Web of Deceit (Detective Ella Marconi #6) in Aussie Readers

Dec 05, 2012 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, mystery, crime, 2013-release

When paramedics Jane and Alex arrived in their ambulance, the man whose car was jammed up against a pole seemed to be trapped. But it turned out he had locked himself in, and was refusing to get out. Witnesses had tried to talk to him, but he seemed terrified, uninjured but badly frightened. After they had managed to talk him into the ambulance, and were headed for the hospital, Marko Meixner wouldn’t tell them anything, other than to say he was being followed, that someone was out to get him. H When paramedics Jane and Alex arrived in their ambulance, the man whose car was jammed up against a pole seemed to be trapped. But it turned out he had locked himself in, and was refusing to get out. Witnesses had tried to talk to him, but he seemed terrified, uninjured but badly frightened. After they had managed to talk him into the ambulance, and were headed for the hospital, Marko Meixner wouldn’t tell them anything, other than to say he was being followed, that someone was out to get him. He was frantic, but seemed delusional.

An emergency call to Town Hall railway station at the end of their shift had Alex and Jane heading out again. Peak hour commuters were rushing to their destinations, but when Jane and Alex arrived at the scene, horror sent chills down their spines. A person had been hit by the train which was stopped in the station, and on checking the body, they discovered it to be their patient from earlier in the day, Marko Meixner. It looked like suicide, but Jane wasn’t so sure. She remembered the terror in Marko’s eyes earlier in the day…

When Detective Ella Marconi arrived on the scene with her partner Detective Murray Shakespeare, they began the task of interviewing witnesses. On learning of Marko’s history, she also was doubtful about the verdict of suicide. The investigation deepened, becoming a confusing tangle of strange events, of clues which didn’t gel and a frustration which grew with each passing day. Ella’s budget conscious boss was holding them back with his abrupt ways, and rigid nine-to-five attitude, until she thought she would explode.

In the meantime both Alex and Jane were having problems of their own in their personal lives, Alex with his fourteen year old daughter Mia, and Jane with her ex-husband Steve and his new wife Deb.

The intense and gripping plot was fast paced and full of suspense. The extreme twist at the end had me literally gasping out loud…I most certainly didn’t expect it! Once again, Katherine Howell has proven to be a master at her game. I can’t wait for the next one!

Highly recommended.
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Dec 08, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was amazing

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, arc-are, aussie-author

Once I started Web of Deceit I couldn't put it down, which led to a very late night given I had intended, at midnight, to read only a chapter or two before getting some sleep. I really should have known better as I always find Howell's series to be compulsive page turners, packed with intrigue, action and excitement.

Web of Deceit opens as Sydney paramedics Jane and Alex attend a minor car accident. The driver, Marko Meixner, blames the incident on a stalker and even though his almost incoherent
Once I started Web of Deceit I couldn't put it down, which led to a very late night given I had intended, at midnight, to read only a chapter or two before getting some sleep. I really should have known better as I always find Howell's series to be compulsive page turners, packed with intrigue, action and excitement.

Web of Deceit opens as Sydney paramedics Jane and Alex attend a minor car accident. The driver, Marko Meixner, blames the incident on a stalker and even though his almost incoherent ravings suggest a psychiatric disorder, Jane wonders if there might be some truth in what he is saying. Unfortunately there is little more they can do other than deliver him to the local hospital and notify the staff of their concerns. The incident is quickly forgotten as they continue on with their day, Alex's mind is on his rebellious teenage daughter and Jane is simply eager for their shift to finish so she can rendezvous with her secret lover. Nearing the end of shift, Jane and Alex are annoyed when they are called to extricate a body from under a city train, but when they identify the corpse as the morning's patient, Jane feels compelled to share her concerns with the on scene detective, Ella Marconi and her partner. Now it is up to the detectives to determine is Marko fell, pushed or jumped in front of the train, dragging them into a tangled web of secrets, lies and violence.

While Ella and Murray follow paper trails, badger unreliable and reluctant witnesses and try to avoid the censure of their penny pinching captain, they become convinced that Marko was in fact murdered. Their prime suspect is a newly released parolee who was incarcerated after Marko testified against him for murder more than a decade previously, but they can't easily dismiss Marko's boss and his partner, who have been siphoning the company's funds. As always I love the realism Howell injects into the police procedure - mountains of paperwork, petty office politics, leads that don't pan out and the sheer leg work to solve a case.

Detective Ella Marconi is the anchor of this series, but in each book Howell introduces a new paramedic team that are integral to the plot, ensuring the series never goes stale and the installments work well as stand alone novels. The paramedics contribute their own subplots as Howell skillfully weaves the personal and professional stories of each character into the main storyline, often with surprising crossover. In Web of Deceit, Jane is dealing with her ex-husband's crazed wife and her new lover's secret identity while Alex is struggling with PTSD and a recalcitrant daughter. Both are fully realised, complex and likeable characters.

The patients, victims and perpetrators are also of interest in the story. Rarely is any character, even the villain, a convenient stereotype. Howell demonstrates insight into the emotions and motivations of each - a wronged wife, a frightened girlfriend, a frantic father, heightening the tension by connecting the reader with characters that feel familiar.

Web of Deceit is Katherine's sixth novel, and I think has edged out the others in the series as my favourite by the slimmest of margins. Fast paced, slick and utterly absorbing this is a fabulous read which I recommend without reserve.
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Feb 09, 2013 Sheree rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, suspense-thriller, reviews, aussie-author, read-in-2013

Best yet ... no lie! I'm a huge fan of this series but for me Web Of Deceit was the consummate blend of paramedic voyeurism and investigative punch. Smart, tight and pacey made for seriously compelling reading.

Obviously Detective Ella Marconi is the constant but with each book we're introduced to new paramedics, in Web of Deceit it's Jane and Alex. Each book I reiterate that the Ella Marconi novels work fabulously well as stand alone's, but I love the continuity that the series brings to Ella's ...more

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Jun 09, 2018 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-5-stars, australian-authors, fiction, added-because-part-of-series, reading-list-2018

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Feb 28, 2025 Margaret rated it really liked it

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