DETECTIVE MATT BALLARD'S LAST CASE MIGHT BE THE ONE THAT FINALLY BREAKS HIM.
Grace Repton, a beautiful older woman, walks into the police station to tell Matt she has information that could stop a murder. Her fiancé, the infamous serial killer Jeremy Reader, has told her that he has a disciple who is going to kill using Reader's horrific methods.
Reader murdered five women and was finally brought to justice by Detective Ballard. Reader is safely imprisoned in a high security prison, and claiming to be a reformed man who wants to help the police.
But can Matt believe the serial killer or his peculiar wife to be? Can the love of a good woman really change a serial killer?
And the Fenland police also have another investigation on their hands. A Lithuanian migrant worker is found dead on the fens. There is no ID on him, but he has a Tree of Life tattoo. The third body to be found with this distinctive tattoo. Is this gang war or something even more sinister?
CAN YOU TRUST A KILLER TO HELP STOP A KILLER?
The police are stretched to breaking point with multiple copycat murders. And Matt and his girlfriend Liz will fight for everything they care about in a heart-stopping conclusion that will have you on the edge of your seat.
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Sunrise. DCI Matt Ballard had seen enough of these during his thirty years' service in the police force. CHAPTER ONE
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(@JoffeBooks, 10 February 2019, 335 pages, e-book, borrowed from @AmazonKindle #PrimeReading)
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I've not actually read any books by the author but I've listened to some Audiobooks of her work and really enjoyed them so I expected to enjoy this. I did. I read a lot of thrillers and novels featuring detectives and Five Bloody Hearts deals with similar themes. I found the concept of this book quite original; a serial killer presumably feeling remorse and wanting to help the police stop a possible copycat. I was cynical to say the least. This is a complex tale with twists and turns, misdirection and unreliable narration. I enjoyed it a lot. The book is let down a little by the fact I suspected who the killer is fairly early on. I felt it was quite obvious so I was disappointed. I prefer to be taken by surprise. I really wanted the killer to be someone else. Also, I didn't believe Reader's remorse at all.