Title: Impact by Mark Mills
Date Published: 4th July 2022
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Police Procedural
Description:
MEET DETECTIVES BODINE AND FULLER IN THE FIRST OF A BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES FROM A #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR.
Florence Winslow wakes up in hospital. The nurse tells her she’s killed a man.
She can’t remember what happened. All she knows is that she was driving down a deserted country road at night when a car hurtled out of nowhere and ploughed into her. She’s lucky to be alive. The other driver was killed on impact.
Dylan Bodine, an ambitious young detective in the Torrington police department, thinks Florence was extremely lucky. Too lucky perhaps.
Something about the accident doesn’t add up.
There are too many unanswered questions. The dead driver was carrying no ID — why? There are no skid marks on the road. And what was Florence doing there in the first place? She tells the police she was visiting her in-laws, but why was she suddenly invited after so many years of estrangement?
As Dylan and his new partner, former FBI investigator Carrie Fuller, dig deeper, they discover that Florence isn’t just anyone. Her father-in-law is one of the wealthiest men in America.
He’s also dying. And with his vast fortune at stake, things are a lot murkier than they seem. At least one member of this over-privileged family is hiding a dangerous secret . . . and will go to any lengths to keep that secret hidden.
DISCOVER A BREATHTAKING NEW SERIES OF CRIME MYSTERIES THAT YOU WON’T WANT TO PUT DOWN.
PRAISE FOR MARK MILLS:
“A first-class and unusual crime writer.” Daily Mail
“A master of the art of murderous storytelling.” The Sunday Times
“A master storyteller.” Val McDermid
MEET THE DETECTIVES
Detective Dylan Bodine is newly-promoted, clever, ambitious — and too good-looking for his own good. His tricky relationship with his artist girlfriend Evie looks like it’s on the rocks. This is his first case and he’s determined to prove himself — but he’s prone to making mistakes. He needs the experience and expertise of his new partner, Detective Sergeant Carrie Fuller, to rein him in.
Detective Carrie Fuller is about to turn fifty-five, and looking forward to retirement. This is her last case — and the last thing she needs (or wants) is to mentor a cocky young rookie detective. Blessed with a sharp tongue, a dry wit and a world-weary wisdom, she doesn’t suffer fools gladly — as Dylan is about to find out.
Although the two detectives don’t get off to a great start, early tensions give way to a unique personal chemistry as their very different styles of detection begin to bear fruit.
THE SETTING
The wilds of north-west Connecticut is a land that time forgot. The Litchfield Hills (also known as the Northwest Hills) are a thickly-forested paradise threaded with rivers and scattered with historic towns and remote farmlands. This is ancient New England, uncluttered, unchanged, a place where Nature at her finest still holds sway. It’s also where some of the wealthiest families in America choose to make their home.
Review:
I want to thank Jill Burkinshaw for inviting me on this blog tour and Joffe Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Mark Mills book, but I can safely say this won’t be my last!
Impact is a police procedural set in the American state of Connecticut. The story follows investigators Detective Carrie Fuller and Dylan Bodine as they try to unravel what happened to Florence Winslow. Was her car crash an accident, or was it something more sinister?
During the investigation, they find out that Florence’s father-in-law is Lyndon Winslow, an extremely wealthy man who is on his deathbed. She’s set to inherit a lot of money, pulling Bodine and Fuller into a world of money and greed, hoping to keep Florence safe.
I loved the short, sharp chapters in this novel, along with some great action scenes, I had a hard time putting it down.
I loved the detectives. Dylan is newly promoted and eager to prove himself, whereas Carrie is about to retire and has seen a lot over her career, but still maintains a sharp wit and eye for detail. Together they made a great pairing, playing off each to solve the case.
There were several points of view through the story, including Florence, Dylan, Lyndon Winslow and the nameless culprit. I’m not usually a fan of too many POVs, but this story pulls it off well.
I had the mastermind behind the attempt on Florence’s life quite early on, but there were plenty of suspects and misdirection to make me doubt myself.
Impact is a compelling story that had me gripped from beginning to end. I have my fingers crossed that I’ll see more books featuring Bodine and Fuller in the future!
About The Author:
Mark began his career as a screenwriter, before turning to novels. His first book, Amagansett (retitled The Whaleboat House in the UK) – a murder mystery set on Long Island in 1947 – won the British Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger, and became a national bestseller in the U.S. His second novel, The Savage Garden, took 1950s Italy as its setting and became a no.1 bestseller in the UK.
Subsequent crime thrillers have included The Information Officer, set on the island of Malta during World War Two (shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger), House of the Hanged, a spy thriller based in the south of France in 1935, and Where Dead Men Meet. Mark broke away briefly from the crime genre with a comedy about a rescue dog – Waiting for Doggo – which sold in fifteen territories.
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On The Shelf Reviews 
Great post and I love the book cover!
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It is a good cover, very eye catching
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