A man is bludgeoned to death in a wooded area near the village of
Canfield. Before he’s killed he scrabbles in the ground to hid a
ledger. In his pocket is found a beer mat from the Red Lion Pub. None
of the clues target a suspect, but DS Karen Hart and he boss DI Scott
Morgan have had suspicions about the Red Lion before.
When they arrive to
question the proprietors, they discover several men living in the
garage. The facilities are almost non-existent which leads the
investigators to question whether the proprietors are running a human
trafficking ring.
This is the third
book in the series. While it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone,
exposure to the previous books will flesh out the motives in this
novel. It is much easier to understand Karen’s motivations when you
read that the last time she had a case involving the Red Lion her
husband and daughter were killed in an automobile accident.
The narrative is
written in the third person, but the major characters all have
chapters for their points of view. This gives us a view into why DS
Hart is so focused on finding the answers when the Red Lion becomes a
focus of the investigation and why DI Morgan tries to keep to
himself.
This is a well
written police procedural. I liked the psychological aspects. The
author gives you a window into understanding what drives the
investigators as well as the finding the clues to the new crime.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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