With winter in full swing, I’ve been craving mysteries and dove into Knife Edge by Kerry Buchanan, the first novel in the Harvey and Birch northern Irish crime thriller series. Narrated by Esther Wane, come along with the detectives and Nic, a victim who escaped as they attempt to catch a killer who is intent on finishing the job.
by Kerry Buchanan
Series: Harvey and Birch #1
Narrator: Esther Wane
Length: 8 hours and 23 minutes
Genres: Crime Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4 cups Speed: 1.5x
A MESMERIZING BREAK-OUT CRIME THRILLER SET IN NORTHERN IRELAND FULL OF BREATH-TAKING TWISTS
Nic always hated clubbing.
She only went out that night because she’d promised a friend.
She wakes up, naked and bound in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere. Dappled light comes in through a dirty window. Her body is covered in cuts. Across the room her friend groans in pain.
A shadow passes the window. He’s back.
He picks up a knife. He begins to cut her friend. In that moment of bloody frenzy, Nic wrenches free and runs.
She’s finally safe. But this is only just beginning.
Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch arrive at the scene hours later. There is no body, there is no sign of the killer. It’s as if it never happened.
YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW IT ENDS? THINK AGAIN.
Dark, gritty and atmospheric Buchanan hooked me from the beginning as we find ourselves in a rundown cabin with college student Nic and her friend Colm. Both are chained to the wall and have been tortured. When their captor is distracted by her friend, Nic breaks free and is soon being questioned by Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch. They find the cabin, but there is no sign of the second victim or the killer.
The tale that unfolds was suspenseful with plenty of twists as we got to know the detectives on the case. All is not as it seems and this isn’t the killer’s first victims.
I enjoyed all the characters, including secondary characters, who added to the overall story. Events take place around Belfast. The pacing is spot on, and to be honest, I had a tough time setting this down. The killer was clever and always seemed to be one step ahead. I had my suspicions and loved seeing how it all came together. Nic played an integral role, but I won’t spoil it for you. It was different, and I enjoyed this slight twist.
Fans of crime fiction thrillers and mysteries will want to listen to this first in series. Esther Wane did a delightful job with the characters, accents and tone of the overall story. The sound production could have been better. During the last three-fourths of the audio, there were a lot of swallowing noises as the pacing increased. I felt these should have been edited out.
About Kerry Buchanan
Kerry Buchanan is a retired veterinary surgeon who lives with her family and a menagerie of animals on a farm in County Down. There are inspiring views of hills and lakes from every window. Kerry began writing fiction in 2014 and hasn’t stopped since. She writes fantasy, science fiction and crime. Her Harvey and Birch crime thriller series, set in Northern Ireland, is published by Joffe Books.
About Esther Wane
Esther Wane is a British actor and voice-over artist. After a career in finance Esther fulfilled a childhood dream of going to drama school in London, and her life as an actor began at age forty. She has a lifelong passion for literature and can often be found browsing bookshops at any spare moment. She owes her career in audiobooks to her impression of Joanna Lumley and has since narrated books in many genres, including memoir, politics, romantic fiction, and children's literature. She enjoys taking her listeners on a journey in time and space and bringing the characters on the page to life in their imagination. She lives with her family and collection of books in Hertfordshire, just outside London, where she has built a professional voice studio in the bottom of her garden.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Wendy
Northern Ireland is such a good setting for this kind of book.
Kimberly
Agreed Wendy!
Katherine
My library just added several books by this author to their audio app but I hadn’t heard anything about her. I’m so glad to see this review! I think I might try it in print over audio though.
Kimberly
I would love to hear your thoughts, Katherine.
Anne – Books of My Heart
I liked this but not as much as you did. It was suspenseful and definitely kept me engaged. But I didn’t understand why Nic got to be as involved as she was. The detectives didn’t seem as sharp as I wanted. And I have to wonder if the victim will be our POV for the next book?
Kimberly
She is not. I have listened to the next two audiobooks.
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
This does sound gritty! I do love mysteries and ones set in Ireland for sure! I’ll check this out.
Kimberly
Yes, the setting was a huge drawl.