A dark and twisted tide

Book Cover
Average Rating
Series
Publisher
Minotaur Books
Publication Date
2014.
Language
English

Description

Lacey Flint, Sharon Bolton's enigmatic protagonist, has been living in a houseboat on the River Thames, and she's becoming a part of London's weird and wonderful riverboat community. Against her friends' better judgment, she's taken up swimming in the Thames, and she feels closer than ever to Detective Mark Joesbury, despite his involvement in a complicated undercover case. For the first time in her life, as she recovers from the trauma of the last few months, Lacey begins to feel almost happy.

Then, at dawn one hot summer morning while swimming down the river, Lacey finds the body of a shrouded young woman in the water. She assumes it was chance—after all, she's recently joined the marine policing unit, and she knows how many dead bodies are pulled out of the river every year, most the result of tragic accidents. But further investigation leads her policing team to suspect the woman's body was deliberately left for Lacey to find. Lacey's no longer a homicide detective, but as she begins to notice someone keeping a strangely close eye on her, she's inexorably drawn into the investigation.

Award-winning author Sharon Bolton has once again crafted a tightly plotted, utterly unpredictable thriller around one of the most compelling characters in crime fiction today, intensely private London police officer Lacey Flint, whose penchant for keeping secrets is only matched by her determination to uncover those of others.

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ISBN
9781250028587

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Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Starring female police detectives who employ skills acquired during troubled childhoods to bring criminals to justice, these mysteries offer twisty plots, procedural details, and well-drawn supporting characters. However, the Kathleen Mallory mysteries also mine a rich vein of dark humor. -- NoveList Contributor
These psychological suspense tales feature intelligent, determined female criminal investigators: Ana Grey is an FBI agent and Lacey Flint is an English detective. Both series are fast-paced and compelling, but the Lacey Flint novels are grittier and more gruesome. -- Mike Nilsson
Starring strong, intelligent, and psychologically damaged heroines who often find themselves in jeopardy, these intricately plotted, gritty psychological suspense series offer both strong supporting casts and dark themes. -- Shauna Griffin
Although the Detective Inspector Jack Caffery mysteries are police procedurals and the Lacey Flint novels are psychological suspense stories, both fast-paced, compelling, and frequently gruesome series star troubled police detectives whose traumatic childhood experiences inform their approach to criminal investigations. -- NoveList Contributor
These series have the appeal factors creepy, gritty, and violent, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "police procedurals"; and the subjects "women detectives" and "policewomen."
These series have the appeal factors suspenseful, atmospheric, and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "thrillers and suspense"; and the subject "secrets."
These series have the appeal factors suspenseful, fast-paced, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "police procedurals"; the subjects "women detectives," "policewomen," and "police"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
These series have the appeal factors suspenseful, atmospheric, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "police procedurals"; the subjects "women detectives," "policewomen," and "detectives"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
These series have the appeal factors creepy, atmospheric, and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "thrillers and suspense"; and the subjects "women detectives," "policewomen," and "detectives."

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, fast-paced, and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "thrillers and suspense"; and the subjects "policewomen," "women detectives," and "secrets."
NoveList recommends "Kathleen Mallory mysteries" for fans of "Lacey Flint novels". Check out the first book in the series.
NoveList recommends "Ana Grey novels" for fans of "Lacey Flint novels". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors creepy, menacing, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "psychological suspense"; and the subjects "rivers," "murder investigation," and "women murder victims."
These books have the appeal factors creepy, atmospheric, and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "police procedurals"; the subjects "policewomen," "murder investigation," and "women detectives"; and characters that are "complex characters" and "well-developed characters."
Seeking a fresh start, troubled women take up residence on houseboats and discover they can't escape the problems they thought they'd left behind. Both compelling, intricately plotted psychological suspense stories involve murder, malfeasance, and men who may not be trustworthy. -- NoveList Contributor
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, atmospheric, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "police procedurals"; and the subjects "policewomen," "murder investigation," and "detectives."
These books have the appeal factors creepy, strong sense of place, and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "horror"; the subjects "policewomen," "murder investigation," and "women detectives"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
Whether on the River Thames (A Dark and Twisted Tide) or the Canadian Yukon (the occasionally gruesome City of the Lost), strong women detectives with disturbing backgrounds take on chillingly baffling mysteries in these creepy and gritty thrillers. -- Melissa Gray
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, atmospheric, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "adult books for young adults"; and the subjects "policewomen," "murder investigation," and "police."
These books have the appeal factors intensifying and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "police procedurals"; the subjects "policewomen," "murder investigation," and "serial murderers"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
Rivers reveal their secrets in these gritty, compelling blends of British police procedural and psychological suspense. A Dark and Twisted Tide's heroine, a member of London's river police, dredges up corpses; Ritual introduces a female police diver haunted by tragedy. -- NoveList Contributor

