Wesley’s archaeologist friend, Neil Watson, has excavated a corpse at his nearby dig – a young woman who, local legend has it, had been publicly hanged from the very same tree before being buried on unhallowed ground five centuries ago.

Wesley is now forced to consider the possibility that the killer knows the tree’s dark history. Has Pauline also been ‘executed’ rather than murdered, and, if so, for what crime? To catch a dangerous killer Wesley has to discover as much as he can about the victim. But Pauline appears to have been a woman with few friends, no relatives and a past she has carefully tried to hide . . .

DS Wesley Peterson is called to investigate when the body of a young woman is found hanging from a yew tree in a local graveyard. They quickly realise this death was not suicide – but certainly murder and Wesley is further confused when his archaeologist friend, Neil, points out that the yew tree the woman was hung from was previously known for public hangings and the bodies then buried in unhallowed ground nearby. Just as Wesley feels he may be getting a handle on the case, yet another dead body turns up. Can he solve what’s really going on before disaster strikes again?

I’ve been enjoying this series and found this a particularly well written addition. I am becoming familiar now with all the main characters and feel the team is beginning to really gel together and work cohesively as a unit. I also found this mystery both layered and interesting – not easy to guess at a first glance and well woven enough that it kept my interest all the way through the book.

I was pleased with the balance between police procedural work and archaeology. I felt that while the mystery and murder investigation definitely took a greater share of the storyline, there was regular and important involvement from the archaeology side of the plot and for this book I felt the balance between the two was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel readers wanting a book really steeped in history or focused more on the archaeology rather than the mystery mightn’t find the balance as enjoyable as I did – but for readers mainly after the mystery/murder aspect and with just a good amount of seasoning with the history and archaeology this book should be very satisfying.

And enjoyable and well plotted read, I absolutely will be reading more books in this series.

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Firebreak by Richard Stark

September 5, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Firebreak by Richard Stark
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Between Parker’s 1961 debut and his return in the late 1990s, the whole world of crime changed. Now fake IDs and credit cards had to be purchased from specialists; increasingly sophisticated policing made escape and evasion tougher; and, worst of all, money had gone digital—the days of cash-stuffed payroll trucks were long gone.

But cash isn’t everything: Flashfire and Firebreak find Parker going after, respectively, a fortune in jewels and a collection of priceless paintings. In Flashfire, Parker’s in West Palm Beach, competing with a crew that has an unhealthy love of explosions. When things go sour, Parker finds himself shot and trapped—and forced to rely on a civilian to survive. Firebreak takes Parker to a palatial Montana “hunting lodge” where a dot-com millionaire hides a gallery of stolen old masters—which will fetch Parker a pretty penny if his team can just get it past the mansion’s tight security. The forests of Montana are an inhospitable place for a heister when well-laid plans fall apart, but no matter how untamed the wilderness, Parker’s guaranteed to be the most dangerous predator around.

Parker is brought in on an interesting heist by two colleagues he’s worked well within the past. This time it’s the Montana refuge of a dot com billionaire and his very well secured mini art gallery that’s in the team’s sights. With plenty of security the team’s tech is positive he can overcome they’re keen to get the many priceless paintings. Only someone is on Parker’s tail and the team is on a tight timeframe. Can they make it work?

I’ve found the Parker heist series to be an absolute gem. Tersely written and somewhat gritty, this series might have been around for a while but it solidly holds up to time. Some things – like heisters planning and executing a heist – simply doesn’t go out of fashion to my mind. Parker himself also holds true. Focused, driven and coldly professional he’s an anti-hero but one of the absolute best to my mind and still somehow the character you’re rooting for most. Even if I’d not want to try and carry out a conversation with him.

Stark’s usual formula is also at play here. The book is divided up into four sections and they each weave perfectly together. Readers who pick this up and are new to the series are in for a treat – these are like a block of the very best chocolate or a packet of your favourite treats. Once you start you simply want another then another. The pacing is excellent – fast enough you get carried away by the action and heist itself, but not so fast you can’t work out exactly what’s happening. The characters are leanly written and there’s virtually no flourishes at all to the writing – it’s like an older, hard-boiled kind of detective novel in all the best ways.

