Today is publication day for A BLOODSTAINED COAT. This is book 2 in the Rainen & Hume series by Stephen Williams. I am thrilled to be kicking off the Book Tour with a review post.
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A BLOODSTAINED COAT
Format – Kindle
Publisher – Joffe Books
Publication Date – 15th June 2023
Genre – Crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Author – Stephen Williams
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AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING CRIME THRILLER WITH AN ASTONISHING TWIST.
A bloodstained coat. Three missing women. One dead body.
Detective Mary Hume reckons she’s seen it all. But she’s never seen anything like this.
It begins with the discovery of a broken body in a lift shaft in an old Victorian warehouse.
The post-mortem reveals the bloodstains on the dead man’s coat belong to three different people. DNA identifies one of them as Julie Cross, whose body was discovered six months earlier, covered in horrifying wounds.
Maverick ex-police officer Raine was hired to look for Julie. She didn’t find Julie in time. But she’s determined to find out who killed her.
So, who does the rest of the blood belong to?
Chalk-and-cheese detective duo Raine and Hume are in a race against time to uncover the truth before more young women die.
Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Lynda La Plante, Karin Slaughter, Biba Pearce and Angela Marsons.
READERS LOVE A BLOODSTAINED COAT:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! This book had high suspense, intrigue, murder and a great female character! . . . Had me glued to my Kindle!’ Debbie B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A gripping story from page 1 to the end . . . with a surprise twist ending.’ Paula L.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One cracking read. I love the two main characters, Raine and Hume.’ Anne M.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An engrossing tale of murder, cruelty and determination, with a big twist . . . Raine is a mesmerising character.’ Elaine T.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A page-turner of a book which had me enthralled from the first page . . . A surprise ending which left me wanting more. I loved it!’ Martha B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant. Totally gripping.’ Dizzy Bee
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A super read . . . Great characters with a believable and engrossing storyline. Once started, you will find this book difficult to put down.’ Vicky W.
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.
ALSO BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS
RAINE & HUME SERIES
Book 1: THE SKIN CODE
Book 2: A BLOODSTAINED COAT
Review
This is book 2 in the Raine and Hume series and is an adrenaline pumping story that works well as stand alone but you will enjoy it all the more if you have the background from book 1.
Raine is ex-police a woman battered by life on a mission to take down the bad guys no matter what. She cares little for herself and is a one woman fighting machine. She has history with Hume a shared loss that links the women.
A man is found at the bottom of a lift shaft in an empty building. He has been horrifically tortured but who is he? Forensics reveal his coat has the blood of 3 other women one of which is a young lady, Julie, Raine has been trying to find. What is the connection between the unidentified man and Julie?
This is a very complex story with a lot of strands it takes the team quite a while to work out just what they are investigating and even when they think they have worked it out as they join up the dots they suddenly realise that the actual truth of what is going on is more horrific than any of them ever imagined.
An absolutely gripping story that I found difficult to put down. The suspense starts at the beginning and doesn’t let go. The ending is totally mind blowing but I love how the author wraps everything up so completely leaving no unanswered questions.
Well written with unique characters that develop well and all different personalities that work well together to ‘make’ the story.
A brilliant read, thank you to Joffe Books and Netgalley for the advance digital copy of this book. This is 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.
I organise Book Tours for Joffe Books and a few self-published authors. If you would like to join in the fun you can sign up via the link below or email me at: booksnall.blog@gmail.com for more information. Everyone is welcome to join in and help to share the book love.
https://mailchi.mp/74b299fbb681/bloggersignup
