Book Review: DARK CORNERS by Megan Goldin

 

Title: DARK CORNERS

Author:  Megan Goldin

Read: October 2023

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description: 

 

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

My musings:

 

Now this was a real thriller in every sense of the word! If I had been thoroughly intrigued by Rachel Krall in THE NIGHT SWIM, I have now totally fallen for this intelligent, plucky, kick-ass character in DARK CORNERS.

 

Rachel Krall is intrigued when she is invited by the FBI to talk to prisoner Terry Bailey, a man convicted of aggravated burglary but also under suspicion of having killed several sex workers. Police are concerned that he is somehow involved in the disappearance of a young social media influencer, Maddison Logan, who hasn’t been seen since visiting Terry in jail two days ago. Since Maddison’s caravan has been found abandoned in a nearby state forest, with video evidence that suggests she was taken by force, police are speculating that Terry’s alleged accomplice is involved and time is running out to find her alive. The only lead the police have is a scribbled note Terry passed to Maddison during her visit, which clearly shows Rachel’s name.

 

In true Rachel Krall fashion, she is not intimidated by the increasing danger the investigation puts her in and resists the FBI’s efforts to get her out of the way once her visit has proven to be a dead end. Being both intelligent and nosy, Rachel asks the right questions to the right people, which leads to a surprising discovery – one that may put her in danger herself.

 

I loved everything about this thriller, from the intriguing premise to the clue-by-clue reveal. As in THE NIGHT SWIM, Rachel Krall’s popular true crime podcast features as a separate POV, telling part of the story from the perspective of the victims. This unique approach not only gave the book a very contemporary and relevant edge, but it also humanised the silent victims of crime – the relatives of the dead and missing left behind with their grief. I also appreciated how Goldin managed to incorporate a villain’s POV without going over the top or giving away spoilers prematurely, which is a fine balancing act not always achieved by crime writers. As the tension mounted it became impossible to put the book down, as I had to find out the answers! As an aside, I found the subplot of BuzzCon and the world of social media influencers most intriguing. I also loved getting to know Rachel a bit better and – whilst usually not a fan of romance in crime thrillers – was enjoying the hopeful and positive vibe it presented here.

  

Summary:

Edgy, taut and very cleverly plotted, this was a total winner for me and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I can also fully vouch for the audio version, which made the podcast elements sound authentic and lent different voices to the characters.

Book Review: WOLF PACK by Will Dean (Tuva Moodyson #5)

 

Title: WOLF PACK

Author: Will Dean

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Read: September 2022

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

A closed community

Rose Farm is home to a group of survivalists, completely cut off from the outside world. Until now.

A missing person

A young woman goes missing within the perimeter of the farm compound. Can Tuva talk her way inside the tight-knit group to find her story?

A frantic search

As Tuva attempts to unmask the culprit, she gains unique access to the residents. But soon she finds herself in danger of the pack turning against her – will she make her way back to safety so she can expose the truth?

Will Dean’s most heart-pounding Tuva Moodyson thriller yet takes Tuva to her absolute limits in exposing a heinous crime, and in her own personal life. Can she, and will she, do the right thing?

My musings:

 

Oh how I love Tuva Moodyson! This series is just getting better and better.

 

Tuva has had her fair share of tragedy and is still reeling from the incident that almost killed her lover and put her in a coma. She now feels like she has little to lose, which is perhaps the reason she throws herself headlong into trying to solve another mystery, consequences be damned. A young woman has gone missing up near the mysterious Rose Farm, and no one is talking. It’s the sort of challenge Tuva cannot resist, even if it puts herself in danger.

 

With Tuva, Dean has created a strong, enigmatic, kick-ass female character who has not only overcome adversity (Tuva is deaf), but also never shies away from setting injustices right. Supported by a cast of weird and wonderful characters, and a remote, small-town setting, this series never disappoints. Over the previous four books, we have become very familiar with the small forest town of Gavrik and its inhabitants, and they all make a disappearance here. Whether it’s the creepy wood-turning sisters you’ve been hoping to catch up with, or the whiff of Tammy’s amazing cooking, Dean makes sure they are not forgotten.

