Five Names by Adam Lyndon

4.5 Stars from me

Turns out this is book 5 of the DI Rutherford Barnes series and although I haven’t yet read any of the previous books, I have to say it stood up really well on its own and I didn’t feel that I was lacking key information. Having said that, there were a few references to previous occurrences and while these didn’t detract from the current story they piqued my interest and I know I need to go back and read the earlier books.

DI Rutherford Barnes is a great character (and what a fab name) and I really enjoyed following him and the team as they battled to work out who was neatly clearing up a fair few undesirables – but in increasingly brutal ways.

I also greatly enjoyed deluded PC Lamb in his pursuit of Haven, there’s a man who is utterly oblivious to the world around him and how he fits into it!

This wasn’t a run of the mill, formulaic crime thriller – it was edgy and unsettling, with a wide cast of well rounded characters and an intriguing plot. The was a dual timeline was equally as engaging as the main one and I really appreciated the effort put into that story arc.

It is a real pleasure to recommend this gritty and authentic feeling crime thriller, I love finding a new series and I greatly look forward to starting the series from book 1.

My thanks to the author, #AdamLyndon, @ZooloosBT and @JoffeBooks for letting me be a part of this #blogtour 🙂

Blurb: One cryptic note. Five names. Two of those names are already dead. Detective Barnes has seen some horrific crime scenes. But nothing like this. The dead man is slumped against a wall, head lolling forward, hands hanging limply. He seems to be cradling something in his lap. Barnes creeps closer and recoils in shock. The victim has been disembowelled while he was still alive. Four days later, a second body is found in a deserted amusement park on the harbour front. Another middle-aged man. Vicious slash wounds across his chest. Does Barnes have a serial killer on his patch? Then a note is delivered anonymously to the station. On it is a list of five names. And a message: He is coming. Two of those names are already dead. Barnes is caught in a race against time to find the other three before it’s too late.