Ray Clark

This book is the embodiment of what a well written psychological thriller should be. The characters are highly developed and complex with a variety of traits and different sides to their personalities. Detectives Gardener and Reilly are protagonists with their witty banter and sharp sleuthing skills who are well-suited to hunt down the merciless antagonist, The Tooth Fairy. I don't want to give anything away, so let's just say the nickname is a bit ironic. The plot is remarkably twisted and show more original with the killer's methods of torturing and murdering his victims. There are many surprises in store for the reader even when they assume they have the mystery solved. Though this is the third in a series, which I have not read, it stands on its own. I highly recommend this thriller and plan to read the others in the series.

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*** Trigger warning: mildly to middlin’ graphic violence.

Implant is second in Clark’s Gardener & Reilly mystery/ suspense series. After the tortured remains of a young man are found in the basement of a hardware store, detectives Gardener and Reilly are called to the drowsy hamlet of Bramfield to investigate. The body of Alex Wilson offers many surprises for the investigators. He is bound to a frame, crucified in a manner. Wired into the body, like a Frankenstein experiment gone wrong, show more an internal insulin pump delivers a deadlier payload to it's victim. A pair of cards is found nearby, one a tarot card, and the other an obscure game card labelled 'Inspector Catcher. As more bodies surface, complete with deadly implants and mysterious cards, Gardner and Reilly race to solve the puzzle before any others die.

Revenge is a powerful motivator. With Implant, Clark shows just how powerful. A quick-fire ride, escalating rapidly, the case comes closed in a few short days. It's planning, though, that's a different story, for the best revenge is well-thought out. It didn't take me too long to figure out the culprit, but learning the why kept me engaged. The implants and experiments were terrifying. These things were supposed to help save lives. Instead, they were used to brutally take them. I appreciated the humour between Gardener and Reilly. Despite it being a relatively quick read for me, I felt I really got to know the pair.

Recommended! Perfect for fans of Seven and The Bone Collector.

***Many thanks to Love Books Tours and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. show less

Ryder on the Storm by Ray Clark is a collection of stories featuring characters from his IMP series. The first story is a creepy mystery of a haunting with ties to a murder and a coven of witches. While good, it was my least favourite of the stories. The others were straight mysteries with Gardner and Reilly and I fell in love all over again! Each of these stories had a bit of preface about the inspiration behind the stories. The Mysterious Affair at Smiles was a locked room mystery turned show more cold case. The Body in the Library was just that, a case involving a murder in a library. Peril at Cottage Rd was about a body revealed after an earthquake toppled a wall in an historic theatre. Despite being many decades old, it's not as cold a case as it seems at first. The end of the book is an introduction to the IMP series. This was a great introduction to the characters of that series, and a lovely meeting if you're already old acquaintances. Recommended!

*****Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Love Books Tours. show less

Some of usual crime procedural tropes present, but well handled with a clever plot around very unusual murders. Local Leeds locations well used.