A Body in the Lakes by Graham Smith #bookreview blog tour @GrahamSmith1972 @bookouture

On my blog today I’m sharing my thoughts on Graham Smith’s gripping new thriller, A Body in the Lakes, the second book in the DC Beth Young series.

BLURB

The woman’s limbs were so thin; the skin on her arms as translucent as tracing paper. Around her neck lay a faint string of purple bruises. In one so frail, darker, angrier marks might be expected but Beth knew the bruising would have stopped the moment her heart stopped beating.

When a hiker finds the body of a woman by the shores of Lake Ullswater, the police are put on high alert. Felicia Evans was known to be a tough character, but who would have strangled her?

Detective Beth Young quickly spots the links to three cold cases. Three women strangled and discarded in the stunning, wild hills of the Lake District.

As Beth begins tracking down witnesses, the team receives an anonymous letter claiming the charming mayor of Carlisle is behind the murders. There’s pressure from the top to clear his name. But Beth is determined to find the truth no matter whose feathers she ruffles in the process.

Beth knows the clock is ticking. The killer is hunting again. And it’s down to her to find who’s responsible before another woman becomes his prey…

MY THOUGHTS

A Body in the Lakes is another gripping crime thriller by Graham Smith set within the surrounding area of the Lake District. DC Beth Young returns in his latest novel, and she is investigating the shocking murder of an elderly woman who has been given weeks to live due to her cancer diagnosis. What is even more shocking to Beth is the lengths the killer has gone to, and she realises that this is the work of a dangerous and callous individual. But as Beth and the rest of her team begin to investigate, they realise that it could be linked to other murders that have taken place, which no one has ever thought of connecting before.

This is developing into an exciting crime series that I am certainly keen to follow, and it is interesting to see Beth grow. Beth is a character who stands out among her team, she has caught the attention of the press in this latest book, and she seems like a breath of fresh air to the media and the public. She is sharp, intelligent and tenacious. She certainly catches the eye of the mayor who becomes involved in the case when his name crops up as a possible suspect.

We do get to learn a lot more about Beth in this latest instalment and about the events which have scarred her in the past. She does come across as the strongest character in the book, and you can really sense the connection that she feels towards the victims, and she is desperate to make sure that this killer doesn’t strike again. She certainly isn’t afraid of putting herself in danger as she fights for justice, and she isn’t a character who will sit quietly, she wants to make her voice heard in the loudest way possible.

I really liked the way how Graham cleverly mislead me as I thought I could see who the murderer was, but the final chapters took me by surprise. Again I felt nervous for Beth as she grew closer and closer to unravelling what was going on and who was behind the attacks. But I’m not going to go into any more detail here; you’ll have to read the book for yourself to find out what happens. You don’t need to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, but once you’ve read it, you’ll definitely want to catch up.

If you’re looking for a gripping police procedural, look no further than Graham Smith’s books. A Body in the Lakes is a crime novel that will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to Noelle Holten at Bookouture for inviting me to take part in the blog tour, and for providing me with an advance review copy.

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 15th March 2019

Print length: 372 pages

If you would like to purchase A Body in the Lakes you can do so by clicking on one of the following links below. 

Amazon UK

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