Jack Johnson has a talent for trouble - wherever he goes on his narrowboat, it seems to follow him. Moored up on the River Avon in the beautiful Georgian surroundings of Bath, he's working at the local paper when a prominent magistrate and heritage campaigner is attacked and drowned. Could it be a serial killer copying the Canal Pusher? Or a biker gang who swore revenge on the magistrate? Against his wishes, Jack is pulled into the investigation by his ambitious editor who wants the scoop. Jack and his friend, the war widow, Nina, have also been drawn into another struggle. The moorings of a small settled boating community sit alongside a huge former industrial site that property developers want to fill with luxury housing. Nearby residents are enlisted to petition against the boat people, and as the campaign spirals out of control, lives are threatened. Who is helping their enemies? Another gripping tale of corruption and intrigue from the riverbank, full of dark waters and deadly secrets.
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[A man is leaning against the ancient stones of Bath Abbey, with one leg bent at the knee]***
(@OrphansPublish, 2020, 265 pages, e-book, copy from @annecater and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 10 June via #RandomThingsTours)
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I loved the first book, Canal Pushers and loved this a tiny bit more. Once again, this set in the canals of waterways of the UK, Bath and Avon this time. I really enjoyed all the scenes and descriptions of the moorings where Jack stays and the little community he sets out to help. I'd love to live on a boat. I'd tour Fife in Scotland if I had one. This time around, Jack and Nina are investigating the threats and harassment of a group boaters with permanent moorings seemingly linked to a commercial development in the area. And of course, another serial killer is sniffing around. Jack and Nina are even more fleshed out in this book. I look forward to their third adventure.
