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Willis/Carter #1
Dead of Winter
Victim, suspect, policeman. When the lines blur, who do you trust?
When two bodies surface in the garden of a rented house in North London, Forensics discover fingerprints which link back to an unsolved crime that no one in the Metropolitan Police wants to remember.
More than a decade ago, in an isolated holiday cottage in Sussex, a family was found brutally slaughtered. The prime suspect was Callum Carmichael, the father of the family and a police officer from the Met's own ranks. But without enough evidence to arrest him, the case was hushed up and the trail left to go cold.
Now, with fresh proof that the killer is still out there, rookie DC Ebony Willis is sent to find Callum Carmichael. But Carmichael is an unknown entity and, with every piece of information she tells him, she risks leading a dangerous man closer to his prey.
When two bodies surface in the garden of a rented house in North London, Forensics discover fingerprints which link back to an unsolved crime that no one in the Metropolitan Police wants to remember.
More than a decade ago, in an isolated holiday cottage in Sussex, a family was found brutally slaughtered. The prime suspect was Callum Carmichael, the father of the family and a police officer from the Met's own ranks. But without enough evidence to arrest him, the case was hushed up and the trail left to go cold.
Now, with fresh proof that the killer is still out there, rookie DC Ebony Willis is sent to find Callum Carmichael. But Carmichael is an unknown entity and, with every piece of information she tells him, she risks leading a dangerous man closer to his prey.
448 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2012
50 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
Lee Weeks
15 books90 followersI was born in Devon of Welsh parents. My father was a detective, my mother a nurse. I left school with just one O level in Art and by seventeen I was living in Sweden.
I loved reading Henry Miller whilst listening to Neil Young. I travelled in France and settled in Germany at twenty-one, where I worked in a bar. I came back to the UK to study for a year or two and then went to live in Hong Kong. There I fell into the hands of triads.
A detective once told me to go home and I really should have listened him, I would have saved myself a near-death experience, but then I would never have had the material for my books.
Years later, one marriage down and two children fledged, I am writing my stories. Some are based on my life, all carry a part of me and my experiences.
Taken from Author's Amazon page
I loved reading Henry Miller whilst listening to Neil Young. I travelled in France and settled in Germany at twenty-one, where I worked in a bar. I came back to the UK to study for a year or two and then went to live in Hong Kong. There I fell into the hands of triads.
A detective once told me to go home and I really should have listened him, I would have saved myself a near-death experience, but then I would never have had the material for my books.
Years later, one marriage down and two children fledged, I am writing my stories. Some are based on my life, all carry a part of me and my experiences.
Taken from Author's Amazon page
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
August 30, 2019
This book is centered in some very grisly murders and without giving too much away this is probably based on some unfortunate reality that is human trafficking.
DS Ebony Willis has just made it the murder squad and soon proves to her partner, Carter, that she is able to handle herself at the gruesome murder scenes.
With the discovery of a dismembered body it starts to emerge that this may be related to an earlier unsolved murder of a police officers wife and child. This soon opens the door to a hunt that will not end well.
A very well written story, with great characters but not for the faint hearted.
DS Ebony Willis has just made it the murder squad and soon proves to her partner, Carter, that she is able to handle herself at the gruesome murder scenes.
With the discovery of a dismembered body it starts to emerge that this may be related to an earlier unsolved murder of a police officers wife and child. This soon opens the door to a hunt that will not end well.
A very well written story, with great characters but not for the faint hearted.
May 11, 2020
It was okay. Predictable in some places. Didn't make want me to rush to find out more. Bit confusing towards the end.
November 21, 2013
I really don't like giving one star reviews for books. I understand that everyone has different tastes but there were so many fundamental problems with this one that I just have to.
The first issue was point of view. It was all over the place. One line we were in one character's head, the second line, another character. It was at times very confusing.
Second issue - the plot. Been done before and this added nothing new to my understanding. It lacked tension and excitement. It seemed to take me forever to read and I read fast. I was confused at various points when the timeline was wrong. By the end I didn't care what happened.
