Dark Truths is the new compelling crime and forensic thriller by real life forensic expert AJ Cross. What a fantastically brilliant and gripping read right from the very start!
It begins with the discovery of a decapitated body on a popular jogging spot known as Blackfoot Trail in the East Midlands.
Only the body of a thirty-something successful female lawyer, named Zoe Roberts is found and so Detective Inspector Bernard Watts and his new team are forced into a baffling murder investigation. Biggest question is why stab a young woman to death and then take her head?
As the investigation develops and further examinations of the crime scene takes place, a few gruesome and shocking discoveries are made, linking them to the present murder case. Wil Traynor, criminologist, which this new series of books is based upon, is brought in to assist DI Watts and the police. Traynor’s unsettling past is introduced which may or may not be involved in this case.
The long serving DI Watts has been placed in charge of an inexperienced rookie, PC Chloe Judd who also joins his team. She’s impulsive and seemingly has a large chip on her shoulder, but is a talented police officer. Mix that together with Watts being sceptical of whether Traynor will bring anything useful or hinder the investigation and it can sometimes blur the DI’s vision of the actual crime details.
Although this is the first book I’ve read by the author AJ Cross, I was constantly kept guessing of who was committing the crime. About halfway through, I had an inkling of who’d murdered the victims, but it wasn’t until the end of the book that an explanation as to why the crimes were committed was made clear.
A thoroughly exciting and riveting book to read and one which I would highly recommend. I’ll be putting some AJ Cross books onto my reading wish list after having read Dark Truths. I will especially be looking forward to the sequel and continuance to delve into the three main characters backgrounds, that of DI Watts, PC Chloe Judd and of course digging ever deeper into Wil Traynor’s mysterious past.
Dark Truths is an intriguing read and I found the psychology side of the story truly fascinating. The detail given in this book regarding the forensic side of a crime is obviously helped by the author’s first hand knowledge due to her occupation.
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in return for my honest review and I can definitely recommend this book.
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