Title: Out for Blood
Series: DI Evie Hunter #2
Author: Deborah Masson
Publisher: Corgi
Synopsis:
A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.
Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.
As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.
Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long – and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down…
Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?
My review:
Out for Blood, the second in the DI Evie Hunter series, is another intriguing detective novel which sees a return of Evie Hunter and her team. In this book she is investigating the death of a young woman who is found hanging from a tree, in an apparent suicide. They soon link this to the death of a rich businessman elsewhere in the city, and from there uncover a tangled web of family lies and deceit.
This novel has the perfect combination of police procedural and action, with the welcome return of determined detective Evie Hunter and her colleague DS Cooper, who is having difficulties in his personal life. It’s great to see these characters return and I particularly like Mark Cooper as a character; he and Evie bounce off eachother very well.
There are some really gritty parts to this novel, with some serious issues taking centre stage in the case including prostitution and sex trafficking. The topics are approached with sensitivity but also a refreshing frankness that doesn’t dance around the issue. The plot moves at a good pace but doesn’t feel rushed, and although there is some drama, it never feels unbelievable.
If you can start with book 1 – Hold Your Tongue – then you’ll get some more backstory about the characters, but it’s not essential.
I really enjoyed Out for Blood and feel it helps cement the DI Evie Hunter series as an enjoyable, gripping crime series. Definitely recommended.
Rating: 4/5
Many thanks to Corgi for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
Out for Blood will be released in the UK on December 10th – pre-order on Amazon, Waterstones or A Great Read.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll give this one a go!