By
Scott Hunter
Publisher:
Myrtle Villa Publishing
Publishing
Date: May 12, 2013
ISBN:
9780956151094
Amazon Synopsis:
An undercover detective goes missing and the body
of a young man is found mutilated in a shop doorway. Is there a connection?
Returning to work after a short convalescence, DCI Brendan Moran's suspicions
are aroused when a senior officer insists on freezing Moran out and handling
the investigation himself.
A second murder convinces Moran that a serial killer is on the loose but with only a few days to prove his point the disgruntled DCI can't afford to waste time.
As temperatures hit the high twenties, tempers fray, and the investigation founders,
A second murder convinces Moran that a serial killer is on the loose but with only a few days to prove his point the disgruntled DCI can't afford to waste time.
As temperatures hit the high twenties, tempers fray, and the investigation founders,
Moran finds himself coming back to the
same question again and again: can he still trust his own judgement, or is he
leading his team up a blind alley?
Creatures of Dust is a taut police procedural set in the gritty atmosphere of a modern English town that will keep you on the edge of your seat as DCI Moran confronts not only his own fears and insecurities, but also the menacing, murderous presence known as 'The Kafir' ...
Creatures of Dust is a taut police procedural set in the gritty atmosphere of a modern English town that will keep you on the edge of your seat as DCI Moran confronts not only his own fears and insecurities, but also the menacing, murderous presence known as 'The Kafir' ...
My Thoughts:
Creatures
of Dust is the sequel to Black December, but the author says it can be read as
a stand-alone novel. I think I would have liked to have read Black December
first so that I would have known what had happened to DCI Moran and DS Gregory
Neads. The incident at Charnford Abbey (from Black December) directly affects
both of these characters way of thinking in this novel. However, that said,
Hunter does a good job of providing enough information about the past that
reading Black December is not necessary in order to enjoy this novel.
DCI
Moran is in charge of a unit of police officers investigating two deaths that
occur at the beginning of the book. In his personal life he is dealing with the
recent death of his brother and his girlfriend. He is also coping with the
aftermath of the injuries he received during the Charnford Abbey incident. He
had been in a near-fatal car crash, had bout of narcolepsy, a mild stroke and
then survived and explosion. On top of that, he is feeling guilty about the
torture that DS Neads endured because he hadn’t paired him with a more seasoned
officer. It’s no wonder that he is having difficulty trusting his judgement.
One
of the two deaths appears to be an unprovoked attack on a young Asian man. The
second murder is of a female police officer that had been working undercover
under Superintendent Alan Sheldrake. Sheldrake wants Moran off both murder
investigations as the murdered officer was part of his unit Asian man was the
dealer his officer was meeting. Moran doesn’t think so and so he intends to
investigate.
Then,
another murder, same MO as the Asian man, but this man is well-dressed, and
carries a security card from a local business. How are these murders related?
This
was a fast-paced novel with a number of interesting plot twists. It held my
attention throughout and I was surprised at the end when I found out who the
killer was.
There
was also a romance beginning to bud between DCI Moran and Shona Kempster, but
no X-rated scenes. The language was mostly clean throughout the novel. This was
most appreciated.
I
liked the character development throughout the novel. It was interesting to see
Moran analyzing himself and whether he had made good command decisions. DCI
Moran is a troubled man who is trying to do his best.
This novel was an excellent read. I gave it 4 stars.
Thank
you to the author, Scott Hunter, who provided me with a free copy of his book
in exchange for my fair and honest review. A free product does not influence my
opinion. All thoughts are my own.
About the Author:
Scott Hunter was born in Romford, Essex in
1956. He now lives in Berkshire with his wife, two youngest children and
Archie, his Cocker Spaniel. He is a committed Christian (Scott, not Archie) and
is actively involved in his local church in Reading.
Scott is a writer of Crime, Historical
and Children’s novels. He won
first prize in the Sunday Express Short Story Competition for his historical
entry set during the English Civil War, and was long listed for the
Times/Chicken House Children’s Novel Competition for “The Ley Lines of
Lushbury”.
Scott divides his time between writing, IT
contract work and drumming with the Steve Summers Band.
Other books by Scott Hunter:
Rattle and Drum
The Serpent and the Slave
Lines of Lushbury
Black December
Trespass
You
can find out more about Scott Hunter at:
Well thank you very much, Kathryn - so glad you enjoyed it!
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