‘Times Like These’ by Stephen Puleston is the fourth book in the D.I John Marco series. This series is still going from strength to strength, I have always loved this series, we have born witness to his more troubled past, his split from his wife and son, his drinking and rough behaviour have all made its mark on him. These days we see him feeling better about himself and not drinking.
This book is during the post-pandemic time of Covid-19. Although things are slowly improving an awful lot of horrible stuff has left its mark on the country. All the unemployment, increases in domestic violence, child abuse. We see some of the media attempting to blame the Wales Police Service. A task force has been created which Marco has been volunteered to attend.
He is almost happy to receive a call out to a murder scene instead. The body is found where there are no cameras, so old fashioned police work steps in. As they discover who the victim is and begin to investigate another body is discovered, murdered in a different way but Marco’s gut feeling is that they are connected, how he doesn’t know…yet!
This is the first book I have read that has actually worked with the pandemic and intertwined it in their book. This works well, It made the book seem more realistic and true to the times we are in. As always I was engrossed in Marco and the case not wanting to put my book down for too long. Excellent author and series, although I do love anything that Stephen writes anyway!
Thanks to Jill Burkinshaw and Stephen Puleston for the copy of the book for my review today.
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