#zoë sharp

Synopsis:

The uncanny abilities of London crime-scene specialist Kelly Jacks to coax evidence from the most unpromising of crime scenes once earned her the nickname of The Blood Whisperer.

Then six years ago all that changed.

Kelly woke next to the butchered body of a man, the knife in her hands and no memory of what happened.

She trusted the evidence would prove her innocent.

It didn’t.

Now released after serving her sentence for involuntary manslaughter, Kelly must try to piece her life back together. Shunned by former colleagues and friends, the only work she can get is with the crime-scene cleaning firm run by her old mentor.

But old habits die hard. And when her instincts tell her things are not as they appear at the scene of a routine suicide, she can’t help but ask questions that somebody does not want answered.

Plunged into the nightmare of being branded a killer once again, Kelly is soon fleeing the police, Russian thugs and a local gangster. Betrayed at every turn, she is fast running out of options.

But Kelly acquired a whole new set of skills on the inside. Now street-smart and wary, can she use everything she’s learned to evade capture and stay alive long enough to clear her name?

My Review:

The Blood Whisperer by Zoë Sharp has restored my love for the thriller/mystery genre, and reminded me what it is about the genre that I love so much.

This is a standalone novel featuring Kelly Jacks.  It tells the story of how Kelly ended up on the other side of the spectrum, as a clean-up specialist rather than a crime scene specialist.

Kelly is a really strong character, and I certainly would not mess with her.  She has some serious skills which she picked up when she was serving time in prison for murder, and she is not scared to use them when necessary.  She is on a mission - she is determined to clear her name of the latest charges against her, and will not stop until she gets the answers.  Things don’t always go according to plan though, and she finds herself in some difficult situations.

It is a great story, with lots of twists and turns I never saw coming, and yet when they burst onto the page I was both amazed and impressed.

As is usual with Zoë Sharp, the writing is brilliant, the plot masterful and the characters all well thought out and executed, which is a huge plus for me – I like to feel a connection to the characters portrayed.

I am unashamedly a ‘people watcher’, I like to know what makes people tick, and Zoë Sharp nails this perfectly – her characters come alive on the page, from the main character to the random guy in the office, they are all people with a history, they are people you would either like to get to know, or would avoid at all costs.