BAD MOON RISING.

BAD MOON RISING by SHEILA QUIGLEY.

A young woman walks home by herself, the tapping of her high heels the only sound. At two o'clock in the morning, it's cold, the streets are deserted, and she thinks she's all alone. Waiting for her, sleeping soundly in his bed, is her baby son. When he wakes the next morning his mother still isn't back. She's never coming back. Because the streets weren't as deserted as she'd thought.

Three women are dead, and Detective Inspector Lorraine Hunt is searching for a serial killer. In Houghton-Le-Spring it's Feast week. A time when all hell is let loose as the fair comes to town, and a frenzy of celebration and decadence provides a temporary distraction from the grim realities of everyday life. It's not a good time to be searching for a stranger. It's not a good time to be a woman alone.

...... From the outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (from the prologue): The little boy watched the other children playing.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: He lifts her face to his and kisses her, claiming when she's dead what she owed him in life.

A much read copy if the condition of this library book is anything to go by. After having read the debut novel (Run For Home) by 'local lass' Sheila Quigley I just had to read the second instalment in the Seahills series to see how the author was developing.

A much better read then the first book, Bad Moon Rising has a lot less swearing and is altogether a better constructed novel with more of a story line and characters (some new, some returning from the previous story)  that are more rounded and better developed.

Though not totally realistic and certainly not a portrayal of Houghton-Le-Spring as I know it this is never-the -less a compelling read. Set at the time of HOUGHTON FEAST Sheila brings in to play some of the prejudices shown against 'the travellers' which is an interesting aside to the main story which involves the murder of several young women, all with dark hair.

Returning from the first book are friends Mickey and Robbie - both lovable rogues - they continue to grow and develope as characters who I'm sure we'll grow to love. If only the same could be said of D.I. Hunt who, in my opinion, remains the weak link in an otherwise interesting cast of characters.

Will I be reading part 3? I didn't expect to be but I must say I'm hooked and have Living On A Prayer on order at the library - lets hope that this one will continue the trend of little swearing.

Bad Moon Rising was a library book read.