Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds #Review #Giveaway #OrendaBooks

I am delighted as ever to be on an Orenda Blog Tour and to be sharing the last day of the event for this gritty crime thriller Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds.  I also have a great giveaway for you with the chance to win an e-copy of the book (International)

 

A witness with no victim. A crime with no crime scene…

When crusading journalist Lydia Wright is sent a video of an apparent murder on a London train, she thinks she’s found the story to revive her career. But she can’t find a victim, much less the killers, and the only witness has disappeared. Wary she’s fallen for fake news, she begins to doubt her instincts – until a sinister call suggests that she’s not the only one interested in the crime.

Michael Stringer deals in information – and doesn’t care which side of the law he finds himself on. But the murder on the train has left him exposed, and now he’ll stop at nothing to discover what Lydia knows.

When their paths collide, Lydia finds the story leads through a nightmare world, where money, power and politics intersect … and information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet.

My Thoughts

London dominates the story and proves to be a wonderful backdrop to this realistic and gritty thriller.  The story feels current and the mention of recent events adds to the atmosphere. The whole plotting of the story is complicated and layered and just when you think you know where the story is headed, there is a massive twist in the plot. I found the central character of Lydia to be intriguing. She is obviously dissatisfied with her work at the newspaper on the celebrity website and longing to get back into investigative journalism. She seems to be a mixture of disillusion and ambition. She just can't help trying to unravel the mystery. 

    Michael Stringer is also a puzzle. I was never too sure as to how reliable a character he was and it wasn't until near the end that some of his past becomes clear. For an out and out fast paced plot, you don't need to look elsewhere. I wasn't too sure how to take the surprise ending. What is clear is that the way is left clear for more and as a pair, both Lydia and Michael have more to offer.

In short: Superb plotting and imaginative characterisation adds up to a great read.

About the Author

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir.’ A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books will publish his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.

You can follow Rod here: Twitter   |  Amazon Author Page

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thankd to Rod Reynolds, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Catch up on the rest of the tour!

Giveaway (International)

To win an e- copy of Blood Red City, just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 

Closing date is July 15th 2020 and there is one winner.    

 

*Terms and Conditions –  International.  The winner will be selected at random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.