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DI Birch #3
Cover Your Tracks
Robertson Bennet returns to Edinburgh after a 25-year absence in search of his parents and his inheritance. But both have disappeared. A quick, routine police check should be enough - and Detective Inspector Helen Birch has enough on her plate trying to help her brother, Charlie, after an assault in prison. But all her instincts tell her not to let this case go. And so she digs.
George and Phamie Bennet were together for a long time. No one can ever really know the secrets kept between husband and wife. But as Birch slowly begins to unravel the truth, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.
Beautifully written and ingeniously plotted, Cover Your Tracks confirms Claire Askew as a major new talent in crime fiction.
George and Phamie Bennet were together for a long time. No one can ever really know the secrets kept between husband and wife. But as Birch slowly begins to unravel the truth, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.
Beautifully written and ingeniously plotted, Cover Your Tracks confirms Claire Askew as a major new talent in crime fiction.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2020
30 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Claire Askew
28 books124 followersClaire Askew is a poet, novelist and the current Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh. Her debut novel, All the Hidden Truths, was the winner of the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, and longlisted for the 2014 Peggy Chapman-Andrews (Bridport) Novel Award. Claire holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and has won a variety of accolades for her work, including the Jessie Kesson Fellowship and a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award.
Her debut poetry collection, This changes things, was published by Bloodaxe in 2016 and shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and a Saltire First Book Award. In 2016 Claire was selected as a Scottish Book Trust Reading Champion, and she works as the Scotland tutor for women's writing initiatives Write Like A Grrrl! and #GrrrlCon.
Claire Askew was born in 1986 and grew up in the Scottish Borders. She has lived in Edinburgh since 2004. Her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including The Guardian, Poetry Scotland, PANK, Edinburgh Review and Be The First To Like This: New Scottish Poetry (Vagabond Voices, 2014), and have been selected twice for the Scottish Poetry Library's Best Scottish Poems of the Year. In 2013 she won the International Salt Prize for Poetry, and in 2014 was runner-up for the inaugural Edwin Morgan Poetry Award for Scottish poets under 30. She runs the One Night Stanza blog, and collects old typewriters (she currently has around 30).
Her debut poetry collection, This changes things, was published by Bloodaxe in 2016 and shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and a Saltire First Book Award. In 2016 Claire was selected as a Scottish Book Trust Reading Champion, and she works as the Scotland tutor for women's writing initiatives Write Like A Grrrl! and #GrrrlCon.
Claire Askew was born in 1986 and grew up in the Scottish Borders. She has lived in Edinburgh since 2004. Her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including The Guardian, Poetry Scotland, PANK, Edinburgh Review and Be The First To Like This: New Scottish Poetry (Vagabond Voices, 2014), and have been selected twice for the Scottish Poetry Library's Best Scottish Poems of the Year. In 2013 she won the International Salt Prize for Poetry, and in 2014 was runner-up for the inaugural Edwin Morgan Poetry Award for Scottish poets under 30. She runs the One Night Stanza blog, and collects old typewriters (she currently has around 30).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
July 26, 2020
How lovely to discover another great Scottish crime series set in Edinburgh featuring DI Helen Birch and DC Amy Kato, this is the third and I really liked the central protagonist, DI Birch, with her complicated personal history, with a father, Jamieson, who had run out on the family and who she has not seen since she was 12 years old, and a brother, Charlie, who had disappeared for 14 years and is now in prison. She visits Charlie regularly although he is having a hard time, being so seriously assaulted in prison that he ends up in hospital, she worries about him. She is traumatised when her father gets in touch after so long, what could he possibly have to say that she would want to listen to? The good thing is that she is in a relationship she feels good about with high flying lawyer, Anjan Chaudry who defended Charlie in court.
Helen gets drawn into a police inquiry that her boss, DCI McLeod wants her to keep out of, leaving it to Amy to carry out some preliminary inquiries. Robertson Bennet arrives in Edinburgh from the United States after working in the IT industry for some years. After an absence of 30 years, he is looking for his parents, George and Euphemia 'Phamie' MacDonald who have gone missing. He had left Scotland, taking his parents savings with him, is now experiencing financial difficulties and needing his inheritance. Birch and Kato find themselves in deep waters in a case that turns out to be both traumatising and more complex than they could ever have imagined. In a narrative that covers domestic violence and abuse with journal entries by Phamie included, Helen finds George, a trainspotter, went under another name, Ginger Mack, a man that raises terrible suspicions in her mind and interspersed in the story are media reports of young women going missing through the years.
Askey writes well written and compelling crime fiction, and I really liked her characters, particularly Helen, a driven and determined women for whom instincts and hunches play a big part, and Amy is the perfect foil for her. The women have a wonderfully close and supportive relationship that works really well, Helen doesn't always get it right, and she is fortunate in that she has Anjan and Amy who prove to be good sounding boards for her ideas, and help keep her grounded. This is great, entertaining and engaging crime fiction where Edinburgh provides a wonderful backdrop to the most disturbing of police investigations. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
Helen gets drawn into a police inquiry that her boss, DCI McLeod wants her to keep out of, leaving it to Amy to carry out some preliminary inquiries. Robertson Bennet arrives in Edinburgh from the United States after working in the IT industry for some years. After an absence of 30 years, he is looking for his parents, George and Euphemia 'Phamie' MacDonald who have gone missing. He had left Scotland, taking his parents savings with him, is now experiencing financial difficulties and needing his inheritance. Birch and Kato find themselves in deep waters in a case that turns out to be both traumatising and more complex than they could ever have imagined. In a narrative that covers domestic violence and abuse with journal entries by Phamie included, Helen finds George, a trainspotter, went under another name, Ginger Mack, a man that raises terrible suspicions in her mind and interspersed in the story are media reports of young women going missing through the years.
