Not The Deaths Imagined by Anne Pettigrew
In a leafy Glasgow suburb, Dr Beth Semple is busy juggling motherhood and full-time GP work in the 90s NHS. But her life becomes even more problematic when she notices some odd deaths in her neighbourhood. Though Beth believes the stories don’t add up, the authorities remain stubbornly unconvinced.
Soon, Beth’s professional reputation is challenged. There follows a chilling campaign of harassment and she finds her professional reputation - and her family – are put at risk.Is a charming local GP actually a serial killer? Can Beth piece together the jigsaw of perplexing fatalities and perhaps save lives? And as events accelerate towards a dramatic conclusion, will the police intervene in time?
From the author of Not the Life Imagined, this slow-burning tartan noir novel from a Bloody Scotland Crime Spotlight author follows Beth on another quest for justice. Reflecting Pettigrew’s own medical expertise, Not The Deaths Imagined re-affirms the benefits of growing up in a loving family and the need for friends in hard times, while offering insight into the twisted development of a psychopathic mind.
Author Bio: A graduate of Glasgow (Medicine) and Wolfson College, Oxford (Anthropology), Anne Pettigrew has been a GP, worked in psychiatry, family planning/sexual health, lecturing, patient/women doctors pressure groups, BMA Media relations, Homeopathy, acupuncture, an EEC Committee, book reviewing and journalism (medico-political and humorous articles to The Herald, Doctor newspaper etc: a Channel 4 Despatches).
Retiring from practice, she became a wedding planner for a charity theatre, before starting Creative Writing classes and mentoring at Glasgow University. She is now a member of Garnethill critical writer’s forum and has won short story and article trophies in Greenock Writer’s Club.
Not the life Imagined was runner up in the Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable Silver Stag Award 2018. The book was originally called No Sinecure, a title abandoned as no one under 35 in any class or group she joined knew what ‘sinecure’ meant (though some suggested it was apt, the book featuring ‘sin’ in those who ‘cure!’) Two more books are underway. Anne has two grown up children and lives with her husband in North Ayrshire.
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pettigrew_anne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annepettigrewauthor/
Website: https://annepettigrew.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anne.pettigrew.author
Purchase Links:
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3hGmFOF
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2EQdPit
Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3b8eVCk
Ringwood Publishing: https://bit.ly/2EQCMe0
Review
Now wasn’t ‘Not The Death Imagined’ deliciously dark and devilish! I loved this book from start to finish. Although, we are talking about a doctor death scenario here the book was still fun and entertaining to read. The characterisation was brilliant, the pacing superb, the narrative was believable and more importantly felt real and human! Plus it was set in Glasgow although I might be slightly biased in loving that plot point.
Now I hadn’t read the first book in this series but since there is a jump of about 30 years between the time frames you certainly can read this one as a stand alone novel! I loved Beth’s family, friends and colleagues and would be very happy to read another book set in their world. I also found it a very authentic world in which they lived in - the Govan gal done good. It was the simple things in this book though that makes it come across as being real for me. For example, I know the supermarket Beth would have shopped in would have been indeed Asda! I love when an author gets all the small details right.
Now, the thought of a serial killer working in the health system is terrifying but we know it happens. But it was horrible to see how with just simple name changes and few forged documents people can just carry on. We know the cases like Harold Shipman but it’s the hidden ones that make me scared. Yes this book is fiction but there is always an element of ‘truth’ behind books.
I loved this book plain and simple. It hooked me in from the get go and I had finished it within 24 hours!! If you love Scottish crime fiction you should definitely give this series a go. I know I will be looking out for any future releases from this author as it’s plain she is very talented - it’s no wonder Bloody Scotland highlighted her. Maybe, we will get to meet there next year once Covid is more manageable!
Thanks to Emma at damppebbles blog tours and the publishers Ringwood for the gifted copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
