The Girls in the Lake (Dr Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer
Genre: Crime fiction, thriller
Read: 29th January 2020
Purchase: Amazon
(publiation date: 9th December 2019)
★★★★ 4 stars
The second in what is promising to be an exciting new series, THE GIRLS IN THE LAKE is an intriguing continuation set just a month after the end of the first book "The Girl in the Grave". I like the easy flow of this series which doesn't bog the reader down in an overwhelming wealth of information which has us Googling for answers at the same time. And the short snappy chapters keep the story moving along at a steady yet increasing pace throughout.
Dr Beth Adams is a forensic pathologist who, after a working as an A&E doctor until her boyfriend tried to kill her seven years ago, moved to the Lakes District and retrained for her current position. Now her ex is behind bars, despite trying to kill her again from beyond his gaol cell, and Beth is attempting to move on with her life.
DS Josh Walker was first on scene and saved Beth from her murderous ex and since then they have been good friends...the only one Beth had come to trust. He was married until he came home early one morning to find his wife Jodie in bed with one of his colleagues. He packed his bags and left, never looking back.
Now Beth and Josh live together in her beautiful secluded home by Lake Windemere. Although their relationship is still new, they have found a companionship in each other that is safe and comfortable both personally and professionally. Due to the nature of their jobs, both are used to early morning calls. So when the naked body of a young woman is found floating face down in the cold waters of Lake Windemere, Beth and Josh are on the case.
Ethan Scales wakes after a drunken night on his friend James Marshall's boat, hearing something banging against the hull. He climbs to the deck and finds the lifeless and naked body of Leah Burton floating face down in the water. He jumps into the freezing depths, pulls her to safety and tries in vain to save her.
Later that same day, a young boy going fishing sees what he thought to be a discarded sleeping bag in the lake. He wades in to pull the offending article out only to discover it is the bloated face of a dead body starting lifelessly up at him. His scream can be heard around the lake.
At the post mortem, Beth peels back the outer layer of skin from the hand and places it over her own in an attempt to retrieve the fingerprints of their "Jane Doe". The body is then identified as Polish national Julia Bach last seen working for Marcus Johnson in his pub, friend of Ethan Scales and James Marshall.
James owns the boat upon which the first victim, Leah Burton, had been aboard the previous night. Julia worked for Marcus. Coincidence? Beth thinks not.
Tensions rise when the daughter of Josh's partner DC Sally Thomas attends a party aboard the same boat, The Tequila Sunrise, as an unofficial obbo is undertaken by lake wardens. Although Grace appears to be in safe hands, another young woman suddenly falls overboard. She is pulled to safety still clinging to life and reveals that she was pushed. Then against advice, the young woman refuses an ambulance in favour of going home.
Meanwhile, Beth must also deal with the death of her ex who tried to kill her seven years ago as well and Josh's recent questionable behaviour which leads her to his ex-wife Jodie's door. What exactly is he keeping from her?
While THE GIRLS IN THE LAKE doesn't have a complex or intricate plot it is certainly an exciting read with a solid narrative throughout. Told from various perspectives, mostly Beth and Josh's, it is compelling, fast paced with a wealth of information to keep you intrigued.
I really enjoy the format of this series. It is incredibly easy to follow and enjoyable to read and the recurring characters, alongside Beth and Josh, are all extremely likable. I am not a fan of procedurals that must throw in all that constant angst, overly strong female leads and alpha male crap. I want a mystery, a thriller, something to sink my teeth into and not get my blood pressure boiling because of station politics or who's better than who.
I wasn't surprised by the villain as it seemed the most logical of all that was on offer. I think the downfall of this book is that there weren't enough red herrings to throw us off the scent, making the villain extremely easy to pick out. And the ending wasn't the best as I didn't see a lot of reason why. And as a reader, it is always preferable to know the why instead of just the who and the how.
But having said that, I still really enjoyed THE GIRLS IN THE LAKE and eagerly await Beth and Josh's next case together.
I would like to thank #HelenPhifer, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlsInTheLake in exchange for an honest review.
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