Taunting the Dead

Taunting the Dead by Mel Sherratt 

Although I'd been aware of Mel's name as a successful self-published author I hadn't read any of her books - thrillers are not my cup of tea. But when she was snapped up by a top agent, and her books republished, and the Kindle price was (briefly) set very low, I thought it time I gave her a go.

This book is set in Stoke on Trent, on a rough estate. Steph Ryder, wife of local hard-man turned successful businessman, gets her head bashed in after a night in the pub with her friend. Detective Allie Shenton investigates, starting with people closest to Steph. There are some pretty nasty characters in this book - in fact there wasn't a single one I liked much. Allie herself is mostly likable but even she made some choices and did some things which put me off her.

It's definitely a page-turner of a book, with lots happening, and the body count rises near the end as things come to a climax. It wasn't 100% satisfying as you knew (more or less) who'd killed Steph or at least who'd dealt the first blow, pretty early on. And as I said, the characters aren't likable so it's hard to care about them.

Having said that, I would think if you like gritty police procedurals, you'd enjoy this one too. Not sure it's for me but it kept my interest, I liked the twist at the very end, and I would try another from the same author (in fact there's another on my Kindle right now.)