Tag: Shallow Waters

CTG Reviews: Shallow Waters by Rebecca Bradley

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Shallow Waters cover image

Shallow Waters cover image

What the blurb says: “When the naked, battered body of an unidentified teenager is found dumped in an alleyway, post-mortem finds evidence of a harrowing series of events. Another teenage death with the same MO pushes DI Hannah Robbins and her team in the Nottingham City division of Major Crime Unit, to their limits, and across county borders. In a race against the clock, they attempt to unpick a thick web of lies and deceit to uncover the truth behind the deaths. But it doesn’t stop there. When catching a killer isn’t enough, just how far are the team willing to push themselves to save the next girl?”

Shallow Waters is the first book in the DI Hannah Robbins series. From the opening page to the final one, this is a tense, suspense-filled read. Hauntingly dark, and highly emotive, the child abduction storyline hooked me as a reader and compelled me to keep reading.

DI Hannah Robbins is an action orientated and dynamic lead. Striving for justice, and determined to get to the ringleader of the gang, she follows the evidence and motivates her team to go over and above in order to solve the case. She’s also trying to navigate a rather tricky new personal relationship, getting up close and personal with Ethan Gale – a local journalist covering the case – which may not be her wisest move.

What I really liked about this book is the way that the layers of complexity and deeper mystery are gradually revealed. DI Robbins and her team uncover an operation far more shocking and wide-reaching than they could ever have anticipated, as what at first seemed to be a single incident is soon found to be one of several, and the abductor one of many. Packed with twists and turns, this is an investigation that gets into your mind and stays with you long after you’ve put the book down.

Shallow Waters is perfect for fans of gritty police procedurals.

Recommended.

 

[with thanks to Rebecca Bradley for my copy of Shallow Waters]

 

Hot Tips: crime fiction debut authors to watch out for in 2015

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Over the past few months I’ve been really privileged to get early reads of three fabulous novels that will be coming out later this year and I just couldn’t wait to tell you all about them …

SJI Holliday

SJI Holliday

SJI Holliday – BLACK WOOD

If you like psychological thrillers then Susi Holliday’s debut BLACK WOOD is one to watch out for in March. Twenty-three years on from the incident in Black Wood that left Claire paralysed and Jo with deep mental scars, a man walks into the bookstore where Jo works bringing the memories, and the desire for vengeance flooding back. Sergeant Davie Gray is hunting a masked man who has attacked several women near the disused railway line – is there a connection between Jo’s visitor and the attacks? As DS Gray unravels the shocking secrets, broken friendships and festering resentments hidden beneath the surface of the sleepy village of Banktoun, he finds himself in a battle against time to solve the case before Jo finds herself with blood on her hands. Keeping you guessing to the very end, this masterfully unsettling thriller will have you on the edge of your seat and stay with you long after you’ve finished reading – a must-read for all fans of psychological thrillers.

Follow Susi on Twitter @SJIHolliday and check out her great blog at https://sjihollidayblog.wordpress.com

 

 

JS Law

JS Law

JS Law – TENACITY

With over a decade working on Nuclear Submarines, JS Law brings a gritty authenticity to the unique setting of TENACITY. The story follows military Special Investigator Danielle ‘Dan’ Lewis as she’s called to investigate the circumstances of an alleged suicide on board the nuclear submarine TENACITY. Only she knows what might have motivated him to take his life, but as she starts to puts together the pieces of the puzzle surrounding the dead man’s last days, she realises all is not as it first seemed. Determined to delve deeper, she makes herself a target as she battles the hostility of the ship’s company and gradually starts to unravel the secrets protected by them. Steadfast in her quest for the truth, Dan is brave and resourceful, and with much of the action taking place inside the confined quarters of the submarine, this military police procedural takes the ‘locked room’ mystery to a new level of suspense. High tension and high drama make TENACITY a gripping must-read for thriller and police procedural fans. Look out for it in July.

Follow JS Law on Twitter @JSLawBooks

 

 

Rod Reynolds

Rod Reynolds

Rod Reynolds – THE DARK INSIDE

Fresh out of the City University Creative Writing MA (Crime Fiction) Rod’s novel – THE DARK INSIDE – is a perfect slice of American Noir. It follows New York reporter Charlie Yates as he travels into the deep South to cover a spate of horrific murders where the targets are couples parked up in date spots. Set in the 1940s Texarkana, a town on the border of Texas and Arkansas, it’s an atmospheric and dark tale with Charlie very much the outsider in the unwelcoming and claustrophobic-feeling small town. Despite the hostility of the locals, Charlie finds himself drawn into the case and compelled to help the beautiful Lizzie – the sister of the only victim who survived one of the killer’s attacks. But as Charlie digs into the evidence he starts to uncover secrets that many people in Texarkana want to keep hidden – at any cost. A page-turner from start to finish, with twists that’ll take your breath away, THE DARK INSIDE is an absolute must-read for all crime thriller fans. Look out for it in September.

Follow Rod on Twitter @Rod_WR

 

AND, there are three more debuts that I’m really looking forward to reading:

Sarah Ward’s IN BITTER CHILL published in July. Hop on over to www.crimepieces.com to see Sarah’s fantastic crime fiction blog and find out more about IN BITTER CHILL. Follow her on Twitter @sarahrward1

Rebecca Bradley’s SHALLOW WATERS is out now on Kindle (so, I know, technically not a 2015 debut, but as it published in December 2014, I’m counting it!). Pop over to www.rebeccabradleycrime.com to find out more about SHALLOW WATERS and follow her on Twitter @RebeccaJBradley

Paul E. Hardisty’s THE ABRUPT PHYSICS OF DYING which is out now on Kindle and will be published in paperback in August by Orenda Books. To find out more about THE ABRUPT PHYSICS OF DYING hop over to Twitter and follow @OrendaBooks and @Hardisty_Paul