Askey writes well written and compelling crime fiction, and I really liked her characters, particularly Helen, a driven and determined women for whom instincts and hunches play a big part, and Amy is the perfect foil for her. The women have a wonderfully close and supportive relationship that works really well, Helen doesn't always get it right, and she is fortunate in that she has Anjan and Amy who prove to be good sounding boards for her ideas, and help keep her grounded. This is great, entertaining and engaging crime fiction where Edinburgh provides a wonderful backdrop to the most disturbing of police investigations. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
July 3, 2020
When Robertson Bennet reports his long estranged parents George and Euphemia MacDonald missing, little did DI Helen Birch and DC Amy Kato imagine they would find themselves involved in such a complex case. It seems the last time the old couple are seen is around 2015, so where are they? George is a ‘foamer’, a railway enthusiast this becomes integral to the enquiry.
First of all the case is really interesting as investigation reveals that George is a terrible man, controlling at the very least and certainly guilty of domestic abuse and the whole case becomes shocking as more evidence comes to light. Helen Birch is very likeable, she’s funny at times, obstinate, as tenacious as a pit bull and guilty of good hunches much to DCI McLeod’s fury. She has a difficult family background especially for a copper, so this to me makes her an intriguing fictional detective. In this book we get more insight into her family as she wrestles with a lot of personal stuff balancing that alongside the investigation. Amy Kato is very likeable and is a terrific foil for Helen. As always, I love the Edinburgh and Portobello setting and some of the story is set at Carstairs junction which provides an atmospheric backdrop to the dramatic events. It’s well written, there’s clarity in the storytelling and the dialogue feels realistic.
However, I think around 60% the story becomes a bit flat and drawn out although it does then pick up pace again. Helen Birch is slow on the uptake with two very obvious pieces of information and I find that doesn’t match her razor sharp insights elsewhere and her obvious perception. Having said that I did enjoy the book and the end is fitting and feels right.
Overall, an enjoyable read, I like how it starts as a low key investigation and becomes something startlingly big. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC.
First of all the case is really interesting as investigation reveals that George is a terrible man, controlling at the very least and certainly guilty of domestic abuse and the whole case becomes shocking as more evidence comes to light. Helen Birch is very likeable, she’s funny at times, obstinate, as tenacious as a pit bull and guilty of good hunches much to DCI McLeod’s fury. She has a difficult family background especially for a copper, so this to me makes her an intriguing fictional detective. In this book we get more insight into her family as she wrestles with a lot of personal stuff balancing that alongside the investigation. Amy Kato is very likeable and is a terrific foil for Helen. As always, I love the Edinburgh and Portobello setting and some of the story is set at Carstairs junction which provides an atmospheric backdrop to the dramatic events. It’s well written, there’s clarity in the storytelling and the dialogue feels realistic.
However, I think around 60% the story becomes a bit flat and drawn out although it does then pick up pace again. Helen Birch is slow on the uptake with two very obvious pieces of information and I find that doesn’t match her razor sharp insights elsewhere and her obvious perception. Having said that I did enjoy the book and the end is fitting and feels right.
Overall, an enjoyable read, I like how it starts as a low key investigation and becomes something startlingly big. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC.
August 17, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
DI Helen Birch #3
Set in Edinburgh. Robertson Bennet goes to the police station to report his parents missing. He has just returned to Edinburgh after a twenty five year absence to search for his missing parents. DI Helen Birch has enough to contend with trying to help her brother,. Charlie, after an assault in prison. But instinct tells her not to ket this case go.
George and Phamie Bennett have been married a long time. But as the truth begins to unravel, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.
I did not know that this was the third book in this series when I requested. I never thought reporting your parents missing would uncover: domestic abuse, murder and coercive control. At first Helen thought that this was going to be an easy case but it turns out to be one of her biggest cases. She also has problems with her brother, Charlie. Robertson is not a likable character, he's already stolen from his parents. This book can be read as a standalone, but read the series in order, if you can. I quite enjoyed this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Claire Askew for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
DI Helen Birch #3
Set in Edinburgh. Robertson Bennet goes to the police station to report his parents missing. He has just returned to Edinburgh after a twenty five year absence to search for his missing parents. DI Helen Birch has enough to contend with trying to help her brother,. Charlie, after an assault in prison. But instinct tells her not to ket this case go.
George and Phamie Bennett have been married a long time. But as the truth begins to unravel, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.
I did not know that this was the third book in this series when I requested. I never thought reporting your parents missing would uncover: domestic abuse, murder and coercive control. At first Helen thought that this was going to be an easy case but it turns out to be one of her biggest cases. She also has problems with her brother, Charlie. Robertson is not a likable character, he's already stolen from his parents. This book can be read as a standalone, but read the series in order, if you can. I quite enjoyed this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Claire Askew for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2020
Cover Your Tracks is another great crime novel from Claire Askew, featuring once more the engaging and intriguing Helen Birch..I'm a fan of this series- three books in and the quality of writing and storytelling only gets better with each passing book.
This time round a demanding son looking for his parents draws Helen into a complex case which will uncover many dark deeds - at the same time she is dealing with the fallout from the return of long lost brother Charlie.
The plotting is taut and believable, Helen is a layered character who you happily travel along with, forever following her own path and intuition. The case itself is addictively unpredictable and overall this should be a huge hit with crime fans.
Recommended.
This time round a demanding son looking for his parents draws Helen into a complex case which will uncover many dark deeds - at the same time she is dealing with the fallout from the return of long lost brother Charlie.
The plotting is taut and believable, Helen is a layered character who you happily travel along with, forever following her own path and intuition. The case itself is addictively unpredictable and overall this should be a huge hit with crime fans.
Recommended.
June 9, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Cover Your Tracks, the third novel to feature Edinburgh based DI Helen Birch of Police Scotland.
Robertson Bennett returns to Scotland after a thirty year estrangement to visit his parents, except he can’t find them, alive or dead. DI Helen Birch isn’t sure what to think but she thinks there’s something not quite right and asks DC Amy Kato to investigate. The more she thinks about it, the more she starts to dig herself and what she uncovers leads to more questions.
I enjoyed Cover Your Tracks which has an interesting and unusual premise and a surprising conclusion. It is told from the investigative point of view, Birch and Kato, so the reader can live the investigation with them and, potentially, make the same deductions. This is good and bad, as Birch doesn’t always see clearly and her blindness to the obvious can be frustrating.
