Lethal Care by Claire McNab and Katherine V Forrest is the seventeenth book and final chapter in the Detective Inspector Carol Ashton Mystery Series.

A promotion is supposed to bring a great deal of joy into your life and put a spring in your step, right? That would probably be the case for someone else but not for Detective Inspector Carol Ashton. Her recent promotion to Chief Inspector comes with numerous challenges that she would rather not deal with. Carol has to try to stay in the Commissioner’s good graces and she is tasked with taking on a highly publicized case that could consume every waking moment she has until the case is closed (who knows how long that would take…)

So many things don’t add up and Carol has more questions than answers. Her deceased coworker Inspector Ian Rooke died under mysterious circumstances and he left her with the Greta Denby case, a case he barely worked on or put any effort into thoroughly investigating. Carol is baffled at Inspector Ian Rooke’s poor research because Greta Denby is a well-known media darling and she is a wealthy patron to a variety of social outreach organizations, therefore, every effort should have been made to find out who is responsible for Greta Denby’s tragic demise.

Will Carol be able to solve this emotionally charged and highly publicized case without losing everything she has worked for or will she lose the people who are dear to her heart in the process?

The Characters

Detective Inspector Carol Ashton has recently been promoted to Chief Inspector. She feels so much pressure and expectation from the Commissioner right down to her subordinates. Carol feels so unsettled and unsure of herself because she begins to question all of the choices she has made in her life and she is worried that she will eventually lose Sybil, the only woman who owns her heart. I have always had a soft spot for Carol but I have grown to really admire and respect this phenomenal woman because she was willing to lose everything in order to protect her loved ones.

Sybil Quade is a school teacher and she is also the woman who holds the key to Carol’s heart. Sybil is trying to regain her sense of wholeness and peace of mind after a horrific incident marred her life. She really tries to cope with the hassles that come with daily life but she feels overwhelmed and depressed. There were many times where I wished I could just reach through my kindle and hug her. I couldn’t help but admire Sybil’s determination to get back on her feet again and I also love how Sybil would go out of her way to be there for Carol during the turbulent and tranquil times of her life.

The Writing Style

I must applaud Claire McNab and Katherine V. Forrest for joining forces to create this fast paced and riveting literary masterpiece. The beautiful descriptions of the Australian landscape made me yearn to see all of these places as soon as possible. I am also very pleased to say that I enjoyed reading about the complex and vibrant characters in this story because I was able to form a detailed picture of each character in my mind and that’s always a huge plus for me.

The Pros

Women in uniform will always be one of my greatest delights and I get weak in the knees whenever I get a story that features these awesome women! I must admit that I really enjoyed reading about Carol Ashton’s sharp wit and her creative investigation methods.

The Cons

You won’t get any complaints from me!

aprils favourite booksThe Conclusion

There are so many things that I could say about this story but I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I will tell you this—there is absolutely no way you would be able to read this story without going through the gamut of emotions. Danger and suspicion surround Carol in all areas of her life and she still holds on to her sanity despite everything that threatens to break her. Once you begin to read this awesome story, you would not want to stop reading until you get to the last page because you’ll be taken on a very captivating and intriguing journey with Chief Inspector Carol Ashton.

Excerpt from Lethal Care by Claire McNab and Katherine V Forrest

Leaning back in her chair, Carol absently twisted the black opal ring she always wore. She glanced around at the utilitarian furnishings Madeline had disparaged. They were simply window dressing—nothing more. And as for her exalted career, how was this promotion anything to be all that proud of? Success had bred success, as it had for officials around her, many of whom displayed a level of competence below any standard of hers.

If the concerns in her pyramid were amorphous, the one forming the base was distinct: bedeviling doubts about her career. It was her career that had created the minefield that lay between her and Sybil. Her career that had led her to this new position where she reported directly to the Commissioner. And the plague of weariness at the mere prospect of performing the delicate political dance necessary to protect subordinates from the judgements of a man she neither trusted nor respected, much less implement procedures in keeping with policing a diverse city. She felt a melancholy yearning for the familiarity of the job that was moving beyond her fingertips; she already sensed a new formality, a developing distance from colleagues with whom she’d worked in easy comradeship. Yes, she would have more control over their activities and the pleasure of being able to open to them wider opportunities. But in some ways she would have less control, and she wondered how she could manage to prevent her itching hands from landing on her squad’s murder cases.

Except for this last one, which lay fully in her hands. The Denby case with its collateral tragedy of Detective Inspector Ian Rooke being inexplicably, troublingly dead. It was her brief to step with caution in finding out what Ian Rooke had done or not done and why. Inextricably woven into it was the death of Greta Denby, the case that may have taken some mysterious toll on Rooke.

No one in her life—not Aunt Sarah, nor Sybil, certainly not her son—had any inkling of the deeply personal toll the Denby case might wreak on her as well.

Get This Book On Amazon

(this link works for Amazon UK, US and Canada)

 

 

 


[tweetthis]I just read this review for Lethal Care by Claire McNab and Katherine V Forrest[/tweetthis]

Series

Detective Inspector Carol Ashton Mystery Series

Lessons in Murder

Fatal Reunion

Death Down Under

Cop Out

Dead Certain

Body Guard

Double Bluff

Inner Circle

Chain Letter

Past Due

Set Up

Under Suspicion

Death Club

Accidental Murder

Blood Link

Fall Guy

Lethal Care

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781594935817
  • Publisher: Bella Books

Claire McNab Online

Website 

Katherine V Forrest Online

Facebook 

If you enjoyed this book then you should also look at

Heart Stopper by RJ Samuel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: I received a free review copy of Lethal Care by Claire McNab and Katherine V. Forrest. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site.