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.
Set in a small Long Island community Detective Casey Wray and her partner Dave Cullen are called to answer a 911 call from a frightened young woman called Tina Grace. She seems confused as to her location but thinks she’s on Barton Beach, one of a number of affluent offshore islands whose residents have their properties mostly covered by private security firms and so have little to do with Hampstead County PD. Most importantly, the caller is running for her life.
And then, she’s gone. Vanished without a trace.
Canvassing the neighbours seems to just throw up more inconsistencies, suspects and diverging lines of enquiry. But Casey is not willing to let go of the case. She has no real life outside of her job. No romantic interests, no relationship, no cat and no dog. She feels connected to this case and the alcoholic mother of the disappeared woman. Casey has that feeling that people are keeping things from her and keeps pushing. Then the first body turns up and Casey finds herself caught in the middle of a clash between her immediate superior, Lieutenant Ray Carletti and the Chief of Police’s ‘attack dog’, Captain McTeague.
Based on the discovery of human remains in the Gilgo Beach area on Long Island and the crimes attributed to the, as yet unidentified, Long Island Serial Killer. This is a masterful interweaving of fact and fiction by the author.
Casey Wray is believable, driven and never less than completely committed. She comes alive under Rod Reynolds care, walking from the pages as a real and flawed person.
The author's previous books have all brought an authentic sense of Americana and this is no different. That’s no mean feat for London born Rod and a skill to much admire. He handles the twists and turns with aplomb. The writing is elegant, clever and urgent, shining a light on the clear gap between the ‘haves and have nots’ in a small community.
This is Casey Wray’s first case and I would urge you to acquaint yourself with her. An absorbing, delightful and highly recommended read.
