To help celebrate today's paperback release of See No Evil, the second DI Grace Archer novel, by David Fennell I am delighted to re-share my review which was originally published in May last year. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for asking me to be involved today and to the publisher for the review copy I received last year.
For this killer, it’s death at first sight…
Two men are found dead in London's Battersea Park. One of the bodies has been laid out like a crucifix - with his eyes removed and placed on his open palms.
Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her caustic DS, Harry Quinn, lead the investigation. But when more bodies turn up in a similar fashion, they find themselves in a race against time to find the sadistic killer.
The hunt leads them to Ladywell Playtower in Southeast London, the home to a religious commune lead by the enigmatic Aaron Cronin. Archer and Quinn suspect Cronin's involvement but his alibis are watertight, and the truth seemingly buried. If Archer is to find the killer, she must first battle her way through religious fanatics, London gangsters - and her own demons...
I absolutely adored David Fennell's debut, The Art of Death, where we first met DI Grace Archer. It was quite a ride, and a dark one at that. So I was super excited to read this one and jumped at the chance to review it. And, as with the previous novel, I raced through it, couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
Two men are found dead in Battersea Park. One body has been left untouched. The other, however, has been horribly mutilated and left laid out in a ritualistic fashion for anyone to find. Archer and partner DS Harry Quinn are stumped, particularly as there seems to be no connection between the two men, not any obvious explanation for why their bodies have been treated differently. More mutilated bodies appear and it's a race against time for Archer and her team. But Grace also hears some personal news that knocks her sideways and she struggles not to let that impact the investigation.
Grace is brilliant. She's not always popular at work because she stands up for what's right and is willing to expose colleagues who aren't so bothered with doing the right thing. There's an incident early on in the book which is a fantastic example of this and I was cheering her on. She has her demons, dark, scary ones, that come to visit often, and she is clearly affected by events in the past. But she is always focused and determined. She's a beautifully written character and I particularly love her relationship with her grandad. We really see her caring side then, especially here when their relationship is put to the test to a certain extent. Talking about Grandad, I adored his friendship with Cosmo.
Whilst Grace might be unpopular with some colleagues, she is always supported by Harry and analyst Klara. There's such an interesting dynamic, particularly between Grace and Harry as they're people who we might not expect to get along. But they are a rock solid team and Klara is a welcome addition. Aaron Cronin is so well written, charming and creepy all in one. Well, he certainly gave me the creeps anyway! But the standout character for me was Kain - he has really stayed with me. I guess what I'm trying to say is all the characters are really well drawn, very three dimensional, and I was interested and invested in them all.
The story is disturbing with discussions on some sensitive subjects. It's a book that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps hold of you until the explosive denouement. It's difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away, but it's a delight you should discover for yourself. The subplot, such a strong storyline in itself, is weaved through beautifully, the pacing is spot on and there is an overriding sense of tension and general creepiness. There were plenty of times I thought I knew where things were going only to be proved wrong. It's one of this books and I loved that about it. And the ending hints at more to come for Grace, which would be wonderful, so I'm crossing my fingers and toes for that.
See No Evil is a fast paced, tense and gripping race against time. It's a tale of hate and revenge. It's beautifully written, well plotted and populated by a wide ranging, colourful cast of characters. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it and I would highly recommend it if you like your crime on the dark side.
The Author
David Fennell was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for London at the age of eighteen with £50 in one pocket and a dog-eared copy of Stephen King's The Stand in the other. He jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career in writing for the software industry. He has been working in CyberSecurity for fourteen years and is a fierce advocate for information privacy. David has played rugby for Brighton and has studied Creative Writing at the University of Sussex. He is married and he and his partner split their time between Central London and Brighton.To find out more, visit his website: www.davidfennell.co.uk. Follow him on Twitter: @davyfennell
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