Mari Hannah's Killing for Keeps

Brutal, that is exactly how Mari Hannah's Killing for Keeps starts. There is no other way of describing it and for the squeamish it is much better in black and white than in colour. This is the fifth book detailing the successes of Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels and her team of investigators and I have enjoyed them all, but this one is the best for several reasons. It's different, and she has brought other facets in the story. She has built in the Scottish connection of gangsters and criminality and woven it in beautifully with the happenings in her force area of Northumberland. Not only that she has had to travel to the Costa Blanca to unravel some of what has happened. The attention to detail is amazing and that gives her plots a more realistic edge. I like the way she brings in moments from the past which have been mentioned in her previous books. All the while there is the personal elements that keep appearing not only within the team, but within her own personal, intimate life. Will she 'come out' or will she keep her sexuality to herself just to keep the promotion prospects on an upward spiral? For now it is on hold and eventually we will have to find out. Okay, what of the killings and the chase, but you will have to read to enjoy them. Wonderful characters play their part with lies, and gratuitous violence. There are stories within stories which do add to the overall effect. By far the best so far with some quite unexpected and sudden changes. You can read this as a one-off, but why not read them all?
Reviewed on Amazon with four stars.