Deep Cover by Leigh Russell (A DI Geraldine Steel Thriller Book 16)

The Blurb:

THE NEW NOVEL IN THE MILLION-COPY SELLING DETECTIVE GERALDINE STEEL SERIES

When a sex worker dies in suspicious circumstances in York, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel struggles to remain focused on the murder investigation: she is distracted by her worries about her colleague and life partner, Ian Peterson, who has disappeared. As Geraldine becomes close to her new DS, Matthew, she is unaware that Ian is working undercover in London, trying to identify a criminal gang who have been targeting her.

As a second victim is discovered in York, and Ian's life is threatened by a psychopath the tension mounts. If he fails in his mission, both he and Geraldine may die...

Perfect for fans of Martina Cole, Mel Sherratt and LJ Ross

PRAISE FOR DEEP COVER

'Leigh Russell is my alternative Martina Cole, writing with the same realism, grit and edge. Deep Cover is three stories woven into one and it pulls you in like a rip tide. Always believable, always compelling, Leigh has done it again' - Helen Fields, bestselling author of the Perfect Remains crime series

'Exceptional crime writing' - M.W. Craven Sunday Times bestselling author & CWA Gold dagger-winner

'Leigh Russell tells a tangled tale in which guilt catches up with the innocent. It kept me guessing until the end' - Lesley Thomson, bestselling author of The Detective's Daughter series

'Deep Cover is edge of the seat stuff. A highly entertaining thriller I could not put down' - Marion Todd, author of the DI Clare Mackay series (Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year 2020)

If you enjoyed Deep Cover, look out for more DI Geraldine Steel investigations in Cut Short, Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead, Fatal Act, Killer Plan, Murder Ring, Deadly Alibi, Class Murder, Death Rope, Rogue Killer, Deathly Affair, Deadly Revenge and Evil Impulse, plus the special Christmas short story, Killer Christmas

Don't miss the DI Ian Peterson series: Cold Sacrifice, Race to Death and Blood Axe

About Leigh Russell:

Leigh Russell has sold over a million crime fiction novels. Her Geraldine Steel titles published by No Exit Press have appeared on many bestseller lists, and reached #1 on kindle. Leigh's work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the

Library, and her books have been optioned by major television production company Avalon Television. She chairs the CWA Debut Dagger Award judges and is a Consultant Royal Literary Fellow.

Leigh has also written stand alone thrillers, a dystopian novel, and a historical novel for Bloodhound Books, and the Lucy Hall international mystery series published by Thomas and Mercer.

Find out more about Leigh on her website http://www.leighrussell.co.uk where news, reviews and interviews are posted, with a schedule of Leigh's appearances. You can contact Leigh via her website, where you can subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Twitter and facebook.

My Review:

The sixteenth book in the DI Geraldine Steel thriller series and it only seems like yesterday when I read book one, 'Cut Short' back in 2o12. It's evident that I'm fully immersed into the series or I wouldn't be here now reviewing book 16, but take it from one who knows, this is the best Geraldine Steel book ever, and I've enjoyed them all.

Why? Apart from it's good to see Geraldine back in her rightful role as inspector, this is good value for money with three interconnected stories in one. Firstly we have the accidental death of a sex-worker, after a fight with the sleazy punter Thomas, who sneaked her into his house while his wife was away. If it wasn't murder, he made it a pretty good imitation of one, when he disposed of the body. Thomas gets deeper into the mire as the story develops with the subsequent blackmail note that's left through his door.

Then there is Geraldine's investigation into the murder, with her new sidekick DS Matthew Bailey, to replace DI Ian Petersen, who has mysteriously disappeared since he and Geraldine had broken up (in the previous book). Despite a lot of heartache, not just from the breakup, but the loss of contact with her twin sister, (which she blamed Ian for), Geraldine, as always, goes more than the extra mile and finds clues where others see a brick wall in her dogged determination to solve the case.

The third element to the book is a mini Ian Petersen story, just like in the days when he had his own series of three books (which I thought were great). Ian has left York and gone to London to work in a high-risk undercover role and infiltrate an extremely dangerous drugs gang. However, all of this is not separate to the main story, Ian has a purpose that is linked to Geraldine's situation and puts himself in grave danger in order to achieve this.

'Deep Cover' is a complete story in itself and could be read as a standalone, but if this is your first trip into Geraldine Steel's world, you will definitely be hungry for more and lucky for you, there is fifteen other books in the series.

I'm now looking forward to January next year when my pre-order of book seventeen, 'Guilt Edged' will be delivered.