Fans of the good ol’ police procedural enjoy nothing more than a nice, juicy series, which is why many followers of this sub-genre will already be familiar with author Biba Pearce and her creation, the London-based DCI Rob Miller. We are on book eight, after all. But if, like me, you’re new to this series – never fear, because The Putney Bridge Killer works pretty well as a standalone too.
As the story begins, a young woman takes the ferry from Chelsea Harbour to Putney, heading home after a day of working at the Design Centre. It’s raining and she’s rushing to meet her fiance at a bar nearby. But Lucy never gets there. Instead, she is brutally attacked and soon the bride to be is dead, her violated body callously abandoned under Putney Bridge. Another victim of the Surrey Stalker.
But it can’t be! Because the Surrey Stalker is dead too, killed in self defence by Miller himself, five years ago. It’s obvious that there’s a copycat on the loose, but this imitator knows far too much about the minutiae of the previous murders. Could someone within the Major Investigation Team be feeding them information? It certainly appears that way when evidence that was never revealed at the time of the previous murder spree is shockingly made public.
Lots to think about, then, as this tale unfolds, and as Miller begins to doubt himself, the killings keep on coming. It doesn’t take too long for the press to put two and two together and become convinced that The Surrey Stalker is back – but could there be a master manipulator pulling their strings? Ah, that would be telling…
Much of this may feel like old ground for hardened police procedural lovers, but where Pearce gets ahead of the pack is in creating some fascinating characters along the way. Front and centre is PC Trent, a fresh faced newcomer to the team who is determined to prove his worth to his boss. He idolises Miller and is an intuitive copper who should go a long way as a detective. In a world of hard bitten and cynical police officers, Trent is a little chink of sunlight – and I found myself perking up every time he made an appearance.
Also look out for Monica Burridge, mother of the Surrey Stalker and a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and Felicity Mayhew, who is Miller’s boss and has more layers than a wedding cake. There is also a plethora of supporting players who are destined to send you off on more than one wild goose chase, so it’s best not to take anyone at face value.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted – the killer’s calling card, in particular, is stomach-turning – but the author succeeds in conveying an authentic depiction of what working a crime actually entails. No Eureka moments here. It’s hard graft and tedious, brain-numbing tasks are the way forward if they’re going to catch an elusive, clever perpetrator.
That attention to procedural detail can drag the narrative at times, but there are plenty of moments when the pages begin to fly by – it’s clear that Biba Pearce is skilled at varying pace and creating drama.
This is a book for fans of RC Bridgestock, Cara Hunter and Carol Wyer, readers who enjoy being immersed in the ebb and flow of a police investigation. If you have read plenty of police procedurals, then parts of The Putney Bridge Killer may seem vaguely familiar, but Pearce is a writer who can still blindside and surprise the reader and it’s those clever moments that encourage you to keep on going.
We’ve gone back in the CFL archives to unearth five of the best police procedurals.
Joffe Books
Print/Kindle/iBooks
£0.99
CFL Rating: 3 Stars
