| Publisher | Severn House |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 27 November 2015 |
| ISBN-10 | 0727885634 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0727885630 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 208 |
| Price | £ 19.99 |
A Murderous Mind
by
A student is found dead in university accommodation – and there are links to a crime from 15 years earlier and a disgraced cop.
Review
OK, I am seriously confused. This is the third book of Adams’ that I’ve read in about a year, two of which appear to belong to a series. But there’s only the faintest trace of backstory to help newcomers along.
This is of course the curse of the reviewer – pitched into a series without necessarily having read earlier books. But it always strikes me as odd that authors don’t think this through a bit more in the days of ebooks where bargains may be had.
The plot stands alone perfectly adequately, just so long as you don’t expect to be told every detail of where a book is set, or introduced to every character. A student is murdered in university accommodation, and police realise that the death is similar to one 15 years earlier, that was never solved. And it links to a disgraced Detective Inspector, who had his eye on a particular suspect, but was unable to prove anything.
A Murderous Mind is ostensibly a Naomi Blake mystery. Except, Naomi is no longer in the police as a result of losing her sight. Her partner Alec bailed out as well. And skulking around are their hitman friend and his sidekick – and no, I have no idea of their past history and what they have to do with the price of eggs! There’s also the budding young artist and his father, who also seem to have appeared in previous books.
I enjoyed Adams’s Paying the Ferryman a great deal, which also had Naomi and Alec in the background, and was hoping to see the two cops, Steel and Willis, make another appearance. That hasn’t happened here, and the police characters are all pretty forgettable.
That said, if we take A Murderous Mind as we find it, it’s a leisurely-paced book that keeps you engaged. Adams is a fluent storyteller and is good with moments of menace. Just don’t expect a sense of place or much in the way of characterisation, and you’ll be fine.
This is of course the curse of the reviewer – pitched into a series without necessarily having read earlier books. But it always strikes me as odd that authors don’t think this through a bit more in the days of ebooks where bargains may be had.
The plot stands alone perfectly adequately, just so long as you don’t expect to be told every detail of where a book is set, or introduced to every character. A student is murdered in university accommodation, and police realise that the death is similar to one 15 years earlier, that was never solved. And it links to a disgraced Detective Inspector, who had his eye on a particular suspect, but was unable to prove anything.
A Murderous Mind is ostensibly a Naomi Blake mystery. Except, Naomi is no longer in the police as a result of losing her sight. Her partner Alec bailed out as well. And skulking around are their hitman friend and his sidekick – and no, I have no idea of their past history and what they have to do with the price of eggs! There’s also the budding young artist and his father, who also seem to have appeared in previous books.
I enjoyed Adams’s Paying the Ferryman a great deal, which also had Naomi and Alec in the background, and was hoping to see the two cops, Steel and Willis, make another appearance. That hasn’t happened here, and the police characters are all pretty forgettable.
That said, if we take A Murderous Mind as we find it, it’s a leisurely-paced book that keeps you engaged. Adams is a fluent storyteller and is good with moments of menace. Just don’t expect a sense of place or much in the way of characterisation, and you’ll be fine.
Reviewed 16 January 2016 by Sharon Wheeler
