The Crossing by Matt Brolly
The Crossing by Matt Brolly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication date - 15th February 2020
Publisher - Amazon Publishing UK
Thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the advanced copy.
.
.
.
Description
In a small town full of secrets, everyone’s a suspect.
.
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.
.
.
.
.
This is the first in a new series for Matt Brolly and I haven’t read any of his work before, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I liked the character of Louise - broken from a past history with her last boss Finch, but was still a strong and determined character. You can see the re-emergence of her personality as the story progresses, finally get the strength to confront her history and have the self-confidence in her abilities.
.
The protagonist Geoff I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. He felt let down all his life in regard to an event in his childhood, something which should have been acknowledged and dealt with at the time. He is someone who has been bullied his whole life and comes across as being sad and lonely. He is just messed up but with the desire to commit murder - a horrifying combination!
.
Although the plot of stigmata has been done numerous times before I still enjoyed the narrative and the dramatic ending was chilling.
.
This book was chilling, thought-provoking and fast paced! I would certainly be interested in reading the second book when it is released.
