In Cold Blood

By: Jane Bettany

Narrated by: Helen Keeley

No secret can stay buried forever…

As the Whitworth family begin renovations on their new home, their plans are brought to an abrupt end when they discover a body buried in the back garden.

DI Isabel Blood and her team are called to investigate, but as she approaches Ecclesdale Drive, a feeling of unease settles in her gut.

The property cordoned off is number 23. The house she used to live in as a child…

The forensic team estimate that the body has been in the ground for up to forty years – coinciding with the time Isabel’s family lived in the house.

Isabel’s father vanished without a trace when she was fourteen years old. And with her mother remaining tight-lipped about her father’s disappearance, Isabel can’t escape the unnerving sense of dread that it’s his body, buried in the garden.

Fans of Vera, Val McDermid and Elly Griffiths will love In Cold Blood!

©2020 Jane Bettany (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Great police procedural.

It accurately reflects current values and language in the culture. To the extent that a reader would rather not read mild "language" or rather not have a long-suffering LGBTQ person in the role of innocent and blameless victim of societal disapproval, he or she may wish to choose another book.

The two victims are presented sympathetically. They have flaws, but these flaws are seen against the background of the lack of acceptance for them in the main culture.

The story can be seen as a courteous polemic against societal rejection of transgendered adults and the failure to value and provide a place for persons on the autism spectrum.

The main characters experience growth and peace by expressing forgiveness and seeking restoration of lost relationships.