As we all know our lives are a bit upside down at the moment and the publishing world is in a state of flux. Some books are being published as scheduled, others pushed back. One common thing it seems is to release an e-book, with the hard copy coming later in the year. And that’s exactly what’s happened with Rod Reynolds latest novel, Blood Red City. Before I give you my review, here’s the blurb.

 

The Blurb

Video footage of an apparent murder on a London train thrusts crusading journalist Lydia into a terrifying web of money, politics and power, in sophisticated, shockingly believable contemporary thriller

A witness but no victim. A crime but no crime scene…

 

When crusading journalist Lydia Wright is sent a video of an apparent murder on a London train, she thinks she’s found the story to revive her career. But she can’t find a victim, much less the killers, and the only witness has disappeared. Wary she’s fallen for fake news, she begins to doubt her instincts – until a sinister call suggests that she’s not the only one interested in the crime.

Michael Stringer deals in information – and doesn’t care which side of the law he finds himself on. But the murder on the train has left him exposed, and now he’ll stop at nothing to discover what Lydia knows.

When their paths collide, Lydia finds the story leads through a nightmare world, where money, power and politics intersect … and information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet.

A nerve-shattering and brutally realistic thriller, Blood Red City bursts with energy and grit from the opening page, twisting and feinting to a superb, unexpected ending that will leave you breathless

 

My Review

Rod Reynolds’ first three books were set in 1940s America and featured maverick reporter, Charlie Yates. Blood Red City though is contemporary, based in London with two characters sharing the limelight. Lydia Wright is an investigative journalist who’s been side-lined to the night shift to write about showbiz for her paper’s website. Michael Stringer is… well, it’s hard to work out who exactly Michael Stringer is and what he does. It’s fair to say though that Michael is at the fringes of society and works in the shadows. Both are drawn into a possible murder but without a body, nothing can be proved.

I liked the two-hander approach on this story as we found out more about Lydia and Michael as well as the possible murder victim. Of the two, Michael is definitely more intriguing and there are some interesting character developments that I hope will be explored more in a follow-up. Having said that, Lydia is a great foil for him and together they reminded me of Dempsey and Makepeace albeit different careers. It’s the classic case of annoying each other and mutual distrust.

With a plot twistier than the Orbit at the Olympic Park, this is a love letter to London. Born and bred, Reynolds has always wanted to write about his home city and he’s definitely done it justice. I fully intend to ask him at a later date how many Tube and train journeys he did to make sure he got all his information correct, covering North London, Central and making it all the way out to Hampton Court in Surrey. Reading Blood Red City at this time is all the more poignant, as the vibrant, lively city portrayed in the summer heat is currently a shell of its former self. But I took hope in thinking that London will be back to its busy nature, although maybe marching to a slightly different beat.

I’m hoping this isn’t the last we’ll see of Lydia Wright and Michael Stringer. This is a partnership that could run for a while and London is a stage with many scenes and stories to be explored. Definitely want more!

 

You can buy an e-book version here

The paperback will be out later in the year.

 

The Author

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); The Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir’. A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books will publish his firsdt novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and family and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.