Blog Blitz: No Time to Die by Andrew Barrett

About the book -

When CSI Eddie Collins finds a dead woman in his house, he thinks life can’t get any worse, until a violent gang ties his hands together and puts a gun to his head. And this time there’s no way out.

Operation Domino is the investigation into gang boss, Slade Crosby, and his connection to an undercover officer’s death. But tampered evidence kills the investigation’s progress, and with Eddie gone, Slade is in the clear.
There’s only one way to get Slade in cuffs, but it won’t be easy…

​About the author -

Andy has enjoyed variety in his professional life, from engine-builder to farmer, from Oilfield Service Technician in Kuwait, to his current role of Senior CSI in Yorkshire.
He’s been a CSI since 1996, and has worked on all scene types from terrorism to murder, suicide to rape, drugs manufacture to bomb scenes. One way or another, Andy’s life revolves around crime.
In 1997 he finished his first crime thriller, A Long Time Dead, and it’s still a readers’ favourite today, some 200,000 copies later, topping the Amazon charts several times. Two more books featuring SOCO Roger Conniston completed the trilogy.
Today, Andy is still producing high-quality, authentic crime thrillers with a forensic flavour that draw attention from readers worldwide. He’s also attracted attention from the Yorkshire media, having been featured in the Yorkshire Post, and twice interviewed on BBC Radio Leeds.
He’s best known for his lead character, CSI Eddie Collins, and the acerbic way in which he roots out criminals and administers justice. Eddie’s series is four books and two short stories in length, and there’s still more to come.
Andy is a proud Yorkshireman and sets all of his novels there, using his home city of Leeds as another major, and complementary, character in each of the stories.


My review -

In this novel by Andrew Barrett we again meet Scenes of Crime Officer Eddie Collins.  He has stormed out of a crime scene and resigned, and has been recruited to the Major Crimes Unit.  Eddie is his usual self here – irascible, sarcastic, almost permanently angry and yet vulnerable.  He becomes involved in unravelling the deaths of an undercover policeman and his wife and with investigating the murder of one of the local gang members.  There’s unrest in the Crosby gang and there’s a territory fight between them and another local group.  There are sub-plots going on in the background, as you would expect if you’ve read any of the author’s previous work.  The story is sprinkled with clues – it’s up to us to link them together.  As always, Eddie’s heart is in the right place, but acting for someone else’s good results in some heart-breaking scenes.
 
This is an energetic and exciting novel which could easily be read as a stand-alone.  There are some heart-stopping moments here, which I read with a lump in my throat - if you read it you’ll find it hard to forget.  Amongst its other themes, it deals with rape, and its after-effects, and with male domination of women.  Hard topics to read about but as well as food for thought they provide a fast and thrilling story.  The book is at once gruesome and beautiful, containing as it does, violence, tough language, wonderful writing and some very poignant moments.  Amazing contrasts and thrilling highlights make this an utterly absorbing read.

It can be found on Amazon uk here, and on Amazon dot com here and will rush you a mere 99p ($1.31) for a great read.

Andrew's website can be found  here.

PLEASE NOTE, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE BLACK BY ROSE.
Personal observation here - in my view, this title change was unnecessary. Black by Rose is a unique book title and gave the reader that wonderful lightbulb moment when the reason for the name became obvious. There are lots of books on Amazon with the new title. Sorry, publishers, you've taken a backward step here.
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