Dead Eyed by Matt Brolly

When I was asked if I would read and review the book, my answer was (obviously) yes. I do have a soft spot for mysteries after all, and this one, with the creepy murder and latin words, sounded really interesting.

Dead Eyed follows DCI Michael Lambert, who was more than just a normal policeman (I don't mean superhero, I meant with his job) when a horrible accident brought everything to a halt. But, a murderer called the Soul Jacker starts killing again, after an 18 year pause. Since this murderer is closely linked to the past (and one of his friends got pictures of the murder), Lambert can't help but do some investigating of his own. Of course, this means he gets to cross paths with the official investigator, DCI Sarah May.

I really, really liked this mystery. For one thing, the twist completely through me for a loop. You'd think that after reading so many mysteries, I'd learn to expect that predict the twist, but I did not see this one coming.

I also liked the relationship between Lambert and May, though not as much as the mystery. The two of them had obvious chemistry from the start, but the fact that Lambert is married put quite a bit of a wrench into things. I did like that Lambert did not immediately go after May. Their relationship by the end of the book gives me hope that we can see it grow slowly and naturally over the next couple of books, instead of them being instantly established as some sort of super-couple.

As far as mysteries go, this one seemed to be fairly 'normal' for the world. I use 'normal' because the book introduces us to what Lambert's job really is, which makes me think that the next few mysteries could be a lot more ambitious than a serial killer (though it's hard to imagine a crime worse than killing and mutilating multiple people). But I can totally see the non-personal stakes getting higher and higher as Lambert pulls himself together and goes back to work.

Overall, this was a really great novel. The twist during the reveal of the mystery surprised me, and throughout the whole book, I found myself really rooting for Lambert and May (not as a couple, not yet, but as separate characters). I look forward to reading more from Matt Brolly.

Disclaimer: I got a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review.