Today I would like to share with you my thoughts on MARRIED LIES by Chris Collett. This is Book 5 in the DI Tom Mariner series and is a brilliant addition to the series. Adrenaline pumping, twists and turns and a jaw-dropping shocker of an ending this book has it all.
MARRIED LIES by CHRIS COLLETT
Available from: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Australia Amazon Canada
Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters?
Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.
‘Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.’ Yorkshire Post
Lucy Jarrett is terrified. Someone is watching her every move, following her home from work and making threatening phone calls. But her husband doesn’t believe her and no one else is listening.
Lucy’s married life is proving anything but blissful. Her musician husband is perpetually away on tour and doesn’t want to start a family.
Lucy finally calls on DI Tom Mariner for help, and he takes her fears seriously because of the recent murder of another young woman by her ex-partner.
Mariner himself is already on the hunt for a sadistic killer. Nina Silvero, wife of an ex-police officer, was duped into sipping sulphuric acid disguised as celebratory wine. Grappling with her apparently motiveless killing, Mariner delegates Lucy’s case to Millie Khatoon. Is someone out for revenge against the police?
Can DI Tom Mariner track down the stalker and catch the killer before anyone else dies?
Discover an absorbing crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the fifth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
THE SETTING
Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation’s manufacturing industry
But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales.
Birmingham’s population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.
THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “STALKED BY SHADOWS.”
DI MARINER SERIES
Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies
Book 3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies
Book 5: Married Lies
Books 6-7 coming soon
My thoughts and opinions
This is book 5 in the DI Tom Mariner series and I have absolutely loved every one. This one is no different. It should work very well as stand-alone.
The story begins with a woman found dead in her kitchen after drinking some acid: suicide or murder? No reason for suicide and loved by everyone so no reason for murder either. Tom is struggling with the lack of clues when a stalking case comes in so he allocates that to Millie who becomes attached to Lucy.
This is a very complex story with many twists, turns and curve balls along the way. The reader just keeps turning page after page. I loved the detective element in this book you could really get stuck in to the struggle for clues and trying to fit everything together and the suspense is building all the time. The ending is a real jaw dropper – I certainly didn’t expect THAT. Wow brilliant read this series just gets better and better.
I want to say a little about the characters. Tom Mariner has recently split with Anna and is struggling to move on. He took Katarina (Kat) under his wing after she was saved from a trafficking ring in a previous book. Kat wants to move on but Tom is struggling to let go. This emotional side to Tom brings a different element to the story and I felt we got to know him really well in this book. The other members of the team continue to develop as team members and we get to know more about them as they gain depth.
All in all this is a fantastic read that will appeal to anyone who loves Crime Fiction, Police Procedural and thrillers.
A well earned 5 stars from me and I am looking forward to the next book
CHRIS COLLETT – AUTHOR BIO
I was born and grew up in a Norfolk seaside town, almost as far east as it’s possible to go in England without falling into the North Sea. There I worked variously in a boarding house (now defunct) a local bakery (closed down) and a crisp factory (razed to the ground). I graduated in Liverpool, then for twenty-five years taught children and young people with learning disabilities, including autism, before going into higher education as a senior lecturer.
Mindful of its reputation, I moved somewhat reluctantly to Birmingham, where I met my husband, in 1981. But just a few years later DI Tom Mariner was created to police its mean streets, and these days I relish the vibrancy and rich social history of the city. After eight outings for Mariner, I still feel as if I’ve barely scratched the surface.
Recently retired from lecturing and I’m currently luxuriating in the time I now have to continue the Mariner series, alongside published short stories and academic works. In my spare time, among other things, I’m a manuscript assessor for the Crime Writers Association.
Links
Website: www.chriscollettcrime.co.uk
Twitter: @crime_crow
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chris.collett.5477
