The Woman In Black by Kerry Wilkinson

The Woman In Black by Kerry Wilkinson

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is third to the series by Kerry Wilkinson’s feisty DS Jessica Daniel Novel. Kerry Wilkinson, who is a kind of an accidental author, as he likes to describe himself, is one of the most successful self-published authors of the United Kingdom. Woman in Black is a book that orbits around an intriguing case for detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel who sets on to chase the hooded women in shadows leaving severed hands among other things with many more twists, turns, and red herring making it an excellent read.

The book commences at a slow pace but catches up soon after in the third final. The plot kickoff with Jessica trying to track down who is leaving severed hands around the Manchester city center. The only clue she has is that they are being left by a mystery woman in a long black robe captured by the CCTV cameras over various public places. Who is this mysterious woman in black? Why is she leaving the severed body parts in public places?

Then, unnerving a detached finger arrives in the post for Jessica – and it’s clear that someone knows exactly who she is.

There could be something very allegorical in that or the killer is just trying to tease Jessica or gain her attention towards something undetected. The author tries to throw much misdirection and mystery around the killer and does so until the end.

Apart from the case, there are various changes in the station after DI Cole and DS Reynolds are promoted and Jessica is made to share her office with the new DS Louise Cornish. With Jessica leading the case of Woman in Black along with DC Isobel Diamond and DC David Rowlands and DS Cornish running a high profile case of local MP’s wife going missing. Jessica shares a great camaraderie with her team and her banter with DC Rowlands adds humor and lightheartedness to the story.

The story is very complex with many victims but even less obvious is the motive. Although the story lacks details of the motive it will make you grimace, and leads to an understandably angry Jessica who perhaps feels more empathy towards the potential suspect than their actual victims.

The end will keep you consumed as the investigation puts one of the team’s lives in serious danger. Can they uncover the truth in time and or do they stand to lose another of their colleagues?

This book is a serial killer thriller that keeps you guessing right until the end with fascinating subplots and cases throughout. It will interest you if you are a fan of mystery, suspense, thriller, crime fiction, and police procedural. The book is quite similar to Locked In, Vigilante, and other books by Kerry Wilkinson, The Secret Admirer by Carol Wyer, Little Doubt by Rachel Lynch, Child’s Play by Angela Marsons and many others. It is a very basic book readable by newbie readers interested in thriller and mystery genre.

Price £7.99

Review By: Rubina Barodawala

Rubina is a professor of Economics who loves to read and write in her leisure time. Although the profession already demands a lot of reading, she loves reading thriller and mystery. She loves driving under the grey sky while listening to some soulful music.