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Between Two Evils

(DI Zigic and DS Ferreira #5)

Eva Dolan (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 196 ratings · 30 reviews

As the country bakes under the relentless summer sun, a young doctor is found brutally murdered at his home in a picturesque Cambridgeshire village. Is his death connected to his private life - or his professional one? Dr Joshua Ainsworth worked at an all-female detention centre, one still recovering from a major scandal a few years before. Was he the whistle-blower - or a ...more

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Paperback, 384 pages

Published February 6th 2020 by Raven Books

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Jan 07, 2020 Paromjit rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction, mystery, netgalley, thriller

This is brilliant addition to Eva Dolan's stellar crime fiction series set in Peterborough featuring the diligent DI Dushan Zigic and the more gut instinct, if more emotional, DS Mel Ferreira. Dolan writes gritty and complex crime fiction, diverse, character driven and which reflects the contemporary state of nation issues dominating the country, but without compromising the story. In a sweltering summer, in a Cambridgeshire village the brutally murdered body of Dr Joshua Ainsworth is discovered This is brilliant addition to Eva Dolan's stellar crime fiction series set in Peterborough featuring the diligent DI Dushan Zigic and the more gut instinct, if more emotional, DS Mel Ferreira. Dolan writes gritty and complex crime fiction, diverse, character driven and which reflects the contemporary state of nation issues dominating the country, but without compromising the story. In a sweltering summer, in a Cambridgeshire village the brutally murdered body of Dr Joshua Ainsworth is discovered at his home, a enthusiastic cyclist, employed at the politically sensitive Long Fleet Removal Centre for women and children awaiting deportation. It looks like a burglary gone wrong, with the victim's phone and computer missing but this may not be so.

The detention centre has attracted a emotive, vociferous and committed crowd of regular protesters and the victim, part of the medical team responsible for the inmates health care, has been the target of a leaflet campaign aimed at those employed by the centre run by private contractors, Securicat. In the past, the centre has been the subject of a anonymous whistleblower over staff racism and other harrowing abuses, although a new head, James Hammond, spearheaded a clear out of those deemed to be responsible. Zigic has been warned to steer clear of the centre by Chief Superintendent Riggott, but as the case progresses, finds it increasingly difficult to comply as leads and Ferreira push for a closer look at potential suspects there. The release of a serial rapist and abuser, Lee Walton, on a technicality, strike terror in the hearts of the police as they know Walton will, before long, strike again. Walton's threatening contact with Ferreira, pushes DCI Billy Adams to co-opt a reluctant Zigic to abandon his usual integrity, to pursue a past case that they hope will put Walton back inside.

Where Dolan excels is in the creation and development of characters that reflect and provide insights into the knotty issues that divide our communities, Brexit, the difficulties faced by refugees and asylum seekers, the racism, the hatred, the real life abuses known to have taken place in deportation centres, and the traumatised vulnerable, and fragile women and children imprisoned within them. We are immersed in the everyday lives of the police officers, their families and relationships, the issues and worries that gnaw at them in their daily life, the budget cuts, the unexciting but high levels of paperwork, and the constraints that beset modern policing today. This is a crime series that is a cut above, totally compulsive, and part of that fine tradition of crime writing that rises above its genre with its finger on the pulse of our chaotic times. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC. ...more

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Nov 23, 2019 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Between Two Evils, the 5th instalment of the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series, has Eva Dolan turning her searching gaze towards yet another significant social question: the multifaceted forms of racism and abuse experienced by immigrants to the UK. When a doctor is found dead in his home, his work in the local all-female detention centre provides an obvious avenue for investigation, especially when the detectives discover his role in whistle-blowing a culture of horrifying misconduct. But that’s Between Two Evils, the 5th instalment of the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series, has Eva Dolan turning her searching gaze towards yet another significant social question: the multifaceted forms of racism and abuse experienced by immigrants to the UK. When a doctor is found dead in his home, his work in the local all-female detention centre provides an obvious avenue for investigation, especially when the detectives discover his role in whistle-blowing a culture of horrifying misconduct. But that’s not all the officers have on their plate. A violent serial rapist has been freed thanks to police malpractice and Zigic and Ferreira know that it’s only a matter of time before he attacks again. And this time it might be even closer to home…

