>

Sunday 28 March 2021

Before the Storm (DCI Lorimer #18) by Alex Gray

 


Description from Goodreads:


"Your favourite Scottish detective is back with a brand new case, one that threatens to destroy everything.

Inspector Daniel Kohi of the Zimbabwean police force returns home one night to find his worst nightmare has been realised. His family dead, his house destroyed, and in fear for his life, he is forced to flee the country he loves.

Far away in Glasgow, DSI William Lorimer has his hands full. Christmas is approaching, the city is bustling, and whilst the homicide rate has been relatively low, something much darker is brewing. Counter-Terrorism have got wind of a plot, here in Lorimer’s native city, to carry out an unspeakable atrocity on Christmas Eve. They need someone with local knowledge to help them root it out and who better than the head of the Scottish Major Incidents Team.

But the investigation is complicated by a spate of local murders, and by the rumours that someone is passing information to criminal organisations from inside the police force. Soon Lorimer finds himself in desperate need of assistance. Then he meets an extraordinary man – a refugee from Zimbabwe whose investigative skills are a match for Lorimer’s own . . ."


📚📚📚📚📚📚


Where have I been living and why have I never read anything by Alex Gray before?  This is book 18 for heaven's sake!!!  I must have been living under a rock and walking around with my eyes closed to have missed this series because if the previous 17 are anything close to being as good as this, I really have been missing out on a treat.  I was a little concerned that coming into an already well established series wasn't a good idea but I needn't have worried as this worked really well as a standalone.

This is an excellent police procedural with a very up-to-date and relevant story line.  It is not a white-knuckle, action packed story and it's not full of swearing, violence or gory details but it is written at a steady pace with a growing sense of tension and urgency which makes it a compulsive and riveting read.

The characters are so good and so well developed that I really felt I knew them.  I read a lot of crime fiction and police procedurals and I have to say that it is refreshing for the main character not to be full of his own troubles or issues or who is in conflict with either his colleagues or his bosses.  Daniel was an excellent addition and his relationship with his neighbour, Netta, was a joy to read ... I do hope that these 2 make an appearance in subsequent books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and would very much recommend this to everyone and I must thank The Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

Alex Gray is definitely on my watchlist now!


👇👇👇👇👇👇


Connect with the author:





No comments:

Post a Comment