Book Review: MURDER IN LOVERS LANE by Daniel Sellers

  Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Joffee Books,  via #netgalley for review purposes on this blog. No other 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. 

MEET DETECTIVE LOLA HARRIS, A TOUGH WOMAN WITH A GOOD HEART, SOLVING CRIMES IN GRITTY GLASGOW.

Synopsis:

Detective Lola Harris is turning over a new leaf. She’s determined to get into shape. Her new personal trainer is merciless when it comes to fitness. Thankfully, he’s also charming and exceptionally good-looking, which helps on a cold early morning run.

But turning a corner in peaceful Pollok park, Lola glimpses something that shouldn’t be there: a high-end BMW. Doors gaping. And a man and a woman, roped together.

The man is stiff, cold. There’s a bullet wound above one open, staring eye. The woman is unconscious — but alive. Lola tells Johnny to call an ambulance.

Lola’s early morning run is now into crime scene.

The young woman is Fiona Balfour. She and the dead man were due to be married next month.

Fiona says she can’t remember what happened to her. But Lola’s not sure she believes her.

Then Lola uncovers strange similarities with case in Liverpool from five years before. 

Her victim may be alive, but she’s in very real danger.

MEET THE DETECTIVES
Lola Harris, a former hairdresser, is able to get people to trust her at their most vulnerable and pierce the toughest facade, by asking questions that get to the heart of the matter. But she knows she can play it “mumsy” when she needs to. She drinks too much coffee, and likes a Bacardi and Coke, though she tries not to drink because it makes her maudlin.

Lola’s main rival in the force is DS Aidan Pierce, who seems hell-bent on sabotaging the case — and her career with it. He thinks he’s the next big thing, and is intensely frustrated that she got ‘his’ promotion. He’s a snob, very good looking, and his toxic behaviour has been getting worse. At some point, Lola will have to confront him. Luckily, Lola has DC Kirstie Campbell to back her up. Kirstie is committed, focused (too focused?) and feels most secure when playing things by the book.

THE SETTING
Glasgow is a city of many different faces, from gritty and unsettling, to modern and slick. It rains a lot: clouds make a lid over the city, and citizens hunch as they hurry about their business. Still, people are very friendly and like a good time.

Review:

This is the 2nd book in the series (MURDER IN THE GALLOWGATE is book one) but the first I have read. I'll definitely be going back and reading the first book. This is an interesting mystery where nothing is what it seems. The reader follows Lola and sees thru her eyes, as the investigation continues. But suddenly she feels like she has an internal fight on her hands that is getting out of control and she feels is affecting the case. As the clues pile in, she realize things are not what they seem, and the case ends up roller coasting to the end, making it a must read.

About the Author:

Daniel Sellers grew up in Yorkshire. He has lived and worked in Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, and Vaasa in Finland. He now lives in Argyll with his partner and a wheaten terrier called Rasmus.Daniel loves crime fiction, old and new, particularly the work of Margaret Murphy, Mo Hayder, Ruth Rendell, P. D. James and Josephine Tey. He is a huge (if not obsessive!) fan of Agatha Christie, collecting first editions and managing the "For the Love of Agatha" Twitter fan account (@FortheLoveofAg1).Daniel's detective thrillers are pacy and dark, with as much interest in whydunnit as who