Saturday 20 August 2016

Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge Book Review



BLURB:

There are some fates worse than death . . .
Called to a Southampton nightclub, Detective Inspector Helen Grace cuts the duct tape from the asphyxiated victim and discovers she knows him.
A man from the double life she has concealed from her superiors, Helen is determined to find his murderer - while keeping their relationship hidden at all costs.
When a new victim is found, Helen works around the clock to stop her life unravelling. She'll do anything to solve this case - but dare she reveal her own darkest secrets and lose everything?
And would even that be enough to stop this killer?

MY THOUGHTS 

Little Boy Blue is the fifth book in the DI Helen Grace series. The novel opens with the death of Jake Elder, a dominator, whose body has been found in a club called The Torture Rooms in Southampton. Nothing prepares Helen for when she arrives at the scene and when she discovers the identity of the victim, it rocks the foundation of her life and now her own career is beginning to look uncertain. 
Arlidge has delivered a fast paced and nail biting thriller. It helps to have read the previous books in the series to understand the premise of what is going on in the fifth installment although this is not necessary. 
I really liked the tension there was in the police force as the investigation into Jake Elder's death stepped up a place. Arlidge builds on this well to deliver a stunning ending which left me demanding more and I can't wait for Hide and Seek to come out in September. The ending of Little Boy Blue certainly had me on the edge of my seat. 
There were interesting character developments throughout the novel which I really enjoyed, particularly with DSs Charlie Brooks and Sanderson. I also liked the sub-plot which detailed Helen's relationship with her boss, Gardam. This is, no doubt, the darkest Helen Grace thriller yet. 

Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: 2nd June 2016 (paperback) 
Print length: 384 pages 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Boy-Blue-Detective-Inspector/dp/140591923X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471686548&sr=1-1&keywords=Little+Boy+Blue


1 comment:

  1. I didn't understand how Paine was killed by a female; she is used several times in the chapter before he dies. In the actual chapter, MJA then says "his attacker" and "the figure". So the killer turns out to be male, but the chapter says female. V Confused.

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