A Beautiful Breed of Evil by Andy Maslen #ABeautifulBreedofEvil #DIStellaCole @Andy_Maslen @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

 

Book Blurb:

He’ll never speak of the evil they did…

A former Swedish ambassador lies dead in his swanky Mayfair flat. With his tongue torn out and placed on a Bible. Competing theories swirl. A religious maniac? A psychopath? The truth is far darker than either. DCI Stella Cole’s search for the killer takes her to Sweden. There, she discovers a horrific chapter in the country’s history that throws the case into turmoil. And then more people start dying.

Teaming up with Swedish cops Oskar Norgrim and Johanna Carlsson, Stella pieces together Ambassador Brömly’s shocking past. And discovers the killer’s motive.

Meanwhile, Stella's personal life is about to take a significant turn as her boyfriend, Jamie, suggests a change in their relationship. But as Stella tries to process what it means, she makes a fateful decision.

Why won't the dead stay buried?

On the other side of the Atlantic, a kid practising BMX stunts over water finds a skeleton on a lake bed. When the victim is revealed to be a British cop, the FBI ask for assistance. Stella’s arch-enemy from her own department gets the case. She flies to Chicago and soon discovers the murderer’s identity.

The scene is set for a showdown in Sweden as DI Roisin Griffin pursues her vendetta against Stella all the way to the north of Sweden during the annual festival of Midsommar.

A fast-paced, twisty crime thriller …

A Beautiful Breed of Evil is the fifth book in this series of hard-hitting crime thrillers. Much of the action takes place in Sweden, home to fictional detectives Martin Beck, Kurt Wallander, Harry Hole and Saga Norén.

Even as Stella is fighting to bring the killer to justice, shadowy figures from her past are planning to silence her before she can expose their brutal methods.

Published in paperback and digital formats by Tyton Press on 28^th February 2021

 

My thoughts

Rating: 4 Stars ⭐

What an adventure!!!

In this fifth installment of the DI Stella Cole Thrillers, author Andy Maslen did not disappoint. This exciting story begins with a crime so gruesome that it had me at the edge of my seat from page one. Former Swedish ambassador Tomas Bromly is  found dead in his flat with a severed tongue. DCI Stella Cole is on the case and in her quest for the killer, she is led to Sweden where every revelation becomes more shocking than the next. As the case progresses Stella is also confronted with demons form her past, which continue to haunt her and even her relationships. Can she move on??

I read this book in one sitting (yes it was that good). Although my reading tastes are of a wide variety, one of my favourite genres are crime thriller novels like this one. What stood out for me most in the book (and you will realize this as you read) is that most if not all leading roles were held by women. As detective work goes, males are usually the heroes so having female heroines in my opinion gave the story a nice twist.

Another great aspect of the story was that it read like a standalone rather than a part of a series. I was especially appreciative of this because I haven't read the previous books (although I am going to source the complete series now). It was not difficult to grasp the story. The characters were all relatable, the best job was done with Roisin's character because as I read I could actually picture her personality. Her role made the story rich.

The murders and the events in the novel were very well sequenced and this made for easy reading. Trust me, you would not want to put this book down. In all, this was a well written novel for fans of Crime Fiction.

Thank you for a wonderful story Mr. Maslen!!

Click the Links below to purchase

 AMAZON UK / AMAZON US

 About the author

Andy Maslen was born in Nottingham, in the UK, home of legendary bowman Robin Hood. Andy once won a medal for archery, although he has never been locked up by the sheriff.

 He has worked in a record shop, as a barman, as a door-to-door DIY products salesman and a cook in an Italian restaurant.

 He lives in Wiltshire with his wife, two sons and a whippet named Merlin.

Social Media:

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Special Thanks to Emma from damppebbles  for the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.