If you’re after a more fulfilling, meaty crime fiction to get stuck into, Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds will do the job.

The plot:

When crusading journalist Lydia Wright is sent a video of an apparent murder on a London train, she thinks she’s found the story to revive her career. But she can’t find a victim, much less the killers, and the only witness has disappeared. Wary she’s fallen for fake news, she begins to doubt her instincts – until a sinister call suggests that she’s not the only one interested in the crime.

Michael Stringer deals in information – and doesn’t care which side of the law he finds himself on. But the murder on the train has left him exposed, and now he’ll stop at nothing to discover what Lydia knows.

When their paths collide, Lydia finds the story leads through a nightmare world, where money, power and politics intersect… and information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet…

The author has a real knack for story-telling, and I’m here for it

First things first, the plot for Red Bloody City is fantastic. Not your straight-forward crime fiction, with realistic elements and fits the genre perfectly. You’re working alongside the protagonists to find out what happened and get pulled deeper into the story with its fast-paced plot.

It’s detailed, and fits with your modern-day crimes – set in London, this book is close to home (I won’t be getting on a tube for a while, I tell ya) and will make you think. I guessed one small aspect but was still great in how it all pulled together. There is one part I wasn’t a huge fan of, but I do read a lot of crime fiction, so others may not notice this.

I found it quite difficult to connect with Lydia – there aren’t enough personal experiences, and one part really frustrated me; I found her role interesting, but often emotionless. On the other hand, I thought Michael was an excellent character with a rich back-story – I’d love to read more about his adventures, but I can give a miss on Lydia.

I didn’t realise that I’d read a good hundred pages at one point, as I got fully immersed into the story.

The ending comes together in a fast but pleasantly slow way – it’s not all over within 5 pages (thank goodness!) but it takes it time, allowing for realisation to hit you at the same time as the characters, leaving you feeling like you’ve been on a thrilling journey, but you can rest now.

Despite the small negatives, I’ve not been put off reading more by Reynolds. The author has a real knack for story-telling, and I’m here for it. A good 4-stars – extra points for the book cover (I would definitely frame a print of it).

Blood Red City, Rod Reynolds, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository 

Pages: 387

Publisher: Orenda

Genre: Crime Fiction