Published 1st November 2022 by Dark Edge Press.
From the cover of the book:
An informant goes missing after disclosing to DS Martin Draker, of the Northwest's Regional Organised Crime unit, that a corrupt police official is importing heroin from India.Field analyst Cath, is investigating an upsurge in deaths caused by a new drug with similar effects to cocaine.
A body, believed to be that of the missing informant, is discovered in a burned-out car, along with a note threatening further deaths if the police don't back off.
Cath launches a TV appeal warning of the dangers of Sky White. The gangster, Dan Manning, is incensed; she could kill the new drug’s market before it gets going.
Before Manning has a chance to stop her, the police must catch him before the body count rises.
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There is a new form of cocaine on the streets of Blackpool all the way from India, and the addicts are lining up to give it a try, but although the big hit Sky White provides is tempting, it also has some nasty side effects - and it could be lethal.
The sudden rise in addict deaths attracts the notice of police field analyst, and ex-investigative journalist, Cath Moore. She heads to Blackpool to investigate whether there is a bad batch of something nasty out there, and what she discovers has her very worried indeed.
Meanwhile, Moore's new romantic interest DS Martin Draker, of the Northwest's Regional Organised Crime unit, has his hands full investigating the claims of an informant that a corrupt police official is involved in importing a new drug from India. When the informant goes missing, seemingly at the instigation of a nasty character who has crossed Draker's path before, one Dan 'The Man' Manning, he is determined to bring the guilty parties to justice - despite being warned off.
Moore puts out a TV appeal warning of the dangers of Sky White, and she and Draker begin to realise that their cases are closely connected. Unfortunately, this also puts them both in the sights of a very incensed Manning, who will not brook any interference in his plans to make a fortune from the drug. Can they catch him before more bodies start piling up?
Having thoroughly enjoyed The Badge and The Pen books from Roger A. Price, I could not wait to get stuck into his new police procedural series, and it was everything I was hoping for. Inside Threat introduces a new pairing of compelling characters, with echoes of the police-journalist vibe from Price's previous trilogy, but this time the central protagonists both work under the auspices of the police force - one serving copper in DS Draker, and one police analyst, Cath Moore.
Price kicks off the story with a seriously disturbing prologue that introduces you to the risks of taking Sky White in gut-wrenching detail. He then sets Draker and Moore off on the threads of their seemingly separate twisty investigations, travelling from pillar to post in north-west England (and occasionally to India), and delving into knotty policing issues on one side and the dark underbelly of Blackpool the tourists do not see on the other. As it begins to become clear that their cases cross over, there is a lovely build up of suspense before Draker and Moore realise this themselves. Once their plotlines collide, Price has a ball ramping up the danger, intrigue, and menace, as the unpleasant characters who plan to make their fortunes from Sky White take umbrage at Draker and Moore's involvement - especially since Manning already has an axe to grind with Draker. As the situation spirals out of control, Price uses the themes of greed, corruption, double-dealing and revenge to keep you on the edge of your seat, before flooring you with a divine little surprise that I did not see coming. Well played, Roger!
As is Price's forte, the wealth of knowledge he has under his belt from his own years on the force lends this book a solid air of authenticity. There is oodles of gritty drama to keep you turning the pages, but I love how he takes you through the procedures too, ensuring you are fully versed in how the police make sure their investigations get the best chance of a successful prosecution. I very much enjoyed the insight Price gives in this story about how the police force not only gather information through the use of informants, but by using field analysts to examine the mass of data that comes their way from Moore's part of the tale, which I have not previously read about. And the glimpse at what happens when a new drug is identified and incorporated into the Dangerous Drugs Act is fascinating.
This is an excellent first instalment in the DS Martin Draker series. Perfectly paced, slickly conceived, and nicely balanced between the parts played by Draker and Moore, with a clever bit of word play in the title. I absorbed this in a single, highly enjoyable sitting, and am already looking forward to the next one!
Inside Threat is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.
Thank you to Dark Edge Press for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
He’d led the C.I.D. in Preston and had been in charge of a dedicated informant unit. Previous experiences included work on many murders and other serious crimes. He served nationally and overseas in Europe and the Far East. He was commended on four occasions.
After leaving the police force, he got a proper job, as a writer of crime fiction.
His first two novels – By Their Rules (2013) and A New Menace (2014) were published by Pegasus, and his next three by Lume Books, which are: Nemesis (2016), Vengeance (2017) and Hidden (2019).
His novels have over 1200 ratings/reviews on Amazon and Goodreads averaging 4.5 stars and his work has attracted the Amazon Number 1 Bestseller status in their main listings on three occasions.
He is also developing a TV crime drama titled The Fixers and when he is not writing, he enjoys riding his motorcycle, playing the guitar, and starting to work out what greenhouses are for.
Wow, Sue, just wow; what a review! Thank you so much and I'm so glad you like it post-Badge & Pen - which was always a worry, that Inside Threat would stack up. I'll be around all day and keep popping back should any of your followers have any questions, thanks again.
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