 

I felt sad for Tuva in this one, because part of her bravery and determination not to back down reflects her inner loneliness after the tragedy that stole the love of her life from her. So perhaps this is the reason this book seemed more melancholy to me than its predecessors, even though it’s a solid mystery with lots of action and nail-biting scenes where Tuva puts herself in danger. For me, it’s the characters and the setting that make this series so irresistible, though of course I’m not knocking the well-plotted mystery that holds it all together (which I won’t go into here because it’s best to delve in blind for maximum surprise value).

 

The Tuva Moodyson series remains one of my favourite crime series and one I can’t get enough of. I hope that we will see a lot more of Tuva in future.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Introducing my favorite book of 2022: THE WINNERS by Fredrik Backman (BEARTOWN #3)

 

Title: THE WINNERS (BEARTOWN # 3)

Author:  Fredrik Backman

Read: November 2022

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

My musings:

 

I would give this book 100 stars if I could!

 

If I thought that Beartown ripped out my heart and broke it into a million pieces, then Backman’s latest instalment in the series just ground them to fine dust. At least now I know to stock up on tissues before starting any of his books!

 

I don’t even know where to begin with a review because it’s difficult to express how much I loved this book. After the three Beartown novels, I almost feel part of the community. I’m not sure how Backman does it, but his characters are so well drawn that they are totally real to me. Often, characters remain a hazy outline, but this cast is as vivid in my mind as people I have known all my life.

 

With the Beartown themes of community, parenthood, coming of age, friendships and the fine threads that connect us all to one another, there wasn’t many tissues left in the box by the time I finished reading. Backman’s writing resonates deeply with me, as do his characters.

 

THE WINNERS is set 2 years after the events in BEARTOWN, and we get to find out how all our favourite characters have fared in that time. There are a few surprises in store, but one thing has not changed – the rivalry between the two hockey clubs of Beartown and Hed. As someone who knows nothing about hockey and isn’t particularly sports orientated, even I soon realised how much the sport reflected the hopes and dreams of the community, and was swept away by their love for the sport. As hockey gets embroiled in the political power games of influential people trying to make Beartown and Hed’s animosity work in their favour, the simmering tension is about to erupt into violence. With the constant foreshadowing in the story, I knew that something terrible was about to happen, which had me torn between reading quickly to find the answers and savouring the story. Backman injects so many snippets of insight and wisdom into his stories that touched me deeply, drawing out emotions that are often repressed or overlooked.

 

I can confidently say that THE WINNERS is my favourite book for 2022 and one that I will revisit again when the open wounds in my heart are no longer so raw and I can savour the fine details I may have overlooked. Please note that this is not a stand-alone novel and needs to be read in the right order of the Beartown series to make sense and to get the full value out of this wonderful tale. I loved every minute of it and was sad to say good-bye to characters who feel like good old friends – I will miss them. A truly wonderful book! If you haven’t discovered this series yet, what are you waiting for?

Book Review: BAD APPLES by Will Dean (Tuva Moodyson #4)

 

Title: BAD APPLES

Author:  Will Dean

Publisher:  Oneworld Publications

Read: August 2021

Expected publication: 7 October 2021

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

 

Book Description:

 

It only takes one...

A murder

A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated

A festival

A cultish hilltop community ‘celebrates’ Pan Night after the apple harvest

A race against time

As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…

 

My musings:

 

If you’re looking for a creepy thriller with a gloomy, atmospheric setting this Halloween, then look no further! Noone writes a creepy forest better than Will Dean.

 

I’ve been a fan of the Tuva Moodyson series since the start and snapped up the book as soon as I could press “request” on Netgalley (thank you so much for granting me my wish!). Tuva, a journalist in a small remote Swedish town, stumbles once again into disaster when she comes across a decapitated corpse in the creepy forest surrounding the town. Even though it’s hard to believe, things go even further downhill from here. I love the way Dean’s mind works, and how he manages to create sinister scenes out of seemingly harmless everyday situations. For example, the image of the child biting into a rotten apple (mind the book’s title) was so creepy I am still thinking about it, and this was nothing compared to Dean’s other creations: the sinister trolls carved by the two creepy sisters, the balloons made out of animal intestines, the stuffed animals with dental work, a forest teeming with slugs and poisonous mushrooms etc etc. Dean writes in a way that brings all these nightmarish images to life like a dark creepy movie, and I loved every minute of it!

