Bloodline

The Manchester Murders #2

by Pamela Murray

When a young boy discovers a man’s body lying in a doorway, DI Burton and DS Fielding are called to the scene.

Believing the man was homeless, the police are shocked to discover the true identity of the victim; a Detective Constable from London who was working undercover.

But when the DNA from the victim is linked to a cold case Burton and Fielding find themselves looking into another unsolved murder.

And as the case unfolds, the detectives are faced with unpicking through a web of lies and deceit. But can they solve the murders before any more blood is spilt?

Genres: Audiobook

ebook

First published September 8, 2019

About the author

Pamela Murray is a crime writer from the North East of England and is best known for the novels Murderland, Bloodline, and Duplicity, collectively known as The Manchester Murders. She had intended to follow a career in either art or journalism after school but chose to work in a library instead because of her love of books. Murderland, her debut novel, was only submitted to one publisher before being immediately accepted. She has now written a further eight books and is currently working on another. Pamela's writing style is gripping and suspenseful, making her a favourite among crime fiction enthusiasts.

Find her on social media @pamelamurraywriting

Reviews

["Avonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

BLOODLINE: an edge of your seat crime thriller by Pamela Murray is a new and exciting British police procedural featuring Detective Inspector Joe Burton and Detective Sergeant Sally Fielding. This is the second book in the series and can be easily read as a standalone. I will definitely be going back to read the first book, MURDERLAND.

A homeless man is found stabbed to death lying in a doorway. But something is not right. The police are shocked when they find out the homeless man was one of their own from London working undercover.

The fingerprints identify the slain office, but his DNA comes back linking him genetically to a cold case homicide. Now DI Burton has two homicides to investigate as DS Fielding goes undercover to follow the case that leads to the policeman’s death.

These cases are tied together with lies and deceit which the detectives must unravel before more people end up dead.

This book is an exciting page turner that hooked me right away. There are so many unanswered questions, deceptions, twists and turns. The main characters are likable and realistic. The two plots are intertwined and flow seamlessly from start to resolution.

I am very happy to have found this author and series now, when I only have one book to go back to read. I can highly recommend this British procedural/mystery!

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Burton and DS Fielding are called out to investigate upon learning that a homeless man had been found dead. Medical examiner says the man was stabbed multiple times. But there's something amiss with this body.

The ME does an autopsy and the victim just doesn't fit with a homeless person... very good teeth, the man was clean, clothes were not rags. It's when he's identified by his fingerprints that things get real interesting.

The victim is DC Alan Blackburn of Metropolitan Police in London. The homeless population had recently been targeted by unknown criminals offering them dubious employment. Did Blackburn stumble onto something related to this?

Then heaping more of the unknown, it is discovered that Blackburn was the son of a man who was murdered and then later found but never identified 30 years ago. So was this the reason for killing ... to keep a decades-old secret?

While two of Burton's teams start looking into Blackburn's history, Fielding and another colleague go undercover in the homeless community. They need to track down the criminal element as soon as possible.

This crime fiction has a lot of action ... two murder cases, age-old family secrets, drug runners, murder, deception. This is well-written with likeable characters. Burton and Fielding have been partnered for several years and always seem to be on the same page when solving crimes. This is the first time they have ever been separated in their work and neither of them are too happy. A page turner, this one kept me riveted to the story from the very first page.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Bloodline is another great crime novel from Pamela Murray featuring DI Burton and DS Fielding.

What it's about: When the body of a homeless man is found slouched in a doorway, Burton and Fielding are called to the scene. As they look into the case though, they find out this death is not what it seems, and the man's DNA is linked to an unsolved murder. Digging into the case ends up providing one surprise after another, can they figure out what is going on before someone else is dead?

Once again, Bloodline is super unique, both in format and writing style. Murray doesn't choose to focus on one POV, but multiple, and they are all throughout the book. I thought that it was even clearer in this book than Murderland so I can tell that she is honing her style in these crime novels as she goes. And of course, I loved both Burton and Fielding just as much as I did the last time.