I am new to this series so I didn’t have any preconceptions when I started reading. I liked the opening chapters with this strange case and the various permutations it offered. After that, until it perked up at the end, I found it quite boring. Don’t get me wrong, there are some stunning developments in this middle section but how they come about takes a lot of swallowing, otherwise the novel is full of Birch’s hunches and neglect of viable leads, until the plot cries out for them, for these hunches. I love police procedurals but I can’t say I see this as one, more of a mystery.
I can’t say I warmed to Helen Birch. She is wilful, obstinate and overly sure of her hunches. There would be no novel without many of them panning out but it’s no way to run a professional investigation. I assume that her attitudes stem from a troubled childhood and a brother on the wrong side of the law, who, incidentally, seems more clued up on personal interaction than she does.
Cover Your Tracks is a solid read.
Robertson Bennett returns to Scotland after a thirty year estrangement to visit his parents, except he can’t find them, alive or dead. DI Helen Birch isn’t sure what to think but she thinks there’s something not quite right and asks DC Amy Kato to investigate. The more she thinks about it, the more she starts to dig herself and what she uncovers leads to more questions.
I enjoyed Cover Your Tracks which has an interesting and unusual premise and a surprising conclusion. It is told from the investigative point of view, Birch and Kato, so the reader can live the investigation with them and, potentially, make the same deductions. This is good and bad, as Birch doesn’t always see clearly and her blindness to the obvious can be frustrating.
I am new to this series so I didn’t have any preconceptions when I started reading. I liked the opening chapters with this strange case and the various permutations it offered. After that, until it perked up at the end, I found it quite boring. Don’t get me wrong, there are some stunning developments in this middle section but how they come about takes a lot of swallowing, otherwise the novel is full of Birch’s hunches and neglect of viable leads, until the plot cries out for them, for these hunches. I love police procedurals but I can’t say I see this as one, more of a mystery.
I can’t say I warmed to Helen Birch. She is wilful, obstinate and overly sure of her hunches. There would be no novel without many of them panning out but it’s no way to run a professional investigation. I assume that her attitudes stem from a troubled childhood and a brother on the wrong side of the law, who, incidentally, seems more clued up on personal interaction than she does.
Cover Your Tracks is a solid read.
August 24, 2020
Cover Your Tracks is the third instalment in the DI Helen Birch series but it reads perfectly well as a stand-alone. I should know because I broke my golden rule of always, always, starting a series at the very beginning. There is more than enough information and background to get the gist of things and get the reader up to speed in case, like me, you didn’t read the first two books. Most of this revolves around Birch’s personal life and her brother, Charlie, who’s in prison.
Anyway, to the story of Cover Your Tracks. After 25 years away in America, Robertson Bennett returns to Edinburgh in search of his parents who have either gone missing or are dead. Robertson doesn’t know as he hasn’t been in touch with them for decades. DI Helen Birch has other things on her mind, particularly her brother who’s in prison and has been the victim of an assault. But DI Birch just can’t help herself and is unable to resist the urge to dig into the whereabouts of Bennet’s parents. Little does she know it will take her down a path full of terrible crimes.
I never quite warmed to DI Helen Birch. I found her somewhat stand-offish, maybe slightly arrogant. She seems to think she can get away with whatever she wants. But on the other hand, she has remarkable instincts and she’s fierce and determined. Those things are what make her the excellent detective she is, which meant that despite not really liking her all that much, I did firmly root for her to find out the truth. However, I personally preferred the company of DC Amy Kato, who comes across more warm, kind and gentle.
As for the case of the missing parents, hoo boy! That went in an entirely different direction than I was expecting. It’s in circumstances like these where DI Birch’s gut instinct, stubbornness and determination serve her extremely well. Just when you think there might be nothing to the whole situation, it turns out there’s a whole lot of something and just like that, Cover Your Tracks ended up being delightfully unpredictable.
This isn’t always an easy read, particularly as it pertains to the marriage of Bennet’s parents. And I must admit, I missed some of the more obvious police procedural elements that make a well, a police procedural, I guess. It felt to me as if most of the investigation depended heavily on Birch’s hunches instead of solid investigative work. Yet at the same time, I thought there were at least two instances where she should undoubtedly have picked up a clue and then mind-blowingly didn’t.
Overall though, this crime fiction story set in Edinburgh is well plotted, intriguing and has quite an unexpected ending. This unpredictable case will definitely hold the attention of any crime fiction fan.
Anyway, to the story of Cover Your Tracks. After 25 years away in America, Robertson Bennett returns to Edinburgh in search of his parents who have either gone missing or are dead. Robertson doesn’t know as he hasn’t been in touch with them for decades. DI Helen Birch has other things on her mind, particularly her brother who’s in prison and has been the victim of an assault. But DI Birch just can’t help herself and is unable to resist the urge to dig into the whereabouts of Bennet’s parents. Little does she know it will take her down a path full of terrible crimes.
I never quite warmed to DI Helen Birch. I found her somewhat stand-offish, maybe slightly arrogant. She seems to think she can get away with whatever she wants. But on the other hand, she has remarkable instincts and she’s fierce and determined. Those things are what make her the excellent detective she is, which meant that despite not really liking her all that much, I did firmly root for her to find out the truth. However, I personally preferred the company of DC Amy Kato, who comes across more warm, kind and gentle.
As for the case of the missing parents, hoo boy! That went in an entirely different direction than I was expecting. It’s in circumstances like these where DI Birch’s gut instinct, stubbornness and determination serve her extremely well. Just when you think there might be nothing to the whole situation, it turns out there’s a whole lot of something and just like that, Cover Your Tracks ended up being delightfully unpredictable.
This isn’t always an easy read, particularly as it pertains to the marriage of Bennet’s parents. And I must admit, I missed some of the more obvious police procedural elements that make a well, a police procedural, I guess. It felt to me as if most of the investigation depended heavily on Birch’s hunches instead of solid investigative work. Yet at the same time, I thought there were at least two instances where she should undoubtedly have picked up a clue and then mind-blowingly didn’t.
Overall though, this crime fiction story set in Edinburgh is well plotted, intriguing and has quite an unexpected ending. This unpredictable case will definitely hold the attention of any crime fiction fan.
