Come a Little Closer

What a brilliant seventh instalment of the crime series featuring DCI Tom Douglas & DI Becky Robinson..
I have read from cover to cover this weekend and now I’m annoyed I read it so quickly as I’ll have to wait that bit longer for book 8!
I have no idea how the author comes up with these plots; but please don’t ever stop!
I recommend this author to everyone I talk to about books, but new readers need to start at the beginning of the series
4.5 stars

Callie and Ian live together but their relationship is deteriorating rapidly. He has no job, it is her house, she pays for everything and his slobbish habits are beginning to really irritate Callie. She’s booked a trip to Myanmar in honour of her Grandfather who has recently died and with the legacy he left her, but Ian doesn’t want her to go. He is bossy and officious, always complaining and really quite a bully. Callie decides it’s time to draw a line and end their relationship. She no longer loves him so, just before she leaves for Manchester airport, she tells him he must leave her home before she returns from her holiday. She does not want him in the house when she returns.
Meanwhile Sharon Carter meets a handsome stranger in a club when she is out with her friends celebrating her forthcoming marriage to Jez. They arrange to meet secretly at Pennington Flash and leave the club separately to avoid any suspicion. They will meet in the car park. Immediately Sharon realises how rashly she has acted and decides to leave before the handsome stranger arrives. A plush car arrives into the car park with its lights turned off, so Sharon hides when the man starts to leave his car. He is not who she was expecting, she’s sure and she is instantly terrified. She watches him unload a heavy item from the boot of the car and walk away with another person. She dare not move. Just what is happening? Heavy snow begins to fall and she is trapped.
Callie soon makes friends of other travellers on the same trip as her. The Doctor and his wife Thea, an elderly couple also enjoying their leisurely, scenic holiday, ‘adopt’ her and look out for her. Ian has not taken the news well and she dreads returning home to find he is still there. She confides in Thea. Her prophecy is correct and the arguments start from the minute she returns. To make matters worse someone has hacked her social media account, criticising her boss, so when she returns to work she is immediately fired. She cannot bear the thought of being stuck with Ian day in day out. She can barely stand the thought of what her life has become. Thea visits her and offers her a place to stay while she works out what to do. Their home is magnificent and all Thea asks is for a little housework in exchange for looking after Callie. Callie is pleased to have somewhere to go and gentle, quiet Thea to help her get her thoughts together.
DCI Tom Douglas is allocated a suspicious death in a bird hide at Pennington Flash. The body could have been there for a while, as the city had been gripped by a very cold snap. The body is of a young lady and soon the news is all over the city. There are no clues and the circumstances of the death are highly worrying. Sharon thinks she is being followed, but she can’t go to the police station and admit she was there. Her wedding could be in jeopardy.

Callie settles in. She knows she must sort things out with Ian because without work she cannot pay the mortgage. When she returns to the house they have a ferocious argument.

This is the setting for ‘Come a Little Closer’ and what happens next is truly shocking. I was totally absorbed by this complex, thrilling mystery story. Each character was superbly created with interesting stories to tell. The fast paced storytelling was engrossing and as the police investigation gathered momentum and new information came to light, I felt chilled to the bone, especially when similar deaths seemed to be linked, and more people were found to be missing. I really liked the intelligently plotted storyline. It was original and very frightening. This is the first time I have read a novel written by Rachel Abbott but I was pleased to find she has a good back catalogue for me to explore.

I requested this novel from NetGalley, who were offering it for review from Black Dot Publishing Ltd. It was sent to me in return for an honest review. This is a good story and if you enjoy this genre, it’s certainly one for you to read and enjoy.

I knew I would enjoy this book because I like the way Rachel Abbott writes. Her stories are always carefully and tightly plotted and she ratchets up the tension with sadistic menace. I particularly liked the two stories running side by side, not knowing who the woman in the kitchen was but trying to second guess - almost impossible with Rachel Abbott’s stories. I read this in almost one sitting and have the bags under my eyes to prove it - but it was so worth it. Looking forward to the next one.