I’m so lucky to be part of the ‘blogathon’ for #TeamLyons. Thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers and the publisher for my gifted ebook to take part.
One murder, three families destroyed
And a detective guilty of a crime of her own
When 18-year-old Ben Renshaw is found dead in city woodland, DCI Robin Lyons is plunged into one of Birmingham’s most controversial cases.
Months earlier, Ben and his best friend gave testimony that sent a former classmate, Alistair Heywood, to prison for a vicious sexual assault. Before the trial, the boys and their families endured months of brutal witness intimidation, for which the Heywoods, a privileged and influential local family, faced no legal repercussions. Instead, they vowed revenge.
Is Ben’s murder the fulfilment of that vow, the beginning of a bloody new chapter that will go on claim lives on all sides? Or is the truth – as the Heywoods claim – something entirely different?
To solve the case, Robin has to negotiate the city’s networks of power while walking a dangerous line: her own daughter, Lennie, has a secret that could threaten her liberty – and, if it comes out, Robin’s, too. Before long, Robin comes to question whether she knows what justice is at all.
My Review
The third book in the series and one that could be read as a standalone, but I would say start from the beginning with book 1. I always think this with a series like this, Robin Lyons is a character that you really get to know over the series, and the reader does themselves a disservice not reading all.
Last Witness picks up from the end of Risk of Harm, and we see Robin dealing with the mirder of a 16 year old boy who was a key witness to a sexual assault case previously. This resulted in the conviction of the son of a family who are pretty powerful and not so nice (understatement of the year!) In the aftermath of the case arson attacks,assaults and a host of nasty things happened with no perpetrator found.
This is another dark and gripping story that kept me intrigued. The fact that we see Robin attempting to deal with the case and her home life together while the pressure mounts from all angles made me turn the pages just a little quicker the more I read.
Lucie Whitehouse brings great characters that stand out so well. Robin, I am truly invested in. I felt for her as the story unfolded. The detailed police procedure gave me a sense of understanding how the police have to go over every little thing and how they deal with the media, too.
With such skilled storytelling, the author has woven a multi-stranded story that is dealt with so sensitively. I felt every emotion that ran through the book, and that is down to the quality of the writing. Another amazing instalment!
Author Bio
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 