Deep Cover by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

The body of a sex worker is found in woodland where she may have fallen and died accidentally but all may not be as it seems. When the team get together to start to look at the evidence Ian Peterson is missing and no-one will say where he's gone although Geraldine's boss clearly has an idea. It becomes apparent that the sex worker's death is suspicious and the hunt is on but the criminal has been very careful. When a second - seemingly unrelated - victim is discovered there is difficulty in finding if, and how, these two cases are linked, and, of course, finding the person or persons responsible.

The reader learns that Ian has gone under cover with the drug squad in London as his face is not known in the London area. Under very close support Ian tries to get in the confidences of the leaders of the drug gang but quickly throws his script away to execute his own agenda - he didn't put his life on the line for the drug squad!

For me the Ian Peterson side of the story (and the two stories could almost be two separate books) just didn't work well BUT was cleverly executed by Russell none the less. It felt too rushed, too sweet and not enough time elapsed in the plot.

BUT, on the other side - the Geraldine Steel side of the story is probably (in my opinion) Russell's best story yet and it's not like there's been a bad one.

Really enjoyed this for the Geraldine Steel side at least and would recommend to any crime story fans. 

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult fiction, crime

The Adulterer's Wife by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

Julie accidentally finds out that her husband is having an affair and decides to tackle him about it and throw him out but only after their son's final exams, until then her knowledge will remain a secret from both of husband and son. Getting home from taking her son to sit that fateful final exam she finds her husband dead - in bed.

Naturally Julie becomes the obvious suspect and as she came home drunk and can remember nothing of the previous evening can she be sure she didn't do it?

As the police keep strengthening their case she sets about trying to find the truth.

This story is very different to the Geraldine Steel mysteries that Russell is normally associated with and this deviation, like the Christmas short story, shows once again how flexible this author is. There is no prize for guessing the outcome but, once again, it's the way the outcome is reached that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat. And then there's a final twist where it all hangs in the balance...

Opening with the scene where Julie finds out about the affair is a great way to capture the reader from the very start. How would you react? How would I react? I have to admit that I have no idea and to see Russell's interpretation of Julie's reaction was eye opening in many ways. And as Julie undertakes some completely irrational actions you find you can't challenge them because you don't know what insanity would kick in.

Then... as you read on and the case against Julie builds Russell investigates the rights of the child in such a situation and how this affects Julie.

An extremely compelling book for various reasons at various points that will have you reading right to the end - despite knowing the murderer already.

Genre - Adult crime
Publisher - Bloodhound Books

Killer Christmas by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

Everyone has plans for Christmas, mostly doing again what we did last year, but Geraldine's plans fall through at the last minute and she is stuck in York on Christmas Eve. On her own. With no-one to share the holiday with.

Sitting in a pop-up bar and having a quiet drink when a murder is committed - except no-one saw it happen and Geraldine was on the spot.

This is the first short story by Leigh Russell that I've read and frankly I had no idea what to expect. The normal format of her stories requires a lot of plotting and blind alleys etc. But in a short story how do you tackle  a murder mystery? Well Russell does it very well indeed. I was very surprised the way it unfolded without compromising the genre yet giving the reader exactly what they want.

This short story is still free on Kindle from Amazon or you can go to the No Exit Press website and purchase a hard copy so if you haven't read any Geraldine Steel yet now's your chance to sample for free.

I really did enjoy this a great deal.

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller, Short Story

Class Murder by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

"With so many potential victims to choose from, there would be many deaths. He was spoiled for choice, really, but he was determined to take his time and select his targets carefully. Only by controlling his feelings could he maintain his success. He smiled to himself. If he was clever, he would never have to stop. And he was clever. He was very clever. Far too clever to be caught."

First of all, a confession. For the first time I have missed a Geraldine Steel out of the series so her current situation came as a surprise to me.

Demoted for the rest of her career and sent north to a new area she is once again working with Ian Peterson. A girl is murdered and the crime scene is clinically clean leaving the police almost nothing to go on. The case struggles on when a second murder is committed in the small rural area but there is almost nothing to link the crimes together. With the size of the population the only link seems far too tenuous to be substantial. Then the press find the link and start to make a story out of it. Then there is a third murder...

Russell has really returned to her roots with this story. We enter the head of the murderer without finding out 'why' and learn his cold, psychopathic thinking - and hating him more each time. Rooting for Steel and Peterson but we find Peterson wants to play 100% by the rules and do everything that's expected of him while Steel pushes her neck further and further out to the point...

