Private investigators Alexandra Neve and Ashford Egan are hired by a distraught mother to find her missing daughter. The mother is certain her talented ballerina wouldn't simply run away like the police have suggested. Neve and Egan soon find they have a serial killer on their hands during one of the coldest winters in England.
Fascinating, intriguing, and filled with twists and turns, Danse Macabre is a fabulous mystery novel. It kept me guessing, and I wasn't quite sure how things were going to turn out. I certainly wasn't expecting that surprise at the end.
Combe is a masterful storyteller, slowly adding pieces to the puzzle that ultimately creates a page-turning novel. I loved the relationship between Neve and Egan as they battle their own demons while solving the case. And though I wouldn't necessarily say it's something you would pick up for a seasonal read, it is set in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year's.
There are some gruesome parts, but this novel is so well done I didn't mind them at all.
Murder mysteries don't get better than this one.
EXCERPT:
‘Stay here,’ I whisper to Egan, before moving back to the train tracks. I take two steps in the darkness to get away from my partner’s hideout, before flicking my torch back on.
The boys’ light is quick to narrow on me. ‘Whozthere?’ one demands.
‘Hi guys,’ I reply, as kindly as I can. I show them my empty hands as I keep walking in their direction. ‘I’m not a cop, don’t worry.’
‘Whatcha doing here?’ baseball cap asks.
I decide to tell them the truth, hoping curiosity will be enough to keep them from running away. ‘I’m a private investigator. I’m looking for a man. We believe he may have used these old tunnels to escape a crime scene.’
‘Really?’ the kid asks again. ‘A PI, like on the telly?’
Not really, no. Sadly, my life is nothing like what Hollywood makes it look like. ‘Yes,’ I lie. ‘Just like in the movies.’
‘Do you have a gun?’ the guy with the metal bar asks.
My eyes narrow on him as I pay good attention to his posture and the way he now holds the bar with both hands. I’m being plain, I know, but I want him to realise his move wasn’t subtle enough for me. ‘Yes, and a taser.’ None of it is true, but I square my shoulders and continue with my bluff. ‘Trust me; you don’t want me to use either on you.’
Both kids look at each other nervously.
‘Don’t worry, boys; I don’t intend to.’ I smile at them again, a wide smile. They’re teenagers, I’m a woman; I don’t need any weapon, after all. ‘I only want to know if you’ve seen anyone weird down here.’
‘B’sides you, ya mean?’ baseball cap asks.
I flash him my most charming smile in reply.
‘No one,’ his friend answers. ‘But we don’t come here very often. Only when our mum’s too busy to take us to Dad’s herself. It’s a shorter walk down here than up there.’
Genre: New Adult, Detective Mystery
Pages: 254
Release: October 2014
Publisher: self-published
ISBN: 9781502723772
I received a free digital copy of this novel from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Pages: 254
Release: October 2014
Publisher: self-published
ISBN: 9781502723772
I received a free digital copy of this novel from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
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