The overuse of the name - Ebb - drove me insane. I get that it was characteristic of Carter but it was so annoying. Very few people in the world talk like that and rarely in books. It draws the reader out of the story. Plus - why Ebb, why not Eb? even the unusual name - Ebony - was a distraction.
I didn't like the characters. I thought I was going to like Ebony that she was going to be a major player but then she ended up just one of many and we never really got to know her or anyone else for that matter. There was no real emotion to keep me interested. I should have liked Carmichael but I didn't even like him. A shepherd who showed very little emotion over the dog. I kept looking to get an update on that but there was one line that said very little.
I feel I wasted my time and money on this book.
The first issue was point of view. It was all over the place. One line we were in one character's head, the second line, another character. It was at times very confusing.
Second issue - the plot. Been done before and this added nothing new to my understanding. It lacked tension and excitement. It seemed to take me forever to read and I read fast. I was confused at various points when the timeline was wrong. By the end I didn't care what happened.
The overuse of the name - Ebb - drove me insane. I get that it was characteristic of Carter but it was so annoying. Very few people in the world talk like that and rarely in books. It draws the reader out of the story. Plus - why Ebb, why not Eb? even the unusual name - Ebony - was a distraction.
I didn't like the characters. I thought I was going to like Ebony that she was going to be a major player but then she ended up just one of many and we never really got to know her or anyone else for that matter. There was no real emotion to keep me interested. I should have liked Carmichael but I didn't even like him. A shepherd who showed very little emotion over the dog. I kept looking to get an update on that but there was one line that said very little.
I feel I wasted my time and money on this book.
November 1, 2020
This was my first visit to a Lee Weeks novel and it won’t be my last.
It touched on two very unacceptable money making criminal activities and Weeks does not hold back with describing the details.
D C Ebony Willis is a great character who surprises many on her team so it will be interesting to see how her character develops.
I found it difficult to put down even though the storyline wasn’t that different to other crime novels I have read hence the 4 stars and not 5 but will be reading the next in the series shortly.
It touched on two very unacceptable money making criminal activities and Weeks does not hold back with describing the details.
D C Ebony Willis is a great character who surprises many on her team so it will be interesting to see how her character develops.
I found it difficult to put down even though the storyline wasn’t that different to other crime novels I have read hence the 4 stars and not 5 but will be reading the next in the series shortly.
February 1, 2013
I couldn't put it down, I had to know what happened from the first page to the last...
September 7, 2017
I liked the characters although Carter was a bit of an odd one. His oversharing of emotions with Ebony was a bit much and Didn't sit right.
Would she have been given as much responsibility on a first posting? Not sure
Good human trafficking story line and couldn't predict. Got a bit lost part way through but it all comes good and makes sense in the end
Would she have been given as much responsibility on a first posting? Not sure
Good human trafficking story line and couldn't predict. Got a bit lost part way through but it all comes good and makes sense in the end
September 5, 2019
This book went down a COMPLETELY different path to the one I initially anticipated. And that was 100% a good thing. The gore factor was there. Police procedure and protocol were aplenty. All the characters had their own solid place; along with flaws, strengths and quirks, just like in reality. You never got comfortable with an idea or how things were playing out. It was always changing with twists hitting you left, right and centre.
Easily a 4 star read for me!
Easily a 4 star read for me!
January 19, 2013
Dead of Winter is one of those books that simply works. It entertains from beginning to end with a good narrative, fast pace and a multi layered storyline that somehow all comes together at the end complete with a few surprises that I certainly didn’t expect.
The storyline is complex in parts and I did get a little lost somewhere in the middle but after concentrating a little harder I found my way back in and was thoroughly entertained and rewarded with a powerful and moving conclusion.
For me the highlight of the book is the initial setting of Callum Carmichael’s desolate farm/cottage. Stuck in the middle of the English countryside, the ground subject to snow and ice, it was the perfect setting for a man recovering from the loss of his family 13 years previously.
I was blown away by the atmospheric narrative and I wanted to move in to the cottage, sit by the log fire and just read! Callum’s is a simple existence but the author makes it feel so much more. Up to his neck fighting foxes and delivering lambs Callum is an aloof character who keeps himself to himself and even though he ends up doing a few things he shouldn’t do you find yourself championing his cause. By rights Callum isn’t that likeable but there’s something compelling about him that makes you take a different view of this leading character, he’s by no means your typical leading man but with a gritty and determined persona he simply works.
Callum can’t do it all on his own and he calls on fellow protagonist DC Ebony Willis who certainly holds her own despite being a rookie in the murder squad. The pair have more than their fair share of problems and as the book progresses we discover the baggage the two carry and the dark days the pair have endured.
Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2013/01/05...
The storyline is complex in parts and I did get a little lost somewhere in the middle but after concentrating a little harder I found my way back in and was thoroughly entertained and rewarded with a powerful and moving conclusion.
For me the highlight of the book is the initial setting of Callum Carmichael’s desolate farm/cottage. Stuck in the middle of the English countryside, the ground subject to snow and ice, it was the perfect setting for a man recovering from the loss of his family 13 years previously.
I was blown away by the atmospheric narrative and I wanted to move in to the cottage, sit by the log fire and just read! Callum’s is a simple existence but the author makes it feel so much more. Up to his neck fighting foxes and delivering lambs Callum is an aloof character who keeps himself to himself and even though he ends up doing a few things he shouldn’t do you find yourself championing his cause. By rights Callum isn’t that likeable but there’s something compelling about him that makes you take a different view of this leading character, he’s by no means your typical leading man but with a gritty and determined persona he simply works.
Callum can’t do it all on his own and he calls on fellow protagonist DC Ebony Willis who certainly holds her own despite being a rookie in the murder squad. The pair have more than their fair share of problems and as the book progresses we discover the baggage the two carry and the dark days the pair have endured.
Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2013/01/05...
October 22, 2016
A few years back I'd read
"Death Trip"
& wasn't over enamoured with it. To be honest, I only picked this book up as it was near to hand when I finished my last one! (I'd recently had the book given) - so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself gripped, quite enthralled by the credible characters & pleased with the pace of the storyline.
For me, it was obvious from the start that organ harvesting was going on but to be fair it's the third book I've read covering this subject in a matter of weeks so the idea may have already been in the forefront of my mind. The ending while very fitting, was a disappointment to me as it means no more Carmichael. Shame...he's the sort of character I love reading about.
Really glad I read this & will certainly be on the look out for more in the series.
For me, it was obvious from the start that organ harvesting was going on but to be fair it's the third book I've read covering this subject in a matter of weeks so the idea may have already been in the forefront of my mind. The ending while very fitting, was a disappointment to me as it means no more Carmichael. Shame...he's the sort of character I love reading about.
Really glad I read this & will certainly be on the look out for more in the series.
November 15, 2020
A London police procedural when a grave is discovered at a recently vacated large house and a finger print is discovered which links to an unsolved triple murder from 13 years earlier. The plot uncovers people trafficking and falters on occasion but I will probably read the next in this series
March 10, 2020
Really enjoyed this book. Glad there’s more to read!
October 21, 2023
Decent book.
A "simple" crime turns into an investigation into something much more sinister. A little bit sad at the end, but happy as well, or should I say it has a bittersweet ending?
A "simple" crime turns into an investigation into something much more sinister. A little bit sad at the end, but happy as well, or should I say it has a bittersweet ending?
April 22, 2016
Time taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 448
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Blurb from Goodreads
When three bodies surface in the garden of a rented house in North London, forensics discover prints which link back to an unsolved crime that no one in the Metropolitan Police wants to remember. The prime suspect of the first case was an officer from the force, but since no conclusive evidence was ever found, the police closed ranks to prevent the media frenzy that would surely follow his discovery.
Now, as the past case begins to link unavoidably with the present, DC Ebony Willis is sent to see if she can uncover the whole truth about their suspect - Carmichael. But private and reclusive, will Carmichael prove a tricky and all too fascinating subject for Ebony to get to the bottom of?
