‘Truth or Dare’ by Tania Carver

Published by Sphere,
25 September 2014.
ISBN: 978-0-7515-5054-2

This novel begins with a brilliantly macabre premise: kill or be killed.

Unlikable yob Darren wakes from a drug-induced sleep to find himself duct-taped to a chair, unable to escape.  In a chair next to him is his partner and their young child.  Facing them both is a cross-bow.  Some years ago Darren killed a woman and her baby by driving under the influence of drugs, but escaped justice, due to a legal technicality.  Now, however, he faces the horrifying choice offered him by a masked man: he can save himself or he can save the other two.  He decides that he has rather gone off the woman, so she might as well be the one to be shot dead.  Which she and the child immediately are, while a horrified but unrepentant Darren looks on. 

The psychopath responsible for the deaths telephones DI Phil Brennan to report what he has done.  He entitles himself The Lawgiver, and maintains that he is on the side of truth and justice, and that there will be further deaths.  We are then led into a gripping story which is part police-procedural, part psychiatric investigation, with stark glimpses into the worlds of those who live and operate on the dark side of the law.  There is another equally terrifying psychopathic killer on the loose, a woman claiming to be Fiona Welch, someone Brennan knows to be dead.  

This is a multi-layered, multi-charactered story which is so well-written that it never becomes confusing.   A very good read.
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Reviewer: Susan Moody

Tania Carver is actually the pseudonym of husband and wife writing team Martyn and Linda Waites. Martyn is an ex-actor turned writer with nine previous novels under his own name. Linda is a critically acclaimed theatre costume designer.

 http://www.taniacarver.com/

Susan Moody  was born in Oxford is the principal nom de plume  of Susan Elizabeth Donaldson, née Horwood, a British novelist best known for her suspense novels. She is a former Chairman of the Crime Writer's Association, served as World President of the International Association of Crime Writers, and was elected to the prestigious Detection Club. Susan Moody has given numerous courses on writing crime fiction and continues to teach creative writing in England, France, Australia, the USA and Denmark.  In addition to her many stand alone books, Susan has written two series, one featuring PI Penny Wanawake (seven books) and a series of six books featuring bridge player Cassie Swan. Her most recent series features Former Detective Inspector Alexandra Quick. There are three books in the series.