ShaunOK 'Book Addict'

Ages ago I searched for crime fiction set in Australia and found this series by Leah Giarratano. Only now after finishing this, the first in the series, am I kicking myself for not reading it sooner! The subject matter made this a pretty disturbing read at times but other than that I enjoyed it immensely and cannot reccommend it highly enough.

I read a lot of crime fiction, though this book was more psychological thriller I felt and the thing I enjoy most about it is 'series' crime fiction. Series allow you to not only read a mystery story but also get to know the main character rather than each book having a generic detective who tries to solve a crime. Jill Jackson is the main character here and she was fantastic.

Jill has demons of her own and knows all too well about the effect paedophiles have on their victims. So when called to the scene of a murder of a paedophile Jill has to question whether the killer should actually be found, after all the killer is only ridding the world of probably the worst kind of human beings. But at the same time her job is to prevent crime and so along with her partner Scotty they try to work out who the killer can be when more bodies turn up and various connections begin to appear.

The focus of the book was just as much on Jill as it was on the rest of the story. We learn about her childhood, how she was a victim of abuse herself and how all of those things have made her the woman, and police officer that she is today. There were some comedic elements to the book with the police politics and the troubles she has with some of her idiotic colleagues but some readers may find parts of the book tough going but it all felt very true to life and it was clear throughout the whole book that the author was a professional in the field she was writing about and not just another crime author trying to shock.

Overall I really enjoyed this and only wish I had read it sooner! I have a to read list that will never be completed but the rest of the Jill Jackson series will now be placed somewhere near the top with the hope of reading them soon!