A review by heatherreadsbooks
Artefacts of the Dead by Tony Black
4.0
It's a dead man... Can't you see someone's put a bloody great spike through him?
DI Bob Valentine returns to the job after being stabbed and, technically, dying twice in the process. The case? A banker is murdered and discarded in the local tip. Leads are hard to find, the media are pressuring them, and it soon becomes clear there's a serial killer on the loose.
And, while it has a solid mystery around it, as does any good crime novel, Black's characters stand out from the page on their own merit's. It's not just plot-heavy with people there to make it happen; Valentine for one is a well thought out character, who faces hardships and can at times be unlikeable in his attitudes, but evolves over the process.
And his recovery is also integral in a kind - he always feels like he might be on the edge of collapse, of things falling apart. So, sure, you're invested in finding the killer, but equally in what happens with Valentine, love him or loathe him.
Solid story, great characters, and a great writing style!
DI Bob Valentine returns to the job after being stabbed and, technically, dying twice in the process. The case? A banker is murdered and discarded in the local tip. Leads are hard to find, the media are pressuring them, and it soon becomes clear there's a serial killer on the loose.
And, while it has a solid mystery around it, as does any good crime novel, Black's characters stand out from the page on their own merit's. It's not just plot-heavy with people there to make it happen; Valentine for one is a well thought out character, who faces hardships and can at times be unlikeable in his attitudes, but evolves over the process.
And his recovery is also integral in a kind - he always feels like he might be on the edge of collapse, of things falling apart. So, sure, you're invested in finding the killer, but equally in what happens with Valentine, love him or loathe him.
Solid story, great characters, and a great writing style!