Black Park by Ricki Thomas

The Blurb

FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF UNLIKELY KILLER Toni Fowler discovers the decomposing body of a baby in a local nature reserve and, although the case goes cold, the identity of the child a mystery, she is unable to let it rest. Ten years later she has joined the police force with a burning desire to re-open the case. When the body of six-year old Melissa is also found in Black Park after being abducted from her school, DCI Thirsk cannot ignore the similarities between her death and the baby's, but plagued by deceit and misinformation, his search for the truth - and justice - seems less likely by the day…

About Ricki Thomas

Unlikely Killer was published in 2010 and was a runaway success, remaining top of the Kindle psychological thriller charts for over eight months and in the top ten for twelve. It was the 29th best selling e-book in 2011. It’s also available in paperback.

Hope’s Vengeance and Bloody Mary were published in 2011, followed by Bonfire Night and Black Park in 2013, and Rings of Death in 2014 (all available as paperback and e-book).

Ricki’s writing comes in many formats and genres, with numerous articles, short stories and biographies in magazines and anthologies worldwide, and a couple of screenplays in production.

Ricki has lived in many countries, having led a varied and eventful life and now enjoys a peaceful life in Yorkshire.

My Review

Ricki Thomas's crime novels have always been deserving of a five star review, and having read each one, the question that has come to mind is, how can you better that? But she does. No two Ricki Thomas novels are similar, except for her own unique engaging style. Black Park has not disappointed. The issue of child abuse is central to the plot and was described with sensitivity. The characters were well defined and none less so, than the main protagonist, rookie cop Toni Fowler, whose feisty temperament quickly warmed my heart. There are many more complex characters like DCI Thirsk, dedicated to his work, but often maverick in how he operates. Toni's mother Carol, flawed by outrageously bad decisions. However, the due to the depth of these characters embedded in the author's skilful writing, empathy is assured. The whole book has many facets to the story, each engaging and compelling and leaves the reader quite breathless. Without giving a hint of a spoiler, the heartrending impact of the ending of this story left me feeling unreservedly emotional. I strongly recommend this book as a must for all avid crime readers who are looking for a refreshing break from the normal run of the mill detective crime series novels that are more commonplace on the bookshelves these days. The characters are portrayed as real earthy people that I can relate to. I guarantee, like me, after this one you will want more.