Author: Matt Brolly
Release Date: January 11, 2016
Series: DCI Michael Lambert
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Triller, Detective Fiction
Edition: e-book (kindle)
Pages: –
Publisher: Carina

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

DCI Michael Lambert is back…

When a woman is murdered, the twisted killer forcing her husband to watch her slow and painful death, DCI Michael Lambert knows that his next case might be his toughest yet.

And when a second set of killings are discovered, with exactly the same MO, the race is on the find the lethal sociopath before he strikes again.

But Lambert never expected to receive an anonymous call from the killer. This time, it’s personal: if Lambert doesn’t find the murderer soon, his own loved ones will be next…

Review

Plot: Dead Lucky started off quite nicely, setting up the plot early on and at the same time giving a quick gist of DCI Michael Lambert’s life. The strongest feature of the book is the plot itself, which is typical British police procedural with an interesting plot and engaging characters. DCI Lambert is investigating a series of murders where the victims seeming have no connection at all.

I loved the natural progression of the murder case and the manner in which DCI Lambert went about gathering evidence and information to catch the murderer. It neither seemed rushed nor slow and followed a logical line of investigation rather than flashy action or over dramatization of the characters.

Characters: Michael Lambert is equal parts cliched and intriguing. He is one hell of a detective and I loved the way his mind worked, stretching out in every possible direction without losing conviction. His personal life was a similar to a lot of other detective protagonists: a tragedy resulting in estrangement from his wife. Another character I really enjoyed reading was DS Matilda Kennedy. She was a smart detective and an apt secondary to Lambert.

Writing: The alternating POVs really worked for this book, keeping the suspense going. The pace keeps shifting throughout the book. There were times when it dragged on a little and some other times I was left on the edge of my seat and reading quite late in the night. The descriptions were handled really well, without being too gruesome and at the same time in detail enough to make you feel a little uncomfortable.

Beginning: The book started off really well, setting up the plot and characters, adding layers and layers of depth and detail.

Ending: My only problem with the book was the ending. The final showdown was set up quite nicely but the ending itself was way too abrupt. Everything happened so quickly and before I knew it the book had ended.

Romance/Kills: I liked the dynamics between Lambert and Sarah May. They seemed to have a very matured and mutually understanding relationship between them. The platonic work relationship between Lambert and Kennedy was also fun to read.

Cover Art: The cover is rather bland and doesn’t really capture the intensity of the book.

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This book has been reviewed by a TRB review-contributor.