Silent Souls by Gwyn Bennett

 4* You don't have to read the previous books in the series to enjoy this (but I'm off to check the back-series now). 

This wasn't quite your standard police procedural, which made it refreshing, and to get a guy who relies on evidence, plus more than meets the eye, plus instinct, paired with a cop who seeks hard evidence, made for, well, a bit of a novel novel, no pun intended. That the latter had to deal with sexism and a dishonest boss grated the tiniest, as right now, there's a feel of 'all cops are bastards to a degree' in a lot of similar novels. I think the UK's police forces are trying to root out rot, so tarring all, yeah, is a bit tiresome. 

Anyway, it's a decent tale, though a sad one. Did the dead get what they deserved? Kind of. Did the killer deserve what happened to them in the years since the tragedy? Shades of grey. There was also an unexpected reveal that I couldn't quite see the authorities cooperating with, but I was fine suspending disbelief a bit. I liked how Harrison's mind worked, and how believably kick-butt the female lead was in her own quiet way. It's a pity that they won't be paired up in the next book. I'd also like to see more of Ryan and his plans for a house in the country that Harrison is going to make happen, plus more of his little feline friend. 

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for my reading pleasure. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE SECOND GRAVE by Jeffrey B Burton

 4* Good intro to this series, and it didn't matter that I'm late to the party. This is an engrossing and engaging tale, partly because of the dynamics of the brother-sister duo, partly because of the brother's telling of the tale, partly because of the storyline but mostly because there are dogs in it, dogs that save the day, literally, and that don't get hurt. It's easy to start and there's enough told that I didn't find myself wondering about the previous book. It's quite fast paced and Cory is unaffected and literal and his 'voice' is youthful and believable and carries the tale well. The storyline is sad at the start, but that's just a facilitator for the plot, which is a good one. A sad one for some of the people involved, and boy is it good that justice of a sort, the type I find satisfying when someone's gotten away with something for too long, got done. 'Al' definitely deserved what they got. But those involved in the dec...
Read more

ALWAYS YOU AND ME by Dani Atkins

5* Even though I don't believe in HEAs anymore, this book had me crying because of THAT ending. I'm going to try and review without spoilering, but ugh, I started the book almost in tears and ended it in actual tears, and with hope that sometimes love does last.  This book is so much more than a second chance at love. It's about loving and loved but flawed characters whose lives with each other had their time, and when that time was gone, the love continued. Like Finn and Matt by Charlie Winters, this is a book I loved but won't ever read again. A part of me can't believe the author went there with the ending, but another part of me, the romantic-but-hurt part, wants to believe in the power of everlasting love.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my reading pleasure. 
Read more

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY by Mike Gayle

3* A pleasant enough 15-minute deckchair read. This isn't a deep novel with a big plot, but pretty much what the blurb offers. I didn't feel much for either character but the tale ended well for both - not going to spoiler, but it wasn't what I expected and it didn't quite ring true. 
Read more