Fake Alibi by Leigh Russell
A wheelchair-using woman is strangled and her son, Eddy, is arrested. When his alibi falls apart, the police are satisfied that he is guilty. Only Geraldine doubts whether Eddy is cunning enough to kill his mother and cover his tracks so successfully.
The situation becomes more complicated when the girlfriend Eddy claims he was with at the time of the murder denies having met him. Shortly after the girl thinks she is being stalked, her dead body is discovered outside Eddy's house.
As the body count grows, the investigation team is getting desperate, pushing Geraldine to breaking point.
About the author
Leigh Russell is the author of the Ian Peterson series (Cold Sacrifice, Race to Death and Blood Axe) and the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series: Cut Short, Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead, Fatal Act, Killer Plan, Murder Ring, Deadly Alibi, Class Murder, Death Rope, Rogue Killer, Deathly Affair and Deadly Revenge, Evil Impulse, Deep Cover, and Guilt Edged. The series has sold over a million copies worldwide. Cut Short was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association (CWA), John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award, and Leigh has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTunes with Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People's Book Prize. Leigh is chair of the CWA's Debut Dagger Award judging panel and is a Royal Literary Fellow. Leigh studied at the University of Kent, gaining a Masters degree in English and American Literature. She is married with two daughters and a granddaughter, and lives in London.
Review
‘Fake Alibi’ is the 18th book in the Geraldine Steel series and it was a welcome return to characters I have begun to cherish. This will always be an auto-buy series for me but if you haven't read any of the books you can pick this up as a standalone very easily. There are enough references to ensure the reader knows what is happening with the characters. Once again I found this to be an engrossing read and I flew through it in one sitting!
Geraldine and her colleague Adrianne are called out to a suspicious death of a disabled woman found by her nosy neighbour. Everyone thinks it is her slightly weird son Eddy who has strangled her and when his alibi falls apart the police arrest him. However, Geraldine doesn't think he is mentally capable of planning such a crime. Eddy’s girlfriend denies even knowing him but when she is later found dead it's clear there needs to be a rethink!
Geraldine is a character I have a lot of respect for as she has her head on straight! She is thorough, truly believes in justice and is very loyal. I'm glad she and Ian are working out and it was good to see her slightly vulnerable in her relationship with Adrianne.
The plotline of this novel was interesting in that is was so normal. A woman in an everyday street was killed in her home, probably committed by her son. It's domestic crime at its best. Leigh has a talent for weaving the story to make you question even the simplest situations and then hits you with all the twists and turns! This is a tightly plotted story that grips your attention from the get-go and has you turning the pages very quickly.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one, roll on book 19!
