DI Paton is 48 years old and married to Wendy, who suffers from severe depression. He is the father to a teenage boy named Tommy who has Down’s Syndrome. Paton has recently moved to Perthshire, Scotland from England and is eager to prove to his superiors that despite his family problems, he is committed to the job and to his team. He just finds it a challenge to determine where his priorities lie at any given time.

When a car is stolen with a toddler asleep in the backseat, Paton is tasked on finding the child… and quickly. The boy, Louie, is epileptic and needs his meds immediately!

Woody – a young teenage boy who comes from a broken home. He lives with his Mum on a council estate. She works long hours to support them, and he is left alone a lot. Out of desperation and boredom he falls in with a rough gang. A vicious gang who steals cars. A gang who he finds difficult to refuse…

Mabel – a woman in her early sixties who lives alone on a small holding in the Perthshire countryside. Desperately lonely she encounters a young toddler crying in a farmer’s field. Could he be the antidote to her cold, lonely, and barren life?

Having read and enjoyed this author’s previous novels, I was in no doubt as to whether I would relish “Driven“. I was in no way disappointed.

The protagonist in this police procedural is a caring man who is conflicted by his work/life responsibilities. Paton has a very challenging home life with a wife who suffers from depression and a teenage son with Downs’ Syndrome. He is a very authentic character who is less than perfect, though he continually strives to be better.

The characterization was so well rendered that I found myself feeling quite sympathetic towards the characters, even a few of the criminals!

The investigations were time sensitive, giving the novel a sense of suspenseful urgency.

“Driven” is a fine novel and a worthy successor to “Blood Loss”. This police procedural series has a likeable protagonist, whom you want to follow in further novels.

The book spoke to themes of parenting, poverty, criminal gangs, and familial responsibility.

The plot was rendered in a real and compelling way that made the book hard to put down.

Recommended to all police procedural fans!

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I was gifted a complimentary digital copy of this novel from the author.

Publication date: November 29, 2022  Publisher: Hobeck Books

ISBN: 9781913793951    ASIN: ‎‎B0BMGS953P    407 pages

This title is currently available in Kindle format for FREE if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited!

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.
After many years of writing professionally in the course of her work, Kerena has discovered the exhilaration and deep joy of writing fiction and can be found at all hours in front of her computer. Her second novel ‘Scared to Breathe’ was released on 3rd June 2019 by Bloodhound Books.
Kerena lives with her family in a small village in Bedfordshire, England and her books are set in the surrounding areas.
Drawing on her extensive knowledge and experience of the problematic world of social work and social studies, Kerena adds a unique angle to the domestic noir and crime genre. Her latest novel, “Who’s There?” is self-published.

Kerena has recently signed up with the publisher Hobeck Books.
Visit https://kerenaswan.wordpress.com/  and join her mailing list.

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