Russ Thomas

After the shock at the end of Nighthawking (so shocking that I made notes so I didn't forget what happened) I was so excited to pick up Cold Reckoning, book three in the DS Adam Tyler series. I have to say that this is probably my favourite one so far, and I *really* loved the first two. Like most books that form part of a series, you can read this one as a standalone but I would heartily recommend picking up Firewatching and Nighthawking because there's a very important back story and threads that run throughout all three.

Cold Reckoning sees Tyler investigating a frozen body found in the local reservoir and possible links to a cold case, alongside DC Mina Rabbani and DCI Jim Doggett. Russ Thomas's characterisations are very strong and I was so keen to meet these three again. Tyler is also looking into his father's death sixteen years ago which appeared to be suicide but which Tyler has his doubts about.

There are very distinct Line of Duty vibes to this book and I just couldn't put it down. I was thoroughly engrossed in the unfolding action and the fast-paced story, which takes place over the course of one week. Tyler's a bit of a maverick, He's a good cop but he knows that not all police are the same. He, and I, didn't know who to trust and it makes for a nailbitingly thrilling experience.

I'm hoping there's more ahead for Tyler. Certainly there is a possible liaison to be explored further and the ending left me wanting to know what happened next. Thomas is a brilliant writer, bringing to life the Sheffield sights that are so familiar to me with an amazing and gripping plot and fantastically complex characters. Cold Reckoning had me well and truly hooked.… (mehr)

Two people are missing in Sheffield, England and the hunt for them is fully occupying the local police force. One is a young boy, and the other is a twenty-something Chinese foreign student. When the decomposed body of the student is found buried in a local park, that case becomes the main focus of the police investigation and the story of this book, once the student's death is deemed to be a murder.

The book is the sequel to the author's debut "FIrewatching" and unfortunately it lacks the crispness and verve of that book. It has many of the same characters, although the gay firefighter from the debut is mostly missing in action. In his place is DS Adam Tyler who is on a crusade to find the truth about the death of his policeman father. This gets in the way of his work on the disappearance case. The investigation finds a small group of "detectionists" who are the nighthawks of the title. They are people who use metal detectors to locate valuables, and to evade scrutiny they operate at night, often trespassing on private property. They are an odd bunch and they are the main suspect pool for the murder. Along the way there's red herrings such as the hunt for the second missing person. Similarly, there are hints of police corruption and incompetence at senior levels. The murderer is in due course identified despite all the angst of Tyler's less than stellar efforts. Fortunately, Detective Constable Minna Rabbani is there to provide necessary support: she's the star of the book. The shocking ending of the story is a cliff-hanger and can neatly set the stage for any follow-up book.

This is a dark unevenly told crime story with some well-drawn characters. It will appeal to fans of British police procedurals. As a caution, I'd suggest reading the debut book to better understand the backstory of many of the characters.… (mehr)

After reading and loving Firewatching last year, the debut novel by Russ Thomas and the first outing for DS Adam Tyler of the Cold Case Review Unit, I was so excited to read Nighthawking which is the second in the series. I wasn't disappointed at all. This book is fantastic.

A body is unearthed in the Botanical Gardens in Sheffield and this takes Adam and his protégée, DC Mina Rabbani, deep into an investigation into why the woman was killed and why she was buried where she was. There's also a sub-plot surrounding a young man who Adam takes under his wing, and his continuing search for information about his late father, who was also a policeman. I'm being vague because I don't want to give too much away but safe to say, there's plenty of action between the covers of this book.

It took me a short while just to get back into the swing of Adam's life and work (as with all series, a reminder of what went before would be helpful) but I was very quickly back there with this maverick cop who seems to sail very close to the wind most of the time. I'll be making notes to remind me of what happened in this one (particularly the ending which was a jaw-dropper) as I'm very pleased to note that more Adam Tyler books are on the way.

Russ Thomas is such an engaging crime/police procedural writer. His characterisations are spot on. Tyler is infuriating yet likeable. He gets the job done and that may not always be quite by the book but he still has his morals. It's nice to see Rabbani shaping up to be a cop with morals who isn't afraid to speak out and I can see this pair working really well together in future stories.

The Nighthawking plot is fast-paced, very strong and intriguing with a couple of nice twists thrown in. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and with that ending I'm already itching to know what's going to happen next for Tyler. So exciting!

Never have cold cases sizzled in this way. Nighthawking is a gripping page-turner with a protagonist that will delight any crime fiction fan. I thought it was a brilliant read.… (mehr)