Death Message

Collins and Griffiths #2

by Kate London

October 1987: the morning after the Great Storm. Fifteen-year-old Tania Mills walks out her front door and disappears. Twenty-seven years later her mother still prays for her return. DS Sarah Collins in the Met's Homicide Command is determined to find out what happened, but is soon pulled into a shocking new case and must once again work with a troubled young police officer from her past, Lizzie Griffiths.

PC Lizzie Griffiths, now a training detective, is working in the Domestic Violence Unit, known by cops as the 'murder prevention squad'. Called to an incident of domestic violence, she encounters a vicious, volatile man - and a woman too frightened to ask for help. Soon Lizzie finds herself drawn into the centre of the investigation as she fights to protect a mother and daughter in peril.

As both cases unfold, Sarah and Lizzie must survive the dangerous territory where love and violence meet.

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Book Club, British Literature

452 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2017

About the author

Kate graduated from Cambridge University and moved to Paris where she trained in theatre. In 2006 Kate joined the Metropolitan Police Service.

Like all police officers she started in uniform, working for two years on a response team, and then moved into the CID. She qualified as a detective constable then went on attachment with the police nationale in France and finished her career working as part of a Major Investigation Team on SC&01 - the Metropolitan Police Service's Homicide Command.

She resigned from the MPS in August 2014. Post Mortem is her first novel.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★s

Claire Mills, husband Ben and their fifteen-year-old daughter Tania were a tightknit family, even allowing for the usual teenage angst that Tania was going through. But the night of the violent storm as mother and daughter watched the wind wreak havoc, they were particularly close. There was a sense of excitement as well as fear as they watched together. The following morning, daylight brought the full destruction into view, with trees down and chaos everywhere. When Tania received notification that school was closed for the day, she was ecstatic. Immediately she made plans to head to her best friend’s place. Katherine and Tania both played violin and planned to practice.

It was October 1987 and when Tania left to visit with Katherine the day after the storm, she was never seen again. Her parents were distraught; the marriage broke up after a year and while Ben moved on, Claire was stuck in the past, always with the hope that Tania would return home…

Almost thirty years later and DS Sarah Collins was given the cold case file to have a crack at. She was determined to find answers. In the meantime, young PC Lizzie Griffiths, while in training to become a detective, was given a domestic violence case to handle. The husband and father in question was a mean, brutal person – his wife Georgie and daughter Skye, pawns in his vicious game. Was there a connection between the old case and the new?

Death Message is the 2nd in the Collins & Griffiths series by Kate London and it was a gripping and intense detective thriller which I enjoyed. Plenty of red herrings, twists and turns; violence and danger were rife as well. A great read which I recommend to fans of the genre.

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Built in the 1970s on a site created by German bombs, the Deakin Estate wouldn’t have looked out of place as the set of a Kubrick movie: high-rise blocks, covered walkways, upturned orbs of white light. It was notorious among the local police as a place that could have done with another direct hit.

PC Lizzie Griffiths, exonerated by an internal enquiry for her role in a hostage situation in which a police officer and a suspect fell to their deaths from a tower building, is back on duty, working for a domestic violence unit. She attends a call by a young mother, Georgina Teel, mother of Skye, abused by her husband Mark Brannon, a man with a history of violence. But before he can be arraigned the wife withdraws the complaint, under pressure from a family friend.

She’d imagined an exciting future: solving murders, going undercover, maybe preventing terror attacks. Now, the reality of it was…Her thoughts stumbled. What was it? Shitty jobs, shitty lives, people you couldn’t help.

DI Sarah Collins - investigating officer at the internal enquiry - is on the move to Hendon, as part of the homicide squad. While on-call she is tasked with the unsolved case of a teenage girl Tania Mills, a talented violinist, who went missing 27 years earlier, the day after a great storm wreaked havoc across much of Britain. There is a new lead to follow, from a sex offender, and a one-time suspect - a simple man - whose evidence needs to be reexamined, but everything goes on hold as Brannon murders his wife and goes into hiding with his young daughter.

