Mari Hannah

Kate and her team are devastated to discover, Jo, Kate's girlfriend was booked on a trans-Atlantic flight brought down by a bomb. She and side-kick Hank talk their way into the Heathrow Casualty Bureau to try to find out if she boarded the flight. Subsequently she and Hank find themselves up against major crime figures who know or suspect who is behind the bomb. A fair bit of suspension of belief is required as the plot rockets along, but it keeps you engaged. As in her last book, I was show more intrigued to read of somewhere I knew playing a bit part, this time by a hotel I'd investigated staying at recently! show less

Three years ago police officer Georgina Ioannou was killed, executed in cold blood, and her assailant was never apprehended. The force believed it was two brothers who had been released from custody recently and conveniently fled the country. Now they are both dead, killed as they returned to Newcastle to celebrate Christmas with their family and friends. Temporarily in charge of Major Crimes, Kate has to balance the reopening of the original case with the new events which have left show more four dead, including another officer.

I really enjoy Hannah's books about policing in the North East. She has created a set of characters who interweave throughout different stories and all are realistic and hard-hitting. Here there is the element of vengeance for a colleague who was murdered as well as a great deal of consideration of the effects on all involved. There is also some background around the prevalence of organised crime groups and their networks. All-in-all an excellent police procedural to start the new year! show less

A body is found floating in Kielder Water, but when police go to retrieve it they discover another more recent death nearby. For Oliver and Stone this is a final case together as Frankie has received a promotion and is about to leave the team. However there is chance for a trip to Iceland to investigate one death and a scandal brewing from a nasty media campaign.
Hannah writes excellent police procedurals set in the beautiful and wild areas of Northumberland. This is no exception and weaves show more together a couple of plots about a revenge and also prejudice really well. I loved the fact that the historic murder was linked to the building of Kielder Dam and was completely believable. I found the Icelandic plot a little more far-fetched and not completely resolved in terms of actions. However it's still a great book. show less

This is a new author to me but I want to read more by her now. Her main character is a fully realized woman. DCI Kate Daniels has been a detective for many years and has just returned to work after a leave she was required to take after killing a dangerous psychopath. She has also just broken up with her lesbian lover, a police profiler. Despite her heartache and the continuing psychological problems from the previous case, Daniels jumps right back into work on a new case that will sorely show more tax her both emotionally and physically.

She is dropped by police helicopter beside Hadrian's Wall where the fully dressed body of a young woman has been found. You may remember this wall from history. The Roman's built it to protect the part of England they had firm control of from my ancestors, those darned Scots who insisted on invading to attempt to drive them off the island. Anyway, a retired cop found the body while hiking the wall. It turns out she was a university student and every bone in her body is broken; was she dropped from a plane?

Meanwhile, wealthy but coldly disciplined Adam Finch has reported his daughter Jessica, a student at the same university, has gone missing. Could the body from the wall be hers? There will be two other students missing who look like Jessica. Is this the work of a deranged serial killer? They uncover information about students being forced into prostitution. Is that what's going on here? After all, these young women are tall, pretty blonds.

I loved the way this investigation went on, meanwhile entertained by the relationships between the members of the murder investigation team. They are uniquely individual but also a cohesive team. Clues come about naturally and are followed as such a team would. I never had a "come on" moment in the story.

This is a real nail-biter because of the unfeeling cruelty of the bad guy. I was surprised by his identity but there was a logical (in his mind) reason for his actions. Daniels is frustrated but has dogged determination to solve the mystery no matter what.

Great characters, great plot, a great read.

Highly recommended e-book
Source: publisher, Witness/Impulse Imprint, HarperCollins show less