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What Falls Between the Cracks
| Format | E-book |
|---|---|
| Series | |
| Author | Robert Scragg |
| Rights | World English |
| ISBN | 9780749022891 |
| Pages | 320 |
Description
Did she slip through the cracks, or was she pushed?
When a severed hand is found in an abandoned flat, Detective Jake Porter and his partner Nick Styles are able to DNA match the limb to the owner, Natasha Barclay, who has not been seen in decades. But why has no one been looking for her? It seems that Natasha’s family are the people who can least be trusted.
Delving into the details behind her disappearance and discovering links to another investigation, a tragic family history begins to take on a darker twist. Hampered by a widespread fear of a local heavy, as well as internal politics and possible corruption within the force, Porter and Styles are digging for answers, but will what they find ever see the light of day?
What The Critics Said
"This debut crime thriller is a cracker."
"The mystery at the heart of the novel is well done and the complex chains which bind the whole thing together succeed with a clever edginess which kept my attention throughout the story. The twists and turns kept me guessing and I enjoyed trying to work out just where the complicated plot was heading ... What Falls Between The Cracks is a very good debut novel, and gets the series off to a really promising start. I'm already looking forward to reading book two in the series by this talented new crime author."
“I, for one, can’t wait for book 2.”
“A book full of twists, turns and a very clever story.”
“A strong contender for crime fiction debut of the year, ‘What Falls Between The Cracks’ is an intriguing mystery, with heart stopping moments, compelling characters and some brilliant dialogue. Robert Scragg is a sparkling new talent and I can’t wait to see what he bring us next.”Howard Linskey, author of Hunting the Hangman
"I raced through this – Robert Scragg’s storytelling is first rate. We’ll be seeing a lot more of Porter and Styles..."William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier
"Like a real, classic whodunnit… The intricate plot was executed skillfully, characters were multi-faceted and full of depth."Niki Mackay, author
“[A] satisfying debut… Scragg’s detectives have the right combination of passion and savvy, and his plot is easy to follow while still saving some surprises for the end. Fans of British police procedurals will eagerly await the sequel.”
"This a classic police procedural, with a host of engaging characters. Porter is a daring and determined investigator, sensitized and left somewhat damaged by his own wife’s unsolved murder. Recommend this fine mystery to all procedural fans, especially followers of Peter James’ Roy Grace and Alison Bruce’s Gary Goodhew."Jane Murphy
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julia percival –
sounds like the makings of an excellent thriller. Looking forward to reading it.
good luck.
ScotKris –
Imagine looking at your ceiling as water drips through from the flat upstairs, and you curse the culprit who left the tap on… Unless the flat upstairs has been empty for 35 years, no-one has seen the occupant or reported her missing and, when someone investigates the leak, it’s a defrosting freezer with a severed hand inside that they find.
Thus opens the debut Porter and Styles police procedural novel from Robert Scragg and, if this isn’t enough to draw you in, the twists of this very clever and layered mystery will definitely keep you guessing. The writing is very assured and the two lead characters work well together. We’re given just enough back story to be interested in this too, without ever feeling as if the author has tried to cram it all in to what is, I believe, the first of a very promising series.
The action is fast, well-paced and and steps up several gears as the dénouement is within sights and yet a curve ball still had me fooled when I thought I had one outcome solved! ‘What Falls Between the Cracks’ is most assuredly a cut above the usual ‘policeman as hero’ novels and if I were to recommend it to fans of any one other author in particular, I would say if you like Mark Billingham’s ‘Thorne’ series, then this is for you.
ReadAlongWithSue Sue Ward –
Here we are. A debut novel. I love debuts.
When a first book is as good as this you wonder how can they excel themselves in the next book they write.
But you know what? I really think this new author has found his niche in life. I read his bio just a minute ago and thought…..
You should have done this writing lark much sooner.
I'm not always into police investigations as some can bore me while others work the opposite and I feel part of the team.
I very much felt part of the team in this one.
DI Jake Porter and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Nick Styles are a fab duo. Not only do they do a good and thorough job but the wise remarks to each other sometimes made me chuckle.
We have a Maintenance man investigating a leak from an appartment only to discover a hand in the freezer with a finger missing.
An apartment that doesn't look like it's been lived in for years and everything is outdated.
They find out who should be living there.
Investigations start.
This is where it got interesting even further. When they hunt down her family there are some who don't want to speak to the police.
So now you know something is amiss.
When Natasha Barkley whose flat it is has been missing for such a long time, why hasn't anyone reported it?
She seems to have taken off around the same time her father committed suicide.
There is a lot more than meets the eye here.
The deeper you dig the more the soil clumps and it becomes a mass of uncovering what is below the surface.
This is book 1 the start of a series.
I, for one, can't wait for book 2.
My thanks to the publishers for my copy AllisonandBusby