"Dead Wood" by Chris Longmuir

I have read three books in the last month, the first being John Grisham’s latest “The Litigators” which I enjoyed even though I didn’t think it was as good as some of his other books – and I’ve read them all, he is one of my favourite authors. The second was “Along Came a Spider”, James Patterson’s first book, which I also enjoyed despite the American jargon and somewhat truncated style which made it a much more difficult read. The third book, however, was by far the best! This was “Dead Wood” by Chris Longmuir.

“Dead Wood” was Ms Longmuir’s first book and is the best book I have read for some time. Like the other two, it is a thriller. Thrillers are supposed to grab you from the outset and keep you enthralled right to the end and “Dead Wood” most certainly did that for me. I think the main reason I enjoyed this book so much more than the others is because I really cared about Kara, the central character, it mattered to me what happened to her and that kept me rooting for her all the way through the book! Add to that the fact that the book is beautifully written and flows easily, which allows you to concentrate on the story rather than the process of reading and you have a brilliant book At no point did I sense the writer behind the story trying to lead me along a certain path, something which I did with both the other books. Rather, I felt I was reading a true story, one so real that it couldn’t have just been invented, one where I felt I was actually there, observing the events as they happened. It is a great book and I can, without the slightest hesitation, heartily recommend “Dead Wood” to anyone who likes an engaging thriller that will keep you hooked to the very end. I absolutely loved it!