Splinter in the Blood

A serial killer is stalking the streets of Liverpool. Nicknamed the Thorn Killer, he takes women off the streets and tortures them for days/weeks, tattooing all over their bodies then dumping them in staged scenes. DCI Greg Carver is obsessed and it has cost him his marriage but when he is shot Sergeant Lake has to take over. Lake holds a lot of secrets herself, can she find the Thorn Killer before it is too late?

The start of this book is excellent, there is a real twist on the normal police procedural from page one which is not fully resolved until fairly deep into the story and that grabs the reader's attention from the off. I liked the setting in Liverpool, having lived there many years ago I know the areas around Sefton Park, show more Wavertree and the Georgian Quarter which helped picture in the mind's eye. The killer is flagged up fairly early on and pretty obviously but that didn't affect my enjoyment and The pace and twisty plot are enough to satisfy any fan of crime fiction. show less

4.5 stars.

Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer is an absolutely brilliant police procedural that is quite riveting.

Detective Sergeant Ruth Lake and her partner Detective Chief Inspector Greg Carver have been working on a particularly sadistic and baffling serial killer case. Over the course of a year, five women have been kidnapped, ritualistically tattooed and murdered then displayed in carefully positioned poses. The latest murder of university student Kara Grogan hits very close to home for Greg since the young woman closely resembles his estranged wife, Emma. Drinking heavily and obsessed with the case, he summons Ruth to his flat late one evening. Upon her arrival, she is stunned to learn Greg has been shot. Following this shocking show more discovery, Ruth's actions are inexplicable and leaves one very important question unanswered: why does she remove evidence from the crime scene before calling for assistance? And even more important, why is Ruth so unnerved when she notices that Greg is still alive?

As Greg's partner, Ruth is not assigned to the investigation into his shooting. She instead focuses her attention on the serial killer case that has been dubbed the "Thorn Killer" due to method in which he tattoos his victims. Turning her attention to the most recent victim, Ruth meticulously goes over the case files and revisits Kara's flatmates in order to ascertain her movements in the weeks before her death. She also continues her research into the killer's peculiar methodology of tattooing the victims with thorns. Upon conferring with expert Dr. Lyall Gaines, Ruth learns important information but he rubs her the wrong way with his superior attitude and somewhat heavy-handed attempts to turn professional relationship into something more personal.

Whilst Ruth continues working the Thorn Killer investigation, Greg's recovery is slow and hampered by a head injury. With only fragmented memories of the night he was shot, he is confused by his jumbled thoughts, possible hallucinations and troubling synesthesia which provides him the ability to "see" people's emotions. Greg is also undergoing grueling physical therapy which is needed to counteract the effects of the concussion and the short time he was in a coma. In an attempt to help him deal with the trauma and emotional component of his recovery, Greg undergoes therapy with psychologist Dr. Laura Pendinning.

Further complicating an already complex situation, a woman Greg has been involved with, Adela Faraday, has been found murdered. This raises several intriguing avenues for the investigation into the circumstances of her death. Was Greg somehow involved with her murder? Or was he also a victim of the killer? Once again, Ruth is prohibited from working on the case but since she removed evidence that could identify the killer, she surreptitiously investigates Adela's murder on her own. Will Ruth unmask the perpetrator? Or will she find evidence that Greg is in some way connected to Adela's death?

Splinter in the Blood is a spellbinding mystery with a fascinating storyline. Greg and Ruth are multi-faceted characters with compelling histories that make them sympathetic and easy to like. The plot moves at a brisk pace as the investigations into the various cases steadily yield leads that demand further exploration. With clever twists, intriguing misdirects and plenty of red herrings, Ashley Dyer brings the novel to a dramatic, action-filled conclusion. This gripping debut is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy well-written British police procedurals. show less

Splinter in the Blood starts off strong with a woman covering up a crime scene. Why is Ruth Lake covering up a crime scene at home of her partner, Detective Greg Carver? And what will happen next?

Reading this book feels a bit like starting to watch a movie in the middle or on a random page start a book. Not that the book has that confusing feeling. Instead, it feels like you are in the middle of an investigation and you get to know more about what happened before as the story progresses.

Now I want to say that one thing is a bit of a downer with this book. It was pretty easy to figure out who the serial killer is. True, the author throws out some red herrings, but I had my eyes set on a person quite early one, and then I just had to wait show more to find out if I was right. And I was btw. This actually was both a blessing and a curse. I mean, I like to be surprised and I was never surprised by reading this book, on the other hand, do I like feeling like I'm one or two step ahead in the story. Another thing is that I can't say that this book is in any way successful. It was interesting, a perfectly alright crime novel, and I would definitely read more in this series. I especially liked Carver's new talent after he wakes up after being shot. Hopefully, the next book will take me by surprise and get my pulse raising.

I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review! show less

This is a stand-alone by a new writing duo that I could see becoming a series. The main detective characters were well done and intriguing with personal lives that made one a bit unlikable and the other a bit mysterious. While I could see that playing into a series of books, I will say that while I liked these two characters as I was reading them, I never really felt vested or linked to them in anyway. Same thing with the plot. It was a good one, but for some reason I just didn't feel the need to be pulled back in when I put it down. In fact, it actually took me an age to finish it. Overall though, a very solid plot that is worth the time. Many thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for providing me with this copy in exchange for an show more honest opinion. show less

This is a fantastic police procedural. I loved the charactors, especially Ruth, and its a quick read. I am excited about reading the next book when it comes out.

In Liverpool geht ein Serienmörder um, der Frauen tötet, sie gewissenhaft arrangiert und sie mit seltsamen Tätowierungen versieht, die er ihnen vor dem Tod mit einem Dorn einritzt. Detective Greg Carver und seine Kollegin Ruth Lake versuchen schon eine ganze Zeit, den Täter zu erwischen. Als dann eine Frau gefunden wird, die Carvers Frau zum Verwechseln ähnlich sieht, wird die Sache für ihn persönlich.
Der Schreibstil ist gut zu lesen, war mir aber oft zu detailliert. Es gibt verschiedene Handlungsstränge, die dann zusammengeführt werden. Aber auch hier gibt es viele Nebenschauplätze, die das Ganze zu sehr ausdehnen. So geht doch einiges an Spannung verloren. Erst zum Ende hin zog die Spannung dann an.
Die Charaktere sind gut show more beschrieben, aber niemand ist mir wirklich sympathisch. Auch hier gibt es mal wieder den Ermittler, der private Probleme hat. Irgendwie fehlte den Protagonisten Tiefe. Ihr Handeln konnte ich auch nicht immer nachvollziehen.
Ein Pluspunkt ist für mich, dass ich den Täter im Laufe der Geschichte nicht ausfindig machen konnte.
Ein Thriller, der mich nicht wirklich überzeugen konnte. show less