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belles_bookishlife's review
4.0
As someone new to mysteries and thrillers, this book was great. The twists and turns, the psychological aspects, the forensic and anthropological elements. It was wonderful. The actual elements of the murders was also deeply terrifying. All in all a solid read and I would definitely recommend
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
4.0
A woman stands over Detective Chief Inspector Greg Carver as he sits unconscious in his living room, a bullet wound in his chest. The woman wipes the house of fingerprints, removes Carver's case notes from the Thorn Killer homicide cases from his house, takes off her gloves, and then returns to his living room. When she sees Carver is still alive, she calls for help.
Detective Sergeant Ruth Lake is on the scene when paramedics arrive and she tells him she found Carver unconscious and bleeding. To everyone talking to her, Ruth appears to be nothing more than a worried colleague. However, even the Thorn Killer watching the footage from the crime scene on television can tell she's hiding something.
"Splinter in the Blood" opens with a shocking first chapter that immediately grabs your attention. The suspense remains strong as the book proceeds with narrative from Ruth's point of view, the Thorn Killer's point of view, and confused, dreamlike flashbacks experienced by Carver. As the investigation into both the Thorn Killer and Carver's shooting progress, it's obvious both Carver and Lake are keeping secrets, but it's not clear why. The Thorn Killer is creepy. He applies multiple tattoos on his victims using a sharp thorn. All of these elements combine to create tension and suspense that makes the book hard to put down.
Neither Carver nor Lake are afraid to break the rules and sometimes Lake goes a little overboard, which makes it even harder to determine the good guys from the bad guys in the book. It's not clear if Lake is trying to harm or protect Carver. Some of Carver’s actions definitely call his judgment into question, but the reader doesn’t know if either he or Lake could be a killer. Either way, I grew to respect and like the characters, especially Lake, even though I couldn't fully trust them.
The novel has elements of a procedural as Lake continues to hunt down a serial killer, but has a complicated plot with twists and turns I never could have guessed. The book gets a bit long in the middle as Lake seems to cover the same ground in both cases. However, it picks up again when Lake starts closing in on the dangerous serial killer. The identity of the killer was a surprise, and the book’s ending keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final paragraph. "Splinter in the Blood" seems to be the start of a new series, and I hope so because I enjoyed the mixture of suspense and complex characters with depth.
This review was originally written for Smitten by Books review site and blog. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Sergeant Ruth Lake is on the scene when paramedics arrive and she tells him she found Carver unconscious and bleeding. To everyone talking to her, Ruth appears to be nothing more than a worried colleague. However, even the Thorn Killer watching the footage from the crime scene on television can tell she's hiding something.
"Splinter in the Blood" opens with a shocking first chapter that immediately grabs your attention. The suspense remains strong as the book proceeds with narrative from Ruth's point of view, the Thorn Killer's point of view, and confused, dreamlike flashbacks experienced by Carver. As the investigation into both the Thorn Killer and Carver's shooting progress, it's obvious both Carver and Lake are keeping secrets, but it's not clear why. The Thorn Killer is creepy. He applies multiple tattoos on his victims using a sharp thorn. All of these elements combine to create tension and suspense that makes the book hard to put down.
Neither Carver nor Lake are afraid to break the rules and sometimes Lake goes a little overboard, which makes it even harder to determine the good guys from the bad guys in the book. It's not clear if Lake is trying to harm or protect Carver. Some of Carver’s actions definitely call his judgment into question, but the reader doesn’t know if either he or Lake could be a killer. Either way, I grew to respect and like the characters, especially Lake, even though I couldn't fully trust them.
The novel has elements of a procedural as Lake continues to hunt down a serial killer, but has a complicated plot with twists and turns I never could have guessed. The book gets a bit long in the middle as Lake seems to cover the same ground in both cases. However, it picks up again when Lake starts closing in on the dangerous serial killer. The identity of the killer was a surprise, and the book’s ending keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final paragraph. "Splinter in the Blood" seems to be the start of a new series, and I hope so because I enjoyed the mixture of suspense and complex characters with depth.
This review was originally written for Smitten by Books review site and blog. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
skrau's review against another edition
4.0
I've read my share of female-led British police procedural thrillers, and this one was well-plotted and certainly flaunts the author(s)' forensic expertise, without feeling too pedantic about it. There were a few little things about the characters that felt sort of odd (the references to vapes and gaming did not seem natural, in a way that kept throwing me off - a little "how do you do fellow kids", for a start); but, and without giving details but this is still probably a spoiler: and hopefully I haven't ruined it for anyone, because I think this is worth the read for other people who like this genre.
Spoiler
while I did not predict the culprit, and fell for the red herring (which, if I naturally do that instead of spotting it, means the twist is good), I did at one point question if it would be a certain kind of person, based on something that the killer was NOT doing that seemed important, especially having read so many stories of women being murdered in fiction and real life, that it surprised me that none of the detectives seemed to think it significant. The lack of it was refreshing though,marielouise17's review against another edition
4.0
I think 3.5 stars only because I’m tired of police procedurals with tension/secrets between the main character and his/her commanding officer.
nachosurfer's review against another edition
5.0
"He stopped, the color drained from his face, the self-pity and self-justification replaced by a look of horror. 'Do you think we shoved her into the path of the psycho who killed her?'"
