Published By: Zaffre
Pages: 400
Released On: 29/02/2024
Former CID detective Scott Jericho is done with murder. Done with puzzles. Done with the dark rage that seems to haunt him.
That is until a vicious serial killer targets someone close to him. Now Jericho is back, his thirst for justice remorseless.
But time is running out. Fortune tellers and psychics are being slaughtered and everything points to a link with a live TV event due to be broadcast on Halloween night. But what is the significance of the macabre wax effigies found at every crime scene? Why is celebrity psychic Darrel Everwood convinced he will die in four days time? And is Jericho’s lover Harry really involved in the murders?
As a startling truth is revealed and an old enemy re-emerges, a murder beyond imagining is about to be come the media event of the century…
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I read the first book in the series – Killing Jericho – relatively recently and thought it was fabulous and so I jumped at the chance to read the sequel. I also have William on Twitter and he seems like such a lovely guy that I’m really happy that these books are becoming so popular.
I loved the exploration of the supernatural in this book, of the afterlife, ghosts and spirits. Personally, I do believe in all of that, ghosts and whatnot, but I know it’s not for everyone, and I think William’s created a great balance in this book, a great argument for both science and facts, and belief and faith. It really gets you thinking.
Scott Jericho is a fabulous character. He has had his troubles and his difficulties, been imprisoned, threatened, harmed, you name it. He’s not always his own friend and is often his own worst enemy. But I think he’s very well rounded and is a great creation and, if you’re like me, you can’t help but feel protective of him, you care for him and will him on in all aspects of his life, both professionally and personally.
Scott isn’t the typical detective. He’s not the detective we’ve grown to expect in whodunnits and TV crime shows. He’s no Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. If anything, I’d compare him to George Gently. But only mildly. He’s his own man, his own detective; he’s rude and rough and violent, rash and brash, but perfect for this environment William has put him in.
You can tell William has personal experience with the fairgrounds and whatnot. Anyone can write a scene using research. But only someone who has lived it can show the love and respect for the lifestyle, and that’s what he brings in spades.
There are familiar characters such as Scott and his father, his partner Harry, and friends Sam and Sal, who we know from the first book and whom William has developed further. But we also get some newbies. Particularly of note is Gillespie and Darrel – I won’t go too into detail for fear of spoilers, but they both seemed really quite slimy to me, but they were intriguing to read about.
The first big murder doesn’t take place until about 30% of the way in. In most thrillers, I would say that’s too late for a crime to start. But I don’t think it would have worked in this book to be any earlier. It benefits from the scene setting, from the character exploration, from the titbits and re herrings and clues, it builds up this huge sense of suspense, so that you’re chomping at the bit by the time it occurred and then I was definitely hooked in, desperate to follow this story further.
William doesn’t beat around the bush with the violence. This isn’t a tame thriller. This is an in-your-face violent mystery, and whilst that can often appear over the top, there isn’t another way that he could have gone about it without it falling short.
There is obviously a great plot – see synopsis – but for me, I get a proper character exploration out of this book. Each character is amazingly thought out and developed, but for me, Scott Jericho steals every scene, every time. He’s definitely up there for me with the best written characters in fiction.
William is very good at creating a sense of place and location. His description of the setting, from the fairgrounds to the forest to the streets and the buildings, it’s all so vivid that it plonks you straight into the scene. The location actually becomes a character in its own right, adding intrigue and mystery to the story.
Like a good whodunnit, there were clues and red herrings aplenty, but even when Scott had figured it out, I will still none the wiser.
It was a fabulous read, and I really hope that there is more to come in the Scott Jericho series.
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