Review by Shellie for The Darkness and the Deep (A DI Fleming Thriller #2) by Aline Templeton
Shellie’s quick take: The second in an atmospheric murder mystery set on the coast of rural Scotland. It has a strong female lead and can be read as a standalone. I would, however, recommend reading the first in the series- Cold in the Earth - since it adds character depth.
Shellie’s description: Set in a farming and seaside community in Scotland, Detective Inspector Marjory Fleming and her family have almost overcome the devastating foot and mouth incident which occurred in the first and previous novel of this series, Cold in the Earth. When the community's local rescue boat with its three volunteers crashes on the rocks during a messy storm, it takes all the lives on board. The community is once again devastated. Things become more complicated when another detective determines that the boat was perhaps led into the wrong harbor (a rocky and dangerous bay that is off limits to boats) determining that it may have been planned. It turns what was thought to be a horrible accident into a murder investigation.
Then another life is taken and it becomes apparent that a serial murderer is on the loose. With a variety of suspects it takes the entire local police team to figure out who the unlikely killer is.
Shellie’s thoughts: After reading this second in the series, I’ve decided that I liked this novel enough that I will attempt to read the other 5 books in the series. It has a variety of great elements that I think are entertaining - a strong female lead, excellent setting, a variety of interesting supporting characters, psychological insight into a criminal mind, a twisty plot, and intelligent writing that flows - excepting the Scottish colloquialisms, which can be interesting, charming, or impossible to understand for an American (not necessarily a bad thing!)
And even though the first book in the series was somewhat predictable, The Darkness and the Deep is not, which is important in a mystery. It does have the psychological profiling which was used in the first book, as well as its in-depth character development. My favorite part is it’s such a great setting for a vicarious trip to rural Scotland.
Like the first novel in the series, I dug right in and kept on reading until I was finished, which says a lot. Since this second book is an enjoyable page turner too, I will now consider the series a go-to book when looking for a guaranteed pleasurable read. And what a great deal. Witness Impulse is re-publishing this mystery series in ebook format for an amazing price of $2.99 - otherwise this series would not be available in the US. If you enjoy international crime fiction this is an excellent option. I’m rating the book 4 stars.
Witness Impulse (Harper Collins) | 1/7/2014 | eBook | $2.99 | First published in the UK in 2006
You can read my review of Cold in the Earth, the first in the series by clicking on this text.
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