I’m so happy to say I am posting my review as part of the tour for Malcolm Hollingdrake’s latest release, Edge of the Land. Many thanks to Hobeck Books for my gifted copy of the book for my Review today.
The waterways of the Liverpool docks contain many ghosts and shadows. It’s a place to disappear… a place to die.
Detective Inspector April Decent and Detective Sergeant Skeeter Warlock are fearful for the welfare of a vulnerable young man injured in an attack ordered by drug dealers. Originally questioned at the scene, the young man denies the attack and refuses to co-operate with the police. He soon disappears. Clues to his whereabouts are sown, a cry for help maybe, but he remains elusive.
At the same time, the team are dealing with a spate of deaths in the city. The one thing the deaths have in common: the victims are all homeless and seemingly ravaged by addiction. Initially, the deaths are not considered to be suspicious as there is no obvious connection. Soon the hallmarks of murder are discovered and a hunt for a potential serial killer is on.
Is there a link between the missing man and the deaths? Could he be the vital piece of the puzzle which will solve the mystery behind the brutal murders?
My Review
This book is the latest instalment of Malcolm Hollingdrake’s The Merseyside series. I have been an avid reader of Malcolms’ books for longer than I can remember, so when I was asked if I wanted to review Edge Of The Land, I jumped at the chance.
Set in Liverpool, this is a gritty, dark crime thriller that just gripped me straight away. The descriptions of Liverpool and the docks brought this city to life in my mind. It could be classed as a character in its own right. It’s that vivid.
DI Decent and DS Warlock find themselves attempting to unravel a mystery left for them by Danny, a lad who hasn’t seen the nicer side of life. At the same time, homeless people are dying, and it seems there could be a serial killer on the loose.
Dark and twisty, quite like Liverpool at night. The pace kept me reading well into the night. The back stories of the characters drew me right in. My heart broke for some, and others I could have thrown off a pier! I loved the lighter moments with DS Warlock and love her! I was really gutted to reach the conclusion. I could have read about them all for so much longer! Yet another belter from this author. I actually can’t wait for the next book!
Author Bio
You could say that the writing was clearly on the wall for someone born in a library that they might aspire to be an author, but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route.
Malcolm worked in education for many years, even teaching for a period in Cairo before he started writing, a challenge he had longed to tackle for more years than he cares to remember.
He has written a number of successful short stories, has thirteen books now available and is presently planning the next crime novel set in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He also has two books within the Merseyside Crime Series published by Hobeck Books and is working on the third.
Born in Bradford and spending three years at Ripon College, Malcolm has never lost his love for his home county, a passion that is reflected in the settings for all the DCI Bennett novels However, as well as the Bennett series he is writing a new series set in Merseyside.
Malcolm has enjoyed many hobbies including collecting works by Northern artists; the art auctions offer a degree of excitement when both buying and certainly when selling. It is a hobby he has bestowed upon DCI Cyril Bennett, the main character in his successful Bennett series.
Amazon page: http://bit.ly/AmtoMHdrake
Publisher page: http://bit.ly/BhBtoMH
http://www.malcolmhollingdrakeauthor.co.uk
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