A Force To Be Reckoned With

Storm Ransome by Steve Orme is a marvellous contemporary crime suspense. It is the third book in the Miles Davies Crime series but can be read as a stand-alone. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces and places.

The novel takes place in the East Midlands around the Derby/Nottingham area. This is a familiar location to me as only last week we drove down Brian Clough Way, the A52. Having knowledge of the area helped bring the book to life for me.

Central to the story are the football teams of Derby County and Nottingham Forest. There is easy banter between two of the players. “But you play for Derby. Don’t get much excitement, do you? You do a lap of honour when you win a corner!” There is also the Storms basketball team. Blasts from the past thrown in, such as Emlyn Hughes, gave an air of familiarity to the novel.

We join the East Midlands police force as they try to locate two kidnapped footballers. The reader hears not only about their working relationships but also the back stories of some of the team. Steve Orme has created fully rounded characters who are believable.

Once more, I enjoyed crime fiction that was well written, engaging the reader from the start. Storm Ransome was a force to be reckoned with – pick it up, and give it a read.

I received a free copy from the author. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON