Review: To Die for by Howard Linskey

To Die for by Howard Linskey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One day during the long hot summer of 1976,six children went out to play but only five returned home.Little Susan Verity vanished without a trace and her body was never found.

Five years later child killer Adrian Wicklow was arrested,charged and convicted of the murder of four small children including Susan Verity.

It is now 1996,for fifteen years Wicklow has played mind games from behind bars,one minute saying he will give up where the bodies are and then suddenly changing his mind.This time he swears he will tell the truth because Adrian Wicklow is dying.

Detective Ian Bradshaw teams up with investigative journalists Helen Norton and Tom Carney to find the body but this is Wicklow`s life's work,after so many years is he really ready to give up his last secret so easily...

The book is set in two time frames,the long hot summer of 1976 and twenty years later when Susan Verity`s case is reopened.The author`s descriptions of the behaviour and mannerisms of the children and the games that we used to play back in the 70s are believable and realistic.My kids look at me like I am mental when I tell them about when we used to make dens and building go karts.

I didn't realise when I requested this book that it is actually the third book in a series,although some events from the previous books are mentioned it can be read as a stand alone,not having read either of the two previous books did not in any way spoil my enjoyment of this one.I loved the characters Ian,Helen and Tom,I loved their interactions and friendly banter and how they worked well as a team.

Adrian Wicklow really was a cold,evil,twisted character who gave me the creeps everytime he appeared throughout the story.It was enjoyable reading how Ian Bradshaw slowly learned how to outwit him,the cat and mice interactions between the pair where really entertaining.

It is a well written mystery that is not fast paced or action packed but does contain a number of twists and a really unexpected ending.I really enjoyed reading it and will be getting hold of the previous two books and keeping an eye out for the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Penguin UK/Michael Joseph for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review.