Deadly Crimes is a bold and thrilling follow-up to Dark Crimes

DEADLY CRIMES by Michael Hambling Joffe Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: April 25, 2016 Review Michael Hambling certainly knows how to write a gripping mystery. It isn't just the complexity of the cases that enamors the reader. It is the sheer emotional power of the situation, the horrendous reflection of realities that are often glossed over. Human trafficking is a tremendous problem. There are vast numbers of people living in slavery all over the world while others simply avert their eyes. DCI Sophie Allen is an incredible woman, balancing her family life with a difficult and demanding job. Deadly Crimes puts her in a challenging position. Not only does she have to solve a brutal murder, evidence links the crime to a group of human traffickers who must be found and stopped. Further, the remains of her father have been found. He didn't abandon her mother. He was murdered - shot as he witnessed a robbery taking place. It is no wonder that Sophie wants to find the person responsible and see him punished. I don't want to give away spoilers, but the ending is impressive and what happens to the culprit is fitting - particularly given his ties to multiple crimes. I would love to see this series picked up by the BBC or ITV. 5/5 I received a copy of Deadly Crimes from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description

Detective Sophie Allen faces her toughest challenge in a gripping new mystery by best-selling author Michael Hambling A young man’s mutilated body is found on top of the Agglestone, a well-known local landmark on Studland Heath It seems that he was involved in a human trafficking and prostitution gang. But why is DCI Sophie Allen keeping something back from her team? Is it linked to the extraordinary discovery of her own father's body at the bottom of a disused mineshaft, more than forty years after he disappeared? Discover an intricately crafted mystery that will have you gripped from start to finish. If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Colin Dexter, Ruth Rendell, or Mark Billingham you will enjoy this exciting new crime fiction writer. DEADLY CRIMES is the second in a new series of police detective thrillers featuring DCI Sophie Allen, head of the recently formed Violent Crime Unit in Dorset. An English county which includes a stunning section of the coastline, but whose beauty belies darkness beneath the surface. DCI Sophie Allen is Dorset’s acknowledged expert on murder and violent crime. She is 42 as the series starts, and lives with her husband and younger daughter in Wareham. Her elder daughter is studying in London. Sophie has a law degree and a master’s in criminal psychology. Her brilliant mind conceals some dark secrets from her past. DS Barry Marsh is based at Swanage police station. He's quiet, methodical and dedicated, the perfect foil for Sophie's hidden fragility. AVAILABLE NOW DARK CRIMES, the first book featuring Sophie Allen. A young woman’s body is discovered on a deserted footpath in a Dorset seaside town late on a cold November night. She has been stabbed through the heart . .

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