I sit down, leaning a bit forward, hoping that my sweater covers the bulge on my belly. I don’t know if anyone told her that I am wearing a stoma bag. It’s not something I can easily ask her.
Firstly, I’d like to say that Carla and I are both members of the Writers, Authors, Readers group on Facebook. It was here that I first learned about Carla’s novel—a detective story set against the beautiful, dramatic scenery of Cornwall. As I was just about to embark on a short holiday to Cornwall, I decided to give it a try. And I’m glad I did as the novel is a compelling and swift read with many interesting components to it.
The story opens with a five-year-old girl discovering that her parents have been brutally murdered. This murder is one of many in the area which has gone unsolved over the years. Meanwhile, back in the present-day, Inspector Andy Tregunna has just taken on his first murder investigation. The body of a woman has been discovered in a car park by two ten-year-old twin boys. Figuring out the identity of this woman and piecing together the various components of her life is hard enough, but Tregunna must also learn how and where she died and, most importantly, who would want to kill her.
Unfortunately, Tregunna’s progress is slow and his increasing stomach pain and worries about his health only make matters worse. When he’s forced off the case due to an emergency operation to remove a cancerous tumour from his colon, he not only has to contend with unsympathetic colleagues while also trying to get to grips with a stoma, but he also realises that the body in the car park is linked to other deaths and disappearances in the area. In order to solve the murders, Tregunna will have to break all the rules and work his sick leave, if his body will allow him.
Inspector Tregunna is a refreshing change from the usual hard-boiled and, sometimes, insensitive male detective. When we first meet him he’s reflecting on how difficult it was to see his first body, that of a young man who’d been hit by a lorry. Later we see him struggling to come to terms with his new disability and the possibility that the doctors may not have been able to remove all of the tumour, meaning he’ll have to undergo further disruptive, complicating and potentially painful treatments. Despite all of this, Tregunna continues his investigation of the case, with some help from a sympathetic and astute female colleague.
I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading book two in the series, What every body is saying, which was released on the 28th June.
The Tregunna series is available from Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0125J6E1W/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0125J6E1W/
Follow Carla Vermaat on Twitter: @carla_vermaat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carla.vermaat1
Check out her website: http://www.carlavermaat.co.uk/index.html
Kendra Olson 