Politics can be murder
Dead Level: DI Nick Dixon Crime Series Book 5 by Damien Boyd Thomas & Mercer Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: March 15, 2016 Review As a solicitor with considerable experience in criminal law, Damien Boyd has the knowledge and understanding necessary to create police procedurals that are authentic as well as entertaining. Solving a murder is always a team effort, and uncovering enough evidence is extremely difficult. Dead Level starts with a murder made to look like a burglary gone wrong, with evidence planted in order to direct the police. The victim is the wife of an up and coming young politician. When forensics botches the analysis, the main suspect is released. After his body is found, DI Nick Dixon is put on the case. The first team forgot that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The reevaluation of the evidence indicates the case is far more complex than initially thought. Finding the "triggerman" isn't enough. Someone ordered the death of Tom Perry's wife, and Dixon and his group have to find out who. Politics creates enemies but who would benefit from Elizabeth's death? Once those responsible were revealed, it was easy to see their motivation, but the culprits were not ones you could immediately point to. Dixon and his team are systematic, and the ways they seek evidence are fascinating. Boyd also uses the novel to bring up an important issue. Insulin dependent diabetics are rarely told that there are options besides synthetic human insulin. Not everyone responds well to the synthetic insulin and the side effects can be debilitating and possibly deadly. Drug companies push the synthetic because it costs more and is cheaper to produce than animal insulin. With the large number of diabetics, insulin sales account for billions in revenue. Dead Level is an extremely well planned novel. The extensive detail adds to the engrossing authenticity. I highly recommend Damien Boyd's Dead Level to anyone looking for a quality British police procedural. 5/5 Dead Level is available for preorder and will be released March 15, 2016 I received a copy of Dead Level from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the wife of parliamentary candidate Tom Perry is brutally murdered in an apparent burglary gone wrong. With the by-election campaign about to start in earnest, and the festive season in full swing, torrential rain brings with it flood warnings on the Somerset Levels. Suspended on full pay and transferred to the cold case unit, Detective Inspector Nick Dixon is languishing on the sidelines as the investigation into Elizabeth Perry’s murder unravels and the floodwaters rise. Returning to duty, Dixon is convinced that the answer lies hidden in Tom Perry’s political life, but why was Elizabeth the target and not her husband? The more Dixon uncovers, the further he is from finding the truth.… Dead Level is the fifth novel in Damien Boyd’s addictive DI Nick Dixon Crime Series.