My Review
The police have found bodies in a garden in London, evidence links it to an unsolved crime going back over a decade ago. The police don't want to open that can of worms, one of their own was suspected. Now the police have to seek out the ex officer Callum Carmichael, sending DC Ebony Willis the two make an unlikely team. Carmichael wants information, he wants revenge and Willis wants the crime solved. Reluctantly, they work together to bring down the killer, for Carmichael it is at any cost!
The story starts off relatively slow however it builds momentum and I liked how cautious Willis and Carmichael are, on opposite sides of the same team. Carmichael has been in seclusion, working on a farm and keeping out the way, now he is ready and every bit of information he can glean from the police will be worked to his advantage.
At times I wasn't sure how I felt about Carmichael, there was an incident at his farm that you would expect an emotional reaction to, there was none. The investigation itself keeps you interested in the story as things pop up and make you question so many of the characters. The book is a bit gruesome in places, Weeks knows her genre and engages the readers throughout. 4/5 for me, I believe this is the first in the series and I will be following the rest, I have read this author before and will read her again!
Pages - 448
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Blurb from Goodreads
When three bodies surface in the garden of a rented house in North London, forensics discover prints which link back to an unsolved crime that no one in the Metropolitan Police wants to remember. The prime suspect of the first case was an officer from the force, but since no conclusive evidence was ever found, the police closed ranks to prevent the media frenzy that would surely follow his discovery.
Now, as the past case begins to link unavoidably with the present, DC Ebony Willis is sent to see if she can uncover the whole truth about their suspect - Carmichael. But private and reclusive, will Carmichael prove a tricky and all too fascinating subject for Ebony to get to the bottom of?
My Review
The police have found bodies in a garden in London, evidence links it to an unsolved crime going back over a decade ago. The police don't want to open that can of worms, one of their own was suspected. Now the police have to seek out the ex officer Callum Carmichael, sending DC Ebony Willis the two make an unlikely team. Carmichael wants information, he wants revenge and Willis wants the crime solved. Reluctantly, they work together to bring down the killer, for Carmichael it is at any cost!
The story starts off relatively slow however it builds momentum and I liked how cautious Willis and Carmichael are, on opposite sides of the same team. Carmichael has been in seclusion, working on a farm and keeping out the way, now he is ready and every bit of information he can glean from the police will be worked to his advantage.
At times I wasn't sure how I felt about Carmichael, there was an incident at his farm that you would expect an emotional reaction to, there was none. The investigation itself keeps you interested in the story as things pop up and make you question so many of the characters. The book is a bit gruesome in places, Weeks knows her genre and engages the readers throughout. 4/5 for me, I believe this is the first in the series and I will be following the rest, I have read this author before and will read her again!
December 7, 2018
Just so many mistakes that really take you out of the moment. You can’t just meet someone and ‘tell from his eyesight’ that he will be a good shot. If you stand behind someone and a bullet goes through them and into your bulletproof vest, you can’t tell me in the next sentence that the guy’s brains went everywhere. A thousand pound watch is not actually that expensive. And little girls don’t sing Nessun Dorma! It’s also really grating to use characters’ full names over and over every time you mention them, especially when they are fairly ridiculous names. What a mess.
May 20, 2013
A brutal plot which raises as many questions as it does answers and the quality of the writing is seen in the fact that some of the holes in the original police investigation are passed over without really spoiling the read.
If you accept the cold case couldn't be solved and concentrate on the fresh discoveries and investigations you can be swept along by the quality of the storytelling; however, future books I hope will be better plotted but I admire the subject matter and originality of the thriller.
If you accept the cold case couldn't be solved and concentrate on the fresh discoveries and investigations you can be swept along by the quality of the storytelling; however, future books I hope will be better plotted but I admire the subject matter and originality of the thriller.
January 4, 2014
after reading all the Johnny Mann books by Lee Weeks I knew I had to give this one a try.
the first book feat.. Ebony Willis.
I found it a little slow to start with. The story line was good it just felt like it was lacking something.. It's readable but not the page turner that her other books have been. It just seemed to plod along.
still I will probably read the next one as I know the author can write real page turners.
if this was the first Lee Weeks book you have read. Don't let it put you off. The Johnny Mann series was really good.
the first book feat.. Ebony Willis.
