Caro Ramsay

This is actually not a new series, the first originally published in 2007, just recently published as an e-book, I think. I will certainly be checking up for more.

A serial killer is acting as a vigilante, targetting women who have betrayed others. So far three have been brutally killed, and there is no sign that "he" is stopping.

It is a complex plot, with clues that seem to lead nowhere. In many ways this is a very solid police procedural. The ending will leave you wondering where the series is heading.… (mere)

A wealthy family are slaughtered in their mansion and the evidence hints at satanism however when the local chief disappears DCI Christine Caplan is called in. She has been demoted and wants to clear up this murder quickly. As she investigates she realises that there is more to the tale and suspects her new team of involvement in the murders and a lucrative drug smuggling operation.
This is a new strand for experienced novelist Ramsay and I quite enjoyed it. As the series is new there were lots of characters and the back-stories were a little confusing at times. However the plot is tight enough, linking devil worship and eco-living, so it skipped along well.… (mere)

I'm enjoying this new series from Caro Ramsay. DCI Christine Caplan is called to the scene of a suspected suicide, but things don't seem to add up. When her boss--and friend, though they have to balance that relationship carefully--brings her in on a missing young woman suspected of killing two younger sisters, everything seems to point to this mysterious Girl A. Though officially all information about Girl A is protected, the local officers under Caplan's command know many of the details. It's always nice to see a strong female lead character of appropriate age in an honest light. Though this is the second book in the series, it could be read as a standalone, though references to Christine's children do allude to the previous book. Strongly recommended!

Thanks to Severn House for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.… (mere)

This is the first book by Caro Ramsay that I've read, but it won't be the last. The Devil Stone is what I hope is the start of a new series, DCI Christine Caplan has been "asked" to step down to DI in the wake of an irregularity with some evidence (I wonder if we'll learn more about that backstory at some point) when she's sent to cover a murder investigation that has misplaced its DCI. Everyone seems to be trying to get her to back off, from the DI who tries to freeze her out of the investigation to the ACC who says she's got Christine's back. Fast-paced and full of twists and turns, I recommend this police procedural.

Thanks to Severn House for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.… (mere)