Thursday 21 February 2019

Death Comes To Call by Clare Chase

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this, the third outing for Tara Thorpe, journalist turned cop. I loved the first two in the series from Clare Chase, so was delighted to read this one. It didn't disappoint.



The Blurb:

Frost sparkles on the bare winter branches, as night falls over the quiet country lanes bordering the fens. But nestled beneath an ivy-covered bough, a body lies pale in the bright moonlight…

When a promising local artist disappears, the victim’s brother begs Detective Tara Thorpe to take the case. It seems there’s no evidence of foul play… he simply disappeared without a trace.

Tara agrees to do some digging… never mind that her unorthodox approach to policing has got a few of her colleagues’ backs up. Amongst them is her former supervisor Detective Patrick Wilkins… he’s had enough of Tara calling the shots and will do anything to knock her down. She must be careful.

At least she has an ally in their boss, Detective Garstin Blake. He’ll always back her hunches. If anything, they work together too well… at least, that’s the rumour around the station these days.

When a body of a young woman is found frozen near the fens, Tara’s evidence suddenly becomes key to solving a high-profile murder. Is their missing artist still a victim… or in fact a clever murderer with a deadly plan?

An unputdownable page-turner that will keep you hooked until the very last page!


You can read my reviews of the first two Tara Thorpe books bby clicking on the titles.

Death Comes To Call was published by Bookoutre yesterday.

Buy Link:

https://geni.us/B07KSCRW55Social


My Review:

Oh, it's good to have Tara Thorpe back! Death Comes To Call follows closely on from the previous book, Death on the River. It would probably be helpful if you'd read the earlier books in the series, but don't worry if you haven't. The case itself is completely new, and any back stories are explained in enough detail.

Tara is the most junior member of her team, and keen to prove herself. As an ex journalist, she is constantly inquisitive and determined to find everything out. Both these characteristics serve her well in her police work, but her desire to prove herself means she doesn't always follow the rules, sometimes putting herself and others at risk.

There is a lot going on in the case - a missing artist and his distressed brother, and the discovery of a woman's body are just the start. There are some interesting characters that Tara and the  team come across and these are all well described, even though they aren't necessarily major players. The scenery in and around Cambridge plays a part - particularly the large, flat and often desolate fen areas.

The pace is steady, picking up as the story progresses and we learn more about what's going on. I think I was as frustrated as the team as I tried to work everything out. I failed.

I was a little surprised by the 'cosy' crime label in the tour poster. Whilst this is easy to read, and definitely not the most explicit, gruesome crime novel I've read, it has its moments, and I certainly wouldn't describe it as 'cosy'.

Of course, it's all about Tara. I love her determination and tenaciousness - she just has to get to the bottom of things. Her 'complicated' relationship with boss Blake is still there, and you know, I 'm silently cheering them on. I don't know if there are any more books planned in this series, but having followed along from the beginning, I would really love to see more of Tara.


The Author:


Clare Chase writes women sleuth mysteries and recently signed a three-book deal with Bookouture for a new crime series set in Cambridge. The opening book, Murder on the Marshes, was published in July 2018. The mystery follows investigative journalist Tara Thorpe as she teams up with Detective Garstin Blake to solve the murder of a young female professor at Cambridge University. The case takes them through the dark underbelly of Cambridge and in to the murky fens that surround the centuries-old city. The second book in the series was published in autumn 2018. Death Comes To Call is the third in the series.

After graduating from London University with a degree in English Literature, Clare moved to Cambridge and has lived there ever since. She's fascinated by the city's contrasts and contradictions, which feed into her writing. She's worked in diverse settings - from the 800-year-old University to one of the local prisons - and lived everywhere from the house of a Lord to a slug-infested flat. The terrace she now occupies, with her husband and teenage children, presents a good happy medium.

As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people's books.

Clare’s debut novel, You Think You Know Me, was shortlisted for the Novelicious Undiscovered Award 2012, and an EPIC award in 2015. It was also chosen as a debut of the month by Lovereading.
You can find Clare's website and blog at www.clarechase.com

Author Social Media Links:









2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for this lovely review, Suze - and for following the series! I'm really delighted that you enjoyed Death Comes to Call!

    ReplyDelete