 

Dean has run with the Halloween topic and made it firmly his own. Though Halloween is celebrated by the children in Gavrik, the small neighbouring hilltown of Visberg has their own dark tradition: Pan Night. It makes Halloween a candyland paradise in comparison, because the happenings on Pan Night, to which only locals are invited, are very sinister indeed. And of course Tuva, who can never resist putting herself in danger, manages a sneak peak that will almost be her undoing.

 

Tuva is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction. Even though she is one tough cookie, Dean also manages to paint her vulnerable side: the grief for her deceased parents, her addictions, her deafness, her struggles with her sexuality. I was happy to see that she has not only made some great friends in Gavrik, but has also found love with Noora, grounding her somewhat. Being a journalist rather than a detective, Tuva leads us into the murder investigation from a completely different angle, which makes this series extra special to me.

 

Summary:

 

All in all, BAD APPLES is another deliciously dark instalment in Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series, and maybe his creepiest yet? And even though he ending was wayyyyy out there, I loved the reel of dark and spooky images the book created in my mind. Coming out just in time for Halloween it’s the perfect spooky read to get into the spirit of the season – if you haven’t discovered this series yet, what are you waiting for?

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: CONSOLATION by Gary Disher

 

Title: CONSOLATION

Author:  Gary Disher

Publisher:  Serpent’s Tail

Read: June 2021

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

 

Book Description:

 

Winter in Tiverton.

Constable Paul Hirschhausen has a snowdropper on his patch. Someone is stealing women’s underwear, and Hirsch knows enough about that kind of crime—how it can escalate—not to take it lightly.

But the more immediate concerns are a call from the high school, a teacher worried about a student who may be in danger at home. Another call, a different school: a man enraged about the principal’s treatment of his daughter.

A little girl in harm’s way and an elderly woman in danger. An absent father who isn’t where he’s supposed to be; another who flees to the back country armed with a rifle. Families under pressure. And the cold, seeping feeling that something is very, very wrong.

 

My musings:

 

Three things made me fall instantly in love with the Paul Hirschhausen series: 1) it’s set in rural Australia; 2) Hirsch is just such a decent, likeable cop who really cares about his community; 3) the events happening in the series are not far-fetched, twisty stories but reflect the darker side of a real-life small community (it’s all very relatable). Plus, Garry Disher is a seasoned author who knows how to spin a good yarn!

 

In the midst of a cold, South Australian winter, Constable Paul Hirschhausen (“Hirsch”) has a few problems on his hands. Someone in the community has been stealing old ladies’ knickers off their clotheslines, leaving the senior citizens of Tiverton and Redruth up in arms. On top of that, Hirsch is sent on a welfare check to a remote farmhouse to address a teacher’s concerns about one of her home-schooled pupils. And, just as he is trying to sort these issues out, a parent goes berserk at the local school, prompting pupils and teachers to barricade themselves inside the classrooms until the fracas has died down. It’s all in a day’s work for Hisch, who spends his days driving around the area to check on the vulnerable members of his community and making sure that law and order is being upheld by the rowdier ones.

 

There are many different storylines and multiple characters that drive the many threads Disher weaves together in CONSOLATION, which made for an intriguing and fast-paced read with the hallmark atmospheric setting that makes this series so compelling. Disher isn’t out to trick his readers with sleighs of hand, killer twists or red herrings galore, and yet it takes a clever armchair detective to follow all the clues and solve the mysteries in the same time as Hirsch does. I love Disher’s innate understanding of the obstacles a lone copper in a small rural town faces on a daily basis: the isolation, the weather, the fact that everyone knows everyone else’s business, just to name a few. I also appreciated the undertone of menace as evil crawls out of the cracks and makes the town an unsafe place.

 

CONSOLATION, just like its prequels, is a novel that reads like a good yarn at the local pub, catching up on all the town gossip, the speculation and the scandals. It’s both a comfort read as well as one you will be loathe to put down because of the many different mysteries Hirsch is juggling, and you really want to find out the answers.

 

Summary:

 

CONSOLATION has a little bit for everyone: crimes to solve, lots of intriguing backstories, true to life characters and the bleak, vast landscape that typifies Australian noir. I highly recommend this series to readers who love an atmospheric read told by a master of the genre and led by one of the most likeable small town cops you will ever encounter in a crime novel. I look forward to my next Hirsch-fix!