Now what Dolan does really well is express complex, emotive subjects in terms of personal stories. With each diverse voice, Dolan removes the distance between ‘us’ and ‘them’, offering experiences and perspectives which might or might not be different from the reader’s own. In this instalment, it’s clear that Dolan wants to break down popular media portrayals of ‘immigrants’ as one unidentifiable mass, a blanket concept, a problem. As she has done with various other marginalised groups in the past, Dolan works to present every person as an individual. This is expressly done through the author’s development of ongoing and newly added characters. As the story progresses, the questions raised by the plot are expanded through individual perspectives, particularly those of Zigic and Ferreira. At one point, Mel recalls being repeatedly surveilled by a local shopkeeper because of the colour of her skin, at another Dushan wonders how his asylum seeker grandparents would fare in today’s society. Would they be detained like the women in the detention centre? Maybe even deported? Both are deeply affected by the issues raised throughout the book, informed by their lived experience. And our connection to them, built over the series, opens the way for better understanding of others' lives. Dolan’s books might be determinedly issue-led, but the reading experience is only enhanced by this underlying authenticity and the author's social conscience.

So why the 4 stars? Partly because every now and then the main characters didn’t feel like themselves. It was especially evident in Zigic, who seemed inconsistent throughout and whose family drama felt unnecessarily tacked on. Then there’s the ending. From an author like Eva Dolan, who writes clever and surprising fiction, this was a let down. I was expecting something more than a scene which has been done so many times before that it borders on cliche. Considering that ANY other resolution than the one that we got would have been more unexpected and a good deal more appealing, it was a strange choice. And for me an unconvincing one.

Nevertheless, this is still a good offering, fast paced and thought provoking.

ARC via Netgalley ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 Roman Clodia rated it really liked it

Dolan writes intelligent police procedurals with one eye on the current news and a social conscience never far from the surface. For all that, she's never overly predictable (for example, not all the protesters against a local immigration centre/prison-alike are salubrious...) With gestures towards Brexit, the rise of racial hate crimes and a focus on bullying and abuse, this is topical but not at the expense of a gripping story. My only criticism is that we have a clichéd climax (view spoiler) ...more

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Jul 15, 2020 Marina Sofia rated it it was amazing

God, I love this series - so glad that Eva Dolan is returning to it! I love the way she presents complex realities without preaching or showing either side as being too angelic!
Longer review here: https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress....
...more

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Nov 03, 2020 Anne Fenn rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction

A compelling read, great characters and plot. Set in UK fenland again, (different detectives) and a detention centre inmates. Good insights into pressures of modern policing, affected by mistakes, errors, revisions etc. Only gripe is it’s length - a mighty tome of a book, allowing for endless accounts of psychology of interviewing persons of interest and very detailed building of a case.

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Nov 05, 2020 Michael Rumney rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

A police procedural where detectives investigate a murder of a doctor who works at a female detention centre. This feels very contemporary with references to Brexit, immigration and asylum seekers in the UK.
This is the fifth book in the series and although this is a stand alone novel I felt you had to have read some of the others to understand the main characters more.
The ending was a little unexpected not in terms of who did it, but we learn how one of the main characters, DS Ferreira now has ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Nicki rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2020, 21st-century, 5-stars, eva-dolan, police-procedural, zigic-ferreira, england, crime

The fifth book in the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series and it was great to pick up with my two favourite detectives again. This story is set around a murdered doctor who worked at a all-female detention centre. Josh Ainsworth comes across as spotless, but was he really?