An excellent heist story with a small but intriguing set of characters and an exceptional writing style that gives you everything you need and a few good twists in the plot I found this to be a wonderful story and another addition to a series that’s one of my absolute favourites. Recommended.

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The Woman In Blue by Elly Griffiths

September 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Woman In Blue by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A vision of the Virgin Mary foreshadows a string of cold-blooded murders, revealing a dark current of religious fanaticism in an old medieval town in this Ruth Galloway mystery.

When Ruth’s friend Cathbad sees a vision of the Virgin Mary—in a white gown and blue cloak—in the graveyard next to the cottage he is house-sitting, he takes it in his stride. Walsingham has strong connections to Mary, and Cathbad is a druid after all; visions come with the job. But when the body of a woman in a blue dressing-gown is found dead the next day in a nearby ditch, it is clear Cathbad’s vision was all too human—and that a horrible crime has been committed. DCI Nelson and his team are called in for the murder investigation and soon establish that the dead woman was a recovering addict being treated at a nearby private hospital.

Ruth, a devout atheist, has managed to avoid Walsingham during her seventeen years in Norfolk. But then an old university friend, Hilary Smithson, asks to meet her in the village, and Ruth is amazed to discover that her friend is now a priest. Hilary has been receiving vitriolic anonymous letters targeting women priests— letters containing references to local archaeology and a striking phrase about a woman “clad in blue, weeping for the world.”

Then another woman is murdered—a priest.

As Walsingham prepares for its annual Easter re-enactment of the Crucifixion, the race is on to unmask the killer before they strike again…

When a young woman is murdered in a pilgrimage town near to where Dr Ruth Galloway lives DCI Harry Nelson is quickly on the case. While this time there isn’t much need for Ruth’s archaeological talents, she is still drawn in by the disturbing similarities to the case and some threatening letters a priest friend of Ruth’s also in the town for a conference has been receiving lately. The case grows more complicated however when a second woman is murdered and all too soon both Harry and ruth find this case hits even closer to home than either is prepared for.

I have been really enjoying this series and found this book to be an exceptional addition to it. Readers who are picking this book up by itself should be able to follow along with everything fairly easily – the links and history between the main character’s is fairly well described without too much info-dumping, though I must admit the previous books are all well worth a read in their own right. Readers shouldn’t be worried though about not understanding some of the cross-overs between the characters and their history though.

The plot itself was quite good though also I found it quite straightforward. Usually I enjoy the history of the archaeology or the links to Ruth and a dig site or something similar and that side of this book was a bit thinner than I’ve found previous. The small town is a massive local pilgrim’s site though so the history and such is there, just in a bit of a different context. I feel many readers might feel that this is refreshing and a different take – but I admit I missed some of the archaeology, just personally.

I did however like that there were some important changes and truths exposed personally with Harry and Ruth – and Michelle, Harry’s wife. A lot of the complexities surrounding their relationship and history has been bubbling under the surface for the last few books and I was pleased there was finally some decisive steps taken. I still definitely feel these relationships will remain complicated – and a part of me wishes a few different decisions had been made – but I was very pleased that things didn’t remain in a status quo as they have for the last few books. That was lovely to read and see finally happen.

For an interesting and enjoyable murder mystery this was a good book and is an excellent series I’m thoroughly addicted to.

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Cuthbert’s Way by LJ Ross

August 29, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Cuthbert’s Way by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A SECRET KEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS…

After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert’s cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake—far from being over, their problems are only just beginning…

Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen—something that can never be replaced.

As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair—until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what’s been lost, he must first crack ‘Cuthbert’s Code’, following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands.

Can Ryan find what he’s looking for, before it’s too late?

He’s going to need a miracle…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

It has been a number of months since the brazen bombing and heist of St. Cuthbert’s famous Gold Cross, but even though publicly the trail has gone cold and the investigation shelved, DCI Ryan and his team quietly are still pursuing every available lead. None of the team believes in the pat explanations and they all feel there is more to come. When a monk at a local school is found murdered DCI Ryan knows this could very well be the beginning of the end – but no one knows whether it’s the end of the case, or his blissful life as Ryan knows it.

