Death at Fakenham Races by Ross Greenwood #BoldwoodBooks #crime #thriller #policeprocedural #NetGalley #bookreview

I am delighted to share my review today of Death at Fakenham Races by Ross Greenwood. This is the 5th book in the DS Ashley Knight series, and if you have not read one of these before, then why not take a punt on this one!

My huge thanks to Boldwood Books for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

A brutal attack at Fakenham Racecourse plunges DI Ashley Knight into the competitive world of horse racing, where fortunes are won and lost in the blink of an eye. As the investigation unfolds, a chilling discovery reveals a darker side to this glamorous sport. In these high-stakes arenas, where winning is everything and everyone has something to hide, a few are willing to cross the ultimate line.

Can Ashley, an outsider in a world of whispers and long-held grudges, unmask the murderer before they kill again?

MY REVIEW

I am really enjoying this series as the author visits places around Norfolk. I have somehow managed to miss the last couple of books and hadn’t realised until I had finished this one! However, it just goes to show that each book can be read as a standalone.

This time, the author takes the reader to the races. Fakenham is the course, and there are plenty of characters to keep you on your toes, as an assault and then the discovery of a body starts the ball rolling into this latest investigation.

DS Ashley Knight leads her team and also welcomes back a previous member. As the synopsis mentions, fortunes can be won or lost in a matter of seconds. It seems it is not only fortunes but also reputations that suffer, but who has the most to gain or lose, or is this a wild goose chase?

What started off as checking out the racetrack for a missing person soon morphs into something much more sinister. The author provides details about racing, bookies, the secrecy behind stables, training and also how money can be made or lost. Rather than add loads of details, he cleverly adds them in as part of the story. So, as the investigating team is learning about the intricacies, the reader is as well. It makes it more palatable and sort of makes sense.

The crime, well, where to start… nothing seems to make sense. There is no real motive as such, then another crime that still leaves the team scratching their heads. When they are asking questions, they are getting answers, but they are either not straight answers, they have something missing or they receive more confusing and contradictory answers. This leaves the team feeling like they are chasing their tails and going in circles as they wait for that sudden penny to drop or mistake to be made.

When the author started to wrap the story up, there was still uncertainty as to who was involved, but then suddenly he added a wonderful twist and completely unsaddled me! I really didn’t see that one coming at all, blinkered to be sure! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist a slight pun(t)!)

This is a fabulous story that is very involved, definitely interesting and had me hooked. It is a crime thriller, police procedural and with an established team. Whether you read the series in order or as a standalone, it is a fabulously intriguing story and one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx