Blood Rites

Blood Rites David Stuart Davies

This is the book that takes all the Police Procedural Novels stereo-types, rips them up and throws them in the bin.

Set in 1985, when being gay was still seen as being taboo in the Police, the main protagonist is Detective Inspector Paul Snow.

Paul is gay, and to protect his professional “credibility” he keeps it to himself. In fact, to protect himself, he has been celibate for 10 years.

As the story starts Snow is dating a recently divorced Headmistress from a local Catholic school; and to convince himself he has changed, he even sleeps with her.

If this book hadn’t been so well written some people might find this story line insulting, but it isn’t. It highlights the struggles people had and the book is set right in a time when bigotry was rife.

The book starts with a killer washing a blood-soaked knife in his kitchen sink, and then regresses 3 months to the start of a killing spree.

Whilst Snow is on a date with Matilda, the Headmistress, a man is mugged and the mugger is later knocked over and killed in a hit-and-run. The mystery killer of the novel loves the instant karma that has served justice, and a seed is planted.

It’s not long before the killer starts his spree.

Snow and his team investigate the first murder, the victim is a drunk wife beater.

As more murders take place Snow and his team make very little headway. Pressure is starting to mount on Snow; both professionally to catch the killer, and personally as he struggles with his sexuality and a conflict in his relationship with Matilda.

The plot moves quickly, and realistically, showing the investigation from Snows perspective. His frustrations with the lack of a break in the case multiply with every new victim. The only apparent connection between the victims is the manner in which they are killed.

When he does begin to realise there is a connection he has no proof of it, leading to more frustrations.

The book crashes to an unbelievable climax that actually had me utter an expletive out loud, luckily, I was sitting in the lounge on my own. What an ending. I honestly cannot think of another one like it.

There has to be a sequel, and I can’t wait to read it.

Pages: 304
Publisher: Urbane Publications Limited
UK Publishing date: 9th November 2017.

3 stars

DI Paul Snow features in this book set in 1985. It is not a popular time for someone to be gay in the police force. He walks a tightrope hiding his sexuality in a force dominated by beer-drinking, macho males out to make a mark.

He is assigned the case of a man stabbed to death. Seemingly without motive or any viable suspects, Paul is at a loss. Then more people are killed. The people murdered seem to have no ties to one another and seem to be chosen at random. A coincidence? Stranger murders? Almost before he has a chance to investigate, Paul is removed from the case. He continues to look into the case on his own.

Paul’s “girlfriend” Mathilda wants more out of their relationship, but Paul is reluctant to be honest with her. He likes her and likes being with her. He does not want to lose the easy friendship that they have. This book is less about police work and more about Paul’s personal dilemma regarding his lifestyle.

Paul discovers a link between the victims. The name of the murderer is somewhat of a surprise, but his motive was so obvious.

This is a well written and plotted novel. It moves very slowly, however, and the main character Paul’s private wrestling with demons was too much information for me. I prefer my novels as more police procedurals and less personal tribulations. I read other David Stuart Davies books and loved them. Perhaps, I’ll just steer clear of the Paul Snow series.

I want to thank NetGalley and Urbane Publications for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Urbane Publications Ltd for an advance copy of Blood Rites, the third novel to feature DI Paul Snow, set in 1985 Yorkshire.

Paul is called out to investigate a stabbing where there is no obvious suspect or motive. When more people are killed in the same way he has his work cut out but even with the glimmering of a motive he is taken off the case due to a lack of progress. In the meantime he is struggling with his sexuality.

Blood Rites is an interesting read on Paul's sexuality, as crime novel not so much - I guessed the perpetrator as soon as I met him. In 1985 homophobia and the attendant prejudice was widespread, especially in an old fashioned, hierarchical institute like the police, so it makes sense for an ambitious man like Paul to keep his homosexuality hidden and try to deny it, going as far as to acquire a girlfriend, Matilda, who is unaware of his ambivalence. This may sound strange nowadays in our more enlightened times but it wasn't unusual then. He is in an impossible place and the author does a good job of explaining it. I was disappointed, however, not to see any mention of AIDS which was starting to kill people and would have added an extra dimension to his dilemma.

The crime element of the novel takes a back seat to the personal so it is rather perfunctory until the ending which is a massive, unexpected twist.

There is very little sense of time or place in the novel. I found some of the dialogue jarringly modern for the supposed 1985 setting but as an examination of a dilemma it is a good read.