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These authors' works have the appeal factors gritty, and they have the genre "police procedurals"; the subjects "women detectives," "policewomen," and "serial murderers"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
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These authors' works have the appeal factors creepy, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "police procedurals"; the subjects "women detectives," "missing children," and "policewomen"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors creepy and gruesome, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "horror"; and the subjects "missing children," "policewomen," and "serial murderers."
These authors' works have the appeal factors gritty, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "thrillers and suspense"; and the subjects "women detectives," "policewomen," and "serial murderers."
These authors' works have the appeal factors intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "thrillers and suspense"; the subjects "murderers," "deception," and "families of murder victims"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Still unsettled by her experiences as a detective constable, quick-witted Lacey Flint, last seen in Lost (2013), returns to work, she's now assigned to London's river police. While swimming in the Thames, she comes across the bloated corpse of young woman, wrapped in linen, who turns out to be from a particular region of Afghanistan, which leads Lacey to recall her rescue of another young woman, from the same region, who was smuggled into London some months before. Lacey soon finds herself working alongside her old detective colleagues, her willful disregard for procedure driving her superior nuts. Thanks to Lacey, more bodies are recovered from the Thames, and Lacey once again lands in the middle of a particularly baffling mystery. The obstinate yet emotionally vulnerable Lacey, who made her first appearance in Now You See Me (2011), remains a strong character, but this time her fans will need a bit of patience to negotiate the plethora of sometimes confusing twists and turns.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Someone is snuffing the life out of young women, then shrouding their weighted bodies before tossing them into the Thames, in Bolton's haunting fourth novel featuring London police officer Lacey Flint (after 2013's Lost). Though the former detective constable has recently transferred to the Marine Unit in hopes of putting a string of disturbing cases behind her, she's ordered to work on the investigation, since the inquiry was launched by her discovery of one of the victims while she was swimming in the river near her houseboat. Despite considerable personal turmoil-including having her lover, Det. Insp. Mark Joesbury, disappear on an undercover job-it's not long before she's immersing herself in the increasingly dangerous hunt for a possible serial killer targeting illegal Afghan immigrants. Bolton sweeps the reader along with Lacey until finally running aground after a few twists too many. Agent: Anne-Marie Doulton, Ampersand Agency (U.K.). (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review

Deeply troubled by her last case involving child murder (Lost), London constable Lacey Flint seeks some peace by moving to a houseboat on the River Thames. Soon, however, she discovers a decomposing body in the river-and then she finds more of them. On examination, all appear to be the bodies of immigrant women who have been drowned, wrapped in linen shrouds, and left in a macabre underwater graveyard for Lacey to find. With her undercover cop boyfriend accused of murder and her boss leery of her involvement in yet another homicide case, Lacey is left on her own to discover the identity of the serial killer before she becomes the next victim. VERDICT Bolton, also well known as S.J. Bolton, has written several stand-alones as well as three earlier Lacey Flint mysteries. She delights in a kind of gothic horror, weaving suspenseful tales featuring complex, often tormented characters. Readers can expect many details about Afghan immigrants, the Thames, and esoteric medical conditions, but the focus remains on Lacey. Just as readers think they know the killer's identity, there is another shocking twist in this sometimes melodramatic but always gripping tale by a master of the genre. [See Prepub Alert, 1/6/14; "Editors' Spring Picks," LJ 2/15/14; library marketing.]-Roland Person, formerly with -Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