I found it a little slow to start with. The story line was good it just felt like it was lacking something.. It's readable but not the page turner that her other books have been. It just seemed to plod along.
still I will probably read the next one as I know the author can write real page turners.
if this was the first Lee Weeks book you have read. Don't let it put you off. The Johnny Mann series was really good.
October 12, 2017
A good plot, a good read, lots of twists and a sad and sudden ending.
December 2, 2018
This book was promoted for free on Kindle and Apple Books in this week's eNewsletter by Simon & Schuster (26.NOV.2018). It's the first in a crime thriller series written by Lee Weeks (2012) and I'd never actually heard of the author or her books before getting the email. Nice bit of marketing because I downloaded the freebie and bought the next book (#2) in the series.
'Dead of Winter' is a plot-driven thriller that kept me turning the pages. It's about a brutal cold case sitting dormant for 13 years, when a single fingerprint appears at another murder scene linking the two crimes. The story unravels piece by piece and the author builds a nice amount of suspense as each chapter ends.
The characters are believable and have enough human traits to keep you invested in their welfare and the story. And the story works. Yeh there's a few cliches and convenient co-incidences that help the story along, but it had enough surprises to keep us readers interested. Plus it leaves enough unanswered questions about the back story of central character Ebony Willis (who I wish her offsiders would call Ebony occasionally instead of Ebb all the time) to get you curious about the next book.
Good holiday or commute read. I'm keen to read part 2.
---------------------------------------------
PS: I gave the book only 3/5 stars for two main reasons:-
1. there is more than a few typos in the Kindle edition and expected better from a major publisher like S&S. Mixing up gendered pronouns and using the wrong word in a sentence in any book is sloppy work, but in thrillers it pulls the reader out of the story.
2. the narrating voice chopped and changed a bit. It's not that I don't like getting a perspective from all the characters, but (like the typos) it pulled me out of the story when the narrator was inconsistently in the head/thoughts of different people. Sometimes I wondered who the protagonist was supposed to be.
'Dead of Winter' is a plot-driven thriller that kept me turning the pages. It's about a brutal cold case sitting dormant for 13 years, when a single fingerprint appears at another murder scene linking the two crimes. The story unravels piece by piece and the author builds a nice amount of suspense as each chapter ends.
The characters are believable and have enough human traits to keep you invested in their welfare and the story. And the story works. Yeh there's a few cliches and convenient co-incidences that help the story along, but it had enough surprises to keep us readers interested. Plus it leaves enough unanswered questions about the back story of central character Ebony Willis (who I wish her offsiders would call Ebony occasionally instead of Ebb all the time) to get you curious about the next book.
Good holiday or commute read. I'm keen to read part 2.
---------------------------------------------
PS: I gave the book only 3/5 stars for two main reasons:-
1. there is more than a few typos in the Kindle edition and expected better from a major publisher like S&S. Mixing up gendered pronouns and using the wrong word in a sentence in any book is sloppy work, but in thrillers it pulls the reader out of the story.
2. the narrating voice chopped and changed a bit. It's not that I don't like getting a perspective from all the characters, but (like the typos) it pulled me out of the story when the narrator was inconsistently in the head/thoughts of different people. Sometimes I wondered who the protagonist was supposed to be.
January 30, 2025
I love a crime fiction but this was not to my taste. Whilst the main topic makes for an interesting and compelling read, the way the plot is executed lets it down. The story becomes overly elaborate with several unnecessary plot points that have little to no pay off in advancing the story and making it a truly gripping read. It almost feels like the author has taken lots of different ‘events’ that they’ve seen in other books and thrown it all together in the hope it’ll make it thrilling, sadly it does not in the slightest. It makes the story quite predictable. The way the book is written is in my opinion odd, it’s not structured conventionally so at times it’s not always clear who is talking, what’s a reply, what’s internal monologue, it’s quite distracting. Also I didn’t find any of the characters and their back stories engaging, it made it difficult to get through to the end when you don’t feel invested in any character. Sadly not a book for me and won’t be in a rush to read anything else from this author, but never say never.
February 13, 2022
In terms of thrillers, this one was average. There were some parts I liked, and most I didn't. The 'twists' and reveals were predictable, the writing was a little bland and the characters one-dimensional. The fact that the murders were done for harvesting organs, though not a completely original idea, was nice to read. There was little gore. Trigger warning for prostitution, though!
I found it hard to get into for the first hundred pages or so. The writing really bugged me for some reason. The sentences were short and staccato-ed, which I like in certain books, but it didn't do it for me in this one. Maybe that's just on me. The point of view, though the book is fully written in third person, shifted sometimes between people in consecutive paragraphs. Not a fan of that.
Once I oversaw those personal drawbacks, it was actually intriguing to read. Sure, I could almost guess who was behind the murders and things, but it was fun to read anyway.
2.5
I found it hard to get into for the first hundred pages or so. The writing really bugged me for some reason. The sentences were short and staccato-ed, which I like in certain books, but it didn't do it for me in this one. Maybe that's just on me. The point of view, though the book is fully written in third person, shifted sometimes between people in consecutive paragraphs. Not a fan of that.
Once I oversaw those personal drawbacks, it was actually intriguing to read. Sure, I could almost guess who was behind the murders and things, but it was fun to read anyway.
2.5
January 17, 2019
DC Ebony "Ebb" Willis joins the investigation when two bodies found in the garden of a house link back to a crime committed over a decade earlier. Former police officer, Callum Carmichael's wife and daughter were killed and he was investigated for the crime. Now living off the grid, Carmichael becomes involved in the new case looking for justice.
It was an OK read, but I didn't really warm to any of the characters. There were basic errors such as Carmichael, a male character referred to as "herself", and it is notoriously difficult (but I admit, not impossible) to get fingerprints off of human skin, especially one that has lain undiscovered for any length of time. I just felt it could have been a more exciting read than it turned out to be.
It was an OK read, but I didn't really warm to any of the characters. There were basic errors such as Carmichael, a male character referred to as "herself", and it is notoriously difficult (but I admit, not impossible) to get fingerprints off of human skin, especially one that has lain undiscovered for any length of time. I just felt it could have been a more exciting read than it turned out to be.
April 22, 2019
This book should come with a trigger warning..
I finished this book but I can't exactly tell you why. Who switches narratives within a paragraph?! Like one second I was reading through Carter's eyes, the next it was Ebony. The only clue being that he was now a she or all of a sudden the character was being described when a second ago we were reading their thoughts. With all the rereading I've probably read this book twice!
It took me a lot time to get any connection to the main characters, because it wasnt alwas clear who's persective you were reading and I dont feel like there was a lot of character development..
Anyway, I think I finished it because I needed the know the basterds were caught and that justice prevailed. But I dont think I would recommend this book to people.
I finished this book but I can't exactly tell you why. Who switches narratives within a paragraph?! Like one second I was reading through Carter's eyes, the next it was Ebony. The only clue being that he was now a she or all of a sudden the character was being described when a second ago we were reading their thoughts. With all the rereading I've probably read this book twice!
It took me a lot time to get any connection to the main characters, because it wasnt alwas clear who's persective you were reading and I dont feel like there was a lot of character development..
Anyway, I think I finished it because I needed the know the basterds were caught and that justice prevailed. But I dont think I would recommend this book to people.
May 30, 2024
I read this book and forgot even to review it woah that explains the nature of it. Moreover, this felt like a drag, and the rich English does not suit the fast pacing of the story. It feels like reading a classic, yet at the same time, it does not feel connected. I have always been a great fan of murder and detective novels and all, but this book got me into a reading slump, and I found it hard to get up. The author has put a lot of information and fact findings into it, but yet it did not stick with me at all. The characters did not stay at heart, and it all felt like a passing cloud without much to rain upon us.
But maybe it did not work out for me, but you could still give it a try and comment on how good it actually is and maybe I can give it a re-read to realise it fully.
