Out in the Cold by Stuart Johnstone

Out in the Cold by Stuart Johnstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Allison & Busby

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

INTUITION IS EVERYTHING IN THE POLICE FORCE, SOMETHING THAT SERGEANT DON COLYEAR KNOWS BETTER THAN MOST.



When a superior officer's decision not to respond to a routine disturbance has fatal consequences, Colyear finds himself sent away from Glasgow to work in a remote Highlands town.

Despite not wanting to be there, a feeling shared by his commander, Colyear soon settles into life investigating petty crimes. But it isn't long before he discovers something sinister about the town. A series of teenage disappearances seem to have been ignored by the authorities, and when a groundsman from the local country estate is gruesomely murdered, Colyear suspects that long-held secrets could be coming to the surface. As the town's dark secrets are revealed, Colyear must trust his instincts to stay alive.



My Review

Colyear is a cop, transferred from Glasgow to a wee town, punishment for something that happened that we aren't immediately clued up on. Colyear is a good cop he also happens to have something different about him, a wee bit more than "cops instinct". When he tried to find his place in the new town he ends up with more than he bargained for. Secrets, lies, romantic interest and instead of the wee petty crimes he initially thought he was going to be dealing with, there is something bigger going on, something people may not want him looking at.

So the "gut instinct" thing he has going I think some readers may not like but actually I really did and hopefully this will be more developed in books to come. This is book one is what I hope is a long series. I think the reason I like Colyear, besides being a good guy, is because he is down to earth, he seems to find himself in trouble A LOT but he is a decent guy.

Settling into town Colyear finds himself the focus of speculation, not exactly wanted, getting into trouble when he tries to help. And as always a wee town, it's colourful characters (language and personalities) and dodgy happenings. Chapters aren't overly long and I got pulled in quite quickly, really looking forward to book two and seeing where the series goes, 4/5 for me this time.

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Bones In The Nest by Helen Cadbury

Bones in the Nest by Helen Cadbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 351

Publisher - Allison and Busby

Blurb from Goodreads

The second book in the Sean Denton series. A young woman is trying to rebuild her life after prison, but someone is out there who won't let her forget what she's done. Racial tension is bubbling up on the Chasebridge Estate and Sean is drawn back into a web of family and neighbours he'd rather avoid. When a body is found in the stairwell of a block of flats, Sean is right at the heart of the case.



My Review

First off I would like to say if you haven't read the first book in the series you could get away with reading this one itself but I would recommend grabbing the first as it is good to get to know your character(s).

The location goes between York and Doncaster and gives the reader an insight into the locations which in part I could actually see the places I was reading which is always nice, I have been to York once as a child.

It took me a wee bit to get my teeth into this one, not because it starts off slow but we flip between Sean Denton who is now a police officer and a young lady who has not long been released from prison and trying to keep to her parole conditions and re adapt to society after murder. Sean is trying to do his job on his home turf which presents personal and professional dilemmas. A young man is murdered, Sean finds himself in a unique position to aid the investigation however he is limited in his choices due to being "off duty" and in an estate where people will use and abuse anyone who can give them an advantage.

Chloe, our newly released prisoner finds herself also being challenged, trying to reintegrate to society, maintain the conditions of her bail and establish relationships Cadbury highlights the emotive and trying journey Chloe endures. Both characters have arduous paths ahead of them and in stark contrast to their situations they both have similarities. Between the murder, Denton's personal and professional struggles and Chloe's story the story keeps the reader on their toes. Expect the unexpected, estate life, violence, professional and personal struggle, alcoholism and abuse makes for uncomfortable reading at parts but echoes the realism of every day life that some readers will identify with more than others. 4/5 for me this time, I look forward to the next installment of Denton's journey from a rookie cop hopefully to a seasoned officer!

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