Under Parr

by Andrea Bramhall

[layawaydragon]

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Content Warning: PTSD, Abusive Relationships, Bullying, Assisted Living and Death,

I was so impressed with how Under Parr hit the ground running and included so much background it felt like the team had been working together forever. I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series until I went to add the book information to this post. Oops. Well, at least you know you can read it as a standalone for sure!

While they discuss the previous case and its consequences are far-reaching for Kate, Gina, and Sammy, I didn’t have any problem keeping up or understanding.

Under Parr opens with a prologue of the murder taking place, and starts with Kate on the way to the scene some 3 years later. I was immediately hooked by it and found the dementia patient’s POV heartbreaking.

Kate is a standard seasoned detective, with a close set of co-workers that insult each other as a way of communicating. Coffee addiction? Betting pools? Sexual jokes? Of course, the more the merrier! Her family history is sad and lends her insight on this particular case. Work, her dog, and her budding relationship with Gina is all she has going on, TBH.

There’s two rookies they’re training up and joke about being pretty boys that take forever to get ready. I’m quite certain how one of them is going to end up…

Gina is an endearing struggling single mom. Her and Sammy’s trauma, recovery, and relationship evolving because of it is heartbreaking. I understand a quite a bit since my daughter and I have gone through something similar with escaping abusive family. It’s handled and portrayed very well.

Gina’s relationship with her mother comes into play as well as the camp Gina’s running after her predecessor’s death in the first book. With dating Kate, the PTSD, and the case, there’s a lot going on in Under Parr. However, it never felt overwhelming or confusing. I think the pieces were weaved together well.

But Sammy seemed far too young for her age. At 9, she’s saying “fink” instead of think, with her mom and teachers having to correct her all the time. Maybe I’m missing something from the first book, but that’s unusual and kept throwing me every time it happened.

All the little realist bits and pieces of what they couldn’t and couldn’t do as compared to CSI was cool. How it works over the pond in general is fascinating. Like making the forensics department civilians? And the people forced into service that were sent to mines and kept after the war? Holy fuck!

FYI: They’re call Belvin Boys.

I am very interested in reading the first book, Collide-O-Scope, and continuing the series as it’s published.

Recommended for: Fans of crime mysteries, English countryside, and lesbians just being lesbians without it being a big deal.

Other Ylva Books I recommend:

~~Defensive Mindset
~~Here’s the Thing
~~Points of Departure