BLURB
Was it suicide … or murder? Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray is driven to discover the truth. Whatever the personal cost.
When teenager Nick Buckingham tumbles from the fifth floor of an apartment block, Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray answers the call with a sick feeling in his stomach. The victim was just a kid, sixteen years old. And the exact age the detective’s son was, the son Gray has not seen since he went missing at a funfair ten years ago. Each case involving children haunts Gray with the reminder that his son may still be out there – or worse, dead. The seemingly open and shut case of suicide twists into a darker discovery. Buckingham and Gray have never met, so why is Gray’s number on the dead teenager’s mobile phone?
Gray begins to unravel a murky world of abuse, lies, and corruption. And when the body of Reverend David Hill is found shot to death in the vestry of Gray’s old church, Gray wonders how far the depravity stretches and who might be next. Nothing seems connected, and yet there is one common thread: Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray, himself. As the bodies pile up, Gray must face his own demons and his son’s abduction.
Crippled by loss Gray takes the first step on the long road of redemption. But is the killer closer to home than he realised?
Set in the once grand town of Margate in the south of England, the now broken and depressed seaside resort becomes its own character in this dark police suspense thriller, perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, and Peter James.
Dig Two Graves is the first in the Solomon Gray series. Pick it up now to discover whether Gray finds his son in this thrilling new crime series.
MY THOUGHTS
Dig Two Graves by Keith Nixon is an intriguing start to a new crime series featuring Detective Solomon Grey. I found this novel very difficult to put down. I wanted to find out what had happened to Solomon’s son, Tom, ten years on from his disappearance after reading those haunting chapters when we see him disappearing into a haunted house at a fun fair, the last time he is ever seen. There are some quite raw and emotional scenes in this book that Keith Nixon explores well, and you can quite clearly see the loss that Solomon has suffered which comes across very strongly in his character.
The disappearance of Solomon’s son is the main pull in this story, Keith Nixon soon throws in another twist, however, when the body of a sixteen-year-old boy is discovered, the boy is of the age Solomon’s son would be now if still alive. But what is all the more perplexing of this case is when a number in the boy’s mobile matches Solomon’s. Very soon after the discovery of the boy, who may have committed suicide, more deaths begin to occur. Just what exactly is happening? Do the murders that are taking place in the present have anything to do with Solomon’s son’s disappearance? And why do all the people who are dying now have some sort of connection to Solomon?
Solomon Grey is a very well rounded character, and I found him instantly likeable. You can see the grief he has suffered through the loss of his family which is also revealed in flashback scenes when we re-visit his past. He is absolutely determined to find out what happened to his son, even though it appears that everyone else has forgotten about Tom. I was rooting for him to find answers and I really wanted to know myself what had happened.
There is some excellent dialogue in this book which kept the pace of the novel flowing and for me, it was what made this book an addictive read. Keith Nixon keeps up the suspense throughout the novel with surprising new directions. The plot was unpredictable, and its ending has left me desperate to read the next book in the series as soon as I can.
Dig Two Graves is a chilling and at times an emotional read that will keep you turning those pages to find out the answers. An excellent start to a new crime series. Thank you to Sarah Hardy at Books on the Bright Side for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
Publisher: Gladius Press
Publication date: 8th October 2018
Print length: 211 pages
If you would like to purchase Dig Two Graves, you can do so by clicking on the following links below.
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Hooked From Page One 
Oh wow, this sounds like my kind of read. The lead detective sounds like a great character and I love how you describe this one as both chilling but emotional too. Definitely one for my TBR. Fab review.
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