“Look, I accept it may turn out to be an accident, but I don’t want anyone being too focused on that conclusion yet. I want us driving forward assuming someone took this boy’s life.”
“The Crying Cave Killings”, by Wes Markin
I’m delighted to join the blog tour of “The Crying Cave Killings” by Wes Markin. Many thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, the publishers Boldwood Books, and of course the author for organising the tour and gifting me a copy of the eBook.
The story:
In 2003, 15-year-old Graham Lock was found murdered in Mother Shipton’s Cave in North Yorkshire. A young PC, Paul Riddick was on the scene, and it became a case that defined his career, bringing him to the attention of his former mentor DI Anders Smith.
Now, 20 years later, Riddick discovers the body of young boy Stephen Best in St Robert’s Cave, and he immediately sees a possible connection to the former case.
But that case was solved and a man convicted — a man who later died in prison. Could the wrong man have been convicted? And if so, was it a mistake, or a cover up?
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series by Wes Markin (“The Viaduct Killings” and “The Lonely Lake Killings”), so I am delighted to report that this is probably my favourite instalment yet!
It is good to be back in the company of DCI Emma Gardner and DI Paul Riddick, although in this story they spend most of their time apart… With Riddick involved in Stephen Best’s mysterious death (at best as a witness, at worst as a suspect), Gardner is forced to team up with newly promoted DI Phil Rice, son of DCI Derek Rice who closed the Lock case 20 years ago.
The story has several threads that the author weaves together well, from the past and current cases linked to the caves, to the parallel story of a drug dealer recruiting teens to work for him — a thoroughly unlikable character who knows more than Riddick would like about his own past mistakes.
Riddick is his usual complex, maverick self in this book, determined to find out the truth from 20 years ago. The link to the present day crime seems coincidental at best, but the more Riddick delves into the past, the more he comes to believe that justice hasn’t been served. Meanwhile, Gardner has her work cut dealing with the death of Stephen Best, a pretty unpleasant acting deputy, and her own personal issues with the breakdown of her marriage.
The various strands of the story are concluded in an exciting finale that took me by surprise, and once again set up further intrigue for the next book. This story could easily be read as a standalone, but I’d definitely recommend reading the others in the series to enjoy Gardner and Riddick’s story from the start!
Pages: 466
Published: 23rd July 2023
Rating: 🐈🐈🐈🐈.5/5
Purchase link: https://mybook.to/Cryingcavesocial
About the author
Wes Markin is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels, set in Salisbury. His new series for Boldwood stars the pragmatic detective DCI Emma Gardner who will be tackling the criminals of North Yorkshire. Wes lives in Harrogate and the first book in The Yorkshire Murders series, “The Viaduct Killings” was published in November 2022.
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