I was surprised to discover that this was the ninth in the DS Maeve Kerrigan crime series, as I haven’t read any of the previous books, however, I managed to read it perfectly well as a stand-alone, although I’ve clearly been missing out on a brilliant series!
The novel takes us into the secretive world of elite ‘gentlemen’s’ clubs, and the case of 28 year old missing freelance journalist Paige Hargreaves. The story begins when a mudlarker comes across a human hand by the river Thames at London Bridge. It doesn’t give the investigating team much to go on, but as more dismembered body parts turn up they finally get a DNA match to Paige. Someone didn’t just want her dead, they didn’t want anyone to discover her body either.
DI Josh Derwent is Maeve’s partner in crime, and what a brilliant partnership this is. Both of them will need each other’s support during this trying and distressing case, not least because there are some very personal and emotional issues that the pair of them will have to face, and it’s wonderful to witness just how much support they’re willing to give each other.
The compelling storyline takes the reader into places they won’t want to go, and meet people they won’t want to meet, people for whom privilege and power is a key to unlock the door to anything they desire, whether it happens to be illegal, immoral or otherwise, but this was such a well written novel, with highly developed and likeable characters. It was very dark - the pages were filled with tension, and very emotional too, but it was so clever and completely absorbing and comes highly recommended.
The novel takes us into the secretive world of elite ‘gentlemen’s’ clubs, and the case of 28 year old missing freelance journalist Paige Hargreaves. The story begins when a mudlarker comes across a human hand by the river Thames at London Bridge. It doesn’t give the investigating team much to go on, but as more dismembered body parts turn up they finally get a DNA match to Paige. Someone didn’t just want her dead, they didn’t want anyone to discover her body either.
DI Josh Derwent is Maeve’s partner in crime, and what a brilliant partnership this is. Both of them will need each other’s support during this trying and distressing case, not least because there are some very personal and emotional issues that the pair of them will have to face, and it’s wonderful to witness just how much support they’re willing to give each other.
The compelling storyline takes the reader into places they won’t want to go, and meet people they won’t want to meet, people for whom privilege and power is a key to unlock the door to anything they desire, whether it happens to be illegal, immoral or otherwise, but this was such a well written novel, with highly developed and likeable characters. It was very dark - the pages were filled with tension, and very emotional too, but it was so clever and completely absorbing and comes highly recommended.