He’s acidic and twisted; a prince of sarcasm who hates people. Not ideal qualities in a CSI. But what CSI Eddie Collins lacks in people skills, he more than makes up for in crime scene expertise. But this time, Eddie has doubts; this time, the evidence is wrong.
Jessica Ripley didn’t kill her ex-husband. But everyone thinks she did. After serving twelve years for his murder, it’s time to get her own back on those who put her inside.
It isn’t long before she learns what it’s like to really murder someone. She’s becoming whole again, incrementally rebuilding herself by stealing the lives of those she blames for stealing hers.
But things aren’t always how they appear; sometimes old friends aren’t friends at all. Sometimes, it’s just business.
And sometimes the evidence lies.
And who did kill Jessy’s ex? To find out, buy The Death of Jessica Ripley
I had the pleasure of beta reading this book and must apologise for it taking me so long to get my review up – my thanks to the author for an ARC.
Set in Leeds, the reader is faced with revenge, anger, red herrings, questions, mistrust, secrets, control, corruption, manipulation, anger, and a search for the truth.
Well OMFG – this book has it all. Starting with that all important #killerhook, I was left wondering where the story would go. I thought the storyline was clever and the fast-pace of this read had me racing through the pages as I played amateur detective alongside Eddie Flynn and tried to solve the case. I loved the dark humour that was woven into the story, it added that extra bit of brilliance – making it believable and shocking at the same time. With the author being CSI, you learn a lot without the story being an info dump – I find this aspect of crime fascinating and thought it was really well done. Full of suspense, there are times you will be holding your breath and then screaming at the pages when something is revealed. A nail-biting read for sure!
Character-wise, this book is filled with a variety of peeps that will make you smile as well as make you feel ill! You’ll find characters you love, some you’ll loathe and others your just not so sure about. Perfect! Eddie Flynn is so unlikable that you find yourself wondering how the hell he has kept his job for so long. The sarcasm drips from his lips with almost every sentence, but there is just something about him … He’s clever, determined, a little bit cocky (understatement of the century by the way!) but he is good at his job and persistent in his quest to find the truth. The first time I came across him, I wasn’t a big fan…but he grows on you. His dark sense of humour adds relief at the times when you need it. Such a well developed and realistic character, you just can’t help but like him…even when you want to kill him!
Another character I was drawn to in this story was Jessica Ripley herself – she was shafted BIG TIME and her life was taken away from her. Losing her child after being sent to prison was the catalyst in her downfall. I really felt for her at times and understood her frustration and need for revenge.
Troy was another interesting character – I really wanted him to triumph because Eddie saw something in him despite his terrible attitude.
John Sidmouth – the probation officer…OMG I wanted to batter this arsehole. Gave me the creeps and definitely deserved whatever came his way.
There are so many more characters I could include, each one adding an interesting twist to the story, but I focused on the few that stood out to me the most …
Would I recommend this book? Hell-to-the-Yeah I would! An edgy, dark, twisted read that will leave you conflicted and wanting more, definitely check out the whole series!
