Tag Archive | DCI Carmichael

The Corpse Bell by Ian McFadyen

Nov28

Highly Entertaining

The Corpse Bell by Ian McFadyen was a gripping contemporary crime novel that consumed me from the start. It is the eleventh book in the Carmichael series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The plotline is extremely well thought out and executed. It is a thinking-mans novel as you needed to be able to join the dots and in order to solve the murders. I failed miserably as I tried to guess the perpetrator.

All the characters were well drawn, believable and likable.

The law enforcement officers all had their individual roles to play, working like a well-oiled machine as they doggedly tried to solve the case.

We see that the past will sooner or later catch up to the present. Characters go to extreme lengths in order to keep their pasts hidden.

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Blood Matters by Ian McFadyen

Nov20

Wow! – Fabulous!

Blood Matters by Ian McFadyen is a totally gripping contemporary crime novel that I just could not put down. I read it in just one sitting. It is the tenth book in the DCI Carmichael series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Ian McFadyen has constructed and well executed a marvellous plotline, full of twists and turns, designed to keep the reader on their toes. I closely followed the action but failed to guess the perpetrator.

As the body count rose, there was a connection to a twenty year old cold case. Unanswered questions saw characters digging deeply. As each question arose, the mystery deepened. There seemed to be those in the know, but their lips were sealed.

Desperate people employed ever more desperate measures. In their mind, bumping off people to silence them was acceptable. Long-held secrets eventually emerged.

I found the ending was superb. It was a jaw dropping moment as the penny dropped for a character and the reader.

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