A Deadly Thaw by Sarah Ward - Blog Tour

I am delighted to be today's stop on the Blog Tour for A Deadly Thaw by Sarah Ward. A Deadly Thaw is being published in paperback by Faber & Faber on 2 February 2017.

A Deadly Thaw
By Sarah Ward
Published by Faber & Faber (Paperback - 2 February 2017)
ISBN: 978-0571321049

Publisher's description

Autumn 2004

In Bampton, Derbyshire, Lena Fisher is arrested for suffocating her husband, Andrew.

Spring 2016

A year after Lena's release from prison, Andrew is found dead in a disused mortuary.

Who was the man Lena killed twelve years ago, and who committed the second murder? When Lena disappears, her sister, Kat, sets out to follow a trail of clues delivered by a mysterious teenage boy. Kat must uncover the truth - before there's another death . . .

My verdict
A Deadly Thaw sucked me in straight away and was a highly addictive read.

The body of a man (Andrew Fisher), believed to have been killed by his wife years earlier, is found in a disused mortuary. This is a recent murder, which baffles the local police, as his wife, Lena, confessed to the original crime and served her time. So who did Lena kill originally and why? Why did she not disclose the identity of her original victim? And where had Andrew been all this time?

A Deadly Thaw is an easy read and moves at a fast pace. It's a character-led police procedural that's filled with red herrings, twists and turns. I had no idea where the complex plot was going as the body count rose, and found myself totally immersed in the atmospheric setting of the Derbyshire countryside.

Sarah Ward has constructed a chilling plot and an array of strong characters, weaving the past and present together in a tangled web of deceit. The plot darkened as the book progressed, with flashbacks to events in the past that explored the relationship between Lena and her younger sister Kat.

This is the second book in the DC Childs series. Although I have read the first book (In Bitter Chill), I do believe this can easily be read as a standalone. I look forward to Sarah Ward's next book.

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

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In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward - BLOG TOUR

I am delighted to be today's stop on the BLOG TOUR for Sarah Ward's In Bitter Chill, which was published in paperback on 5 November 2015 by Faber & Faber.

In Bitter Chill
By Sarah Ward
Published by Faber & Faber (5 November 2015)
ISBN: 978-0571321001

Publisher's description

Bampton, Derbyshire, January 1978. Two girls go missing: Rachel Jones returns, Sophie Jenkins is never found. Thirty years later: Sophie Jenkins's mother commits suicide.

Rachel Jones has tried to put the past behind her and move on with her life. But news of the suicide re-opens old wounds and Rachel realises that the only way she can have a future is to finally discover what really happened all those years ago.

This is a story about loss and family secrets, and how often the very darkest secrets are those that are closest to you.

My verdict
In Bitter Chill is certainly the right title for this book, as it is really is a chilling, haunting read.

Two girls go missing in 1978, but only one of them (Rachel) returns, seemingly unharmed. The other girl, Sophie, is never found. Thirty years on, and Rachel still can't remember what happened on that fateful day. She has tried to move on with her life, but continues to live locally as a genealogist, helping other people research their family history, when she knows little about her own. When Sophie's mother commits suicide, Rachel is prompted to explore her past in more detail and tries to remember more about her abduction as a young girl. But what will she find?

In Bitter Chill is a story of secrets and deception, alongside an intriguing look into family history. It's a combination of psychological thriller and police procedural, with well-developed believable characters that jump out of the pages. I wanted to know what had happened to Rachel all those years ago and willed her to find the strength to move on. I found that the well-written plot flowed with ease and the book was a pleasure to read, with intrigue and suspense right until the end.

This is great debut and I hope Sarah Ward has another book on the way.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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