An enjoyable read

[John Dean]

Book Review - Nothing But Smiles by Linda Hagan (published by The Book Folks)

A truly enjoyable novel which sees Linda Hagan returning to Belfast for the seventh book in her popular Northern Irish crime series.

Characterised by the author’s customary economical style of writing, which creates relentless page-turning pace, the book tells the story of a murderer who has been emboldened by the belief that the police are not taking seriously the possibility that a serial killer is at work in the city.

That changes when DCI Gawn Girvin takes an interest and finds herself dealing with an attacker who appears to be intent on humiliating their victims.

Girvin is an excellent central character around which to build a story. Determined, confident in her own abilities and not afraid to stand up to senior officers if she thinks they are wrong, she is a believable character battling her own demons in a world where violence is never far away. That sense of jeopardy is strengthened by  timely reminders of the need for police vigilance in a city where the threat to officers from dissidents is a constant presence.

Take all those elements and weave in a strong sense of place and a realistic cast of characters and you have a story laden with atmosphere. The result is that the reader is gripped by tension which builds page by page as the killer manages to evade the police and turns their attention to DCI Girvin herself. A truly enjoyable read.

 

You can buy the book in Kindle, paperback and hardback formats at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nothing-But-Smiles-female-detective-ebook/...