"Police corruption and a shadowy network of criminals come together in this propulsive tale set in Liverpool. "
A shadowy network of criminals and a healthy dose of police corruption in Liverpool propel the story forward in Better Off Dead by Sean Watkin.
It’s the second novel featuring DCI Winifred de Silva of Merseyside Police, the rule-breaking investigator with a complicated past. With his rule-following ways, De Silva’s partner, Detective Sargent Ben Barclay, plays good cop to her bad one.
The pair are tasked with solving the cold case of a murdered man with a missing middle finger found in Formby Woods. The missing middle finger is the murderer’s calling card, and soon dead bodies (and missing middle fingers) begin to pile up.
If you love police procedurals, this is very much the novel for you. The alphabet soup of police departments and roles is strewn throughout the novel. AR (Armed Response). NCA (National Crime Agency). PVP (Protecting Vulnerable People unit), and more all play a role in the story, though Watkin always spells out what the acronyms mean in the first instance, saving readers a Google search. This novel would be perfect for Line of Duty fans.
Liverpool itself is very much a supporting character here, with excellent descriptions of the city itself and the surrounding areas. There’s even a sly mention to the Sun newspaper and how much it is hated in the city.
To solve the mystery, readers will have to pay close attention, with no detail too small for consideration. Like a bulletin board with red string connecting multiple players and events, it’s all connected.
The emotional fallout from their last case has left DCI de Silva and DS Barclay's lives in tatters. Barclay's marriage has failed and de Silva is still haunted by the loss of her husband and wondering whether she ever really knew him.
When the National Crime Agency takes over their investigation, the duo are reassigned to a cold case. A dismembered body found in Formby woods. Hidden for decades. And then, another body is discovered.
As they dig deeper into the identities of the victims, they uncover a tangled web of awful crimes. And they learn that they can't trust anyone even those closest to them.
A dark and gritty crime thriller, perfect for fans of Luca Veste, M. W. Craven and Russ Thomas.
Better Off Dead features in the following genres: Crime and Mystery, Thriller and Suspense, Crime and mystery: police procedural, Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Social issues, Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction, Fiction, Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction, Crime and mystery: police procedural, Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Thriller and Suspense, Fiction: narrative themes, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Social issues
Better Off Dead is available in Paperback
Better Off Dead was written by Sean Watkin and published by Canelo Crime an imprint of Canelo
Better Off Dead has 384 pages
Yes it is part of DCI De Silva Crime Thrillers series
£8.99