This is British crime fiction at its best, the author a former Metropolitan police officer, ending her career with the homicide command. As well as following the hectic lives (and loves) of the two main characters, there are sensitive portrayals of the supporting characters, the ex-junkie mother, the simple man who provides a vital clue to a sexual predator. And my favourite, the gardener.

Medcalfe was tall, late seventies probably, his tightly corkscrewed hair cut close to his head, perfectly grey, like lambswool...blue shorts finished below the knee, the slight knots of varicose veins in beneath the dusky dark skin of his calves. His handshake was quick and strong. The stressed ‘r’s of the Caribbean had not left him, nor the rhythm that made it sound as though the simplest sentence carried a hidden pleasure.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

[Rosamund]

Absolutely hooked on this book from first page to last, compelling writing, wonderfully vivid characters and a unique plot and perspective. A former detective in the MET Kate London has taken writing about the police to a new level - loved it.

[Hayley Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Jess and Rebekah: I haven’t read a book in so long so this was an easy one to break the drought with. I have read this series completely out of order but have found all of the books impossible to put down. I am excited to watch the TV adaptation of this on TVNZ+ now!

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written crime cop thriller/procedural with two cases ongoing, one cold and the other unfolding. Watched the BBC series of the first of this trilogy (The Tower, Season 1) and wanted more so I bought the next book in London's series. Some of the characters from the first book/series carry-over to this one but there's enough details so a reader isn't lost. Sarah Collins is a compelling detective, smart, exhausted, but committed to finding the truth regardless of what it takes and who she offends or riles up (mainly her male colleagues). She's also gay and the crimes involved are women/teen focused, feminist themes of domestic violence/teen sexuality that are often overlooked or ignored by law enforcement which is why one of the cases has been cold for over 30 years.

London knows how to plot a narrative and provides some great characters from all classes of British/London culture. They have their quirks and her details blunt any potential for stereotyping. It's been a while since I've read a procedural (long ago are the days I read Mankell and other Nordic crime writers) as I've become a TV series junkie with so much good British and Nord-noir being produced so this was a pleasure read that kept me interested throughout.

[Pgchuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preferred this to the first the series. Here Sarah is investigating a cold case for the homicide department and Lizzie has gone back to work in the domestic violence unit. Their paths cross when a domestic violence case ends in murder. The mystery of the cold case was well-plotted (I slept right through the storm of 1987 amazingly), and Lizzie's case was full of peril and suspense.

I really wish Lizzie would ditch the yucky Kieran though. Also, go Elaine!

[Nick Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book this is. Hooked me right from the first until the last - a hot, scorching thriller!

[Kim Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished reading this book stave by stave with Pigeonhole and it's a must-read for anyone who loves detective thrillers. The characters are all convincing, it's emotional with moments of great tension, it's set in London after the great storm of 1987 and there are excellent twists and turns. I do love gritty female detectives!

[Conversando entre libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como "Llamada de emergencia" de Kate London es una segunda parte, decidí leer la primera parte, "Post Mortem", porque, aunque lo casos sean diferentes, los protagonistas son los mismos y siempre va bien conocer todas sus vivencias.

Pues no me gustó nada de nada. Terrible decepción. No entendía la reacción de la protagonista, Lizzie Griffiths, ni empaticé con ningún personaje ni la historia me atrapó. de hecho no entendía porqué le daban tanta importancia al caso."¡Madre mía!", me dije,"He de leer el segundo libro ¡¡Voy a pasarlo fatal!!".

¡¡Pues me ha encantado!! "Llamada de emergencia" me ha enganchado muchísimo. Los dos casos que se tratan en este segundo libro son muy buenos (sobre todo el más antiguo, el de 1987 ¡Genial!).

