‘One For Sorrow’ by Helen Fields | @Helen_Fields @AvonBooksUK

Author : Helen Fields
Title : One For Sorrow
Series : DI Luc Callanach #7
Pages : 400
Publisher : Avon UK
Publication date : March 3, 2022

| ABOUT THE BOOK |

One for sorrow, two for joy
Edinburgh is gripped by the greatest terror it has ever known. A lone bomber is targeting victims across the city and no one is safe.

Three for a girl, four for a boy
DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach face death every day – and not just the deaths of the people being taken hostage by the killer.

Five for silver, six for gold
When it becomes clear that with every tip-off they are walking into a trap designed to kill them too, Ava and Luc know that finding the truth could mean paying the ultimate price.

Seven for a secret never to be told…
But with the threat – and body count – rising daily, and no clue as to who’s behind it, neither Ava nor Luc know whether they will live long enough to tell the tale…

| MY THOUGHTS |

Gasping … for … air! Seriously! I can’t breathe. What the fu…dge was that?!

I genuinely have so much adrenaline coursing through me right now that I’m pretty sure I can provide power to a small city. Holy … haggis! Goodness me, where to even begin.

‘One For Sorrow‘ is the seventh instalment in the Turner/Callanach series. In this one, Edinburgh is in the grips of a terrorist bomber. They seem to be telling a story somehow and the body count is rising fast. Every incident law enforcement and paramedics attend puts them right in the line of danger as they walk straight into a trap. DCI Turner and DI Callanach have to find a way to stop this bomber from striking again … but at what cost?

That’s it. I’m not telling you anything else. I will share these words of wisdom that were imparted to me when I started reading this book : prepare to be shooketh. And shooketh I was, dear reader. Right from the start, ‘One For Sorrow‘ grabs you by the throat and does not let go. The opening chapters … I can’t even … I suspect that’s what it feels like to be hit by a freight train. Twice.

From that point on, it’s all systems go. Just like the team investigating the bombings, I too felt like I didn’t get a moment to catch my breath or had any idea of what was around the corner. There is so much happening, there is so much to wrap your head around. Most of all there is an abundance of emotions to go through and quite frankly, I felt utterly wrung out by the end. My crime fiction isn’t supposed to leave me with a lump in my throat and on the verge of ugly crying, FFS.

Again, I don’t want to give anything away but throughout the story there are chapters dealing with “the before”. These got under my skin like you wouldn’t believe. They make for some uncomfortable reading and left me feeling incredibly angry. Unfortunately, they’re also utterly realistic and believable, and they will leave you raging against the injustice of it all. This is something Helen Fields always does so well in this series.

The shooketh level kept rising and rising as I swiped the pages faster and faster. I thought I knew what was going on but I was never really sure. ‘One For Sorrow‘ is a nail-biter for sure, deliciously twisty, incredibly tense, massively emotional and just when you think it’s safe to come out of hiding … well … you’ll just have to find out for yourself, won’t you. Honestly, I couldn’t decide if I needed a drink (or ten) or a run around the block. All shook up.

I can’t recommend this entire series enough and it is one I will never abandon. Helen Fields is a powerhouse in the crime fiction genre and you should all be reading her books. They may not always be for the faint-hearted but they often deal with themes that haunt modern society and the characters are just magnificent. Also, you know, if you need another incentive, Luc Callanach is dreamy.

Huge thanks to Avon for the advanced review copy, which I received via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. ‘One For Sorrow’ is published on Thursday!