DI Sheridan Holler is used to solving crimes on Liverpool’s streets, but after a decayed corpse turns up in a cemetery, she finds herself reopening not one but two cold cases. Seven years earlier, two women were gunned down and the only suspect, small-time drug dealer John Lively, was never seen again. Case closed. Until the body in the cemetery is identified as his.
Holler needs to work out if Lively was killed out of revenge, or was just a victim of the criminal world he inhabited. When shocking evidence is revealed about the murder weapon, Holler’s cold case starts to look hopeless once more.
But defeat is not an option. Driven by the unsolved and traumatic murder of her brother when they were children, DI Holler’s pursuit of justice is relentless. As old wounds are reopened, the police close in on the killer, but the threat of them striking again is all too real. Can DI Holler put the pieces of the puzzle together before anyone else winds up dead?
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Long Time Dead by T M Payne was published on 1 April 2024 by Thomas & Mercer and is the author's debut novel. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review.
Don't you just love it when you read the first in a new crime series and you are immediately hooked? I was totally engrossed in this one from the shocking and enticing prologue, right through to the closing pages. This was final holiday read, I finished it on the plane on the way home and then immediately bought a digital copy for my other half. He finished it last night and enjoyed it too.
Sheridan Holler joined the police for one reason. Her brother was murdered when she was a child, his case was never solved, justice was never done and it is this tragedy that spurs Sheridan on, every single day. She's a damn good copper though, working in Liverpool, with a great team around her.
This story centres around two cold cases. When a grave digger finds a decaying corpse buried on top of an elderly woman, in her burial plot, Sheridan is called onto the case. The corpse is identified as well-known local drug dealer John Lively. Lively was the only suspect in the murder of a female police officer seven years ago. She and a civilian were shot in a supermarket car park, the civilian survived but has life-altering head injuries, she can no longer communicate with anyone.
Initially, it is thought that Lively was probably murdered by a rival drug gang. He wasn't a pleasant man, he had many enemies. However, further investigation into the weapon that killed him reveals astonishing facts, the historical case is turned on its head and Sheridan's work is really cut out for her.
What follows is a complex, multi woven tale of greed and double crossing. There are characters who the reader will despise, people who are only interested in their own gains. People who are supposed to be the backbone of society, yet use their status to only achieve bad things.
Running alongside Sheridan's current cases are glimpses into the murder of her brother, she often feels helpless about this, she really wants to be able to report back to her family, she wants justice. There's a lot about Sheridan's personal life and for me, this added so much to the story. I like to know more about a lead character, what makes them tick, what makes them happy, what annoys them.
The thrilling, fast paced lead up to the finale is breathtaking, I felt like I was holding my breath for many pages. It is so well structured and so totally unexpected. The perfect ending to a fine crime novel. I am looking forward to reading more from T M Payne, certainly an author to watch out for. Recommended by me.
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