BOOK REVIEW – Lord Of The Dead by Richard Rippon

Oh, you do book reviews now, eh?

If you have even a passing acquaintance with this blog, you’ll know that I don’t really do book reviews, but do give the odd recommendation here and there and love to share the work of other book bloggers in the Book Blogger’s Corner segment of The Joined Up Writing Podcast.

However, after receiving an advance copy of Richard Rippon’s ‘Lord Of The Dead’ from new small press, Obliterati and – crucially – actually enjoying it, I felt compelled to tell you all about it.

Lord Of The Dead

As soon as I read the blurb, I had a feeling this book would be up my street . . .

‘A woman’s body has been found on the moors of Northumberland, brutally murdered and dismembered. Northumbria police enlist the help of unconventional psychologist Jon Atherton, a decision complicated by his personal history with lead investigator Detective Sergeant Kate Prejean.’

All of which leads to a page-turning hunt for the serial killer known as Son of Geb.

Location, location, location . . .

Prejean (pronounced pray-jean – think ‘French’) and Atherton are skillfully drawn and realistic characters. Atherton suffers from cerebral palsy, but his condition is treated in a subtle believable way and is just another trait in what is a complex and compelling character. Prejean lacks no such physical vulnerability and is a strong woman leading from the front in what is still a very male dominated world. Their relationship, past and present, hangs over proceedings, and Rippon uses it to inject humour and pathos in equal measure.

I loved the North-East of England setting and, again, it’s there in the description and dialogue but never overdone. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of violence and dark themes running through the book, all adding to the suspense as our protagonists try to track down the killer before he strikes again. The police procedure side of things is done well and you really get a sense of the tight-knit teams that are often at the centre of these types of murder investigations.

I’m not a fast reader, but I raced through this, desperate to know the identity of Son Of Geb and to see how everything played out. I wasn’t disappointed.

Overall, it’s a brilliant debut for Obliterati Press and Richard Rippon and I’m delighted to be able to tell you about it.  Grab a copy now from Obliterati Press or Amazon and let me know what you think.

Listen Up . . .

You can find an audio version of this review on the latest Joined Up Writing Podcast, in Book Blogger’s Corner and author Richard Rippon will be a guest on the show in January.

Any other recent reads or books you want to recommend? Do you blog about books? Perhaps you want to feature on Book Blogger’s Corner? Let me know in the comments below.