Girl In Danger by Leigh Russell

Girl In Danger

By Leigh Russell 

‘Girl In Danger’ is the second outing for Lucy Hall, and this time finds her based in Paris and trying to make her way as a journalist.

This is what the book blurb has to say …

Lucy Hall’s first summer in Paris promises to be idyllic. She’s fallen in love with the city and enjoys her new job as an investigative reporter. When her friend Nina comes to stay, the girls look forward to a wonderful summer. But Paris is a city of contrasts and Lucy is about to experience its dangerous side.

When an anonymous source promises her a scoop, Lucy can’t resist the chance to make her name. The deeply unsettling meeting with her informant indicates that there may be more at stake than she’d suspected. Returning home with questions instead of answers, Lucy finds her apartment ransacked and Nina gone.

Lucy knows her friend is in danger, but the police are unwilling to help. When her informant is found dead, she realises she may be next. Lucy has something the killer wants and he’ll do anything to get it back…

One of the things I’m really enjoying about the Lucy Hall series is the way that each one is set in a very different location. In the first book, ‘Journey To Death’ we found ourselves in the exotic surroundings of the Seychelles. This time we are much closer to home in Paris, and I found the setting was very deftly recreated. I haven’t been to Paris for many years, but I really felt as I read that I could picture where Lucy was and see it all very clearly in my mind’s eye.

In this adventure Lucy finds herself trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of what has happened to Nina alongside a local Private Detective. The mysterious Alain turns out to be the perfect partner for Lucy. His hardbitten attitude, born of long experience of crime and corruption, acts as a perfect foil to the sometimes slightly naïve and impulsive Lucy.

As they work together, both Lucy and the reader wonder if Alain can be trusted. As events unfold it turns out that certainly no one else can be!

All in all, a very gripping crime story that takes both the reader and Lucy to some very dark places. Some of the descriptions of the crimes committed are not for the fainthearted, but are necessary to indicate the level of jeopardy Lucy and Nina find themselves in and the urgency of their dilemma.

I’m looking forward to seeing where Lucy ends up next, and I hope this series will run and run.

Thanks very much to the author for a review copy of this book via Netgalley.

'Girl In Danger' is out on Kindle on 27th September and available for pre-order now. You can find out more here. 

Murder Ring by Leigh Russell

Murder Ring

By Leigh Russell 

This is another great outing for the compelling DI Geraldine Steel. When a dead body is discovered in a dark side street, Geraldine finds herself caught up in another murder investigation. When this is followed by another mysterious murder, the investigation becomes ever more complicated.

As with all the Geraldine Steel books we get a good mix of insights into Geraldine’s working life and interaction with her colleagues, the often messy lives of the perpetrators and victims of crime, and a glimpse into Geraldine’s personal life.

In this book, the working team is shaken up by a new arrival in the shape of DCI Adam Eastwood. Good looking and determined to get results, he certainly changes the dynamics of Geraldine’s working life.

We also have the familiar Sam – Geraldine’s sergeant and sometimes confidante. But this time there is an edge between the two women as they disagree about gun crime, and Geraldine finds her own personal problems too much to deal with.

One of the things that I think makes the Geraldine Steel crime series so successful is that as time has gone on Leigh Russell has made enough changes to Geraldine's circumstances and the people around her to keep it fresh and different, whilst keeping enough factors the same to give a sense of continuity and familiarity to the series.

This book sees some huge events in Geraldine’s private life, I won’t say too much as I don’t want to give anything away, but a storyline that has been running through the whole series has some major developments. These glimpses into Geraldine’s family life are one of the things that make this series special, in my view, and make Geraldine a very rounded and human character.

The plot is satisfying, with plenty going on, and the ‘murder ring’ at the centre gives it a sense of intrigue as we follow its progress.

To get the full Geraldine Steel experience I recommend you read all the books. You can find my reviews of earlier books in the series (and the accompanying Ian Peterson series) here and here.

But this is a great murder mystery in its own right and highly recommended if you want an introduction to Leigh Russell’s work.

 Overall, a very enjoyable and well written story.

Thanks very much to the publishers for a review copy of this book.

You can find out more here.

This post is part of a blog tour for Murder Ring, and you can find the other stops on the tour here.

Journey To Death by Leigh Russell

Journey To Death

By Leigh Russell 

'Journey To Death' is the first in a new series by the prolific crime writer Leigh Russell. Unlike previous series leads Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson, Lucy Hall is not a police officer, she is just an ordinary young woman going on holiday with her parents in an attempt to get over a broken heart. At least she is until a series of extraordinary events start to happen.

One of things I liked best about this book was the setting. Leigh Russell whisks us off to the Seychelles with Lucy and right from the start we get a really good feel for what it would be like to be there. I found the descriptions of the island and the glimpses into its history really interesting and a great background to the crime story as it unfolds.

In a short prologue we learn that Lucy’s father has lived on the island of Mahe before. But how do the links to his past life fit in with the dramatic events that happen to his family on what should have been an innocent holiday?

