Force of Hate by Graham Bartlett

4 Stars from me

The author’s rich history is evident in his writing, it packs a punch of reality in its brutal portrayal of the police force and the unfairness of daily life for so many people.

Force of Hate offers a grim and gritty insight into today’s sad realities and it makes for hard reading at times. Running alongside a depressingly political take within the higher ranks is the tale of asylum seekers and, in particular, Ajee who believes she has fled her horrible past and is stepping into a brighter future. How wrong the poor girl is. Thankfully for Ajee, Detective Superintendent Jo Howe isn’t one to shy away from her responsibilities and she is an excellent character to follow.

Quite possibly the scariest element of this book and its converging story arcs is the horrible truth of the situations that it covers, knowing that this is the lived reality for some is really quite sobering.

My thanks to Allison and Busby, the author and Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC in return for an honest review.

Blurb: When a night-time firebomb attack at a Brighton travellers’ site kills women and children, Chief Superintendent Jo Howe has strong reason to believe the new, dubiously elected, neo-nazi council leader is behind the murders. Against the direct orders of her chief constable, Jo digs deep into the killings secretly briefing the senior investigating officer of her suspicions.

As she delves further, Jo uncovers an underworld of human trafficking, slavery and euthanasia all leading to a devastating plot which threatens thousands of lives and from which the murderous politician looks sure to walk scott-free. Having narrowly survived a plot to kill her, where another was not so lucky, she realises that only by facing near-certain death once more can she thwart this terrorist outrage.