Danger is closer than you think...
Single Mum Kate Wilde has escaped an abusive marriage and hasn't had a holiday in years, so when she wins a five-day trip to Paris to learn about perfume - in a competition she can't remember entering - it's a dream come true. Or is it?
Almost as soon as she arrives, Kate's ex texts with evidence that he's in Paris too. Kate can feel she's being watched, and she's sure someone has been in her apartment. Then she discovers that there's a killer in the city focusing on red headed women like her. And his kill count is rising.
Who should she fear the most?
All Kate's senses are on alert. But can her instincts keep her safe?
The Killing Sense by Sam Blake is published on 2 January 2025 by Corvus. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
I have spent a wet and windy weekend curled up on the settee with The Killing Sense, it has been a perfect couple of days to explore this twisty tale of mystery suspense in the wonderful setting of modern-day Paris. It is not a short novel, but the writing grips so well that I found myself flying through the pages, desperate to find out just what was in store for the characters next.
Kate Wilde is a single parent, her marriage was filled with violence and threats. She has a restraining order out against her ex-husband Erik and she and her small daughter Hanna are making a new life together, with the help of Kate's loyal sister Orna.
Kate is on her way to Paris. It's the first time that she's left Hanna in the care of Orna, and whilst she is excited to have won a Facebook competition that involves a whole week in Paris, along with a course in perfume-making, she is still deeply worried about her daughter. Especially as Erik continues to send threatening texts, he wants to see his daughter.
Meanwhile, the reader is privy to information that very few people are aware of. Workers in the sewers below the streets of Paris have discovered a severed head. The head of a woman with red hair.
It is that titan hair that sets the scene for the entire novel. Readers are not aware of why red-heads will be targeted until the very end reveal, but it's terrifying. Kate has red hair.
Blake introduces a vast and colourful cast of characters to her readers. Kate's apartment for the week is situated in a beautiful old building and the woman in charge of the residence is elegant and self assured. Around the corner is a cafe. Agathe works in the cafe when she's not studying, and she and Kate soon hit it off. However, Agathe's flat mate Sandrine has recently disappeared. Sandrine also had red hair.
Whilst travelling to Paris, Kate was seated opposite a man named Daniel. Daniel is British, ex-military and very friendly. He's on a mission to track down an antique perfume bottle on behalf of his elderly aunt. Kate and Daniel meet again whilst in Paris and their relationship develops, he feels protective of her, she's unsure, but Daniel seems like a good, kind man. Someone she can rely on, especially as she suspects that someone, maybe Erik has been entering her apartment when she's not there. Things have moved, bottles of expensive perfumes and lotions have been left there, someone has cleaned her hair brush. Kate is very uneasy, but feels unable to do anything about it.
This is a very cleverly plotted novel, with characters who at first, seem totally disconnected to one another, but as the story emerges, the reader begins to make the links, it is subtle and expertly executed.
I was on the edge of my seat, especially towards the end of the story as everything begins to tie together and we realise just how much danger Kate is in. I was totally thrown by events that are revealed, it almost creeps up on the reader, taking them by surprise.
Perfectly created characters in a setting that will entrance the reader, this is a gripping and tension filled novel that will chill readers to the bone. Highly recommended.
I have spent a wet and windy weekend curled up on the settee with The Killing Sense, it has been a perfect couple of days to explore this twisty tale of mystery suspense in the wonderful setting of modern-day Paris. It is not a short novel, but the writing grips so well that I found myself flying through the pages, desperate to find out just what was in store for the characters next.
Kate Wilde is a single parent, her marriage was filled with violence and threats. She has a restraining order out against her ex-husband Erik and she and her small daughter Hanna are making a new life together, with the help of Kate's loyal sister Orna.
Kate is on her way to Paris. It's the first time that she's left Hanna in the care of Orna, and whilst she is excited to have won a Facebook competition that involves a whole week in Paris, along with a course in perfume-making, she is still deeply worried about her daughter. Especially as Erik continues to send threatening texts, he wants to see his daughter.
Meanwhile, the reader is privy to information that very few people are aware of. Workers in the sewers below the streets of Paris have discovered a severed head. The head of a woman with red hair.
It is that titan hair that sets the scene for the entire novel. Readers are not aware of why red-heads will be targeted until the very end reveal, but it's terrifying. Kate has red hair.
Blake introduces a vast and colourful cast of characters to her readers. Kate's apartment for the week is situated in a beautiful old building and the woman in charge of the residence is elegant and self assured. Around the corner is a cafe. Agathe works in the cafe when she's not studying, and she and Kate soon hit it off. However, Agathe's flat mate Sandrine has recently disappeared. Sandrine also had red hair.
Whilst travelling to Paris, Kate was seated opposite a man named Daniel. Daniel is British, ex-military and very friendly. He's on a mission to track down an antique perfume bottle on behalf of his elderly aunt. Kate and Daniel meet again whilst in Paris and their relationship develops, he feels protective of her, she's unsure, but Daniel seems like a good, kind man. Someone she can rely on, especially as she suspects that someone, maybe Erik has been entering her apartment when she's not there. Things have moved, bottles of expensive perfumes and lotions have been left there, someone has cleaned her hair brush. Kate is very uneasy, but feels unable to do anything about it.
This is a very cleverly plotted novel, with characters who at first, seem totally disconnected to one another, but as the story emerges, the reader begins to make the links, it is subtle and expertly executed.
I was on the edge of my seat, especially towards the end of the story as everything begins to tie together and we realise just how much danger Kate is in. I was totally thrown by events that are revealed, it almost creeps up on the reader, taking them by surprise.
Perfectly created characters in a setting that will entrance the reader, this is a gripping and tension filled novel that will chill readers to the bone. Highly recommended.
She has had a string of No. 1 bestsellers, including Keep Your Eyes on Me and Remember My Name, and has been shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year three times.
Sam is the Chair of the Society of Authors and has served on the board of the Crime Writer's Association, as well as being the founder of Europe's biggest online writer's magazine, Writing.ie.
Originally from St. Albans in Hertfordshire, Sam now lives at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, near Dublin in Ireland.
Follow her on social @samblakebooks. Visit www.samblakebooks.com for news and events and get a bonus free thriller when you subscribe to her newsletter.
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