But maybe it did not work out for me, but you could still give it a try and comment on how good it actually is and maybe I can give it a re-read to realise it fully.
August 22, 2024
This book is very pacy - the action fairly rattles along and the cast of characters is extensive but do you like any of them and care at all what happens? I found them jarring, either overly skilled or hopelessly naive. Can you bug a phone in a minute while under emotional stress?
There are moments as the story develops when you think “Hang on a moment.” Why don’t the police care more about murders of unsavoury criminals by vigilante action? And are there really people so irresistible that they can use sex to overrule a professional’s judgement?
Found it difficult not to say impossible to suspend disbelief enough to fully enjoy this book so have given it 3 stars. It is a quick read though and passes the time.
There are moments as the story develops when you think “Hang on a moment.” Why don’t the police care more about murders of unsavoury criminals by vigilante action? And are there really people so irresistible that they can use sex to overrule a professional’s judgement?
Found it difficult not to say impossible to suspend disbelief enough to fully enjoy this book so have given it 3 stars. It is a quick read though and passes the time.
January 4, 2019
Good, but needs some work
Good plot, but I felt the culprits were pretty obvious. At the beginning I was a bit confused with all the characters introduced at the crime scene and Carter's apology for being late was quite strange, more like the apology of a subordinate officer. Carter was a bit of an annoying character and Ebony Willis' character needs heaps more development. Carmichael was I interestingly moody and desperate. Human trafficking has been done to death, but this was an extremely grisly take on the subject.
Good plot, but I felt the culprits were pretty obvious. At the beginning I was a bit confused with all the characters introduced at the crime scene and Carter's apology for being late was quite strange, more like the apology of a subordinate officer. Carter was a bit of an annoying character and Ebony Willis' character needs heaps more development. Carmichael was I interestingly moody and desperate. Human trafficking has been done to death, but this was an extremely grisly take on the subject.
December 16, 2022
Every now and then I come across a novel that leaves me scratchimg my head as to how on Earth it got to be published. This is one such novel. It's hugely disappointing. The characters are wooden, the plot is as thin as tissue paper and every cliche you could think of is right there. It's even badly edited.
"Gritty, atmospheric and impossible to put down ..." says the blurb, not one word of which is true. "... will love Lee Week's gripping thriller." I didn't love it. I didn't even like it. If you are looking for a gripping thriller, steer well clear of this one.
"Gritty, atmospheric and impossible to put down ..." says the blurb, not one word of which is true. "... will love Lee Week's gripping thriller." I didn't love it. I didn't even like it. If you are looking for a gripping thriller, steer well clear of this one.
April 29, 2018
When I read the blurb for this book it sound really good. Don't get me wrong the story line was really good. A policeman's wife and daughter are murdered 13 years ago , and were never solved. Now a series of bodies have been found and it looks like the murders are linked. The characters are are believable and well thought out. But unfortunately the story was predictable and I knew who the murderer was about half way though. I still enjoyed it , but it's not a book I would read again.
April 23, 2019
I thought I would enjoy this but I soon realised I was wrong. This is a poorly structured novel that doesn't have a solid direction in the narrative.
The characters are badly constructed.
Their interactions are badly constructed.
The narrative is badly constructed.
The story is badly constructed.
It just got worse the more I read.
The characters are badly constructed.
Their interactions are badly constructed.
The narrative is badly constructed.
The story is badly constructed.
It just got worse the more I read.
September 24, 2019
Die boek is soms onnodig gory (die hoofkarakter sien hoe haar ma iemand 47 keer met 'n mes steek!?) met een te veel mentally unstable karakters (een steek homself aan die brand op die einde. Huh?) wat maak dat dinge ongeloofwaardig voorkom by tye. Maar all in all het dit my geboei tot die einde toe, en sal ek nog van haar boeke lees.
December 3, 2017
Great book
This is the first book by Lee Weeks that I have read. I was looking for a different author when this one popped up. I am very glad it did as it was a great read from beginning to end.
This is the first book by Lee Weeks that I have read. I was looking for a different author when this one popped up. I am very glad it did as it was a great read from beginning to end.
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