Firstly I wish to thank Jill Burkinshaw for inviting me on the Blog Tour for DEAD SMART by Stephen Puleston

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Nobody can hide from the truth …

Eddie Westford is found dead outside the Cardiff City Football ground. His throat has been cut in a cold-blooded attack. Inspector Marco discovers photographs of Westford sitting in various luxury cars and Westford’s connections with the organised hooligan gangs of Cardiff points to a connection with hardened criminals.
Evidence suggesting Westford is a suspect in a drug related inquiry means that Marco faces having to transfer the investigation to another officer. But Marco’s gut instinct believes that Westford’s death may be connected to some powerful people in Cardiff and he resists the attempts from his senior officer to have the murder case allocated to another officer.

Marco embarks on a final last minute attempt to prove his theory with disastrous consequences before he finally identifies Westford’s killer.

Buy Link:

Dead Smart: A prequel novella (Inspector John Marco Mysteries)

 

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW

Although this is a prequel novella it is my first Inspector Marco book and what a cracking introduction to this man and his side kick DS Boyd Pierce it was. No hanging round but straight into a gruesome scene which was a little too much for some. Eddie Westford had met his untimely end outside Cardiff City Football ground and it definitely wasn’t by accident.

Marco is a man with a mind-set of what he starts he finishes, that includes the cases he is handed at work and in his personal life as a day-to-day reformed alcoholic.  There is a bit of background about him but not tons. I think that will build the further I go onto the series. From the information that they were obtaining it brings to light two very different characters of Westford with a handy niche for the powers that be to hand the case on in another direction and save the funds that the investigation would cost but Marco is one determined and stubborn, in a good way, bloke that just won’t let go.

To say that this is such a short read it certainly packs the suspects in and gave me plenty theories to go on. From football hooligans to drugs deals to some pretty high up don’t tread on their toes type criminals, Marco has his work cut out. It all certainly made me want to find out what happens next.

A perfect introduction to what to expect from this duo and this author who left me with wanting more. Definitely another author to keep an eye on.

HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I write crime fiction based in Wales and about Wales. The rural landscape of north Wales provides the backdrop to the Inspector Drake novels. And Cardiff the capital of Wales provides the setting for the Inspector Marco novels set in a modern urban environment.
I love the novels of Raymond Chandler, Ian Rankin, Mark Billingham, Henning Mankell, Val McDermid – the list could go on! And I enjoy watching detective series on the television the recent Hinterland series based near Aberystwyth in Wales was great. One of my favourites is the French series Spiral but The Bridge and Broadchurch and the Rebus series with Ken Stott and Kenneth Branagh in Wallander are great too.

I have been on writing courses at the Welsh Writers Centre in Llanystymdwy, North Wales tutored by Matt Whyman and Marcus Sedgwick as well as crime writing courses with Peter Robinson and Andrew Taylor at the Scottish Writers centre.

I was born in Anglesey an island off the north Wales coast and after leaving school in Holyhead I went to University in London before training as a solicitor/lawyer. I practised in a small family

AUTHOR LINKS: