Author: Howard Linskey
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: 19th May 2016
Pages: 464
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon
A corpse is found: its identity extinguished in the most shocking manner imaginable.
Detective Ian Bradshaw can't catch the killer if no one can ID the victim. Out there, somewhere, a missing young woman may hold the answers.
A SECRET WEB
Journalist Helen Norton is about to uncover a massive criminal conspiracy. She just needs the final piece of the puzzle. Soon, she will learn the price of the truth.
AN 'INNOCENT' KILLER
True-crime writer Tom Carney receives letters from a convicted murderer who insists he is innocent. His argument is persuasive - but psychopaths are often said to be charming...
WHAT IS THE DARK THREAD RUNNING THROUGH THESE CRIMES?
Howard Linskey is an author I have had on my TBR for a while thanks to recommendations from some of my blogging friends and so I eagerly accepted the chance to be on the blog tour for Behind Dead Eyes as it was the perfect chance to finally read one of Howard's books. I think I went into the book with higher than normal expectations because of the recommendations I had received for this author and whilst I enjoyed the book massively, it didn't blow me away. But, it did leave me wanting to read more from Howard and so I will definitely be seeking out his back catalogue very soon.
One of my favourite aspects of a crime novel is when there's a real mystery to solve. That might sound like a somewhat stupid thing to say as that is essentially the basis for every crime story but I mean a story that goes beyond just being a basic here's the mystery, solve it. I want multiple mysteries within one story, where you follow different storylines throughout before they eventually meet at the end of the story with a brilliant conclusion and that's exactly what is delivered with Behind Dead Eyes. It's hard to talk about the story too much of course, and so I won't except to say that it is a gripping tale throughout, one that has you thinking and almost becoming a detective yourself and really, you can't ask for much more than that from a crime story.
Character wise, this behind the second novel in a series, I did feel a little bit lost at times but I think that's to be expected but the characters are very well established so that new readers will feel comfortable amongst them very quickly and they are intriguing enough to be characters I want to read about again. There's a great mixture of characters here, a detective, a journalist and a crime writer and each of them really add something to the story and it was a refreshing change to have this eclectic mix rather than your usual stone-faced detectives trying to solve a crime. I've said it about previous books but journalists are some of my favourite characters to read about in crime fiction (when they aren't just bit-part characters chasing a story) and our journalist here in Behind Dead Eyes, Helen Norton, had the tenacity and determination that I love to see in such characters. She was probably my favourite character in the book.
Overall Behind Dead Eyes was a thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read that I have no hesitation in recommending and as I said earlier, I will hopefully be checking out some of Howard's earlier books very soon so look out for reviews of some of them on the blog in the near future! Also, be sure to follow the blog tour for Behind Dead Eyes.
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