4 Stars from me
Set along the Cornish coast, with a deep draw to the unpredictable and unforgiving depths of the sea, The Lines is about a ruthless county lines gang.
The author captures the insidious and cruel act of cuckooing, taking place in plain sight, with the gang seemingly holding no regarding for the vulnerable people they ensnare. Their targets serve a purpose and, despite initially feeling as though they are friends, a means to an end is all they ultimately end up being.
That this is based on truth is a troubling undercurrent to the book that adds an extra layer of tension.
DS Liam Kilshaw is a deeply flawed and troubled character – making him an intriguing lead character. The story was great to follow, a lot of excitement, stress and anticipation kept me on my toes as I read.
My thanks to the author, Matt Brolly, publishers Thomas & Mercer, and the wonderful Zoe for my place on this Zooloos blog tour.
Blurb: Once you cross the wrong lines, there’s no turning back.
For DS Liam Kilshaw, a former marine who almost died on a mission gone wrong, returning to the sea was meant to help combat his PTSD. But when he’s called out with the lifeboat crew off the rugged Cornish coast at night, the dark danger of the waves comes crashing back. The body of a young man is floating in the water, and the zip-tie marks on his wrists show this is no tragic drowning—it’s murder.
It’s not the first suspicious death to shock the tight-knit community: the identical discovery of a young woman with connections to a county lines drugs gang leads Kilshaw to suspect the killings must be linked. But as the brooding Cornish coast and whispered local rumours fold darkly around him, he starts to feel he can’t trust the water or anyone in town.
As the bodies keep coming, he must confront a sinister gangland underworld as well as his own demons—before tragedy strikes even closer to home.
Read and Rated 
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