Review copy was received from Kindle Unlimited. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Crossing by Matt Brolly Narrator: Danielle Cohen
Series: Detective Louise Blackwell #1
Published by Brilliance Audio on February 14, 2020
Genres: Thriller
Length: 9 hours, 29 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
When a body is discovered, bled dry on a beach, the sleepy seaside town of Weston-super-Mare wakes up to a nightmare. For Detective Inspector Louise Blackwell, recently transferred to the town she last saw as a child, it’s her first case on the job.
The victim—Veronica Lloyd, an elderly volunteer at a local church—has puncture wounds to her hands. When a priest is found killed in a nearby church in a similarly grisly condition, it becomes clear that Blackwell is dealing with a righteous and bloody murderer. But the victims aren’t random. The killer has a vendetta and is hell-bent on exacting twisted revenge for a dark secret dating back years—and there are more murders planned.
As the body count rises, Blackwell faces a race against time to solve the mystery of the murderer’s identity and put an end to the carnage. She thought she knew Weston, but the town holds more secrets than she’d ever have imagined. Who can she trust and who knows more than they are letting on?
I’ve had this Detective Inspector Louise Blackwell series starter checked out in KU for years. Finally, I just decided to schedule reading and reviewing it. I have KU and don’t read enough of my picks here because it fits fewer challenges.
I like Louise, although she starts this series in a hole personally and professionally. I appreciated how she had all the responsibility on things and almost no support. She did a good job of handling her emotions to allow her to make better choices and do things she needed to do.
Louise got sent here after being set up by her competition for a DCI position in her last position. He was her partner, and even lover at one point. He tries to horn in on this case. The case here is a serial killer. A child whose parents, teachers and religious leaders really all let him down. Since most things happened 30 years ago, it takes a bit of effort to unravel back to the inciting event.
Personally, Louise has only been in this smaller town for about 18 months. It seems she hasn’t had much interaction with others or developed much rapport with her team.  Her brother is an alcoholic since losing his wife and neglects his daughter Emily too much. At least their parents are nearby and can help while she is in the midst of the case.
I always enjoy the smart strategy and questions that come in a police procedural if it is well handled. In the UK, where most officers don’t have firearms it is even more important for them to be intelligent. Louise does well at following what limited threads that are available. It also gives her a chance to work with more members of her team and even see some of them in a new light.
I don’t know how soon I can move along in the series, but I want to read further. The Crossing has it off to a good start for Louise and hopefully she can build on it.
Narration:
I have enjoyed this narrator previously. The main voice both from her point of view and speaking is Louise. There are some others and their accents felt appropriate.  I listened comfortably at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â HEREÂ
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
Yea to finally getting to this one. Hopefully you will find time to read more (sooner than later)!
It looks to be a good series with a strong woman and is still being published.
This looks like an interesting start to the series. I do love UK police procedurals.
yes it’s one of my favorite genres
I don’t know if this one would be a good fit for me, but I’m glad you ended up enjoying it! I use KU all the time for books, but then I end p not reading my physical or NetGalley books. 🫣
end up*** I need to slow down. 😅
yes it’s a tough balance between the different book sources as I want to read them all. I do the skip letters all the time when typing, even leaving out whole words sometimes.
So glad to see your review, Anne💜 I hope to start this series soon, too.
Thank you! I really liked it so far. It’s still being published too. I need to use my KU while I have it.
Way to go getting to one you’ve had waiting for years. Challenges can help you get to books, but the downside is the opposite sometimes, too.
Glad the series has a main character with complexity and room to grow plus a good case mystery.
You summed it up very well. It’s tough to balance all the things I want to read. I feel a tiny bit let down if it doesn’t fit some challenge. lol
I have books sitting on my Kindle Unlimited I need to read, too. This sounds like a promising start to a series, one I’d probably enjoy. I know, it’s hard to fit in reads like this if you have a large pile of ARCs to get to. I’ve been trying to accept less so I have more freedom with my reading schedule.
yes I may be trying that strategy in March and getting to some things I own or have on KU. I really enjoyed this one
I enjoy a good police procedural from time to time. This sounds like a good start to a new series.
It’s set in the UK. The main character is strong and looks like she will have a lot more character growth. It’s a current series with one out recently.
Sounds like you’ve found a new series to get into! Glad you liked it. Isn’t it crazy how we pick up these books and then are like, why didn’t we read it already? Great review!
yes, but I know it’s because there are so many I want to read!
Hopefully the next one is good!!
yes, it’s a current series still going. I hope so too.