Today I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for Bliss Uncovered. My review is written with thanks to Sarah Hardy for inviting me on the blog tour and for arranging for me to receive my copy of the book.

Blurb:

The bestselling author of the stunning DI Bliss crime series is back – this time with a thrilling prequel novella.

A double life – a single truth.

Fresh out of uniform, DC Jimmy Bliss finds himself at the centre of an undercover sting. Enlisted by a crew of villains to crack a safe, he fears his cover is blown when he’s seen in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But on the night of the job, things run smoothly enough until the gang leader changes the location of the heist. As the job spirals out of control, Bliss has to trust his instincts and buy some time. There’s just one problem: he has no idea if his team know what has become of him.

As the situation escalates, Bliss finds himself at the mercy of a violent criminal who will do anything not to be caught.

Review:

Bliss Uncovered may be a novella, but there is an awful lot packed into it. I always welcome an opportunity to read about Jimmy Bliss, and I loved seeing how his first few cases influenced the way he works in the main series. Although he is less experienced here, there are definitely glimpses of the Bliss we know and love. It was also lovely (and very poignant) to learn more about characters such as Bliss’ parents and Hazel, who appear in the main series in a different way.

This novella is set in 1991 and it is fascinating to see how police procedure and the technology and techniques used by the police have changed. I enjoyed the cultural references which give a nod to the time period about which Forder is writing. (West Ham still seem to be rubbish though.)

The plot of Bliss Uncovered covers two investigations. Despite being very different, they both captured my imagination equally and I was engaged in this story the whole way through.

As Bliss is working undercover, this inevitably carries a degree of tension, which is always bubbling underneath the surface and slowly rises to the boil for an explosive ending. I was rooting for Bliss to get it right from the edge of my seat!

I am looking forward to reading more in the main series next year!

Bliss Uncovered is available from Amazon.

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