In a city as old as London, the discovery is hardly surprising. But when 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 . . .
In Unholy Murder, Tennison must lift the lid on the most chilling murder case of her career.
Jane Tennison has been through a lot in her relatively short policing career. Despite the additional challenges of having to fight to prove herself in a male dominated world, Jane perseveres and continues to shine, bringing her considered and careful attention to each case. An unusual call about a coffin on a building site sets off a chain of discoveries that take a dark turn. Without a clear answer of who lies within the coffin and when they were buried, the odds of cracking the case seem stacked against the team. Add in a layer of complexity from dealing with the church and the team really have an uphill task. Jane is her usual tenacious self but is this a bridge too far?
I have written multiple times about how much I love this series of books. It’s been quite a journey and with each review I feel a bit sad as we are nearing the last few instalments. This time around I felt that Jane was a little different than some of the previous stories. Her decision making, particularly at the beginning of the case was interesting and I don’t know that I fully agreed with her initial approach. It didn’t change how much I love her as a character and in some ways it’s nice to see a little bit of a different side. I enjoy the story being set back a few decades and I’ve been diving in and not giving it too much of a thought but I did laugh aloud when Jane encounters a microwave for the first time. I do forget what technology I take for granted.
The story explores a relationship between the Catholic Church and the police and I found it interesting to see the different barriers and difficulties encountered. It’s an interesting slant on a difficult relationship and I think it was well written. As always Lynda writes an engrossing story which takes the reader on a journey and makes it difficult to pause and set the book down. If you’re new to her writing please do consider starting from book one Tennison. The stories can be read in isolation but you would miss the depth and character development that each story brings. It’s a great series for crime readers and those who want a strong female character to root for!
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