West Country Murder- Derek Thompson- Crime (bk 2 Detective Wild)

Although the second book in the series, this works well as a standalone (I hadn't read the first one). A body is found at a literary festival locked in a car. The victim has a book signed by one of the guest authors but she doesnt recognise his face. When Detective Wild finds out more about the victim, there is an interesting past and one which involves the author albeit in an innocent way- so why is she lying about not knowing him? Wild by name and a little wild by nature, Craig has a tendency to go off at tangents- which invariably pay off but then he has to confess to his boss, who already doesn't see him in the greatest of lights.

I quickly got into this. There is a good pace and likeable characters with a main one who is a cheeky chappy in many ways. There is a good solid, well thought out plot and the pages turn easily. I didn't feel I had lost anything by not reading the first one other than that there may have been more insight into why Craig was in the West Country in the first place - nothing that detracted from the plot or story at all. A thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended read.

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West Country Murder by Derek Thompson A dead body. Drugs residue. No fingerprints. Foul play? Detective Craig Wild is at a crossroads when a body is found, but with no fingerprints the man can't be identified. Wild discovers the victim acted as a witness during a drug trial and was given a new identity. Will following the drugs reveal the killer? Attached you’ll find an advance reader copy of West Country Murder in .pdf and .mobi, as well as a jpeg of the cover. I will include the blurb below for you.  West Country Murder is now available on pre-order and will be released Wednesday 26 January 2022. We will be rolling out a full ARC campaign for West Country Murder and Derek.  If you need anything else, please let me know. Thanks! BRAND NEW FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR DEREK THOMPSON.   A dead body. Drugs residue. No fingerprints. Foul play?   At first PC Marnie Olsen thinks the man in the car is asleep. But the lack of movement and strange tilt of the head are a dead giveaway.   The only clue is a book signed by local author Juliette Kimani, who is holding court at the Wiltshire literary festival.   This could be a real breakthrough. If only Juliette Kimani wasn’t flatly denying ever having met the man . . .   Detective Craig Wild discovers that the victim was using a fake name. He must have been involved in something dark.   If Wild can find the man’s real identity he might just crack this case. But first he must deal with some very dangerous people. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep the truth buried. How far will Wild go to make sure the truth comes out . . . ?   Detective Craig Wild will be pushed to his limits in this gripping crime mystery packed with twists and turns.   Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Helen. H. Durrant, Robert Bryndza, L.J. Ross, Angela Marsons, Peter May or Alex Gray.   WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DEREK THOMPSON   “Complex and full of twists and turns, this is a very good thriller which keeps the reader on tenterhooks throughout.” Ann Stanmore   “Good read for anyone who enjoys a thriller that will keep them hooked from start to finish.” Jfaulknercourt   “If you read one book this year, choose this brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing to the end.” Chris Child   ALSO BY DEREK THOMPSON Detective Craig Wild Mysteries Book 1: LONG SHADOWS Book 2: WEST COUNTRY MURDER   Thomas Bladen Series Book 1: STANDPOINT Book 2: LINE OF SIGHT Book 3: CAUSE & EFFECT Book 4: SHADOW STATE Book 5: FLASHPOINT

DEREK THOMPSON Derek Thompson grew up in London and started writing fiction in his teens. After spending a year in the US, he returned to London and subsequently moved to the West Country. He wrote a commissioned piece for The Guardian in 2008 and entered the world of freelance writing in 2009. His short fiction has featured in both British and American anthologies, and can be found online. He has also written comedy material for live performance and radio. His love of film noir and thrillers began with The Big Sleep, and has never left him. Much of his fiction involves death, data or secrets. As the saying goes: write about what you know. He writes about Thomas Bladen and his role in the Surveillance Support Unit. His books have been described as snarky (yes, it’s a real word), pared down, and morally ambiguous. What more could any novelist ask for? Apart from pens – you can never have too many pens. BOOKS BY DEREK THOMPSON THOMAS BLADEN SERIES STANDPOINT LINE OF SIGHT CAUSE & EFFECT SHADOW STATE FLASHPOINT SPY CHASER (BOOKS 1-3 BOX SET) THE COMPLETE THOMAS BLADEN THRILLERS (BOOKS 1-5 BOX SET) DETECTIVE CRAIG WILD SERIES LONG SHADOWS WEST COUNTRY MURDER FOLLOW DEREK ON AUTHOR WEBSITE TWITTER GOODREADS