The Blurb:
A cold dense shadow fell over Jane Richardson as she hurried along the concrete towpath. To her left, moonlight danced over the River Bure’s untroubled surface as it slipped silently past, heading back the way she’d come. A low-hanging branch scratched at her face as she ducked underneath. From somewhere far behind her came the shriek of laughter, slicing through the air, only to fall silent a moment later to leave nothing but the sound of her high heels, click-clacking out a stark but steady beat.
When a girl’s body is found strangled, raped, and horrifically mutilated by a boat’s propeller, deep in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, newly arrived Detective Inspector John Tanner is asked to assist with the investigation.
At first, all the evidence points to a man who had a multi-million pound reason to kill her. But when an alibi is produced from an unexpected source, and another body appears at the base of a slipway, Tanner finds himself turning to local girl, Detective Constable Jenny Evans for help.
As a more intimate relationship begins between them, they find themselves facing a race against time to identify a lethal adversary, one with a lust for blood and a mind set on revenge.
Set within the mysterious beauty of the Norfolk Broads, this fast-paced British detective series is a murder mystery that will have you guessing until the very end, when the last shocking twist is finally revealed.
Broadland was published on 5th April 2019, and you can buy it from Amazon UK and US.
My Review:
I was intrigued to see how Blake handled a serious crime thriller, as it is a completely different beast from his Space Police series. Those stories are zany, madcap and surreal. Broadland is none of those things - but it's a great book.
John Tanner has just moved to Norfolk from London following a personal tragedy. Some of his new colleagues are resentful at first, particularly DI Burgess who tries to rubbish everything Tanner suggests. But he finds a friend in Jenny Evans, and there's the distinct possibility of a little romance. Tanner is put onto missing persons, but his first case quickly becomes a murder enquiry, which soon escalates.
Tanner is a great character. Yes, he's tortured, like so many other fictional cops, but I found him to be a pretty straightforward, straight talking, decent and likeable chap. I liked that whilst it's his story, he wasn't the main player in the investigation itself but gave a different point of view. I loved Jenny too - easy to like, honest and flirty and they make a good partnership. Great rapport between them too.
This is the first book in a new series so there is a lot of scene setting, and things start off quite quiet and slow. I loved the descriptions of the Norfolk countryside, particularly the waterways, and the contrast with Tanner's previous home of London.
But things heat up in the second half of the book as the investigation starts to make progress. Secrets are uncovered, reputations ruined and mistakes made. The crimes are brutal but well described, and the story took several turns I wasn't expecting. The ending, for me, was unexpected and shocking - really quite gruesome. But it's beautifully written. Very descriptive.
With Broadland, David Blake has shown very successfully that he can write a serious crime thriller. I hope we haven't seen the last of his comedy stuff, but in the meantime, I'm delighted that we don't have to wait long for more for John Tanner, and hopefully Jenny.
Broadland was published on 5th April 2019, and you can buy it from Amazon UK and US.
My Review:
I was intrigued to see how Blake handled a serious crime thriller, as it is a completely different beast from his Space Police series. Those stories are zany, madcap and surreal. Broadland is none of those things - but it's a great book.
John Tanner has just moved to Norfolk from London following a personal tragedy. Some of his new colleagues are resentful at first, particularly DI Burgess who tries to rubbish everything Tanner suggests. But he finds a friend in Jenny Evans, and there's the distinct possibility of a little romance. Tanner is put onto missing persons, but his first case quickly becomes a murder enquiry, which soon escalates.
Tanner is a great character. Yes, he's tortured, like so many other fictional cops, but I found him to be a pretty straightforward, straight talking, decent and likeable chap. I liked that whilst it's his story, he wasn't the main player in the investigation itself but gave a different point of view. I loved Jenny too - easy to like, honest and flirty and they make a good partnership. Great rapport between them too.
This is the first book in a new series so there is a lot of scene setting, and things start off quite quiet and slow. I loved the descriptions of the Norfolk countryside, particularly the waterways, and the contrast with Tanner's previous home of London.
But things heat up in the second half of the book as the investigation starts to make progress. Secrets are uncovered, reputations ruined and mistakes made. The crimes are brutal but well described, and the story took several turns I wasn't expecting. The ending, for me, was unexpected and shocking - really quite gruesome. But it's beautifully written. Very descriptive.
With Broadland, David Blake has shown very successfully that he can write a serious crime thriller. I hope we haven't seen the last of his comedy stuff, but in the meantime, I'm delighted that we don't have to wait long for more for John Tanner, and hopefully Jenny.
The Author:
David Blake is a full-time author living in North London. To date he has written fourteen books along with a collection of short stories. He’s currently working on his fifteenth, St. Benet’s, which is the follow-up to his debut crime fiction thriller, Broadland.
When not writing, David likes to spend his time mucking about in boats, often in the Norfolk Broads, where his crime fiction books are based.
Author Social Media Links:
Website: www.david-blake.com
Amazon Profile: viewAuthor.at/DavidBlake
Facebook Readers' Group: www.facebook.com/groups/DavidBlakeAuthor
Facebook Site: www.facebook.com/DavidBlakeAuthor
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15104629.David_Blake
Amazon Profile: viewAuthor.at/DavidBlake
Facebook Readers' Group: www.facebook.com/groups/DavidBlakeAuthor
Facebook Site: www.facebook.com/DavidBlakeAuthor
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15104629.David_Blake
Thank you very much for being part of the blog tour today Suze and for the great review x
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, lovely. x
DeleteGood review Suze x
ReplyDelete