August 25, 2020
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Enthralling, suspenseful and gripping - Askew is already up there with the greats of Scottish crime writing. Well, this was certainly a twisty tale. In ‘Cover Your Tracks’ we are reunited with DI Helen and her team for another tautly-plotted mystery. The ‘Tracks’ of the title is both literal and metaphorical. It begins with the rather odd figure of Robertson Bennett returning to Scotland after a long hiatus. In financial trouble Bennett has come to claim his inheritance, but to his annoyance, rather than concern, both George and Phammie MacDonald are missing. Cue, DI Birch’s entry into this puzzling case, which begins with a standard missing persons case and spirals into something else, something far more deadly. Somehow, the MacDonald’s are linked with a number of historic missing persons cases. Young females missing, disappearances spanning decades, all somehow linked to the complex network of Edinburgh’s train tracks. Deeper we go into the rabbit hole of Edinburgh’s dark, murderous past. But where are the MacDonald’s? What bearing does the past have on current events? In this intricately constructed tale nothing is as it seems. With some ingenious plotting, where the beautiful, complex city of Edinburgh is the undisputed star, Askew follows in the footsteps of Ian Rankin. Like Rankin’s legendary Rebus series, Askew’s own creations are worthy contemporaries. Indeed, I am already looking forward to Birch’s next adventure.
Enthralling, suspenseful and gripping - Askew is already up there with the greats of Scottish crime writing. Well, this was certainly a twisty tale. In ‘Cover Your Tracks’ we are reunited with DI Helen and her team for another tautly-plotted mystery. The ‘Tracks’ of the title is both literal and metaphorical. It begins with the rather odd figure of Robertson Bennett returning to Scotland after a long hiatus. In financial trouble Bennett has come to claim his inheritance, but to his annoyance, rather than concern, both George and Phammie MacDonald are missing. Cue, DI Birch’s entry into this puzzling case, which begins with a standard missing persons case and spirals into something else, something far more deadly. Somehow, the MacDonald’s are linked with a number of historic missing persons cases. Young females missing, disappearances spanning decades, all somehow linked to the complex network of Edinburgh’s train tracks. Deeper we go into the rabbit hole of Edinburgh’s dark, murderous past. But where are the MacDonald’s? What bearing does the past have on current events? In this intricately constructed tale nothing is as it seems. With some ingenious plotting, where the beautiful, complex city of Edinburgh is the undisputed star, Askew follows in the footsteps of Ian Rankin. Like Rankin’s legendary Rebus series, Askew’s own creations are worthy contemporaries. Indeed, I am already looking forward to Birch’s next adventure.
April 8, 2021
A seemingly very well-to-do Robertson Bennet has returned to Edinburgh after decades in America, with hopes of reconnecting with his parents. Unfortunately for him, they were nowhere to be found. He’d left home over thirty years ago after emptying his father’s bank account and never looked back until now. Ostensibly, he was back to reimburse his father.
In reality, Bennet’s life in California has taken a downward turn and he was hoping Detective Inspector Helen Birch would initiate a missing persons police search. Bennet convinced Birch by virtue of the fact his father had always been violent and he was concerned for his mother’s safety. Driving this was Bennet’s hope of claiming his inheritance.
The investigation into the disappearance of George and Euphemia (known as Phamie) MacDonald takes Helen and her DC, Amy Kato down unexpected and complex paths. As more becomes known about the couple they uncover domestic abuse and multiple murders among other things, with journal entries from Phamie to fill in some gaps.
Helen has a complicated past, with an absentee father and a brother who was missing for years and is now in prison. She and Amy have a good relationship, working well together and bringing their own strengths to the team. They are a perfect foil for each other. Helen tends to run determinedly with her instincts, despite her boss wanting her to leave the missing persons case to Amy. In this instance however her hunches proved to be worthwhile, uncovering much more than she and Amy had ever anticipated.
The addition of newspaper reports relating to past events is a nice touch and adds to the story as the search for George Bennet becomes more intense. The subject matter is dark and traumatic, handled with sensitivity. It’ll be interesting to see where Claire Askew takes the characters in their personal and professional lives.
In reality, Bennet’s life in California has taken a downward turn and he was hoping Detective Inspector Helen Birch would initiate a missing persons police search. Bennet convinced Birch by virtue of the fact his father had always been violent and he was concerned for his mother’s safety. Driving this was Bennet’s hope of claiming his inheritance.
The investigation into the disappearance of George and Euphemia (known as Phamie) MacDonald takes Helen and her DC, Amy Kato down unexpected and complex paths. As more becomes known about the couple they uncover domestic abuse and multiple murders among other things, with journal entries from Phamie to fill in some gaps.
Helen has a complicated past, with an absentee father and a brother who was missing for years and is now in prison. She and Amy have a good relationship, working well together and bringing their own strengths to the team. They are a perfect foil for each other. Helen tends to run determinedly with her instincts, despite her boss wanting her to leave the missing persons case to Amy. In this instance however her hunches proved to be worthwhile, uncovering much more than she and Amy had ever anticipated.
The addition of newspaper reports relating to past events is a nice touch and adds to the story as the search for George Bennet becomes more intense. The subject matter is dark and traumatic, handled with sensitivity. It’ll be interesting to see where Claire Askew takes the characters in their personal and professional lives.
October 20, 2020
I love this series and this book again did not disappoint!
I found it to be a very quick read that I finished in 1 day.
It's just another ordinary and boring day for DI Helen Birch, but then her path crosses with Robert Bennet who reports his parents missing. But this is not just a case of missing parents. It goes much deeper and it gets way more twisted with every page. What happened to the parents and what is the link with some cold cases starting from way back when.....In between all this Helen must also deal with some personal issues like her brother being attacked in prison and a dad she hasn't seen for years crawling out of the woodworks!
A very entertaining read! I cant wait to see what will happen next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
I found it to be a very quick read that I finished in 1 day.
