Beg for Mercy

The Detective Solomon Gray Series. Book 3

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Pub Date 12 Jun 2018 | Archive Date 22 Jun 2018

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Description

Two men fight to prove their innocence. One a cop, the other a convicted murderer. One of them is lying.

Fifteen years ago Duncan Usher was sent to prison for killing his wife, Valerie. Young Detective Solomon Gray was first at the scene. His biggest case yet. But Duncan Usher didn't kill Valerie. While someone was strangling Val, Usher had another man's blood on his hands. Usher took the fall for Val's death, but now he’s out. Released on a technicality. He's held a grudge all this time, and he won't stop until he gets revenge on the dirty cop who framed him. Usher sets his sights on DS Solomon Gray. And he has no qualms about using Gray's son, Tom, as a pawn to get what he wants.

"Beg for Mercy" is the third book in a series featuring Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray. The crime series is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, and Peter James.


About the Author:

Keith Nixon is a British born writer of crime and historical fiction novels. Originally he trained as a chemist, but Keith is now in a senior sales role for a high-tech business. Keith currently lives with his family in the North West of England.

Two men fight to prove their innocence. One a cop, the other a convicted murderer. One of them is lying.

Fifteen years ago Duncan Usher was sent to prison for killing his wife, Valerie. Young...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9783732555376
PRICE €6.99 (EUR)

Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bastei Entertainment for an advance copy of Beg for Mercy, the third novel to feature DS Solomon Gray of Margate police.

Fifteen years ago Sol was a very junior DC but as first responder to the murder of Valerie Usher he became one of the team that arrested and convicted her husband, Duncan, a local crime boss. Now Duncan has been released and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is re-examining the original investigation. Sol has more to worry about but he's in the sights of both the IPCC and Duncan Usher who seems to know more about Sol's son Tom's disappearance than he should.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beg for Mercy which has a fascinating plot and a very readable style. I really like Mr Nixon's way with words which is crisp and economical and yet gets the point across in a way that the reader can visualise. The novel is told from Sol's point of view but with a dual timeline helpfully labelled "then" and "now". Normally I prefer a continuous timeline but the split works extremely well as both investigations had me hooked from start to finish. To be honest I don't think that the novel could have worked in any other way. Sol's current day investigation of what happened fifteen years ago matches the slow unfurling of what did happen. Both investigations have unexpected twists and a gradual revelation of the truth. With the "then" revelations slightly outpacing the "now" the reader is ahead of Sol but rather than making Sol's investigation seem redundant it adds a certain piquancy to his discoveries.

Running in the background is Sol's hunt for his missing son. It doesn't have a major role to play but it informs many of his decisions and ends the novel in a shocking cliffhanger.

Beg for Mercy is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

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Fifteen years ago, the wife of a criminal was murdered. The man who killed her called another friend to help him clean up. One of them was a cop ... and they framed the woman's husband.

Present day shows the criminal is released pending new evidence showing that he was not guilty. He knows it was one of three men ....

DS Solomon Gray ... is not only a cop, but a man who's been searching for his missing son for many years. He is also undergoing treatment for cancer that he's kept to himself.

Hearing that Duncan Usher has been released from prison takes him back in time .......

The book takes the reader from 15 years ago, when Solomon Gray was first responder as a rookie, and looks at the original case. Then it bounces to the here and now .... with Gray seeing signs that he himself might be in the frame.

Usher is free and looking not only for the murderer of his wife, but also the one person who framed him. He's waited a long time to serve up his own brand of justice ..or is it revenge?

This is well written, and although not fast paced, there's plenty to keep your eyes glued to each and every page. Solomon is a solid character with lots of layers.

Although third in this series, it can easily be read as a stand alone. However, as always, I highly recommend starting at the very beginning so as to catch all those nuggets of gold that make this is a most interesting read.

Many thanks to the author / e-Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

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I love good police procedural novels and this one certainly hit the spot.

Well written, a good and credible plot and well developed characters.

Chapters were set alternately in the pr3sent and past and this literary device worked well and added to the tension.

This is the third in the series and I would have benefitted from reading the first two books beforehand but it did not take away from my enjoyment of an excellent novel.

Recommended.

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Solomon Gray #3 is without doubt, the best so far in this series, an easy 5 stars.

15 years ago mobster Duncan Usher was sent to prison for life for murdering his wife and brand new detective Solomon Gray was integral in the case. However, Usher did not kill his wife.....he was framed for it. Fast forward 15 years and Usher is released on a technicality and badly wants revenge on those who have stolen 15 years of his life, especially the cops from back then, including Gray. Ah yes, Solomon Gray......still searching for his missing son, trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter and now battling major health issues of his own is an engrossing, compassionate character that drives this series.

Told in 2 timelines, this was a well constructed, morally complex plot that grips all the way to an intense finish. With rich and compelling characters.....both good and bad......it unfolded at a great pace after pulling me in from the first page. I recommend reading these 3 books in order to get the full experience - you won't be sorry. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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