This review is written with thanks to hHQ Digital for my copy of Blood Runs Cold via Netgalley.

Blurb:

She was taken against her will.

On her fifteenth birthday, trafficking victim Affi Smith goes for a run and never returns. With a new identity and secure home in the Scottish Highlands, she was supposed to be safe…

She escaped once.

With personal ties to Affi’s case, DS Max Craigie joins the investigation. When he discovers other trafficking victims have disappeared in exactly the same circumstances, he knows one thing for certain – there’s a leak somewhere within law enforcement.

She won’t outrun them again.

The clock is ticking… Max must catch Affi’s kidnappers and expose the mole before anyone else goes missing. Even it if means turning suspicions onto his own team…

Don’t miss the next book in the DS Max Craigie series! Fans of Ian Rankin and Marion Todd will love this utterly gripping Scottish thriller!

Review:

I’ve really enjoyed this series so far and it was great to be back with DS Max Craigie and his wonderful team. I absolutely love the relationship between them all and the banter provides some much needed lighter moments in what is otherwise a very dark story. It was also great to learn more about Barney, the freelance technical expert and also see Katie, Max’s wife at work. 

The investigation in Blood Runs Cold is centred around trafficking, which seems to be a hot topic in crime fiction at the moment. However, that’s not to say that I felt at any point like the author was covering old ground: the angle he takes felt fresh and researched in incredible detail. His experience as a police officer shines through and makes the novel feel authentic.

Blood Runs Cold deals with some despicable criminals and Neil Lancaster conveys their menace really well. There is a fair bit of violence and blood and gore, which is absolutely up my street, and the tension this creates makes it almost impossible to stop thinking about this novel. I was on the edge of my seat as each twist and turn was revealed. 

I look forward to reading more in this series. There is a hint at the end of Blood Runs Cold of what might be to come and it makes me very excited! 

Blood Runs Cold is available from Amazon.