It wasn’t until I looked the author up that I realised I was reading the fifth book in the series. Not that it mattered because it was reading well as a standalone novel.
I loved the story. At last, it wasn’t the dog walker finding the body. In this case a young student, studying photography at university, is out taking nighttime urban scenes.
When he gets back to his flat and uploads his images he realises that he can see a face in a window. A window in an old, void building, and she looks terrified.
Along with a friend they go to have a look at the building and find no sign of life. But when they return to the flat his computer has been taken and a threatening note left behind.
What follows is an intriguing crime story that covers a lucrative small town crime scene. The old gang, of “honest rouges” is facing a new threat to its territory, a new twist on old crimes, and they can’t keep up.
Retired Police Officers Matt Ballard and Liz Haynes find themselves on the edge of the ongoing turf and trade wars. They have been approached by a grieving mother who is convinced her son and his friend were killed, and didn’t die accidentally as the police investigation found.
It really is a good story.
Yes, there is a but coming.
The but is, the style of writing. It’s all to polite and almost gentrified.
I felt like I was reading a story written today by a person from the thirties or forties. Imagine Agatha Christie writing in her own style but in todays settings.
Another but.
But I really, really enjoyed it.
Publisher: Joffe. Pages: 381. Publishing date: 16th June 2022
nigeladamsbookworm 
Thank you for sharing this. Have not read any of her books, but will definitely rectify that, after reading this. 😊
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From the response I’ve had on Facebook I’d say she’s a very popular writer who has several series under her belt. I’m certainly going to look into more of her books.
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