The Detective Wakes by Jim McGhee 

I have been looking forward to this book since the cover reveal and was very excited when I managed to get hold of a digital ARC. It was a very welcome read to unwind at the end of a rather long term. 

I found myself instantly liking Inspector Barney Mains. Here is a man who says what he thinks and doesn’t really care much for the politics of the day. I could see myself getting on quite well with him. 

I also very quickly grew to like Ffiona - she has a slightly sneaky side to her. She appears to be a high flying youngster who does things by the book but then you get a hint of attitude and rebellion that makes her very likeable indeed. 

The book is set in the current time and references to pandemic and politics make this clear. I liked that because I felt that it made the characters more relatable and at times I felt part of the story. 

The story follows the disappearance of wealthy Scottish business women Shona Gladstone. To start with I found the character to be a little annoying - nothing really to do with the writing - if I’m honest just my prejudged opinion of a rich person living the high life in a Vila full of staff. 

How wrong I was - as the story went on I became very fond of Shona and found her to be quite a character. Not afraid to cross a line in order to get justice - she was a women I would like to meet. 

As the story unfolded it became more focused on the political issues and for me this made it all the more interesting. 

The plot was detailed and the elements entwined across the nations. It was a complex crime but the author made it easy to read and follow. 

This is definitely a series I can see myself following and I look forward to reading the next book - hopefully before too long. 

Thank you to @lovebookstours for letting me be part of the cover reveal and @booksirens for the ARC in return for an honest review.