I was pleased with the beginning of this story because even though the previous book left quite a number of items left unfinished, this story opens with plenty of tie-ins and explanations, so readers who haven’t read the book preceding this can definitely understand exactly what’s been happening and where the team are in this case. My only minor complaint was I felt this managed to bog down a lot of the first quarter or so of the pace in this book and while I was relieved there wasn’t any massive info-dumps or long-winded discussions, I did feel as if the pace of the mystery was slower and there wasn’t much action or forward motion at the start of the book.

The middle and ending however greatly made up for this. Once the bad guys raised their collective heads and the dominoes started to fall there was a far more action-orientated, hasty pace to the story as a whole and the mystery in particular. I feel this should definitely appeal to readers who prefer a more action based and less police procedural style of mystery novel.

While the characters are very well established, I feel readers should be able to pick this book up by itself and still thoroughly enjoy it. With the arrival of DCI Ryan’s infant daughter on the scene his direct family – including his wife, Anna, are shown quite a bit more than they have been in many of the previous books. I quite enjoyed this and felt it added a good perspective to the various aspects to Ryan’s full life and not just as a focused policeman.

I thought this was a well written story with an excellent plot and a good pace. I’m looking forward to the next in this series.

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Famous Last Words by John Carson

August 24, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Famous Last Words by John Carson
Publisher: Vellum
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

He caught him once before. Can he do it again?

With Harry McNeil’s life changed forever, he is thrust back into work when a serial killer dies in prison. Harry helped bring him to justice, but even in death, the man has something to say.

A message is found at the man’s post mortem. A message for Harry.

It isn’t over.

An informant in prison claims that the killer bragged about more victims, but none were ever found. Until now.

But these victims aren’t from the past. They’re from the present.

Just because the mentor is dead, doesn’t mean his spirit doesn’t live on…

And Harry is on the hunt for the protégé who is determined to keep the legacy going…

Meantime, DI Max Hold is having a quiet time since transferring back to his home town in Fife, from the London Met.

Until he gets a call to assist at a unique crime scene – Prince Albert’s cairn in the Cairngorm National Park. The body of a young woman has been found at the pyramid, and although the crime scene is being overseen by Grampian Division, Hold is being sent by Fife.

Out of his jurisdiction, some of the other officers think he’s out of his league.

But dealing with some of London’s finest low life for fifteen years, he doesn’t give in easily. And along with a DS who’s on temporary assignment, he faces a tough challenge. But soon this becomes one of the toughest cases of his career. And nothing London threw at him will prepare him for the outcome of this case…

After a seismic shift in his personal life, DCI Harry McNeil is determined to keep things as normal as possible, not just for himself but equally so his one year old infant daughter, Grace. DI Max Hold is having a bit of a break after transferring to his home town in Fife from the London Met, until a case that hits close to home has him called into action and directly into danger.

After a massive twist at the very end of the previous book in this series (Never Go Home) I was very pleased and relieved that this book picks up directly where the previous one left off. While there is a huge change in the works, I feel many readers will appreciate that it needed some time and care to get everything back on track. So I really felt this was an exceptional time for the author to introduce another main character in DI Max Hold – and hopefully this new character will continue either in his own series or possibly as an excellent counterpart for DCI Harry McNeil.

I wasn’t too surprised when Harry and Max’s two cases began to dovetail together – but it really helped me see how well the two detectives could work in parallel together. I’d love to see more of these two in action in future books. And while the cast in the Harry McNeil series is already really full and somewhat crowded, I feel there’s always room for more characters, particularly ones as layered and interesting as I found Max to be.

I also wouldn’t be opposed if Harry starts to take less of the main stage – even if it is “his” series – and some of the other characters, or perhaps Max, take a more active role in the books. I’m interested in where the author might take this series next and am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

I am also cautiously optimistic where Harry is heading in his private life. While I am glad he’s not jumping into anything too quickly, I feel a lot more comfortable with this pathway than I have for the last few books with his relationship with the psychologist Morgan. I am a lot happier with how this new plotline is moving and am quietly hoping it all goes smoothly and well.

I found this to be a really strong Scottish police procedural book and an excellent addition to the series.

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Buried In Secret by Viveca Sten

August 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Buried In Secret by Viveca Sten
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When two cold case disappearances are reopened, a decade of deadly secrets is unearthed on Sandhamn Island in the #1 bestselling thriller by Viveca Sten, author of In Bad Company.

