Tuesday 1 May 2018

The Collector by Fiona Cummins @FionaAnnCummins #Review @panmacmillan #TheCollector




Jakey escaped with his life and moved to a new town.
His rescue was a miracle but his parents know that the Collector is still out there, watching, waiting . . .
Clara, the girl he left behind, dreams of being found.
Her mother is falling apart but she will not give up hope.
The Collector has found an apprentice to take over his family’s legacy.
But he can’t forget the one who got away and the detective who destroyed his dreams.
DS Etta Fitzroy must hunt him down before his obsession destroys them all.











The Collector by Fiona Cummins was published in hardback on 22 February 2018 by Pan Macmillan, the paperback is published in December this year. The Collector is the second in the DS Fitzroy series and follows the first; Rattle, which was published in January 2017.

I adored Rattle, and read and reviewed it here on Random Things.


Prepare yourselves, he's back! Fiona Cummins continues the story of Brian Howley, otherwise known as the 'Bone Collector', or 'Ol' Bloody Bones', and in this story as 'Mr Silver'. Howley made his escape at the end of the last book, and he's here, up to his old tricks again, and DS Etta Fitzroy is determined this time that no mistakes will be made, she WILL get him.

Jakey escaped from Howey, but four-year-old Clara has been missing for one hundred days. Everyone knows who has her, but nobody knows where he's hidden her.

Once again, this incredibly talented author has created a story that both shocks and grips the reader. Intelligent and thoughtful writing adds volumes to what is a cleverly thought out plot with characters who the reader can relate, and some that we can hate.

Whilst I would advise anyone to read Rattle first, there really is no problem with following the plot of The Collector. The author adds just enough back story, so that the reader is engaged and aware of previous happenings.

There's a darkness that consumes the reader as the story progresses. The descriptive prose catapults you straight into the gritty, grimy world that these characters inhabit. Whether it's the alcoholic mother of new character Saul; dealing with the aftermath of things that she's done in the past, or the dank, dark, fetid caravan in the middle of a field that hides horrors that are unimaginable.

The inclusion of flash backs to Howey's past are full of insight and shed light on how he became the man he is today. There was a scene with his father, and some butteflies that actually brought a tear to my eye, and believe me, it's very very difficult to feel any sort of empathy for Howey.

Once again, my favourite character was Etta. DS Fitzroy has suffered so much during the recent cases that she's worked on. She's full of self-blame, self-loathing and regret, but this only makes her more determined that once and for all, Howey will get the justice that he deserves. She's an intricately created character who doesn't shy away from her duty, and often takes a step too far, with sometimes devastating consequences.

I'm so delighted that Rattle wasn't a fluke, although I was fairly positive that it wouldn't be. The Collector proves that this author really is one to watch. She's firmly secured her place amongst my favourite authors, and I'm desperate to know just what she will do next.






Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former Daily Mirror showbusiness journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy Writing A Novel course. Rattle, her debut novel, has been translated into several languages and received widespread critical acclaim from authors including Val McDermid, Lee Child and Martina Cole. Marcel Berlins wrote in The Times: 'Amid the outpouring of crime novels, Rattle is up there with the best of them.' 



Fiona was selected for McDermid's prestigious New Blood panel at the 2017 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, where her novel was nominated for a Dead Good Reader Award for Most Exceptional Debut.

Rattle is now being adapted into a six-part TV series by the producers of Golden Globe-nominated Miss Sloane.

Her second novel, The Collector, was published in February 2018. 

When Fiona is not writing, she can be found on Twitter, eating biscuits or walking her dog. She lives in Essex with her family. 

Follow her on Twitter @FionaAnnCummins





No comments:

Post a Comment