Three Little Angels by Keith Wright
In 1978 witnessing a tragic accident as a child leaves Benny Smith scarred for many years. In 1987 he is suddenly and unexpectedly released from the mental health institution that had been his home for almost a decade.
Haunted by the incident and lacking sufficient support, his condition takes him to dark places in the corners of his mind, igniting a curious fascination. There is something specific he craves which can only be satiated if he sees young people die.
Nottingham CID are puzzled when two children accidentally die in unusual and identical circumstances and only a day apart. Something isn’t right.
Detective Inspector Stark is suffering from his own demons and when he takes charge of this case, he realises that he and the killer have something in common.
About the author
Former Detective Keith Wright's books achieved critical acclaim in The Times, Sunday Express and Financial Times.
AWARD WINNING.
'Murder Me Tomorrow' won the prestigious Independent Press Awards 2021 for best crime novel.
His first novel 'One Oblique One' was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Award for the best debut crime novel of the year. Keith's novels are a period piece of no-nonsense detective work and the activities and culture of a pre-digital age - the 1980s. They are an incredible snapshot of a period before the internet and political correctness. How times have changed.
'Fair Means of Foul' achieved 'Distinguished Favorite' in the New York City Big Book Awards 2020.
Keith joined the police in 1979 and quickly became a Detective on CID, then being promoted to Detective Sergeant and dealing with all major crimes such as Homicide, Armed Robbery and Rape, and everything else in between.
Keith spent 25 years in the police service, retiring in 2005 as a Detective Sergeant.
He then began working for a global pharmacy business, leading the Serious and Corporate Investigations Unit investigating sensitive cases, such as bribery blackmail allegations and death of customers.
He lives in Nottingham and is married to Jackie. He has four wonderful children; Chris, Andy, Harry, and Lily.
For a full bio and free short stories and samples of his work, visit KeithWrightauthor.co.uk
Follow the author on Twitter @keithwwright or Instagram @Keithwrightauthor.
Review
‘Three Little Angels’ is a dark book that tackles the issues around mental health head-on and from two different perspectives and isn't afraid to pull any punches. I enjoyed this book despite not really knowing that much about the series but then I remembered the main character and realised I have read one other book out of the 8 so far! But all can be read as stand-alone novels very easily. I think I am going to go back and read the previous book though as a way to understand the main characters reasons for his breakdown right at the beginning of this one and what caused it. I think this is one of those series that deserves more love than it gets as I thoroughly enjoyed its nuanced and empathetic look at mental health issues.
Benny Smith witnessed a horrific accident at the age of 14 when his younger friend is trapped under a frozen lake and has to witness him drown. This causes a break in his mind and he is taken into a secure mental health unit. He is unexpectedly released 9 years later in 1987 and is left to basically cope on his own. Haunted by the incident and with no support he is bereft and is taken to dark places in his mind, which unfortunately ignites a dark fascination which only grows as each day passes. DI Stark is currently off sick as he has suffered a nervous breakdown which has rocked him to his core. He had gained a new appreciation for those in trouble. But when two incidents occur in which children die he is thrust back into the job. Will he be able to cope?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was intriguing to see mental health aspects affecting both the killer and the police. Yes, we know from the start who the killer is and it helps to create an atmosphere of tension and helplessness for the reader as you know things are going to continue getting a whole lot worse before they get better. It was interesting to see how mental health was looked at through the prism of the police world especially in the late 80s as things were not as tolerant back then. The only thing I would say as someone who suffers from depression and anxiety is that I didn't find it too realistic that the first medication DI Stark tried magically took hold and gave him positive results. I couldn't help but feel empathy for Benny and his situation and it has heartbreaking to read his descent back into being plagued by bad thoughts etc, especially after being a witnessed to such trauma!
This was a great solid police procedural and I will be keeping my eyes open for the next book!
