The Surrogate (Brennan & Esposito #1) by Tania Carver

Read from March 10th - 20th 2016.

Published September 17th 2009 by Little, Brown Book Group

Format    Paperback - 438 pages

Review

I need to give this book 3 and a half stars, a well deserved 3 and a half it was too.I enjoyed reading it, although this is an odd thing to say bearing in mind that this book really does have a rather gory subject matter. There is a killer targeting heavily pregnant women and is intent on taking the precious cargo they are carrying by brutal force. The case falls to Detective Inspector Phil Brennan.He and his team are finding it difficult to make sense of the killings and call in Marina Esposito, a criminal profiler to help solve the case. Marina is Phil’s former lover; they met over a previous case that left Maria in a rather desperately dangerous situation, which tested their relationship to the full. Maria believes there is a woman involved in the killings, a woman desperate for a baby. Tania Carver is actually a pseudonym for a husband and wife duo Martyn and Linda Waites. This is their debut novel and what a debut it is, making quite a grand entrance. This book is truly a captivating read which I really enjoyed and found it hard to put down. An absolute page turner. The book doesn't give away too many clues throughout, keeping the reader in suspense all the way. The details aren't the most gruesome I have read, but does make for some unsettling reading and although fast paced in sections, it is equally slow going in many places too. I'd rather it were a little more consistent. I have raved about much better. This lacked a little something, even though it also hit depths others haven't (I think) dared to tread which I liked. None of the detectives made me feel any kind of connection with them. DI Phil Brennan, I felt, a little flat and not that engaging. The plot from start to finish is packed with red herrings and well placed twists and ends with a big shocker that is impossible to anticipate. If you are not squeamish, then I highly recommend. A good debut novel that has attracted a lot of attention and justly so. I will definitely read more in this collection. I have book 2, The Creeper on my shelf, ready and waiting.