A reality TV star becomes a suspect in an Essex murder case in the sharp, funny and moving new thriller from M.K. Hill
Three years ago, Danny 'Abs' Cruikshank, star of reality show Laid in Essex!, was living the dream. But on the night of the party, everything changed.
It was supposed to be an intimate weekend gathering, just a few close friends in a remote cottage in Wales. But after a night of heavy drinking in the village pub, a local girl was reported missing – and never seen again. Abs and his friends had been the last to see her alive.
No-one was ever charged, but the controversy destroyed Abs's career. And now one of his mates has been murdered...
DI Sasha Dawson and her team must race against the clock to find the killer before they strike again – but first she must discover what happened to Rhiannon Jenkins on the night she vanished. Will the truth set Abs free? Or bury him?
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for The Woman in the Wood today. Many thanks to Mark Hill, Head of Zeus and Anne Cater from Random Things for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
The Woman in the Wood is the second book featuring DI Sasha Dawson but the first I've read. It certainly didn't affect my enjoyment of the story, which can be read as a standalone but there are mentions of events in Sasha's recent past which will no doubt make more sense to returning readers. Obviously, it just means that I'll need to read the first novel now, so I'm not complaining!
The book opens with the aggressive, belligerent Deano being kicked out of a pub; it's fair to say that he is not a sympathetic character but it quickly becomes clear that he is tormented by something in his past. Unfortunately, he never has the opportunity to make things right because shortly after this he meets a very grisly death.
The nature of his demise means that it's not immediately evident to the investigating team whether the cause was a tragic accident or murder but the reader is ahead here and already knows what happened. Why it happened is the real mystery, particularly when a chance sighting suggests that former reality TV star, Danny 'Abs' Cruikshank may somehow be involved.
Abs was once the star of 'Laid in Essex' (which I think is actually a better title than it's real-life counterpart!) and is a wonderful character. The flashback scenes in the novel gradually reveal what caused his once glittering career to come to a sudden halt but although it's obvious that he still feels guilty about his part in what happened in Wales three years ago, it's difficult not to like him. Reality television shows and the celebrities they create have become part of our culture now and while the vacuousness of this form of entertainment and the image-obsessed stars created by it are cleverly parodied here, it's easy to see why Abs still remains popular with much of the public. There is a rather endearing neediness to him; he really wants to be loved, something Sasha quickly picks up on when she notices that he immediately compliments every person he meets.
While Abs is the larger-than-life figure destined to make a big impression on the book, it's Sasha who is arguably the pivotal character as the series is built around her and although I missed out on her introduction, I'm already invested in her and looking forward to following the series as it progresses. I loved the scenes set in her personal life which are a wonderful mix of humour and emotion. Most importantly, there's a realism to them, they are clearly a family who have been knocked about by traumatic recent experiences but are trying - and mostly succeeding - to find a way to work things out. It's not uncommon for police officers in crime fiction to have problems in their personal lives and considering the nature of their jobs, it's not surprising for authors to include some sort of family drama too but it's tempered here by the obvious love and affection they have for one another. There's a small subplot featuring Sasha's sister, Connie which had me cringing along with her and which is a perfect example of the warmth and humour in The Woman in the Wood.
It is still very definitely a crime novel though and the clever intertwining of various storylines allows for some red herrings. dramatic reveals and an escalation in tension towards the conclusion of the book. The exploration of guilt, loyalty and love amidst some very dark revelations is fascinating. There's not really any graphic violence but there is a sinister undercurrent which leaves readers in no doubt as to the horror of the crimes committed and it's definitely one of those books where you realise the clues were there all along when the awful truth finally comes to light.
Suspenseful, gripping and moving, with a finale that brought a smile to my face, I thoroughly enjoyed The Woman in the Wood and wholeheartedly recommend it.
The Woman in the Wood is published by Head of Zeus and can be purchased from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Kobo and Amazon but please consider supporting independent whenever possible.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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