This lesbian crime thriller is fast paced from beginning to end.
Detective Sergeant Kate Brannon is newly promoted and one of her first investigations leads her to a small village on the coast of Norfolk/ England. There the marshes of Brandale Staithe Harbour, one morning the body of an unidentified woman was found. While walking and bird spotting along the North Norfolk Coastal Path a couple from Nottinghamshire, Mr. and Mrs. Sivers, were the first to discover the horrible crime. Mr. Sivers said that “her face was just gone. It looked like it was blown away.”
And so the murder mystery thriller Collide-O-Scope by Andrea Bramhall starts its fast paced race until I get the solution of “Who killed Connie Wells?” Detective Kate Brannon and Kings Lynn’s CID have the task of figuring out whom, how and why. A difficult job when everyone in the village has something to hide and Kate must weigh up whether the answers she gets are true or false. In the small village with only 40 year-round residents the eye of suspicion falls quickly from one neighbor to another.
During her investigation Kate meets Georgina Temple, one of the residents of Brandale Staithe Harbour. Georgina has her own secrets and her own reasons to keep them. This fast paced crime thriller manages excellently to balance between suspense and romance. The growing attraction between Kate and Georgina is very well-written. I liked how it developed as if it were the most natural thing. The instant connection between these two women unfolded plausibly and it was charming and sweet to follow them on their way.
I have always loved British detective stories and am a great fan of crime thrillers from Agatha Christie and Elisabeth George. In the tradition of these two classic authors Andrea Bramhall manages to create a compelling atmosphere where the danger is perceptible. I got a very good feeling of the location and could picture the little fishing village and its surroundings. There were convincing characters among the residents and I got good background information about most of them.
This believable mystery kept me guessing till late in the book. When the investigation turns up more and more secrets, Georgina is caught in a lie of her own. Even if she is not the killer of Connie Wells, can Kate trust her again?
I really recommend Collide-O-Scope by Andrea Bramhall. It is an entertaining police thriller with a side of romance.