Does their previous friendship have any real meaning anymore? Is Steel really now alone hundreds of miles from home?

Russell at her very best and Steel crying out to be turned into a TV series. I loved this book as much as any of the previous 8 out of 9 that I've read. I really can't wait for number 11.

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Girl In Danger by Leigh Russell

(Lucy Hall Mystery No. 2)
Review by The Mole

Lucy has taken up a post in journalism in Paris but her work is dull and not the exciting headline grabbing work she had imagined so she starts asking around for stories. Out of the blue her phone rings and a voice arranges a clandestine meeting where nothing seems to happen until she, later that evening, finds a key in her pocket. Returning home she finds her flat completely turned over and her flatmate gone. On reporting Nina's disappearance to the police they are not interested because it's  not been long enough and they almost accuse her of wrecking her own flat. Lost, confused and needing help she contacts a private detective and they set about trying to solve the mystery - but with different agendas!

Lucy has matured a lot since her first mystery and this book is a great deal better for it. She still exhibits naivety, but being the young person she is, that is to be expected and in this context it's a breath of fresh air.

The pace of the story varies from chapter to chapter but continues in the typical Leigh Russell way of continuing menace for the "heroes". Nina's plight is terrifying and it's frighteningly realistic the way that she almost welcomes her inevitable fate.

A very different person to the Lucy we met in the first book and a very much more menacing telling of the story. It reminds me of the first Geraldine Steel books where we spent so much time in the killer's head that we were terrified of what they were capable of. I am sure Lucy will lose some of her naivety as the mysteries go on - but not too much, too fast please.

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer Publishing
Genre: Crime Thriller

Murder Ring by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

The eighth book in the Geraldine Steel series.

A man is found mugged and murder in an alley by someone going to work. When DNA evidence leads the investigation immediately to a know criminal it seems like an open and shut case but it isn't always that easy. With the suspect under lock and key a second murder is committed - with the same gun. Clearly it's time to find another suspect.

Cleverly plotted this story also brings a major change to Geraldine's search for her birth mother. Is this too much of a distraction at this point in the investigation and will it bring about the peace of mind that she is looking for?

Easy to read, this story will keep you guessing as to where we are going to end up - and it's most enjoyable getting there. While we spend a lot of time in the killer's head it does mark a return to the "whodunnit" format which the last book had moved away from a little although the story ends up as more of a "whodidwhat".

Great compulsive writing that Russell has become known for.

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Journey to Death by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

When Lucy Hall is taken on a holiday to the Seychelles by her parents, after a break up with her boyfriend, events unfold that threaten the lives of both Lucy and her mother.

Lucy's mother goes missing very early in their holiday and neither Lucy or her father are convinced the authorities are taking her disappearance seriously enough.

Then events unfold that seem to be threatening Lucy's life but both her father and Adrian, someone she meets in the hotel they are staying at, try to convince her that the heat is making her hallucinate.

This book was certainly compelling and I enjoyed it immensely BUT... Yes, that is a big but. This is Lucy's first "outing" and Russell's other lead characters are both detectives. Detectives are allowed detective type thoughts and reasoning but Lucy is an innocent member of the public and I feel that Russell has yet to understand Lucy fully. At times naive to the point of an airhead, at others as strong as any character can be, at times using logical conclusions and at other times off in some fairy tale land somewhere Lucy has some maturing to do - and she will be a great character when she achieves it.

A new approach to thrillers for Russell and when it comes right it will be another great series but I say again - I did find it compelling and I did enjoy it immensely. Leigh and Lucy just need to go out for a few drinks together and get to know each other better.

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer Publishing
Genre: Crime Thriller

The Mole's pick of 2015

It always surprises me to look back over a year and see what I have read. The biggest surprise is to find books that you really did read this year, not two or three years ago and books that you enjoyed but have not thought about since.

2015 for me brought about some discoveries of new authors and new books by old favourites. Once again I cannot compare and say what order these all come in because how can you compare crime with steampunk? BUT... in Oscar tradition there is one that sticks out above all the rest - and it will come last.

On the subject of crime, once again Leigh Russell figures amongst my picks of the year with books in each of the Geraldine Steel and Ian Patterson series. Steel goes from strength to strength with Killer Plan bridging the gap between thrillers of the first three in the series and the whodunnits of the later books, while Patterson, in Blood Axe, becomes a more rounded character and one I grow to care about more.

