My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland

I am delighted to be today's stop on the Blog Tour for My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland. My Little Eye was published by Trapeze Books on 5 April 2018.

My Little Eye
By Stephanie Marland
Published by Trapeze Books (5 April 2018)

Publisher's description

Can a group of true crime addicts take on the police to catch a serial killer?

A young woman is found dead in her bedroom surrounded by rose petals - the latest victim of 'The Lover'. Struggling under the weight of an internal investigation, DI Dominic Bell is no closer to discovering the identity of the killer and time is running out.

As the murders escalate, Clementine Starke joins an online true crime group determined to take justice in to their own hands - to catch the killer before the police. Hiding a dark secret, she takes greater risks to find new evidence and infiltrate the group. 

As Starke and Bell get closer to cracking the case neither of them realise they're being watched. The killer is closer to them than they think, and he has his next victim - Clementine - firmly in his sights.

My verdict
My Little Eye is a crime thriller with a fresh take on the police procedural. I loved the premise of this book - the idea of a group of amateurs taking on the police to solve a murder.

Young women are found dead in their bedrooms surrounded by flowers and the police are struggling to crack the case. Clementine Starke is drawn to an online true crime group of people determined to beat the police investigation and find the killer first. She's a complex character - damaged and vulnerable, hiding away from the world, ashamed of her past and distrustful of the police, yet with an inner strength that emerges as the book progresses. DI Dominic Bell, in charge of the police investigation, is also hiding secrets and is running out of time while he's being distracted by an internal investigation.

The book reads well, with authentic characters and a compelling plot, turning into a race against the clock for everyone involved. It's dark and twisty and a great introduction to a new crime series. I loved the innovative ways in which the true crime group set out to solve the case without the backing of police resources. As expected, most of their interactions take place online, in private messages, group chats and online forums, revealing more about their personalities and personal agendas.

I'll be interested to see how the Starke and Bell series develops, as both central characters have intriguing back stories and there's clearly some chemistry between them. They make perfect adversaries but also a perfect match - which will it be?

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