A family’s secrets lie buried. The time has come to uncover the truth…
When a mud-splattered man staggers from Bacton Wood with a terrifying tale about being buried alive, DS Ashley Knight and her team are called in to investigate. Soon, another victim is found, and more men are missing – all with connections to the well-known Vialli family.
The Major Investigation Team find themselves attempting to untangle a case that stretches from Eastern Europe through to North Norfolk. Along with rookie detective, the whip-smart Hector Fade, Ashley is in a race against time trying to help a family who seem determined to take matters into their own hands. And when Ashley suspects there is a department rat, the stakes get even higher.
As the evidence continues to point in different directions, and as new victims are uncovered thick and fast, Ashley and Hector begin to fear they have finally met their match in a killer too ruthless and clever to be caught.
I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various
parts of the world.
I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door
whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I’m still a little stunned by the pace of it now.
Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, I randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.
It’s surprising for me to realise I’ve written ten books now. There are two strands, one where the books concern lives affected by prison, and then my detective series starring DI John Barton. The first Barton book, The Snow Killer hit the coveted number one spot on KOBO, with the second and third in the series not far behind.
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My thoughts: another gripping case for DS Ashley Knight and her team as a young man digs himself out of a grave in the woods and gets hit by a car. He claims he has no idea who buried him or why, but there’s something strange going on and after he’s abducted from the hospital, Ashley narrows in on a local family who might be involved in some illegal business.
Two of the sons have also gone missing, but their father, who seems to have a mole in the police station, insists he has no idea what’s going on and the eldest son has disappeared, although more likely by choice. Could this all be a vendetta relating to the family’s unsavoury business?
Meanwhile Ashley’s also got her Inspector assessment and needs to make some decisions about her personal life – her casual relationship with Barry isn’t going anywhere and she needs to prioritise things.
The team need to crack the case before more bodies turn up and there might be a link with an older case, that should get them some answers.
Dealing with some of the worst crimes, like people trafficking and murder, this is a grim and rather brutal case. The bodies they do find have been tortured and Hector’s history knowledge comes in useful, as does the drugs squad’s local info. Ashley wants to flush out the dirty cop who’s passing on information to the Vialli family, and who knows who else, so she sets a few little traps, not knowing there’s something else in play. She’s an excellent detective and her team are tight, although Hector’s off to bigger things. Might Ashley also be moving on if she makes Inspector?
I really enjoyed this series and while the author implies this is it for Ashley and her team, in terms of books, I never say never.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 