Denzil Meyrick found his way onto my reading list this year and having read and enjoyed The Last Witness I went back and read the first two starting with Whisky from Small Glasses, the first in the series which gives a far more complete introduction to all the characters involved. I am sort of hooked on these books now and look forward to what 2016 may bring.

Regular readers to this blog will know that I am partial to short stories and 2015 was a good year for them. Of course the Unthology anthologys continue apace and are never dull or repetitious. You might think that choosing short stories would be simple but these guys manage to put them together thematically to make each story part of a bigger picture and give greater enjoyment. A must and the next collection is sitting on my TBR pile already.

Another short story find of 2015 was Refrigerator Cake by Dickson Telfer, his second collection ad every bit as good.

One find  this year was Last Bus to Coffeeville by J Paul Henderson, a harrowing account of alzheimers disease, although it is eased with lighter moments and eccentric characters. It sounds heavy going but is surprisingly light and I am so glad that I read this one.

Before I lighten the mood - and it could do with a bit of lightening - I will mention Intercept by Gordon Corera. I haven't read a lot non-fiction in 2015 but this was a must for me having seen him speak about it at Edinburgh International Book Festival. It told me nothing about the technicalities of cyber hacking that I didn't know but it explained a great deal of history about it that came as a huge surprise. Given our growing dependence on IT in today's world this, perhaps, should become compulsory reading and could lead to people taking greater care.

We can't get the mood much lighter than nominating Jane Hissey's Old Bear's Bedtime Stories for inclusion in the pick. I used to read Old Bear and his friends to our youngest and this year a new collection has been released that contains some old stories and many new ones. A book well worth keeping in your collection "in case".

The next find was The Shield Of Kuromori by Jason Rohan - a fantasy adventure that drags the reader into impossible fantasy and holds them hostage until the last page.

The last two books were from small independent publishers who we met in Nottingham. The first of these two was Greaveburn by Craig Hallam. I haven't read a lot of steampunk in recent years but this was one of the best I have ever read.

And now... the pièce de résistance... Oy Yew by Ana Salote. This is one of the most memorable books I have read and I can't tell you why but it left me wanting to see it succeed above everything I have read in a long time. If you get chance, pick up a copy and find out what I mean.

Blood Axe by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

When a 16 year old girl  is found brutally murdered and robbed, killed by a single blow from an axe, the hunt is on for the killer. DI Peterson looks at the only two suspects that are obvious but the question lingers - Who carries an axe unless it's with the intent to murder?

A few days later a jewellery store is robbed and the manager murdered even more brutally and there are only two things that the crimes have in common - stolen jewellery and the use of an axe as the weapon.

With the media making a meal of these killings the police need to get these crimes solved before the murderer can strike again and it becomes a hunt for a serial killer.

Russell, for me, has hardly put a foot wrong in any of her writing although there was a change in style between the early Geraldine Steel's and the later. In the first, the reader knew the identity and was following Geraldine's detection methods and thinking and in the later they became more "whodunnits". In Blood Axe she has combined those techniques extremely well and we spend time "in the head" of the killer (not a pleasant place at all!!) while not knowing their identity - in fact the surprise of their identity is greater than I expected.

DI Peterson is also becoming a more complete character and where I have always felt Geraldine was my favourite - not any more.

We all have moments when we are reading when we want to understand why the detectives don't broaden their search wider or do this or that but I found this to be Russell's best book yet (and there have been a lot of good ones).

If you can stand the tension of being in the head of the killer - whose reasoning is not as balanced as your own, you will love this book - I did.

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Killer Plan by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

Following Caroline's brief encounter with a school friend of some 20 years ago her husband is brutally murdered. Caroline suspects the meeting wasn't an accident after all but feels she can't inform the police without implicating herself.

Then one of her identical twins goes missing - she believes he has been kidnapped.

DI Geraldine Steel's boss is looking for a fast close to the case when a second body found - it is that of her colleague, DI Nick Williams. A second murder investigation is opened and, despite sharing an office with Nick, Geraldine insists on being on the second team. But Geraldine is harbouring her own secrets which could jeopardise her career.

Geraldine Steel returns in this her seventh book and is as good as ever - in fact maybe even better. In a return to the style of the early Geraldine Steel books we, as the reader, know full well who has done what and to whom and scratch our heads wondering how Geraldine can find those missing clues to draw the puzzles together.

Russell manages to bring each character to life in a way that defies understanding. Each character we meet has their own little "foibles" with no-one - even the witnesses - being a "stock" character that produces a statement and walks away. The only problem with this kind of story is you get to see inside the head of characters that maybe, just maybe, you would rather not see - it is well worth the look though.

More about Geraldine Steel and her creator, Leigh Russell here

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

The Mole's Picks of the Year - 2014

My picks are split 2 ways, adult/YA, and children's/teens because I tend to be the one of us reading the younger readers books - out of choice. I haven't included picture books because - like a coward - it's so hard to choose.

So here I go with my choices for the older reader...
Firstly I am a fan of short story anthologies, where the anthology leads you from story to story on some form of journey and my number 1 select this year has to be Unthology 5. These anthologies are some of the best I have found, where the stories balance each other and reward you with an experience. Don't jump about the book, but read them as they come and enjoy every one.

Another very good collection was Stay Up With Me although this collection was all from the same author. Highly enjoyable and impossible to pick a favourite.




That Glimpse of Truth
was a very different collection,one that seemed more to chart the history of the short story. Starting with the story of Jonah  - and it's not really about a whale - moving through to modern stories. This is more a collection to keep on a shelf and cherry pick from as your mood suits - but still a book well worth having there.

Stepping away from short stories my next choice is a combined choice as I find it hard to select one over the other. Leigh Russell is the author of two detective series - Geraldine Steel and Ian Perterson. The DI Peterson series is a spin-off from Geraldine Steel and this year we have seen one book from each launched with more to come from both. Race to Death
 is the second DI Peterson and 

Fatal Act by Leigh Russell
 is the latest Geraldine Steel.

Brick Mother was a book that gave a very different experience and is hard to give a genre to - but the frustrations of management, the need to make a difference and the stresses of life are very well portrayed in this story.

A Bright Moon for Fools  is a story of a man who is out, unknowingly,to ruin his own life as he blunders,lies and cons his way from relationship realising, only too late,what he has done.

Above is a story in two halves of abduction  and dystopia. I preferred the first half but there was much to reflect on throughout the story. 

Shop Front was a story that took me by surprise. The story of a student taking a summer job while trying to get to university and the crowd he falls in with - and the surprises (or not) that he finds within that crowd.

Ghostwritten  is another story of self discovery and facing up to the past. It's done very well and we also learn of the hardships and deprivations suffered by interned citizens on Java during the second world war. An enlightening, if disturbing read.

But that's enough of the really serious stuff... let's lighten the mood with
Takedown Twenty I have to admit to loving the humour that the author can embed into her stories and make thrillers into a true comedic romp. The best way to end my adult selection.

My children's book selection is somewhat shorter and hopefully a little lighter although Seventeen Coffins is hardly a light read. Another time-slip story from this author bringing to life yet more of Scotland's chequered history.
 

The Reluctant Vampire is a very light read and as funny today as the day it was penned. Is a vampire who doesn't like blood "normal"?

The legend of Frog  is a story that will amuse children but keep them reading. I did have one small reservation about this book though - although it is still well worthy of inclusion.



 The Dark Inside A story of great sadness and loss - trust and friendship of the highest order and perhaps reconciliation?


But in thinking about loyalty and friendship, let's repeat those ideals - but with a generous amount of humour in Charlie Merrick's Misfits in Fouls, Friends & Football

Race to Death by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

DI Peterson has yet to prove himself in his new job in Yorkshire when a man falls 5 stories to his death at the York races. Murder or suicide? Because the death occurred in such a public place and at a high profile event there is great pressure to get the case sorted out quickly. But there are no suspects and the body count starts to grow and Peterson can find nothing that they have in common.

Peterson's first case in York and he is working all hours to get it solved as quickly as possible while his wife is bored, friendless and missing her family and friends and so adding to the pressures. But when she gets a job it could help to take some of the pressure off except she isn't as happy with the job as she was in Kent.

As the cases drag on, his private life gets more and more in way of the case. Is this one case too many for Peterson? Can he continue in the police force after all that happens?