There isn't anything I would consider gory in the book so if you are squeamish but like crime novels, this is a great one to check out. Bloodline is also book 2 to a series, but it seemed to be more of a prequel. It talked about a case that is mentioned a lot in Murderland (book 1), so when I was reading it it kind of felt like the series was out of order, which to me insinuates prequel.

The only thing that bothered me was that the end of this book had foreshadowing that had nothing to do with anything that happened in Murderland, nor did it mention the ending of what happened in that book and I would have liked it to tie in better in that respect.

Final Thought: If you are looking for a new crime series then look no further! I really like the characters and how quick these books are. Bloodline is around 202 pages and again took me less than 3 hours to read. Sometimes you just need a quick read, and I am definitely finding that in this series. The cases are interesting, overall it isn't gory, and it has just the amount of humor to make things not so heavy. Also, I don't think the books have to be read in order and you would be fine reading them as standalones. In other words, read Bloodline!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Michelle Ryles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across Pamela Murray as she is a local North East author and although I haven't yet read her debut, Murderland, I was eager to read the second book in the Burton and Fielding series, Bloodline. So it is without any doubt that I can say that Bloodline can be read as a standalone as I found it gripping, intriguing and a mighty-fine page turner. It has definitely made me want to read Murderland as soon as possible to get to know Burton and Fielding a little better; there's definitely a lot more to come from this pair.

The prologue is an amazing double ended hook, set in 1986 with a murder and present day with a man spying on his girlfriend as she meets with another man. How these stories weave together and become clear later on is simply brilliant, but these threads are left tantalisingly dangling when the body of an undercover cop is discovered. Then there's a double whammy of tasty storyline as the undercover case is picked up and the victim's DNA brings up a match in the database linking him to a cold case.

I loved the DNA storyline, both the links to the victims and the DNA kits that you see for sale these days. I must admit, I am slightly sceptical as to what their purpose is as it seems an easy (and sneaky) way to collect and record DNA of unsuspecting people rather than just give them clues as to their ancestry. I didn't realise that the DNA kits also match your results with others who have taken the test, although they do warn people in advance that they can discover illegitimacy, adoption or donor-conception. It may seem like a bit of fun buying such a gift for the person who has everything but imagine the repercussions if they found out that their whole life was a lie. I love books that have thought-provoking discussion points like this, so I have found myself thinking about this long after finishing Bloodline.

With strands of intrigue woven through the storyline like a double helix, Bloodline is a fast-paced gritty and compelling thriller. You can't fail to be hooked by the amazing prologue and it's impossible to put the book down after that. A highly recommended read from an outstanding local talent.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Holly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Murderland, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Bloodline.

Firstly, I enjoyed meeting the characters in the first book, and it was great to be reading about them again in Bloodline.

This book is very well written, keeping the suspense level high. It had me guessing all the way through.

I really recommend this book, and eagerly await the next one.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these books. Reminds me of my own experience of the incompetence of the Manchester police in the 60s. 30 minutes to come out after someone took a rife shot at me through my bedroom window. Then when a youth club I helped run was broken into and smashed they bravely drove past the front door in a car. Also the classic, “more effort is needed this is one of ours”. Shouts loudly that they don’t put everything into cases that don’t include one of their own. Then today we are charged council tax for police who art there. Recently I reported a possible break in and was kindly informed nobody would come out but they would make a note of my report. They don’t know how to use a note book only a camera (and that with them hidden) and breathalysers.

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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After sitting in a doorway unnoticed for a couple of days, someone finally sees that the homeless man isn't huddled there for a safe place to sleep, but because he's been killed. The police begin investigating, determining quickly that he wasn't killed where he was found—so they know this isn't going to be a quick case, but things quickly escalate beyond that to make this even more complicated.

