Synopsis
The early hours of a freezing January night. Special Constable Jane Bell is at the end of a busy late shift when she’s called out to investigate strange noises in a local park. She finds a wailing new-born baby girl dumped in a plastic storage box.
That same night Detective Steph Warwick attends the murder of coach driver Bernie Gore, whose battered body is found in a narrow alleyway.
The last thing Jane wants is to lock horns with Steph Warwick once again. Then vital evidence emerges linking Bernie Gore’s murder to the abandoned baby. And Jane has no choice but to alert the sharp-tongued detective inspector.
To solve Bernie’s murder and track down Baby Elsa’s mother, the two women must bury the hatchet and learn to work together.
Matters become even more complicated when a prime suspect emerges — with close links to Jane’s family.
My Review
I have been a fan of Janice’s work for a while now. I have read and loved each and every book that she has written to date. I must admit that I do have a special fondness for the series featuring Detective Steph Warwick and Special Constable Jane Bell. When I heard that Janice was due to release another book in the series, I knew that I had to get hold of a copy at the earliest opportunity. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because the third book in the ‘Warwick & Bell’ series is called ‘Murder Against The Odds’ and it was released on 4th March 2023. It’s another great addition to a great series.
I must admit that it took me a little while to get into ‘Murder Against The Odds’ which has more to do with the fact that I was tired and finding it hard to concentrate when I started to read rather than anything else. Once I got into the story, that was it and I was away as the saying goes. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading several chapters later. The characters intrigued me and I loved the rather spiky working relationship between Warwick and Bell. I developed my own theories as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was anywhere near the truth or if I had wandered off in another direction. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Murder Against The Odds’ and I had to goodbye to Warwick, Bell and the rest of the characters. I found ‘Murder Against The Odds’ to be a gripping and at times dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘Murder Against The Odds’ is extremely well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Janice Frost. She certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a brisk pace throughout. Janice clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. Reading ‘Murder Against The Odds’ felt like being on an at times scary and rather unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which Janice makes the reader feel as though they part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Murder Against The Odds’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Janice’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
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