THE TOP FIVE KINDLE BESTSELLER‘Must read!’ Closer‘I love, love, LOVE Perfect Remains!’ Reader review‘A superb debut!’ Reader reviewOn a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing.In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness… clothing.
In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness…
Detective Inspector Luc Callanach has barely set foot in his new office when Elaine’s missing persons case is escalated to a murder investigation. Having left behind a promising career at Interpol, he’s eager to prove himself to his new team. But Edinburgh, he discovers, is a long way from Lyon, and Elaine’s killer has covered his tracks with meticulous care.
It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes … The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined.
Fans of Angela Marson, Mark Billingham and M. J. Aldridge will be gripped by this chilling journey into the mind of a troubled killer.
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good story-
This started badly for me, as I really didn’t take to the main character at all. However, I stuck with it (partly in the belief that there would be more about Braemar) and turned out to be wrong – the character was much better than I expected, and there was very little about Braemar! In the end I enjoyed it tremendously. Pretty bloody and quite disturbing, it nevertheless had a strong plot and some characters, including eventually the main one, whom I should like to meet again.
This was an absolutely gripping and addictive crime thriller, told in the alternative views of Professor King and DI Luc Callanach. Needless to say, I loved Luc and loathed the professor since he was the perp, as all readers will know from the beginning of the book. It’s in the cat and mouse game that King plays with Luc that the reader is engrossed in the story. Successful, independent women are being kidnapped, held to be tortured in gruesome physical and psychological ways that leave little to the imagination. Regardless of knowing who the villain is, the reader is kept guessing all the way until the end about how (and if) Luc will finally catch on to King’s horrifying game of death and life. There is some comic relief in the developing friendship between DI Ava Turner and Luc and their humorous repartee. Aside from the extremely graphic details of torture, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the other books that are promised in this series. Luc is a brilliant ex-member of INTERPOL who is a great match against the brilliant and evil Professor King.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Really enjoyed this book, in fact ended up reading them all one after another.
This debut novel features DI Luc Callanach and his team. He’s new to the area and new to the job. Being half French, half Scottish does not endear him to everyone on his team. He is eager to prove himself to his new team.
He has barely found his new office when a missing person’s case becomes a homicide. Elaine Buxton is found burned to a crisp. The only thing remaining that can identify her is a tooth and a shred of material not too far from her body.
It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes … The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined.
The killer/kidnapper is identified fairly early in the reading, but it doesn’t take away anything from the story. This killer is smart, and stays at least one step ahead of the police during the investigation. He is evil, malicious, and the reason he does the things he does will take your breath away.
Luc is a terrific character. I loved how the author wove his professional life with his personal life and the things that brought him to where he is now. His team has his back .. all except one who bears a grudge against Callanach and complains about him at every turn. His anger may send the investigation spiralling in a totally wrong direction.
I liked how the characters interacted with each other and how they learn to work for one goal. This story is action packed, full of surprises and the ending left me totally surprised. This is definitely an author to watch. I look forward to reading the 2nd book in this series — PERFECT SILENCE.
Many thanks to the author / Avon Books / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this journey through the mind of a very troubled killer. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Love all the books in this series, the characters walk off the page.
This was a well written book and I loved the detectives part of the story. What let it down for me was the story when told from the killer’s point of view as I couldn’t buy into it – it seemed too unbelievable. No one knows how the mind of a killer works and I’ve yet to read a book that hits the correct pitch. That said this is my opinion only so I strongly recommend this book.
A fast-paced police procedural where we get to know the killer up close. Brutal and with great characters. I really enjoyed it.
I enjoy all of the author’s Edinburgh police procedurals. Idiosyncratic characters who evolve through the series.
I enjoyed this first book in this series. It can be frustrating as a person who is watching tv or reading a book and you want to yell at the main character that they are looking in the wrong direction, haha. Okay so that’s just me. Poor Callanach, that guy has been through so much in the last year. I liked how there was really 2 different cases you get to follow and figure out. The main case for Callanach you also get the point of view of the bad guy. I loved that it’s in Scotland. I would read more in this series.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Interesting enough that I read several of the books in the series and will probably read more.
I’m a huge fan of the DI Callanach series, can’t wait for the next release.
Well-developed characters; lots of action; good who dun it!
I suppose if you like gory, this would be a good book. I found it pretty unbelievable and didn’t enjoy it very much.
Excellent read.
The violence was more descriptive than I usually read but I like the characters and how they interact with each other and the story line was good.