I’m thrilled to be on the blog tour today for A Deadly Game, written by Joanne Griffiths and published by Bloodhound Books.
BLURB:
Kate Palmer, an undergraduate student, discovers that she is pregnant and makes the decision to drop out of university.
However, on the evening before she returns home, her body is discovered in Aston park. She is the first victim of several murders that will rock the city of Birmingham.
Detective Sergeant James “Jim” Wardell, who has his own issues to contend with, is given the case.
When Eddie Carter, a popular talk show host on Birmingham’s Radio Station, is contacted by someone claiming to be the killer, it is the start of a cat and mouse game between a deranged killer and the police.
After a second body is discovered the pressure mounts on the police to capture the man responsible.
Who is killing these women and why?
Can Jim capture the twisted killer before more innocent women are murdered?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I was hooked on crime fiction after reading an Agatha Christie novel when I was a teenager. I loved the way the story unfolded, trying to work out the plot before the reveal.
Since reading that first book, my dream of becoming a writer would often take centre stage over the years and I would spend some time working on my manuscript before the idea was shelved again.
Time was often a factor. As a single parent with two young children, I returned to studying, completing a BSc (Hons) with the Open University. After graduating, I worked with SEN children who were at risk of exclusion from main stream school due to behavioural problems. I then spent several years with children outside of the school system, which kept me busy.
Following a serious health issue in 2014 though, I began to focus on what I still wanted to achieve and the desire to become a writer featured highly again. Dusting off my manuscript, I finally finished A Deadly Game and I am currently working on my second novel.
If I’m not writing, I enjoy reading and always have a book on the go. I also enjoy watching many of the police / detective / thriller series on television, still trying to work out the plot before the story’s conclusion.
MY REVIEW: I would like to thank Joanne Griffiths, Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound Books for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of A Deadly Game prior to taking part and being a stop on the blog tour. I can confirm that I chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and are completely unbiased.
What a great debut novel!! This has got to be up there with some of the best authors. This does not read like a debut novel at all. It’s written with so much experience and the storyline is truly magnetic!
Unlike other crime novels, A Deadly Game introduced me to the serial killer straight away, which I think made me more enthralled to read on – I was gripped. Knowing who was committing the devastating crimes and learning about their background and personality had me biting my nails. Believe me when I say that they’re a nasty piece of work – abuse plays a major part in this novel. Joanne Griffiths has portrayed the killer so well, getting into their mind to truly give the reader a mind blowing experience of what ‘sick’ and ‘twisted’ really is.
The characterisation and character building throughout the entire novel is second to none. It is really lain on thick to the point you actually believe in the story. It’s almost like the story is a feature in the local news (god forbid it is not) and with each chapter told from the perspective of different characters; the serial killer, the serial killer’s wife, police, the victims and the victims families – one huge picture emerges that I can only describe as shivering material. As a reader I felt I got to know the story from all sides, however I must admit the hell the families went through is heartbreaking. A Deadly Game is written with so much depth, I honestly felt I was there with them.
As mentioned above, this is a cracking debut novel and if this is the standard of the debut from Joanne Griffiths, then by gum, us readers are in for some thrill rides when more novels emerge from her den.
The pace of A Deadly Game is fast, very fast, and it’s one of those novels that keeps you dangling on the edge until the very last minute. At one point, real close towards the end of the novel, I wasn’t so sure there would be a conclusion, then it HIT and a conclusion it sure was. I guess Joanne Griffiths gets an almighty kick out of leaving us readers in heavy suspense!
Overall, a good 5* rating for me!
BLOG TOUR DETAILS:
If you would like to follow the A Deadly Game Blog Tour, you can do so at the following dates:
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