Review: Avenge the Dead (DI Frank Farrell, Book 3) by Jackie Baldwin


Print Length: 
Publisher: One More Chapter (February 28, 2020)

From Goodreads.com: Four friends with dark secrets. One killer out for revenge.
DI Frank Farrell and DS McLeod are tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a defence solicitor’s wife in Dumfries.
It’s been over a year since they left the town after an investigation robbed them of a dear friend. But now they’re back and must find a way to move on.
When the son of another defence solicitor is murdered, a strange tattoo etched on his body, the case takes them into darker, more disturbing territory.
It leads them back into the past – to a horrific fire in a cottage that took a woman’s life, to four friends harbouring dark secrets – and finally to a killer waiting patiently for revenge.

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My Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This was another riveting foray into the world of DI Frank Farrell! From the first chapter, I could not put this novel down, staying up late to finish just to see what would come next. 

Not only are these characters are complex, but the world around them so multi-dimensional that it is easy to get lost within the pages, trying to piece together the clues as they come. It is easy to see how much time and effort the author put into researching and putting together each layer to bring the reader a gripping novel with twists and turns that are surprising, to say the least. 

Speaking to the characters, I enjoyed watching Frank and Mhairi as their friendship grew stronger - and I feel like Frank, in particular, had a strong arc throughout this entire story. Still reeling from the severe injuries and hospitalization of his friend Lind, when we first are reunited with the DI, he is lost more often than not in the depths of a bottle, forgetting important things and putting a strain on his friendship with Mhairi as she is forced to cover for him time and again. As someone who has struggled with their faith, I can easily relate to Frank and the anger he harbors. on that front. 

I was a little concerned about how things would play out once they were forced to return to their old stomping grounds, but thankfully the author managed to walk that delicate line between focusing on the case and the key players there, as well as what was going on back at the station between Frank, Mhairi, and their former co-workers (some of whom have secrets of their own). As the murders started piling up, I found myself trying to not only figure out the clues as they were introduced, but paying careful attention to the suspects and interviews, trying to piece together who was behind everything - only to be shocked right along with everyone else when all was finally revealed.

I strongly believe this is a solid police/thriller/whodunit novel that will appeal to fans of all those genres. I would read more from this author. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.


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                                 Avenge the Dead is available from Amazon.com

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