A cop recovering from a near drowning discovers the first of several bodies in a mystery set near, along and in the Thames.Constable Lacey Flint of the Metropolitan Police's Marine Unit, who lives in a houseboat, knows the river well enough to negotiate its tides and currents as a wild-swimmer. When she finds a shrouded, skeletal body tied to the landing stage by the old Kings Wharf, she has to report it even though the report puts her on the spot for questionable swimming practices. DI Dana Tulloch, who supervises the case, was Lacey's boss when Lacey was still a detective herself, before a string of three bad cases changed her life and made her return to uniform. When the evidence suggests the drowning victim was a young woman, possibly of Middle Eastern extraction, Lacey goes undercover to try to flush out the sex traffickers she suspects are responsible. Lacey is used to a false identity; for reasons that aren't made entirely clear, she's had one for years, and she's willing to take chances to save lives. She has the example, too, of her quasi-boyfriend, Mark Joesbury, a full-time undercover cop who makes a couple of secret visits to Lacey's houseboat. But she's increasingly suspicious that someone besides Joe is visiting her boat and leaving threatening messages. Lacey's attempt to rescue one of the victims, her friendship with a set of elderly twins, infestations of Chinese crabs and the knowledge of obstetrics Dana gleaned from her attempts to get pregnant all come together in the tense, horror-filled, over-the-top sequence that ends Lacey's fourth case.The aquatic maverick heroine is pulled from water so many times that Bolton (Like This, For Ever, 2013, etc.) has to keep upping the ante. Nevertheless, Lacey's a brave and resourceful protagonist who earns her boss's and readers' respect. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

Still unsettled by her experiences as a detective constable, quick-witted Lacey Flint, last seen in Lost (2013), returns to work, she's now assigned to London's river police. While swimming in the Thames, she comes across the bloated corpse of young woman, wrapped in linen, who turns out to be from a particular region of Afghanistan, which leads Lacey to recall her rescue of another young woman, from the same region, who was smuggled into London some months before. Lacey soon finds herself working alongside her old detective colleagues, her willful disregard for procedure driving her superior nuts. Thanks to Lacey, more bodies are recovered from the Thames, and Lacey once again lands in the middle of a particularly baffling mystery. The obstinate yet emotionally vulnerable Lacey, who made her first appearance in Now You See Me (2011), remains a strong character, but this time her fans will need a bit of patience to negotiate the plethora of sometimes confusing twists and turns. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

Deeply troubled by her last case involving child murder (Lost), London constable Lacey Flint seeks some peace by moving to a houseboat on the River Thames. Soon, however, she discovers a decomposing body in the river—and then she finds more of them. On examination, all appear to be the bodies of immigrant women who have been drowned, wrapped in linen shrouds, and left in a macabre underwater graveyard for Lacey to find. With her undercover cop boyfriend accused of murder and her boss leery of her involvement in yet another homicide case, Lacey is left on her own to discover the identity of the serial killer before she becomes the next victim. VERDICT Bolton, also well known as S.J. Bolton, has written several stand-alones as well as three earlier Lacey Flint mysteries. She delights in a kind of gothic horror, weaving suspenseful tales featuring complex, often tormented characters. Readers can expect many details about Afghan immigrants, the Thames, and esoteric medical conditions, but the focus remains on Lacey. Just as readers think they know the killer's identity, there is another shocking twist in this sometimes melodramatic but always gripping tale by a master of the genre. [See Prepub Alert, 1/6/14; "Editors' Spring Picks," LJ 2/15/14; library marketing.]—Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

[Page 70]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Someone is snuffing the life out of young women, then shrouding their weighted bodies before tossing them into the Thames, in Bolton's haunting fourth novel featuring London police officer Lacey Flint (after 2013's Lost). Though the former detective constable has recently transferred to the Marine Unit in hopes of putting a string of disturbing cases behind her, she's ordered to work on the investigation, since the inquiry was launched by her discovery of one of the victims while she was swimming in the river near her houseboat. Despite considerable personal turmoil—including having her lover, Det. Insp. Mark Joesbury, disappear on an undercover job—it's not long before she's immersing herself in the increasingly dangerous hunt for a possible serial killer targeting illegal Afghan immigrants. Bolton sweeps the reader along with Lacey until finally running aground after a few twists too many. Agent: Anne-Marie Doulton, Ampersand Agency (U.K.). (June)

[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC

Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC
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