The Body in the Snow (DCI Craig Gillard Crime Thrillers): 4

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A fellow blogger and excellent writer, Christoph Fischer, just ventured into my domain with his cozy mystery, The Body in the Snow. So of course I had to read the book!

At the time of Tabak's secondary charge, Avon and Somerset police’s temporary assistant chief constable Julian Moss said that it was “crucial” that these charges were added to Tabak’s criminal record, “so the full nature of Tabak’s offending is on record.” Beyong that, I thought the third person deep povs worked really well. It made relating to - and suspecting - nearly every character in the book easy (smiles). Tabak is currently serving a minimum sentence of 20 years for the murder of Yeates, which is being carried out at HM Prison Wakefield according to the Express. The investigation is not without its problems and difficulties. A suspected is arrested, but when some evidence turns up tainted, the suspect's guilt is in question. Is the family involved? Mrs. Roy had ongoing and suspicious health problems. Did they play a part in her death?Joanna's boyfriend Greg Reardon has since returned to the office where he used to work with his girlfriend and has bought another flat in Bristol. He raised a large amount of money for the charity Missing People and supports their campaign Join the Search. After hearing screams a young soon-to-be-CSI, who is out running on the day before she starts her new career, finds Mrs Roy’s body. Putting all her new knowledge to use she secures the scene as best as is possible given the circumstances – weather, dogs, people!

DCI Craig Gillard with the Surrey Police investigates the bludgeoning death of Tanvi Roy, a notable businesswoman and chief executive of Empire of Spice. Of course the main suspects are initially family members and the case is complicated by financial irregularities. There are many issues within this extremely wealthy Hindu family that includes heir apparent Harshil (Harry) Roy and two daughters, Prisha and Kiara. In addition, the list of possible killers extends to board members of the company, ex partners, personal assistants and others who are connected to the Roys. Gillard and his team begin their meticulous research into all aspects in this police procedural. Who killed Mrs. Roy and why? NO SPOILERS. This is the second Craig Gillard book I have read in this series and it didn't disappoint. The ending to the previous novel indicated changes in his private life which could only add to the stresses of everything else he was involved in. This was continued with just enough storytime to show it would continue into at least the next inslment, the first chapter of which is included at the end of this story and begins immediately this book finishes. On 17 December 2010, Joanna went missing in the Bristol flat she shared with her partner, after an evening out with colleagues. She left her keys, phone and coat in the flat. Vincent Tabak, a 33-year-old engineer and Joanna's neighbour, was found guilty of murdering Joanna Yeates by a jury in October 2011. I stayed up well past bedtime finishing this, and didn’t guess whodunnit it until shortly before the reveal. Things were wrapped up satisfactorily although I would’ve liked to know what happened to the dog... The next book is published in July so not too long to wait to find out what happens to poor overworked Craig next!

My short and minor wish list includes a desire for a few well placed metaphors or similes. Like a spritz of lemon or sprinkle of herbs on fresh cooked vegetables, short emotional extensions of a description or the garnishing of a stream of consciousness, would have I think widened my imagination. Moss continued, “Tabak is now a convicted sex offender and this means an extensive range of protective measures can now be put in place to manage his criminal behaviour and protect those at risk.” A skull smashed in the snow found by the trainee cop Kirsty who tried to maintain the crime scene with ingenious methods until DCI Craig Gillard came to the scene. The team started their investigation. We are lead up a few dead ends, mistakes happen and Gillard is up against the pressure of a deadline from his boss which if he doesn’t meet may ruin his career.

Surprisingly, the mystery of identifying the opening scene's murder victim mid-book layered the mystery-level as a whole to an even more tangled level.

Figuring out the puzzle in a mystery is always a lot of fun and has the added perk of exercising the brain. A body frozen in the freak blizzard near Bebe’s home threatens more than her return to show business. Bebe is a suspect. Can she help solve the mystery before it’s too late? And due to personal time constraints, the time it took me to read the book reflects only on my circumstances, not the book. This delightful and sometimes comical whodunit will keep you guessing to the very end. We get to know the players who reside in this cozy hamlet when a huge snowstorm hits, and the normally unfriendly among each other neighbors come together when in need of the necessities of a power outage such as - food, heat, and sometimes just for company. Now, in present time, they find themselves neighbors, along with their past histories, secrets and personalities that clash with each other. The characters have such unique characteristics that I had no problem distinguishing them from each other, as is not always the case when there are multiple characters in a story. One of the more endearing interactions was between Bebe, a fading star and Beth, a rooky but spunky detective.