Road Closed (DI Geraldine Steel)
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Review
"A well-written, soundly plotted, psychologically acute story" -- The Times
ROAD CLOSED is the second book by Leigh Russell, and the second featuring Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel. If you enjoyed CUT SHORT, Russell's first book, you will find this one even more tense and gripping.
ROAD CLOSED is the second book by Leigh Russell, and the second featuring Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel. If you enjoyed CUT SHORT, Russell's first book, you will find this one even more tense and gripping.
Well-written and absorbing right from the get-go, with just the right amount of guess-work for the reader. My only criticism is that it is too interesting and I read it far too quickly!
Work continues to go well for Geraldine. She is good at what she does and is a dedicated member of the murder team. ROAD CLOSED sees her initially involved in a suspicious death that seems to be part of a suspected arson attack but soon turns out to be one of a series that may be connected to a frustratingly long-running spate of thefts in the area. As seems to be increasingly the norm for busy career women these days, Geraldine's personal life leaves a lot to be desired, and there are a few nasty shocks waiting for her fans in this regard. Geraldine takes solace in the fact she has a nice flat, a good job, and the odd bottle of wine to enjoy in the evening. She immerses herself in her work and puts a brave face on it, when a simple day off would surely do her so much good.
Unlike CUT SHORT, the killer is not as immediately obvious to the reader this time round. When the murder team finally start to make progress, they are thwarted by the, strangely coincidental, violent deaths of several of their key witnesses. Tension slowly builds and you start to get an idea of who might be behind the grisly mess as the pace picks up and more people get hurt. The last thirty pages or so tie everything up beautifully, with an exhilarating climax that you don't see coming until it is too late and there is nothing you can do to help but continue to read...
I am an avid fan of this new author and her work. Geraldine is a gifted, strong and likeable character, although her personal life and ability to select rubbish men just makes me sad. I am hoping she will find her soul mate in the next book - but have to wait for ages to find out!
Amanda C M Gillies, Scotland
July 2010 -- Euro Crime
'A well-written, soundly plotted, psychologically acute story' --Marcel Berlins, The Times
'perfect character building... cleverly written... can't wait for the next one.' --bestbookstoread.co.uk
'Well-written and absorbing right from the get-go... with an exhilarating climax that you don't see coming' --Amanda Gillies, eurocrime.co.uk
'New star of crime fiction, Leigh Russell's chilling psychological thriller is terrific & terrifying!' --Clem Chambers
'A gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page narrative.' --Sam Millar, New York Journal of Books
Product Description
When a man dies in a gas explosion, the police suspect arson. The Murder Investigation Team are sent in to investigate. The case takes a new and terrible twist when a local villain is viciously attacked. As the police enquiries lead from the expensive Harchester Hill estate to the local brothel, a witness dies in a hit-and-run. Was it coincidence or cold-blooded murder? The Murder Investigation Team has problems of its own - and so does D.I. Geraldine Steel. A shocking revelation threatens her peace of mind as the investigation races towards its dramatic climax.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed Cut Short (DI Geraldine Steel) - the first of Leigh Russell's DI Geraldine Steel crime series - and Road Closed is every bit as good. The plot is complex with several apparently overlapping investigations including a series of burglaries and two apparent accidents which might have been murders. Pretty standard police fare you might think. But then things get complicated with an apparently unprovoked attack on a local small time villain. Under pressure at work, Geraldine has problems with her on/off relationship with Craig, a local estate agent, her mother's death and a demanding friend who can't understand Geraldine' devotion to her job.
The characters are believable and I really like Geraldine herself who is far from perfect, unlike some fictional police officers. I also liked the way everything dovetailed together so that while you're reading you get those light bulb moments when a piece of the jigsaw slots into place. I thought the petty villains and the arson victim's widow were particularly well drawn as was the elderly man whiling away his time in the seedy pub.
Enjoyable crime, without the graphic blood and guts so many authors use and well worth reading if you enjoy psychological police procedural novels where the police seem like real people, with lives outside the job. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series. If you enjoy writers such as Martin Edwards and Priscilla Masters then give Leigh Russell a try - I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
The characters are believable and I really like Geraldine herself who is far from perfect, unlike some fictional police officers. I also liked the way everything dovetailed together so that while you're reading you get those light bulb moments when a piece of the jigsaw slots into place. I thought the petty villains and the arson victim's widow were particularly well drawn as was the elderly man whiling away his time in the seedy pub.
Enjoyable crime, without the graphic blood and guts so many authors use and well worth reading if you enjoy psychological police procedural novels where the police seem like real people, with lives outside the job. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series. If you enjoy writers such as Martin Edwards and Priscilla Masters then give Leigh Russell a try - I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I read Leigh Russell's first book Cut Short, I enjoyed it but felt like the reader didn't get to know enough about the characters. This was my main gripe with an otherwise really enjoyable debut novel. I had high hopes for the second instalment and thankfully I wasn't disappointed. Having said that I think we have yet to see Leigh Russell's finest work and next year I think book 3 will show that. It almost feels like with each book you read you are building up to the bigger picture of Geraldine's life.
Initially I felt like again we weren't seeing the real Geraldine and I was getting frustrated. However, by the time I finished this book I realised that this is perfect character building. She is a far from perfect person but is dedicated to her job. We see a lot more of her personal life in this book and it has given Leigh Russell a great platform for book three with a shock twist from Geraldine's past. I realised by the end that this type of writing just made me want to pick up another book and read more about her, perfect tactics Ms Russell!
