Dead Man's Prayer by Jackie Baldwin
Published by Killer Reads
Ebook
Published 2 September 2016
309 pages
NetGalley
Ex-priest DI Frank Farrell has returned to his roots in Dumfries, only to be landed with a disturbing murder case. Even worse, Farrell knows the victim: Father Boyd, the man who forced him out of the priesthood eighteen years earlier.
With no leads, Farrell must delve into the old priest's past, one that is inexorably linked with his own. But his attention is diverted when a pair of twin boys go missing. The Dumfries police force recover one in an abandoned church, unharmed. But where is his brother?
As Farrell investigates the two cases, he can't help but feel targeted. Is someone playing a sinister game, or is he seeing patterns that don't exist? Either way, it's a game Farrell needs to win before he loses his grip on his sanity, or someone else turns up dead.
EXTRACTFather Ignatius Boyd lifted the crystal tumbler to his mouth and gulped greedily at the brandy, his shaking hand causing the glass to knock unpleasantly against his teeth.
WHAT I THOUGHTI thought Dead Man's Pray was great. I loved that it was set in Dumfries. Being Scottish, I have a weakness for fiction of any kind set here, especially crime fiction. I also love police procedurals. I loved the way this novel was paced, fast and intense, my favourite kind of book. I was hooked from start to finish. I liked the link to the church which isn't found a lot in crime fiction. I loved the characters; they were made of flesh and blood and came to life. The plot really holds together in Dead Man's Prayer. This novel is packed with twists and turns and I love that in crime fiction. I was second guessing all the time and often wrong. Dead Man's Prayer is great and highly recommended.
