‘What would you do if your most intimate secrets got into the wrong hands?’
How excited am I to part of this phenomenal Blog Tour for I know Your Secret by Graham Smith.
Published by Caffeine Nights, I was contacted by Noelle Holten of the Crimebook Junkie blog to take part in the tour.
Of course I said yes!! (No-one refuses Noelle 😉 )
Please read on as I share my thoughts…
When Father Peter Paterson is discovered crucified to the stone floor of his church, DI John Campbell leads the investigation in his first case in charge of the Cumbria Major Crimes Team, while, DI Harry Evans spends the last week of his police career attending the trial of his wife’s rapist.
With the priest seemingly killed for no reason, the pressure on the team increases when a rape case and a con trick are added to their workload.
Unknown to the police, members of the public are receiving blackmail demands.
Fearing more attacks on the clergy, Campbell does everything he can to solve the case, while Evans spends his evening dispersing his own brand of supposedly helpful interference.
‘Waxen skin, unseeing eyes, and a puddle of congealing blood on the stone flags told a liturgy of destruction. Of ungodliness, and of desecration.’
And that’s on the first page of Chapter 1!!
I Know Your Secret is Vol. 2 in the DI Harry Evans series. I had not read Vol 1 ‘Snatched from Home‘, or any of Graham Smith’s ‘The Major Crime Teams’ books. I was a little wary that I would find the plot-line confusing, but I can tell you now…wow…DO NOT BE CONCERNED… Read Vol 1, Read Vol 2……just read any Graham Smith novel!!
In Vol 2, Harry Evans is close to retirement. He is being replaced by DI John Campbell. But Harry is not retiring lying down. After the tragic death of his wife, Janet, Harry is tied up in a court case. He is trying to keep his life together but it’s as though everything is collapsing in on him.
DI Campbell is more by the book and Harry is feeling threatened in his position and authority as his career is approaching it’s natural close.
When the body of Father Peter Paterson is found by the cleaner in a crucified position on the floor of his church, Harry and the crime team find themselves immersed in a case that has all the signs of a possible serial killer.
In the meantime, ordinary people, living seemingly ordinary lives, start receiving blackmailing emails. Panic sets in with these individuals but none of them are in a position to approach the police.
All are afraid their secrets will be revealed.
Harry Evans is an unorthodox cop. He believes in getting down and dirty and does not follow the rules. I love Harry Evans. He lacks any political correctness, thus making his approach very gritty and unapologetic.
Harry has a very Machiavellian attitude to the job ~ ‘The End justifies the Means’.
Throughout the novel, there are a multitude of interwoven and separate story-lines. Graham Smith introduces us to a lot of characters, yet continues to keep the reader gripped. The chapters are very short, thus contributing to a very fast pace throughout.
In I Know Your Secret the reader is getting two parallel stories rolled in together.
There is the brutal murder of Father Paterson, in conjunction with the blackmailing story and there is the court case that Harry is attending, involving the rape and subsequent death of his wife, Janet.
The reader is taken on a very emotional journey with Harry. He has a reputation for being very tough and is struggling to keep his emotions in check. The trauma of losing his wife leaves Harry almost unbalanced and you can’t help but wonder what Graham Smith has in mind for DI Harry Evans next!!
I know Your Secret is made for a TV series. I would highly recommend it if you like your crime raw, fast and and very real
Graham Smith is a new voice in crime writing and in his own words ‘Without readers I’m nothing more than a stenographer for the voices in my head.’
A great quote, which I think gives the reader a sense of the passion Graham Smith has for writing great crime fiction.
You can purchase a copy of I know Your Secret here
To purchase Graham’s other novels I have included the links below
Meet Graham Smith:
Graham Smith is married with a young son. A time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000 he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.
An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer and interviewer for the well-respected website Crimesquad since 2009
He is the author of four books featuring DI harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team.
Great review Mags. This sounds like my sort of book. Must put it on my reading list. ☺
I think I can sort that one out for you Car 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to read it. xx