Like I said I've read another book by this author called Judas Horse, and I wasn't a big fan of that book. It felt pretty ordinary for me and didn't have the draw and hook I want from a crime and thriller book. But I'm glad to say that I enjoyed this book a lot more than Judas Horse. It isn't a fast-paced gripping thriller, but it did have a lot to keep me hooked on the mystery, and I just love the way everything fell into place. There was a lot of information to digest and wrap your head around that I found it kept me engaged.

Unholy Murder: The edge-of-your-seat Sunday Times - WHSmith

She was caught up with an unnecessary romance with someone that could be involved in the case, which she thought it was love after only meeting once professionally and one date. The worst romance (sort-of) was the one with the Priest. A Priest for the love of God. Also, the romance couldn't be more cheesier and cringy. In a city as old as London, the discovery is hardly surprising. But w hen scratch marks are found on the inside of the coffin lid, Detective Jane Tennison believes she has unearthed a mystery far darker than any she's investigated before. However, not everyone agrees. Tennison's superiors dismiss it as an historic cold case, and the Church seems desperate to conceal the facts from the investigation. It's clear that someone is hiding the truth, and perhaps even the killer. Tennison must pray she can find both - before they are buried forever . . . This book is part of a series (7th of the detective Tennison) but can also be read as a standalone if you prefer. It reads well alone and is a full piece so you won't really miss any details or necessary ideas introduced in other books.Tough, brilliant and damaged, [Tennison] shook up the genre forever by showing a female detective overcoming sexism and adversity to reach the top' - DAILY EXPRESS This novel featured an interesting group of supporting characters, including police officers, suspects, and members of the church. The author’s great use of multiple character perspectives in this novel was perfect to highlight these various side characters, and I liked how it also helped to make some of the people connected to the case seem more suspicious or guilty. While there were several characters I liked, I mostly want to focus on the various police characters featured within Unholy Murder, as they were a major part of the plot. Not only do you have several recurring police characters from the prior Jane Tennison novels but there are also some great new characters who were very fun to follow. I quite liked rookie investigator DC Boon, a young officer that Tennison has taken under her wing. While he initially appears a bit clumsy and clueless, he really starts to grow as a character as the novel progressed, becoming a much more competent investigator. He also becomes a lot more serious, especially once he gets personally involved in the case, and there are some deep and emotional moments that occur around him as the novel progresses. In Canada, this book is so timely as we are all mourning the gruesome discovery of children's bodies at residential schools run by the Catholic Church. However, not everyone agrees. Tennison’s superiors dismiss it as an historic cold case, and the Church seems desperate to conceal the facts from the investigation.

