When the mutilated body of a police officer is found in a derelict factory, the Hamptonshire police force is shocked to the core.
DCI Helen Lavery returns from injury leave and is immediately plunged into an investigation like no other. Is this a random attack or is someone targeting the force? Organised crime groups or a lone killer?
As the net draws in, Helen finds the truth lies closer than she could have imagined, and trusts no one.
But Helen is facing a twisted killer who will stop at nothing to ensure their secrets remain hidden. And time is running out…
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A Deathly Silence sees the return of Jane’s original protagonist, DCI Helen Lavery in this, her third outing, and what a welcome return it is!
Two children playing in an abandoned warehouse find the body of a dead woman, and it’s clear that she’s been tortured. To make matters worse, the victim was a police woman, as is her husband, now a widower. This is DCI Lavery’s first case after a short period of sick leave following injuries she herself sustained on a previous case.
I’ll say no more about the story/plot, but will briefly mention the story-telling. Which, if you’ve read any of Jane’s novels, you’d be under the expectation that it will be good. And if that’s what you’re expecting, you won’t be disappointed. Jane has a brilliant knack of writing police procedurals that are character-driven, and never get bogged down in procedure. And she always creates such realistic characters, whether it’s Will Jackman, Helen Lavery, or any of the supporting cast.
The story has plenty of twists and turns and finishes with a satisfying (if shocking) ending, which makes this a crime fiction novel you will not want to miss. Although it’s Helen Lavery’s third outing, you can easily read this as a standalone.
djpaterson 