‘Screams in the Dark’ by Anna Smith

Published by Quercus, 

14 November 2013. 

ISBN: 978-1-78087-120-2

A respectable lawyer has hanged himself, a body with neither arms, legs or head has just been pulled out of the canal, a gangster’s gopher has been shot ... Then a young refugee comes to crime reporter Rosie Gilmour with a strange story of having been abducted.  When Rosie begins to investigate, she discovers a ruthless traffic that’s too macabre to be believed, unless she can come up with proof – without getting killed.

This thriller was a real page-turner.  We were straight into a story that was satisfyingly complex but easily-followed, with constant action and interesting characters.  Rosie Gilmour is tough and determined, not letting anything stop her getting the story.  She had a number of back-up characters, which was a plausible change from girl-goes-alone-into-murder’s house, although I wasn’t always convinced by the stupid decisions she made – like taking a man being chased by gangsters to her own flat. The Glasgow background was well done – it all felt real.  What I loved most about it was the sympathy with which Smith used her experience as a war-reporter to create the world these refugees had come from, the awful things they had seen and experienced.  Kosovo is history now – but how could we have forgotten those atrocities so easily? 

This is the third Rosie Gilmour outing. So you can read them in order, the others are The Dead won’t Sleep and To Tell the Truth.  If you enjoy PI / investigative reporter thrillers, then I recommend this very highly – it made a great start to my reading year.

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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

Anna Smith. After a lifetime as a tabloid journalist, wading through other people's misery on the frontline all over the world, she decided to put her experiences to good use.
And so the series of Rosie Gilmour novels were born, featuring a Glasgow journalist trying to tear down the world of corruption and injustice.  Her debut novel was The Dead Won't Sleep, the story of police corruption, prostitution and a child sex ring in a children's home. This was followed by To Tell The Truth, about a toddler stolen from a beach while on holiday with her parents in Spain.  And her latest novel, Screams In The Dark, is published on 31 January 2014 Anna is published by Quercus and currently working on book four in the Rosie Gilmour series.

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.