Two things happen when they ascertain the identity of the man. First, they learn that he's a police detective working undercover far from home. Later, when his DNA is checked, they discover a shocking tie between the deceased detective and a cold case murder. The squad investigating the murder is split in direction then—two go undercover themselves to attempt to complete his investigation. The rest follow-up on his murder as well as this cold case, hoping to find a connection.

The undercover operation's target and the way it's set up if pretty clever, and not that common, I don't think, among Crime Fiction (I don't know, it might be run-of-the-mill in reality). It's pretty easy for the two new detectives to pick up where their fallen comrade left off—but it's hard to tell where he was, and how they should proceed in tying their target to this murder. The cold case is even more intricate, and complicated by the space and history between the original crime and the present—this is the highlight of the book, if you ask me—I really enjoyed it. The present-day murder is far less complex once they determine who he is, everything from that point is straightforward (which is not a criticism, even police procedurals need some straightforward cases.

But everything seems too compressed, too easy for the undercover officers to infiltrate enough to get into a trusted position necessary to bring the group down and the murder cases come together pretty easily, too. Everything about the novel—all three cases and the inter-personal character development—seems rushed (and therefore the prose is a little clunky). The characters, also, seemed sketchy and ill-defined (which is a shame, at least 3-4 would be well worth fleshing out). There was a lot of telling, rather than trusting the readers to pick up on subtle showing about them. If the book was another 25-40% longer, I think it would've helped tremendously

This book had all the makings of a great read—but it missed. It's a decent way to spend a few hours, and it's worth paying for it. I liked it, but I think if Murray had explored things a little, built in some more suspense, and just made all the various officers work a little harder before getting to the closings of the cases, it could've been great, not simply good.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book to feature DI Joe Burton and DS Sally Fielding of the Greater Manchester Police. They have worked together for a number of years and together with five detective constables, they run a tight and loyal team. First we read about a death that occurred in 1986 that the killer was trying to cover up, and then the story switches to present day with the discovery of a man's body, dead and left in a disused shop doorway. At first it looks like the man was one of the many homeless living on the streets and avoided or ignored by most people, but the post mortem reveals the corpse's identity to be that of a serving undercover detective constable from the Metropolitan police in London. The big question is whether he was killed because of who he was or what he was doing. And in a strange turn of events, his DNA is linked to a cold case of murder. Burton and Fielding find themselves tackling two investigations at once as they join forces with the Met to delve into a murky world of major crime and the exploitation of vulnerable people. This is a great police procedural full of well described and very likeable characters who we first meet in book one, Murderland. The team are grounded and dedicated, and the story concentrates on their work rather than their personal lives, although who knows what secrets they have in their past. The dual plots keep the action moving along nicely, with the suspense and danger involved in one and the tangled web of deceit being uncovered in the other, and both threads will keep the reader engrossed throughout. With the little teaser right at the end, I am looking forward already to the next book in this series and wondering what the author has in store for this very enjoyable team of detectives. 5*

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The lengths that someone will go to for love”

A body is found in a doorway; the body of a homeless person; or is this actually the case?

DI Joe Burton is the investigating officer, a man who is like a dog with a bone.
He will leave no stone unturned until his case is solved.

Especially when the someone involved is “one of your own”.

DS Sally Fielding : A female detective, conscientious and determined to get a job done to the best of her ability.

Ds Jack Summers : Is the all-round good cop.

For some, everything that you always believed to be, really wasn’t!

Mixed up family relationships and family secrets, intertwined with a case past and present.


Brilliant!
Loved it, loved the storyline that had me gripped to the end, which came all too soon, I wanted more!

This is my first book by this author, and is actually the second book of a series but that certainly didn’t detract from this one, and I just can’t wait for the next one.

What I must do now is go and read the first one; MURDERLAND.

[Cheryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a cliché to say that a book is a good holiday read but in this case I mean it as a compliment. It is a fast-paced straightforward no-nonsense piece of crime fiction storytelling which nevertheless, by using the modern technology available in crime solving, has an intricate plot. The issues raised in the book are very much relevant to today so the action feels very much in the here and now.

