Book set in Newcastle – The Scandal by Mari Hannah

Submitted: 4th March 2019

Newcastle crime fiction, Stone and Oliver are back for more

Mari Hannah is a writer who has certainly put the city of Newcastle firmly on the BookTrail map. She’s set three series here so far and all her books showcase both the geography and the history of the city. In this third episode of Stone and Oliver, an investigative journalist is found murdered beside the city library. He was a childhood friend of Frankie so this case is going to be tougher than most.

Newcastle is highlighted and showcased with style – there are many pubs and clubs mentioned in this book which would make a Booktrail in themselves! Most places are real so it makes a great guide to the city!

BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Scandal

Book set in Newcastle The Scandal by Mari Hannah

BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Scandal

#Bookreview

The third and hopefully not the last of the Stone and Oliver books! This one is more personal for Frankie and delves deep into her older friendships and acquaintances around the city. When someone who she knew in childhood dies, things get very personal and it’s a tricky case for this reason from the start.

The setting is of course what makes this series stand out. It’s where I grew up and so know each and everyplace mentioned very well indeed. I have to say that I haven’t been to the many bars and restaurants in the book so that might be something I do in the future in the name of booktrailing of course. There’s always that little bit of history sprinkled into the plot to make it even more evocative. You can tell the author loves the region and researches it very well indeed.

The characters and the plot are very strong indeed. I got a much closer picture of Frankie especially in this book since the case is so close to home. Her relationship with David goes through the ringer here and it took their relationship to new levels of intrigue for me. I do hope they continue so I can find out more!

The case under investigation is interesting since the victim was a journalist and was suspected of working on something outside of work. Well that got me interested straight away. Talk about intrigue! This steps up and is hard hitting. Emotional too as the plight of the homeless come to light. The investigation is complex and sensitive but Mari handles it with care and just enough explanation to guide you along. You , the reader, are part of the investigation and her easy manner of explanation of procedure and investigation makes this a joy to read.

Another great read from Mari. Always excited to see what she comes up with next!