At the same time as they’re looking into the murder, a highly dangerous criminal has just been released from prison looking to cause a whole lot of trouble for the police and anyone else he comes into contact with. Can Zigic and Fe The fifth book in the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series and it was great to pick up with my two favourite detectives again. This story is set around a murdered doctor who worked at a all-female detention centre. Josh Ainsworth comes across as spotless, but was he really?

At the same time as they’re looking into the murder, a highly dangerous criminal has just been released from prison looking to cause a whole lot of trouble for the police and anyone else he comes into contact with. Can Zigic and Ferreira stop him whilst working this case?

I don’t read many, if any police procedurals these days, I’m not sure why, but I always, always look out for a new book in this fantastic series. What I love about this series is that the police are portrayed well for a change, not corrupted and nasty. They have there moments of course, they’re human and want to get the villains behind bars, but Zigic wants to do it properly, sometimes having to rein Ferreira in when she gets the bit between her teeth and won’t let go.

I also enjoy the back stories I’ve learnt through each book, getting to know a bit more about them, understanding how the crimes the investigate sometimes make them reflect on their past lives. I learnt loads more about Ferreira this time which was great and helps to understand why she comes across as rather hard nosed at times. Zigic also thinks about his past, when the storyline about his family, particularly his two young sons is mentioned throughout.

Getting back to the investigation I definitely felt like ‘a fly on the wall’ as they tried to work out who the killer was and of course the motive. I was completely wrong as usual, even thinking that they’d got wrong totally the wrong person when I was at 83%! Duh!!!

This is my favourite police procedural series and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone to likes this genre, especially as it doesn’t have as much love on Goodreads as it should!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Bloomsbury and Raven Books for my digital ARC. ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 Mary Picken rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There are two writers who are never less than razor sharp when it comes to marrying crime fiction with contemporary societal concerns and whose books are a must read when they come out. Sarah Hilary is one; Eva Dolan the other.

I love Dolan’s writing; whether stand-alone like the excellent This Is How It Ends or part of a series. Between Two Evils is the 5th in the Zigic and Ferreira series and a welcome return to these two excellent characters.

D.S. Mel Ferreira is still smouldering, six months a ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Fionna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-reads, crime, police-procedural, set-in-england

I can’t believe that this is the first time I have even heard of Eva Dolan - I clearly need to keep my ear closer to the ground. The second book I have read so far this year set during the heatwave in 2018 (see my review here) - and it is still a good idea reading these in January!

A doctor is found murdered in his home, days after returning from a holiday. He works in one of the detention centres set up in Tory Britain to create a hostile environment for any immigrants who aren’t of the right so ...more

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Oct 09, 2020 Schopflin rated it really liked it

Shelves: finished-in-2020

This took me a long time to get into. It's the first I've read by this author and I didn't warm to Ferreira, and was frustrated by Zigic. But given time, the very good writing and attention to detail drew me in. Things like - it's summer and the professional women are wearing linen shift dresses. Other writers would just have them in suits as usual. There are some brilliant lines too. It's a serious book, with depressingly convincing details (in this case about sexual violence and the asylum sys ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Christopher Williams rated it it was amazing

Another excellent book from Eva Dolan who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite English authors. Again, set in Peterborough with Zigic and Fereira now back in CID after the disbanding of the Hate Crimes Unit they had previously been in.

Two main strands to the story. The first is the murder of a doctor who had worked at a detention centre for women who were deemed illegal immigrants and awaiting probable deportation.
The second involved the release of a serial rapist who has been released on a ...more

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Jan 10, 2021 Sarmīte rated it it was ok

Grāmatas intriga bija pat ļoti ok, bet - nezinu, kas pie tā vainojams, lasīt bija diezgan garlaicīgi. Iespējams, tāpēc, ka šī ir sērijas DI Zigic and DS Ferreira PIEKTĀ grāmata (piektā, Karl!!!!!!), un, iespējams, tāpēc galveno detektīvu tēli likās kā baltas lapas- acīmredzot pirmajās 4 sērijas grāmatās jau tikuši gana aprakstīti. Nu un, protams, jau mazliet sāk apnikt tā bēgļu un imigrantu glorificēšana. Laikam šī nebūs mana autore:)

