The Upper Hand (DC O'Connell #1) by A.L. Fraine

ABOUT THE BOOK

A murder with all the trappings of an occult sacrifice. It’s DC Kate O’Connell’s first case.

Will it also be her last?

Keen to prove herself to her superiors Kate fights to break through the lies that surround the victim’s life. But the ritualistic nature of the crime dredges up disturbing memories of a past tragedy.

While wrestling with the demons of her past, Kate learns that her partner has a few skeletons in his own closet. His reputation threatens to taint the investigation and ruin her career before it starts.

Kate must break the silence surrounding the victim to get to the truth before it’s too late, and the death toll rises.

Join Kate as she descends into a murky world of murder and conspiracy in the English Home Counties, in a Thriller that bestseller J D Kirk describes as: “An exciting new voice in British Crime fiction.

”Readers of J D Kirk, L J Ross, David Blake, and Daniel Cole, and fans of True Detective and Seven should enjoy The Upper Hand.

MY REVIEW

DC Kate O’Connell’s first case with new partner DS Nathan Halliwell is the work of a serial killer and they don’t have much time before another body shows up. The strange thing is that Kate had seen this kind of killing before when she was sixteen years old. Her Aunt Fiona was found sacrificed in the middle of a stone circle in Ireland.

Kate and Nathan’s partnership is full of fun banter and quick wit and even though Nathan has a reputation of a conspiracy theorist and a tendency to go through partners rather quickly, Kate seems able to hold her own with him and the office gossips.

The murders are grisly and the story will keep you guessing with many twists and turns. A great start to a new series.

Thank you to Mr. Fraine for giving me the opportunity for reading this book with no expectation of a positive review.

DC O’Connell Series

0.5. First Hand (2019)
   1. The Upper Hand (2019)
   2. Idle Hands (2019)
   3. Out of Hand (2020)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A L Fraine lives in Surrey in the UK, just outside of London, with his wife, kids, cat and dog. Having enjoyed reading thrillers and watching gripping drama for years, it was the influence of a couple of more recent shows that spurred him on to put pen to paper and write his first thriller, The Upper Hand.

The Upper Hand was inspired by True Detective, and Se7en, and the creepy vibe that they had. The prequel to the Upper Hand, “First Hand”, is available for free for those who sign up to his mailing list, here; https://dl.bookfunnel.com/dbeuremmfr