Igual que "Post Mortem" se me hizo eterno y tardé más de una semana en leerlo, " Llamada de emergencia" lo he leído en cuatro días ¡Adictivo! Aquí sí me ha gustado el personaje de Lizzie y también el la detective Sarah Collins del Comando de Homicidios de la policía de Londres.

Solo una cosa no me ha gustado: parece que los que tenemos alrededor de 50 años ya somos viejos. Ahí me ha dolido muchísimo, me ha ofendido en lo más profundo de mi ser. Será posible ¡¡si los 50 son los nuevos 30!! 😂

Aunque "Post Mortem" no me gustó nada sí que hice bien en leerlo porque en "Llamada de emergencia" se hace muchas referencias a aquél caso y a lo que supuso para las protagonistas.

Esta novela os la recomiendo muchísimo. Son dos casos muy interesantes, bien trabajados y no quedan cabos sueltos y con los personajes (ahora sí) se empatiza.

¿Os ha pasado alguna vez que el primer libro no os guste, pero el segundo os encante?

[Abbie Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this is even better than the first book (Post Mortem) and I have to say it is in my top ten book list now. The story is good in the sense that there are two cases going on at once, you dip into both at different times and it is written in such a way that you don't forget about what is going on in either case.
You get to know Sarah Collins an awful lot more in this book and it shows more of a personal side to her, which I think helps you relate to how she treats the cases. The same with Lizzie, after getting painted by the other officers in a bad light, you truly get to see her thoughts and the wanting to save a child.
I love the storyline, it suddenly picks up pace within a chapter where everything comes to a head. I wasn't expecting it to happen then so it was a surprise, it pushed me to read even quicker to find out what happens!
The writing style is lovely in the sense that it is easy to read and doesn't leave you confused.

Also... fabulous page size and amazing typeface choice! :)

[Daniel Heintz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The text on the cover is misleading, it's not only one case (the one you expect with the strange dissappearance of a girl after the storm, the mystery and the surprise) , there are two cases, two protagonists, lost of police procedural. The book is well written, but it's too obvious that the author worked for the police. The book has no signs of chilling, haunting, mystery or Tension. It's just a police Thriller with some very disturbed persons, the two protagonists includes. The only real good character is Elaine... who actually does the real work. The book somehow left me angry at the author, if you know what I mean…

[Renny Barcelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting police procedure mystery, with good characters. I am sad I didn't realize it was the second in a series as now I've had many spoilers fro book one... I will still read the first one, though and probably continue with the series.
What I loved more was how Sarah being a lesbian is not the main point of her character but just who she is. That's the kind of representation I long for and love in books.

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Megan Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 1987: fifteen-year old Tania Mills walks out of her front door and is not seen again. Twenty-seven years later DS Sarah Collins is determined to find out what happened. However she is soon pulled into a fresh case and must work with a troubled young police officer from her past, Lizzie Griffiths. Griffiths is called to a domestic violence scene where the woman is terrified to speak out, Griffiths is determined to save her and her daughter, will she succeed and at what cost?
I absolutely loved this book, London is an incredible author, infusing realism with high intensity drama that makes for intoxicating, stimulating reading. This is the second in a series, I have to admit, I somehow missed the first one, 'Post Mortem' but I am definitely going back to read it! Back to this book and as a reader you really do not need to have read the first book, as London tells the backstory of Collins and Griffiths magnificently and I felt like I had known them all along.
'Death Message' is so slick with a plot that will have you on the edge of your seat. I loved that London had two cases running simultaneously, it gives the reader a real sense of urgency as well as the realistic idea of the police being run off their feet. This plot is full of excitement and tension and London writes about some very hard hitting subjects. This is by no means a light, entertaining crime read, rather a gritty one that yes will have some uncomfortable scenes in but they are so important to the plot.
Collins and Griffiths are my new favourite duo. I adored their extremely complicated relationship and I thought London sent out a great message that you do not have to like someone to have respect for them and appreciate they have done a good job. London has the perfect balance between portraying their personal lives and following them professionally and I cannot wait to read more about them.
This book has now become one of my favourite crime reads and I cannot wait to see what happens to them in the future. If you are after a hard-hitting, adrenaline fuelled read then look no further!

[YAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

“LLAMADA DE EMERGENCIA” es el segundo libro de la serie “LA TORRE” de Kate London, es una novela de capítulos cortos y lectura rápida, que te la devoras en un día o tres máximos.
Es un thriller policial bien construido con personajes auténticos y reales, que aborda la investigación de dos casos.
Siendo experta y fanática de series policiales, donde hay que resolver casos, descubrir e interpretar pistas y atrapar a los malos, noto en la escritura de Kate su experiencia como ex policía, mostrando en sus relatos los contratiempos de una investigación policial.
Destaco como la autora logra que el lector pueda reconstruir los casos y formular sus propias hipótesis durante los interrogatorios o las nuevas pruebas que aparece, es como formar parte del escuadrón de Homicidios.
Mi experiencia al leerlo fue como una montaña rusa, por momentos me gusto mucho y en otro no tanto.
Un 100% al tema de abordar casos no resueltos antiguos, ame toda esa trama.
Menos 10 para la agente Lizzie Griffiths, si bien la presentan como joven e inexperta, su accionar y hasta sus decisiones en relacion a su vida personal terminan dejándola como incompetente y tonta.
Finalmente hay algo del desenlace que no me termina de cerrar y no estoy segura qué es, si el esclarecimiento de los casos o como siguen las historias personales de las protagonistas.
Vale aclarar que no leí la primera novela “Post Mortem” y que tampoco vi la serie de televisión, ya en mi lista de pendientes.
¿Te gustaría leerlo?, si ya lo leíste ¿Qué opinas?

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exceptionally rare in that its detectives are investigating two cases at once, which is much more realistic than concentrating only on one case, but the two cases are not, and do not become, connected. We also have the reality that the DI doesn't get to call all the shots, she has to run things by her DCI and follow the lines of inquiry which he dictates - even when she knows he is wrong. The author also blows up the cliché of the fat lazy detective being useless - they just need better management.
Sarah Collins also has to work with a colleague she has reason to be mistrustful of, but she not only has to recognise that colleague's skill and courage but also needs to step in at a crucial time to arrest a murderer before he can kill again.
In the other case, her instincts are right but will she make too many mistakes and will her DCI trust her instincts?

I have only recently come across this author but she has me hooked already.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty and authentic, with enough character driven fictional narrative to help the medicine go down.

Clearly this is a book with integrity. Yes, the plot is a little exaggerated, yes there’s a showy ‘reveal’ at the end. These devices give the book its pep and vigour. However, it’s the little details, the anecdotes and asides that ground the book. They add the voice of real police experience to the narrative, which makes it a little grittier, sometimes a little more uncomfortable, than your average gum shoe detective book.

The approach of following two different main characters whose stories overlap, but never quite sync works brilliantly. Lizzie and Sarah know each other, they have history, but they never really relate to one another, or indeed have any substantive scenes together.

Overall a much better than average detective story. I am already awaiting delivery of the third in the series.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Goodreads Blurb: October 1987: the morning after the Great Storm. Fifteen-year-old Tania Mills walks out her front door and disappears. Twenty-seven years later her mother still prays for her return. DS Sarah Collins in the Met's Homicide Command is determined to find out what happened. PC Lizzie Griffiths, now a training detective, is called to an incident of domestic violence, she encounters a vicious, volatile man - and a woman too frightened to ask for help. Soon Lizzie finds herself drawn into the centre of the investigation as she fights to protect a mother and daughter in peril.

Both strands on the novel are well constructed and compelling. A lot of characters in play — you do have to pay attention.

I have been reading this book at the same time that I have been watching the newly released season of THE TOWER which covers the same material. An interesting bit of story juggling.

[Aafreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the overall plot of the book and the pacing at the start but as it neared the end it really did feel like it was coming to a dead end and the 'plot twist' wasn't big enough to bring it back.
I didn't know this book was part of a series (you don't need to read the rest to understand) but my main problem was that Collins and Griffiths were neither very interesting to have a whole series. I did prefer Collins but Griffiths was insanely unlikeable. It's like the book kept trying to make us like her but she is actively homewrecking a family so from the get go it wasn't going to work.
I don't understand why there were two seperate plot lines if they never joined. The blurb made it seem like they would have some sort of undercover link and that would be the plot twist but they just never joined and neither plot twist was all that interesting.
At the start there was a problem of too many irrelevent character names that made it hard to follow but that wrapped up fairly quickly.

[bookworm_ellieg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Mills, husband Ben and fifteen year old daughter Tania were a tight knit, loving family. In October 1987, after a stormy night Tania visits her friend Katherine and was never seen again. Her parents were distraught and their marriage fell apart. Claire lived in constant hope that Tania would return to her one day. Thirty years later DS Sara Collins attempts to solve this cold case, determined to bring some peace of mind to Tania’s grieving mother. Meanwhile, PC Lizzie Griffiths is given a domestic violence case to handle. The father in question is a mean, possessive drunk with his wife Georgie and Skye becoming the pawns in his sick game. Can Lizzie save them before it’s too late?

Death message is the second book in Kate London’s Collins & Griffiths series. It was griping and intense from the very beginning. There were plenty of twists and turns which I loved. Violence and danger was rife in the book which made it exciting. Being a retired police office, Kate London’s story feel very real and raw which I enjoyed. While I do recommend to read the first book as well, it can be enjoyed as a standalone thriller as well. Highly recommend for any crime/thriller lovers.

[Lia Bettencourt · Rating 3 out of 5]

”LLAMADA DE EMERGENCIA” (es el segundo libro de la serie “LA TORRE" de Kate London, yo me leí este segundo sin haber leído el primero) Es un thriller policial bien construido que aborda la investigación de dos casos.
Destaco como la autora logra que el lector pueda reconstruir los casos y formular sus propias hipótesis durante los interrogatorios o las nuevas pruebas que aparece, es como formar parte del escuadrón de Homicidios 😅 Mi experiencia al leerlo fue como una montaña rusa, por momentos me gusto mucho y en otro no tanto. Un 100% al tema de abordar casos no resueltos antiguos, ame toda esa trama sobre el caso de: la desaparición de Tania Mills, de quince años, sale por la puerta de su casa y desaparece en Octubre de 1987.
*Finalmente hay algo del desenlace que no me termina de cerrar y no estoy segura qué es, me ha dejado un poco desinflada. Tal vez influye que no he leído el primer libro. Pero el desenlace es extraño.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had enjoyed the third, fourth and first books in this series about police officers so was pleased to finally get hold of the second book. I recommend reading these books in the correct order.

Set in London newly promoted Detective Inspector Sarah Collins is tasked with investigating the case of a teenager who disappeared twenty seven years earlier as new evidence has emerged. However when there is a current murder Sarah has to juggle both cases. During the investigations she comes across police officers from the first book whom she had hoped not to meet again. Just when you think you have figured out what happened there is another twist. It's a compelling read which I read in one day.

I do hope that the author plans to write more books.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also published on my blog.

Animal lover/HSP warning: There are a few scenes in the book where something bad happens to a dog, and while it was heartbreaking it wasn’t overly detailed and there was no torture, so I found I could bear it.

So, I loved this. It’s really well-written, it’s exciting, it’s believable and not over the top. For me it struck the perfect crime novel balance. Kate London is a former police officer, and it shows. Her detailed descriptions of the inner workings of the police both when it comes to procedure and politics add another dimension to this work that just makes it ring true.

The characters are interesting and seem real and relatable and the side characters add great colour, though I’d have liked even a little more background (bearing in mind that I have not read the first book).

