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Publication Date: 8th May 2014

Ex-Detective Lacey Flint has quit the police for a safer, quieter life. Or that’s what she thinks.
Living alone on a houseboat, she is trying and failing to get over the man she loves, undercover Detective Mark Joesbury. But Mark is missing in action and impossible to forget. And danger won’t leave Lacey alone…
When she finds a body floating in the river, wrapped in white burial cloths, she can’t resist asking questions. Who is this woman and why was she hidden in the fast-flowing depths?
And who has been delivering unwanted gifts to Lacey?

So here we are at Book 4 in the Lacey Flint series from Sharon Bolton (where does the time go? Hey not complaining, if I could have book 5 now I would..along with books 6 and 7…well you get the point) and after the events in Like This For Ever, Lacey has left the team and joined the River Police hoping for a quieter, less dramatic life. Yes well..it sounded like a good idea at the time. After she discovers a body on one of her morning swims, she again becomes caught up in an investigation that will put her once more into the danger zone.

There are a few reasons why I love this series. Lacey Flint is a tremendously well drawn character with huge depth to her – and the fact that we are on Book 4 and you feel like you have only just scratched the surface is one of the things that keeps you reading and always hanging on for more. Lacey is not even my favourite – you have the enigmatic Mark Joesbury always somewhere in her life, their ongoing and developing relationship is compelling. Then there is Dana, who is perhaps my most loved character – and again there is a lot more to learn about her.

The mystery elements of the stories are always top notch, wonderful twisty turny tales with a poetic, haunting feeling that stays with you long after the book is finished. A trademark of Ms Bolton for me is that I always kind of feel like I’m reading a ghost story…there is a dark and twisted side to these indeed.

In this particular instalment I was fascinated by the backdrop of the River Thames – and Lacey’s relationship with it – strange and unknown in a lot of ways, the descriptive and eerie prose that tells you that you are indeed reading a Sharon Bolton book is perfectly applied here. The river holds hidden secrets, uncharted territory and the events that take place within its confines are truly memorable.

So all in all another terrific read from this author. No doubt about it, some of the top crime fiction available right now – especially if you like a portentous twist.

Happy Reading Folks!