it's really a 4.5. Loved it ( )

I only got to chapter 3, as I really dislike the mixed 1st person /2nd person bizarre narrator of the non police chapters. Did not finish. ( )

I only got to chapter 3, as I really dislike the mixed 1st person /2nd person bizarre narrator of the non police chapters. Did not finish. ( )

The second of ten in the Waterhouse-Zailer mystery series finds Detective Sergeant Charlie still smarting from her rejection by Detective Constable Simon, her still-a-cypher-about-women co worker. The primary PoV is that of rape victim Naomi Jenkins, a sundial maker (!) whose lover disappears unexpectedly. I saw the critical connections in a brief flash of prose but the entire winding plot, filled with coincidences that seemed remarkable rather than created, is excellent. The characters, especially the rude and despised Superintendent Proust, fill the novel with humor and with the travails of everyday life for those who encounter some of the most venal and the stupidest people in Brit crime fiction. ( )

Naomi Jenkins had something terrible happen to her three years ago. Now she has another secret, shes seeing a married man. When he doesn't show up Naomi thinks something has happened to him. The police however are not too worried so Naomi takes things into her own hands.

This is the second book in the Spilling detective series. DS Charlie Zailer and Simon Whitehouse feature and obviously have a history of some sorts. I do prefer to read books in order as I like to get to know characters. On this occasion it hasn't made a lot of difference.

I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn into the story straight away and was hooked. The crime in the story is the rape of women so isn't for the faint hearted but the book also has a lot more going on too. The story is certainly compelling and I wanted to find out how things were going to go. At times I did think whats going on here but it all comes together.

This is my first Sophie Hannah crime book and because of how much I enjoyed it I will read more in the future.

A very twisty, sometime disturbing, but a very satisfying read. ( )