‘Overkill’ by Vanda Symon

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

When a young mother is found dead, everything points to it being suicide, but Police Constable Sam Shephard soon uncovers evidence that suggests this might not be the case. As Sam digs deeper, her bosses discover she had previously been in a relationship with the dead woman’s husband and consequently Sam finds herself suspended from duty and suspected of murder.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and is the first in the Sam Shephard series (currently four books). I really like the main character and her way of doing things – she’s gutsy and down to earth and has a directness that’s refreshing in a crime story. She’s also a long way from the usual troubled-cop-with-attitude that is so familiar these days. Vanda Symon’s writing is refreshing, not only in her use of language but in her descriptions of the locations and countryside where the action takes place.

My only gripe concerns the prologue. My feeling is that aside from the fact it’s written from the POV of some all-seeing omnipotent being (whereas the rest of the story is relayed in first-person), I think the book would be a much more interesting read without it, allowing the reader to follow the clues along with the protagonist. Having noticed that the other books start in the same way, I’d be inclined to ignore the prologues and skip straight into the story.

Anyway, all moans aside, this is a cracking good read featuring a likeable and entertaining heroine.

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