BOOK REVIEW - EVA DOLAN - BETWEEN TWO EVILS

Book Review

Between Two Evils

Eva Dolan

Raven Books

For 468 pages I was engrossed. There are already four books published in the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series and, Between Two Evils is the fifth one, and the first one I have read. Consequently, the police characters were all new to me and so I had to work hard to put them in the correct space in my head.

In simple language this is about criminal investigation. There is more than one thread running throughout and therefore there is a need to concentrate and all three go to the end. One is relatively minor, intended maybe, to ensure all in the office are engaged with ongoing enquiries. There are two major investigations, one relating to a twenty-year old crime and one that is very current. That one is smack bang in the public eye and a challenge to authority. That's what I like writer’s to do, challenge, and not to accept the status quo and to give injustices an airing.

Now, back to this book. It is set in middle England around Peterborough, and brings to our attention that many crimes are committed outside major conurbations. Eva Dolan creates strong characters that we will like, some that we will consider imperfect and others that are violent and distasteful. You can judge them for yourself and I will not spoil the reading of them by giving clues.
There are no clues on the cover either.

In comment, I found, some sentences too long and complex and in one case two sentences that were only made clear when reading the latter part of the second sentence. Why she did that, I have no idea. Having been ‘picky’ on that point I can say it is brilliantly written, thoughtfully written, even beautiful and I enjoyed it.

She will be a strong candidate to win Theakestons Old Peculier Crime Writing Award if she continues to write as well as this. She has one stand-alone novel, ‘This Is How It Ends’, published January, 2018 and it was The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month. One that I will watch out for because having read ‘Between Two Evils’ I would recommend all of her books.
John Edwards 16th May 2020