‘The Innocent Girl’ by Alex Coombs was previously published as ‘Cold Revenge’ by Alex Howard. On to the second book in the Hanlon series now.
In this particular instalment we see Hanlon going undercover after a murder of a university student. Hanlon is now acting DCI and she and Demeril discover that, as their investigation develops this case is much more than a simple murder, they find themselves delving into the dark world of trafficking and abuse.
One thing I will say is Alex Coombs is really not scared of hitting these dark, sleazy and brutal subjects head-on. Hanlon is still as driven and as much as a rule-breaker as she was in the first one. We have a glimpse of her vulnerability because Whiteside, her friend is in a coma. This is the first time we have seen any of her softness.
As with the first book, this is a story that has multiple strands and as it unfolds the strands are cleverly crafted to all come together, not unlike a spiders web. Alex Coombs has again created such an atmospheric story with locations that are so vividly described you can picture them.
This second book is as brutal and gritty as the first and the characters continue to be well defined and strong and the lines of right and wrong have the possibility of being blurred, but what else can we expect from Hanlon? Isn’t that part of her charm?
Another fantastic book to add to the Hanlon series, looking forward to the third now!
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for the copy of the book.
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