Innocent Blood by David Stuart Davies
Synopsis:
A child’s body found in woodland. Parents torn apart by grief. But this is only the first victim in a series of apparently motiveless crimes. Detective Inspector Paul Snow, heading the enquiry, must discover the pattern and reveal the chilling truth as a cunning and violent murderer becomes desperate and even more unpredictable. Haunted by secrets of his own, the complex DI Snow races against the clock, following a murderous trail that leads all the way to a dark and shocking climax.
Innocent Blood, set in Yorkshire in the 1980s, is the second in the gritty series featuring DI Paul Snow and maintains the high level of tension and dramatic surprises of the first, Brothers in Blood.
My review:
Innocent Blood is the second novel in the DI Paul Snow trilogy! The plot follows a series of child murders in Yorkshire in the 1980s. Snow is still battling to keep his secret and the case grows more and more intense.
The case will strike close to Snow’s secret. Can he maintain his cover?
The prologue opens in autumn 1984, with a drunk driver involved in a coach crash. There are a series of children’s screams and you quickly become aware, this is no ordinary crash!
Spring 1985, Snow is leading the arrest on a violent murderer. When a call comes in about a missing little girl! Snow arrives at the parent’s house to discover their nine year old daughter Gillian has been missing overnight. It isn’t long before a call comes in and a body matching the description has been found at Mollicar woods.
The body is badly beaten and bruised. Pathologist Chris McKinnon ascertains the death is via strangulation, with no obvious sexual motive.
What is the motive? Who murders young girls and leaves their bodies in the woods?
As the reader we become aware Snow, is still battling his demons. To hide his homosexual feelings, this is something that will lead Snow, down a dark path! There are a series of chapters from the killers perspective, they make for haunting reading but offer little in the way of motive. What is it, that this killer wants the police to see?
A week passes with no progress and then the killer strikes again! Snow needs to fine the motive and quickly before more young girls are snatched and killed! Eventually, through further investigation Snow uncovers the pattern/motive. When he does, it becomes apparent it ties in with the coach crash! With two survivors left, Snow must protect their lives at all costs.
But deep in the shadows, another disturbed man lurks and he wants revenge on Snow……..
This novel sets the series up perfectly for the third in the series Blood Rites. Which is set to be released this November 2017.
A thoroughly good historical crime fiction read! 5*
*My review for Blood Rites, the third novel & new release was blogged earlier today!*
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