It's Publication Day for Deadly Harm by Owen Mullen. It's a domestic noir thriller that tackles difficult topics with the realism and honesty it deserves.
Owen Mullen is a McIlvanney Crime Book Of The Year and best selling author.
Owen graduated from Strathclyde University, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; he still loves to perform on occasion. His passion for travel has taken him on many adventures from the Amazon and Africa to the colourful continent of India and Nepal. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow, and their home in the Greek Islands where Owen writes.
Follow @OwenMullen6 @Bloodhoundbook on Twitter, Follow Owen Mullen on Instagram, on Facebook, on Youtube, Amazon Author page, Goodreads Author page, Bookbub page,
Buy Deadly Harm
It’s been five years since Mackenzie Darroch was abducted and held captive in a derelict house.
She thought she'd found her way out of the darkness. She was wrong.
When she witnesses a car crash and saves the driver’s life, it sets in motion a chain of events that will alter both their futures.
The two women get involved in a high profile police case and draw the attention of a ruthless reporter. Gina Calvi is convinced Mackenzie is not what she appears and is prepared to do anything to prove it.
Meanwhile, across the city, Kirsty McBride, a young single mother, is persuaded to leave a violent relationship. Her partner, Malkie Boyle a Glasgow hardman, is due to be released from prison. Once back on the street and bent on revenge, Boyle is determined to find the people responsible for stealing his family from him. Can Mackenzie save them or will Boyle get his revenge?
As I mentioned in my review of Mullen's Out of Silence, he has a penchant for tackling the topics of abuse, victimisation and domestic violence, as they pertain to women. Where others mansplain and fail to hit the mark, Mullen approaches said topics from the victim's perspective.
This is the follow-up to In Harm's Way, which also features DS Geddes and Mackenzie. The story starts with two women burying a body then the reader gets swooped up into the world Mackenzie inhabits now. She runs a refuge for abused women. Geddes gets in touch with her to try and convince a young woman to leave her abusive husband, which is where the story actually does start.
I have to be honest I got so wrapped up in the story that I completely forgot about anyone burying a body. (The story does return to that moment)
Fear lives on...
No truer words can be spoken when it comes to domestic violence. Even if someone does manage to extricate themselves from a domestic violence situation it doesn't mean the fear magically disappears. It doesn't, partly because victims comprehend the very harsh and real fact that society and the rule of law has not built in enough measures to keep victims safe. That is just the stone cold truth.
The reality of escaping is a financial and emotional imbalance created by society and the perpetrator. The victim can only be safe if they leave everything behind and start afresh. It sounds so easy to anyone not in that situation. It isn't, and it is part of the reason victims find it so hard to leave. There isn't sufficient support to stay safe or start anew.
It's a domestic noir thriller that tackles difficult topics with the realism and honesty it deserves. Just one more thing, I have to give a shout out to my favourite character, Grandpa Boyle. Don't ever mess with his Liquorice Allsorts - ever.
Buy Deadly Harm at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bloodhound Books; pub date 15 Oct. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.
Read my review of Out of Silence by Owen Mullen
No comments:
Post a Comment