Monday, 22 July 2024

Dead Fall by A.K. Turner

Dear friends. Today I'm bringing you a new book spotlight. Cassie Raven is the antithesis of the usual crime thriller heroine. She's a pink haired, tattooed, feisty mortuary technician.

Publisher's Description

Mortuary technician Cassie Raven is shocked to find the body of Bronte, a talented singer on the brink of stardom, in her fridge. The two of them were once schoolmates, although not exactly friends.

The police say Bronte jumped from her tenth-floor apartment, but Cassie's instincts are telling her it's murder. The death ignites a social media frenzy, and when police watchdog Phyllida Flyte is sent in to assess the handling of the case she is the only one willing to listen to Cassie.

They join forces but as Cassie delves dangerously deep into Bronte's personal history, more blood must be shed before the terrible truth is exposed.

My Thoughts

Cassie is a rule breaker and risk taker. She may be a mortuary assistant but she quite often leaves the pathologists and police standing. She isn't above making anonymous calls to the police when she makes a discovery that has been overlooked by a pathologist. She makes a good team with Phyllida, who's no longer a serving officer. There's the constant frisson around "will they or won't they?", as they are obviously attracted to each other.

I find some of Cassie's idiosyncrasies a bit irritating - her references to her "guests" for example (the dead bodies). I reserve a little scepticism about the messages she believes she receives from her guests - although this is an angle handled very subtly by Turner.

The Bronte plot is full of delicious red herrings. There's a satisfying ending which sets up the next instalment very nicely.

About the Author

A.K. Turner's latest crime fiction series features forensic sleuth Cassie Raven, who was first introduced in two short stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She also works as a TV producer and writer making documentaries on a range of subjects from history to true crime. A.K. has lived in East London since its pre hipster days and recently qualified as a City of London walks guide so that she can share her passion for the city's 2,000-year history; her specialist subject - crime and punishment!

Thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours, the author and the publisher for the advance digital copy in return for an honest review.