This Side of Death by Andrew Barrett @AndrewBarrettUK @rararesources

Posted August 14, 2020 by midnightreview in Reviews / 1 Comment

Synopsis

This Side of Death. When the past comes back to hunt you.

Alex Sheridan believes the only way she can be free of her demons is to kill the men in her life. She has a list, and Crime Scene Investigator Eddie Collins is on it.
Death misses Eddie by inches, and Alex is locked away in Juniper Hill high-security hospital.

Everything is fine for Eddie until one day four years later, when Alex escapes. This time she’s better prepared.

The week that follows ruptures Eddie’s life and shatters the belief he had in his own past, leaving him wondering what really happened, and facing one stark choice: who to kill and who to save.

This Side of Death is the most revealing CSI Eddie Collins novel to date. Prepare to see inside his past and understand what makes him the angriest, most feared, and yet most respected CSI in England.

If you like fast-paced and gripping crime thrillers with a strong forensic element, you’ll love Andrew Barrett’s This Side of Death. It will appeal to fans of Kathy Reichs, Robert Bryndza and Angela Marsons.

My Review

Another Eddie Collins book, I could not say no to reading and reviewing. I have really come to love the character of Eddie, although I would never say that to his face.

Andrew states, in the preface of this book, that he wrote this after a short story of Eddies kept him wondering, what did happen next? That short story was The Note and happens to be the first ever story I read of Andrew’s. That story has been reworked and kick starts the action here.

The Writing

This book focuses more heavily on Eddie’s life than ever before. This case is personal and he is front and center. The crimes are gruesome but interspersed with Eddie’s dark humour. As usual the scene setting is suberb. You get totally pulled into his world. Feel the rain, experience the cold and suffer the smells right along side him. I love being fully immersed in a story.

Eddie

Eddie’s character is so well written, he is snarky and often crosses the line into rude, however, at his core he really does care. If you’ve earned his respect that is. There is a really touching scene with Sid that really does add an extra dimension to his personality.

You get to see the lives of the other officers as well and a couple of promising new characters join the team. I’m looking forward to seeing how they develop. Of course, some old favorites are there too. Benson, Sid and Kenny among them.

Final Thoughts

This Side of Death kept me on my toes throughout. I was never sure which way it was going to go or what the final outcome would be. The revelations that Eddy is confronted with about his own life with have far reaching consequences. As always, the pace is perfect and it is a true ‘can’t put it down’ read.

I can’t wait to see what is in store for Eddy next. If you like the sound of Eddie, don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.

My thanks to Rachel for my invite onto the tour and to Andrew for a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Side-Death-comes-Collins-ebook/dp/B08C4MC5J7

US – https://www.amazon.com/This-Side-Death-comes-Collins-ebook/dp/B08C4MC5J7

Author Bio

Andrew Barrett became a CSI in 1996, and finished his first crime thriller, A Long Time Dead in 1997. Two more books completed the SOCO Roger Conniston trilogy.

Andrew still produces authentic crime thrillers with a forensic flavour. He’s known for his lead character, CSI Eddie Collins, and the acerbic way in which he roots out criminals. Eddie’s series is five books and three novellas in length.

Andrew is a proud Yorkshireman and sets all of his novels in Leeds.

You can find out more about him and his writing at www.andrewbarrett.co.uk

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AndrewBarrettUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewBarrett.author

Exclusive Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BarrettERG/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewbarrettauthor

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-Barrett/e/B0055888Q0/

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Barrett/e/B0055888Q0/

YouTube: Andrew Barrett on YouTube