Resolute Reviews -- by Sarah Nicholson

Last month I wrote about the Resolute Books collaboration and our fabulous book launch on a very sunny Saturday in May.

I have finally finished the first two books published under the Resolute banner and what cracking reads they both are. 

Local Killer is the fourth in the “Local…” series by Paul Trembling, each one is a stand alone novel with recurring characters but no central protagonist.

The main character in Local Killer is CSI Alison Kepple and it is apparent early on that she has some anxiety issues. When she is admitted to hospital, after being a close witness to a fatal bomb blast, she finds it difficult being touched and the thought of staying overnight in a strange place gives her nightmares. She constantly reassures herself by checking she is OK.

Each chapter starts with one of Alison’s checklists or some fact pertaining to her job as a Crime Scene Investigator, grounding us into her world.

This doesn’t make her an unreliable narrator, far from it, she is very aware of what is going on, something, or more accurately someone, caught her eye at the crime scene outside the courthouse that day, and with the help of her trusted friend Sam she sets out to find who was behind the bomb which has killed her new friend Judge Ruth Darnel.

Paul Trembling is a former CSI so he knows his stuff when it comes to the procedural aspects in the novel. Although I’m not sure chasing a killer without proper backup is advisable it was perfectly plausible that Alison, trusting in her own judgement, would find herself in some rather dangerous situations.

I was reminded of reading a Sue Grafton, Kinsey Milhone novel. Another strong, practical, female protagonist who also went her own way. I found the pace and style similar too.

There are plenty of twists and turns to the plot which kept me guessing until the end and gave a satisfying conclusion.

I would definitely recommend it and I’m looking forward to diving into the previous “Local” novels, which I expect will be different, but nevertheless just as well researched and written. 

The Wheel of Fortune but C.F.Dunn is set in the fifteen hundreds, which is the time of the War of the Roses. I will confess that history was never my strongest subject at school, however I do love a well-researched historical novel as I always learn so much about the time period.

Thankfully Claire is an expert and her meticulous attention to detail shows. There is a map, list of main characters and royal family trees, covering both the House of York and the House of Lancashire, in the front, and a detailed glossary at the back. I referred to both but found as I was swept away with the narrative, I stopped consulting them as frequently.

Isobel Fenton is a feisty young woman caught up in world where she has no say. She lost her mother early on in life and near the start of the novel also loses her father. With foresight he has arranged for another nobleman to take care of her but this means leaving her beloved family home at Beaumancote Manor.

Isobel must navigate the intricacies of living in a new household, where she is given the task of taking care of the Earl’s children and treated more like a servant. She develops a lovely relationship with the girls but when the political influences of the time encroach on every part of life, Isobel finds herself walking a precarious path with very few choices.

She longs to return to the safety of her home, her friends, and her beloved garden. Time will tell if she makes it and with the wheel of fortune forever turning will things remain the same when she gets there?

Amongst the history and political intrigue there is also a hint of romance and passion. This book really does cover it all and as the first of an ambitious series of five or six novels this first one finishes on such a good cliff hanger. I can’t wait until the next one published because I long to know what Isobel does next.