The Recently Read posts are not book reviews. As a writer, I do not believe I should be reviewing the hard work of other writers. These posts are simply books I have recently read and enjoyed and will share with you. They will not always be crime books as I am trying to widen my reading selection. I hope you enjoy some of these with me.

An Unfamiliar Murder – Jane Isaac.

Arriving home from a routine day at work, Anna Cottrell has no idea that her life is about to change forever. But discovering the stabbed body of a stranger in her flat, then becoming prime suspect in a murder enquiry is only the beginning. Her persistent claims of innocence start to crumble when new evidence links her irrevocably with the victim… Leading her first murder enquiry, DCI Helen Lavery unravels a trail of deception, family secrets and betrayal. When people close to the Cottrell family start to disappear, Lavery is forced into a race against time. Can she catch the killer before he executes his ultimate victim?

My Thoughts:

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked up An Unfamiliar Murder, other than the blurb had drawn my interest.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that DCI Lavery was a well rounded cop who has a busy home life, which she struggled to juggle with the demands of a homicide investigation. As much as I love the angst ridden stories of hard bitten cops with issues and major struggles, it was great to read a police procedural with a real life context that could easily have fitted with people any of us could know. The contrast between DCI boss at work and worried mum at home were smoothly moved between and believable.

I was also thrilled with the police procedural knowledge in the book, which just made it flow so smoothly, leaving nothing to get hung up on. Some of the details left me wondering what exactly Jane Issac does for a living.

The investigation to identify the offender is well written and had me guessing all the way through.

I really enjoyed the style and pace of this book. It isn’t a massive thrill a minute, hang on the edge of your seat ride, but it is a good solid procedural with a believable cast and I will definitely be buying the next Jane Isaac book.

You can find Jane on her Website and on Twitter.