The Colwyn Bay Killings

LoveReading Says

Packed with personality, Simon McCleave’s Colwyn Bay Killings, a DI Ruth Hunter novel, is the perfect police procedural for thriller fans who want to be effortlessly engaged. Melding the immediacy of a perplexing investigation with the intrigue of a varied cast of characters, it’s written in an accessible style that anchors readers as the inquiry takes unexpected turns.

After being injured on duty, Ruth is put into an induced coma to help ease the swelling on her brain. At the same time, a young man is found dead in a holiday park, burned in a cabin that was supposed to be empty, which sets the tone for an investigation that’s beset by baffling uncertainties. With Ruth very much out of action, her team set about investigating the crime, with a second timeline adding an extra layer of intrigue as it reveals Ruth’s backstory, from her 70s childhood in Battersea, through to rising through the police ranks as an adult.

Investigative breakthroughs seem to raise more questions than they answer, until the team realise that romantic connections might hold the key to solving the case. Throughout, the writing is lucid, characters are quick to feel familiar, and there’s a strong sense of place through a fast-paced plot that maintains tension. All that considered, Colwyn Bay Killings amounts to the ideal devour-in-one-sitting crime thriller for readers who love to be kept guessing.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About The Colwyn Bay Killings

DI Ruth Hunter was injured in the line of duty, and is barely clinging to life. But the murder rate doesn't go down just because detectives are in hospital.

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