THE FELLS by Cath Staincliffe

 4* Decent police procedural, set in the UK, which is half the win.

At first when I read the thoughts of the DI  saying that he couldn't figure out if Shan was Chinese or Japanese or what, I had a slight moment of discomfort, wondering if he'd end up being an unpleasant and ignorant character. It turned out to be a bit of an unfortunate turn of phrase - the tale is obviously being read in 2025 but was set in 2019 - and later events proved that Leo is actually a guy with deep morals and a sense of right and wrong and fairness, and I warmed to him. I'd hope that with the book being revised, a tweak could be made, but it didn't ruin the tale for me. 

The tale is part decent police procedural and part exploring the familial relationships of both main characters. Both interested me, with Shan being adopted from China by an English couple, and Leo having a son who's been radicalised to the point where, thankfully in book 2 (devoured it!) he gets what he deserved, and who he can't in good conscience, protect. 

The storyline is sad, sadder yet when you read of the circumstances of Vicky's death, the impact on her grieving mother, and realise the betrayal/s. But, it was well orchestrated and for me, the icing on the cake was the end where Shan does something on a personal level for Vicky's mother, that policewoman-Shan couldn't. That was heartwarming and a fist-pump moment. 

As the tale ended, I was pre-ordering book 2, which has turned out to be even more heartwrenching than book 1. This author is a pretty decent find. 

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