Thank you for stopping by as I share my review for A Body in the Lakes by Graham Smith. With thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for the invite to join the tour and for my copy via Netgalley. First of all though let’s take a look at the description for the book…
ABOUT THE BOOK
The woman’s limbs were so thin; the skin on her arms as translucent as tracing paper. Around her neck lay a faint string of purple bruises. In one so frail, darker, angrier marks might be expected but Beth knew the bruising would have stopped the moment her heart stopped beating.
When a walker finds the body of a woman by the shores of Lake Ullswater, the police are put on high alert. Felicia Evans was known to be a tough character, but who would have strangled her?
Detective Beth Young quickly spots the links to three cold cases. Three women strangled and discarded in the stunning, wild hills of the Lake District.
As Beth begins tracking down witnesses, the team receives an anonymous letter claiming the charming mayor of Carlisle is behind the murders. There’s pressure from the top to clear his name. But Beth is determined to find the truth no matter whose feathers she ruffles in the process.
Beth knows the clock is ticking. The killer is hunting again. And it’s down to her to find who’s responsible before another woman becomes his prey…
BUY LINK
https://geni.us/B07M9BG4V3Social
MY REVIEW
A Body in the Lakes is book two in the Detective Beth Young series and in a way I do think it works as a standalone. However it might help to read book one just to get a full character background. Beth is an intriguing character and a very important part of the team as she has quite a different way of looking at things. This on occasion highlights details that may have been missed previously. I do think that as a character we get to know Beth a little better in this book but I’m sure there is still more to come as the series progresses. What does shine through though is her determination!
The setting is one of the wonderful things about this story as Graham Smith easily sets the scene and describes a beautiful place but then adds in a heavy sense of darkness by having a body discovered. The story moves pretty smoothly but very quickly becomes quite a frustrating case for Beth and her colleagues. I think that the short and snappy chapters really helped to keep the momentum going. You also get a little insight into the killer as you hear from their perspective on occasion. Which easily helps to give a chilling edge to the story as you wonder what they will do next! With a few twists and turns to keep things interesting it all combines to make A Body in the Lakes both dark and unsettling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Graham Smith is the bestselling author of four explosive crime thrillers in the Jake Boulder series, Watching the Bodies, The Kindred Killers, Past Echoes and Die Cold. Watching the Bodies spent over two weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart and Amazon CA charts. Graham is also the author of the popular DI Harry Evans series and has collections of short stories and novellas. His latest novel with Bookouture is set in Cumbria and the Lake District, featuring DC Beth Young.
He is the proud father of a young son. As a time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since 2000 he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.
An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer for the well-respected review site Crimesquad.com since 2010.
When not working, his time is spent reading, writing and playing games with his son. He enjoys socialising and spending time with friends and family.
Author Social Media Links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/grahamnsmithauthor/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/GrahamSmith1972
WEBSITE: https://grahamsmithauthor.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5446655.Graham_Smith?from_search=true
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