This is the third novel that I have had the pleasure of reading by Peter Dudgeon. This one is very different to his previous books as it is a psychological thriller as opposed to the darkness and supernatural undertones of "Chance" and "Circle: The Diary of Stella Moore".
This book starts with a horrific occurrence and they just keep coming throughout the book!
I couldn't swipe my phone screen fast enough to discover what was going to happen next!
Peter Dudgeon writes in a very clear, informative and nail bitingly way. "Prepared To Die" is a fantastic read which has a great cast of characters that compliment each other with great ease.
I'm really looking forward to Peter's next book. Highly recommended as one of my favourite kindle authors.

Ex-D.I. Daniel Sheppard retired in order to take care of his dying wife. After her death, depressed and lonely rattling around in an empty house, he decides to return to work. He's immediately thrust into a bizarre case of brutal murders committed by out of control perpetrators, who immediately commit suicide after the deeds. Daniel and his new team struggle at first, but things fall into place as they slowly work through previous likely links.
I found Daniel a very likeable character, enjoying his musings, his approach to solving problems and his burgeoning work relationship with Anna Aitkin, his new D.C. Anna is another character I enjoyed; a little shaky at first, but quickly coming out of her shell, promising to be a smart and resourceful policewoman.
There were a few scenes I found disturbing, but not enough to stop enjoying the book. Hopefully this is the first in a series, I'd like to meet Daniel and the other characters again.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Peter Dudgeon for the eARC.

What?! A grandmother is forced to jump into a rhino’s pen at a public zoo; then her murderer blows her own head off. This happens in the prologue of Peter Dudgeon’s newest novel, Prepared to Die. Month later, a secluded artist is found brutally killed in his home. His attacker’s body lies nearby, dead by his own hand.

DI Daniel Shepherd, returning to the police service following his wife’s extended illness and subsequent death, faces his first case. His superior officer considers it to be an open-and-shut case of murder-suicide. When another similar event occurs, Shepherd finds himself asking why, and he begins looking for links between the cases.

I liked Daniel Shepherd. He was a devoted husband. He’s smart. He takes a novel approach to teamwork and working cases that I found refreshing. I liked Anna Aiken too. She’s sharp and eager to learn. She’s also not afraid to speak her mind. Robinson, whom Shepherd had dealt with in the past, rubbed me the wrong way, as the author intended, I’m sure. Charlotte Torrence, longtime friend of Daniel and his wife Alison, is a major character who becomes his rock as he struggles to cope with being a widower. There is more to it than that, of course, because things get complicated.

Blaine, where the murder-suicides take place, is a small town. There is plenty of gossip, but given the rarity of these crimes, I think there should have been more panic among residents. The town is portrayed as sort of a sleepy village where nothing bad ever happens – so when it does, it seems to me there should have been an uproar! Or is Daniel the only one who suspects there is a third party behind these strange assaults? He is, after all, privy to information that most townsfolk do not have.

As a police procedural, I felt that the story moved along fairly well. There were a number of red herrings that threw me off. The biggest problem was that I just recently finished a book that had a very comparable motive and psychology, with the same theme at its core. Even part of the methodology of the perpetrator was similar. Perhaps that’s not the fault of the author, but it skewed my perception of this work. However, there is one aspect that is quite different and unique. Except for a couple of scenes that are quite intense, though, there is very little heart-racing action or change-of-pace, and I’d have liked a bit more urgency in the plot. I do give Mr. Dudgeon kudos for his ingenuity, however.

The main characters and the mystery were pleasing enough to hold my interest. Many readers, no doubt, will find Prepared to Die a unique deviation from the norm. I do thank the author and NetGalley for allowing me to access this e-book in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.

3.5 stars

I have enjoyed previous books from this author so was pleased when I was lucky enough to be offered an advance copy of this book featuring a new police team.
This book intrigued me, it started with a bizzare crime at a zoo but then unexpectedly jumped in time and place to another case of a similar style. With previous books I felt drawn in immediately and kept on edge by a faster paced story this book though no less compelling felt a little slower paced drip feeding the storyline a bit at a time. There were parts of the story that felt crammed with characters and information and in between sections that seemed to fill time between events. I liked DI Daniel Sheppard and his attitude to solving the crime leaving no stone unturned it made a good comparison to his boss who seemed to just want cases cleared quickly and quietly with the least amount of fuss possible. It would be interesting to see how the police team progress in future stories having a few basic character backgrounds laid down in this book. Personally I'd be more for the faster paced cases in any future books (but that's just me) I felt this one needed to fill gaps in the slower paced case which I hadn't noticed in previous books by this author.
Overall a book that keeps you piecing things together through the book like a puzzle 3.5/5 stars

I was lucky to read this book in its infancy. I started to read this on the evening, when I reached the churning part it was after midnight and for those that know me and my books, I do tend to have a vivid imagination. So everything that this author described really did play out in my mind.

The literal 'head rolling' was a churning moment. OMG I could actually see this persons head rolling over the floor with their eyes staring back at me. Could I sleep straight away after laying this book down to rest, could I heck.

This author is one I follow closely as his very first book blew me away.

This one not so much but it was brilliant in its own right.
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