The Angel by Katerina Diamond

 

I chanced upon this book one evening without realizing it was the 3rd of the DS Imogen Grey series. I did not come across any connect between the previous two books and this one, hence I can say that this book is good to be read or listened even as a standalone. Some reviews on GR suggest that you read the first two stories to allow the characters to grow on you and maybe some bits and pieces might have some connection, which may come to some culmination in this book.

The book starts with a little bit of a flashback and stays hidden for the rest of the story. You will be left in the lurch till the very end as to why this introduction was important and how it was actually connected. But when it does, all of it will fall into place.

A burned body is found inside a dilapidated signal box. The CCTV cameras pick up a young boy, Gabriel Webb, and his mates. His picture is quite clear and gets pulled up for questioning by DS Imogen Grey and her partner DS Adrian Miles. Gabriel was at the scene of crime and hence has to be sentenced.

A large part of the story talks of Gabriel's time in prison. Typical of all prison stories, you know that it is not a good place for young people to rectify their mistakes. If anything, it can only get worse. DS Imogen is quite sure that Gabriel could not be behind that signal box case and she, along with Adrian, is looking for clues amidst their own personal problems.

And then suddenly out of the blue, another double murder of an elderly couple shocks the system. Brutally killed with absolutely no motive! It was as though someone walked in for some fun and created havoc and walked off. It was outrageous. It can't be so mindless, can it?

Heads together, Imogen and Adrian figure out that maybe the two cases have a link. What could it be? Their investigation opens up a huge racket that was being carried out for years. They seem to narrow down on the suspects, but without any evidence, this case is as good as shut. Will Imogen trust her instinct and prove that Gabriel was in prison for a crime he did not commit? Will Adrian & Imogen be able to keep their personal lives separate and be successful in closing this case? Will the two figure something sinister behind it all?

Katerina Diamond is a slow burn. Narrator Stevie Lacey is good and easy on the ear. I can say, she's a good addition to the otherwise common list of thriller writers. I find the language good and does not use cliched lines. So here's to the new found author on the block who I will be listening to in the coming days.