In the first DI Peterson book Cold Sacrifice, set after Geraldine Steel moves to London to take up her new post, I found I didn't really warm to Peterson but that all changed in this book. Peterson felt a more rounded character, perfectly capable of leading an investigation and getting results and a great deal more human. It's a long time since I read a whodunnit that surprised me with the result - but this one most certainly did and I loved it for it.

If you like crime books then you will adore both Geraldine Steel and DI Peterson but the early books are not whodunnits - the reader knows who did it and is wishing Steel to solve it. I loved those early books although I also love them now they have shifted towards the whodunnit genre.

Everyone of them is a fantastic read and Leigh Russell is probably the only author that I can say I have read ALL their books and enjoyed everyone of them. I have reviewed some on our blog and some on Nayu's Reading Corner.

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Leigh Russell - Becoming a full time author - Author contribution

Today we welcome Leigh Russell to our blog, continuing her Blog Tour for the launch of her next book in the DI Paterson series, Race to Death. 

All budding authors have a dream, to write full time and give up their day job. But it's a daunting life change and one that most writers seek advice from other writers on. Leigh Russell has made that move and reflects on the impact it has made on her life.

Sales of my first series, with detective Geraldine Steel, had exceeded my wildest hopes. My publisher had commissioned a spin off series. With two manuscripts to deliver each year, I was working round the clock. Something had to go. Obviously it was the day job. So far so good. After six years as a published author, I found myself in the enviable position of earning a very decent living from writing fiction.
    Was it coincidence that I also found that I wasn't sleeping so soundly at night? For several decades I had worked as a school teacher. Say what you will about the stress teachers face, they don't have to worry about the next pay cheque. Every month, on the dot, the money goes into the bank account like clockwork. Until that point writing had been my escape from my working life. All at once, it became my working life. Impressive book sales were no longer a matter for congratulation. They were my income.
    At this point I began to realise that 'full-time writer' is something of a misnomer. The days when an author could do nothing but write are long gone, for most of us at least. You might expect that I would have a lot more time to devote to my writing, now that I'm writing full-time. That was certainly my expectation when I gave up the day job. The reality is somewhat different. I hesitate to admit that I'm actually doing less writing now than when I was working.  'Writers' block,' you mutter knowingly. You couldn't be more wrong.
    What keeps me from writing is that I'm just too busy. In October I'm going to York, ostensibly to research the area for the next Ian Peterson book. In the eleven days I'm there, I have sixteen author visits arranged, including radio interviews, talks at local libraries and colleges, and signing in bookshops. I'm going to struggle to fit in all my research. Writing won't get a look in. My summer was even busier, with trips to Greece and France along with all my commitments in the UK.
    Here I am, living the dream. It's great fun, but I do sometimes look back at the days when all I did was work full-time in a normal job, and write books. Life was so much simpler then, and certainly not so exhausting.
    So would I turn the clock back? No way!

Leigh's latest book, Race to Death, is now out and we will be reviewing it later this month. The Mole has enjoyed reviewing  all of Leigh's books either here on our blog or on Nayu's Reading Corner

Leigh Russell writes the Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson crime series. Links to her books, blog, facebook and twitter accounts, and her programme of events, can be found on her website http://leighrussell.co.uk

Fatal Act by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

After an argument a woman, an actress, storms out of the house of her boyfriend, a famous producer, and drives away in her Porsche only to die in a head-on collision with her boyfriend's van whose driver has disappeared. The question has to be asked as to why this has been referred as a murder investigation? A second actress dies and the common factor appears to be the producer. When the producer's son is murdered then there can only be one name in the frame, surely?

Returning for her sixth investigation, Geraldine Steel once again leads us through the routine encumbered by a boss who has decided who is guilty and wants no time wasted on pointless enquiries. At the same time her sergeant is constantly pushing her opinions and her 'sister', Celia, is trying to get her to maintain her social life and Nick, an inspector that shares her office, is trying to get her to go on a date. Chaos continues to surround Geraldine when DS Peterson - her sergeant from before her move to the met - phones to go out for a drink creating a temporary oasis of calm.

I really did like the way this incident with Peterson is mirrored in "Cold Sacrifice" which is the first DS Peterson mystery; it manages to add a degree of continuity to both stories. I have to say that early on I had figured a feature of the killer - I suspect we are supposed to - but the story is about finding out who and how Geraldine gets to the killer.

Geraldine is one of my favourite fictional detectives and this mystery does nothing to diminish her status. A great read with a twist at the end that I won't even hint at! (Check the murder count - ooops).

