G. D. Abson

Saint Petersburg today can be deadly. A young woman disappears in the half-light of the White Nights.
Inspector Natalya Ivanova, known as much for her integrity as for her sharp tongue, is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a Swedish student. Her team investigates under high pressure, as the victim's father is extremely wealthy and her bosses want a quick success in the investigation. In fact, the case seems to be solved when a completely burnt body is found. Next to the remains: Zena Dahl's handbag, on which fingerprints can be found. But Natalya is sure that someone is pulling the strings in the background, and she does everything she can to uncover the true connections, against the instructions of her superiors. In doing so, she not only puts her own life in danger.
Natalya Ivanova does not bow to any system, but pursues only one goal, whatever the cost: the truth.
Excitingly written and you either begin to love or hate the protagonists.… (plus d'informations)

This is a crime novel set in modern day Russia, complete with all the corruption and shady dealing that goes with it. The main character Natalya Ivanova comes across the possible kidnapping of the daughter of a very rich Swede and is tasked with investigating it. However, there are complications. Due to the wealth of the family she must solve the case quickly but at the same time deal with departmental politics and the FSB at the same time. I quite enjoyed this but having recently been reading a lot of Val McDermid it fell short of the mark. This is perhaps an unfair comparison because McDermid is a master of the craft but it is how I feel nonetheless. The plot is fast paced and although I quickly suspected the main 'villain' It took me a while to suss out how he fitted into the bigger picture. There is a second book in the series and I will probably search it out at some point in the future.… (plus d'informations)

My thanks to NetGalley the Author and Mirror Books for kindly providing a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review. This is a new Author to me and this is the second book of the series featuring our heroine and i would expect more to follow but having read and very much enjoyed this book i will be looking for the first and keeping an eye out for more to follow.
A young woman is found dead on the outskirts of St Petersburg on a freezing January morning. There are no signs of injury, and heavy snowfall has buried all trace of an attacker.
Captain Natalya Ivanova's investigation quickly links the victim to the Decembrists, an anti-Putin dissident group whose acts of civil disobedience have caught the eye of the authorities. And Natalya soon realises she is not the only one interested in the case, as government security services wade in and shut down her investigation almost before it has begun.
Before long, state media are spreading smear stories about the dead woman, and Natalya suspects the authorities have something to hide. When a second rebel activist goes missing, she is forced to go undercover to expose the truth. But the stakes are higher than ever before. Not only could her pursuit of the murderer destroy her career, but her family ties to one of the victims threaten to tear her personal life apart.
A captivating, pacy thriller that plunges right into the beating heart of Putin's Russia.
So says the publishers 'Blurb' for this book, and now for my opinion, this is an excellent read, a book that immediately grabs your interest and does no let go until the final page, a real page turner. Well written and researched. with a real feel for the time and place, so descriptive you can almost feel the cold. Whilst this is the second book of the series and there are some very slight references to a previous investigation it works perfectly as a standalone story, and did not spoil the story in any way. The characters are well drawn and very believable especially the 'Ballsy' brave charismatic clever idealistic and possibly the only honest cop in the city. Imagine a female 'Arkady Renko' and i can think of no higher praise for the Author. There are more than enough plot twists to keep this reader guessing and failing miserably to crack the case. Engaging gripping imaginative and gritty, a terrific read which i heartily recommend.… (plus d'informations)