It's just another ordinary and boring day for DI Helen Birch, but then her path crosses with Robert Bennet who reports his parents missing. But this is not just a case of missing parents. It goes much deeper and it gets way more twisted with every page. What happened to the parents and what is the link with some cold cases starting from way back when.....In between all this Helen must also deal with some personal issues like her brother being attacked in prison and a dad she hasn't seen for years crawling out of the woodworks!
A very entertaining read! I cant wait to see what will happen next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
August 20, 2020
I have been reading a lot of police procedural this summer and Cover Your Tracks is definitely at the top of my list of favourite. This is the third novel in this series that features DI Helen Birch of Police Scotland. I really like the character of Helen. She is smart, funny, stubborn and really good at her job. She always follows her gut, even though it often clashes with the police politics and it goes against her boss’ orders, but it usually right. In Cover Your Tracks, we also see her dealing with a lot of personal family drama with the return of someone she hasn’t seen since she was young and her brother’s troubles in prison.
Helen’s narrative alternates with the point of view of DC Amy Kato who I find very likable, loyal, authentic, and clever. I really like this investigative duo and I enjoy their close relationship that it’s not simply the relationship of a boss and her subordinate, but of friends and confidants.
In Cover Your Tracks, the two women investigate the case of an elderly couple presumed missing by their estranged son. At the beginning, it looks like a complicated family matter, but, as they keep investigating, it turns into something darker and more sinister than they could have ever expected.
Set in Edinburgh, Cover Your Tracks is very well-written, gripping, claustrophobic and disturbing. I found myself turning page after page eager to see what the next shocking revelation would be. This is an addictive police procedural and I am already looking forward to read the next one in the series.
Helen’s narrative alternates with the point of view of DC Amy Kato who I find very likable, loyal, authentic, and clever. I really like this investigative duo and I enjoy their close relationship that it’s not simply the relationship of a boss and her subordinate, but of friends and confidants.
In Cover Your Tracks, the two women investigate the case of an elderly couple presumed missing by their estranged son. At the beginning, it looks like a complicated family matter, but, as they keep investigating, it turns into something darker and more sinister than they could have ever expected.
Set in Edinburgh, Cover Your Tracks is very well-written, gripping, claustrophobic and disturbing. I found myself turning page after page eager to see what the next shocking revelation would be. This is an addictive police procedural and I am already looking forward to read the next one in the series.
March 9, 2022
Cover Your Tracks by Claire Askew is a very methodical and well thought out story. It is the story of George and Phamie MacDonald who are now in their 80’s but no-one knows where they are. Their son returns to Edinburgh after 25 years hoping to find them.
An interesting and fascinating insight into an abusive marriage lasting over 60 years. A serial killer is finally found after at least 6 young women’s deaths.
Detective Inspector Helen Birch is concerned about her brother Charlie, who is assaulted in prison. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Highly recommended
An interesting and fascinating insight into an abusive marriage lasting over 60 years. A serial killer is finally found after at least 6 young women’s deaths.
Detective Inspector Helen Birch is concerned about her brother Charlie, who is assaulted in prison. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Highly recommended
January 22, 2021
Sometimes I think I would happily read no other crime fiction than that of Claire Askew. Tightly-plotted mysteries for the head, emotive subplots for the heart and the sort of subtext that gets the blood pounding. And only eight months until we get to hang out with DI Helen Birch again.
February 7, 2021
Another good tale.
July 6, 2022
3.5 starts. Pretty good mystery set in Scotland. Liked the main character Helen, looking forward to book 4 in the series.
November 5, 2020
This is the 3rd book in the DI Birch series. I really enjoyed it and will definitely look for the next one. I'm surprised there aren't more reviews.
July 24, 2024
Pros: Couldn’t put the book down. Left me on the edge of my seat. Runaway son opens missing persons report into his parents disappearance turns serial killer mystery? Sign me up.
Cons: Why tf do people in Scotland call each other marm? Say ma’am like a normal person. Marm made me think of Chicken Parm.
Fun read
Cons: Why tf do people in Scotland call each other marm? Say ma’am like a normal person. Marm made me think of Chicken Parm.
Fun read
September 11, 2020
Brilliantly plotted and well written. This book had be gripped from start to finish. Loved it
October 26, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I like Detective Inspector Helen Birch (even though one has to willingly suspend disbelief that she could survive in the police force!) and the book is very readable but on the other hand the plot did not really work for me and I was bemused that the police could not see things which were obvious to me so the ending was no surprise.
Set in Edinburgh and Carstairs the story begins with DI Birch looking into the whereabouts of an elderly couple but soon changes into something much more sinister.
Set in Edinburgh and Carstairs the story begins with DI Birch looking into the whereabouts of an elderly couple but soon changes into something much more sinister.
August 11, 2020
I have a rather embarrassing confession to make. Yes yet another one. Although I have the two previous books in this series on my ever growing 'to be read' mountain, I haven't read them yet. What a mistake to make. Having enjoyed reading 'Cover Your Tracks' as much as I did, I can guarantee that the other books in the series will not be on that 'tbr' mountain for very much longer. I absolutely loved every single minute of 'Cover Your Tracks' but more about that in a bit.
I loved the character of Detective Inspector Helen Birch and I warmed to her from the start. She is a dedicated police officer with a fair bit of experience. She is in charge of a small team and they all work well together. Birch has a gut instinct where crime is concerned. If something doesn't sit right with her then that means there is something amiss. Birch is like a dog with a bone in that she will not rest until she has fully investigated a case and exhausted all leads. What makes Birch a bit different from other lead female police characters is that her brother is currently in prison. She doesn't hide the fact and she regularly visits him. Birch is kind, caring, compassionate, sensitive, determined, tenacious, occasionally stubborn and feisty.
Oh boy, as soon as I started to read, I just knew that I was going to be in for one hell of a fantastic read. To say that reading this book became addictive is a huge understatement. I managed to binge read the book over the course of a day because I simply couldn't put the book down. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I think I feared missing out on something if I parted from the book even for just a nanosecond. I was so focussed on the story that I lost track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. I was quite surprised at just how quickly I managed to get through the story. For me, 'Cover Your Tracks' was an unputdownable, page turner of a read.