Unholy Murder By Lynda La Plante |The Works

I also really liked both of the characters we had here. DCS Barnes, a completely new character to me, was particularly interesting with his past history with the Church. I liked that La Plante didn’t shy away from showing the biases that are inherent even to investigators who are meant to look at crimes through as objective a lens as possible. It’s simply not possible for a person not to bring their own baggage to some of these scenes, so it was nice to see the author give her characters these natural flaws. But with the turn of a new year, we were starting to feel a little nostalgic about John and Jamie's predecessors and the stars of the show who have sadly left the cast. Keep scrolling to take a look at some of the show's best-known faces and how they've changed over the years… It's clear that someone is hiding the truth, and perhaps even the killer. Tennison must pray she can find both - before they are buried forever . . . Unholy Murder is an excellent new novel that continues the excellent Jane Tennison series by the amazing Lynda La Plante. Featuring a clever mystery, some great characters and a really intriguing plot hook, Unholy Murder easily grabs the reader’s attention and ensures that they become deeply attached to the outcome of the story. I had an outstanding time reading this latest book and I look forward to the next instalment of this fun series in 2022. In stupidity and unprofessionalism she definitely has a partner, DC Boon. They both have to be trained in how to keep their mouth shut to people that have nothing to do with the case. I can even point out the unfortunate events that could have been avoided if they knew how to do their job properly.There was a lot of interesting information about the church, sisters vs nuns, convents and burial rites in the book. Lots of different theories tying into the murder(s), one of which was that the builders were involved. Or was it other nuns? A local priest? The Bishop had done some serious, serious cover ups in the past so the plethora of potential suspects and theories kept it interesting for me. The church looks real great in this one but it was interesting to see internal politics in play. One of the more interesting aspects of the entire novel was the inclusion of the Catholic Church as a major force in the investigation. While some of the lower-level clergy and staff are initially helpful, once the case is revealed to be a murder, potentially committed by someone working at the convent, senior church members work hard to halt the investigation and try to protect themselves and the reputation of the church. This was a fascinating and intense part of the investigation, and it added in layers of complexities and difficulties that the protagonists are forced to overcome. The case becomes even more complicated, with multiple allegations of abuse or brutality from the sisters at the convent coming to light. I really appreciated the way La Plante worked this aspect into the novel, and it was fascinating to see this in a historical context as I am personally more used to hearing about these sorts of issues in the 21 st century. The impacts of the church and its members on the case are pretty fascinating, especially as it makes the solution a lot more clouded, and some resolutions a lot more controversial. While some authors would use this to simply bash the church, La Plante paints a more complex and multifaceted story here, attempting to show that some of the clergy characters were really good people bound by rules, their oaths or the ambitions of others who abuse their roles and responsibilities for their own aims. I felt that they author’s use and inclusion of the Catholic Church in this novel helped to make Unholy Murder a much better novel, and it ensured that the case was a lot more intense and complex. Blunt Force, the previous novel in the Tennison series was my least favourite. I was worried Unholy Murder would follow up from Jane's previous investigation. I have read of all of the Tennison books both in this series and the Prime Suspect books. I loved the first four of the young Jane investigations . The previous two not so much. Compared to other books I have recently read, this one was a success!!! YES!! Unholy Murder is the seventh book in the Tennison series, but it can be read as a standalone. I have not read any of the other in the series and did not feel like I have missed anything as past situations are mentioned. I did like Tennison and am interested in how she got her start in a male dominated field, especially for the time period this novel takes place in.

Chaos: The grisly film that has caused outrage Lords of Chaos: The grisly film that has caused outrage

There’s also some heavy flavor text for one of the Origin characters if you choose to be a baddie too. So, if you’re playing the character in question, you can get some nice touches for doing all of this content. This book is very well written and plotted as are all of Ms. La Plante's novels. Her characters are colorful. We learn sufficient information about their personal ives to make them more interesting, but not so much that it intrudes on the story. I like learning about the personal side of the detectives. I am somewhat disappointed in the Tennison character. I don't like her inability to follow the rules and the fact that she hopped into bed after knowing a guy for two days. That was a real turn off. Detective Jane Tennison must lift the lid on the most chilling murder case of her career—in this brand new thriller from Lynda La Plante, the international bestselling author who "practically invented the thriller." (Karin Slaughter)Unholy Murder has an intriguing premise that actually delivers: a coffin is dug up and it has a nun inside and it appears she was buried alive!?!? What happened to her and why??? Secrets and lies, the Catholic Church and more: Bring it on! And this novel became so much more than I expected with its twists and turns. La Plante is a great author whose books I have featured several times over the last few years. Best known for her work in British television, where she produced and wrote several shows and television movies, La Plante has really started to focus more on her novels recently, producing some awesome and compelling reads. Out of all her recent works, the one I have been enjoying the most is the outstanding Jane Tennison series. Serving as a prequel to the acclaimed Prime Suspect television series, the Jane Tennison novels follow a younger version of the show’s protagonist, the titular Jane Tennison, as she works her way up the ranks of the Metropolitan Police. This series has so far contained several awesome and impressive novels, including Good Friday, Murder Mile, The Dirty Dozen and Blunt Force. The latest entry in the series, Unholy Murder, contained another amazing mystery that sets the protagonist against the dangerous influence of the Catholic Church. DCI John Barnaby, Hattie Bainbridge and DS Jamie Winter in Midsomer Murders. BENTLEY PRODUCTIONS FOR ITV