This Dark Place by Claire Kittridge

This was my most recent read through the TBConFB Reviewers Request Group. It's Claire Kittridge's debut work, and it's a really impressive start.

The Blurb:

Priscilla’s body lay motionless on the couch in front of her. They were blood sisters, but Avery never thought it would end like this - thrust against her will into this dark place.

When the brutal death of a young American theatre student in London is splashed across headlines worldwide, NYPD Detective Kelly Moore flies across the Atlantic to join a crack team of British investigators on the case.

Together with the London Metropolitan Police, Kelly must track down a twisted killer who seems to know her every move. As the body count rises, and panic spreads, the killer threatens to make Kelly the next victim.

In a heart-racing game of cat and mouse, Kelly must outwit this elusive master of surveillance – who might be the last person she suspects.

From debut author, Claire Kittridge, comes this page-turning, unputdownable thriller. This Dark Place is the first novel in the Detective Kelly Moore series, introducing a tough streetwise cop who will go to any lengths to catch a killer.

Fans of Robert Bryndza, Karin Slaughter, and Rachel Abbot will love discovering this thrilling new series today.

My Review: 

Kelly Moore is a New York detective who is parachuted into an investigation by the Metropolitan police into the suspicious death of a young American student, Priscilla Ames. The victim's father is rich, powerful and influential, and insists that Kelly is involved with the investigation. Superintendent Janet Frame is not keen for her involvement, but Kelly gets on well with the rest of the team.

Following Priscilla's suspicious death, there are soon more bodies, as Kelly and her British pals race to find the connection that will lead them to the perpetrator.

If I hadn't known this was a debut novel, I would never have guessed. It doesn't feel like one. It's well written, well paced and the characters are all well defined. I particularly liked Kelly - she's efficient, tough but fair, and good at her job. But she has ghosts - her own link to the UK - and this features strongly in the book.

I thought it was a great idea - a UK based crime and team but featuring an American cop, and victim. 

It would appear that this book is the start of a series and I am delighted. I am very much looking forward to reading more by this author. Recommended.

You can buy This Dark Place on Amazon UK and US.