The story itself is paced well and we get to see the people committing the burglaries from the very beginning. Although we know who is committing certain crimes, as the story progresses there are other threads that begin to intertwine and as a reader you end up coming to different conclusions with each thread brought in. It is cleverly written and I liked the fact that although we see the criminals, you also get to see what I consider `real' police work being done. We don't see the lead character break all the rules and go it alone, only to solve the case miraculously with no help whatsoever...refreshing!
We again see her colleague Ian Peterson from the first book as they work together on the case in hand. We do get to see a bit more of him which I liked, but I can't help but feel there is so much more to him than meets the eye and I would love to see him a lot more in book 3.
In addition to Geraldine, Ian and the criminals we also get to see some of the victims of the crime brought into the story. This added another element to the story and enabled the plots to cross over ending in a very good story overall.
I read this book in no time at all and although maybe not the perfect 10, I really do feel that Leigh Russell is well on her way to creating a very successful series of books featuring DI Steel. I can't wait for the next one and would recommend that you read both books in succession.
My Rating 9/10!!!
Initially I felt like again we weren't seeing the real Geraldine and I was getting frustrated. However, by the time I finished this book I realised that this is perfect character building. She is a far from perfect person but is dedicated to her job. We see a lot more of her personal life in this book and it has given Leigh Russell a great platform for book three with a shock twist from Geraldine's past. I realised by the end that this type of writing just made me want to pick up another book and read more about her, perfect tactics Ms Russell!
The story itself is paced well and we get to see the people committing the burglaries from the very beginning. Although we know who is committing certain crimes, as the story progresses there are other threads that begin to intertwine and as a reader you end up coming to different conclusions with each thread brought in. It is cleverly written and I liked the fact that although we see the criminals, you also get to see what I consider `real' police work being done. We don't see the lead character break all the rules and go it alone, only to solve the case miraculously with no help whatsoever...refreshing!
We again see her colleague Ian Peterson from the first book as they work together on the case in hand. We do get to see a bit more of him which I liked, but I can't help but feel there is so much more to him than meets the eye and I would love to see him a lot more in book 3.
In addition to Geraldine, Ian and the criminals we also get to see some of the victims of the crime brought into the story. This added another element to the story and enabled the plots to cross over ending in a very good story overall.
I read this book in no time at all and although maybe not the perfect 10, I really do feel that Leigh Russell is well on her way to creating a very successful series of books featuring DI Steel. I can't wait for the next one and would recommend that you read both books in succession.
My Rating 9/10!!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Since my eyesight is not good my husband reads to me each day. That means that our books have to appeal to him as well as to me. It also means that for reading aloud to someone else, books have to be well written.
Cut Short and Road Closed are two such books. The lead character Geraldine Steel is believable and memorable. The stories flow with that necessary intrigue element that makes you want to go on reading until the last page. Of course, when you have to rely on someone else giving up their time, it also means the reader also has to be drawn well into the tale. The fact that this was so means that Russell's books appeal to men and women alike.
It may be noticed that I have given four not five stars but that is good. We read a lot of crime - mystery books and to me Leigh Russell's novels belong with the best in detective stories.
Gladys Hobson
Author
Cut Short and Road Closed are two such books. The lead character Geraldine Steel is believable and memorable. The stories flow with that necessary intrigue element that makes you want to go on reading until the last page. Of course, when you have to rely on someone else giving up their time, it also means the reader also has to be drawn well into the tale. The fact that this was so means that Russell's books appeal to men and women alike.
It may be noticed that I have given four not five stars but that is good. We read a lot of crime - mystery books and to me Leigh Russell's novels belong with the best in detective stories.
Gladys Hobson
Author
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Enjoyable
Seeing in the shops the number of books about extremely violent crime, it was nice to read something with a more believable and less extreme plot. Read more
Published 21 days ago by MarkW
Enjoyable Read
Altogether I enjoyed reading this book which I have to admit was the first I have read by Leigh Russell. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Scotbow
"She was the victim of a serious crime..."
This is okay, but nothing out of the ordinary. A rather lack-lustre approach to characterisation doesn't help. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Eileen Shaw
Great crime thriller
This is the second in the Geraldine Steel series and is another thrilling read. The characters are intriguing and well drawn and the plot seems to present an impossible puzzle... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Robin West
Leigh Russell is in her stride
Just finished and thoroughly enjoyed Leigh Russell's "Road Closed" which I read in a weekend, allowing time for a "normal life" as well. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mme Dorothee King
very enjoyable.
This book continues the career of Geraldine Steele, she is a very believable person and the story has several twists and turns. Read more
Published 10 months ago by bartem
ROAD CLOSED by LEIGH RUSSELL
Road Closed in the second novel by Leigh Russell featuring DI Geraldine Steel, and in this well-written and exciting crime/thriller, not only do we get a cracking selection of... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jan Saunders
Road Closed.......
I loved the first book Cut Short so got Dead End the second in the series of DI Geraldine Steel.This book has you guessing all the way through a very exciting story. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Teresa Crawford
Steel's not so steely
The beauty of having so many crime thriller authors on the scene at the moment is that you come across a very wide cross-section of characters in the main player role. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Michael Watson
road closed
what a brilliant book, could not put it down. read leigh russells cut short first which i would also award 5 stars. cannot wait for the new book in 2011.
Published 18 months ago by another bookworm
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