A BODY IN THE FOREST by P F Ford

3* I normally really enjoy these simple reads but this needs a good edit - a DCI/acting one like Evans? Really, in 2025 UK? And, sadly, there's a lot of not-believable dialogue.

Ugh, this one's a bit annoying and not the author's best. That was apparent from the start with the awkward, stilted dialogue and the can't-suspend-disbelief-enough git that was Evans. I mean, who shows that level of disrespect to subordinates and at the same time, demands respect from them? And his prejudices, his jumping to conclusions, his utter lack of wanting detective work done when he deemed a certain demographic 'must have done it' - which happened twice, actually, with 2 demographics, and his attempt to bully Norm and Southall into agreeing with his plan? Not credible in these days of inclusion and respect, and mobile phones and cctv. IRL, he'd have been suspended for not only his behaviour but for trying to fake details in a case. Still, he's that bad that I need to read the next in the series to find out what happens to him. 

The storyline was not bad when it was just Majhul, as the Jane Doe had been called, that was the victim. When the others were discovered, the sleuthing wasn't too bad, but being asked to believe that a - not the - killer's killer just sashayed off into the BWW, not a single hit on the cctv that surrounds everything and everyone? And then when killer #1 confesses, killer #2 remains in the wind, Norman's having a bad day and Southall may be abandoning ship? Not satisfying, and actually, rather poor and lazy, from author and publisher.

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