You pretty much know what you’re getting with an M. J. Arlidge crime novel – a high body count, scary and gruesome murders, lots of twists and DI Helen Grace doing her maverick thing along the way! This one is no exception and it’s a satisfying addition to the series.
In this book, a killer is targeting people in their Southampton homes – attacking when they are alone or vulnerable. DI Grace and her team are called in to investigate, but immediately struggle with finding the link between the victims. As the murders continue, the police investigation seems to be going nowhere and the stakes continue to rise. With DI Grace in danger herself, it’s a race against time to stop a killer.
As with the previous books, DI Grace is a likeable but extremely unconventional police officer – she may be effective, but she also does things her way and places herself in danger. In true action-hero style, she often is involved in perilous chases and conflicts which does make for an exciting read, even if it is slightly over-used at times. She also doesn’t take orders well, something that makes her role as a Detective Inspector a bit shaky as she takes on superiors who don’t appreciate her methods.
One of the things that makes this book a page-turner is Arlidge’s inclusion of the murders in the narrative. We ‘meet’ a character in their home, see them going about their routine and then – shock – a murderer strikes. The violence is often quite graphic and the creepiness of the killer surveying their victim makes for a terrifying book. There were bits where I could not take my eyes off the page, even as I was dreading what would happen! I certainly wouldn’t be reading this on my own at night.
Although this is part of the DI Helen Grace series, I think it would work as a standalone. There are elements of the plot that rely on the back-story of some of the characters but I don’t think this makes it hard to follow at all.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy an action-packed police procedural. It has plenty of twists and turns to confound the reader, plus the sinister killer-as-stalker bits which unnerve and horrify in equal measure. This is one book that you won’t want to put down until DI Grace has worked her way through to the surprising and lively finale.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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Header photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash.
