Monday 1 January 2018

The Devil's Claw by Lara Dearman

Following a traumatic incident in London, Jennifer Dorey has returned to her childhood home in Guernsey, taking a job as a reporter at the local newspaper.
After the discovery of a drowned woman on a beach, she uncovers a pattern of similar deaths that have taken place over the past fifty years.
Together with DCI Michael Gilbert, an officer on the verge of retirement, they follow a dark trail of island myths and folklore to 'Fritz', the illegitimate son of a Nazi soldier. His work, painstakingly executed, has so far gone undetected.
But with his identity about to be uncovered, the killer now has Jennifer in his sights.
Set in Guernsey this novel is rich in atmosphere. I was fortunate enough to visit Guernsey earlier this year which really enhanced my reading of this novel. However, even without this experience the descriptions of the island are sufficiently portrayed to allow the reader to 'feel' as though they were there.
This was a real page turner and had me completely hooked. The chapters alternate between, Jenny, the journalist and Michael, the Detective Chief Inspector, who is heading up the case. These are also interspersed with the voice of the killer and which turns this book into a compelling whodunnit complete with all the twists and turns that a good crime novel should contain.
This powerful debut novel has a cinematic quality and I would not be at all surprised if the filming rights are snapped up for this. It is well worth a read for those who enjoy a tight paced thriller.

ISBN: 978 1409170280

Publisher: Trapeze

About the Author:

Lara Dearman grew up on Guernsey before moving to the UK to study. She pursued a career in the city before taking time out to be with her young family. After her husband's job took the family to Singapore for three years, they returned to London where she studied for an MA in Creative Writing at St Mary's university. She graduated with a distinction in 2016. Lara now lives in New York with her husband and three children and is intending to write full time. Lara plans to spend plenty of time in the UK each year.

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