Title: Flesh and Blood
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Series: DI Amy Winters, #4
Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden
Published: April 2021, Brilliance Audio
Length: 9 hours 11 minutes
Source: Publisher
Summary:
A string of suicides. A community in terror. And a chilling conspiracy only DI Amy Winter can crack.
A wave of apparent suicides hits a string of seaside resorts, but when a police officer is named as the latest to die, DI Amy Winter suspects there may be more than mere coincidence to these tragic deaths. But what dark motive could cause someone to throw themselves into the cold depths of the North Sea?
Someone in the community knows more than they are letting on, but Amy’s questions are met with resistance. A group of mysterious teenagers might hold the key, but why are they so afraid to talk? Meanwhile, after the release from prison of her serial killer mother, Amy is fighting her own demons.
In her toughest investigation yet, Amy must confront her dark past if she is to put an end to the carnage. What secret is so terrible that it’s worth killing a police officer for? Amy needs to find the answer, before the sea washes up any more bodies.
My thoughts: This is the fourth book in Caroline Mitchell’s latest series featuring DI Amy Winters and I really love these books! This is such a gripping series – the books really grab you and hold your interest, though I will say, they are dark and a bit disturbing, so be forewarned!
As I have stated in each of my reviews of this series, I really believe in order to fully understand DI Amy Winters and all that she has gone though and continues to deal with, it is best to read these books in order. Her backstory really is a strong component of this series and a lot of that is set up in the first book and then is slowly built upon with each subsequent book. But that is of course just my opinion.
As is typical with these books, this latest one jumps right into the action and never lets up. I loved that this one really kept me guessing all the way through and had just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering if I had guessed the murderer or not.
There is still the balance of personal life and work for Amy. While there aren’t as many appearances of Amy’s crazy biological mother, Lillian, in this installment, she still manages to wreak some havoc nonetheless. And Amy is left to pick up the pieces, so to speak.
There are a few things set up for the next book and I cannot wait to see what happens. What I love about this series is that Caroline Mitchell so cleverly raises the tension at just the right moments. The book is fast-paced and the mini-cliffhangers at the end of some chapters just beg you to keep reading or listening. This is a series that just keeps getting better and I will be counting down the days until book 5 is released!
Audio thoughts: I was very happy to see that Elizabeth Knowelden was back to narrate book this latest book in the series. I am a big fan of consistency, whenever possible, in series. I feel it brings continuity to the story and Elizabeth Knowelden certainly did that, as she was consistent with the voices and her tone. As dark and gritty as this story was, Elizabeth Knowelden really brought it to life with her narration and I hope she continues to be the narrator for as long as the series goes on.
Books in this series:
- Truth and Lies
- The Secret Child
- Left for Dead
- Flesh and Blood
- ???