'Cover Your Tracks' is superbly written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into the story. From fairly early on, I felt as though I was part of the story myself which is largely down to Claire's very vivid and realistic storytelling. The fairly gentle pace of the book suits the storyline of the unknown whereabouts of two elderly people. Claire certainly kept me guessing too. I thought that I had worked out who had done what and why, only to realise that I had the wrong end of the stick. Claire certainly knows how to weave the twists and turns into the story too. I loved the plot, the characters and the author's writing style. In fact there's not one thing about the book that I didn't like.
In short, 'Cover Your Tracks' is a fabulous read, which I would definitely recommend to other readers. I will be reading more of Claire's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I loved the character of Detective Inspector Helen Birch and I warmed to her from the start. She is a dedicated police officer with a fair bit of experience. She is in charge of a small team and they all work well together. Birch has a gut instinct where crime is concerned. If something doesn't sit right with her then that means there is something amiss. Birch is like a dog with a bone in that she will not rest until she has fully investigated a case and exhausted all leads. What makes Birch a bit different from other lead female police characters is that her brother is currently in prison. She doesn't hide the fact and she regularly visits him. Birch is kind, caring, compassionate, sensitive, determined, tenacious, occasionally stubborn and feisty.
Oh boy, as soon as I started to read, I just knew that I was going to be in for one hell of a fantastic read. To say that reading this book became addictive is a huge understatement. I managed to binge read the book over the course of a day because I simply couldn't put the book down. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I think I feared missing out on something if I parted from the book even for just a nanosecond. I was so focussed on the story that I lost track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. I was quite surprised at just how quickly I managed to get through the story. For me, 'Cover Your Tracks' was an unputdownable, page turner of a read.
'Cover Your Tracks' is superbly written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into the story. From fairly early on, I felt as though I was part of the story myself which is largely down to Claire's very vivid and realistic storytelling. The fairly gentle pace of the book suits the storyline of the unknown whereabouts of two elderly people. Claire certainly kept me guessing too. I thought that I had worked out who had done what and why, only to realise that I had the wrong end of the stick. Claire certainly knows how to weave the twists and turns into the story too. I loved the plot, the characters and the author's writing style. In fact there's not one thing about the book that I didn't like.
In short, 'Cover Your Tracks' is a fabulous read, which I would definitely recommend to other readers. I will be reading more of Claire's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
August 5, 2020
Well... this took me all round the houses and back again. Actually, it took the detectives on a similar path throughout too! We start with Robertson Bennet, a rather obnoxious visitor to the Police Station, demanding to speak to someone in authority. It transpires that he is worried about his aged parents who appear to have disappeared. It further transpires that he has not had contact with them since he stole their savings and left for America some 30 years ago. Not surprising that they haven't stayed in touch. But then he claims that when he left, all that time ago, his father was abusive to his mother. Enter DI Helen Birch and DC Amy Kato to investigate. Although, there's not much to go on. Especially when it becomes obvious that Robertson might be worried for his mother but he also has one eye on his inheritance!
And so begins a rather strange investigation which Helen has to keep off the book initially. This allows her to maverick out a bit as she searches for clues. But, you remember that old adage about being careful what you wish for... well, I bet Helen and Amy never thought in a month of Sundays that the investigation would go that way... oh my indeed!
And that's all I'm saying here... but what a wonderful can of worms it all turns out to be...
It was nice to reconnect with Helen, who I first met in All the Hidden Truths. She has a, well let's just say, an interesting personal life. Absent father, previously absent, now in jail brother, but at least she has a decent relationship with her lawyer boyfriend. I do admit to missing out book two of this series, but I don't think I really missed out too much, apart from accepting Charlie's fate...
Pacing was good and always complemented the current narrative which ebbed and flowed along all the way through. There was little in the way of padding and waffle which meant that it all got on with itself very well.
All in all a good solid read which held my attention nicely. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
And so begins a rather strange investigation which Helen has to keep off the book initially. This allows her to maverick out a bit as she searches for clues. But, you remember that old adage about being careful what you wish for... well, I bet Helen and Amy never thought in a month of Sundays that the investigation would go that way... oh my indeed!
And that's all I'm saying here... but what a wonderful can of worms it all turns out to be...
It was nice to reconnect with Helen, who I first met in All the Hidden Truths. She has a, well let's just say, an interesting personal life. Absent father, previously absent, now in jail brother, but at least she has a decent relationship with her lawyer boyfriend. I do admit to missing out book two of this series, but I don't think I really missed out too much, apart from accepting Charlie's fate...
Pacing was good and always complemented the current narrative which ebbed and flowed along all the way through. There was little in the way of padding and waffle which meant that it all got on with itself very well.
All in all a good solid read which held my attention nicely. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
May 15, 2020
‘Cover Your Tracks’ is Claire Askew’s third novel in her DI Helen Birch series and is just as tense and intriguing a read as the first two stories. Helen is still coming to terms with the fact that her younger brother, Charlie, is in prison. On a happier note, her relationship with Anjan Chaudhry ‘– her personal favourite lawyer -’ is giving her a lot of joy. Once more, the Edinburgh setting is a character in its own right and adds to the authenticity of the narrative.
Unsurprisingly, given the title, ‘Cover Your Tracks’ focuses both on railway settings and well-hidden secrets. When the slightly improbable Robertson Bennet turns up at Fettes police station after decades in the USA, hoping that the police will find his estranged elderly parents, Birch gradually realises that this is no ordinary family search.
Inevitably, Askew’s police procedurals focus on difficult subjects and in this novel domestic abuse comes under scrutiny. As in life, there are no easy explanations given or quick solutions to this terrible behaviour. Instead, the author writes with sympathy and insight, encouraging the reader to understand why people seem unable to break away from their tormentor. The ludicrous Bennet aside, Askew’s characters are extremely credible, not least because of her authentic sounding dialogue. And there’s no doubting her ability to craft memorable prose: her use of language ranges from the lyrical to the shudder-inducing!
