Today I am sharing my review of THE SKIN CODE by Stephen Williams as part of the Blog Tour.
THE SKIN CODE
Format – Kindle
Publisher – Joffe Books
Publication Date – 31st May 2022
Genre – Crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Author – Stephen Williams
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AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING CRIME THRILLER WITH AN ASTONISHING TWIST.
Can you crack the code?
Detective Mary Hume is on the trail of a vicious serial killer. A killer who leaves a baffling code carved into the skin of his victims.
The first victim, a young man, lies spreadeagled in his stylish Soho flat. Carved deep into his hairless chest — while he was still alive — are the numbers 1-4-3.
The second victim is a vicar — murdered and mutilated in his own church, his body posed kneeling in the front pew. Etched into his torso are more cryptic numbers.
Detective Inspector Mary Hume knows that to crack the case, she must crack the code. And to do that, she needs the help of maverick ex-police officer Raine, who can reach places — and people — that Mary can’t.
Now the killer has their next victim in sight . . .
A RACE-AGAINST-TIME THRILLER WHICH WILL HAVE YOU TOTALLY ADDICTED.
Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Robert Bryndza, Stuart MacBride, Lynda La Plante, Karin Slaughter, Jeffery Deaver, Linwood Barclay, Biba Pearce, Angela Marsons and Patricia Gibney.
READERS LOVE THE SKIN CODE:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A novel that just cannot be put down. Incredible writing and a brilliant story.” Ron B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “What a page turner of a book from start to finish . . . the character Raine is brilliant this is a book I found hard to put down it is that good.” Deborah B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Well thought out, well written and, for all the creepiness, has some laughs along the way. A fantastic read.” Aileen G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Brilliant read! This was a really creepy read, just what I enjoy. The ending definitely left me wanting more.” Karen B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Now this is what I call a crime thriller and so much more. I literally devoured this book in one sitting and I have no nails left . . . This book deserves more than five stars just for pure entertainment.” Peggy B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “If I could rate this book with six stars it still wouldn’t be enough. I know it’s subjective, but for me this is the best book I’ve read this year.” Nigel A.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “With a surprise ending, the author leaves us wanting to know what’s next. This is my first book by this author and I loved it.” Stacy G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A good read . . . I was gripped from page one.” Barbara
“I absolutely loved this book — which is the first I have read by Stephen Williams but definitely won’t be the last . . . I was gripped from start to finish.” Lee
MEET THE DETECTIVES
Detective Inspector Mary Hume is in her mid-fifties, a seasoned detective with the Met. She loves her job, but finds the latest technology a challenge. She’s happily married to Robert, practises yoga and watches what she eats. Her friendship with maverick private investigator Raine is fine on the surface — even though Raine’s deep-fried diet fills her with horror — but there are underlying tensions.
Raine is a former police officer turned private investigator. She left the Met in tragic circumstances. She uses irreverent banter and off-colour jokes to cover her quick thinking and sudden flashes of violence. In her mid-thirties, she lives on a houseboat in central London, which she shares with her cat, Melania.
Review
Stephen Williams is a new author to me so I was unsure what to expect from THE SKIN CODE. However, I do like to try new authors so I settled down to see what he had to offer.
I was very impressed, for a first in series the characters were introduced seamlessly and grew over the course of the book into well rounded individuals that gave the impression they have a lot more to give.
The story is intriguing, codes and torture join hands as the detectives try to work out the mysterious codes and link together the clues that will lead to their murderer. But with the body count increasing the team are in a race against time to work out the who, what, where and how before anyone else dies. Will they be too late to stop this sadistic murderer before he completes his mission?
As mentioned I do like the characters The lead detective is happily married which makes a change and throughout the books there are teasers that suggest there is an intriguing back story to the relationship between Mary and the uniquely mystifying Raine. Echo I suspect also has a history and I would like to find out more about him.
All in all a very intriguing book that had me gripped all the way to the shocking ending.
Thank you to Joffe Books for the advance copy in return for my unbiased review.
Stephen Williams
Stephen lives in rural North Yorkshire with his family. He splits his time between the brutal beauty of the Dales and the frenetic energy of London. He has written several crime novels, including the international bestseller Tuesday Falling. They also contain some good jokes.
He has also performed at the Leeds Playhouse, devised several ‘pop-up’ theatrical events and written lyrics for bands.
BOOKS BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS:
THE SKIN CODE
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