The story follows two policewomen: DS Sarah Collins who is just starting a new job, and PC Lizzie Griffiths. The two women were previously involved in a difficult case together, which resulted in the death of a police officer (presumably this is the story covered in the first book).

The two women’s lives are again woven together by a new case that starts as domestic violence but develops into suspected murder and kidnapping. In addition to this current case, Sarah is also tasked with looking into a cold case: the disappearance of Tania Mills in 1987 – the day after the big storm. Tania was never seen again, though her mother still holds out hope that she could be alive out there somewhere, 20 years later.

The current case has the excitement because it affects people’s lives right here and now, and the cold case has the mystery and whodunnit aspect, so you get a bit of everything a good crime novel should encompass in this one. And the story weaves effortlessly between both cases and the perspectives of both women.

The only thing I found odd, writing-wise, was that there were two more chapters after the epilogue. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with an epilogue where that wasn’t the last part – so that kind of threw me off as I was expecting it to be the end.

I went through both nail-biting excitement, horror, disgust, curiosity and relief with this one. It’s a great story, a well-written and detailed police procedural and the it is quite sound and doesn’t have a “deus ex machina, he was just crazy all along and there’s no real reason for any of this” type of resolution.

I would definitely recommend, and I will absolutely pick up the next one.

[Aqnln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read this one after watching the first book Post Morten - The Tower serialised on tv which I throughly enjoyed and would say is a cop show with a difference.
This a continuation of the characters lives and how they remain intertwined. Although DS Sarah Collins left her position in professional standards due to feeling betrayed by those around her and moved to the murder squad again she finds herself involved with PC Lizzie Griffins.

Investigating a cold case she is then thrown into a murder the victim previously been supported by PC Griffins. Sarah and Lizzie are drawn together in an investigation with dangerous territory

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice solid crime novel featuring DS Sarah Collins and PC Lizzie Griffiths. The book follows two main investigations with a smattering of other incidental cases.
DS Sarah Collins is investigating a cold case featuring a missing girl with quite a few possible suspects. A little twist at the conclusion of this case lifted my rating from 2 stars to 3 - maybe should be a 3 1/2.
Meanwhile PC Lizzie Griffiths is involved in a domestic violence incident that quickly escalates and sees DS Sarah Collins become involved.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. Actually tried starting this one twice and did allow myself to get further along the second time.
Didn't like it at all. Quite a boring (listen) read. Couldn't differentiate between the two main lead women at all. Both quite pathetic and one of them couldn't see being moved into a detective position at all. Just didn't fit.
I do like me a good detective novel and if I am having trouble with one I try to push through until I find myself captivated. But am over 2 hours into my audiobook and am listening to my 1st instinct of Don't waste my time.

[Mark Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this excellent book by Kate London. I had signed up to attend one of Kate's author talks so decided I ought to read one of her books. I couldn't get the first one so had to start with this. It was a great introduction to the series for me so much so that I've ordered the first one from the library and bought a signed copy of the third one. It is always good to find a new writer whose books you like to read.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this a lot, probably more than the first one. A couple of narrative twists or contrivances I wasn't such a fan of but London writes with great sharpness and clarity and I like the added layers of realism she brings as someone who has actually served in the police. The contrast between Lizzie and Sarah as characters serves as a great way to demonstrate the realities of the job as well as a clever device to keep the plot moving and interesting. Good stuff!

[Dee Blom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read crime novel. Strong connection to characters with many continuing from the previous novel. Plot twist at the end was good but could have had more background. The actual murderers character wasn’t heavily developed. But overall it covered two police cases with strong similarities and themes. Hoping for another book in this series.

[Heather Cawte · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series, but I found this one confusing, tedious and irritating. This is two separate stories squashed into one book - the case in the blurb, which appeared to be the main thread of the novel, relegated to second fiddle to an unpleasant domestic violence case. None of it rang true, and I just became increasingly irritated with both detectives.