The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave #Review #Giveaway

 Today we change the mood and feature a crime thriller for you from Orenda, The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave.I also have the chance for you to win a print copy of the book. Details on how to enter this giveaway are at the foot of this post.

 How do you catch a killer…
When the only evidence is a dream?

James Garrett was critically injured when he was shot following his parents’ execution, and no one expected him to waken from a deep, traumatic coma. When he does, nine years later, Detective Inspector Rebecca Kent is tasked with closing the case that her now retired colleague, Theodore Tate, failed to solve all those years ago.

But between that, and hunting for Copy Joe – a murderer on a spree, who’s imitating Christchurch’s most notorious serial killer – she’s going to need Tate’s help. Especially when they learn that James has lived out another life in his nine-year coma, and there are things he couldn’t possibly know, including the fact that Copy Joe isn’t the only serial killer in town…

My Thoughts

This is an intricately plotted crime thriller which starts with an intense episode and continues at a high octane pace. There are twists within the story, with a range of characters who add to the complexity. At the centre, is the story of James and Hazel whose parents are brutally murdered. There is a black humour in the situation with James in a coma for nine years. When he awakens, it appears that he has experienced a twilight other life, probably informed by the conversations which were taking place around him as he lay unconscious. 

    Of course, there is more to the plot than this exploration of what is happening within the brain of a coma patient. There are in fact several investigations overlapping with cold cases reopened and the intriguing Copy Joe who aims to replicate murderous crimes. The detail in the story is never gratuitous but fairly brutal. This chilling thriller is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat, turning pages to discover where it will take you next. 

In short: a complex thriller which demands your attention, with a polished assurance. 

About the Author

Paul is Christchurch born and raised, and other than a couple of years when he was living in London and bouncing around Europe a little, he’s always lived there. Paul wanted to write horror, and it was a few years in when he realised that crime – real life crime – is horror. When he made that connection, he turned to writing dark crime fiction, writing first The Killing Hour, and then The Cleaner, in his mid-twenties. Not long after that Paul sold his house and lived with his parents so he could write full time – a gamble that paid off a few years later when Random House signed him up. From that point on he’s written his dark tales set in his home city, introducing Joe Middleton – the Christchurch Carver, and Melissa, and Theodore Tate, and Schroder, and Jerry Gray, among others to the world.

You can follow Paul here: Twitter  |  Website 

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Paul Cleave, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

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Giveaway (UK omly)

 

To win a print copy of The Pain Tourist, just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 

Closing date is November 20th 2022 and there is one winner.    

 

*Terms and Conditions –  UK only  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.