The Puppet Show by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive ...

 

I had never heard of this author before and I’m always sceptical when covers tell you about awards authors have won because I find a lot of them never live up to the expectation created in my mind. However, this was a fantastic book.

 

Poe’s character is really well written. You have to admire his tenacity and his willingness to do the wrong things for the right reasons. I loved the way he was incorporated into the narrative and the pushes in directions to get him to places. However, Tilly was an awesome character! Definitely on the spectrum, filled with loyalty and a fierceness that worked brilliantly with Poe’s ideals, her addition to the story created a side to it that added the genius and doggedness. If you are squeamish, be warned that there are scenes describing the burning bodies.

 

The plot itself took you one way and then another and layers were added at each turn. It took a while to get to the ultimate message, but the journey kept me turning page after page. And just when you thought the book was over, Poe added something right at the end that was a game changer. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!

The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver

Description from Amazon:

The son of a survivalist family, Colter Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and locate missing persons for private citizens.

“You’ve been abandoned. Escape if you can. Or die with dignity.”

Hired by the father of a young woman who has gone missing in Silicon Valley, Shaw's search takes him into the dark heart of America’s cutthroat billion-dollar video-game industry. When another person goes missing, Shaw must ask: Is a madman bringing a twisted video game to life?

Encountering eccentric designers, trigger-happy gamers, and ruthless tech titans, Shaw soon learns that he isn't the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast....

 

Okay, so I said I wouldn’t read any more of this series, but I found this in the library and figured I’d try the first one to see if it sets the series up well and I just happened to not enjoy a later one. Turns out that was the case!

 

The book opens with a bang and it’s pretty much at a fast pace all the way through. We learn a bit more about Shaw’s background and how he was raised, plus are offered a question into his past. But for now, Shaw is a private citizen for “hire”, one who will track down missing people for the reward. When he takes up an offer in Silicon Valley, he finds out that the case may be linked to the world of gaming, and in particular one called The Whispering Man that gives you five pieces of equipment and you have to figure your way out of a life or death situation with them.

 

The gaming parts were interesting and the whole world of gaming (not just the stuff you see in movies) is really complex and hugely popular. Shaw gets to meet a number of rivals within the industry as well as fans, one who becomes a romantic interest. I found her character somewhat stilted, though. Couldn’t really connect with her.

 

I did enjoy the way Shaw worked through the kidnapping but I guess in many places you have to just accept certain things about the story that would normally require a decent explanation like his money or his ability to get through areas he shouldn’t be allowed in.

 

I still don’t think this series is as good as Rhyme but I’ll try another just to see where it’s going.

Keep the Ghost by Scott Kelly

Description from Amazon:

It started as a fake suicide. It ended in a very real murder.

Sean would do anything for his crush Kayla, even help the girl stage her own death. But after her near-sighted plan takes a dark turn and her corpse washes up on the beach, those little lies he told to the police don’t seem so little anymore.

When he becomes the prime suspect, his only hope to avoid prison may be to follow in Kayla’s doomed footsteps by faking his own death. With the manhunt on his heels, he must put his trust in a dangerous couple with a devious idea for his second chance at life. Will Sean escape to freedom or will he unwittingly step into the noose of his own tangled plan?

Keep the Ghost is the first book in a series of edgy mystery thrillers. If you like fast-paced suspense, heart-stopping plot twists, and deadly double-crosses, then you’ll love Scott Kelly’s nail-biting tale.

 

Well, this was an odd one. It sounded very different and I figured it would be quite a change. I’m not sure how I feel about it, though.

 

The idea behind faking your death (pseudocide) is to not be bound by your name. To not be defined by the name given to you and to free yourself from your ghost. But with Sean on the run and being helped by some very shady characters, he needs to get a new identity. And surely then he is bound by this new identity? You couldn’t keep changing it all the time, after all. It does go deeper than this because obviously, to have the funds to do this, you’d need some sort of scam behind the scenes, and that is exactly what is happening, as Sean soon discovers.

 

The writing definitely made you want to read more to find out what happens. There are a couple of cringy bits, and bits that seemed off, but when actual murder takes place to hide a name, it wasn’t justified. And then… the story doesn’t finish. With loads of space left in the book, it just ends and ends without either a satisfying conclusion or a decent lead in to the next book. Unfortunately, this series is not for me.