Today I’m joining the blog tour for Deadman’s Pool. My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the tour and to Orenda Books for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

DI BEN KITTO RETURNS…

A SACRED ISLAND

Winter storms lash the Isles of Scilly, when DI Ben Kitto ferries the islands’ priest to St Helen’s. Father Michael intends to live as a pilgrim in the ruins of an ancient church on the uninhabited island, but an ugly secret is buried among the rocks. Digging frantically in the sand, Ben’s dog, Shadow, unearths the emaciated remains of a young woman.

A SHOCKING MURDER

The discovery chills Ben to the core. The victim is Vietnamese, with no clear link to the community – and her killer has made sure that no one will find her easily.

A KILLER ON THE LOOSE

The storm intensifies as the investigation gathers pace. Soon Scilly is cut off by bad weather, with no help available from the mainland. Ben is certain the killer is hiding in plain sight. He knows they are waiting to kill again – and at unimaginable cost.

Review:

I loved reading this series for a blogathon a few years ago so I’m delighted that the series has been taken on by Orenda Books and that I have had the opportunity to read the next instalment. Deadman’s Pool is everything I expected and more – it’s fast paced and full of tension and I loved catching up with the characters I’ve come to know and love over the series.

As always, Deadman’s Pool is set on the Isles Of Scilly in a community which is very small and close knit. This is a brilliant setting for a crime novel, as it means that everyone is under suspicion and this disrupts the usual way of life on the island. I loved getting to know the residents better, but I had no idea who was responsible for the crimes and I was really interested to find out.

In between the main body of the novel, there are chapters from the viewpoint of Mai. Her situation is absolutely horrific and Kate Rhodes deserves plaudits for conveying this so clearly and empathetically on the page. Human trafficking is a very current political issue and I was interested to learn more about the individual side of it and become invested in Mai’s story.

As the novel reaches its conclusion, the pace gets much faster and my heart was racing as it became clear who the culprit was.

I can’t wait to see how the series continues

Deadman’s Pool is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: