Foul Justice by Mel Comley

[Joe McCoubrey]

Foul Justice is the fourth outing for Mel Comley’s vixen detective, Lorne Simpkins. Whereas the previous three have been 5-star nuggets, this is the mother lode – by far the best in the series and worthy of taking its place at the front rank of modern crime thrillers.

The story sinks its claws into you with a harrowing opening scene-setter that makes you want to cry out for justice. After that there’s nothing you can do but stay on board to see what happens as Comley weaves her gritty tale with the ease of a maestro. Her lead character is a hard-bitten policewoman who has had to fight her corner every step of the way in a male-dominated profession. She’s made it to the top and is now trying to solve three horrific murders; deal with the capture of her MI6 boyfriend in Afghanistan; and break in a new partner who seems to have her own fair share of personal troubles.

All three strands of the story come together seamlessly, not least because Comley has the knack for maintaining a frantic pace while taking time to provide the reader with insight into the lives of real people, dealing with real issues. These aren’t superheroes, but when the time comes to step up to the plate, you just know they’ll be there.

The author’s writing style is easy on the eye. There’s a steady pace about how she unravels the threads and yet reserves a few surprises in an ending typical of the best crime mysteries. This is a book that readers of the genre can’t afford to overlook.

SEE: http://BLACKLISTED/2012/06/05/book ... ther-lode/