When forensic evidence implicating Roger is found at a murder scene, he is arrested. Roger is convinced he has been fitted up by the bent cop, but there's no way he can prove it from the inside of a police cell, and no-one believes him anyway. He must take extraordinary measures to prove his innocence and Weston's guilt... This is a gripping read by an author who is himself a SOCO (and hence knows what he's talking about). The characters are convincing and gritty, and the pacing is good. It's set at the start of 1999, so I guess in today's terms it's a period piece. It certainly invokes a feel for the end of the 20th century. Well written, energetic and a few interesting twists and surprises, this book is well recommended. And when you've finished, there are two more books in the series.

Fantastic Thriller. I already knew that Andrew Barrett was a great Author after reading ‘The End of Lies’ which is an amazing story. This book is just as good, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. One thing he does really well, is putting the time into each of his characters, and their backgrounds. This certainly shows with so many great characters. Another highlight is, there’s more than one thing happening alongside the main plot, which for me always makes for an interesting and entertaining story. This is definitely a book you could immerse yourself amongst the pages for hours. Roger Conniston can’t believe that Inspector Colin Weston somehow weaselled his way out of trouble, after he supposedly lost a truck full of guns and ammunition. It baffled Roger that the Investigators fell for Weston’s story. However, Roger isn’t prepared to give up that easily, and he’s certainly confident that he’ll catch Weston in the act of selling illegal fire arms. Meanwhile Roger is competing for the Head of the Department, in the Scenes of Crime area against his friend Chris. They both have extensive experience as civilian crime scene officers, but Chris really needs the pay rise, and besides, he clearly thinks he’s the best man for the job. Rogers’s world is turned upside down when he’s accused of murdering a girl, and there aren’t many that believe he’s innocent. I’m really glad that the Author has made this story into a series, and I’m really looking forward to book 2 after enjoying this one so much.

Wow! That was quite a book. Talk about a dysfunctional workplace! What really sets this apart from most CSI-type books is it’s realism. There was enough detail to make it more realistic but without overwhelming the reader or overtaking the plot. It was nice to finally understand the meaning of some forensic terms and how many different specialists there are within the different departments and how they work together—or not. Just when I thought I knew how things were going to play out, something unexpected happened. The killer turned out to be a shock; I didn’t suspect this person at all! There was so much going on in Roger’s personal life as well and I think the author got the personal/professional mix just right. Note: this is book one in a trilogy. Although some questions are answered, others continue into the next book. All three must be read, in the proper order. They are well worth it.