Narrated by Warren Brown.
Released 18th may 2023 by Audible Originals.
From the cover:
Two cities, two ruthless criminals, three of the force’s best. One night to end it all.An Audible exclusive, The Only Truly Dead is the ultimate fight against corruption from one of our greatest Northern crime authors, Rob Parker.
The criminal underworld’s power has been gathering, with gangs from two cities that threaten to compromise everything Foley and Madison have fought for. Can these two detective masterminds take on the best of the best? Facing a highly illegal transport plan called The Twilight Express, our partners-in-arms must perform as never before.
The stakes become higher when Foley’s son is kidnapped, and he realises that his corrupt brother is involved. Along with their old colleague, Salix, and an IT whizz kid, they set out to crack this final case against the world’s most vulnerable. Everyone’s careers and families are on the line, after all. But it’s more than that – this is an ultimate fight for justice, played out between Manchester and Liverpool, that will have unpredictable and tragic consequences.
A dramatic Northern story for fans of Happy Valley, narrated by the inimitable Warren Brown.
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The Only Truly Dead picks up hot on the heels of the violent events at the end of book two, And Your Enemies Closer, in which former Warrington police detective Brendan Foley well and truly blotted his copy book by inadvertently helping his scoundrel of a brother Ross to takeover the criminal underworld in Liverpool, at the same time as devious Charlotte Culpepper pulled off a bloody coup to grab control of her husband's organised crime empire in Manchester.
Unfortunately, Brendan also managed to involve his former colleague Iona Madison in the disastrous turn of events. While he is trying to salvage something from the tatters of his ruined family life, Iona is now attempting to clear her name following the shocking reveal that her own boss was linked to organised crime too. With Iona's job on the line, she has no choice but to ask Brendan to come back into the fold in a final ditch attempt to bring Ross, and hopefully Charlotte Culpepper, to justice - this time on a (mostly) above-board basis with the help of familiar face from the NCA, Jeremiah Salix.... but first they need to find out what The Twilight Express is, and how the increasingly volatile Ross Foley is involved.
As events spiral out of control, with Brendan, Iona, and Salix's team always one step behind. Ross brings the battle to Brendan's home turf by kidnapping his son. Can they stop whatever Ross and Charlotte Culpepper have cooked up between them, before more innocent lives are brought to a premature end?
Welcome to the highly anticipated final instalment of the cracking Thirty Miles Trilogy, The Only Truly Dead, by Rob Parker - and what a finale it is! This book is a glorious culmination of all the twisty storylines Parker has contrived in the previous two of the series, Far From the Tree and Keep Your Enemies Closer, and for this reason you do need to have read them both to appreciate the full brilliance of how everything comes together here... you can thank me later.
This book heads rapidly into top gear from pretty much the first page, and it does not slow down for a second, as Iona and Brendan join forces with Salix (lovely to see him back) for a no holds barred take-down of organised crime in both Liverpool and Manchester. The speed and sensitivity of this operation means stepping outside the lines on more than one occasion, but there is no doubting their determination to get the job done - after all it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?
There is hard-edged action galore, with plenty of grit to please even the most demanding of crime story connoisseurs, all very much in the fast-paced and totally addictive vein that Parker does so well. The tension ramps up notch by notch, bolstered by a highly entertaining thread of mystery, as our team do all they can to find out what the term The Twilight Express means - and when they do, Parker enigineers a heart-stopping climax that left me open mouthed and teetering on the edge of my seat, as it plays out blow by visceral blow.
I have come to really appreciate Warren Brown's voice talents over the course of this series, and once again he keeps the story moving with perfect timing and expression. Eventually, I gave up trying to do anything while listening to this audio book, and just sat and absorbed Brown's narration, held spellbound by the combination of his voice and Parker's gripping story!
As someone who has followed Parker's literary career closely, and absolutely consumed his work, I can tell you that this book is a shining example of him at the top of his game. I loved the whole thrilling story from knock-out beginning to bitter-sweet end, especially the little twist that hits you right between the eyes as a parting gift - which will be gold for those of you who have read as many of Parker's books as I have. Well played Rob... you made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck with that little surprise!
If you are a fan of beautifully crafted northern crime (or from any region, or country, for that matter), then Rob Parker should definitely be on your radar. I cannot wait for whatever comes next!
The Only Truly Dead is available exclusively from Audible Originals now!
Thank you to Midas PR for sending me a free copy o this audio book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Rob writes full time, as well as organising and attending various author events across the UK. Passionate about inspiring a love of the written word in young people, he spends a lot of time in schools across the North West, encouraging literacy, storytelling and creative-writing. He is also a co-host of the For Your Reconsideration film podcast, and a regular voice on both the Blood Brothers crime book podcast and the Really, 007! podcast.
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