I particularly liked the opening scenes which gave a glimpse into the minds of those involved in events which had gone before and thereby throwing a shadowy presence throughout the rest of the book.

I have not read the first book Murderland and so had not met the Police characters before. I felt that I wanted to know a little bit more about them to give me more of a sense of who they are - maybe perhaps a description of where they lived, what books they had on the shelves, something like that.

But all in all a good read!

[Danny Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the outset. It has a very interesting storyline linking the murder of an undercover policeman to a child case murder of 30 years previous. Add in a highly organised crime organisation and DI Joe Burton and his team have their work cut out to unravel it all. This is a very easily read book that you will find hard to put down.
Thank you to bloodhound books for the ARC.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced novel which will keep you page turning. There are enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and a few surprises I didn’t see coming.
The first book I’ve read by this author, looking forward to the next.

[Sandie Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review will be posted on my blog www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk on 11th September

[Mrs Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Pamela Murray read and I enjoyed it greatly. An easy read with good characters, interesting storyline and a few hooks and twists along the way. Now reading Murderland as the follow up.

[Geoff Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story line, good characters. Very good twist at the end too.Used to live in manchester so recognised a lot of the areas mentioned in the book. Would recommend this book.

[VP · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author thanks her editor at the end. I find it hard to believe an editor was involved in this repetitive work of creative writing class fiction. I'd have guessed an inexperienced high school girl wrote it.

I doubt there's much sympathy or empathy from the police regarding the street people. This book seems like these people have simply fallen on hard luck.

Like the story the two cops cooked up - they lost their jobs and suddenly they're living rough? No backup plan? No family?

Equally impossible that the recruiter manages to find ONLY those that need a hand up. These are the types that the government and NGOs usually manage to help. None of the traffickers used drugs or committed crimes?

Then the crime bosses take the two unvetted undercover cops to live in a luxury flat. Yah right.

And then these two have the arduous task of driving a couple of cars through Europe. And poor Sally complains the whole time, as if getting used to left-hand driving (the international standard) took more than a few minutes to get used to. Sure - the turns can be confusing at first, but she wasn't trying to drive through difficult cities, she was on a highway.

The jealous boyfriend pops 'round to a travel agent to book his flight? He couldn't have put the bloody shirt in the trash?

Nonsense all of it.

I keep getting attracted to these book covers. I see I read the first one and despised it as well.

Should I hate-read the third?

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the first, but enjoyable. This time although it was clearly modern, with CCTV, earpieces and such, Murray was too overly film noir Cheeky Detective. It wasn’t narrative, it was overly narrative - Sam Spade “Not on my watch” type! These earnest detectives were all good and just wanting good from and for others. But that is what made it not realistic :) Burton and Co are much better characterized in Murderland, so I had to double check which she wrote first? (Maybe since she got the “famous” book, she could go back and write as she preferred?)

Of course police are earnest and good, and again, it was enjoyable, throw back feelings. But yea, also, cheesy :)

[Patricia Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This book is listed as book two in this series; however, I read book 1 first and it seems book two should be book one. I enjoyed this book more than the first book...it was not as slow and fragmented as book one. I am glad I read this book and plan to read the final installment in this series.. I am expecting book three to be even better.

[Mr Kenneth L Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Follow up story

A great follow up story in the Manchester murder series featuring Fielding and Burton. Although there are a number of subplots to the book they flow together to a great ending. A really enjoyable read.

[Gabe Dinardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty enjoyable but nothing super special and it felt like a lot of like “seriously what are the odds.” moments. wasn’t planning to read the third book but the epilogue caught my attention so now i guess i am and i hope this one gets better!

[Pam Tickner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series - The Manchester Murders Book. The crimes are intriguing and the characters well developed.

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Alan Blackburn and why??? Drugs and organized crime??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Alex Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a homeless man is found dead in a shop doorway in suspicious circumstances, Burton and Fielding investigate, soon it becomes apparent it was a murder, which escalates further when it’s discovered he was an under cover police officer looking into a gang trying to employ homeless people to carry out illegal tasks for them.

