A Dark and Twisted Tide – Sharon Bolton

Crime Thriller
5*’s

This, the fourth in the Lacey Flint series is almost totally set on the river Thames in London. Lacey has left the police having taken the decision to join the Water Police after a scary event in Like This, For Ever. Hoping for a more tranquil life Lacey is missing her old boss Mark Joesbury who has gone undercover but enjoying living on a boat on the Thames as part of the riverboat community.

Don’t expect a gentle start to this book, the first corpse appears within pages, found by Lacey, there is some seriously scary episodes with crabs and Lacey has taken it upon herself to take up the dangerous occupation of swimming in the Thames every day. Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen the Thames and I would not dip my toe in it let alone think it was a good spot for swimming! It isn’t long before a link is made between this body and some previous unidentified females and as it appears likely that the corpse was placed for Lacey to find, she has seemingly got herself drawn into a murder investigation despite her change of career. So Lacey is back working with Dana Tulloch in a somewhat more supportive relationship than the previous novel.

River Thames and Cleopatra’s Needle

As always in Sharon Bolton’s writing there is a wealth of fascinating characters, and in this novel, Lacey’s neighbours are at the heart of it as the deftly drawn characters make an instant impact. There is also an ongoing mystery of who Lacey really is and why does she regularly visit her friend and convicted serial killer ‘Toc’ in prison. The book has a map on the first page, something I love, and the fantastic description of Deptford Creek where the majority of the book is set had me visualising the empty warehouses, the old pumping station and marinas as well as the more familiar landmarks of London.

A must read for Lacey Flint fans, the twists and turns up to the high standard expected from Sharon Bolton and the ending perfectly poised for the next episode. This is one series that I would suggest reading in order because the layers added to the chief protagonist each time are an addition, rather than an aside to this series without ever taking over the main plotline.
I was delighted to receive a free copy of this book from the publishers, Random House UK, ahead of the publication date of 8 May 2014.

Lacey Flint Series in order

1. Now You See Me

2. Dead Scared

3. Like This, For Ever

Read my reviews including that of the short story featuring Lacey Flint; If Snow Hadn’t Fallen here