A savage murder… killer on the loose?
Drake and the team embark on a frantic investigation to identify the copycat killer and warn other potential victims – all of whom Drake suspects are linked to the previous Alphabet case. But when a friend of Wixley’s is found murdered on his yacht, Drake begins to suspect the copycat link is a red herring to throw them off the scent…
A murderer who must be caught!
And when another murder takes place, Drake begins to question everything he knows about this case and his possible suspects. Now with his own reputation and the integrity of the Wales Police Service on the line Drake cannot afford to make any more mistakes.
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I’ve read all of the Inspector Drake books and I think this one is by far the best. The writing is just genius.
There was some great phrases, such as ‘Interviewing Laura Wixley was like walking into a cul de sac repeatedly.’
Inspector Drake interviews the wife of a victim who was also a senior police officer. It took me back to Line of Duty, Season 5. There was a scene in that where a corrupt senior officer was being interviewed. We knew she was guilty, and the scene played out in the silences, pauses, and the emotions passing through the faces around the table.
Wixley was giving short, sharp, answers to all Drake’s questions. Carefully veiled emotions passed through her eyes as Drake tried to second guess what she was going to say. He was already convinced she was lying.
I made so many notes in this book, I couldn’t possibly report them all. But I have to repeat this one. It came at the end of Chapter 29, when Wixley was interviewed again. She was a very upright/uptight person who stood her ground and was very confidendent in position. She responded quietel y and efficiently to anything asked. So the last paragraph wasn’t expected.
‘Wixley stood up, announcing that their meeting was at an end. ‘And if I am no longer a suspect, you can both fuck off back to Wales.’ I literally roared out loud at this one. It was so unexpected.
Puleston’s writing is absolutly on point with a thrilling tale as a team of detectives investigate a serious of murders. And of course, the thing I like the best is that it is all written in my part of the world, Wales.
5 stars
DI Ian Drake and his partner DS Sara Morgan respond to the scene of a murder in a vacation home. The victim is Nicholas Wixley a prosecutor and newly elected circuit judge. He was mutilated with an “E” carved into his chest. The scene was further staged with newspaper clippings, each with a letter attached to it.
Nicholas’ wife is Deputy Chief Constable a senior police officer named Laura. They can’t get ahold of her to notify her of Nicholas’ death when she unexpectedly shows up at the vacation home. She is brassy and outspoken and demands to know what is going on.
Nicholas’ autopsy showed that he was a cocaine user. Drake and Sara interview his wife, associates at his place of business and neighbors and acquaintances. They learn that all was not well at work and that Nicholas was obnoxious and had an explosive temper. He was universally disliked at his chambers.
A friend and fellow yachtsman of Wixley’s named Levine, was also murdered in a similar manner aboard his yacht. Are these copycat murders? Or not?
It appears that the more people Drake and Sara interview, the more suspects they have. Nicholas Wixley has some unsavory associates and that put the brakes on his wife’s career. One of the Alphabet murderer’s (now in prison), cell mates is out and living in the small community where Wixley and Levine had their homes.
One by one, the team eliminates suspects on their lists as those previously lying to the police finally tell the truth about their whereabouts on the nights in question.
This is perhaps Stephen Puleston’s best novel yet. I wish I could give it more than five stars. Extremely well written and plotted, this novel combines the sometimes tediousness of police work with bouts of action. Just my cup of tea – so to speak. I like Drake, Sara and the rest of the team. It makes for very comfortable reading when the police officers get along. Investigating crime is hard enough without all the interpersonal squabbles that some authors put in their books.
I want to thank Stephen Puleston very much for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review.
A great book in this series. I like all if the Inspector Drake Mysteries I have read. The story has many suspects and twists. I like how Puleston shows Drake’s personal life. Drake us much more than just a detective. I also like the descriptions of Wales, ad well as history of Wales. This is a good police procedural.
A dead body is found with the letter E carved into his stomach. His neck is severed and the word DEATH in written in blood. A second body is later found with the letter F written in blood. Both of the victims are linked together. DI Drake and Sara have to investigate these murders similar to a convicted murderer in prison. Are these copycat murders or did the original criminal have an accomplice?
There is an awful lot to like about this book, the plot is intricate and convoluted, making it very readable and exciting, the characters are superbly written and developed and the geographical locations are evocatively described.
So, the plot, a recently appointed judge is murdered in his Welsh holiday home, apparently by a convicted serial murderer, known as the Alphabet Killer. but he is in jail, so was it the work of a copycat, or did the Alphabet Killer have an accomplice? As in all the best books of this genre the victim had a lot of enemies, but are they suspects, or potential victims? A second murder confuses the picture even further. There follows a brilliant description of the hard slog of police work with false hopes dashed and new evidence being discovered leading to the revelation of the culprit.
The character of Drake is very interesting, he suffers from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) but still manages to be a thoroughly professional and dedicated police officer, he recognises that he has faults, mainly to do with the way he interacts with other people, and with the help of his new girlfriend Annie he is starting to improve, even going on a boozy night out with his team. It is his humanity that makes him so believable and relatable. We are also getting to know the other members of his team better, as he recognises their qualities, some of which he has overlooked before.
The author is Welsh, and he obviously knows and loves his native country, he manages to describe the locations in such a way that you almost feel that you know the area, I know this because I really do know some of the areas he uses as locations in the book, and they are instantly recognisable.
If you like murder mysteries, thrillers or police procedurals then this book should definitely be at the top of your TBR pile, it is the best in the this great series so far, and amongst the best in these genres that I have read this year.
I did receive an advance copy of this book, but have voluntarily written this review based on my own opinions.
If you like detailed, well-developed police procedurals, this book is definitely right up your alley. The characters are full-fleshed, three dimensional, and true to life. The action is there but not non-stop, just like it would be in a true investigation. What I really liked is Mr Puleston doesn’t write his characters as infallible. They drop the ball, make errors in judgement, admit their mistakes and continue on. This one is a truly absorbing read. The only downside is for this “poor little Southern girl” to try to figure out the pronunciation of all the Welsh words and names. Not pretty; but the story was definitely worth the effort. I will be checking out the other books in the Drake series.