Even more intriguingly, the DNA pops up showing the body is linked to a cold case 25 years before, and an unsolved murder , a body found at a mine at the time of the mining strikes.

A real traditional police procedural, as with the first book, it’s very much about the story, with no back story or depth to the characters it is a little hard to like them or get involved with them. I’d like to see them fleshed out a bit as Pamela Murray can very well write a story, I just feel like I need a bit more.

With the twists done well, a story to keep you guessing, and not a huge read, it’s a good follow-up to the first book and for me a writer getting better with each book.

well written and a decent mystery, the makings of a great series are here, and the cliffhanger at the end suggests there is much more to come.

4 

[Nerys Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A homeless man is found dead - DI Burton and his partner DS Fielding attend the scene and start the investigation. Information from the pathologist informs them the victim was murdered and wasn’t homeless. Alan Blackburn was an undercover police officer from another force. DS Fielding and DC Summers go undercover to continue DC Blackburn’s work investigating an organisation employing homeless people. Meanwhile DI Burton and the rest of the team continue to investigate the murder. They and his home force, the Met, are convinced that his mother is not being fully forthcoming. When the truth is revealed it leads to another unsolved murder and a family that’s been keeping secrets for decades.

This is the second in the DI Burton series by Pamela Murray and I really enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to book number three after this one’s ending!

Thanks to Bloodhound Books and Pamela Murray for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

No murder is ever acceptable however when an Met undercover is brutally stabbed in Manchester,then you know that both forces will stop at nothing to find the killer. And then there's the twist - the officer's DNA matches that of a cold case linked to a body found in a mine shaft. So what is the connection? Add to this that the dead officer was undercover as a homeless person investigating a drugs ring and so this needs to be dealt with too and you know you're onto a good book.

This story is well paced and having started to read it, I kept wanting to get to the next chapter. Lots of twists to it as well, so when you think you have it solved....you haven't!! I would highly recommend reading this book and overall give it 4.5*. ( I gave her first novel Murderland 3.5*, so a great improvement Pamela!)

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.

[Lel Budge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second novel by Pamela Murray to feature DI Burton.

When a homeless man is found dead, DI Burton and his partner DS Fielding begin the investigation. But after the pathologist completes his investigation, they find out the man wasn’t homeless, but an undercover cop, Alan Blackburn.

So, DS Fielding and DC Summers decide to go undercover to continue DC Blackburn’s and investigate a dubious organisation that employs the homeless.

DI Burton and the team investigate the murder. This leads to another murder case from 30 years ago…..can they find the link and solve both cases

A gritty, tense and utterly gripping thriller.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review

[Mr Mark Hawksford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloodline -

This is the second book in the series I have read. As with the first one, the book fully focuses on the storyline with very little wandering off the plot, which I actually like. In some parts of the books the team find out information, but often the author does not reveal what has been found, which again build tension and you read faster hoping to find out what they have uncovered. The characters are likeable and it’s good that they all get on, which in many detective stories there is tension between the team. Also, the book has a proper ending, which ties everything up. However, the final page has obviously set up the next storyline for the next book. This book was better than the first, which I enjoyed. I would rate this one as a 5 out of 5.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first story I have read by this author. I enjoyed it very much. The characters work together great, the storyline gets moving from the beginning. There are some surprising things that happen along the way. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes murder mysteries. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book from Bloodhound books.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed the preceding book "Murderland", but I enjoyed this one more. There's a more getting to know the two main characters, and quite enjoying the "will they, won't they?" dynamic. Supporting characters get a bit more involvement in the story as well. There's a lot going on in the plot with several linked threads but comes together.

[Karen Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I have read from Pamela Murray and it certainly won't the the last. Had me hooked from the start and plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested. I read this book in a few days as I couldn't put it down. Thank you for the ARC.