Top Ten Hard-Boiled Crime Bestseller, over 100,000 downloadsHow far would you go to hide the truth?A small boy lies drowned in the bottom of a bathHis mother is found with a noose around her neck… murder-suicide. Tracey Kavanagh was her usual upbeat self; right up until the moment she drowned her son and tied a rope around her neck killing herself and her unborn child. For Alex Moreton, this case couldn’t have come at a worse time, battling with her partner over whether to have another child, she is superstitious about pushing their luck – they’re happy enough as they are…aren’t they? DS Kevin Coupland is dealing with a serious assault outside a wine bar in Swinton. Devoted family man Ricky Wilson is brutally stabbed following an altercation with youths while out with his wife and their children to celebrate her birthday. Coupland and Moreton’s cases merge when it transpires that Tracey and Ricky were tragically connected. Is it possible that there could be more to these two investigations than pure coincidence? And what was Tracey Kavanagh so frightened of she thought wiping out her family was the answer?
As the past collides with the present Coupland uncovers a tragic secret that will destroy Tracey’s family, or what’s left of it. Coupland must choose whether the truth shall come out – or be taken to the grave.
FRAGILE CORD is an emotional rollercoaster charting the psychological meltdown of a mother with a deadly secret.
Fans of Mark Billingham and Lynda La Plante will be gripped by this exceptional crime fiction series.
Watch out for more from D.S. Coupland
A Detective battling personal tragedy, Kevin Coupland will stop at nothing to protect a key witness in a drive-by shooting. FRAGILE CORD is the first book in the series – book two, A PLACE OF SAFETY and Book three ONE BAD TURN are out now.
What people are saying about Fragile Cord
‘A police procedural done right.’
‘Keeps you guessing.’
‘Tautly written, well-paced with a strong sense of place. Could be the start of a smart series.’
‘A page-turner that keeps you guessing right to the final twist.’
‘Once started I couldn’t put down.’
‘Hope it’s not the last we hear of Coupland and Moreton!’
‘Emma Salisbury slaps you with a surprise right from the get-go and keeps you riveted trying to figure out “why, why, why?” Never during the basic story does she drop you little hints. Not one time. Why does a seemingly normal, happy family get torn asunder?’ Carol Piner, Kindle Book Review
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“It is a fragile cord that binds us to sanity.”
For some people this book would be upsetting to read…the mother, her unborn child, and her young son all dead….by the mother’s hand.
The crime is horrific and realistically depicted with the cops being very affected and dealing in their own ways with it. And as life goes on and a family man is fatally stabbed in front of his family, the team investigates it while trying to determine why the mother took her life and her children’s.
This is a dark read and it is not gratuitous but sincere in trying to see how Copeland and Alex solve both cases and how it affects their own families. The grief seems too real, too close, the author does a superb job of showing it…the walking wounded. The people are richly depicted as are the people they work with and their families.
The fact the two different crimes become tied together at the end, really didn’t interest me as the crimes were solved and that mattered to me much more. If they hadn’t tied them at the end it wouldn’t have diminished the end at all.
I wouldn’t say it was the best book but certainly well done and a bit depressing and hard to read. If you have young children, you might skip it. For everyone else, it is a study of life and families and should be read slowly and aware of just how good life can be, even in the worst of times…there still are good people
Couldn’t finish it- couldn’t get interested. It was very ‘wordy’, and seemed to ramble. I kept trying to get caught up in the story, but finally gave up. Sorry!
harrowing tale of multi-generational abuse and its aftermath. Well-done but definitely not my cup of tea.
This was so poorly written that I couldn’t read it. After a couple of chapters of badly written language and improper usage, I had to give up.
This was a hard book to read due to the subject matter.
Very good and fun to read.
Not my type of book…
This book was not written about an American Police force. I got lost in who was whose boss or their equal. There was too much jumping around from one chapter. The story was ok but it ended several times before it was actually over. I do not care for this style of writing.
Started off slow. Some good twists.
It was hard to follow
Entertaining reading
This was interesting till the very last page.
Fragile Cord was thought provoking and haunting. How far would you or I or anyone go when feeling backed into a corner? And can any of us really judge another persons reactions and life’s decisions when they have suffered unspeakable abuse? But at the same time does a horrific past give someone the right to make a life changing decision for others? No matter how much you may love those people and think you are sparing them pain and suffering, you do not bear the right to make a life altering decision for them. Fragile Cord is well written and will keep your attention. And give you a few surprises along the way.
This psychological thriller fell short for me. I quit reading halfway through the book. It was a full read with too much meaningless descriptions. I found myself skimming pages looking for the thrilling part to begin.
slow start to the book made it hard to make myself finish it. The end is worth the effort as it ties all the plots together with an ending that satisfies.
Very original story line.