Publication Date: May 17th from Sphere.
Source: Review Copy
Twenty years ago Tatia was adopted into a well-off home, where she seemed happy, settled. Then the youngest boy in the family dies in an accident, and she gets the blame.
Did she do it?
Tatia was cast out, away from her remaining adopted siblings Joel and Sarah. Now she yearns for a home to call her own. So when she see families going on holiday, leaving their beautiful homes empty, there seems no harm in living their lives while she is gone. But somehow, people keep ending up dead.
Did she kill them?
As bodies start to appear in supposedly safe neighbourhoods, DI Ray Drake and DS Flick Crowley race to find the thinnest of links between the victims. But Drake’s secret past is once more threatening to destroy everything.
I got this book yesterday and it would have been finished yesterday too if it wasn’t for annoying stuff like work and people.
As it was I polished it off today because very like His First Lie (which I will always remember fondly as The Two O’Clock Boy) it has a beautifully emotional addictive layer to the writing which means honestly you just don’t want to put it down. So we enter once more into the murky world of Ray Drake and all his secrets, which are about to come back to bite him – at the same time bodies are turning up all over the place and another fractured family holds the key to the truth..
Honestly for me the engagement with this novel and the previous one comes mostly in the form of the aforementioned Ray Drake – A detective with issues unlike any other, who is darkly dangerous and endlessly fascinating. His partner in crime, Flick, who now knows more about him than he would like, is also a really great character and the relationship between these two is cleverly captivating, I’m in it all the way with these two.
As for the mystery element here it is really great, we have several character arc’s which keep the story twisting and turning to it’s ultimate conclusion and it is utterly gripping all the way through. It’s slightly shivery to think that people might invade your property whilst you are off on your hols, but the consequences of coming back early are fatal for a few. The best thing about it is the depth of feeling Mark Hill gives to both character and action, not only of victims but of the suspects, this had a great past/present vibe that worked beautifully and kept things obscure and unknown. The best crime comes from the shades of grey, not always just good guys nor bad, but victims of their own circumstances at times – this is an area in fiction where Mark excels, it’s all there just below the surface.
Intelligent writing, divisive and deliciously troubled characters, a totally compelling story, It Was Her comes highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading!
