"Action-packed and singing with authenticity, enter an army barracks where bullying and sexual exploitation is rife, to discover a hugely compelling and provocative novel."
Layering gripping crime fiction with a thrilling plot and heartbreaking themes ensures this novel not only captivates, it also hits home with hammer-hard precision. Former SAS officer and Police Inspector Robert Finlay was first introduced in Wicked Game. The writing is such that you really don’t need to have consumed the previous three books in order to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate Crow 27. It stands brilliantly alone in its own right and you can easily start here and return to the others. Finlay heads to an army barracks to investigate military weapons ending up in criminal hands. On arrival at the camp he finds himself paired with military police officer Floria McLaren and begins to investigate worrying claims of bullying. Author Matt Johnson has himself served as a solider and police officer, I’ve heard Matt speak at a Literary Festival and he is quite obviously a man who cares deeply about honour and justice. In this book he highlights the issue of abuse (including sexual exploitation) of soldiers, in the post script he explains how challenging the research and writing of this novel was. He has spoken to soldiers who have experienced horrific bullying and felt a huge responsibility with this novel to write with authenticity and honesty. Crow 27 is fiction, yet steeped in fact, it is hard to read at times but it felt incredibly important that I did. The writing walks a razor-edged tightrope of simultaneously entertaining while leaving you in no doubt that events that the young recruits suffer, have happened in similar circumstances in reality. The pairing of Finlay and Floria is inspired, you can get to know their individual qualities as they develop into a team. The plot itself wormed its way into my thoughts, creating burrows, laying traps, and shocking with intensity. The ending felt right, as though it could have happened no other way, and I sat back feeling rewarded by this read and inspired to further research. Chosen as a Liz Robinson Pick of the Month, Crow 27 feels all too real as it blasts past defences and takes you into an unimaginable world. Highly recommended.
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Recommendations: |
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When Detective Inspector Robert Finlay is sent to a military barracks to investigate a connection to weapons discovered in the possession of London gangsters, he is given strict instructions not to get involved in a suicide enquiry into the recent death of a young, recruit soldier.
The army partners Finlay with Floria McLaren, an ambitious military policewoman who doesn’t believe the death was a suicide. Ellie Rodgers is a traumatised army officer who discovers the existence of a cabal of soldiers who exploit young recruits for sexual and criminal purposes. Jodie Baker is the plaything of a devious and narcissistic training sergeant. Wendy Russell is a senior police officer with an undercover agent gone missing.
What appears to be a routine investigation soon takes on a life of its own as Finlay finds himself in a struggle with powerful forces – both criminal and from the military establishment – who know that, inside the wire, they make the rules.
Crow 27 features in the following genres: Thriller and Suspense, Fiction, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Recommendations
Crow 27 is available in Hardback, Paperback
Crow 27 was written by Matt Johnson and published by Independently published