Five women have been murdered, their bodies altered and left artfully staged, the work of the so-called "Thorn Killer". And when Detective Greg Carver, the person in charge and obsessed with finding the murderer, is shot in his own home, his partner Ruth Lake destroys the evidence at the crime scene and begins to lie. Why?
A nerve-wracking psychological thriller, that has more twists and turns than a roller-coaster, Splinter in the Blood keeps you on edge. I couldn't put this book down after reading the first page, burning through it in a single sitting. Every few chapters I guessed at the identity of the Thorn Killer, and I was wrong on all counts. This book had my heart racing, in the best way possible. For anyone who enjoys thrillers, or that likes playing detective as the clues reveal themselves, this is definitely the book for you.
Five women have been murdered, their bodies altered and left artfully staged, the work of the so-called "Thorn Killer". And when Detective Greg Carver, the person in charge and obsessed with finding the murderer, is shot in his own home, his partner Ruth Lake destroys the evidence at the crime scene and begins to lie. Why?
A nerve-wracking psychological thriller, that has more twists and turns than a roller-coaster, Splinter in the Blood keeps you on edge. I couldn't put this book down after reading the first page, burning through it in a single sitting. Every few chapters I guessed at the identity of the Thorn Killer, and I was wrong on all counts. This book had my heart racing, in the best way possible. For anyone who enjoys thrillers, or that likes playing detective as the clues reveal themselves, this is definitely the book for you.
abbiemeldrum's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
teachocolateandbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I won a copy on Goodreads.
This book was not what I thought it would be. It starts with a woman in a man's apartment clearing up a crime scene before getting into the meat of the story of a serial killer, tattooing the women he's taken.
Due to the way the story began I had one thought about Ruth Lakes and it took a long time, nearly the entire book to change the way I viewed her. It made the reading of the book a bit off, but in a good way. Almost like walking through a fun house where the floors slant and you're not entire sure where to put your feet.
For a debut author it's a strong first book and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Really well done!
This book was not what I thought it would be. It starts with a woman in a man's apartment clearing up a crime scene before getting into the meat of the story of a serial killer, tattooing the women he's taken.
Due to the way the story began I had one thought about Ruth Lakes and it took a long time, nearly the entire book to change the way I viewed her. It made the reading of the book a bit off, but in a good way. Almost like walking through a fun house where the floors slant and you're not entire sure where to put your feet.
For a debut author it's a strong first book and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Really well done!
suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
I did like this - set in Liverpool so a lot of places mean something to me.
I did like the start, with Carver injured, maybe dead and what was Lake up to - I know a lot didn’t like that but it got me hooked.
I appreciated Carver not jumping out of bed after 2 days and not really being with it for a lot of the book bit he did add queries with the shadows etc. And even when out of bed he was still groggy.
Ruth does have her secrets still and is a very unorthodox detective.
I did get an odd ping off the Thorn Killer but wouldn’t say I went ‘you’re it!’.
I would have liked more behind the why etc of the TK .
Anyway, will be off to get book 2!
I did like the start, with Carver injured, maybe dead and what was Lake up to - I know a lot didn’t like that but it got me hooked.
I appreciated Carver not jumping out of bed after 2 days and not really being with it for a lot of the book bit he did add queries with the shadows etc. And even when out of bed he was still groggy.
Ruth does have her secrets still and is a very unorthodox detective.
I did get an odd ping off the Thorn Killer but wouldn’t say I went ‘you’re it!’.
I would have liked more behind the why etc of the TK .
Anyway, will be off to get book 2!
jolpadgett's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
annacaig's review against another edition
5.0
There have been several attempts over the years to settle upon the ‘rules’ of writing detective fiction. One rule almost universally agreed on, although phrased differently by different people, is: ‘The truth of the problem must at all times be apparent – provided the reader is shrewd enough to see it.’ And herein lies the great joy of the whodunit: sifting as you read, what is significant and what isn’t, which are the genuine clues and which are the red herrings?
With Splinter In The Blood, Ashley Dyer pulls off a masterclass in ‘the truth must be apparent’; she allows us to feel clever and insightful, ooo look at us spotting the relevant clues and working it all out, oh yes. And then in the end she shows us that actually we’re idiots. Or maybe that’s just me. The truth was apparent all along, but I was too busy looking the other way.
Full review: https://murderundergroundbrokethecamel.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/splinter-in-the-blood/
With Splinter In The Blood, Ashley Dyer pulls off a masterclass in ‘the truth must be apparent’; she allows us to feel clever and insightful, ooo look at us spotting the relevant clues and working it all out, oh yes. And then in the end she shows us that actually we’re idiots. Or maybe that’s just me. The truth was apparent all along, but I was too busy looking the other way.
Full review: https://murderundergroundbrokethecamel.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/splinter-in-the-blood/