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: WINTERKILL by Ragnar Jónasson

 

Title: WINTERKILL

Author:  Ragnar Jónasson

Publisher:  Orenda Publishing

Read: March 2021

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Easter weekend is approaching, and snow is gently falling in Siglufjörður, the northernmost town in Iceland, as crowds of tourists arrive to visit the majestic ski slopes.

Ari Thór Arason is now a police inspector, but he’s separated from his girlfriend, who lives in Sweden with their three-year-old son. A family reunion is planned for the holiday, but a violent blizzard is threatening and there is an unsettling chill in the air.

Three days before Easter, a nineteen-year-old local girl falls to her death from the balcony of a house on the main street. A perplexing entry in her diary suggests that this may not be an accident, and when an old man in a local nursing home writes ‘She was murdered’ again and again on the wall of his room, there is every suggestion that something more sinister lies at the heart of her death…

As the extreme weather closes in, cutting the power and access to Siglufjörður, Ari Thór must piece together the puzzle to reveal a horrible truth … one that will leave no one unscathed.

Chilling, claustrophobic and disturbing, Winterkill marks the startling conclusion to the million-copy bestselling Dark Iceland series and cements Ragnar Jónasson as one of the most exciting authors in crime fiction.

What attracted me to this book:

 

I love Icelandic crime thrillers, and the Dark Iceland series has been a great joy to read right from the start. I was excited to get back to Siglufjörður and read about Ari Thór Arason’s latest case, which involves the apparent suicide of a nineteen-year-old local girl who jumped to her death from a balcony.

My musings:

 

Ari Thór’s estranged partner and son are visiting over Easter, and again he struggles to find time for both family and his job, a battle that is only to real for police or emergency workers, especially in a place as remote as  Siglufjörður. I really felt for Ari Thór, who is only too keen to write the girl’s death off as the suicide it appears to be and enjoy spending time with his son, and yet also hears his inner warning bells chime that all is not as it seems.

 

After travelling to Iceland two years ago, I can vividly picture the small remote town of Siglufjörður, now made slightly more accessible by a new road and tunnel. Jonasson is a master at creating atmosphere and tension through his setting, and this latest instalment in the series is no exception. As the mystery slowly unravels and all its layers are being stripped to reveal the tragic truth, I was thoroughly hooked.

 

All in all, WINTERKILL is a slow-burning, character driven and highly atmospheric read from a master of Iceland noir. It contains all the elements that make this genre so irresistible for me, and I was hoping for many more books in the series, but found out that this may be the last one. I will miss visiting Siglufjörður! Whilst WINTERKILL can be read as a standalone, I would recommend starting the series from book one, as Ari Thór’s backstory adds a lot of depth to the mystery. Highly recommend the whole series!

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Orenda Books for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE CUTTING PLACE (Maeve Kerrigan #9) by Jane Casey

Title: THE CUTTING PLACE (Maeve Kerrigan #9)

Author:  Jane Casey
Read: June 2020

Expected publication: 3 November 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

Everyone's heard the rumours about elite gentlemen's clubs, where the champagne flows freely, the parties are the height of decadence . . . and the secrets are darker than you could possibly imagine.

DS Maeve Kerrigan finds herself in an unfamiliar world of wealth, luxury and ruthless behaviour when she investigates the murder of a young journalist, Paige Hargreaves. Paige was working on a story about the Chiron Club, a private society for the richest and most privileged men in London. Then she disappeared. 

It's clear to Maeve that the members have many secrets. But Maeve is hiding secrets of her own – even from her partner DI Josh Derwent. Will she uncover the truth about Paige’s death? Or will time run out for Maeve first?

What attracted me to this book:

Jane Casey’s latest instalment in the DI Maeve Kerrigan series once again affirms that this is one of my favourite crime series. Having read every book in the series from when Maeve made her first appearance in THE BURNING, I have been eagerly been looking forward to every book. Now at Book 9, I am still enjoying the series as much as ever!

