What if some secrets were meant to stay buried?
– None the Wiser
[ About the Book ]
When a parish priest is brutally murdered in cold blood, a rural community is left in shock – and fear.
New to the Vale of the White Horse, Detective Sergeant Mark Turpin discovers the murder bears the hallmark of a vicious killer who shows no remorse for his victim, and leaves no trace behind.
After a second priest is killed, his broken body bearing similar ritualistic abuse, the police are confronted by a horrifying truth – there is a serial killer at large with a disturbing vendetta.
As fear grips the once tranquil countryside, Mark and his team race to uncover a tangle of dark secrets and lies before the killer strikes again.
In doing so, Mark finds out that the truth is more twisted than he could ever have imagined…
[ My Review ]
None the Wiser is the first book in a new series from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett. Publishing March 9th, it is described as ‘a page-turning murder mystery’ and introduces the world to a new crime fiction series featuring Detective Mark Turpin.
With a serious hook from the opening chapter, Rachel Amphlett grabs the reader’s attention immediately. It’s a Saturday evening and Seamus Carter is in the church vestry gathering his thoughts for his sermon the following day. His congregation is set in a small rural community and Seamus is relatively content in his parish but something is bothering him this evening. As he writes he distracts himself not knowing that this is to be his last sermon, the final words he will write. A presence is felt in the room and before Seamus has time to register what happens, a rope is around his neck. Seamus fights hard, but his resistance is futile. His killer has no mercy. Death for Seamus is slow and shockingly barbaric.
‘He had known it would come to this, one day’
A rural community thrown into shock. The parish priest brutally murdered but why? DS Mark Turpin is just settling into his new home, when his colleague DC Jan West comes in search of him. His services are required sooner than expected and it’s a baptism of fire.
Mark Turpin is a complex character, a flawed individual battling his own demons, which, from the get-go,makes him a very likable and realistic person. Jan West feels similarly credible in so many ways, as the daily humdrum of her life seeps in to the chapters. On finishing the book I think that it is this personable authenticity that for me was one of the main attractions. I warmed to them both immediately and, although fictional characters, they just felt very real.
Mark Turpin and Jan West work well together. As they attempt to piece together the reasons for this heinous crime, secrets are slowly revealed. When news breaks that a second priest is found murdered in a another parish, fears that this is something bigger soon escalates. Fear seeps into the local parishes. Why have two priests been so viciously tortured and left for dead? Is this a ritualistic killing? is there a serial killer in their midst? Why?
As panic and suspicions mount and lips remain sealed, DS Mark Turpin and DC Jan West make some intriguing discoveries. As the silence finally breaks, a dark truth is uncovered.
None the Wiser is a great introduction to DS Mark Turpin. He is obviously struggling with his own history and enough is revealed to leave the reader wanting more. He is an intriguing individual with a very human and humane side. There is a warmth, a loneliness, a level of depth to his personality that attracts the reader to him as both a member of the police force and as a person.
With some very gruesome scenes, Rachel Amphlett, launches straight into this series with a dramatic opener that grips the reader and, on turning the final pages, leaves them hungry for more.
None the Wiser is a gritty murder mystery and a great launch pad for a new series…one that I have no doubt will be another success for Rachel Amphlett.
[ Bio ]
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Detective Kay Hunter British murder mystery series, the Dan Taylor spy novels, the English Assassins series, and a number of standalone crime thrillers.
Her novels are available in eBook, print, large print and audiobook formats from libraries and worldwide retailers.
Website ~ https://www.rachelamphlett.com/
Twitter ~ @RachelAmphlett
Fab review xx
Thanks Nicki! A bit vague but I didn’t want to give anything away.. x
Reading this at the moment so skipping through your review 🙂 I prefer not to read any before I’ve written my own…but loving it so far
Thanks Cathy! I’m hoping I kept it loose enough for any one reading it. Hate to accidentally reveal too much in any review!