Words leave imprints in your mind like footprints in the sand...
2000s: This is one heck of a first novel and the first of a brand new series in crime fiction. It more than puts the North East on the map and introduces the reader to some places they may not have thought of travelling to had Mari not introduced them via The Murder Wall.
Eleven months after discovering a brutal double murder in a sleepy Northumbrian town, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels is still haunted by her failure to solve the case.
Then a man is brutally killed on Newcastle’s Quayside – Daniels now has another chance to get it right, and this is her first case as Senior Investigating Officer.
However, Daniels recognises the corpse. What should she say, what can she say? So, she keeps quiet.
However, does someone know? Daniels feels as if she is now being watched. A killer is only a breath away from claiming his next victim.
The North East is firmly placed on the literary booktrail map with this debut novel from Mari Hannah. From the small and charming village of Corbridge to the residential streets of Jesmond in Newcastle and to the trendy Quayside, this will introduce you not only to a new, fantastic character from the North East – Kate Daniels – but also to the city of the Angel – Newcastle upon Tyne.
The novel starts off in the village of Corbridge and the St Camillus church in the novel is inspired by the beautiful church in the village itself although purely for location and nothing else! Events which unfold here echo across the novel and make for a very grim and chilling opening chapter!
As the action moves to the city centre of Newcastle, we see various facets of the city from The Baltic and the Sage two iconic buildings and centres for art and music in the North East and Kate walks past these as she investigates the killing.
Kate Daniels, lives in Jesmond, and loves the village feel of the place not to mention the very real Dene’s Deli and its where her backstory starts to play out. Where we see the real Kate as she gets to grip with keeping her private life private and trying to overcome regrets of the past.
Contrast this with the busy Newcastle city centre police station, the murder on the iconic Quayside and the complications of an investigation which risks mixing Kate’s private and public life
The world inside the police station – the banter and the characters such as Kate’s boss with his concern for his disabled wife, her partner Hank with marriage problems and that all important Murder Wall which details the police trail as it leads them towards the killer.
Iconic Newcastle, life inside a north East police service, the home life of a leading officer and the quirks of local shops and landmarks makes this an immersive read with many (local) layers.
Susan @thebooktrailer
Living in the North East made me really really want to read this novel especially so I could see and visit the places where it is set. Now granted, this may sound a bit strange for a crime novel but it is a great book so it was not a hard decision. I admit that I haven’t read much crime fiction due to the often brutal content but I can tell you that this book (and the two further books in the series) has made me change my mind. It’s clever and more CSI than simply a book about murder. It’s about the real people involved in an investigation and the hard and brutal challenges they face.
I admit I was shocked at the opening chapter. It certainly makes you sit up and take notice! But it didn’t put me off – I just didn’t read much of it at night!
Murder Wall is the first in the series of cases for DCI Kate Daniels and I can’t wait to read them next. They are not only fascinating and brilliant insights into police procedures and a well-developed female protagonist but a great way of exploring some lovely areas of Newcastle. I really liked Kate and respected the tough job she had and the difficulty in keeping her private life secret. This is a character who is utterly fascinating and I have not read a lead character like her! She’s a northern lass so bet she doesn’t wear a coat in bad weather (it’s a test of Northern strength after all)
Take the book. Take the bus to Jesmond. Eat at Dene’s Deli and spend time with Kate Daniels on the Quayside. Get into the heart of the story and experience the city that Mari Hannah showcases so well.
Twitter: @mariwriter
Web: marihannah.com
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