Old Sins Never Die (An Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon Mysteries) by Daniella Bernett

Synopsis
While in the Lake District, journalist Emmeline Kirby and jewel thief/insurance investigator Gregory Longdon overhear a man attempting to hire international assassin Hugh Carstairs, a MI5 agent who went rogue. They race back to London to warn Philip Acheson of the Foreign Office and Superintendent Oliver Burnell. But it’s a devil of problem to prevent a vicious killing, if the target is a mystery.

More trouble brews as Emmeline pursues a story about shipping magnate Noel Rallis, who is on trial for murder. Rallis is desperate to keep the negative publicity from exposing his illicit schemes, especially something sinister called Poseidon. Lord Desmond Starrett, whose dark past made him easy prey for blackmail, is getting cold feet about their dubious partnership. Hovering in the shadows of this ugly secret world is a Russian mole buried inside MI5. Scorned prima ballerina Anastasia Tarasova makes the fatal mistake of threatening to reveal all she knows. The hunt for the answers takes Emmeline and Gregory up to Scotland, where they learn that the truth has lethal consequences.

Review
Old Sins Never Die is the latest book in the fabulous thriller series featuring journalist Emmemline Kirby and ex jewel thief Gregory Longdon. Finally Emmeline and Langdon have got married but have to cut their honeymoon in the Lake District short after over hearing an arranged contract killing. Rushing back to London to see Superintendent Oliver Burnell and MI5 agent Philip Acheson with the few details they have, they find themselves racing against time to stop the murder, which is dificult when you don’t know who the target is. This fast moving thriller sees Emmeline and Gregory hunting down an unknown assasin and crossing paths with Noel Rallis, who is due to go on trial for murder. Secrets, betrayal and murder make for a thrilling read.

I absolutely adore this crime thriller series. There is always action and adventure , a lot of red herrings, thrills aplenty and all with a touch of humour. Old Sins Never Die was like catching up with old friends character wise. It was great to see that Emmeline and Gregory had finally got married, but of course only they could go on honeymoon and overhear a contract killing. Emmeline’s journalistic senses can’t let go and as usual her investigations land her in trouble,with both the police and MI5, she also manages to get on the wrong side of Noel Rallis, due to go on trial for murder and is not someone you want to cross. I have to say my favourite character is Langdon who I always picture as being like Carey Grant in the Hitchcock classic To Catch A Thief. He is tall, dark, handsome, charismatic, charming and an ex jewel thief. He is never what he seems with fingers in many pies that Emmeline doesn’t know of. What I love most about him is his humour and his ability to wind-up kind natured Superintendent Oliver Burnell who doesn’t trust Longdon. The relationships between the characters reallly make these books special, the banter and humour between the characters add a different layer to the plot and the humour breaks up the action and tension.

Daniella Bernett writes such wonderdfully complex plots where there are many disparate threads and characters that at first seem to have no connection, but all interweave bringing the threads together. As well as finding out who the intended victim of the contract killing is, there is also the murder of the famous Russian ballerina Anastasia Tarasova and of Prosecutor Matthew Copperthwait,and a mole in MI5. The tension builds throughout as Emmeline and Langdon find themselves in over their heads, rushing towards a chilling conclusion.

I loved reading Old Sins Never Die, it made me feel all cosy and warm with the familiarity of the characters, like sitting down with old friends. The plot line was compelling, and immersive, so much so that I read it in one day. Beautifully written with memorable characters and lots of tension and suspense this is another thrilling read form Daniella Bernett.

Below are the links to my reviews of previous books in the series; From Beyond the Grave, A Checkered Past, When Blood Runs Cold
From Beyond The Grave by Daniella Bernett Review and Author Interview

A Checkered Past by Daniella Bernett (An Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mystery)

When Blood Runs Cold by (An Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon Mystery) by Daniella Bernett