If you haven’t discovered this brilliant series featuring DI Anjelica Henley, then what are you waiting for?!
This is the third book in the series, following on from the excellent ‘The Jigsaw Man’ and ‘The Binding Room’. Of course they’re best read in order, but ‘The Kill List’ would also work as a standalone – there’s enough new mystery and anything you need to know about past events is explained.
This book begins with the overturning of a conviction of a wrongly-accused man from 25 years ago. The investigation into the past crimes – crimes which Anjelica was close to as a civilian but not police officer – reveals that the original case was corrupt and handled badly. DI Henley can’t believe this as the original investigation was led by her old boss – who has since died and she cannot accept would do wrong. As the case is reopened, Henley and the team have to try to be objective and sift through the evidence on the historical killings. Then a new series of murders begins – and it becomes clear that a new Kill List is being worked through…
I’m not always a fan of the corrupt police officer trope, but Matheson uses it with panache – even when I thought I knew what had happened, there were twists and revelations still to come. Definitely not a cliche in sight.
If you love your police procedurals on the grittier and more gruesome end of the spectrum, these books are definitely recommended for you. Matheson doesn’t hold back in detailing the graphic murders, but it’s all central to the plot and links the crimes. If you can deal with the gore, you’ll be rewarded with a tense, gripping and absolutely first-class police procedural.
Header photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash
