Splinter In The Blood by Ashley Dyer – Book Review

As part of the blog tour linked to the Morecambe and Vice Festival….here is my review of Splinter in the blood by Ashley dyer.

https://www.morecambecrimefest.co.uk/

 

PUBLISHERS BLURB 

A propulsive debut suspense novel, filled with secrets, nerve-jangling tension, perplexing mystery, and cold-blooded murder, in which a police officer on the hunt for a macabre serial killer is brutally attacked, and only his partner knows the truth about what happened—and who did it.

After months of hunting a cold-blooded murderer that the press has dubbed the Thorn Killer, Detective Greg Carver is shot in his own home. His trusted partner, Ruth Lake, is alone with him. Yet instead of calling for help, she’s rearranged the crime scene and wiped the room clean of prints.

But Carver isn’t dead.

Awakening in the hospital, Carver has no memory of being shot, but is certain that his assailant is the Thorn Killer. Though there’s no evidence to support his claim, Carver insists the attack is retaliation, an attempt to scare the detective off the psychopath’s scent, because he’s getting too close. Trapped in a hospital bed and still very weak, Carver’s obsession grows. He’s desperate to get back to work and finally nail the bastard, before more innocent blood is spilled.

One person knows the truth and she’s not telling. She’s also now leading the Thorn Killer investigation while Carver recuperates. It doesn’t matter that Carver and the rest of the force are counting on her, and that more victims’ lives at stake. Ruth is keeping a deadly secret, and she’ll cross every line—sacrificing her colleagues, her career, and maybe even her own life—to keep it from surfacing.

Utterly engrossing and filled with masterfully crafted surprises, Splinter in the Blood is a propulsive roller-coaster ride, filled with deception, nerve-jangling tension, perplexing mystery, and cold-blooded murder.

MY REVIEW 

This is #1 in the Carter and Lake series by Ashley Dyer.

A clever mix of psychological thriller and police procedural and set in Liverpool. 

There is a serial killer, known as the Thorn Killer, lots of secrets, lies and betrayals and a ‘slightly’ tense relationship between DCI Greg Carver and DS Ruth Lake.

The killer has tortured and murdered 5 women and uses a thorn to tattoo them…

Carver is in charge of the investigation, but gets a shock when one of the victims looks just like his estranged wife…..

Carver is a mess, drinking heavily and keeping secret case notes as he carries out his own investigations separate to his work one….DS Ruth Lake is covering for him at times and even saves his life at one point…..but how long can this carry on?

A dark, disturbing and gripping read with deeply flawed protagonists and a truly menacing killer….

Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Ashley Dyer is the pen name of novelist, Margaret Murphy, working in consultation with forensics expert and Vera and Shetland adviser, Helen Pepper. Splinter in the Blood is their debut novel as a writing duo. The sequel, The Cutting Room, is out in the USA in June.

After a career as a biology teacher and dyslexia specialist, Margaret wrote twelve novels, both under her own name and as A.D. Garrett, before morphing into Ashley Dyer. The founder of Murder Squad, she is a past Chair of the Crime Writers Association, a First Blood critics award and CWA Dagger in the Library nominee, and CWA Short Story Dagger winner.

 

Website: http://www.ashley-dyer.com

Twitter: @ashleydyer2017

Facebook: @AshleyDyerNovels

Bookblog: Shelf Indulgence

 

Advertisement