Fade to Dead: Book 1 in the Jessica Wideacre series Paperback – 19 May 2016

As a fan of crime fiction and a good, page turning detective book, I read the synopsis for Fade to Dead and was instantly sold. A serial killer with a cool name and gimmick, a Detective with a crumble social life and a drink problem? I'm in.The first thing to say is I LOVE the way Tara Moore writes. It's almost at times, like she is having a conversation with you. As if she is there with you, letting each sentence roll off her tongue in a very casual manner. I am used to detective books being rather clinical, as if they are writing to show their knowledge of how the police work is actually done. Moore, although meticulous with her detail, has a way of writing that is fully engaging and incredibly lively. She made the crimes and the crime scenes come alive.The killer is scary, with the gaps of why they are doing it, being filled in slowly as the case progresses. With each murder more gruesome than the last, you know he is building up to a grand finale, especially with a name like 'The Director'. For a moment I was sure I knew what was going on, even a little disappointed that it was TOO obvious and then.....BLAM!! Let's just say, I never saw it coming! I won't spoil it.....I will just dare you to figure it out!DI Jessica Wideacre is a great leading character, with enough depth and more importantly, enough faults to make her feel human. She struggles with image issues, a marriage she feels is being killed by her work and an increasing reliance on wine. All of this wraps around her nicely as she actually, at times, is unlikable. Noble, sure, but there were a few times in the book that I actually didn't like her. Which is good, because no one is a squeaky clean hero.Her boss, Beckwith, is another great character although I found their love/hate relationship a little forced maybe at times. But it definitely has potential to grow in what I hope will be more books for this character. I would love to read a little more as their were a couple of members of Wideacre's team that I thought could have been fleshed out a little more. Whilst minor characters, Moore clearly has the ability to add depth and believe-ability to her characters and there were a couple that felt a little understated.All in all, a fantastic read. If you are a fan of Leigh Russell or Angela Marsons, I couldn't recommend this enough. A first class crime novel!

"Fade to Dead is the first thrilling book in the Jessica Wideacre series"............ well the book's blurb description certainly lived up to that - thrilling, gripping and engaging, with a really original storyline and an aptly named title - I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.This British police procedural is brilliantly written by a new author to me Tara Moore whose writing is so polished and professionally expressed you would think this was an established sequel in the series.All of the characters were strong, believable and likeable but I particularly loved DI Jessica Wideacre, a stubborn unpopular but truly dedicated officer who doesn't care what she says or to whom. Her personal life is in turmoil but still her drive and determination to find the serial killer of young girls in London is commendable.It was so refreshing to read about police officers that are actually human (going to bed at night, eating and having a personal life) rather than the 'superhuman' characters in other books that never seem to sleep or eat when solving crimes.I was informed by a couple friends that this book had an unexpected ending and oh my! - I too definitely didn't expect that and I thought it a very fitting and surprising ending to this unique story.With a really scary deranged serial killer called "The Director" targeting young girls, great dialogue and banter this really was my kind of book, I highly recommend "Fade to Dead" and hope to meet Jessica again soon.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fade to Dead. I read it on my commute to work, and it made the journey fly by (the sign of a good read). It follows DI Jessica Wideacre as she scrambles to stop a serial killer, The Director, before he strikes again. Jessica's character is superbly written and easy to warm to. Whether she's interrogating suspects (again, well written with individual voices and not just stock 'bad' guys) or dealing with issues in her personal life, it’s easy to get drawn in and feel like you're investigating the streets of South London and being dragged over the emotional coals with her.The Director is a great adversary. It's an intriguing set-up with him looking for 'stars' for his next film, and the time spent with him, is genuinely unsettling and ratchets up the tension. The ending totally took me by surprise. I found myself burning through the last few chapters, eager to find out how it was all going to end, and like some books I’ve read lately, I wasn't disappointed at all.To sum up, If you're looking for a great thriller with strong characters, immersive writing and some great twists and turns, give Fade to Dead a look – you won't be disappointed.

I have to admit I'm not one to read fiction generally. Being a Life & Business Coach you'll usually find me with my head stuck in some 'Self Help', 'Metaphysical' or 'Coaching' manual. However I was intrigued when I heard about this book. I have in the past enjoyed the likes of 'Prime Suspect' and also the writings of Patricia Cornwell and this sounded to me of that genre. Well, I wasn't disappointed! Suffice is to say that I read this book cover to cover in 2 days flat - and it's not exactly a short book! I picked it up during my hols and all the books I had planned to read just had to wait. I really like the humanity of the main character and the whole story just flowed as a gripping thriller should. Do not be surprised if this shows up on TV as a mini series - or hopefully a full series if Tara graces us with some follow ups! (Please Tara, do!) Bottom-line is I really, really enjoyed this book and the twist at the end...no, I did NOT see that coming at all. Great read - would highly recommend it. Five stars all the way!