Readers already invested in DI Helen Birch’s world will love this latest addition. Anyone new to it could begin here but might be best advised to begin at the beginning with ‘All the Hidden Truths’.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
Unsurprisingly, given the title, ‘Cover Your Tracks’ focuses both on railway settings and well-hidden secrets. When the slightly improbable Robertson Bennet turns up at Fettes police station after decades in the USA, hoping that the police will find his estranged elderly parents, Birch gradually realises that this is no ordinary family search.
Inevitably, Askew’s police procedurals focus on difficult subjects and in this novel domestic abuse comes under scrutiny. As in life, there are no easy explanations given or quick solutions to this terrible behaviour. Instead, the author writes with sympathy and insight, encouraging the reader to understand why people seem unable to break away from their tormentor. The ludicrous Bennet aside, Askew’s characters are extremely credible, not least because of her authentic sounding dialogue. And there’s no doubting her ability to craft memorable prose: her use of language ranges from the lyrical to the shudder-inducing!
Readers already invested in DI Helen Birch’s world will love this latest addition. Anyone new to it could begin here but might be best advised to begin at the beginning with ‘All the Hidden Truths’.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
January 18, 2021
This was the second DI Birch book I read within a matter of days. While my intention is to go back and read book 1, unfortunately, I started with Book 2 What you Pay For and Cover your Tracks is book 3. I enjoyed the setting of Edinburgh as I have spent a lot of time there and the storyline was good, a nod to Rankine and Oswald and Fields but .... as I commented to my wife while reading book 2 What you Pay For, DI Birch spends (in my opinion) too much time navel-gazing and there are too long gaps between the action as DI Birch tries to sort her head out with her various personal relationships. What further depressed me about Cover your Tracks was not only the continuation of this character trait but the fact that all males (excepting Anjan. Nice guy but surely he will smell the coffee and exit stage left) are portrayed as controlling, manipulative, unpleasant, evil, violent, inherintly weak (you get the idea) guys stereotypical of males. And all the women hate them all. I had to look up what was the opposite of misogyny. It's ironic that a book whose storyline is based on misogyny in the male characters came across as being misandrist on the part of the female characters. Maybe that was the balance Ms. Askew sought to achieve but two wrongs don't make a right and making no comment re the wider social aspect I thought the book was less enjoyable as a result of that juxtaposition of the values of the characters.
August 6, 2020
Having really enjoyed the first one, I started this under the mistaken impression that it was the second in the Helen Birch series; turns out it’s actually the third, and I’ve missed one. Seems like I missed some pretty important stuff, too. So, that needs sorting asap.
Anyway aside from some stuff in Helen’s personal life, it didn’t affect my ability to follow the plot. When a man walks into her Edinburgh police station to report his elderly parents missing and demand the police investigate, DI Birch doesn’t initially take it too seriously - after all, Robertson Bennet admits he’s been estranged from them for many years. But it soon becomes clear that there’s far more to the story than meets the eye, and a potential link to a number of unsolved cases, as well as serious concerns about the well-being of one individual...
I loved the plot, the Edinburgh setting, and the characters of Helen and her DC Amy Kato, who both go above and beyond in their quest to uncover the truth. The story is quite hard hitting and emotional at times, and the last few pages had me in tears.
(I knew as soon as I heard one person’s name who they were - but as it was near the end and revealed a page later, it wasn’t exactly a spoiler!)
Great read, and I’m now off to catch up with the one I missed.
Anyway aside from some stuff in Helen’s personal life, it didn’t affect my ability to follow the plot. When a man walks into her Edinburgh police station to report his elderly parents missing and demand the police investigate, DI Birch doesn’t initially take it too seriously - after all, Robertson Bennet admits he’s been estranged from them for many years. But it soon becomes clear that there’s far more to the story than meets the eye, and a potential link to a number of unsolved cases, as well as serious concerns about the well-being of one individual...
I loved the plot, the Edinburgh setting, and the characters of Helen and her DC Amy Kato, who both go above and beyond in their quest to uncover the truth. The story is quite hard hitting and emotional at times, and the last few pages had me in tears.
(I knew as soon as I heard one person’s name who they were - but as it was near the end and revealed a page later, it wasn’t exactly a spoiler!)
Great read, and I’m now off to catch up with the one I missed.
July 28, 2023
An enjoyable read, despite its grim subject matter. I'm not a particular fan of the genre, but the author came to our local bookshop, and I was intrigued to see that in between customers, she wrote - longhand - very quickly in a small notebook. Is she writing her next novel? I wondered. It made me curious about her writing, so I bought this, which I believe is her second book.
I really like the main character - a female detective, and it was refreshing to find that she had a good, uncomplicated relationship with a very nice man! The main plot was interesting enough, though I did guess the ending several chapters before it was revealed. The scenes and situations were varied, and there was a captivating sub-plot involving the detective's brother - though this was not entirely resolved by the end of the book.
Overall, a good light read. It's not literary or poetic, but the dialogue is convincing, and skilfully punctuated with descriptions of non-verbal actions and characters' reflections.
It's a book you look forward to reading, and there are some thoughtful reflections on violence against women.
I really like the main character - a female detective, and it was refreshing to find that she had a good, uncomplicated relationship with a very nice man! The main plot was interesting enough, though I did guess the ending several chapters before it was revealed. The scenes and situations were varied, and there was a captivating sub-plot involving the detective's brother - though this was not entirely resolved by the end of the book.
Overall, a good light read. It's not literary or poetic, but the dialogue is convincing, and skilfully punctuated with descriptions of non-verbal actions and characters' reflections.
It's a book you look forward to reading, and there are some thoughtful reflections on violence against women.
May 21, 2020
DI Helen Birch, based in Edinburgh, is faced with a belligerent man demanding that Police Scotland find his missing parents, who he’s not seen since he left as a young man, taking their savings with him. It’s obviously not just about that, he needs money to boost is ailing business. Unfortunately things don’t turn out quite how either the police or Robertson Bennet, son of the missing couple quite expect.
This is the 3rd book about Helen, but, not having read the previous 2 books is not a problem, as this is definitely a stand alone read. However, I’m definitely going to read the first 2 if they are as good as this one.