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May 09, 2020 Elizabeth Allen rated it liked it

A good read. Excellent plotting and intricate planning. I'm not taking to the two lead detectives that much but the story is very good, the outcome not what I expected and the last half dozen chapters in particular are very good. Lots of social commentary which doesn't spoil the book but makes it interesting and relevant. Will definitely be reading more of her novels. ...more

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Sep 26, 2020 Ann Tonks rated it really liked it

Shelves: murder-mystery, police-procedural, immigration

A well crafted story of two different challenges - a murder to solve and a criminal to return to prison. I hadn't read any of this series before and I found it really fascinating that the two leads, police with different European backgrounds, face racial/ethnic discrimination. Does that help explain Brexit? Anyway, enough of the politics. It was engaging read. ...more

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Jul 28, 2020 Martha Brindley rated it liked it

This is another good read in the Eva Dolan series. I struggle to like Eva though but the book is well written and has a good, well planned and interesting plot. It is set in recent time and features Brexit, hate crimes and is a good police procedural with plenty twists. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

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Mar 28, 2020 neil fowler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Enjoyable

Did not think it was a5star the characters are described very well in fact, disappointment a couple are not charged. I'm saying that I will buy more of Eva's books. Hoping the next is a5 ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Alex Rogers rated it really liked it

Very competent, well written police procedural set in the UK. Strongly character driven, well developed, intelligent writing, I enjoyed it and will look for more in this series.

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Jan 19, 2021 Didde Elnif rated it really liked it

Dolan er simpelthen en af de mest gedigne krimiforfattere. Noget på hjerte, samfunds-indigneret og strukturen på plads. Det er en fornøjelse.

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Sep 25, 2020 Martin rated it did not like it

My first and LAST of this series. I read a review which was way to kind: I was so so not into this book on all levels. Surprised that I DNF but I did....

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Sep 03, 2020 Sarit Perkol rated it really liked it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: my-translations

מעניין, כתוב היטב, משלב את עניין היחס לפליטים ולמהגרים באירופה

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Oct 11, 2020 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Had me gripped the whole way through. Am going to make sure I've read all of her other books now. ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Jo-jean Keller rated it it was amazing

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Between Two Evils! Well written with numerous plot twists. Characters likeable and interesting!

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Mar 14, 2020 Jo-anne Atkinson rated it really liked it

The Hate Crimes unit has now been disbanded and Zigic and Ferreira are working in the major crimes division. When a doctor is found murdered his background at the local deportation detention centre seems to be the key, particularly as he had recently resigned. Meanwhile a problem with the forensic science team means that a convicted violent serial rapist has been released.
Dolan writes interesting and modern police procedurals. Both Zigic and Ferreira are from immigrant backgrounds and this tens ...more

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Dec 01, 2019 Heather rated it liked it · review of another edition

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Eva Dolan’s This Is How It Ends, and was interested to read this book. I struggled to get into it at first, but by about the halfway mark, I was intrigued to see what was going to happen. I haven’t read any of the other books in the Zigic and Ferreira series, so I had no familiarity with the characters or their backstories.

The book is set in recent times against a backdrop of Brexit, ...more

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Jan 26, 2020 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-challenge

I was late coming to the Zigic and Ferreira books (I know - you're shocked right?) but I have enjoyed catching up with them and the complex cases that they are tasked with solving. Between Two Evils is their first case following the disbandment of the Hate Crimes unit that they previously fronted and yet it doesn't see them stepping too far beyond their comfort zone, with their main case that of the murder of a Doctor who works in a detention centre for female illegal immigrants. Alongside this I was late coming to the Zigic and Ferreira books (I know - you're shocked right?) but I have enjoyed catching up with them and the complex cases that they are tasked with solving. Between Two Evils is their first case following the disbandment of the Hate Crimes unit that they previously fronted and yet it doesn't see them stepping too far beyond their comfort zone, with their main case that of the murder of a Doctor who works in a detention centre for female illegal immigrants. Alongside this perplexing case, the team is pushed to the limit trying to track an absconded suspect and deal with the fall out from a scandal that sees Ferreira faced with an old foe, perhaps one of the most violent she has investigated.

