Christmas Read ~ The Deaths of December by Susi Holliday

Mulholland Books
November 2017
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book to read and review

Blurb from the Book...

It looks like a regular advent calendar.

Until DC Becky Greene starts opening doors...and discovers a crime scene behind almost every one.

The police hope it's a prank. Because if it isn't, a murderer has just surfaced - someone who's been killing for twenty years.

But why now? And why has he sent it to this police station?

As the country relaxes into festive cheer, Greene and DS Eddie Carmine must race against time to catch the killer. Because there are four doors left, and four murders will fill them...

It's shaping up to be a deadly little Christmas.

My thoughts...

There's so much wholesome goodness in an advent calendar. Looking under each door to discover the hidden delight is something everyone can look forward to in the run up to Christmas. Now, when you've read The Deaths of December, the question is....will you be quite so eager to peak beneath the doors on your Advent calendar?

What looks to be an ordinary advent calendar lands on DC Becky Greene's desk in the police incident room and reveals far more than your average piece of dairy milk chocolate. Behind each door lies a photograph which reveals something horrific and which puts the whole investigative team on a race  against time to find whoever sent the calendar before their luck runs out.

This is an intelligently plotted and suspenseful crime story which doesn't get too encumbered by unnecessary police procedural stuff but which focuses on the realistic race to find the perpetrator of a series of violent deaths. The killer seems to taunt the police team, and for one member in particular, the race becomes a very personal challenge. We see two aspects of the story, that of the perpetrator, and also that of the two officers who are hell bent on finding the killer before the last few doors on the advent calendar are opened. DC Becky Greene and her relationship with her boss, DS Eddie Carmine is nicely developed and adds human interest to what is, in effect, a very dark story which has, it must be said, very little festive cheer.

I've read this author's crime stories before and am always intrigued by her ability to control a complicated story line with relative ease. She takes you by the hand and leads you into some very dark and dangerous places but does so with a light touch and an easy manner.

If you want something decidedly different then the The Deaths of December will make sure that you won't look at your innocent advent calendar in quite the same way ever again 😱

About the Author

Susi Holliday grew up in East Lothian. A life-long fan of crime and horror, her short stories have been published in various places, and she was shortlisted for the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham competition. She is the author of three novels in the Banktoun trilogy, Black Wood, Willow Walk and The Damselfly. She is married and lives in London.

Follow on Twitter @SJIHolliday #TheDeathsofDecember

@MulhollandUK

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Blog Tour ~ The Damsel Fly by S J I Holliday

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host a stop on The Damsel Fly Blog Tour

Banktoun #3

Black&White Publishing
2017

What's it all about ...

Katie Taylor is the perfect student. She’s bright and funny, she has a boyfriend who adores her and there are only a few months left of school before she can swap Banktoun for the bright lights of London. Life gets even better when she has an unexpected win on a scratch card. But then Katie’s luck runs out.

Her tragic death instead becomes the latest in a series of dark mysteries blighting the small town. The new school counsellor Polly McAllister, who has recently returned to Banktoun to make amends in her own personal life, is thrown in at the deep end as the pupils and staff come to terms with Katie’s death. And it’s not long before she uncovers a multitude of murky secrets. Did Katie have enemies? Is her boyfriend really so squeaky clean? And who is her brother’s mysterious friend?

With Banktoun’s insular community inflamed by gossip and a baying mob stirring itself into a frenzy on social media, DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings must work out who really murdered Katie before someone takes matters into their own hands…

The Damselfly is the latest novel from the bestselling author of Black Wood and Willow Walk set in the small Scottish town of Banktoun. Fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and Peter James will love this rivetting psychological crime thriller as DS Davie Gray tries to hold together a community once again rocked by tragedy.

My thoughts about it...

The Damsel Fly triggered my imagination right from the start because those who know me know of my fascination for dragonflies/damselflies, so to have a book with one strategically placed on the cover was, for me, going to be intriguing right from the start. I am pleased to say that in this 3rd book in the Banktoun series of psychological crime thrillers, the author, once again, doesn't disappoint her many fans.

Mentioning that teenager Katie Taylor dies almost at the start of the book is no spoiler, as the blurb tells you so, but what comes after is tightly knitted crime mystery which involves not just Katie's immediate family, but also her relationships with her boyfriend, her school friends and also her teachers, so that her unexplained death sends out deadly ripples of unrest into the wider community of Banktoun.

The mystery at the heart of The Damselfly is current and topical and there are more than enough twists and turns in the story to keep the reader guessing right until the end. I do enjoy trying to second guess a good crime writer but this author always keeps you at arm’s length never letting you get too close until she wants you to know something. 

What I love about this author's writing is her ability to get right into the nitty gritty of the story without ever resorting to superfluous waffle. The characters she creates always feel authentic and could be people you meet in everyday life and of course, it’s always great to see the return of those characters we have met up with in previous stories. The Scottish town of Banktoun, as always, features heavily in the story and there is a welcome whiff of recognition in the people and its hidden places. Those who have read Black Wood and Willow Walk  will find themselves smiling as they recognise subtle references to past events and of course, it's interesting to see how DS Davie Gray will progress in his role as a Detective Sergeant alongside his relationship with DC Louise Jennings.

Such was my need to power through to the end I raced through the book in one sitting  and, as always, I wasn't disappointed either by the story or the way it concluded. All I will say is bring on Book 4...☺

Best Read with...a raspberry zinger and a packet of custard cream biscuits

About the author

My thanks to the author and her publishers for the invitation to be part of this blog tour.

Blog Tour runs 2nd - 17th February so do visit the other stops on the tour and follow on Twitter #TheDamselfly

@bwpublishing  @SJIHolliday

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