The Death of Knowledge by Lou Collins
Born into servitude, Quill relies on the Master for everything. But when they uncover a body, she’s sent away from the only home she’s ever known. Forced to serve the corpse’s widow, she discovers a world of power and prejudice, secrets and lies, a world she doesn’t recognise.
Meanwhile, in the City Guard, Deputy Red set out to be a trailblazer, a rebel. At least that’s the story he told himself. Imagining a career of action and intrigue, what he didn’t bank on was zero crooks and the boss from hell. Excited by the prospect of a case, Red must choose between following orders or trusting his instincts.
When the finger of suspicion points perilously close to home, Quill and Red’s paths cross with disastrous consequences. And as the quest for justice reaches its climax, both have to make choices that change their lives forever.
Perfect for armchair sleuths, The Death of Knowledge offers an exciting twist on a traditional murder mystery, keeping you guessing until the very last word.
About the author
Lou Collins is a wife and mother to two incredible teenagers and lives in the beautiful East of England.
In her life B.C. (before children!) she practised as a solicitor, specialising in litigation. Her career satisfied her passion for words, for medical matters minus the gore and for winning arguments!
In a quest to find herself again, she has returned to her love of words and writes in the genres of mystery, thriller and suspense.
Review
‘The Death of Knowledge’ made me fall head over heels for Quill, Red and the world of Scolaris. I’m not quite sure where you would place this book on the genre spectrum as it felt like a fantasy world as I was reading it but it also had some very modern references to ‘cars not being allowed’! Wherever it falls I thoroughly enjoyed being transported into this world and would happily return again and again. It was a multi layered narrative - the mystery aspect and also a social commentary on ‘those who have’ and ‘ those that don’t’. I devoured this book on a day I wasn’t feeling that well pain wise and it literally helped transport me away from it all. I have said before that books are my medicine and this was definitely was the case here. I was riveted from the start and honestly read it in one sitting as I was desperate to know what happened to Quill and Red!
Quill is a defecto (servant class) but has a comfortable position serving the Master of the Library in a city where knowledge is everything. Every action taken is to further knowledge - serious knowledge though as anything deemed artistic or vanity is not allowed in Scolaris. She dreams of one day being a scholar herself as she loves reading and furthering her studies. When her and her Master discover a body in the reading room they are soon embroiled in why he was killed!
I adored Quill as a character and honestly hope I will be able to read more of her story! She is such a strong and loyal young woman. Red is also an intriguing character that I enjoyed reading about. In a society that has no crime why is there a guard in the first place?!
For a debut novel I thought it was an accomplished piece of writing with strong characters and a well constructed plot and world. This is a strong start to hopefully a long series!