I really enjoyed this book and it is sure to please whodunnit readers and Steel fans wherever they may be. We were recently part of the blog tour to celebrate the publication of Fatal Act and Leigh talked about browser history

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Buy Fatal Act (A Geraldine Steel Mystery) from Amazon

Leigh Russell - Blog Tour - Author Contribution

Leigh Russell

The second part of today's Fatal Act blog tour is an author contribution on the impact a writer's internet history could have on their life... it bears thinking about.


A writer's (worrying) browsing history - all in the name of research

Whenever possible, I prefer to conduct my research by talking to real people. Whether I'm seeking guidance from a professor of forensic medicine, a police detective, or someone working in WH Smith's, so far everyone I have approached has been really helpful. Many of the details included in my books are barely noticeable. Nevertheless, they are important, because they help create an illusion of reality.

A market trader in one of my books has a stack of banana boxes in her front room. Only someone working in a market would know that these are the boxes favoured by stallholders, because they are strong. Although readers might not be conscious of that tiny detail, the scene would seem authentic to any market trader reading the book. This is just one example of the care I take to create the illusion that the world of my books is real.

Like anyone involved in writing, I also research on the internet. It never ceases to amaze me how much detailed information is readily available online. In fifteen easy steps, with pictures, you can learn how to handle a gun. You can find out how to blow up a car, or rob a safe, or how to obtain fake documents.

Browsing the internet feels safe, but in reality the activity is a two-way process.  Recently a man was, quite rightly, prosecuted for posting a racist comment on twitter. If the comment had been made in a pub the speaker might well have been punched in the face, but he certainly wouldn't have ended up in court. We've probably all said something offensive, in private, but posting an offensive comment online is very different. It's out there in the public domain and you can't take it back, or claim to have been misunderstood.

So what is the position with browsing histories on computers? What I do at home is my own affair. It's no one else's business. My browsing history is private, and hidden from other people. At least that's how it seems. But it remains accessible to anyone who wants to look for it. Even if it's deleted, the information can be retrieved. Like leaving invisible traces of your DNA just by breathing when you enter a room, every search you make on a computer leaves a footprint, some of which might, potentially, land you in trouble.

Of course it's possible to click on an unsavoury website by mistake. Although it may not be not easy, it's possible. But what about a browsing history that shows its user has regularly searched for questionable material? From poison to paedophilia, guns to gambling, torture to terror, homicide and horror, murder and misery, drugs trafficking, people trafficking, my browsing history includes research into many seedy and illegal activities.

Writing this post has started me wondering... What if someone put a writer in the frame for a crime that involved material the writer was researching? The police might reasonably treat the writer as a suspect. Perhaps, on balance, it's safer to carry out research by speaking to real people!

And now I'm off to delete my browsing history on my computer, as fast and as far back as I can...

Leigh Russell - Blog Tour for Fatal Act

Today, to celebrate the publication of Fatal Act we will have a couple of separate posts, the first of which is about the series leading up this, the sixth book. Read on as we also have an extract of the book for you to read - but come back later too to read about the terrors of browser history.

Fatal Act is Leigh Russell's sixth and latest book in the Geraldine Steel mystery crime thrillers. The Mole was fortunate enough to be invited to review the first Geraldine Steel mystery (Cut Short) for Nayu's Reading corner and he's have been lucky enough to review each one so far. He doesn't 'follow' too many detectives or mystery writers but Geraldine and Leigh are exceptions to both these rules.

Leigh's books are now translated into French, Italian and Turkish as well as German and even American (well, some translation is usually needed for the American market).

The next four books were Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed and Stop Dead each of which brought forth a new and more sinister crime while keeping us abreast of Geraldine's turbulent personal life and progression to the Met.  

Stop Dead has been nominated for The People's Book Prize so why not slide over there and give it a vote - it well deserves your support!!

And now comes Fatal Act - the sixth in the series. I have to admit that as yet I haven't had chance to review it - although I hope to shortly. But the synopsis reads...

"A glamorous young TV soap star dies in a car crash. Returning for her sixth case, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel is baffled as the driver of the second vehicle miraculously survives - and vanishes. Another young actress is murdered and, once again, the killer mysteriously disappears. Geraldine unwittingly risks her sergeant's life in their struggle to track down a serial killer who leaves no clues."

