Deadly Games (Cavendish & Walker, #1)

by Sally Rigby

I'm always looking for police procedurals to read. Especially with female detectives. Unfortunately it's often hit and miss. This was somewhere in the middle.

I came to like both of the main characters but I struggled to start with. George was alright but Whitney was a total jerk with a massive chip on her shoulder about academics. It was ridiculous. She grated on my nerves a lot to start with - she took offence to everything and it was exhausting.

I can't say I particularly noticed George's snobbish behaviour before it was pointed out - I felt like it was she had trouble relating to others rather than actively disapproving of anyone. Still I liked how the characters evolved and came to see the benefits of their own and each other's characteristics.

At one point Whitney asks George out for a drink and mentions about she hoped that she didn't think it was a date - but honestly I kind of wished it had of been - I felt like that would've been a unique angle to take the story in.

The procedural itself was alright. I more or less guessed the culprit and I liked that the evidence was all laid out logically. It was a little bland but it was decently written and much better than a lot of other procedurals I've read. There were a few plot holes Lydia's diary? Who was staring at her? and the motives for the murders? that weren't quite wrapped up but most of the loose ends were tied up.

One thing I hated though were the insert chapters of the killer's mind. It jolted me out of the story and took away from the narrative. They served no real purpose and it would've been a stronger story without their inclusion.

3 stars.