‘A Bad Bad Thing’ by Elena Forbes

Published by Severn House,
31 St August 2018.
ISBN: 978-0-7278-8832-7 (HB)

Following a lead to apprehend a perpetrator she has been tailing for some time, London homicide detective Eva West stumbles into a covert police operation with devastating consequences.

Suspended from duty with little hope of any immediate reinstatement Eve receives a text from John Duran, a hardened criminal that Eva put away for murder some year back, who says he wants to talk to her. When a second text includes the words ‘setup’ she decides to see him.  His request is somewhat bizarre, as he wants her to help journalist Dan Cooper of 4Justice, who investigates possible miscarriages of justice to help a fellow-inmate convicted of the murder of a stable-girl, Jane McNeil, ten years ago. In return, he says, he can help her clear her name and get her job back.  That John Duran want to help someone clear their name and get out of prison strikes Eva as a front for an agenda he is not sharing with her.  There has to be a reason why, but what?

Desperate to get her job back, Eva meets with Dan Cooper but he is suspicious of her and reluctant to give her much assistance.   So Eva starts examining the circumstances in which Jane McNeil died.  Her probing takes her into the orbit of Westerby Racing where Jane worked, and she soon begins to suspect that there are flaws in the original investigation.

Intriguing – most definitely.  Why would a hardened criminal want to help a fellow inmate?  Who did kill Jane McNeil? And most fascinating of all what is in Eva’s past that she is so desperate to keep hidden. 

Cleverly plotted, the various strands of the story slowly come together revealing a startling ending. A compelling read and one that is highly recommended.

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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

  

Elena Forbes was born in London and grew up in London in a family of writers and actors. After earning a degree in French and Italian from Bristol University, she worked in portfolio management for a number of international investment groups before becoming a full-time writer. She has written four books featuring Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia of the Barnes Murder Squad. A Bad Bad Thing is the first in a new series featuring Eve West. She lives in central London with her husband and two children.

www.elenaforbes.com

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