Book Description:
FRAGMENTS – If you spend too much time remembering the past you are likely to lose your way in the present!
The Harrogate Crime Series – for fans of JR Ellis, Angela Marsons, Ian Rankin and LJ Ross.
A ten book series and yet a collection of standalone reads.
DCI Cyril Bennett is where he belongs, at the helm in a case involving multiple murders. The sudden deaths of the elderly victims are seemingly from natural causes with no suspicious circumstances. All are male and belong to a private social media group representing various areas of the educational establishment, developed after various meetings and reunions. The team battles to solve the crime before more murders ensue.
Meanwhile, Owen, newly promoted to Inspector, is working on a drug related case. What initially seemed to be a straighforward investigation becomes a complex movement of drugs by a county line gang. When an adolescent goes missing, Owen must act swiftly.
‘Hollingdrake is to Harrogate what Rankin (Rebus) is to Edinburgh – able to build a realistic landscape to portray his characters against – I love the way the characters are evolving, the pace is good and the plots compelling – enjoy!’ John Robson ★★★★★
‘I love words and this author is a master of them painting a picture you can fall right into’. Lynda Checkley ★★★★★
My Thoughts:
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of this series. With each book, even though its a crime one, I get a sense of familiarity and comfort from it. Living in Leeds and having been to Harrogate a number of times, it’s an area I can picture and know fairly well so with each visit, it’s a bit like coming back home.
Cyril and Owen are characters that have grown and have more than earned my respect. I love how the author keeps them grounded and whilst Cyril has had his own demons to battle in the past, both are happy in their personal life of which is something you don’t see all that often in a detective series. The author breaks the norm and it makes for a refreshingly good read.
Whilst you might be thinking well that’s all well and good but what about crime and murder. Well it’s packed to the brim with those also! In fact the deaths start coming thick and fast and poor Cyril has his work cut out in uncovering the sinister going ons. Who could be killing these men and how are they are doing it as there is more to how they died than how it first appears.
Owen is the underdog in this story. The thread that runs alongside Cyril’s case, has Owen really stepping up to the mark yet again and confirming just how far he has come since the earlier books. If I didn’t love his character enough before, well lets just say my heart melted even more at his gentle nature, not that you should mistake him for being a push over as he is far from it.
Fragments is a gripping and charismatic read that held me tight within its pages. The authors storytelling is almost hypnotic and I found it so easy to lose myself into the story. It makes for a clever and sinister read of which with how this book ends, it left me on one almighty high! Not sure how the author is going to top this one but he always manages to smash it so I will eagerly await the next book in the series.
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