The Tattoo Thief
By Alison Belsham
Published by Trapeze (20 September 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy of the book from the publisher
Publisher's description
A policeman on his first murder case
A tattoo artist with a deadly secret
And a twisted serial killer sharpening his blades to kill again...
A tattoo artist with a deadly secret
And a twisted serial killer sharpening his blades to kill again...
When Brighton tattoo artist Marni Mullins discovers a flayed body, newly-promoted DI Francis Sullivan needs her help. There's a serial killer at large, slicing tattoos from his victims' bodies while they're still alive. Marni knows the tattooing world like the back of her hand, but has her own reasons to distrust the police. So when she identifies the killer's next target, will she tell Sullivan or go after the Tattoo Thief alone?
The Tattoo Thief is a cleverly plotted serial killer thriller.
There's a killer on the loose, targeting the tattooing community, flaying live victims to slice off (and preserve) their tattoos. I don't know much about the tattooing world, but it seemed authentic and I not only learnt a lot but also found it fascinating, to the point of 'Googling' the art of tattoos. The author has clearly done her research and portrayed tattooing convincingly, including the prejudice of outsiders and the sense of community.
Two strong leading characters here - DI Francis Sullivan (new to his job, young for his job, desperate to prove his worth, not as confident as he could be, Catholic, doesn't understand why anyone would want a tattoo) and tattoo artist Marni Mullins (determined, feisty and slightly 'damaged' with a colourful past). I found myself wanting both of them to succeed, holding my breath in various places, hoping they would be 'okay'. And I loved the interaction between them - two very different people, working together (unofficially) towards the same goal of catching a serial killer.
The Tattoo Thief is a gruesome and graphic in places, detailing the processes involved in flaying victims and preserving tattoos - perfect for my love of gore and forensics/science. The plot moves at a cracking pace, with plenty of intrigue and cliffhangers to keep me turning just one more page, and the serial killer chapters were suitably chilling and creepy.
A great debut, and I look forward to seeing what's next.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to read The Tattoo Thief and for that lovely review. Alison xx
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