A woman’s skeletal remains are excavated on an uninhabited island in Sandhamn’s archipelago, and Thomas Andreasson is called to officially investigate. But his best friend, Nora Linde, can’t help but get involved.

On leave after her last case took a dark turn, Nora is tortured by depression, nightmares, and guilt. Her marriage fractured, her pride chipped away, Nora could find redemption in this investigation. Then evidence suggests two possible cold cases linked to the grim discovery: two women who have been missing for ten years. Now Nora feels compelled to unearth a mystery someone has gone to great pains to bury. What could have happened to require such a cover-up?

As the cold case vanishings converge, Nora follows a twisting trail of revenge, blackmail, and betrayal. She’s also inviting the watchful eye of someone determined to stop her. To free herself from the damaging grip of the past—and the reach of a relentless killer—Nora is going to have to brave the darkness one more time.

Summer is drawing to a close and it’s been a very difficult one for Nora Linde. On extended medical leave after her last case left dark marks on her emotions, Nora is struggling to return to regular life again. When her best friend, Thomas, is drawn into the skeletal remains of a woman found buried deep on an isolated Nora is devastated to learn she likely knew the poor young victim. Thomas also is investigating the death, but there were two missing women from that long time ago. Could the cases be connected somehow?

This book picks up fairly quickly after the last one finishes. Often in this series there is quite a lag between books – even numerous years sometimes – but the previous book finished with a bit of a twist and so I was pleased only a few short months have passed between then and this book. Nora is struggling with quite heavy feelings of guilt and depression. This means in some ways her character is quite different to the comfortable and strongly confident Nora I’ve become used to reading about. While I did enjoy the fact this Nora felt a lot more relatable and human, it also came across quite strangely to me that this Nora was so different to the woman I’ve read about in all the previous books.

I did very much enjoy the police procedural aspects to this book. Thomas has always been a very up and down character – sometimes strong and confidant, sometimes depressed or moody, so his character felt very normal and consistent to me with the previous books. I very much liked the methodical puzzle solving of the murder mystery and trying to figure out who the victim was and what had occurred more than a decade ago. I feel readers who enjoy Scandinavian crime and mystery should likely enjoy this book and probably enjoy the entirety of this series. These books tend to be a little darker and grittier than many other popular fiction writers, but personally I’ve grown quite a taste for them and find them highly enjoyable and strongly relatable.

I found this to be an excellent addition to the series and hope there might be more from this author to come in the future. Recommended.

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Dying Inside by Damien Boyd

August 16, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Dying Inside by Damien Boyd
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

In this thriller from the bestselling DI Nick Dixon crime series, a brutal murder looks like a gangland execution… until the next body is found.

Newly promoted DCI Nick Dixon is stuck behind a desk when the peace of the Somerset countryside is shattered by a spate of sheep killings. Dixon recognises a sinister pattern: the animals have all been slaughtered with a crossbow, the power increasing with each kill. It seems whoever is responsible is practising, but for what?

Then the owner of a yacht that capsized on a suspected drug run is found dead, pinned to a tree by four crossbow bolts. Convinced that the killing is a gangland execution, the organised crime unit take over the investigation.

Dixon is sure the motive lies elsewhere, but is forced to watch from the sidelines—until another body is found.

Leading a major investigation team at Avon and Somerset Police headquarters, and with internal politics threatening to thwart him at every turn, Dixon must find the murderer before he kills again. And again…

After a recent promotion, DCI Nick Dixon finds himself sidelined from the field work and detective work he loves. His schedule crammed with meetings and performance appraisals and webinar training sessions, Dixon is finding himself drowning in the boring slog of police work which doesn’t satisfy him. So when a local farmer rocks up out front of the station with the six decaying sheep carcasses killed with a crossbow bolt to make his concerns taken seriously, Dixon is thrilled to finally have something – no matter how small – to actually investigate. When a body with the same crossbow bolt markings soon turns up, Dixon can see the sheep carcasses for that they really are. Practice. And now the killer is ready for his real targets – humans.

I’ve been enjoying this series for quite some time now and I’m thoroughly pleased that this author has only grown from strength to strength. I heartily sympathized with Dixon – caught between a rock and a hard place. With his management squeezing him into a slot he has no real desire to fill Dixon has been trying to work his own solutions but his streak of luck is finally running out. Grabbing a hold of this multi-faceted case though has finally put some spark back into Dixon’s work life and it’s really interesting to follow along with him and see where it all leads.

