Pop Goes The Weasel by M.J. Arlidge

DI Helen Fields returns in another dark and taut police thriller for those who like it twisted. Someone is targeting men who hire prostitutes and torturing them to death, duct tape and rubber glove style.

The first victim is found laid out naked in an abandoned house used by sex workers, bled to death after his heart was removed while he was still alive. His family receives it the next day in classic Tupperware, so these are cunning, targeted attacks. Other victims soon follow, all men who frequent a dark website where men compare notes on prostitutes.

DI Helen Fields is still shaken a year after the last case which hit close to home.

Her team has changed, but as before, they are all damaged. DC Brooks is facing a broken marriage, and new member DS Bridges is cheating on his wife, who was paralyzed after a massive stroke. The new Detective Superintendent wants them all off the case and soon gets her way. The only link is an elusive prostitute named 'Angel' the Johns online covet, so they track the anonymous men down. A parallel case finds a dismembered Polish prostitute with ties to local organized crime in the boot of an abandoned car, and Helen's obsessive stalking of a young man.

Like Eeny Meeny, the dark plot is a page-turner filled with surprising twists. The local crime reporter is asked to work with police, and Helen deepens her relationship with her BDSM dominator. Thrillers are best when over the top; Arlidge even has a serial killer being killed by a serial killer. All part of the charm, recommended for those who like it dark.

2014 / Tradeback / 432 pages

My other review for M.J. Arlidge:

Eeny Meeny