If you are a fan of police procedurals, keep an eye out for the third title in Helen Fields DI Callanach series. Due out out this month (January 2018), Perfect Death follows on Perfect Remains and Perfect Prey.
Callanach is a French-Scottish fictional detective. Along with his colleagues DCI Ava Turner and DS Lively, he investigates crime, corruption and murder in and around Edinburgh. I like the fast pace and interplay of characters in these novels. They are gritty, but there is also humour and the plots are strong.
In Perfect Death – the third title in Helen Fields DI Callanach series, a serial killer is on the loose in Edinburgh. The killer selects his victims carefully, building close relationships with them before subjecting them to death by poison. His motivation is enjoyment of the grief experienced by those closest to his victims.
A lot to like
There’s a lot to like about Perfect Death. The pace is fast and the characters, including minor characters, are well drawn. There are nice references back to the earlier titles in the series. There is also good development of the relationships between the main characters.
As well as the main plot which features the murders, there are several subplots. The most important of these involves police corruption. At times, this reminded me of the BBC Line of Duty series.
Another subplot concerns Callanach’s troubled relationship with his French mother. We are given more insight into why their relationship broke down. Thanks to Turner’s intervention, there are hopeful signs it may improve in future. If this comes to pass, it will benefit Callanach’s personal life.
I enjoyed the grit and humour in the evolving relationship between Callanach and DS Lively. There is also a nice undercurrent of romance between Callanach and Turner.
Perfect Death by Helen Fields is published by Avon Books.
[Disclosure: I read an advance copy via Netgalley.com]