A former Customs and Police Officer, Andrew Hill’s first book in a crime series set in the New Forest, where he lived for 30 years, will be published in Spring 2022. An avid reader across the crime genre and regular at crime writing festivals, he now lives in West Sussex and works in property.
When Tabitha returns to the remote West Country coastal town of her youth, she will face an uncertain future; one she could never have predicted as the murder of her next-door-neighbour (her former mathematics teacher) changes all of that.
Arrested and imprisoned, awaiting trial for his killing, she is bewildered and afraid. Trapped in a prison system that she doesn’t understand and at a loss to find a way to prove her innocence.
What unfolds is a masterly tale that is so much more than the psychological thriller that it’s billed as. There are strong elements of ‘cozy’ crime, as well as courtroom and prison drama. Long buried secrets become unearthed and examined; friendships and long held grudges twist and tangle the story to muddy the waters, and throw the reader the odd ‘red herring’.
With a strong, willful and multifaceted misfit as a central character, who is determined to leave no stone unturned, this is a superbly executed mille-feuille of a story. Each layer reveals a delight that brings pace and density to a realistic and well-executed tale.
Tabitha’s desperation, yet unwavering conviction that the answer is just out of her grasp is palpable. The author(s) have tapped into the rats-nest of village life with skill and insight. Prison life is exposed as a degrading, authoritarian regime that demeans both the prisoners and their guards. The courtroom scenes are well-fleshed and add yet another dimension to the plot.
This is a delicious ‘melt in the mouth’ feast of a story to savour.
Highly recommended.
