A review by inkreads
The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell

adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell is the second in the DI Caius Beauchamp series and a perfect advertisment to read the first in the series "The Other Half"

This novel centres on the rich and shameless and the people who desperately aspire to join that crowd. Dripping with elitism, corruption  and intrigue, The In Crowd follows DI Caius Beauchamp as he investigates a cold case with new evidence and a new case that erupts with the discovery of a body in the Thames, just a short distance away from a high-end Richmond Garden party 

The two key plus points were belting; a fantastic protagonist in the immensely likeable and relatable DI Caius Beauchamp and two powerful mystery plotlines that left my brain fizzing with delight as I was absolutely blindsided with the ending 

Another plus point for me were Caius' colleagues DS Matt Cheung and DC Amy Noakes, what a great mixture of personalities to make a truly effective investigative team 

Vassell is a master of the descriptive narrative, not just in setting a scene but building personalities and characters. This encourages the reader to understand characters  on an intimate level for good or bad and this adds an extra dimension to their actions and inteeractions. 

The In Crowd firmly establishes a new space in the mystery genre and I absolutely loved it. Vassells writing is witty, articulate and oh so deliciously quirky! I was thrilled to read this novel and look forward to following Caius and seeing where they take us next

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Faber and Faber Limited for this brilliant ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own