#BlogTour-‘Deathly Affair’ by Leigh Russell

About the book…

Four dead bodies. But who is guilty in this deadly web of secrecy and lies?

When two homeless men are strangled to death, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel is caught off guard by the cold-blooded nature of the crimes. However, her suspicions are raised as two more bodies are found, forcing her to question the motivation behind the murders.

Plagued by countless red-herrings, the investigation drags Geraldine into the lives of three people caught in a toxic triangle of love and dishonesty. Is this a crime of passion, or is there more to this case than meets the eye?

Many thanks to the inimitable Anne Cater from Random Things Tour for the blogtour invite, and to No Exit Press for my gifted copy of the 13th Geraldine Steel novel, ‘Deathly Affair’

This is available now, in paperback and ebook formats from all good bookshops.

Taking the social and highly relevant issue of homelessness, and the shocking ease with which people can disappear from the mainstream without being noticed, this series of killings is shocking and brutal. Using a triple narrative between the killer, the detective and two ancillary characters, Leigh swiftly establishes the locality, the people and the circumstances of the first horrible crime.

As an aside, it is sadly coincidental to read today of the gentleman who lay, unnoticed on the steets of his town for 3 hours whilst people walked by.

It shows how easily people can become innured to the plight of those seen as society’s underclass and view them as less than human. It is also why they are targeted by one particular killer due to their availability, the places they sleep and how difficult it is to identify the body without i.d.

This sense of injustice and retribution is keenly felt by Geraldine Steel who sets about not only identifying the murdered man, but also the fire which keeps her focussed as another homeless man is killed. Facing prejudice from her own team which she swiftly shoots down, she is responsible for reminding her fellow police of their duty of care no matter who the victim is.

As she wrestles with her own issues of identity and place in her family, she finds herself struggling to maintain her team, manage the public perception of the investigation and also entertain the possibility that there is more than one killer at work, when the third victim turns out to be a ‘respectable’ member of society….

This is not so mucn a whodunnit but more a police procedural where the reader has the vantage point of seeing the entire investigation come together whilst they observe the machinations of a murder enquiry. We can work out who it was but that does not detract from the tension which is so skillfully realised as we catch our breath waiting for Geraldine to work her magic. At once managung to  build on Geraldine’s story and show her at work as a detective, this is suitable for any reader whether or not they have read the rest of the series.

Deeply moving and effective with a quiet strength to the issues which are raised, this entry into the Geraldine Steel series is far from being unlucky thirteen.

About the author…

Leigh Russell has sold over a million books in her Geraldine Steel series of crime novels. Published in English and in translation throughout Europe and in China, the Geraldine Steel titles have appeared on many bestseller lists, including #1 on kindle. Leigh’s work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library.
Leigh has also written a trilogy featuring Lucy Hall, set in the Seychelles, Paris and Rome, and two standalone psychological thrillers.
Leigh serves on the board of the Crime Writers Association and chairs the judges for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award.
She is represented by Bill Goodall.

Links-http://leighrussell.co.uk/

Twitter @LeighRussell @noexitpress @annecater