Release Date: April 15/2014
Acquired: Print ARC provided by publisher
Goodreads: ADD
Purchase: Amazon/Book Depository
Two women share one fate.
A suspected murder at an English Farm. A reported suicide at a local quarry.
Can DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather the evidence and discover a link between them, a link which sealed their fate one cold night, Under a Silent Moon?
A tense, compelling and unsettling novel mystery brimming with source material and evidence set over just six days, Under a Silent Moon will keep you gripped until the very last page and asks:
Can you connect the clues and name the Killer?
P. D. James meets E. L. James in this exciting new British crime series-a blend of literary suspense and page-turning thriller that introduces formidable Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Smith-from suspense talent Elizabeth Haynes, author of the bestselling Into the Darkest Corner.
"Elizabeth Haynes is the most exciting thing to happen to crime fiction in a long time."-Sophie Hannah
In the crisp, early hours of an autumn morning, the police are called to investigate two deaths. The first is a suspected murder at a farm on the outskirts of a small village. A beautiful young woman has been found dead, her cottage drenched with blood. The second is a reported suicide at a nearby quarry. A car with a woman's body inside was found at the bottom of the pit.
As DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather evidence, they discover a shocking link between the two cases and the two deaths-a bond that sealed their terrible fates one cold night, under a silent moon.
In this first entry in a compelling new detective series, Elizabeth Haynes interweaves fictional primary source materials-police reports, phone messages, interviews-and multiple character viewpoints to create a sexy, edgy, and compulsively readable tale of murder, mystery, and unsettling suspense.
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A true gem for crime fiction readers all around, and a refreshingly different take on mystery. I was glued to the pages of Under a Silent Moon like I was watching my favourite episode of CSI, or Criminal Minds, except that I was on the INSIDE: I was given the exclusive pleasure of viewing confidential, and highly sensitive, police documents, reports, and analyses. My love for mystery can be traced right back to my very first Goosebumps novel, where I was sometimes even given the option of picking my own ending. This book brought back those feelings of endless fascination, like I was being allowed to figure out the plot on my OWN. I was hooked, and if you are a true fan of mystery done well, Under a Silent Moon will become your new favourite series, I can almost guarantee it.One night, two deaths. Things only get more complex from there. Questions arise about coincidences, witnesses are ruled out as potential suspects, and lives become irrevocably changed. Such is the norm for crime fiction, but Under a Silent Moon was so much more than your typical genre read. Elizabeth Haynes took it to the ultimate next level. Using her expertise, and knowledge, as an actual Police Intelligence Analyst, she provided readers with a realistic sequence of events, right down to the exact documents used by police in such cases. The narrative takes place within a 6-day span, in which various members of the police/investigative team work together, and separately, to gather specific evidence, question potential suspects and witnesses, and hold endless briefings. I felt like a media rep that successfully snuck into places she had no right being, and shamelessly caught a glimpse of every delicious piece of the puzzle. To say the least, Under a Silent Moon was addicting.
I've had the pleasure of reading other works by Elizabeth Haynes, so I know that aside from including some kick-ass crime details in her novels, she is also a very talented story teller. Under a Silent Moon is being promoted as 'Police Procedural Fiction,' but I didn't feel like that aspect overshadowed the plot line at all. I became completely invested in the characters lives, and looked forward to their quirks and personal details. There were sub-plots happening everywhere, and it only added to an already rich dynamic. Those side stories also played a large role in helping to finally identify the culprit, even if the police force were a little slower on the uptake.
Under a Silent Moon is a book that deserves your undivided attention, but if you can't manage that, it can also be read by chapter-as each one felt like a continuing episode of your favourite TV show. However you choose to read this book, just make sure you DO get a chance to check it out. This one is going to come highly recommended from me!
Recommended for fans of: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedures, Suspence, British Literature, Harlan Coben.
Challenges: Goodreads 100 Book Goal
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CLICK HERE to read about Elizabeth on her Biography page!
Contact Links
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Thank-you to Trish from TLC Book Tours for hosting this tour, and to Harper for sending me a print ARC to review!
I like the idea of reading this as if it were a tv show, episode by episode. I rarely have enough time to read a book the entire way through in one sitting but I'd definitely do it by chapter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.