... by friend and author, Val Penny. This is the second book in her most recently created series of police procedurals. Read on ...
Set mostly in Stirling, A Fighting Chance sees Detective Sergeant Jane Renwick take on a new case. This story is the second in this new series, and what a read! I'm familiar with the Hunter Wilson stories and have been for quite a while. I was curious to see how Val went about creating a new crime-busting team. I was not disappointed at all.
Jane is no shrinking violet. She gets straight to the point and gets on with the job, marshalling her team of detectives with fairness and no unnecessary fuss. As a boss, I admired her aplomb and her demonstrated business principles. As a central character, she had me hooked from the outset. The fact that this is the second book in the series did not detract from the story. But I will be catching up on that first book later this year.
Jane and her team are sent to Stirling to gather intelligence on a recently returned master criminal, Connor O'Grady. O'Grady, a drug baron, has old scores to settle and a business rival in the shape of Peggy Cheney to check up on. Cheney has just been released from prison and is also keen to resume her business dealings, with the intention of squeezing out O'Grady. With the discovery of two bodies, within hours of each other, the scene is set for a fast-paced thriller. I certainly couldn't put my book down once I started reading it.
This is an excellently written, well-plotted thriller. The central characters are unique and well-drawn. The members of the supporting team come alive on the page as you move through the many twists and turns in this story. What I especially liked about this new series was the realism and the attention to detail. Following Jane through the mire that is the illegal drugs business made me realise just how tough it must be for the real officers of the law. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.
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