Blood On Snow by Rachel Amphlett

Today I’m delighted to share my thoughts on Blood On Snow, the latest Kay Hunter novella from Rachel Amphlett. I love this series and these pocket sized mysteries are a real treat, allowing readers to see what. Kay was like in her early days as a Detective. Before I tell you what I thought, here’s what it’s all about.

About the Book

Christmas time can be murder…

A suburban housewife is found dead in her garden.

There is no weapon, no witnesses, and the only set of footprints belong to her cat.

Probationary detective Kay Hunter and her colleagues are convinced it’s murder – but how can they find a killer when there are no clues?

My Thoughts

What an absolutely cracking short story. Perfect for the season too. Sort of. I mean, there is no happy ending here, and to be honest, the unexplained death of a wife and mother is not really very festive. But for thriller fans, especially fans of Kay Hunter, this pint sized mystery is an absolute treat. It’s kind of a ‘locked garden’ mystery. A dead woman in a garden, No footprints even though there has been no fresh snowfall since the victim met her fate. No sign of a murder weapon around the garden either so it has the police, and readers, somewhat perplexed.

Even though this is a short story, Rachel Amphlett still manages to infuse it with the same level of mystery, characterisation and tension as the full length novels. I am loving getting to know ‘young’ Kay, in the pre-Adam days, when she is just finding her feet as a Detective and being faced with cases every bit as confusing as the full length novels we know and love. The characters she creates are perfectly written and although we don’t have much time to get to know them, we do get a handle on them. at least we think we do …

This was a story that was ultimately very sad, far too many victims left as a result of one very tragic event. But as much as it left me with a kind of melancholy as the full truth of what happened was revealed, it was also a really satisfying ending too. And the closing paragraphs of the book? Well they left me with a smile on my face. You’ll understand why when you read it. All in all another fab story that will keep the Kay Hunter cravings satisfied for a while longer.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Detective Kay Hunter British murder mystery series, the Dan Taylor spy novels, the English Assassins series, and a number of standalone crime thrillers.