Camden mortuary technician Cassie Raven returns to solve another ingenious forensic mystery. Perfect for fans of Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs.
Mortuary technician Cassie Raven believes the last thoughts of the dead linger like static in the air…
Cassie has always had a strange affinity with death, ever since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was four. At least that’s what she grew up believing…
But that was a lie. Cassie’s father is alive. He was convicted of murdering her mother and spent years behind bars. Now he’s out – and he’s looking for her.
He swears he didn’t do it. And Cassie wants to believe him.
To find the truth, she must turn detective. As she seeks answers, help is to be found in inexplicable places – for the dead are ready to talk.
Book Information: Print Length: 337 pages. Publisher: Zaffre. Publication Date: 14 April 2022
A K Turner likes to create memorable characters, throw them into unusual settings, and add a hefty dose of murder and a twisty-turny plot. Her latest book, Body Language, introduces a new kind of forensic heroine – a crime-solving Goth-girl mortuary technician who talks to the dead, a character first launched in two crime shorts aired on BBC Radio 4. A K’s previous series, written under the pen name Anya Lipska, starred a London-based Polish fixer who’s happy to crack heads to solve crimes – which saw her being selected for Val McDermid’s prestigious New Blood Panel at Harrogate Crime Festival in 2012.
A K (aka Ali) lives in East London where she is writing more mortuary-set mysteries. Her day job is producing TV documentaries on true crime and science topics. And just for light relief she is training to be a City of London guide…
Read more about A K’s books over at www.anyalipska.com where you can sign up to her newsletter for news and giveaways.
My Review
Life Sentence is the second book in an exciting and original series by AK Turner and features the fascinating Camden Mortuary Technician Cassie Raven.
Lots of people happily read books out of order, but I would strongly recommend that you do start with Book 1 – Body Language – which gives the reader the full and proper introduction to Cassie.
For those who haven’t met Cassie yet, she is a young woman who has been brought up by her Polish grandmother after both parents were killed in a car crash, having dropped out of society during her late teens, living rough and taking drugs, she is now a dedicated and caring mortuary technician with a “gift” for hearing the dead talk. With a face full of piercings, her short jet black hair and Goth clothing Cassie definitely is not what you would expect when thinking about post-mortem examinations.
Book 1 follows Cassie when her beloved mentor is found dead and she believes it’s not an accidental death, however Book 2 – Life Sentence is much more character driven and focuses on Cassie’s parents, who she believed were killed in a car crash when she was 4 years old. It’s only when her father appears and tells her he has been in prison for the past 20 years for murdering her mother that Cassie realises everything she believed was in fact a lie and starts to investigate her mother’s murder.
Once again DS Phyllida Flyte makes an appearance and the sexual chemistry between the two female characters is still quietly simmering in the background.
Another really enjoyable read and nostalgic trip down memory lane as Cassie retraces her parents marriage and lives through the early 90’s.
Highly recommended.
