The police are given a tip off about a drugs drop off and they spring into action to catch the smugglers. But things take a sinister turn when an informer is found murdered and the lead officers wonder who they can trust…
Deadly Shores is the third police thriller in the Harvey and Birch series. I have read the first book Knife Edge, but missed the second đ The series is set in Northern Ireland.
Asha and Aaron reunite to jointly investigate a drug smuggling case. Meanwhile one of their friends and one of their senior officers are both hiding information that may be relevant. I really enjoyed the strong relationship between the two lead characters and the warm banter between them. Both have a chance for romance in this book which adds an extra dimension to the plot and characters.
The writing style is easy to read and the pace is quite speedy with plenty of action to keep the momentum of the plot going. The main detectives face plenty of drama and danger as the case proceeds. There is one instance of a racial slur which really shocked me but was in keeping with the nefarious character who used it.
Deadly Shores is an entertaining police thriller and I really like the dynamics of the lead detectives.
TWO SHIPS IN THE NIGHT. ANOTHER DEAD BODY. NO SAFE HARBOUR.
The tip-off comes just as the Christmas roast is being served. Smugglers coming into a boatyard in Bangor.
Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch are sent in to investigate. It means being pulled away from pulling crackers, but in truth theyâre both a bit relieved. Chief Superintendent Yvonne Patterson has been sidelining them lately â and this case could be big.
The illicit cargo is long gone by the time Asha and Aaron arrive, but local man Phil Johnston is caught on the boatyardâs CCTV. The same Phil Johnston who’s broken into and planted a brick of cocaine in the boatyard managerâs house.
But before anyone can declare it case closed, the driver who delivered the boat is found murdered in his hotel room.
Harvey and Birch have found themselves caught in a deadly storm. Will they sink or swim?
Fans of BBCâs Line of Duty, Lynda La Plante, Tana French, Patricia Gibney, Brian McGilloway and Helen H. Durrant will devour this gripping new page-turner by one of Northern Irelandâs hottest talents.
MEET THE DETECTIVES DETECTIVE ASHA HARVEY
Asha Harvey has always had a powerful sense of right and wrong. She has wanted to be a detective since she was a child, and while she can be a little too trusting, her open manner makes people want to confide in her. She is especially driven to succeed as a woman of colour in a largely white, male police force in Northern Ireland. Her family support her and are ridiculously proud of her, which adds to her internal pressure to succeed.
DETECTIVE AARON BIRCH
Boyish and gangly, Aaron Birch entered the police force as a detective through a graduate recruitment scheme. This makes him the butt of snide remarks by fellow officers, so he always feels he has something to prove. He also has a tendency to stretch the rules to suit himself, which can lead to him getting into trouble.
THE SETTING
A city of contrasts, Belfast is filled with beautiful old relics dating back to a golden age of shipbuilding and wealth, as well as the scars of more recent wounds. The city has an exciting sense of newness and potential, but it canât quite shed those who lurk in the darker shadows born of its turbulent past.
WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT KERRY BUCHANAN:
âThis book had me gripped from the beginning and I am already hoping there is another book to come in the series.â Barbara
âWow . . . Love these characters and I hope we get many more in the series to come. This book is full of twists and turns all the way.â Booklover Bev
âI read it in one sitting . . . The narrative was good, the characters were well-written and likeable . . . I found it hard to put this down and even read whilst I was eating. It had a suspenseful and mysterious build up that kept me on my toes.â Kirsty
âItâs not often a debut novel is as well written as this. I found myself utterly riveted from very early in the book, and when I wasnât reading it, I was spending my time wishing I was . . . highly, highly, recommended.â Sean S.
DETECTIVES HARVEY & BIRCH MYSTERIES
Book 1: KNIFE EDGE
2: SMALL BONES
3: DEADLY SHORES
KERRY BUCHANAN
Kerry Buchanan has had numerous short stories published internationally, including some prize-winners, but her heart lies with novel-writing. Her crime series is set in Belfast and in the rolling County Down hills she sees from her window as she writes. She is often invited to perform her work at literary events or to be a member of panels at conventions, and she loves to help new writers by facilitating writing groups and classes in her local community.
Although Kerry is disabled, her hobbies include sailing and attempting to outwit the slugs in her vegetable patch. Generally, the slugs win.
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