Because of the exotic setting, and the ‘amateur’ rather than professional detective, this story is very different from Leigh Russell’s earlier output. I found it an interesting and absorbing read and enjoyed the character of Lucy Hall as well as the others who accompany her in this story.

I’m now really looking forward to finding out where Lucy Hall ends up going on her travels next, and what trouble she can get herself into, and hopefully out of!

A great and unusual crime read.

Thanks very much to the publishers for a review copy of this book.

You can find out more here.

Guest Post from Leigh Russell

Leigh Russell - Blood Axe


To celebrate the release of Blood Axe, I am very pleased to have Leigh Russell as a guest on my blog today. Leigh is sharing her thoughts on what it means to be an author.

Recently someone asked me what I do. When I told her I'm an author, she responded with 

a question. 'What makes you call yourself an author, not a writer?' All I could say was that many 

people write, but when you earn your living by writing fiction, you are an author. It's a glib 

response. According to that definition there are many talented writers, and equally many fairly 

untalented authors. 

So what earns me the right to describe myself as 'an author', rather than 'a writer'. Writing is 

a great leveller. Anyone who can write is a writer. How do we distinguish between the dedicated 

and the hobbyist? Is it even a meaningful distinction? 

We all have days when we struggle with questions about what we're doing with our lives - 

or is it just me who sometimes feels like a headless chicken, trying to make sense of the chaos 

around me? I wonder how other people deal with those demons of self doubt. As a writer, they go 

with the territory. Every book I write takes me back to the beginning. 'Is what I'm writing complete 

garbage? This plot is never going to work. What is this character doing?' which leads to the 

inevitable next stage, 'What is my editor going to make of this?' followed by 'What will reviewers 

and fans think of my new book?' 

There are a number of ways I counter my insecurities about my writing, one of which is to 

take a step back to review my progress in this crazy career as an author which, like writing itself, 

seems to follow no rules. 

When I stop to consider how far I've come, I can hardly believe my eleventh book has just 

been published since Cut Short came out in 2009. By the end of 2016, the number of my published 

books will go up to thirteen... and these numbers don't include the different editions, large print 

books, all the titles published in translation... adding them all together, there must be well over fifty 

different covers so far... and yes, I have a copy of every one of them, together with proof copies of 

all the UK editions. I look at my collection sometimes, when I'm having an insecure writing day, 

trying to reassure myself that this is not all a dream. I really have written three series, my research 

has taken me as far afield as Paris, Rome, Greece, and the Seychelles, my books are in 

development for television... 

Yet with all of this success, the insecurity never leaves me. 'So far so good' is all I can say, 

because every book is a precarious new venture. Every day is a different story. Which, I suppose, 

is appropriate for a fiction writer...

Thanks very much to Leigh for her thoughts on writing and where it has taken her so far. You can find out more about Blood Axe below.

Blood Axe

Gruesome, brutal murders, seemingly at random. A killer who leaves no clues. And so another case begins for Detective Inspector Ian Peterson.

Bestselling crime author Leigh Russell returns with the third title in her DI Peterson Murder Investigation series, set against the gothic backdrop of the city of York. Under the shadow of the Minster, DI Peterson is once again tasked with discovering a killer – only this time, he’ll have to use all his skills to uncover who is responsible.

You can find out more and buy a copy, here and here.

Blood Axe by Leigh Russell

Blood Axe

By Leigh Russell 

DI Ian Peterson investigates a series of gruesome and brutal murders in York. As the body count mounts, the case demands all Ian’s ingenuity, because these are murders seemingly committed at random, and this is a killer who leaves no clues.

‘Blood Axe’ is the third outing for Leigh Russell’s DI Ian Peterson and delivers another complex and gripping plot.

Like the previous book in this series, ‘Race To Death’, ‘Blood Axe’ really makes the most of the York setting. This time it’s the Jorvik museum that takes centre stage, after Ian is led there by the fact that the murderer appears to be using a Viking axe on the victims. Could that mean there is a link to the museum? Or should Ian and his colleagues be looking more closely at the families of the victims? As the body count increases, they can’t afford to ignore any possibilities however outlandish they may seem.

One of the most chilling aspects of this story is that the killer really does seem to be striking randomly and Ian has to accept the possibility that no one is safe. Mysterious sections of narrative from the killer’s perspective add an other-worldly feel to the unfolding events and give the reader some insights from the other side of the chase.

Other highlights of the book include the now traditional appearance of Geraldine Steel, making a cameo visit from Leigh’s other ongoing series, and some dramatic developments in Ian’s personal life. For me it is these little touches that add authenticity to the series, making it feel very realistic and adding to the addictive nature of the ongoing storylines.

This is a great story with some interesting and unexpected twists and turns. It ends with some scenes of high drama and a clever and surprising outcome.

Thanks very much to the publishers for a review copy of this book.

You can find out more here.