Title: Black Reed Bay (Detective Casey Wray 1) by Rod Reynolds
Date Published: 28th May 2021
Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Police Procedural
Description:
When a young woman vanishes from an exclusive oceanfront community in the middle of the night, Detective Casey Wray’s takes on a case that leads her in chilling, unexpected directions … A twisty, breath-taking police procedural. First in a heart-pounding new series.
Don’t trust ANYONE…
When a young woman makes a distressing middle-of-the-night call to 911, apparently running for her life in a quiet, exclusive beachside neighbourhood, miles from her home, everything suggests a domestic incident.
Except no one has seen her since, and something doesn’t sit right with the officers at Hampstead County PD. With multiple suspects and witnesses throwing up startling inconsistencies, and interference from the top threatening the integrity of the investigation, lead detective Casey Wray is thrust into an increasingly puzzling case that looks like it’s going to have only one ending…
And then the first body appears…
For fans of Susie Steiner, Peter Swanson, M J Arlidge, James Lee Burke and Tana French.
Review:
I want to thank the TBC reviewer group and Orenda books for providing me with a copy of Black Reed Bay in exchange for an honest review.
Rod Reynolds has been on my radar for a while now, but this is actually the first book I’ve read by him, but it certainly won’t be the last!
A young woman makes a 911 call and seems to vanish. The people of the wealthy neighbourhood that she went missing from claim to have no clue where she went or why she was so distressed. Casey Wray is put on the case and is the only person intent on finding her. Then a body turns up and Casey realises there’s something more sinister going on than she first thought.
Black Reed Bay was one of those books that really kept me on my toes throughout, with plenty of twists and shocks along the way.
I loved Rod Reynolds’ writing style. Descriptive and evocative without bogging you down with too much detail. Added to that, a cleverly concocted mystery and realistic characters, making it a really entertaining read.
Casey Wray is a fantastic character that I really rooted for. An older officer, she’s worked hard to become a detective and still at times struggles with it all. It’s her sheer determination and need for justice that seems to drive her on.
Black Reed Bay is a tense and atmospheric police procedural that kept me gripped throughout. I will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
About The Author:
Rod Reynolds is the author of five novels, including the Charlie Yates series, the standalone Blood Red City and the forthcoming Black Reed Bay.
His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir.’ A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books published his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City, which was a Summer 2020 pick in the FT. In 2021, he again turns to the US, this time to present-day Long Island, with Black Reed Bay.
Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in Novel Writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and children and spends most of his time trying to keep up with them.
Contact him:
twitter: @Rod_WR
facebook: @RodReynoldsBooks
On The Shelf Reviews 