“I was dead inside, numb to it all even as I tried to remember the happier times.”
Staffordshire has a critical domestic abuse problem. Because of this, a new, specialized police team called DAHU (Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit) have been set up to deal with murders linked to domestic abuse. In addition, Staffordshire is experiencing an increasing number of substance abusers. The two problems act like nitro and glycerin.
New to the DAHU team is DC Maggie Jamieson. Also new to the team is the goth-dressed criminal psychologist Dr. Kate Moloney.
I was excited to learn that one of the bookbloggers I’ve followed for some time had written a book. I was tickled to read many familiar names sprinkled throughout the novel (the author used several of her bookblogger friends’ names for her characters).
The subject matter of the novel is quite dark and disturbing. Spousal abuse/domestic violence is a difficult topic, but one in which this author is very knowledgeable – having worked as a probation officer herself. She knows her subject, and it shows. She seems to have an innate understanding of the abuser’s psyche – and a knowledge of the cycle of abuse.
I thought that the novel had rather too many characters and found that less would have been more in this case. The protagonist should have been policewoman Maggie Jamieson as this is the first in the D.C. Maggie Jamieson series. However, after reading the book, I clearly felt that probation officer Lucy Sherwood was the protagonist.
Lucy Sherwood was a likable character, yet I was very frustrated with her. She has made her career working with violent offenders/abusers, yet she is abused herself. Surely she would have been more keen to escape her dire situation – and given her line of work had the gumption to do so. I understand that she was thinking of her husband’s children, yet surely even they would have been better off out of that abusive environment…
The narrative was written skillfully and kept me interested in the outcome. This debut novel will be (and has been) enjoyed by many readers. I’ll be interested in what this talented author will write next. All in all, “Dead Inside” was a strong debut.
I received a complimentary digital copy of “Dead Inside” from Killer Reads via NetGalley and the Killer Reads Facebook Group.
Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast.
Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, author-stalking and sharing the booklove via her blog.
Dead Inside is her debut novel with Killer Reads/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.
Follow Noelle Holten on Twitter.
One fateful summer, Charles hires an artist to paint a room at Cloudesley. He wants a full mural using all four walls and ceiling. So, the artist, Jack, moves in for the summer…
The darkest of the stories was “Killing me Softly“. The deeply depressed protagonist is literally courting death.
D.I. Kim Stone – An acerbic, brusque, and driven young woman who works as a Detective Inspector for the West Midlands Police, the second largest police force in the country. She is socially inept, and has been known to break the rules, as well as to disregard instructions and protocols in her search for justice. An insomniac, she is fueled by nervous energy and lots of coffee, and is beautiful, but she works hard to hide it. She is 34 years old, brilliant, hot-headed, and damaged. As a child, she suffered horribly, and was shunted from foster home to foster home. Only once did she experience a nurturing, loving relationship – and that was very short lived…. Now, when not working, her favourite thing to do is work at restoring vintage motorbikes. Bikes are her passion, and she uses a Kawasaki Ninja as her regular form of transport.
Other than her second in command, Bryant, she is friendless. Her one real weakness is her fondness for her adopted dog, Barney.
Police team
The team’s attention turns to a man named Jason Cross who fits bespoke kitchens. He seems to have some connection to both of the murdered women.
Tasha immediately falls in love with the old place. Her fiance, Reuben, doesn’t like living at Black Hollow Hall. It is too isolated for his liking, and he misses his family and friends. A rift develops between Natasha and Reuben, seeing him going off for days at a time for work, while she stays at the Hall to oversee the workmen. She begins to doubt his commitment to her.
It would seem that Natasha’s idyll is not what she dreamed it would be. Strange and sinister occurrences cause her to become even more frightened than she was before. She learns a little of the history of her family in the house, only to find that their lives there were not happy ones…
Kerena Swan trained as a Social Worker and worked for Social Services for over 25 years. For the past 14 years she has owned and managed an ‘outstanding’ rated care agency for children with disabilities. Following serious illnesses she decided to fulfill her long-held ambition of writing a book and getting it published. ‘Dying to See You’, published by Bloodhound Books, was her debut novel.
Here are the eight titles I plan to read and review during the month of June.
Darren Booth is always working on his old cars. He even has an old decrepit and unsightly RV which he parks directly in front of the Morgan’s house. They bemoan the lack of parking and the “Play Out Sunday” scheme which they instigated is now impossible. Before, on Sundays, the children of the street could safely play together because the street was closed. Now, with cars coming and going, it is unsafe and is cancelled after one of the children is knocked down.
I had a fruitful month in May when it comes to new books. As a result, I managed to procure TEN new review commitments. Also, I went a bit wild on Amazon buying up some inexpensive and interesting sounding Kindle books.
Many readers are familiar with the outstanding women’s fiction of Faith Hogan. Well, good news folks, she has turned her hand to detective fiction!
Kelly Rimmer is the USA Today bestselling women’s fiction author of five novels. Her latest, Before I Let You Go, was released in 2018. This year, she will be releasing her new novel, The Things We Cannot Say. Her novels have been translated into more than 20 languages.
While perusing the internet, I came across an article about words. So, of course I had to then stop and check it out.
