One For Sorrow by Helen Fields

 

A mad man is on the loose in Edinburgh. He's kidnapping random people and then using these victims to stage elaborate situations, drawing as many first responders as possible so that he can blow them up. It is up to DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach to try and put a stop to him. They are racing against time to figure out who the Edinburgh bomber is and what is driving him on.

This is the seventh book in the DI Callanach series, a series which has passed me by so the characters are completely new to me. Being new to such a well established series did not spoil my enjoyment at all as you are immediately gripped by the story. 

The opening is very sombre but the author then goes straight in to two explosives scenes that have your heart racing. As the story develops the reader feels as if they are part of the investigation team, questioning exactly what has happened but more importantly, why?

Alongside the current day action is interwoven a backstory which eventually explains the motivation behind the bombings. You cannot help but feel a mixture of disbelief, sadness and anger as this backstory unfolds.

Even when you've figured out "who" is responsible the author keeps pulling the rug from under the readers feet, making you literally gasp in disbelief. Nerves are fraught and emotions left in shreds right until the last page.

One For Sorrow by Helen Fields will be published in paperbook, ebook and audio format on 17th February 2022. My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a review copy.