My musings:

Whilst I recommend reading the series from Book 1 to get the most out of the homicide team’s dynamics, Casey offers individual stories that could easily be read as stand alones. In THE CUTTING PLACE, Maeve gets embroiled in the investigation into a sinister secret society that has been linked to the dismembered body of a young journalist washed up on the banks of the Thames. All of Casey’s novels are original and well plotted, and her latest book was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy vibes as Maeve tries to look into the murky depths of the Chiron Club, though I must confess that the dynamics between Maeve and her nemesis Josh Derwent remained my favourite part. Their constant bickering and sniping whilst they are secretly great mates was good fun to read – Derwent’s quick wit and his political incorrectness as these two clash always raises eyebrows as well as a chuckle.

Summary:

It’s difficult to name favourites in an overall great series, but this book is definitely among them, as we get to see a more vulnerable side to both Maeve and Josh. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to continuing following Maeve and Josh on their adventures.

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: PEARL IN A CAGE by Joy Dettman

Title: PEARL IN A CAGE

Author:  Joy Dettman
Read: June 2020

My Rating: 

Book Description:

On a balmy midsummer's evening in 1923, a young woman foreign, dishevelled and heavily pregnant is found unconscious just off the railway tracks in the tiny logging community of Woody Creek. The town midwife, Gertrude Foote, is roused from her bed when the woman is brought to her door. Try as she might, Gertrude is unable to save her, but the baby lives. Gertrude's daughter Amber who has recently lost a son in childbirth and her husband Norman take the child in.

My musings:

There are a few books you encounter throughout your life that will leave a big impact in your mind, and PEARL IN A CAGE was such a book for me. Words cannot do it justice when I say that I lived every emotion in its pages! And two days after finishing the story, I am still consumed by aspects of the book that have affected me deeply.

I am grateful to have discovered Joy Dettman’s great writing through stumbling across ONE SUNDAY on my library’s website, because I am sure that I would never otherwise have picked up a book with the strange title PEARL IN A CAGE. Even the cover design suggested a historical romance with a beautiful tragic heroine to me, which just goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (or its title), because it was anything but. Instead, the story follows the growing up of a young girl who is found as a newborn baby next to the body of her nameless mother. Due to a twist of fate, the very same night another young mother loses her newborn and, grief stricken, snatches the orphaned infant to her breast, an act that will have lasting consequences for the baby, the family and the whole town.

Dettman has a wonderful way of bringing her characters to life, and an uncanny eye for detail. With a rich, colourful cast she evokes 1920’s and 1930’s small town Australia, and the story took on an almost cinematic quality as its pictures played out in my mind. I’m not sure how she does it, but I felt that I had a good insight into each and every one of Woody Creek’s residents, as my heart ached for young Jenny Morrison. I felt sorrow, I felt joy, I felt almost murderous rage and a sense of dread so powerful that it made my heart race and my mouth dry. The story was ALIVE.

I must say that Dettman’s books can scare you more than the most terrifying thriller! Evil comes in many guises. It may take the shape of Archie Foote as he robs his young wife of her baby. Or in the form of a young woman, crazed by guilt, whose hatred will see her do terrible things to an innocent child. Or it may be in the shape of an old man, whose long white beard reminds the town’s children of Santa Claus. Or in the shape of misbehaved twins. Evil comes in many guises, and how I trembled and feared them all! It’s lucky that the reader can take a breather in Gertrude’s kitchen, where it’s safe to venture, because Gertrude will always look after anyone in need.

Oh how my heart is still so full of these characters! I am so glad that this is a series and I can keep reading to learn more about the people of Woody Creek. What an absolute gem of a book!

Book Review: BLACK RIVER by Will Dean

Title: BLACK RIVER

Author: Will Dean
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Read: March 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

Black River is an electrifying return for relentless reporter Tuva Moodyson, from the author of Dark Pines and Red Snow.

FEAR

Tuva’s been living clean in southern Sweden for four months when she receives horrifying news. Her best friend Tammy Yamnim has gone missing.

SECRETS

Racing back to Gavrik at the height of Midsommar, Tuva fears for Tammy’s life. Who has taken her, and why? And who is sabotaging the small-town search efforts?

LIES

Surrounded by dark pine forest, the sinister residents of Snake River are suspicious of outsiders. Unfortunately, they also hold all the answers. On the shortest night of the year, Tuva must fight to save her friend. The only question is who will be there to save Tuva?

