One for Sorrow by Helen Fields
Published: March 3, 2022 by Avon Books
Previous Book in the Series: #6 – Perfect Kill
Reason I chose to Read this Book: I absolutely love this series, and this author. She is so talented, and isn’t afraid to get gritty (maybe a bit of a warning).
One for Sorrow by Helen Fields is the 7th in the Detective Luc Callanach series.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DI Luc Callanach is half French and half Scottish, living most of his life in France, and working for Interpol. A false rape allegation made by co-worker Astrid Borde, had him leave France, his job, his friends, his mother. He headed to Edinburgh to take command of a homicide team. He has adjusted to the change, making friends with a colleague, newly appointed DCI Ava Taylor, her friend Natasha, and he finds an unlikely friend in a journalist. He may never be close with DS Lively. Other team members are DS Max Tripp, DC Janet Monroe and DI Pax Graham.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A bomber is targeting the city, and seems to be concentrating his attacks so that most of the victims are law enforcement or first responders. Each time a bomb is detonated, there are more deaths.
Ava feels that she is responsible for all the lives lost. Between Natasha’s cancer, and the death of another dear friend, Ava is struggling. Then a member of her team is struck down.
It becomes evident that every time they are called out, they are putting their lives on the line.
In a side story, a young woman named Quinn meets an abusive man.
My Opinions:
These books are amazing. They must be read in order, so you can truly appreciate the backstory of each character. Speaking of characters…I love the banter between Ava and Natasha…true friends!
The plots are great, and this one just grabbed me from the beginning, and did not let go. It is definitely the best of the series! As always, it has graphic details, and is a little gruesome, and Helen Fields does gruesome really well.
The book is about stalking, and about revenge. It is also about love, and loss, and the grieving process. In some ways the book is rather depressing. The fact that stalking is such a hard crime to prove, and the results can be devastating to many people. (Okay, this particular case of stalking may have been blown up just a little in this book — pun intended). So, yes, depressing, and I ended up feeling compassion for so many. I was surprised at the characters we lost in this book. It was an emotional ride!
The story is told from two angles. One is the bombings, and one is about a young woman who falls for an abusive man. It takes a long time for the two story lines to mesh….and then not quite as I expected. Great twist!
Interesting that profiler Dr. Connie Woolwine from The Shadow Man makes an appearance in this book. I like when authors throw in a character from another book/series.
On a side note, I still haven’t figured out why these are “Luc’s” books, when Ava is often more involved than he is.
Again, I think this was the best so far, and of course, I highly recommend this series!
Read: March, 2022
Favorite Quotes from One for Sorrow:
“One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret soon to be told.” — Note that this quote was not actually in the book, but I just love it! (Kat)
“Stalking cases were almost never satisfactorily resolved. They were hard to prove, hard to investigate, one person’s word against another’s. They rarely went to court, and even less often resulted in a conviction. Women were left to put up with it or run.” — This is just sad (Kat)
About The Author: Helen Fields is a British author, who started out practicing family and criminal law, spending years working with the police, CPS, Social Services, etc. She then moved on to being a script writer and producer and co-owns a media company. She is now devoting a lot of time to writing. Helen and her husband David now move between the Americas and Europe with their three children.
*** Photo taken from her website
Check her out:
-
-
-
-
-
- Website: https://www.helenfields.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helenfieldsbooks/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenfields_author/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Helen_Fields
-
-
-
-
I have also reviewed this book on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4541579576
Have you read it? Do you plan to? Tell me your thoughts…do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Either way, I’d love to know.