- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 2467 KB
- Print Length: 329 pages
- Publisher: Black Opal Books (21 Sept. 2019)
- Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B07W6MCPTY
Synopsis
Journalist Emmeline Kirby is reeling from the recent discovery that her parents were murdered while on assignment, when she was five. She flirts with danger as she sets off on the long-cold trail to find their killer. At the same time, her probing questions about the suspicious death of Russian national Pavel Melnikov gain her a coterie of enemies. To complicate matters, her path crosses with prominent industrialist Victor Royce, who turns her world upside down.
Gregory Longdon, her dashing fiancé and jewel-thief-cum-insurance-investigator, has grave problems of his own. His past has caught up with him. Alastair Swanbeck, a ruthless entrepreneur with ties to Putin and the underworld, is alive and intent on revenge. Swanbeck’s cat-and-mouse taunts reveal that he can get to Gregory–and Emmeline–anytime he desires. When evil’s poison lurks in things that are better left alone, the quest for justice could prove fatal for Emmeline and Gregory.
Review
Coming back to a favourite series of books is like putting on your favourite PJ’s and curling up in your favourite spot, the comfort and familiarity reassuring, and this is how I felt picking up When Blood Runs Cold, the new book in the Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon mystery series by Daniella Bernett. This book sees an old enemy of Longdon’s return from the dead with the aim of destroying Longdon and those around him. Emmeline is on the hunt for who killed her parents whilst also looking into the death of a Russian national in her role as editor of The Clarion, which puts her life in danger from those who killed him. This is an action packed, cat and mouse mystery with plenty of surprises and shocks along the way for both Emmeline and Gregory.
What I love most about this series of books is the way Daniella Bernett brilliantly combines the tension and suspense of a thriller with the twists and turns of a mystery, the romance of Emmeline and Gregory and plenty of humour along the way. In this book we have the Russian Mafia suspected of murder, a rare and beautiful diamond the ‘Blue Angel Diamond’, the illegal trading of guns and MI5 and MI6 on the case. Murder, espionage, and plenty of suspense, what more could you want from a crime/mystery. As well as this there is Emmeline’s personal investigation in the death of her parents twenty five years ago that she thought was an accident but has now been confirmed as murder. All these disparate threads weave themselves through the plot until they all come together in an adrenaline filled conclusion.
My favourite thing about a series is that you already know the main characters, they become like friends and there is a comfort in revisiting them. Emmeline is as feisty and dogged in her pursuit of journalism and the the truth as always. She is desperate to find the truth about her parents death whilst they were on a journalistic trip to the Lebanon, and to find out who killed them. She is also writing a piece on successful businessman Victor Royce, which brings her into he orbit of his cold wife and arrogant son who take an instant dislike to her. As usual Gregory Longdon is there to support her, the charming, handsome jewel thief is as usual bordering on the wrong side of the law, this time because of his dealings with Alistair Swanbeck, the villain in this book, whose father he killed. Also back are the wonderful, if slightly grumpy Superintendent Burnell and his young Sergeant Finch, neither a fan of Longdon and their relationship adds a lot of humour to the proceedings. There is a naturalness to these characters and their interaction with each other which makes you forget they are fictional, you know them intimately and really care what happens to them. I have a real soft spot for Burnell, I love his sarcasm and grumpiness and his disdain for the charming Longdon.
When Blood Runs Cold is a cleverly plotted and multi layered read with plenty of surprises and red herrings along the way to grab your attention. I love Daniella Bernett’s writing style, she perfectly balances all the different elements in this book to perfection making it such a joy to read. This is a fabulous read and the series gets better and better with every book as the characters grow and with each new instalment there is a new crime to solve. I can’t wait for the next instalment!
Thank you for reading my review of When Blood Runs Cold, you can also read my reviews of the previous books in the series A Checkered Past and From Beyond the Grave on my blog.
