Debut National Crime Agency procedural a winner

The Pick, The Spade and The Crow

The National Crime Agency Series, Book 1

by Bill Rogers

Thomas & Mercer

Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult)

Pub Date 27 Sep 2016 | Archive Date 11 Oct 2016

Review

The Pick The Spade and The Crow, the debut novel of Rogers's National Crime Agency series, sets a high standard for subsequent installments. Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart has recently been seconded to the National Crime Agency's Behavioral Science Unit. Her first case is that of the newly discovered body of a Mason who disappeared 10 years previously. The more SIO Stuart digs, the more she believes a serial killer to be at work. But the lack of concrete evidence and the unwillingness of local investigators to consider their mispers as potential murder victims, hampers her investigation. Fortunately the BSU has ample resources including a skilled forensic psychologist and intelligence agent - resources which will help bring to light a long active killer.

This exhilarating police procedural demonstrates Bill Rogers's intimate understanding of policing and criminal psychology. When combined with his skillful storytelling, it gives The Pick, The Spade, and The Crow the ring of truth that makes a crime novel all the more intense and enjoyable. This is the first novel I've read by Bill Rogers, and I can honestly say I look forward to delving in to his other series. As police procedurals go, The Pick, The Spade and The Crow is a winner.

5/5

I received a copy of The Pick The Spade and The Crow from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Description

When the body of a man is discovered in woodlands outside Manchester, a ten-year missing-persons investigation can finally be filed away. But this was no ordinary death: gagged, bound and buried alive, he was the victim of a sophisticated and sadistic killer. And there is something else that has the National Crime Agency puzzled. A single character carved into a nearby tree.

Newly promoted to the NCA's Behavioural Sciences Unit, Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart is determined to hunt down the perpetrator. Just as Jo's investigation begins to reveal links with other disappearances, there is another murder. This is no longer a cold case; she is dealing with the escalating violence of a chilling serial killer.

Stepping into a sinister world of secrets, symbols and rituals, Jo will have to confront the legacy of her own past and the violent memories that lurk there if she is going to solve this case. But at what cost?

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