by Jenny O'Brien
SYNOPSIS A DEAD WOMAN. AN IMPOSSIBLE CRIME.
Christine De Bertrand wakes up to her worst nightmare: rather than the man she went to bed with, lying beside her is her housemate, Nikki – dead. With no memory of the night before, Christine can’t explain what happened, and the police are baffled.
For DC Gaby Darin, newly arrived from Swansea after her last case ended in tragedy, it’s a mystery she’s determined to solve. When another woman goes missing, Gaby faces a race against time to uncover the link between the two victims and find the man who vanished from Christine’s bedroom. But as Gaby gets close, the killer gets closer – and soon one of Gaby’s own team is in unimaginable danger…
REVIEW When Christine wakes up next to the body of her housemate, the Police have no reason to suspect this is anything other than an open and shut case. All DC Gaby Darin has to do is find the evidence to prove that nobody else was involved and tie up the loose ends.
However, after another woman goes missing, Gaby and her team are forced to extend their investigation to try and work out how the two cases fit together. A task which becomes even more urgent when the life of one of her colleague’s is also put at risk.
To begin with, even though I thought the story was good and I was enjoying reading it, it didn’t have me entirely gripped. But, when I got to the halfway point, the story really picked up the pace and didn’t let up right until the end. The race against time really was a race and I felt the tension and pressure to find the killer as if I was part of the case myself.
Another thing that made this book stand out to me was the setting. The previous book, Silent Cry, was based around Swansea. In Darkest Night, after the events that took place in her previous investigation, Gaby has moved up to Llandudno and some of the investigation leads them in and around Beddgelert. Coming from Wales myself, it just added a bit of extra interest for me to read about places that I am familiar with.
Darkest Night was a really enjoyable thriller which, after a slightly slow start, quickly turned into an addictive, unusual and twisty read. I am a big fan of police procedurals with intelligent and feisty female protagonists but I also have to mention my favourite character, Rusty. I really hope he returns in the next installment and we can see their relationship develop further!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Dublin, Jenny O'Brien moved to Wales and then Guernsey, where she tries to find time to write in between working as a nurse and ferrying around 3 teenagers. In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You'll be pleased to note she won't be entering Bake-Off. She's also an all-year-round sea swimmer.
Readers can find out more about Jenny and her books on her blog: jennyobrienwriter.wordpress and she can also be found on Twitter and Instagram as @ScribblerJB. Facebook (Jenny O'Brien Guernsey Writer).
THRILLERS
The Stepsister
Silent Cry (Gaby Darin Book One)
Darkest Night ( Gaby Darin Book Two)
Fallen Angel (Gaby Darin Book Three) out 20th November. Pre order now.
Thanks to @HQstories and Jenny O'Brien @ScribblerJB for the opportunity to read & review.
Fiction: Crime / Psychological Thriller / Police Procedural
Product format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0008390181
Pages: 384 pp