Lockdown reads: Blood on his hands by Ian McFadyen (DI Carmichael series)

The gripping new DI Carmichael thriller by Ian McFadyen is my recommended read for this week.

If there is one benefit to being locked down – it’s a chance to get some reading in.

So each week I will share a recommended book for your inspiration.

So this is a read for crime and thriller-lovers – but it’s not horribly dark and twisted as some so makes a comfortable but engaging read for those who love a mystery set in the recognisable setting of everyday life.

The reason I picked Blood on his hands by Ian McFadyen to read and review in particular was the settings.

OR HOW ABOUT THIS? White Scorpion by Rob Sinclair

This is the eighth in his DI Carmichael series and they are all set in the North West of England (where I live) with locations and names that will be very familiar to Lancastrians, albeit many are fictional.

I also just want to mention that it really doesn’t matter if you have read any of the previous DI Carmichael books – these are standalone stories.

So to give you an overview on the story, when a stranger enters DI Carmichael’s local church, with blood on his hands claiming to have committed a murder, Carmichael and his team are quickly summoned.

And when the man disappears, as mysteriously as he arrived, with few clues to his identity, where he came from and where he went, Carmichael quickly realises that all may not be as it seems.

It becomes even more puzzling when, in less than 24 hours, a dead body is discovered in the boot of a Bentley car down a quiet country lane.

As the body count rises Carmichael and his team remain baffled as to who is behind the murders and what motive they have for taking so many lives. 

This is gripping stuff but also fairly gentle as thriller novels go – it has far more in common with authors like Wilkie Collins and Colin Dexter than some of those popular in more the terrifying end of the genre.

You do not come away thinking there is no hope for humankind – much the opposite – and with a respect for the author’s ability to create likeable but flawed characters in various realistic shades of grey.

It’s also a proper whodunnit – I built up various theories as the novel went on and I was never quite right though the clues are there, with some planted skilfully to lead you off course.

You will be kept guessing right until the end…

As an aside, Ian already has a strong following in Lancashire, he’s very popular with library borrowers – but actually lives in Hertfordshire.

The good news is the book is easily bought online and available in a Kindle format so is perfect for a lock down read!

This is a independent review and I am not an affiliate – but there is a link HERE

READ MORE: Review: Bella Figura by Kamin Mohammadi