Book Reviews and More: No Time for Sorrow - J.E. Mayhew

No Time for Sorrow

DCI Will Blake Book 7.0

J.E. Mayhew

Obolus Books

Zertex Crime

ISBN 9781999840730

ASIN B093Z6685C

Wow, this is the 8th story in the DCI Will Blake series and it is another excellent read. I have read the last few stories in the order they were released. And had them pre-ordered and started them on the day they released. At the beginning I was jumping around, but now I read the stores in the order they release. I have stated before that each of the stories is strong enough to be read on its own, but they are better as part of the series and better yet being read in order. I discovered this series based on a recommendation from Alex Smith, author of the DCI Kett books. I had read all the Kett books and was awaiting the next Softley Softley book when Smith mentioned book two in this series, Fearful Symmetry, and gave it a plug. I am still waiting for that Softley novel. But have had a lot of DCI Blake stories to fill the time. I have since discovered that the author publishes under three names, much like Smith. One for Adult crime novels, J.E. Mayhew and another for Young Adult and younger readers, Jon Mayhew, and a third supernatural Urban Noir as Edwin Torr. And I have now read books under all three names. I was glad I gave that first one a try and after reading all books currently available from him, I know I will read this series as long as new books are published in it. And even pre-ordered book as soon as I saw it available. I have read 19 books by Mayhew under the three different names and they are all great reads! I also have plans to go back and read the of Mayhew’s Young Adult offerings as I am up to day on this series and the one by Torr. These books are not as gritty as the Kett novels, but they are great British crime procedural stories. When I reviewed a Kett story I stated I could see Jamie Bamber as DCI Kett, and while reading this I could not help but picture Karl Urban as DCI Will Blake. And can picture it much like the old TV series Wired in the Blood.

But let us now return to this specific book. This story is very different than many of the others in the series. It is more a pure mystery, and with a little less action and adventure, or thriller. And it has a few awesome twists. This story starts with a body turning up at the beach buried to its neck. And the victim is a crime lord that Blake and the team had had run-in’s with in the past. Soon the case is taking twists and turns no one could have expected. Blake is trying not to get ensnared with another case and his former flame. And thinks start to get messy, very messy indeed. The description of this volume is:

“Would you save a killer for the sake of Justice? When the body of a local crime lord is found buried up to his neck in the tidal sands of North Wirral, all the clues point DCI Blake and his team, towards his main rival in organised crime. But, as the investigation progresses, it turns out that there was more than one person happy to see the victim dead. Meanwhile, the man’s family have come to their own conclusions and are looking to settle the score. Blake is plunged into a violent world of gang rivalry and revenge where anyone is considered fair game. Unless he can unravel the mystery, bodies could start to pile up and it’s only a matter of time before innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire. To cap it all, a stranger arrives with a revelation that forces Blake to question what he thought he knew about his cat, Serafina...”

But something feels off and the key suspects just do not seem to fit for Blake. And soon they realize they have stumbled into something very different. And this case has similar characteristics of several murders on the continent. But can Blake piece it all together before it is too late?

It is another great read from the pen of J.E. Mayhew. It is a great offering in a fantastic series. Another book that leaves you desperate for the next volume, Dark Visions of Torment. And a little bit nervous about where the story will go next. An excellent British crime lit novel, from a master of the genre.

Books as J.E. Mayhew:

DCI William Blake Series:

0.5 Tyger Tyger

1.0 A Poison Tree

2.0 Fearful Symmetry

3.0 The Bones of the Dead

4.0 Cruelty Has A Human Heart

5.0 All the Lies

6.0 Death's Cold Hand

7.0 No Time For Sorrow

8.0 Dark Visions of Torment

…