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Death in Bacton Wood, by Ross Greenwood
A young man wakes in a shallow grave in a wood. He manages to escape being buried alive but disappears from hospital before he can be interviewed properly by police. His friend Max is still missing and the police call the cadaver dogs in to search the woods…
Death in Bacton Wood is the third book in the Norfolk Murders series. I have previously read and reviewed the first two books in the series (Death on Cromer Beach and Death at Paradise Park) but it is not necessary to have read the earlier books and there are no spoilers.
DS Ashley Knight is ready for the next stage in her career and also moving forward with her relationship with a colleague. But her focus in entirely on her new case. The opening chapter is pretty horrific as a man wakes to find he has been buried alive. Thankfully he escapes but the police are frantic to locate his friend who may not have been so lucky.
Ashley and her team find themselves working against an Italian family with criminal gang connections. Drugs, people trafficking and gang rivalry all add to the potential motives and suspects for the police to investigate. Most of the book is written in the present day to show the developments in the case but there are some very emotive chapters set in the past that show the desperate struggle of migrants to reach the UK.
The pace of the plot is rapid and the chapters are reasonably short. This maintains the tension and I liked that the twists kept surprising me and sustained the mystery until the end. The writing style brought events and characters to life and there are some big emotional scenes that were utterly gripping.
Death in Bacton Wood is a tense and engaging police procedural.
Death in Bacton Wood
A family’s secrets lie buried. The time has come to uncover the truth…
When a mud-splattered man staggers from Bacton Wood with a terrifying tale about being buried alive, DS Ashley Knight and her team are called in to investigate. Soon, another victim is found, and more men are missing – all with connections to the well-known Vialli family.
The Major Investigation Team find themselves attempting to untangle a case that stretches from Eastern Europe through to North Norfolk. Along with rookie detective, the whip-smart Hector Fade, Ashley is in a race against time trying to help a family who seem determined to take matters into their own hands. And when Ashley suspects there is a department rat, the stakes get even higher.
As the evidence continues to point in different directions, and as new victims are uncovered thick and fast, Ashley and Hector begin to fear they have finally met their match in a killer too ruthless and clever to be caught.
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/bactonwoodsocial
Author Bio –
I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.
I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I’m still a little stunned by the pace of it now.
Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, i randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.
It’s surprising for me to realise I’ve written ten books now. There are two strands, one where the books concern lives affected by prison, and then my detective series starring DI John Barton. The first Barton book, The Snow Killer hit the coveted number one spot on KOBO, with the second and third in the series not far behind.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossGreenwoodAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenwoodross
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Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RossGreenwoodnews
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ross-greenwood
Murder on the Italian Riviera, by T.A. Williams
Years ago, Dan Armstrong was involved in a case that saw Bianca Moretti jailed. Now she turns to him when a murder takes place on her father’s retreat. Dan is surprised but accepts the case. Will he agree with local police that the death was an accident or with Bianca who is convinced it was murder…?
Murder on the Italian Riviera is the 7th book to feature private detective Dan Armstrong and his labrador Oscar as they investigate crime in Italy.
Bianca is certain that a death on her father’s property was murder but the local police have dismissed it as a tragic accident. Dan agrees to help her as he feels some regret about his part in her being imprisoned in the past. There is plenty of humour and self conscious detail for Dan as he discovers the Moretti’s retreat is for naturists. To fit in and investigate he needs to strip off!
I really like Dan’s character. He is written very naturally and I could identify with him as he second guesses himself, makes a mess with his girlfriend, and attempts to rein in Oscar’s exuberance. Dan has to rely on his own investigative skills now that he does not have an official police role and resources to support him. The Italian setting beyond the nudist location is brought to life with descriptions of places and food.
Murder on the Italian Riviera is an enjoyable crime and private detective novel and I loved the humour that came from the reaction to the naturist retreat.
Murder on the Italian Riviera
A brand-new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany…It’s murder in paradise!
An ex-con…
Private investigator Dan Armstrong is no stranger to working with criminals, but when he’s approached for help by Bianca Moretti, he’s on high alert. Bianca is intelligent and beautiful, and Dan likes her, but he also once sent her to prison…
A suspicious death…
Bianca explains that a guest has been found dead at her father’s luxurious and private retreat on the beautiful Italian Riviera. The police are sure the death is accidental, but Bianca is convinced the man’s been murdered. Dan’s sure he can get to the bottom of things…as long as Bianca is telling him the whole truth.
A very revealing case!
But when Dan arrives at the resort, he’s in for a shock. He finds that the place is a naturist retreat, and everybody is walking around stark naked! Dan is determined to discover the truth, but this is going to mean revealing a whole lot more of himself than he expected.
Can Dan sniff out the truth about this case before Oscar’s cold wet nose causes havoc?
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/italianrivierasocial
Author Bio –
I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…
I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing romance and whodunnits. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. Murder mystery is all very well, but it needs to put a smile on your face, so that’s why I like to inject some humour. I’m having a lot of fun writing the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series set in sunny Italy. They are all standalone books but if you really want to do it properly, start with the first one in the series, Murder in Tuscany. If my books can whisk you away to gorgeous locations, put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.
I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in many of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.
I’ve been writing since I was 14 and that is well over half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she’s right.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAWilliamsBooks
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/TAWilliamsNews