Title: In Cold Blood
Author: Jane Bettany
Publisher: HQ, HQ Digital
Pub Date:
Pages: 320
Rating: 5/5*
My Review:
Wow – I can’t believe this is a debut novel and I’ll admit right now that I also can’t wait to read more in this series! It is a superb read – highly recommend you get yourself a copy if you enjoy police procedural, murder, mystery or family drama – this has the lot in a fantastic, well paced read!
When the Whitworth twins start renovating the property they recently bought at auction, they are shocked to discover skeletal human remains. However, they’re probably not quite as shocked as DI Isabel Blood, the investigating officer called to the scene, as the property is her childhood home, the place where she lived until her father left them when she was fourteen. When the forensic team suggest the body could have been buried when she lived there, Isabel is concerned this could be possibly be her father . . . .
There is more than one mystery to be solved in this great police procedural – as well as discovering whose body has been found and what happened to them, Isabel also needs to discover just what happened to her father and why. This story is packed with intrigue, family dramas, historic events and is set in an area I know well! Whilst the main location is fictional, there are other places named that I know well as they are relatively local to me.
The characters are well developed and easy to relate to, each with their own backgrounds which are skilfully shared through the story. The heroine is married with a family of her own and juggling her job and home life is an intricate part of the story, including so many aspects which are part of normal life making them all seem even more believable. The story is brilliantly paced, keeping you turning the pages and guessing as more evidence is uncovered. It is a fascinating read and one that I have no hesitation in highly recommending. Congratulations to the author on writing such a superb debut novel – I can’t wait to read more by her in future.
Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the copy of this book which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Synopsis:
I read this in one sitting and loved every minute of it.’ 5 stars, NetGalley reviewer
No secret can stay buried forever…
As the Whitworth family begin renovations on their new home, their plans are brought to an abrupt end when they discover a body buried in the back garden.
DI Isabel Blood and her team are called to investigate, but as she approaches Ecclesdale Drive, a feeling of unease settles in her gut.
The property cordoned off is number 23. The house she used to live in as a child…
The forensic team estimate that the body has been in the ground for up to forty years – coinciding with the time Isabel’s family lived in the house.
Isabel’s father vanished without a trace when she was fourteen years old. And with her mother remaining tight-lipped about her father’s disappearance, Isabel can’t escape the unnerving sense of dread that it’s his body, buried in the garden.
Fans of Ann Cleeves, Val McDermid and Elly Griffiths will love In Cold Blood!
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