In many respects this is an average or normal type of case, a number of different elements – a sunken yacht, dead sheep and a murder victim – all tied together through either coincidence or very thin threads, but watching Dixon and his team tie everything together and uncover what’s really going on what excellent reading. This is not a crack-paced, fast action thriller, but it’s also not a plodding or boring police procedural story. I did feel some of the office politics was a little boring – though I can readily admit it gave quite a bit of tension and structure behind just how pinched and trapped Dixon felt with where his career had turned. I felt all these different elements wound together to form a really interesting, well paced and very well plotted murder mystery.

Readers can be assured they can easily pick this story up by itself. Despite it being the latest in a decent length series the plot and setting and characters are all very well explained and while I enjoyed seeing the various elements of Dixon’s team work together and felt the ending was quite satisfying on a number of levels.

An excellent British police procedural story with a realistic and compelling plot, some great characters and a delicious story to add into this series. A great book.

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In Bad Company by Viveca Sten

August 15, 2023 By Leave a Comment


In Bad Company by Viveca Sten
Publisher: Self-Published/Amazon Crossing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sandhamn Island’s archipelago is a beautiful place to visit. For a mother on the run, it’s the only place to hide in a novel of escalating suspense by Viveca Sten, bestselling author of Still Waters.

Building a case against Andreis Kovač is a risky strategy for prosecutor Nora Linde. A violent key player in Stockholm’s drug trade and untouchable when it comes to financial crimes, he has the best defense money can buy. To topple Andreis’s empire, Nora’s working a different angle. It’s personal. Nora’s critical witness is Andreis’s wife, Mina—if she’ll testify.

Mina has suffered her husband’s rage too long. It’s nearly cost her her life. Still carrying the traumas of the Bosnian War, Andreis can be triggered like an explosive. He must be taken down. And as the trial looms, Mina and her infant son must disappear. The police have found her a safe place to hide on Runmarö Island in Sandhamn’s archipelago. But there’s no shelter from a man as powerful and merciless as Andreis. Especially when he’s being crossed.

His campaign of terror has just begun. He’s prepared to crush anyone who stands in his way: Mina, Nora, and everyone they know and love. Andreis is coming for them. This time, Nora is on the defense.

Prosecutor Nora Linde is trying to build a fraud case against Andreis Kovac and finding it difficult. When Kovac’s wife ends up in hospital – Kovac’s abuse finally more than she can successfully hide or explain away – Nora works hard to help the woman escape her abusive marriage. As Kovac and his rage spirals out of control, Thomas is drawn into the suspicious murder of one of Kovac’s longest standing friends. Can Nora and Thomas keep the innocent from being harmed before it’s too late?

I have been really enjoying this Scandinavian mystery series and found this latest addition to be a solid and well plotted read. There were a few different threads of the story that the author managed to weave together very well as the plot progressed. While I do feel readers new to this series should be able to pick this book up and enjoy it on it’s own merits, there is a fair bit of history between Nora and her family, and also Thomas and his marriage that might not be easily picked up until well into the book.

As this is the ninth book in the series some of the character’s backstory seems to be expected to be understood so I do feel some readers might feel a little lost initially. The plot though and everything connected to both the legal trial Nora is building as well as the murder Thomas is investigating is all very well explained and self contained in this book. Only a few aspects of Nora and Thomas’ private lives are a little less clearly defined for readers.

I felt there was a really good amount of tension and build up to this book. The stakes grow quite high – especially as Kovac clearly loses control over himself and his escalation had me feeling quite worried in a number of places. I was also pleased with the ending – I felt it was quite a satisfactory wrap up – though I do have to admit the epilogue threw me for a bit of a curve and while it didn’t quite feel like a cliffhanger I did jump immediately online to discover if the next (and I believe possibly final) book in the series carried this plotline on or if it was a new case for Nora and Thomas. Readers who hate any lose threads might want to make sure they have both this and the next book in the series before they begin to read, as I could understand if some readers might want to jump immediately into the next book after reading this epilogue.

A well written and tightly paced murder mystery this is a good Scandinavian noir style of legal and police procedural novel.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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