Paid In Blood by Susan Handley
A dead celebrity loved by the nation.
A blind detective with something to prove.
When a well-loved celebrity is found murdered at a glitzy art event, DI Matt Fisher is faced with his first big case since being blinded in an acid-attack. Despite most people thinking his return to his old job is an impossible task, Fisher is determined to prove them wrong.
With his guide dog Luna at his side and the assistance of eager yet inexperienced DC Beth Nightingale, Fisher must find a way to see through the lies and expose a ruthless killer.
He’s had his fair share of bad luck in the past but has always managed to bounce back. Can he do it again, or are his days as a detective numbered?
About the author.
Susan Handley grew up in the Midlands and now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and two rescue cats, Charlie and Porridge (aka Podge).
As a child, Susan devoured anything crime related: books, films, TV shows and even games (anyone remember electronic detective? – a game Susan professes to have been a whizz at). Although she had dreamt of becoming a pathologist like Quincy (one of her favourite shows growing up), Susan went on to study chemistry and went as far as getting her doctorate in it. Soon, however, she came to the conclusion that lab work wasn’t for her and went on to have a successful career in finance.
It was during her time at university, on learning that her mother had finally read the complete collection of Agatha Christie’s classic crime novels, Susan bought a second-hand Olivetti and attempted to write one of her own, intent on giving it to her mother as a Christmas present. Susan readily confesses the end result left a lot to be desired but says it did whet her appetite for crime writing. Over the years that followed, she never stopped dreaming of becoming an author and after many years of writing at night she finally published her debut novel: A Confusion of Crows, the first of her books to feature one-time marine biologist now turned detective Cat McKenzie. She has written a further two novels in the DC Cat McKenzie mystery series. The second, Feather and Claw, sees Cat holidaying with a friend in sunny Cyprus, though things take a sinister turn after a fellow guest is found dead. In the third book of the series, The Body Politic, Cat investigates the murder of a local councillor but it’s the links to a member of her own family that leaves her wondering whether you ever really know anyone at all.
Susan’s most recent novel is Paid in Blood, the first in a new series to feature DI Matt Fisher. DI Fisher was enroute to being one of the country’s top scorers in football’s premier league until injury forced him from the pitch and into the police force. And it was working out well, until he put himself between a young woman and a terrorist brandishing a bottle of acid. Now blind, Fisher finds himself fighting to keep his job, so when a beautiful celebrity is found dead at a glitzy art event, he’s determined to figure out who did it and prove he can still hack it as a detective.
In addition to the DC Cat McKenzie series, Susan has published two crime fiction anthologies: Crime Bites (volumes 1 and 2). She has also published a novella set at the height of the Californian gold, The Secret of Snake Pass, which is published under the name S.J. Handley.
When Susan’s not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her garden, especially her veggie patch.
Review
‘Paid In Blood’ is a riveting, thought-provoking, compelling start to a brand new police procedural series. What made it fascinating to me was the main character DI Matt Fisher as I have never come across a blind detective before in modern crime fiction. Yes, there was a flourish of blind detectives in the 1910s e.g. Max Carrados but it was dealing with modern issues that I loved reading about. It felt as if Susan had done a lot of research on this topic as it was the small details that made it feel realistic and authentic - the spilt water, the three blows on a whistle and the bond between Matt and his guide dog Luna.
DI Matt Fisher is called to a murder scene where a beloved celebrity has been found dead. Matt is surprised to get the call as since he has returned to work since losing his sight he has only been allowed to do desk work and his boss was showing no signs of letting him out of the office. Fisher is determined to prove that he can work a case and with the help of DC Beth Nightingale he gets straight into it!
I am fascinated by DI Matt Fisher! I especially want to know more about his back story and the acid attack that caused his loss of sight. I saw in the acknowledgement section of the book that Susan had worked with a policeman who is blind and I hope wholeheartedly that they didn't experience a boss like Fisher’s. Disability is a sore subject in the police - I know that when my dad smashed his knee cap and would only be fit for desk duty he was ‘encouraged’ to take his pension. I think that's why I loved Matt’s gumption and determination to prove that he was up to the job. I honestly can't wait to find out more about his story and I am so pleased that this is the start of a new series!
There is no hesitation in recommending this one to you guys. Let me know if you read it!