Which sounds intriguing enough but here's an extract to further whet your appetite...

"All she wanted to do now was get home safely. She drove slowly, looking out for a side road she could turn into. With luck she could slip away before her pursuer realised what she was doing. She passed a turning on the right, displaying a no entry sign. She braked abruptly. Her phone flew off the passenger seat. The van slowed down behind her. Worn out and stressed, she couldn’t even remember why she had been so angry with Piers. It had been a stupid argument in the first place. She wished she was back at home, away from the road at night and its wildness. Leaning forward to retrieve her phone from the floor, she punched Piers’ speed dial key. His phone rang, but there was no answer. She glanced in her mirror and glimpsed the other driver, his face a black mask in the darkness."

Leigh Russell - Author Interview

Today we have an interview with crime writer Leigh Russell, author of the Gerald Steel stories Cut Short , Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead and now Cold Sacrifice a spin off featuring DI Paterson. Her books have quite a track record:-
Cut Short - CWA Dagger shortlist, #1 iTunes, #1 Women Sleuths
Road Closed - #1 Women Sleuths, Top 20 Kindle, Top Read Eurocrime, Top 50 iTunes
Dead End - #1 Women Sleuths, Top 20 Kindle, Top 20 WH Smith's, Top 10 Miami Examiner
Death Bed - #1 Women Sleuths, Top 20 WH Smith's
Stop Dead - #1 on Amazon Kindle
D.I Geraldine Steel is a Lovereading Great Female Sleuth

The Mole has read, and enjoyed all of these stories so far and had a few questions to ask.

Of all the possible genres you could choose to write in, you chose to write crime - and not comfortable and safe "whodunnits" but gritty and terrifying serial killer thrillers. Why that genre?

When William McIlvanney described writing as 'an inexplicable compulsion'  his words must have struck a chord with most authors. I've never been able to explain why I began writing one day, and haven't been able to stop since. It was like turning on a tap. In the same way, I can't explain why I write crime, except to say that it wasn't a conscious choice. People sometimes say their books, or their characters, chose them. It sounds daft until I think about it and realise that I know exactly what they mean!

Some of the methods of killing are quite horrific - How comfortable are you writing it?

All killing is horrific. My books aren't particularly gory because blood and guts don't inspire me - in fact I'm really very squeamish in 'real' life. It seems to me that anatomically we are all pretty similar. But you are absolutely right to say that some of the methods my killers use are horrific. There is a reason for that. Much of the tension in crime fiction is created by the conflict between 'good' characters working on the side of justice, and killers. It's goodies and baddies. The more evil my villains are, the greater the tension becomes, and the more desperate readers will be to see the fictitious killer stopped. Writing detailed descriptions of bloody corpses doesn't inspire me, but there has been a move towards horror in crime fiction. What interests me is what motivates people to carry out such horrific acts.

"Stop Dead" feels slightly different to the previous 4 stories in the series and while the crime is of

the same nature it is presented with a slight shift towards the "whodunnit". Was this the intent?
Yes! Most of my readers are very sophisticated in the genre, and it is difficult to keep one step ahead of them without resorting to absurd plot twists and surprises that really stretch credibility too far. In Stop Dead I made a deliberate attempt to write a novel closer to a 'whodunnit'. It was a challenge to write, and great fun! I have attempted the same in Fatal Act, the next Geraldine Steel title, which has just been published as an ebook. The print book follows in 2014. Hopefully I have again succeeded in increasing the mystery element, without compromising on suspense, of course!

Geraldine Steel has now been featured in 5 books with the 6th due out in May 2014 - are there plans for more?
Lots of plans for lots more. I am about 20,000 words into the 7th Geraldine Steel book. I hope the series will run for twenty books, but who knows what the future holds? As long as readers keep buying the books, I'll carry on writing them, and my publisher will continue to publish them. I should say my publishers (plural) now, as the books are already translated into French, Italian and Turkish, and were recently acquired by a major German publisher as well, plus Harper Collins are now publishing both my series in the USA.

I've always felt that Steel would suit TV - have there been any moves towards it?
Well, it's funny you should ask that... but unfortunately I can't tell you anything more or I'd have to kill you... But seriously, I can tell you that it's a hugely competitive market, so I'll just keep writing the books and hope for the best. Who knows?

