I love this series. Carol Wyer has a way of hooking the reader from the very first page. Her continuing characters have their own story going, on which will have new readers engaging with them straight away, and will have those of us who have been reading from the beginning wondering how some things are going to be resolved. Twice I made out-loud exclamations at the antics of two of the characters. Yes it can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s much better to read the series.
Carol also has a way of keeping it real. The crimes she uses in her books are realistic, but so is the investigation. She uses the incestuous nature of those involved in the criminal world, and those on the fringes, to keep the character count down and to ensure that the reader is not trying to remember spurious names. There is always only a handful of characters outside of the main group of her colleagues and their families.
The time frame is always right, cases don’t get solved over-night, forensic results aren’t instant, and the investigation is always factually correct.
I know she does her research, I’ve been one of the people she spoke to about this book and I know how much emphasis she puts on getting even the smallest detail right.
This book starts with a teenage girl arguing with her mother. All of us, who have been parents will know that feeling, but thankfully what most of us don’t experience is that teenager storming out and never coming home again.
Following a fire, in a large detached house on the outskirts of a Staffordshire town, a body is found and DI Natalie Ward and her team are tasked with investigating who it is, and how they died.
The house belongs to two brothers that run a nightclub in the town, which is popular with customers but a pain to the local residents.
The fire was started deliberately so who was the target, the fire victim or the Brothers? And what is the connection between the brothers and the victim.
When a woman is found dead near the house Natalie and her team can’t help but connect it to their investigation.
As the investigation continues there are more questions than answers, and on top of that some of Natalie’s team haven’t got their eye on the ball.
The end of this book just makes me want to reach for the next in the series. Time to be patient again.
There are only two or three authors whose books will make me drop what I’m reading and start theirs when they are available, and Carol Wyer is right at the top of that list.
With each book this series gets better, and I know there are more on the way.
For now I have to wait for the next instalment, but thanks to little teases on twitter those of us that follow Carol know that something special is on the way. How it can be any better than what has gone already I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out.
Oh, and the fire scenes, brilliant, and my mate Kia, says hi, he’s in the book that’s him below.
Pages: 411
Publishers: Bookouture
Available now
nigeladamsbookworm 
I absolutely love this review, Nigel, and the fact you are invested in the series and all the characters. They are all so real to me, that when you talk about them, I get a sense of pride (like they’re my children!)
I can’t thank you enough for your invaluable help when I was researching this book and as for Kai… well… watch out, Mat – I am so tempted to dognap your beloved hound!
Sincere thanks for being part of the book tour and for all your support. It means the world to me.
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