#BookReview ‘Far From The Tree’ by Rob Parker

About the book…

Brendan Foley has worked to balance the responsibilities of a demanding job and a troublesome family. He’s managed to keep these two worlds separate, until the discovery of a mass grave sends them into a headlong collision. When one of the dead turns out to be a familiar face, he’s taken off the case.

Iona Madison keeps everything under control. She works hard as a detective sergeant and trains harder as a boxer. But when her superior, DI Foley, is removed from the case, her certainties are tested like never before.

With stories of the Warrington 27 plastered over the news, they set out to solve the crime before anyone else. The local constabulary is small and under-funded – Brendan knows they can’t crack this case alone, and he’s not letting a rival force take over. Not with the secrets he fears are lurking. Their investigations lead them into the murky underworlds of Manchester and Liverpool, where one more murder means little to drug-dealing gangs, desperate to control their power bases.

But as Madison steps into the ring for the fight of her life, the criminals come to them. It’s no coincidence that the corpses have been buried in Foley’s hometown. The question is, why? Foley might not like the answer….

Introducing a gripping new crime thriller, perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh, Ian Rankin and Line of Duty

Published in 2021 by Lume Books, ‘Far From the Tree’ is available as an Audible Original, as well as in e-book and paperback formats.

A Cain and Abel-esque tale of two brothers, Brendan and Ross, brought up by scurrilous dad Art, with dubious links to organised crime. It opens with the theft of a cash machine which doesn’t make sense until later in the tale, it is so well written you are hooked into the story right away , and when said theft pops up again, you literally clap and go ‘HOLY SHIT!!’ *

Both sons feel that their dad sees the other as his favoured son, Ross doesn’t really do much of anything whilst Brendan is a well respected, ladder climbing detective. As you can imagine, this makes for friction filled family gatherings…rarely have I seen a scene so well written and relatable as the christening of Brendan’s niece, interrupted, as always by ‘the job’.

It is the worst thing that you can imagine, the accidental discovery of a mass grave , with vacuum packed bodies in various states of decomposition. And one of them looks familiar to Brendan.

Dealing with his own grief is hard enough, let alone with the expectations of his family that he should, as an indiser, be able to give them the headsup needed to ‘sort it out, their way’ when a suspect is identified. His own sense of vigilante-ism is tempered by worries that digging too much into his family will expose roots that are simply NOT conducive for a profession in crime prevention.

Enter Iona Madison, hard, tough, a worthy successor to the Jane Tennison school of policing, who has to deal with a grief stricken and volatile family and a badgering Brendan whose insights into organised crime actually make him a benefit and not a hindrance.

They tread a fine line as they try and identify the connection between all the victims, the modes of death and time of disposal. Is it a serial killer or something much worse?

With a very firm sense of place and culture, this novel is set in an area between two major cities, and struggling in the way that the majority of towns are from the County Lines areas wherein deprivation, poverty and lack of life choices leave vulnerable people open to corruption.

I loved the conflict between the brothers, and how their loyalty to their families came from the same source and yet took such opposing directions. The police procedural aspect of it was fascinating, especially how they identified the bodies (absolutely not for the faint of heart!) and the role of Iona is so interesting-she has a sideline in boxing which actually becomes integral to the plot and I love how unashamedly herself she is, she bends to no one else’s will, especially given that she is in a relationship with her superior…

There is so much to enjoy here, I cannot wait to read Book 2 and from other reviews I have read, the Audible version comes highly, highly recommended!

*NOT the best thing to shout out in the middle of the big shop, liable to frighten pensioners and babies alike…

About the author…

Rob Parker is a married father of three, who lives in Warrington, UK. The author of the Ben Bracken thrillers, ‘Crook’s Hollow’ and the Audible bestseller Far From The Tree, he enjoys a rural life, writing horrible things between school runs. Rob writes full time, attends various author events across the UK, and boxes regularly for charity.

He spends a lot of time in schools across the North, encouraging literacy, story-telling and creative-writing, and somehow squeezes in time to co-host the For Your Consideration Podcast film podcast, appear regularly on The Blood Brothers Podcast, and is a member of the ‘Northern Crime Syndicate.

Links-https://robparkerauthor.com/

Twitter @robparkerauthor @lume_books