Book Review: The Crossing by Matt Brolly

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book from the Amazon Publishing, UK, via Netgalley,  free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own

In a small town full of secrets, everyone’s a suspect.

Synopsis:

When a body is discovered, bled dry on a beach, the sleepy seaside town of Weston-super-Mare wakes up to a nightmare. For Detective Inspector Louise Blackwell, recently transferred to the town she last saw as a child, it’s her first case on the job.

The victim—Veronica Lloyd, an elderly volunteer at a local church—has puncture wounds to her hands. When a priest is found killed in a nearby church in a similarly grisly condition, it becomes clear that Blackwell is dealing with a righteous and bloody murderer. But the victims aren’t random. The killer has a vendetta and is hell-bent on exacting twisted revenge for a dark secret dating back years—and there are more murders planned.

As the body count rises, Blackwell faces a race against time to solve the mystery of the murderer’s identity and put an end to the carnage. She thought she knew Weston, but the town holds more secrets than she’d ever have imagined. Who can she trust and who knows more than they are letting on?

She must discover the crimes that unite the victims—before it’s too late.

Review:

This is a new series from Brolly, who you know from his DCI Lambert series, and like that series, it is one I'll be reading every book in! Blackwell is still adjusting to being back on her home turf, after years spent 'in town' as part of a Major team. She is still licking her proverbial wounds from workplace issues, that forced her to flee, when she gets the opportunity to show just what she is capable of doing. And then her old job comes back to haunt her. She is a bit flawed (like Lambert), but very likable, and it's refreshing to see a female lead in a police procedural with honest emotions. If you like British police procedurals, be sure to pick up this one!

About the Author:

Following his law degree, where he developed an interest in criminal law, Matt Brolly completed his master’s in creative writing at Glasgow University. He is the bestselling author of the DCI Lambert crime novels Dead Water, Dead Eyed, Dead Lucky, Dead Embers and Dead Time; the acclaimed near-future crime novel Zero; and the US-based thriller The Controller. Matt also writes children’s books as M. J. Brolly. His first is The Sleeping Bug. Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children. You can find out more about Matt at www.mattbrolly.co.uk or by following him on Twitter: @MattBrollyUK.