The Devil’s Edge

We’re in Riddings, Derbyshire and Zoe Barron is found dead in her family’s kitchen and her husband, Jake has been brutally attacked leaving him in a coma. The crime is originally linked to a group known as the Savages but it doesn’t fit their usual M.O….

Detective Ben Cooper and his team are placed on the case and as they begin to question the neighbours, it seems there’s more going on than the typical neighbourly disputes…

• There’s Mr Gamble, the interfering old man who sticks his nose in everyone’s business and was the one who called the police.
• There’s Mr Chadwick, who’s no longer working as a teacher after his temper got the better of him.
• There’s Mr Edson, who lost a lot of money after going into business with Jake.
• There’s Mr Novak, who has been to court with the Barron family over a property dispute.
• There’s Mr Holland, who ends up having a heart attack following a break in.

Coooorrrr… Too many people that could be involved… Keeps me on my toes!

As the story unfolds, Ben has to use all of his instincts to piece together the puzzle as he realises the residents of Riddings aren’t very forthcoming with information and are quite happy to tell the odd white lie to protect their families. Ben’s brother also seems to have found himself on the wrong side of the law after a man ends up shot on his farm… it’s lucky that Diane Fry is back and on the case!

I loved the way this story unfolded, it was back and forth pointing the finger at every single neighbour. It was a good old fashioned crime thriller. Booth has this incredible way of setting the scene and having so much detail in his pages, that the story feels alive and grips you in the same way that many of the most famous detective TV shows do.

Until next time, Chloé x

P.S. I’m currently reading Purity but struggling with it…. It’s a bit deep for me right now! Has anyone else read anything by  Jonathan Franzen?