A big welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Payback by R C Bridgestock.
Payback was published on 9th January 2020 by The Dome Press and is the first in a new series featuring DI Charley Mann.
The brand new series from the storyline consultants to TV’s Hap
py Valley and Scott & Bailey and author of the DI Jack Dylan novels.
Charley Mann left Yorkshire for the Met and a fast-track career – but now she’s back, she’s in charge and the area’s first young, female DI.
Her hometown, the Yorkshire countryside, and her old friends all seem unchanged, but appearances can be deceptive. When a brutal murder is discovered, Charley is forced to question everything, and the interest of her ex – reporter Danny Ray – doesn’t make it easier.
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My kindest thanks to Emily at The Dome Press for issuing me with my review copy of the book and for inviting me to take part on the blog tour.
Having not previously read any of the DI Jack Dylan books (but hearing very good thing about them) by the crime writing duo R C Bridgestock, I was really pleased to learn they had a new series and it was set in Yorkshire!
We follow DI Charley Mann, returning home from a promising career in London to head up her old team in her home town in Yorkshire and we are straight into the action before we have time to take a sip of tea. The plot is brilliant and keeps you interested and fully invested on every page. The authors have vast experience in this area and it is telling in the brilliant descriptions they provide us with, from the excellent police procedures that gives you a clear understanding of every minute detail they have to follow, to the actual sinister crimes themselves that leave Charley and her team baffled at times. I really enjoy this type of detail in a book as I find it fascinating how the different teams work together.
Charley is an exciting character to have as your narrator and we learn little things about her past that give us an insight into her personality and why she is such a driven person which shows in her determination to solve the case despite some of her past coming back to haunt her.
I’m really looking forward to learning more about Charley and her team in the future instalments of this series that I think will do very well indeed!
To follow the rest of the blog tour…
About the Authors
RC Bridgestock is the name that husband and wife co-authors Robert (Bob) and Carol Bridgestock write under. Between them they have nearly 50 years of police experience, offering an authentic edge to their stories. The writing duo created the character DI Jack Dylan, a down-to- earth detective, written with warmth and humour.
Bob was a highly commended career detective of 30 years, retiring at the rank of Detective Superintendent. During his last three years he took charge of 26 murders, 23 major incidents, over 50 suspicious deaths and numerous sexual assaults. He was also a trained hostage negotiator dealing with suicide interventions, kidnap, terrorism and extortion.
As a Detective Inspector he spent three years at the internationally acclaimed West Yorkshire Police Force Training School where he taught Detectives from all over the world in the whole spectrum of investigative skills and the law. On promotion to Detective Superintendent Bob was seconded to a protracted enquiry investigating alleged police corruption in another force. He worked on the Yorkshire Ripper and Sarah Harper murder, and received praise from Crown Court Judges and Chief Constables alike for outstanding work at all ranks, including winning the much coveted Dennis Hoban Trophy.
As a police civilian supervisor Carol also received a Chief Constable’s commendation for outstanding work.
The couple are the storyline consultants on BAFTA winning BBC One police drama Happy Valley and series 3 of ITV’s Scott & Bailey. Carol started and chaired the Wight Fair Writers’ Circle in 2008, along with Bob where she created an annual charitable community writing competition to inspire others of all ages.
The couple pride themselves on being up-to- date on past and present day UK police procedures, and as a result Bob is regularly sought by UK television, radio and national and local newspapers for comment on developing major crime incidents etc. And they have taken part in Radio 4 (Steve) PUNT P.I.
Together they can be regularly seen as speakers at a variety of events in the literary world and work with colleges and schools in providing writing seminars and workshops. Three RC Bridgestock trophies are annually achieved by students.
