Title: Echoes Of Guilt
(DI Dani Stephens #3)
Author: Rob Sinclair
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Detective
First published: August 3rd 2020
Publisher: Canelo Hera
Finished reading: July 13th 2020
Pages: 294
“There were two parts of her job she really didn’t like, and both involved standing over dead bodies: murder scenes, and post-mortems.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Canelo Hera in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I was part of the blog tour for the first book of this detective series last year, and I enjoyed my second meeting with DI Dani Stephens last December as well… I’ve been looking forward to meet up with her character ever since. Echoes Of Guilt is already book number three and doesn’t disappoint: it’s without a doubt another solid and pretty shocking detective thriller! Fans of suspenseful and darker thrillers will be in for a treat with this series in general.
Once again, the main character Dani Stephens plays a key role in the plot. While in a way she can be seen as the typical damaged detective lead, I think her character has so much more dept than that. Why? Well, not only does she have a serial killer twin who almost killed her, but the brain damage she suffered as a result of that attack has changed her life and personality forever. She is still struggling with the consequences, and it has been fascinating to see her character develop over time. While the psychological aspect doesn’t play as big as a role in this third book, the road to recovery is still present; especially in a different character too after what happened in book two. On that note: since the personal developments in the previous books have a big impact on what is happening in book three, I advice reading these books in order as you might not understand some references otherwise.
I loved the Romanian angle in Echoes Of Guilt, and especially the significance of the Strigoi Romanian folklore element. It really gave the story that creepy and almost horror vibe and took this thriller to the next level. It was also interesting to learn a bit more about the Strigoi and the original myth behind the undead and vampires. Romania plays a big role in general, with multiple characters from that country as well as folklore references. This gave Echoes Of Guilt an international vibe despite the Birmingham setting… And I always love having foreign cultures incorporated into a story!
Dani’s serial killer twin brother Ben once again plays a role in Echoes Of Guilt. While I can’t deny that he is a fascinating character, I did feel that his role in the plot in book three was a bit forced this time around. I think the story might have stood stronger without his involvement… Although I still can’t pinpoint exactly why I felt this way. The case Dani and her team have to investigate is fascinating though, and the whole Romanian folklore angle really took it to the next level. Some of the scenes are quite spooky and sometimes even gruesome, so definitely not for those with a weak stomach. But if you don’t mind things getting dark and twisted, Echoes Of Guilt will provide plenty of detective thriller reading pleasure.
You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.
