Everyone Lies by A D Garrett

Everyone Lies by A D Garrett
Buy Everyone Lies by A D Garrett at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crime
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: A collaboration between a thriller writer and a forensic scientist produces a police procedural which promises well for the future of the partnership and provides a good read.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 432	Date: June 2013
Publisher: Constable Crime
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1780339795
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Detective Chief Inspector Kate Simms has something of a reputation within the force. It's not a good one and probably best summed us as unreliable: as she said herself, she spent four years on the naughty step all because she helped a colleague when she shouldn't have done. There's something of a history between her and Professor Nick Fennimore - a certain sexual tension which definitely shouldn't be there - but despite his history of failures he's the best there is when it comes to forensics. He's been in academia rather than practicing in the mainstream since his wife and daughter disappeared. His wife's body was found, but he's still obsessed about what happened to his ten-year-old daughter - and it's been five years.

Simms got in touch with Fennimore rather reluctantly when a lot of Manchester drug addicts died over a period of months. Overdoses are not unknown but this seemed to be more than just an occasional spike in the statistics. Her local resources had no interest in the situation but Simms was convinced there was more to the story. Simms and Fennimore are back together in Manchester when there's another death - only this time the victim has been systematically beaten to the point where identification is virtually impossible. The mistrust from the hierarchy at police headquarters is palpable and the support minimal - and this is Simms' first major investigation.

I did wonder if I was going to enjoy this book. The investigator who doesn't get on with their superiors is becoming something of a cliché in police procedurals and I have been known to groan when another one turns up. Then there was the forensics. A D Garrett is the pseudonym for thriller writer Margaret Murphy and forensic scientist Professor Dave Barclay and whilst the detail is pretty obviously spot on I did occasionally feel lectured, particularly about DNA. Then - annoyingly - I spotted the villain quite early on, but DCI Kate Simms is obviously far too busy doing the job to read much detective fiction so she had to work her way through a very complex investigation to get the result.

And - it is complex. It's twisty and very satisfying once you put the odd gripe to the side. The office politics of the police force are brought superbly to life as are the streets of Manchester. Normally I would complain that there are a few loose ends but this time it gives me hope that we're going to see more of Simms and Fennimore. I have the feeling that this partnership can only get better and I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For more Manchester crime, have a look at the works of Chris Simms.

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