Reviews

Fatal Hate by Brian Price

amothersmusings1's review

4.5

“Fatal Hate” is the second in the DC Mel Cotton thrillers from author Brian Price and after thoroughly enjoying ‘Fatal Trade’, his debut novel, I was very keen to read this exciting sequel. 

• DC Mel Cotton is back with a new case to solve, the murder of Duncan Bennett, an unassuming worker at a local confectionary warehouse. While Mel’s team investigate, one key question remains... who would want ‘boring’ Duncan dead? The case soon becomes far more complex and dangerous than expected, threatening to overwhelm Mexton's small police force. With terrorists, a paedophile network and a hitman in town, Mel and her colleagues face their greatest challenge yet. —

There’s a lot going on in this story - bomb making and attacks, racism, attempted murder, a high profile death, child abuse websites and lots more to keep the reader glued, (not) anticipating the next twist and turn. 

Mel is compared in the story as a cat with nine lives, using them up by taking risks in a bid to prove herself, winding up in dangerous situations. Often striking out on her own and cutting corners in her keenness to progress, she still manages to achieve success and has the making of a very competent detective with some tweaks to her impulsiveness. I liked how the author has made Mel the main protagonist as a DC and not one of the higher ranking characters, that most police procedurals have as their chief cast leader. Once again the team is exemplarily led by DI Emma Thorpe and DCI Fiona Gale, a strong female leadership that really works. 

As a minor character, Robbie, who helps with some decidedly dodgy hacking is a great addition and his involvement in the story gave some light relief to the quite distressing themes.

Once again, the author has pulled it out the bag with a first rate police procedural that keeps your attention from the very beginning and I look forward to seeing Mel’s character and career develop further in the future.

#FatalHate - 4.5 stars