The Embalmer by Alison Belsham

When I reviewed the previous book in this series from Alison Belsham I said I couldn't wait for the final book in the trilogy, which was absolutely true. But now I've finished The Embalmer, I am bereft because I don't want it to be over! I have loved this trilogy. Many thanks to Alex Layt at Orion Publishing Group for inviting me onto the tour and for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Has the ancient Egyptian cult of immortality resurfaced in Brighton?

When a freshly-mummified body is discovered at the Brighton Museum of Natural History, Detective Francis Sullivan is at a loss to identify the desiccated woman. But as Egyptian burial jars of body parts with cryptic messages attached start appearing, he realises he has a serial killer on his hands. Revenge, obsession and an ancient religion form a potent mix, unleashing a wave of terror throughout the city. Caught in a race against time while battling his own demons, Francis must fight to uncover the true identity of the Embalmer before it's too late...

The Embalmer was published by Trapeze as an ebook on 12th November 2020 and in paperback on 18th March 2021. It is also available in Audible. 

 

My Review:

The Embalmer is the final book in the Mullins & Sullivan trilogy by Alison Belsham following The Tattoo Thief and Her Last Breath and I am so sad to have reached the end of my journey with Marni and Francis. 

Whilst it's book three in a series, The Embalmer works well as a standalone and you could easily enjoy it having not read the previous books. But I think you're better off if you've been with them from the beginning. I'm glad I was. 

So pleased to see Marni back, this time in a subplot which weaves its way over and under the main storyline until the two dovetail together towards at the end. If you've missed my previous reviews, tattoo artist  Marni Mullins is ballsy, bolshie and has a very low opinion of the police. With the exception of DI Francis Sullivan for whom her feelings are...well, complicated. It's a strange thing because Sullivan, although he's mellowed loads since I first met him, remains almost the polar opposite of Marni - upright, straightlaced, law abiding and a little bit uptight. But Marni Mullins pushes all his buttons. 

Before Chapter 1 begins we find 'Instructions for Mummification' which gives you an idea where we're heading. Events unfold from the viewpoints of all the the main characters, including The Embalmer himself and he's very creepy indeed. This is quite gruesome in places so be prepared. If you've read the blurb you won't be surprised by this fact, but thought it was worth flagging up, just in case. But please don't let that put you off because it's an absolute corker of a story, culminating in cat and mouse chases around Brighton and its environs taking in some of the tourist attractions along the way. 

Belsham has clearly done her research into the process and rituals of mummification, Egyptian gods and the meanings behind various hieroglyphs, and it really shows. The book is set in one of my favourite places and I recognise many of the places featured and I always love it when that happens. In fact there's so much to love about this book. I had the teeniest tiniest niggle because the colleagues of a person of interest tell police he's quiet, a bit of a loner etc, but can't, or don't, give any details of his appearance, which seemed a little odd, but it was the smallest thing. 

Tense throughout with a story that gathers momentum towards an action packed final quarter and a double denouement, The Embalmer is an original cracker of a crime thriller with two very different, equally engaging leads. I'm sad my time with them is done but I've loved every minute of it. Not sure the ending was what I wanted though! Looking forward to what comes next from this talented writer. 

And, yes, for the record, I'm still in love with Thierry! 

The Author:

Alison Belsham initially started writing with the ambition of becoming a screenwriter-and in 2000 was commended for her visual storytelling in the Orange Prize for Screenwriting. In 2001 she was shortlisted in a BBC Drama Writer competition. Life and children intervened but, switching to fiction, in 2009 her novel Domino was selected for the prestigious Adventures in Fiction mentoring scheme. In 2016 she pitched her first crime novel, The Tattoo Thief, at the Pitch Perfect event at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival and was judged the winner.