Synopsis
A random sequence of murders rocks West Gloucestershire. First one, then another. From calculated and clinical, to opportunist and frenzied. As the body count tops five, Detective Inspector Steph Lewis’s investigations point to Amy Ashby as chief suspect for the rampage.
Steph and Amy were arch enemies at school.
Amy, still seething with fury about what Steph did back then, refuses to let the detective stand in the way of her current hunt for a new man and a fresh start. This time, it is for keeps.
As the evidence mounts, Steph is convinced of Amy’s guilt. But is Steph obsessed with a schoolgirl vendetta that could wreck her career and destroy her family? Or is she closing in on a deadly killer?
Her Deadly Friend is the first book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series, featuring DI Steph Lewis, a spirited, no-nonsense detective with secrets of her own.
My Review
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Steph Lewis is a police inspector investigating a murder of a transgender, Christa Talbot. Christa was a 41 years old lawyer and she was lured to an isolated place by someone calling themselves ‘Morag’.
Soon, another body is found. This time, the victim is a 41 year old Steven Barker, a local council worker. He was also persuaded to meet someone in an isolated location. The police are quick to link the two murders together.
Three more murders follow – they only link between the victims is their age. They all appear to be forty-one.
At the same time, Steph is fighting a series of debilitating migraines, but that doesn’t stop her from coming to work. They do have an impact on her health: she has troubles concentrating and misses some crucial clues.
She doesn’t even notice that someone from her past is watching her every move…
One name seems to be creeping up in the police enquiries: Amy Ashby, whom Steph hasn’t seen for eighteen years. Amy and Steph went to school together, and Amy accused Steph of bullying her when they were younger. Now, Amy is the prime suspect in the case. Can she really be a killer?
I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. The murders were happening so close to one another, it was apparent that the killer was on a revenge-seeking rampage.
I found the dynamic between Steph and Amy fascinating to read. It was clear that they didn’t like each other, but Amy’s disdain towards Steph seeped through every page of the book. It left me wondering who was lying and who was telling the truth. Was Steph really a bully at school, or was Amy exaggerating?
I read this book in two sittings, it had me engrossed from the first page. I thought I had it all worked out, but the author threw a delicious twist at the end!
Overall, it’s an outstanding book. I definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Rebecca Collins of Hobeck for the e-ARC and for my spot on the tour.
About the Author
Rachel Sargeant is a British author.
Under the name Rae Sargeant, she writes the Gleveham Killers Suspense series, published by Hobeck Books. The first title is Her Deadly Friend.
Her most recent title as Rachel Sargeant, with HarperCollins, is The Roommates, a psychological thriller set in a university during freshers’ week.
Her previous novels, also with HarperCollins, are The Good Teacher, a detective mystery, featuring DC Pippa “Agatha” Adams, and The Perfect Neighbours, a psychological thriller set in Germany.
Monika Reads 