After the first 25 pages, I thought that this book was going to be a bust because of the number of shallow characters that the author had introduced. Well I kept reading & was happy to learn that I was wrong. The main detective, rookie DC Gary Goodhew is a delight. He's a very likeable character which is a nice change from all of the crime/suspense novels I have read lately where none of the characters were likeable. Hard to hate a character whose best friend is his grandmother! This book is an old fashioned whodunnit with a modern twist at the end. A terrific beach read for the summer.
I'll definately be reading the next book in this series. ( )

I have to be honest and say that the major reason why I chose to read Cambridge Blue is because of the day I spent wandering the streets of that old city. It's a fascinating place, and I often felt as though I were in a completely different world. Alison Bruce certainly does not disappoint with her setting; I felt myself back on those streets once again, but this time with a very unusual police officer.

Young Gary Goodhew isn't into casual relationships. He simply cannot separate the physical from the emotional. His best friend is his grandmother. He's also something of a lone wolf-- a young man who's a police detective by day and then seemingly behaves like some sort of nocturnal super hero when he's off duty. He's a character who simultaneously threw me off balance and captured my attention. I just had to know how different he really is.

Many things that Goodhew does are not by the book. Fortunately for him Detective Inspector Marks sees his potential and is willing to cut the young man some slack. However, as the investigation continues, Goodhew begins to take advantage of Marks, and the inspector has to draw the line. There's a very interesting dynamic between Goodhew and Marks as well as the other police officers he works with.

The mystery is complex and makes for compelling reading-- even though I guessed the identity of the killer rather early on. It seems as though all the victims and suspects have hidden agendas, and that's what made the mystery for me: trying to piece together "what" and "how."

With a Cambridge setting, a complex mystery, and the unconventional Gary Goodhew as the main character, Cambridge Blue is a very good read. I look forward to reading the other books in this series. ( )

It's good to read a book featuring Cambridge that focuses on the town itself and presents a picture of the city that will be recognised by residents rather than tourists. Plus this is a convincing police procedural with a likeable protagonist. ( )

It's good to read a book featuring Cambridge that focuses on the town itself and presents a picture of the city that will be recognised by residents rather than tourists. Plus this is a convincing police procedural with a likeable protagonist. ( )

This is the first novel in a series featuring the slightly autistic Detective Constable Gary Goodhew, newly appointed to Cambridge CID. Goodhew is keen, very intelligent and capable of inspired insight, but he is also incapable of resisting his sudden tangential urges, which causes untold angst to Detective Inspector Marks, his querulous boss.
The depiction of Cambridge is very accurate but, interestingly, does not revolve around the colleges or other more "touristy" aspects of the city. The plot was engaging though stretched credibility at time. However, all in all I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other in the sequence. ( )