DI Peterson span off from the early series and appears in his own book, "Cold Sacrifice". Are there plans for more from him?
Yes. The 2nd in the Ian Peterson series is finished ready for publication in 2014. As I said in answer to your first question, starting to write was like turning on a tap for me. So there's no sign of either series drawing to a close for a while. At the end of Cold Sacrifice, Ian Peterson learns that he is moving to York and that is where the rest of his series will be set. Once I've finished the 7th Geraldine Steel book, I'll be writing the 3rd Ian Peterson.

Geraldine Steel has proved very popular, with her cerebral tenacity and her *chaotic* private life. How is DI Peterson being received?
The character of Geraldine Steel has evolved through her series. With Cold Sacrifice, the first Ian Peterson novel, I knew his character from his appearance alongside Geraldine Steel in Cut Short, Road Closed and Dead End. In some ways that made writing the book easier for me since I had already introduced him to readers. However, it was nerve wracking seeing the book published as my fans were used to Geraldine Steel. Fortunately they have been open-minded about trying a new series, and of course the Geraldine Steel series is continuing. She has a cameo appearance in each of the Ian Peterson books as well, as they keep in touch.

Peterson or Steel? Which do you prefer as characters and are they both as easy to write about?
This is an impossible question to answer!

And ducking that last question was perfectly reasonable - I wouldn't want either of them on my case for saying the wrong thing! Many thanks to Leigh for taking the time to answer our questions and we look forward to May and beyond for further from both of these two crime fighters.

You can find out more about Leigh on her website at leighrussell.co.uk

Cold Sacrifice by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

A woman is found stabbed to death on the park and she carries no identification. A mugging? Or is it so simple? When is finally identified her husband, Henry, becomes the prime suspect - although he is the only suspect. Then a prostitute - his alibi - is found strangled and so it seems there is only one link between the victims. Then another body is found. Can they link it back to Henry and wrap them all up as one murderer?

In Russell's previous books DS Ian Peterson worked with Geraldine Steel but she has now taken up a posting in London and he is finding his feet working with new people but also waiting for promotion to DI in this the first 'spin off' story.

Once again Russell tells us a story which, unlike some, has very few suspects and we know, as a reader, that the person in the frame is not the murderer but the chase is not about a 'whodunnit?' but a 'how will they catch the right person?'. And once again the author has intertwined the off duty life with the investigation in an extremely frustrating way. Frustrating? Yes, if you've ever had to balance work and home life the way Peterson does then you will truly 'feel' the atmosphere she creates and balances. It's for this reason that I would say that MY preference is for Geraldine Steel but... The next DI Peterson could easily change all that - read the book to find out why.

Another great investigation that carries Russell's hallmark of trying to remain closer to real life than fiction. If you like crime novels and you haven't tried  Leigh Russell's books yet then give them a go - you just might become addicted.

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Buy Cold Sacrifice: The First DS Ian Peterson Murder Investigation from Amazon

Stop Dead by Leigh Russell

Review by The Mole

Geraldine Steel is once again in the middle of a murder investigation. Once again the body count rises and as it does the link between the victims - once strong and seemingly a lead - becomes less and less. All the original suspects are eliminated as the story unfolds because motives and opportunities lose their relevance. When they no longer have any suspects, things start to falter and Geraldine feels the stress like she's never felt it before. Can she find the killer before even more crimes are committed?

And on top of this Geraldine is having difficulty adjusting to the London scene. Her sergeant is friendly and supportive but has personal issues with Nick, the inspector  that Geraldine shares an office with. And then Geraldine starts with similar issues. And while she is loving her work she is also somewhat depressed and missing the camaraderie and friendships she has left behind.

Quite a different story compared to the previous stories where we knew who the killer was and were willing Geraldine on towards a solution, this one is much more of a whodunnit. In this we witness most of the crimes but as each crime occurs we are further away from the scene and far less understanding of the killers 'drive'. Except in one case where the victim survives.. so surely that will lead us to the killer? Wouldn't it be easy to make that the solution? Russell doesn't do 'easy'!

Another fantastic read that will have you guessing for much of the book and trying to 'get inside' the mind of the killer while the personal life of Steel continues to intertwine with story as the mystery unfolds. There is no need to have read the previous books but you will understand Geraldine better if you do. 

Publisher - No Exit Press
Genre - Adult Crime Thriller

Buy Stop Dead (Geraldine Steel 5) (DI Geraldine Steel) from Amazon