Today I’m sharing my review for Death Comes to Call by Clare Chase as part of the blog tour. Book three in the Tara Thorpe series published by Bookouture. My thanks as always go to the publishers and author for the opportunity to take part and the ecopy I receive via NetGalley.
About the book
Frost sparkles on the bare winter branches, as night falls over the quiet country lanes bordering the fens. But nestled beneath an ivy-covered bough, a body lies pale in the bright moonlight…
When a promising local artist disappears, the victim’s brother begs Detective Tara Thorpe to take the case. It seems there’s no evidence of foul play… he simply disappeared without a trace.
Tara agrees to do some digging… never mind that her unorthodox approach to policing has got a few of her colleagues’ backs up. Amongst them is her former supervisor Detective Patrick Wilkins… he’s had enough of Tara calling the shots and will do anything to knock her down. She must be careful.
At least she has an ally in their boss, Detective Garstin Blake. He’ll always back her hunches. If anything, they work together too well… at least, that’s the rumour around the station these days.
When a body of a young woman is found frozen near the fens, Tara’s evidence suddenly becomes key to solving a high-profile murder. Is their missing artist still a victim… or in fact a clever murderer with a deadly plan?
Available to purchase now from – Amazon
My thoughts
I’m so annoyed with myself, when I saw Death Comes to Call was being released I had every intention of catching up with the first two books before hand but time got away from me and I didn’t manage it. I’d definitely say that I would have benefited from reading them as there are a lot of story lines being referred to that must have happened in previous books. That said though, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story.
Tara Thorpe used to be an investigative reporter before joining the police force and I’m not sure if this is doing her any favours. She tends to go off on her own and I found she struggled to work as a team sometimes. She’s a great character though and has clearly been through a lot, stalked as a teenager, landing her boss Detective Patrick Wilkins on suspension to name just a couple but she seems strong and determined if not a little sulky at times.
The main storyline was gripping with so many twists to it, I almost felt giddy. When Matthew Copes brother Luke goes missing Tara decides to investigate after its seemingly not a priority to the police. She has a hunch and decides to act on it and it’s just as well she does as not everything is as it appears to be. What follows is a real murder mystery, I kept trying to guess who the culprit was. Quite a few of the suspects could have done it and I kept changing my mind, it certainly kept me on my toes.
Death Comes to Call is a real page turner, even if I was a bit confused now and again due to the sub-plots it didn’t put me off and I got enough back story to not be completely lost but it’s now my mission to read the first two. I’m intrigued to find out what I’ve missed. I’d definitely recommend this book and I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more in the series and catching up on Murder on the Marshes and Death on the River
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About the author
Clare Chase writes women sleuth mysteries and recently signed a three-book deal with Bookouture for a new crime series set in Cambridge. The opening book, Murder on the Marshes, is available for pre-order and will publish in July 2018. The mystery follows investigative journalist Tara Thorpe as she teams up with Detective Garstin Blake to solve the murder of a young female professor at Cambridge University. The case takes them through the dark underbelly of Cambridge and in to the murky fens that surround the centuries-old city. The second and third books in the series are scheduled for publication in late 2018/early 2019.
After graduating from London University with a degree in English Literature, Clare moved to Cambridge and has lived there ever since. She’s fascinated by the city’s contrasts and contradictions, which feed into her writing. She’s worked in diverse settings – from the 800-year-old University to one of the local prisons – and lived everywhere from the house of a Lord to a slug-infested flat. The terrace she now occupies, with her husband and teenage children, presents a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
Clare’s debut novel, You Think You Know Me, was shortlisted for the Novelicious Undiscovered Award 2012, and an EPIC award in 2015. It was also chosen as a debut of the month by Lovereading.
You can find Clare’s website and blog at http://www.clarechase.com/
It's all about the books 
Thanks so much for this lovely review, Dee-Cee – I’m absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the book!
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