Falling - John Connor
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The 4th in the DC Karen Sharpe series, the violence is terrifying but this is certainly a compelling read.
The action is immediate with the brutal murder of Enisa Fleming, a young Asian woman who is heavily pregnant. Sharpe is called in to assist the team allocated to the case and it is hoped that her experience and approach will open up Enisa's husband who was brutally attacked and witnessed her murder and their 6-year old daughter who was found with her parents.
Sharpe is scarred herself through the ordeals she and her own 13-year old daughter have suffered through Sharpe's former undercover work. "Falling" unravels her character through insights into her thought processes as her past impacts upon her current life and cases.
There is also a violent attack on another young woman and racial unrest and riots.
Connor pays close attention to police procedural details and his writing gets better with each novel - it is visual and sensory. I'm so glad I have discovered this author.
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Top-drawer crime novel
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I am a big fan of the Karen Sharpe series and John Connor is going from strength to strength.
Karen Sharpe of the West Yorkshire Police is investigating a seemingly random murder during a burglary and a frenzied attack on a model. Karen suspects a racial motive to both crimes and with race relations at breaking point, Karen is going through her own personal meltdown as her past threatens to catch up with her.
John Connor is at the height of his powers in this one and once again shows a masterful handling of tension and action, a keen eye for the procedural and an in-depth knowledge of law and order. Leeds and Bradford and their environs are vibrantly portrayed, and he has in Karen Sharpe, a lead who is fascinating, brittle, yet tough, and sometimes brutal. She is far more interesting than the usual fare. She is not a divorcee with a drink problem and a minor quirk, thank god. She would present an actress with a meaty role.
The sense of the consequences of crime, often sketched over by others in pursuit of pure entertainment, comes through in his novels, not least in FALLING. The trauma of crime upon the victims and the police men and women is shown in full force and it makes for unsettling but compelling reading. His biography states that he worked as a CPS barrister on many homicide cases, and the authenticity shines through.
Thoroughly recommended and definitely a star in the ascendance. Can't wait for the next one.
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