I know Edinburgh quite well and I could imagine myself there as it is described by the author. Her characters are well rounded and believable, the pacing of the book is excellent, I definitely didn’t want to put it down, and the ending isn’t quite as expected. I would recommend this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review,
This is the 3rd book about Helen, but, not having read the previous 2 books is not a problem, as this is definitely a stand alone read. However, I’m definitely going to read the first 2 if they are as good as this one.
I know Edinburgh quite well and I could imagine myself there as it is described by the author. Her characters are well rounded and believable, the pacing of the book is excellent, I definitely didn’t want to put it down, and the ending isn’t quite as expected. I would recommend this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review,
July 30, 2020
I've already got a paperback copy of this book on order, so was over the moon to be able to read it early with this advance review copy from Netgalley.
I've followed Askew on twitter for years, and been a fan of Helen Birch since the first novel hit my doormat, and Cover Your Tracks is a great edition to the series. It still bears the hangover from book 2, with Birch spending a lot of her energy on her brother, Charlie, but that story line ebbs and flows throughout. It gives Birch depth and colours her decisions, her doggedness with the case she faces, and her single-mindedness that leads her to break protocol and, well, that would be spoiling it!
Did I 'solve it? I'm pretty sure I was shouting FLAGSTONES at the kindle for the last 40% of this, and I think I had most of it plotted out, but still gasped at one of the last big reveals.
Edinburgh is vibrant here, in the early September sun, and the colour it adds to the story is just a small reason as to why I love the Helen Birch series.
I've followed Askew on twitter for years, and been a fan of Helen Birch since the first novel hit my doormat, and Cover Your Tracks is a great edition to the series. It still bears the hangover from book 2, with Birch spending a lot of her energy on her brother, Charlie, but that story line ebbs and flows throughout. It gives Birch depth and colours her decisions, her doggedness with the case she faces, and her single-mindedness that leads her to break protocol and, well, that would be spoiling it!
Did I 'solve it? I'm pretty sure I was shouting FLAGSTONES at the kindle for the last 40% of this, and I think I had most of it plotted out, but still gasped at one of the last big reveals.
Edinburgh is vibrant here, in the early September sun, and the colour it adds to the story is just a small reason as to why I love the Helen Birch series.
September 25, 2020
This is the third book featuring DI Helen Birch, and each one is better than the last. A man comes to the police station to report his parents missing- but he left as a young man and hasn’t seen them for 30 years. He has returned now in the hope of getting a financial inheritance, but claims that his father was violent and that his mother could be in danger. This inauspicious encounter leads Birch and her sidekick, DS Amy Kato, unexpectedly to a series of cold case murders that will take all their ingenuity to uncover. Birch and Kato are believable and likeable. characters, despite their flaws, and Birch’s life becomes even more complicated when her brother Charlie faces trouble in prison and their deadbeat father tries to contact them after abandoning the family years before. This can be read as a stand- alone novel, but readers are sure to want to go back, at least to the second in the series that tells Charlie’s story. Crime storytelling at its best, this is an absorbing police procedural with lots of heart.
August 17, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
This book is the 3rd in the DI Helen Birch series, and centres around a man, Robertson Bennet, who walks into Helen’s police station to report his mother and father missing. It seems like a case that doesn’t warrant too much work on it, but it turns into one of Helen’s biggest cases, and on more than one occasion she has to get her hands dirty. Robertson is an unlikable character, who misses his parents for only one reason - money. The story also includes the ongoing issues in Helen’s private life with her brother, Charlie,
I love this series of books, Helen Birch is a great character, and has many flaws. But she is very relatable. She makes a great police officer, and not everything she does is by the book.
The story was easy to follow, was fast paced, every page had something new on it, and was the best in the series so far. Looking forward to seeing what Helen gets up to next.
Would highly recommend.
This book is the 3rd in the DI Helen Birch series, and centres around a man, Robertson Bennet, who walks into Helen’s police station to report his mother and father missing. It seems like a case that doesn’t warrant too much work on it, but it turns into one of Helen’s biggest cases, and on more than one occasion she has to get her hands dirty. Robertson is an unlikable character, who misses his parents for only one reason - money. The story also includes the ongoing issues in Helen’s private life with her brother, Charlie,
I love this series of books, Helen Birch is a great character, and has many flaws. But she is very relatable. She makes a great police officer, and not everything she does is by the book.
The story was easy to follow, was fast paced, every page had something new on it, and was the best in the series so far. Looking forward to seeing what Helen gets up to next.
Would highly recommend.
December 14, 2024
This novel starts with a Scottish-American man marching into the Edinburgh police station, demanding that the police look for his aged parents. He lost contact with them 20 years ago when he stole their life savings and ran off to the USA. Since then, he’d made and lost a fortune and has now returned looking for more money. (Not a nice man!) DI Helen Birch and DS Amy Kato investigate, but they can’t find the old couple and become increasingly worried about the wife when they discover her husband could be dangerous. This story is interesting and exciting, although I found the two police women a bit irritating at times. Despite that I kept turning the pages and it has a surprising conclusion that's worth waiting for.
Review by: Freyja, Oundle Crime
Review by: Freyja, Oundle Crime
October 4, 2023
Probably 3.5 - 3.75 if you want to be 'picky'!
The second book I've read by Claire Askew and she quietly impresses me. Not a 'page-turner', not a thriller but the story draws you in, from albeit unpromising beginnings. Believable, but not showy, characters in an 'ordinary' setting. Nothing startling, but not necessarily mundane. Nice to see an author write about someone trying their best to cope with a believable range of circumstances, without resorting to the usual 'maverick' / 'loner' schtick which is an easy get-out for lazy crime -writing. I'll be searching out more by this author, and I write as a former train-spotter which I might concede is an unsettling admission.
The second book I've read by Claire Askew and she quietly impresses me. Not a 'page-turner', not a thriller but the story draws you in, from albeit unpromising beginnings. Believable, but not showy, characters in an 'ordinary' setting. Nothing startling, but not necessarily mundane. Nice to see an author write about someone trying their best to cope with a believable range of circumstances, without resorting to the usual 'maverick' / 'loner' schtick which is an easy get-out for lazy crime -writing. I'll be searching out more by this author, and I write as a former train-spotter which I might concede is an unsettling admission.
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