Perfect Crime by Helen Fields

 

A spate of recent suicides has the police wondering if someone with malicious intent is involved.

Perfect Crime by Helen Fields is the fifth book in the Luc Callanach/Ava Turner series, a series which simply gets better with each book.

The opening chapter sets the scene for a novel filled with edge-of-your-seat tension. We have a man determined to take his own life by jumping from a bridge. Despite the bleakness of his situation, he has considered the effect he will have on those he leaves behind, wanting to cause as little fuss as possible. Thankfully, a bystander steps forward, and this man demonstrates the skill and empathy of those who try to help people at their lowest. 

Having been persuaded not to commit suicide, no one is surprised when, days later, the same man jumps from the walls of a castle. It is only when a second person, someone with a history of previous failed attempts, is discovered dead that the police begin to wonder if they have a killer targeting people who have tried to kill themselves previously. Little do they realise that they have a serial killer, someone who believes that those who attempt and fail to take their own lives really don't understand the true value of life.

This really isn't a book for the faint-hearted. Early chapters feature scenes involving heights and the descriptions alone are enough to make the reader terrified of heights. Alongside this are a number of ingenious, yet deeply disturbing, descriptions of murder.

Early on in the novel Luc Callanach visits one of the men who attacked his mother. The visit does not offer Callanach the closure he was hoping for, in fact, things become even more complicated when the man concerned is murdered later the same day and Luc becomes a suspect. This second story-line adds an intriguing element to the book. Fans of the series know that Callanach wouldn't commit murder, so is someone trying to frame him?

The connection between Luc and Ava grows even stronger, giving readers one of those "will they, won't they?" story-lines. I was firmly rooting for the pair to get together and I'm sure lots of other readers of the series feel the same. Fate certainly seems determined to make this relationship one for which the individuals concerned have to battle. The introduction of a couple of new characters also mixes things up a bit.

Even though I've read book 7 in the series (the one which introduced me to this fantastic series) I was worried about the fate of a number of the characters as the conclusion approached. As for the villain, well it wasn't a surprise but there again it was. Villains who hide in plain sight always leave a reader second-guessing and it's impossible to know if the author is going to introduce another twist.