The Blurb:
THE DEBUT CRIME THRILLER SERIES OF THE YEAR!
A war veteran murdered in his home, a property developer with links to organised crime, and an old family secret that seems unwilling to stay dead.
When Harry Falcon, a wealthy boatyard owner and highly decorated World War Two veteran, is found drowned in his bath, DI John Tanner and DC Jenny Evans start by questioning his two sons, each with a motive for wanting him dead.
But when the elder son is found with his head smashed in under a toppled yacht, and the younger son has been talking to a local property developer, one who’d spent months trying to buy the yard from his father, the investigation soon leads them towards a dark and dangerous secret, one which nobody can quite believe.
Set within the mysterious beauty of the Norfolk Broads, this fast-paced British detective series is a dark cozy murder mystery with a slice of humour and a touch of romance, one that will have you guessing until the very end, when the last shocking twist is finally revealed.
Moorings is a totally addictive gripping crime thriller, the third in a chilling series of serial killer books, ones which will rapidly convert followers of L J Ross, Faith Martin, Joy Ellis, Damien Boyd and Helen H. Durrant into David Blake devotees.
Moorings is published today by Black Oak Publishing Ltd.
My Review:
I really enjoyed Broadland and St Benet's (reviews via links), the first two books in this series set in and around the Norfolk Broads so was keen to get my hands on this new one. Before I tell you my thoughts, can I just say that I love this cover. I've liked them all, but think this is my favourite - maybe because it has a lot of purply blue in it and purple is my fave. 💜 Anyway, it's eye catching.
The first thing to say is although this is the third book in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone - background information is supplied as and when needed - enough for someone new to the series, but not so much that those who've read the previous books would be bored or irritated.
A bit of time has passed since the events at the end of St Benet's, and John and Jenny's relationship has moved on too. So much so, they've bought a boat together and live in it, moored up on the Norfolk Broads. They are still working together too, but things have been so quiet lately that they're given a box of old missing person files to work through. They've barely had time to glance at the first one when they are needed for a much more recent case. A brand new one, in fact.
An elderly boatyard owner is murdered in his bath, and Tanner is instructed to lead the investigation. As he, Jenny and the rest of the team begin to investigate the man, his children and grandchildren, they find there's not a lot of love, but instead a fair amount of animosity and the possibility of some money worries. There's also a bullish property developer on the scene who had wanted to buy the boatyard...
It was great to see Tanner and Jenny back - they have an easy relationship and great rapport. The various members of the Falcon family were well described - James Falcon was particularly unlikeable. I love that this series is set on the Norfolk Broads - it's not an area I know well, but I've been there a few times and have even been out on the Broads in a boat. I found it to be a still, eerie place, and there are moments in the book like that. And much of the jeopardy in this book takes place on the water.
The early part of the story is taken up with a lot of investigative work, making this a slow burner. But it heats up as the tale moves on. Things take a really quite dark turn towards the end, and I didn't see what was coming until about ten seconds before it was revealed. There was also added depth and interest with a second plotline relating to something from Tanner's past.
This series is described as cosy (sorry, I know the term is 'cozy', but I'm sticking with the British spelling) crime. It's not a label I'm particularly fond of, and I discussed this in my review of St Benet's. I guess this is a little 'cosier' than that book, but it's still pretty chilling towards the end.
This was an easy, enjoyable read, and a good addition to the series.
The Author:
David is a full-time author living in North London. To date he has written sixteen books along with a collection of short stories. Moorings is the next in his series of crime fiction thrillers, after Broadland and St. Benet’s.
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
Thanks so much for kicking off the blog tour today Suze x
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DeleteWell done Suze x
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