Book Description:
The team is seeing changes. Cyril is away and for the second time, Owen finds himself in charge of the investigation. An elderly gentleman dies of a snake bite and unfortunately his carer is also attacked. The second murder is a shooting, an unusual weapon being used, again an elderly victim.
A photograph of four friends celebrating a win at the Great St Wilfred’s Stakes at Ripon races in 1986 seems to be significant, but the relevance, at first, is lost in the investigation.
Another victim, one of the friends in the photograph, is found dead in his home. Only one of the friends remains alive and Owen and his team fight against time to prevent his murder.
The investigation is hampered by two siblings, the Bostock brothers, who have a history of rivalry and hatred; one of them is in the Ripon races photograph.
DS April Richmond’s biblical knowledge proves critical in solving the crime. The snake, Lilith, conjures the Garden of Eden. Two more fatalities occur before the crimes are solved and the motive is revealed.
My Thoughts:
The story starts off focusing on Cyril and Julie and their relationship and I almost forgot that I was reading a crime book. The author lulls you in under a false sense of security as it isn’t long before the story takes a dramatic turn with the body count mounting up.
Anyone that knows me, knows I really do not like snakes at all. If you’re like me, you may try reading some of this behind a cushion as I could feel the hairs raise on my arms and shivers running up and down my spine. This would be one case I would have to leave to some one else as no way would you get me anywhere near!
If you have read the series, you can’t help but feel like a proud mum when it comes to Owen. In charge of the investigation whilst Cyril is away. Definitely not one of the easiest cases he has worked on either. I feel like we are seeing a more grown up side to him than we did in the earlier books in the series. In fact both Owen and Cyril have grown in character since our first meeting and I have developed quite the soft spot for them both.
Threadbare is an intelligent crime thriller. It is perfect for fans who love crime series’ like Inspector Morse. Along with a gripping storyline, I always feel like I learn something new in this authors books as his wealth of experience in the world of arts, always shines through. Another page turner of a read that made me squirm but also thrilled me.
Threadbare is available to purchase from Amazon.
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