One buried crime. Many hidden secrets. A cold case investigation that will have you gripped from the explosive start to the heart-pounding conclusion. A skeletal body is unearthed in a wooded area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. DI James Bliss, together with DC Penny Chandler, investigate the case and discover that the young, female victim had been relocated from its original burial site. A … its original burial site. A witness is convinced that a young woman was struck by a vehicle back in the summer of 1990, and that police attended the scene. However, no record exists of either the accident or the reported victim. As the case develops, two retired police officers are murdered. The two are linked with others who were on duty at the time a road accident was reported.
As Bliss and Chandler delve deeper into the investigation, they start to question whether senior officers may have been involved in the murder of the young woman who was buried in the woods. As each link in the chain is put under duress, so is Bliss who clashes with superiors and the media. When his team receives targeted warnings, Bliss will need to decide whether to drop the case or to pursue those responsible, because the killer is much closer than they imagine . . .
“Breathe[s] new life into a sometimes stale genre . . . full of dark humor, well drawn characters and plenty of surprises to knock me off balance.” —Novel Gossip
Don’t miss The Scent of Guilt, the second thriller in the DI Bliss series!
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I am a huge mystery, thriller, police procedure book fan, and this book fits the bill for me. It has kept my interest from page 1. It is a British novel so if you don’t know what a Boot and/or Bonnet is, then you may be a little confused. Thankfully I lived in England for 2 years and was familiar with most of the British meanings. This is the first book in a series and I will definitely be reading more. Jimmy Bliss is an interesting and strong character and I want more of him.
I highly recommend Tony Forder’s Bliss and Chandler crime series.
This is a book that I initially thought I wouldn’t like. It’s a UK police procedural dealing with the discovery of a murder from 19 years ago. The pace is slow at first and then begins to progress ever so slightly. And as new clues are being slowly revealed, the author performs an excellent job of fleshing out the main characters with all their flaws and shortcomings. By the book’s end, you feel these are real people with a depth of character that is surprising. The book leaves you wondering about their lives as some personal details are left unresolved (just like in real life).
The story does an excellent job of demonstrating the sometimes boring job faced by police. And as more information on the crime is revealed, I found myself drawn deeper into the tale. Toward the last few chapters, it was difficult to put down. The plot twists and turns, and just when you think you’ve figured out the guilty party, you find you’ve guessed wrong.
While I at first found the occasional British slang words a bit confusing, the context helped me past this minor point. I enjoyed the book so much I purchased the second (and currently last) one in the series and am about to launch into it. Here’s hoping Detective Inspector Jimmy Bliss returns a third time with yet another enjoyable yarn. Highly recommended.
The ending was a complete surprise! The characters were quite likeable. But man, did I mention that the ending was a shock? Never had a clue.
This is the first book in a new series that takes place in Britain as a police procedural.
The cast has Jimmy Bliss, a beleaguered detective, called in to investigate the remains of a woman. The two boys that dug up the body swear they didn’t play or move the body…..yet, the bone doc, says the body had been moved from its original spot. Who would rebury a body twice? Bliss is trying to date the bone doc plus gather as much evidence as he can from her examination of the body.
You have Bobby and Chandler as his two back-ups in this case. And you are taken inside this case as it slowly comes together but becomes scary with the realization that people are being killed to keep the case unsolved. When cops end up dead and Bliss and his two top partners receive threats, the game becomes intense. To fear your own co-workers, to know that a cop could take you out and cover his tracks….now that’s scary! Good investigative techniques are shown and Bliss is dealing with his past wife, his new interest, crime involving cops, and the question, who do you trust???
This is book one in the DI Bliss and DCI Chandler series. I absolutely loved this book.
When a skeletal body is found DI James Bliss and DC Penny Chandler get more than they expect when they start investigating. The young victims remains were found to be relocated and once Bliss and Chandler looked into it they find out the young girl was knocked down In 1990. The investigation gets complicated when two retired police officers who are connected with others who were on duty are murdered.
This is a really well written police thriller. The twists and turns just kept on coming. Towards the end my head was in a spin in a good way. I just couldn’t believe what was happening.
I’ve gotta day I loved the place references as I live kinda close to some of them.
I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I very much enjoyed this police procedural story. It is the first time I have read one of Tony Forder’s books.
I quickly became engrossed in the story and have to confess that I hadn’t a clue of “ who dunnit “ until the person was revealed at the end.
A gripping story for sure and I hope to be able to read another DI Bliss police investigation in the not too distant future.
* spoiler alert ** A truly outstanding read, this book had me riveted from the first page, a complete page-turner. The first outing for DI Bliss now has me hooked on the series. The discovery of skeletal remains sets in motion a chain of events that has DI Bliss and his team working hard to determine the killer before the team is moved on from the 16-year-old murder of a prostitute. Bliss is an ex Met officer, who left the capital under a cloud following the murder of his wife, scarred by the events that he felt he should have prevented and his response to them. Bliss rubs his immediate superior up the wrong way, in part because of the way he was treated following his previous murder inquiry, and in part because he hasn’t come up through the rank and file. Tony Forder weaves together snippets of information, tantalizing the reader as the investigation progresses, drawing us deeper into the web woven by a number of corrupt officers to cover-up a murder. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming, but the way it played out was masterful. I am looking forward to reading more of this series, the protagonist is flawed but not so much so that it detracts from the storytelling, it only enhances it.
Follow the exploits of Detective Inspector James Bliss as he attempts to unravel the mystery of a dead body. Examination indicates the woman had been killed several years ago but had been dumped in a new location.
With a riveting plot and well-defined characters, this story is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. Not only do we follow DI Bliss through the tangled details the victim, we also learn about his personal life and what makes him the person he is today. This was the first book I’ve read by Tony and it’s definitely not the last as I’ve just downloaded books two through five!
The skeletal remains of a woman are found in a shallow grave in a wood in this first book featuring DI Bliss and DS Chandler. It soon becomes apparent that the duo is dealing with a cold case that offers few clues until the victim’s identity is uncovered.
Then the deaths start. Former police officers, who investigated a complaint of a hit and run many years earlier, start to die. It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want Bliss to uncover the truth about the victim’s death, or why she was reburied recently.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bad to the Bones, taking to Bliss and Chandler from the opening pages. Their friendship and loyalty is at the core of the investigation, which takes a sinister turn as a conspiracy to thwart their efforts takes shape. With the help of DS Dunne, they set out to find the officer behind the conspiracy, knowing it could mean the end of their careers if they get it wrong. Or their lives.
Intense and twisting, the plot becomes convoluted as the exciting climax approaches. Bliss is an intensely damaged officer, with more traumas and secrets than you usually find in this kind of police procedural. The angst ridden, traumatised cop has become something of a cliché in recent years, and the problems and troubles Bliss experienced occasionally felt a little overdone, slowing the story.
Though flawed and prone to mistakes, his determination, sense of justice and refusal to be cowed by everything life throws at him won me over.
His boss, Superintendent Sykes, felt a little two-dimensional with his stereotyped, by-the-book attitude and barely veiled dislike of Bliss. The friction between them added conflict and an additional threat, but never felt realistic to me, especially in their confrontational scenes.
But these were minor issues with an otherwise absorbing and engaging story that had me turning the pages at pace to reach the climax. I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series and would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys well-written and thoughtful police procedural crime fiction.
A busy mystery to solve with lots of twists and turns. It has a sad but pleasing ending.
If you enjoy English detective books this was very good. The mystery was enthralling and The characters were very interesting.
Had to keep reading
The relationships of the main character were well drawn, realistic and at times moving.
Good but not great
The first DI Bliss book grabs you with both hands and refuses to let you go. A great procedural thriller, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right until the very end. The characters are complex, each with their own faults and flaws as well as their own strength.
Bliss may verge a little too much on the ‘damaged cop’ tropes at times, but his wit and resilience more than makes up for it.
A great start to a series by a supremely talented author.
I liked it
A good mystery.
Good mystery with a surprise ending
The author needs to study fire arms and ‘blanks’ a little more. Blanks can and have killed people at close range. Being shot in the face at arms length is maybe survivable but only just. Still liked the book a lot.