The Predators

 

The Predators by Tony Forder- Crime

Royston and Claire are back! A unique pairing that works together well. Due to a brain injury Royston sometimes doesn’t have the social filter most of us use hence says what we might just think but dare not say. Claire is direct herself but knows how to steer Royston and as detectives they bounce well off each other. This time a body has been found in an area indicating it could be a hiker. Sadly the weather has been bad and identification has to wait until carefully thawed which also means that some evidence could be harder to find than normal. It looks like it was more than likely not a natural death as the body was a distance from the tent, out in the open with possible wounds. Even when identified as Royston says- if the person was killed by someone unknown to them they may have little to go on. When someone else goes missing who was captured in a group picture with the victim there could be more going on than first thought. Who is after these people and why?

I love this series- they do stand alone. Tony has a rare skill of getting the reader invested early with both plot and characters, His characterisation is second to none. Maybe we’ve all known a Royston of sorts- someone who says what we all think- even if they only say it in safe surroundings- we can identify and also his warm heartedness makes him a very loveable character. There’s a little background of him which to me adds depth so he isn’t “just” a detective and the reader quickly gets to know what makes him tick-or not as the case maybe. It's a very clever, well executed plot line with some proficiently threaded twists which took my thoughts as to whom the perpetrator was down the proverbial (wrong!) rabbit hole. Love Royston and Claire. I thought Tony’s Bliss was top of my character list, but Royston may well have to share the podium. A brilliantly written, very different crime read. Most certainly one to remember. Stunning doesn’t do it justice 10* if I could. .

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