Genre: Crime/Police Procedure
Description
DI Alan Williams is called to the recovery of two bodies from the sea at Trearddur Bay, during a storm. The lifeboat crew suspect they’re fishermen, washed away by a wave but they’re wrong. Alan and his detective sergeant, Kim Davies, realise the men were beaten and tied together before they entered the water. Two miles along the headland at Porth Dafarch, a third victim is found but there are no obvious links. As the number of victims increases, a major investigation team battles to unravel a deadly puzzle which, appears to have links to a series of historic murders from the 90’s.
In 1995, Peter Moore owned and operated the cinema in Holyhead. It is thought he assaulted over 40 men and he was arrested and charged with four murders, which he’d committed in as many months. He was jailed for life in 1996 and is still the only recorded Welsh serial killer. Fast forward to today and Detective Inspector Alan Williams is investigating a series of murders with uncanny similarities to the Peter Moore attacks. Is there a copycat on the loose or are the murders connected to the local underworld, which controls the supply of narcotics across North Wales and the North West? Finding a motive, is the challenge he might not win. ALL THE TIME THEY’RE TRACKING THE KILLER, THE KILLER IS STALKING THEM…
Karen’s Review
I saw this advertised in one of the Welsh Facebook groups and immediately drawn to the cover. It’s a house called Craig y Moor, and sits on a hill overlooking Trearddur Bay in Anglesey. Locals call it the haunted house because as children it scared them. It’s actually quite stunning. Last year the BBC used it as a location for filming The Safe House.
The book is based on Anglesey, and on the side of the island where I live. I particularly loved that the lead Detective stepped into my local Spar shop. I was also able to relate to many of the places it talked about, and those I didn’t know, made me want to run off and find them just so I could walk in the character’s footsteps.
Apart from that, it is a great story, told really well, with good strong characters. It’s a bonus for me living in the place it is based. If you don’t know the area, you’ll still enjoy a really good crime novel.
I often talk about twists at the end and things I didn’t see coming. This had an ending I’ve never seen before; a surprise which wasn’t hinted at previously. Except, it wasn’t that which caught my attention, it was the poignant author’s note that came after the story had ended. It endeared me to the main character even more.
Great story that I would give six stars to if I could.
Karen J. Mossman 