ABOUT THE BOOK
A girl’s body found mutilated by a boat’s propeller, another dumped at the bottom of a slipway, and a disused Norfolk mill, hiding the secret to both.
“A cold dense shadow fell over Jane Richardson as she hurried along the concrete towpath. To her left, moonlight danced over the River Bure’s untroubled surface as it slipped silently past, heading back the way she’d come. A low-hanging branch scratched at her face as she ducked underneath. From somewhere far behind her came the shriek of laughter, slicing through the air, only to fall silent a moment later to leave nothing but the sound of her high heels, click-clacking out a stark but steady beat.”
When a girl’s body is found strangled, raped, and horrifically mutilated by a boat’s propeller, deep in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, newly arrived Detective Inspector John Tanner is asked to assist with the investigation.At first, all the evidence points to a man who had a multi-million-pound reason to kill her. But when an alibi is produced from an unexpected source, and another body appears at the base of a slipway, Tanner finds himself turning to local girl, Detective Constable Jenny Evans for help.
As a more intimate relationship begins between them, they find themselves facing a race against time to identify a lethal adversary, one with a lust for blood and a mind set on revenge.
MY REVIEW
I chose to review this book because of the location of Norfolk Broadland. I’d never heard of the Broads, but after Mr. Blake’s wonderfully detailed descriptions of the area, I feel like I’m right in the thick of things. It sounds like a perfect place…for a murder.
It’s Detective Inspector Tanner’s first day on the job in the Broads and he has a missing person case that culminates into a serial murder mystery.
Tanner’s feelings about the case are raw due to the loss of his daughter and his experience as a DI in London has already ruffled feathers in the department for DI Burgess who wants to head the murder investigation with little experience.
I like how DI Tanner’s personality changes around DC Evans with their playful banter. He seems so stoic otherwise. DC Evans has the drive and perseverance to become a DI and the attraction between the characters is slowly developing.
The story starts slow but picks up quickly with a good whodunit twist. I enjoy the way Blake uses the location and local attractions to draw the reader into the scene. For example, when they are investigating the area near the Thurne Dyke Mill and Jenny discovers how much larger it is up close.
A unnerving thriller with the right location, the right detective, and a chilling discovery.
Detective Tanner Murder Mystery Series
1. Broadland (2019)
2. St. Benet’s (2019)
3. Moorings (2019)
4. Three Rivers (2020)
5. Horsey Mere (2020)
6. The Wherryman (2021)
7. Storm Force (2021)
8. Long Gore Hall (2022)
9. Weavers’ Way (2023)
10. Bluebell Wood (2023)
11. Swanton Morley (2024)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Blake is a full-time author living in North London. To date he has written fourteen books along with a collection of short stories. He’s currently working on his fifteenth, St. Benet’s, which is the follow-up to his debut crime fiction thriller, Broadland.
When not writing, David likes to spend his time mucking about in boats, often in the Norfolk Broads, where his crime fiction books are based.
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