The Reach of Shadows (DI Bliss #4) by Tony J Forder – Blog Tour

Thank you to Tony J Forder Emma Welton and bloodhound Books for organising this tour and giving me the opportunity to join and for an ARC copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

 Synopsis

Recovering from injuries sustained in a road collision, DI Bliss is taken directly from hospital to a fresh crime scene and ordered to investigate the vicious stabbing and murder of Jade Coleman.

When Bliss realises the victim had reported being stalked, and that two of his own team had been drafted in to take her statement, he is given the unenviable task of interviewing both of his detectives.

Increasingly it appears that the stalker may be their killer. However, several other people soon become part of the team’s suspect list.

Bliss also finds himself being questioned about his own past, and has to battle to defend himself whilst continuing to investigate the murder.

Soon more questions arise.

Why would anybody target Jade Coleman?

Why are the team unable to identify the victim’s close female friend?

And why did Jade recently leave her job without any explanation?

With his work cut out, and his team under pressure, can Bliss solve the case before more victims show up?

Or will the shadows of his own past reach out and drag him under before he can succeed?

 

My Thoughts

Although this is the 4th book in the series, it’s the only one I’ve read so far and I must say I will be reading the others.  It can be read as a stand alone novel but if you want more background information on the characters then it’s worth reading the previous ones first.

I loves the characters in this novel. DI Bliss is a middle-aged, very experienced officer.  He is written with a mix of the modern and the more traditional man in mind and this makes him so loveable.  Totally dedicated to his job, he just shows so much respect and caring for those around him – who deserve it of course.  His partner, Penny Chandler is another likable character and is often the voice of reason to Bliss’s impulsive and sometimes reckless side. Their relationship is a strange on that blurs professional lines and at times is almost like a father-daughter relationship.

Two stories run in tandem throughout this novel and both were thrilling and exciting.  There’s the story of Jade Coleman’s murder and I love the way this is told from the perspective of the police and then mental hunt for a killer rather than focussing on the physical chase using large amounts of action.  It was refreshing to see the effort and work that goes into an investigation and how the team’s frustration can build, which is what I imagine true policing to be like.

The second storyline concerns DI Bliss and his past.  Finding himself investigated by the IOPC for no apparent reason.  Bliss finds himself drawn into a dangerous game with shadows re-emerging from his past.  This storyline provides the more thrilling aspect in my opinion and this is the one that keeps the pages turning.

I recommend this book and this write.  If you love a good police procedural, told from the point of view of the force and not the criminal, then this is a book you will love.

 

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About the Author

Tony J Forder is the author of the critically acclaimed, internationally best-selling crime thriller series featuring detectives Jimmy Bliss and Penny Chandler. The first three books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, and If Fear Wins, are now joined by The Reach of Shadows, published in January 2019.

Tony’s dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, featuring ex-detective Frank Rogers, was also published by Bloodhound Books. This is a stand-alone novel. Another book that was written as a stand-alone was Scream Blue Murder. This was published in November 2017, and received praise from many, including fellow authors Mason Cross, Matt Hilton and Anita Waller. Before it had even been published, Tony had decided to write a sequel, and Cold Winter Sun was published in November 2018.

Tony lives with his wife in Peterborough, UK, and is now a full-time author