Former detective Lacey Flint quit the force for a safer, quieter life. Or that’s what she thought.
Now living alone on her houseboat, she is trying to get over the man she loves, undercover detective Mark Joesbury. But Mark is missing in action and impossible to forget. And danger won’t leave Lacey alone.
When she finds a body floating in the river near her home, wrapped in burial cloths, she can’t resist asking questions. Who is this woman, and why was she hidden in the fast-flowing depths? And who has been delivering unwanted gifts to Lacey?
Someone is watching Lacey Flint closely.
Someone who knows exactly what makes her tick . . ."
Why do I do this to myself?! It's 2.30 in the morning and I have just finished this book. A couple of hours ago I picked up my Kindle and told myself I'd read a few chapters before bed. Well those few chapters turned into the rest of the book. I read the first Lacey Flint book last year and absolutely loved it. In the crime fiction genre there's so much of it which is just repeated over and over again and so I always look for books which are different, and which have unique stories and unique characters. That is definitely the case with the Lacey Flint series from Sharon Bolton.
Lacey is just a fantastic, multilayered character that I just love reading about. After the events of the previous book Lacey is back in uniform and working as part of the Met's Marine Unit. She is also living on a boat at Deptford Creek. Now I have always wondered what it would be like to live, or at least holiday on a boat but after reading this book I don't think it's something I will be trying out any time soon! Lacey has also taken to swimming in the creek towards the Thames which again is not something I'd fancy doing. When she's out swimming however she comes across a body which has been wrapped like a mummy, it also appears that the body was left on purpose for Lacey to find. Upon looking at the body Lacey comes to the conclusion that the dead woman is part of a human trafficking ring that is operating near Deptord Creek. Similarities are found with other women that have been pulled out of the Thames and it's up to Lacey to prove her theory to her colleagues and superiors.
Now it isn't just Lacey who is a fantastic character, we also have her love interest, Mark Joesbury who is working undercover in the book. Not wanting to give much away here except to say that his part of the story was very interesting and as always the relationship between him and Lacey was a big part of the book. Dana Tulloch is one of my favourite characters in the book, and actually played a major role here which I thoroughly enjoyed. As with previous books we still don't know everything there is to know about Lacey and in this book we learn even more. She also loves to break the rules and when she knows she is right she isn't afraid to speak up, or in the case of this book go off on her own to try and prove her theories.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anybody who likes crime fiction. Sharon Bolton is really one of the best authors out there at the minute and this book may just be one of the best in the Lacey Flint series, if not the best. Although as I only finished the book tonight I am still on a high from reading it. As always it's hard to discuss the story without spoiling it but safe to say the plot here was one of the strongest so far. It was a thrilling and gripping read that kept me guessing right up to the very end. Whilst this book could in theory be read as a standalone I would definitely recommend reading the first book in the series as it always helps to know the back story and know the characters, especially the fantastic Lacey.
This book will be released on May 8th and you can pre-order it in hardback or on Kindle from Amazon
Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy via Net Galley
About the author:
Sharon Bolton (previously S. J. Bolton) is the author of six critically acclaimed novels: this is her seventh novel and features the popular DC Lacey Flint and DI Mark Joesbury.
She has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Dagger in the Library.
Sharon lives near Oxford with her husband and young son. For more information about her and her books, or to check out her addictive blog, visit www.sharonbolton.com.
You can also join her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SJBoltonCrime
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