What attracted me to this book:

Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series has been one of my favourite series since Tuva first made her appearance in DARK PINES, making BLACK RIVER one of my most anticipated books this year!

My musings:

Dean knows how to write an atmospheric, dark and claustrophobic thriller, and whilst each one of his books is set in the same place, he manages to bring a new perspective into his setting with every story. So whilst we first met Tuva in a wintry Gavrik, which was chilling in every way, the events in BLACK RIVER are taking part around midsommar, the time of 24 hour daylight around the Nordic summer solstice. It’s a credit to Dean’s skill as a crime writer to make this happy, light and summery period as dark and chilling as his wintry settings!

The best thing about a good series is the ability to get closer to your characters with every instalment, and I have enjoyed finding out more about Tuva’s life as she embarks on yet another adventure. This time Tuva has a lot more emotional involvement in her investigation, as it’s her best friend Tami who has disappeared into the dark and sinister forest around Gavrik. Apparently Dean lives in a cabin in the woods, where he writes his books – and his intimate knowledge of the dark Swedish forest really shows. Fans of the series will be pleased (or terrified) to see some of the forest’s more sinister inhabitants back, such as the creepy wood carving sisters and the sleazy paramedic who once locked Tuva in his car. There are many more odd characters that make an appearance here, ranging from slightly off-centre to downright scary. You will even find some other forest critters here that may haunt your nightmares long after you have turned the last page. To put it simply: I loved it!

Whilst Dean relies heavily on his claustrophobic setting and his characters to set a scene that is loaded with an undercurrent of danger and menace which never totally lets up, I also found his observations of Swedish culture and custom that pepper the story interesting. Tuva, with her eye for detail and her sharp, often cynical sense of humour, gives a good social commentary that added a lot more depth to the story than found in many other contemporary crime novels.

Summary:

In summary, BLACK RIVER is another unputdownable instalment in the Tuva Moodyson series. Unsettling, dark and tense, it makes for a perfect crime read with a protagonist who does not fit any stereotype. With her indestructible sense of justice, her courage and her determination, Tuva is one of my favourite fictional amateur detectives. Complimented by a rich cast of characters ranging from oddball to downright creepy, and the type of dark atmospheric setting that has become Dean’s hallmark, this series remains one of my all-time favourite Nordic crime series. I can’t wait to see more of Tuva in future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE GOOD TURN by Dervla McTiernan

Title: THE GOOD TURN

Author: Dervla McTiernan
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Read: January 2020

Expected publication: 24 February 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

Book Description:

Police corruption, an investigation that ends in tragedy and the mystery of a little girl's silence - three unconnected things that will prove to be linked by one small town.

While Detective Cormac Reilly faces enemies at work and trouble in his personal life, Garda Peter Fisher is relocated out of Galway with the threat of prosecution hanging over his head. But even that is not as terrible as having to work for his overbearing father, the local copper for the pretty seaside town of Roundstone.

For some, like Anna and her young daughter Tilly, Roundstone is a refuge from trauma. But even this village on the edge of the sea isn't far enough to escape from the shadows of evil men.

My musings:

Dervla McTiernan’s Cormac Reilly series is one of my favourite police procedurals and I was very excited to get the opportunity to read her latest novel. I am happy to say that it lived up to all my expectations!

The book starts with a kidnapping, and a shooting – from here follows a taut and nerve wrecking police procedural that had me on the edge of my seat until the end. As with previous books, I was reminded how much I like the main character, DI Cormac Reilly, who embodies the type of person you would want on your side. He is motivated, fair and with a strong sense of justice that will see him fighting for the right cause even when all the odds are stacked against him. I was happy to see that his young colleague, Peter Fisher, also had a starring role in this book, and he lived up to his mentor’s high standards. I loved all the inter-personal dynamics that came to play here, especially between Peter and his father, who is also in the police force but has chosen a very different path from his son.

As usual, the plot was clever, multi-faceted and compelling, which makes for the best kind of crime story. I’m not going to say any more – as with every mystery, the less you know in advance the better! If you have loved the previous books in the series, or are looking for a new series to fall in love with, then I urge you to pick up this book and let yourself be swept up in its story. I look forward to seeing Cormac Reilly back again in the next instalment and hope that McTiernan continues to star different characters from this Irish crime fighting squad.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.