Welcome to my stop on this Blog Tour for UNTAINTED BLOOD – the lastest in the DI Gus McGuire series by Liz Mistry.
I would firstly like to say a rather big thank you to the amazing Sarah Hardy, Bloodhound Books and Liz Mistry who gifted me an early copy of UNTAINTED BLOOD. I am forever grateful and promise that the review below is 100% honest and of my own views.
To kick off, we have the “blurb” for the book;
In a city that is already volatile, tensions mount after a Tory MP in Bradford Central is discredited leaving the door open for the extreme right-wing candidate, Graeme Weston, to stand in the resultant by-election.
However, Graeme Weston is not what he appears to be and with secrets jeopardising his political career, he must tread very carefully.
Meanwhile, a serial killer targets Asian men who lead alternatives lifestyles and metes out his own form of torture.
As DI Gus McGuire’s team close in, the deranged killer begins to unravel and in an unexpected twist the stakes are raised for Gus.
Are the murders linked to the political scandals or is there another motive behind them?
DI Gus McGuire and his team are back and this might be their toughest case yet.
So, you want to know what I think?
The first thing that drew me to this book was the similarities in subject matter as STREETS OF DARKNESS by A.A.Dhand. Both books feature pretty tough storylines – particulartly in regards to politics and how Bradford is a city divided. UNTAINTED BLOOD for me gave me the same feelings as STREETS OF DARKNESS where the policitcal views and unrest within the city are very real and you can certainly feel them when you move around Bradford.
With that, what Liz was able to do is create a truly believable and uncomfortable story, which I enjoyed every page of!
The story’s main antagonist; Graeme Weston is one of those characters that you just want every bad thing to happen to. His political views, the way he treats his wife – the guy is just plain awful and that in itself is a credit to Liz’s writing. I find it a skill for an author to write a character in such a way that evokes such strong feelings!
As with most series, it certainly helps to read the others in the series and unfortunately this was my first venture into Gus McGuire and his team and straight off the bat I felt at a disadvantage as there is a back story there and events which have taken place which have shaped the characters in UNTAINTED BLOOD. As a reader, you can tell that the relationship between Gus and his team are strong, but also strained – it was really enjoyable to read their development through the book.
UNTAINTED BLOOD is a cracking read and a page turner in every sense. I would love to go back and read the first two books in the series as this will surely help build a clearer picture, but if you like the mystery behind characters and story – then this can certainly still be enjoyed as a standalone novel!
About Liz Mistry;
As well as writing crime fiction, Liz is co-founder of and main contributor to The Crime Warp blog, which reviews all areas of crime fiction, interviews crime authors and participates in blog tours. She is the main publicist for the blog, using social media to promote their presence.
Liz is an ex teacher who has taught in inner city Bradford schools for over twenty years. Her husband of nearly 30 years is Indian and they have three children. They live in inner city Bradford and Liz likes to use the rich tapestry of her life in Bradford, combined with her Scottish heritage, in her writing.
In Sept 2017 she is starting a PHD In Creative Writing, researching crime fiction and social media.
Liz also teaches creative writing, specifically within the crime fiction genre.
You can buy UNTAINTED BLOOD from the following booksellers;
Amazon (UK) | Amazon | Book Depository | Waterstones
-S.
Be sure to check out the other blogs participating in this Blog Tour. See below for further details and be sure to follow all of the action across Twitter!
The P.Turners Book Blog 