What I have loved about this series is that it is not break neck speed, high action cases that demand the team's attention. There is a deep rooted kind of emotional intelligence attached to each case, an examination if you like of the rights and wrongs of the kinds of social injustices that we see play out in society. This time around the case is rooted in the growth of violence and resentment towards anyone of a non-white British ethnic origin that has been growing of late, a sad case of art very much imitating life.

The story doesn't need the scandal of serial killers or grotesque levels of violence to grab the reader's attention. It's simplicity amplified through the textured nature of the writing does that. I found myself drawn in by the mystery. It was not the act in itself, albeit a fast and brutal attack, but the many suspects and the twisted way in which the story evolved that kept me glued to the page. It is slower paced, but not without tension. The way in which the author manages to deflect our focus from one suspect to the next, even to the victim, is exactly what I've come to expect from Eva Dolan. She has that skill.

She has great skill in drawing her characters too. Zigic and Ferreira are multi faceted, complex characters, each with their own issues and fear, both in and outside of work. For Zigic it is the way the growing racism affects his nearest and dearest, his inability to keep it from his own doorstep affecting both him and his family. Ferreira has issues of her own, struggling a little with memories of her own upbringing, fears of her own deportation and also from a very real and very prominent threat posed against her. It is this latter part which dominates half of the story, the tension pulsating away beneath the surface and keeping everyone on edge.

Suspense if rife throughout the novel, the duplicity of some of the characters often surprising. With corruption and abuse at the centre of everything, it is hard to know who to trust on both sides of the so called law, and there is probably only really one person who never tries to hide their true colours or true intent in the whole story - not that I'd want to come down on their side as a character witness ... It keeps things fresh, edgy, but ultimately compelling. This is another cracking story and it is great being back in the company of Zigic and Ferreira again after a break of a couple of years. Hopefully they will be back again soon. If you've loved this series so far, you will not be disappointed. ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 Christine Rennie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, netgalley

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the Arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
Between Two Evils by Eva Dolan is another in the Zigic and Ferreira series. There is a convicted rapist released from prison on a technicality and the death of a doctor who had worked at an Immigration Detention Centre. Will the rapist end up raping again? Will the murderer be found who killed the doctor? It is another tense, topical storyline, particularly with Brexit looming and the increase of racial attacks ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Chris Nolan rated it it was amazing

This excellent series goes from strength to strength and Eva Dolan keeps it fresh by mixing things up when necessary. No longer are Dushan Zigic and Mel Ferreira working for the Hate Crimes unit but they are still involved in some fascinating cases. When a doctor in a facility for women who are awaiting deportation or permission to stay is found murdered, there are a number of possible culprits and there are a number of unexpected revelations. In addition a prisoner who is released on a technica ...more

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Dec 20, 2019 Greville Waterman rated it it was amazing

I love the burgeoning Zigic and Ferreira series, of which this is the fifth. Eva Dolan's last was a standalone thriller which I enjoyed but in my humble opinion was not a patch onthis one.

I love the two main characters and how their difficult pasts are interwoven so skilfully and empathetically with the plot.

I will not provide any spoilers but will just say that I read this almost tin one sitting and was totally engrossed by the plot and the various red herrings that needed to be explored.

This i ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 cheryl horne rated it it was amazing

want more

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About Eva Dolan

Eva Dolan

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Eva Dolan was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger for unpublished authors when only a teenager. The four novels in her Zigic and Ferreira series have been published to widespread critical acclaim: Tell No Tales and After You Die were shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award and After You Die was also longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. She lives in Cambridge.

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