A(nother) Year Of Orenda – Black Reed Bay by Rod Reynolds

Today I hand the blog over to Mandie who is sharing her review of Black Reed Bay by Rod Reynold. Our thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invite to join the tour. Here’s what the book is all about:

About the Book

Don’t trust ANYONE…

When a young woman makes a distressing middle-of-the-night call to 911, apparently running for her life in a quiet, exclusive beachside neighbourhood, miles from her home, everything suggests a domestic incident.

Except no one has seen her since, and something doesn’t sit right with the officers at Hampstead County PD. With multiple suspects and witnesses throwing up startling inconsistencies, and interference from the top threatening the integrity of the investigation, lead detective Casey Wray is thrust into an increasingly puzzling case that looks like it’s going to have only one ending…

And then the first body appears…

For fans of Susie Steiner, Sarah Hilary, M J Arlidge, James Lee Burke and Tana French

Mandie’s Thoughts

Having loved Rod Reynolds London based book Blood Red City, I was looking forward to reading Black Reed Bay. This time we are transported to Long Island where Detective Casey Wray is investigating the disappearance of Tina Grace after a very frantic and confusing 911 call and she certainly has her work cut out for her. Faced with secrets and potential suspects and witnesses unwilling to tell the truth it just makes her more determined to find out what really happened. On top of all this she has to contend with Internal Affairs taking a very keen interest in the case.

Casey Wray is certainly a dedicated officer who has a great relationship with both her colleagues and her boss which you can see by the banter they regularly share. Although she is strong minded you can also see the occasional insecurities she suffers from, not wanting to take compliments even when warranted. There is also a compassionate side to her as she bonds with Tina’s mother, reaching out to her when she is at her lowest and ensuring that she gets the help and support she needs. There is just something about this character that has you behind her 100% and when things start to go wrong you find yourself willing her to keep going and give Tina’s mother the answers she is looking for.

Tina Grace is another complex character who has been leading a double life which was not evident at first, partially due to what she had told those closest to her and partly due to the information withheld from the police by the last people to see her before her disappearance. But no matter what the circumstances of her life you still hope that she will be found alive.

Black Reed Bay is full of twists and turns that come at you at a pace that draws you in right from the start. Just like Casey you don’t know who to believe and at times even who the good guys are. When there are so many books that fall into predictable lines of investigation, I really enjoyed the fact that just when you were sure where the story was heading, just like Casey’s investigations you were off down a different path. I am really hoping that there is more from Casey Wray as I would dearly love to know how she deals with the fallout from the conclusion to this investigation. One thing is certain though, I will certainly be keeping my eye out for the next book by this author

About the Author

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New
Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir.’ A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books will publish his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and family and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.

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Books by Rod Reynolds