thriller – Page 46 – What Cathy Read Next…

I’m pleased to be hosting today’s stop on the blog tour for The Blameless Dead by Gary Haynes, due to be published by Endeavour Quill in ebook and paperback on 18^th March 2019. The book is described by the publishers as ‘an epic, compelling, edge-of-the-seat drama that sweeps the reader from twentieth century Europe to modern-day New York’. Thanks to Hannah Groves at Endeavour for inviting me to take part in the tour.

For readers in the US, there’s a Goodreads giveaway with a chance to win a copy of the book.

To enter, follow this link but don’t hang about as entries close on 1^st March 2019.

About the Book

In the dying days of World War Two, Pavel Romasko and his Red Army colleagues pick their way through the carnage and detritus of a dying Berlin. Stumbling upon the smoking remains of a Nazi bunker, they find something inside that eclipses the horror of even the worst excesses in the city above them…

As the war ends, retribution begins. But some revenge cannot be taken at once. Some revenge takes years. And so it is, as post-war Europe tries desperately to drag itself back onto its feet, and soldiers attempt a return to normality, that retribution continues to ferment in the Gulags of the Soviet Union and beneath the surface of apparently ordinary lives.

Which is how, seventy years later, FBI agent Carla Romero and New York lawyer Gabriel Hall are enlisted to investigate a series of blood-chilling crimes that seem to have their roots in the distant past – even though the suffering they cause is all too present. And for one of them, the disappearance of young women is a particularly personal matter.

Format: ebook, paperback (463 pp.) Publisher: Endeavour Quill
Published: 18^th March 2019 Genre: Thriller, Historical Fiction

Pre-order/Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com ǀ Hive.co.uk (supporting UK bookshops)
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find The Blameless Dead on Goodreads

My Review

Switching frequently between Berlin in 1945 and New York in 2015, the author has taken a story of wartime atrocities and combined it with a contemporary crime mystery to create an action-packed thriller which, at time, explores some dark places and features some pretty depraved individuals.

Man’s inhumanity to man is a key theme of the book and how that can result in a desire for revenge and retribution lasting for years and which may be passed down through generations. I was reminded of a quote from a book I recently read – Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson – about the effect of the horrors of the slave trade on those who participated in that evil practice. ‘It’s the trade that does it to them. Deadens the goodness in the soul’. There’s certainly little goodness in the soul of many of the characters in The Blameless Dead. Just the opposite, in fact.

From the scenes set in 1945 Berlin, it’s clear the author has been meticulous in his research with detailed descriptions of weaponry, uniforms and military units. The turbulent history of Kalmykia in southern Russia and its distinctive culture, which is so pivotal to events in The Blameless Dead, was new to me. In fact, I’ll admit I’d never heard of the region before reading this book.

In the book description, the publishers mention that the book exposes events of modern history in ‘honest and unflinching terms’. I won’t disagree. Readers should be aware that the book contains references to wartime atrocities and to torture and abuse, including that of women and children. There are brief descriptions of violence and torture.

Part crime mystery, part historical novel, The Blameless Dead is a skilfully constructed thriller that nevertheless delves into some dark and, at times, disturbing subject matter. As the publishers say, the book demonstrates that, while hostilities may cease, the horror of war is never really over and that it leaves a lasting legacy on those involved.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of publishers, Endeavour Quill.

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In three words: Dark, intense, suspenseful

Try something similar…A Quiet Genocide by Glenn Bryant (read my review here)

About the Author

Gary Haynes studied law at university before becoming a commercial litigator. He is interested in history, philosophy and international relations. When he’s not writing or reading, he enjoys watching European films, travelling, hill-walking and spending time with his family. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization. (Photo credit: Goodreads author page)

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The Blameless Dead Blog Tour Schedule

About the Book

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her sexually abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters – some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.

Format: ebook (426 pp.) Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 19^th February 2019 Genre: Crime, Thriller

Pre-order/Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find A Killer’s Alibi on Goodreads

My Review

The book opens with a prologue in which the reader witnesses a dramatic and shocking event, the consequences of which will only become apparent later in the book.

I liked the way the book alternates between the two story lines – Mick McFarland’s defence of mob boss, Jimmy Nunzio and the attempts of Mick’s wife, Piper, to prove the innocence of convicted killer, Darlene Dowd. Needless to say, the progress of neither investigation runs smoothly and both Mick and Piper are forced to confront the consequences of what they have taken on and face difficult moral dilemmas. And, of course, things are not always exactly what they seem…

As events unfold, readers (as I did) will no doubt find themselves making connections and finding common themes between the two storylines. That is especially true in the final few paragraphs. The plot positively zips along, with plenty of twists and turns. This reader certainly found herself reading long after she’d intended to put the book down for the night.

The author chooses to give the reader an insight into the inner thoughts of the manipulative and ruthless Jimmy Nunzio and I have to say it is a chilling experience but at the same time totally compelling. Unfortunately, nasty people tend to have other nasty people around them and that’s certainly the case here. Plus it’s always worth remembering Rudyard Kipling’s words ‘For the female of the species is more deadly than the male’.

Given the author’s profession, it’s no surprise that the book is full of precise and convincing details about police, investigatory, legal and prison procedures (although a little less detail about Philadelphia’s road system would have been okay with me). The final scenes in the courtroom as Jimmy Nunzio stands trial are convincingly realistic and I was fascinated by the sections covering the process of jury selection. Who knew there were such things as jury consultants or shadow juries?

Although there are references to events in the two earlier books, A Killer’s Alibi works perfectly well as a standalone. In fact, the author cleverly gives just enough information about the events in A Criminal Defense and An Engineered Injustice to tease but not to spoil. It’s clear many of the characters are still working through in their own minds the consequences of the actions and decisions they took or were forced to take. Secrets don’t tend to stay buried forever, after all.

I really enjoyed A Killer’s Alibi. It’s a fast-moving, intricately plotted and compelling crime thriller. My thanks to the author for my advance review copy.

You can read my interview with William L. Myers, Jr. about An Engineered Injustice, the second book in the series, here. Don’t worry, no spoilers, as I’m looking forward to reading it myself now that I’ve read A Killer’s Alibi.

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In three words: Gripping, assured, twisty

Try something similar…Lying in Vengeance by Gary Corbin (read my review here)

About the Author

William L. Myers, Jr. is the author of the bestselling ‘Philadelphia Legal’ series, which includes the #1 Kindle bestseller A Criminal Defense, An Engineered Injustice and now, A Killer’s Alibi. A Philadelphia lawyer with thirty years of trial experience in state and federal courts up and down the East Coast, Myers has argued before the United States Supreme Court and still actively practices law.

Myers was born into a proud working-class family, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and now lives with his wife, Lisa, in the western suburbs of Pennsylvania.

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