I read a review of this book in Heat magazine and it sounded really different and interesting and fortunately it was still available to read through NetGalley. I struggled to get into the story and relate to Cassie and Flyte at the start of the story. Cassie was certainly a very different sleuth! However a couple of chapters in it had me hooked and it was really gripping. Cassie is such a different interesting character and once you got to know a bit more of Flyte’s background I even warmed to her. I really hope this is just the start of a series it was great. A really well written and researched thriller. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

This book is great. End of. Its got a array of characters, some alive – some dead. The fascinatingly by the book DS Phyllida Flyte is the chalk to the cheese of Cassie Raven. And its them that propel the story along because, they speak to mortuary assistant – Cassie Raven. She has a way of hearing them, and sometimes solve how they died, if its not obvious of course.

Based around the Camden area of London, there’s a strong sense of place, you know you could take a walk down by the canal and see exactly what Cassie does in the book. The lock area is thriving and the market teaming with activity.

Cassie is a wayward soul, she was orphaned at a young age by her parents dying in a car accident. Brought up by her ‘Babcia’ – Grandmother – she had the correct guidance, but couldn’t settle, she felt confined and so with her then boyfriend ended up living in a squat and living a nomadic life for a while, until she has a chance meeting with Mrs Edwards – a science tutor and its due to her convincing Cassie that she should enrol in college and learn new skills, that she now has her dream job, yes Cassie loves working with the dead, solving how they died. She finds they are much easier to deal with than the living, who she struggles to connect with.

But when Mrs Edwards turns up in a body bag, Cassie takes it upon her self to solve what she can’t leave unsolved. Mrs E wasn’t ill, or old, she had just retired and was as far as Cassie was aware, ok. They had a falling out and feels this is not as simple as it seems. Especially when Mrs E talks to her.

Is Mrs E’s son Owen involved?

Cassie uses her skills and connections to deduce and delay the inevitable, this involves some tricky situations and leads Cassie into new territory.

Well researched and anatomically correct means this is a fast paced but also gentle thriller, the way that Cassie is portrayed being tattoed and pierced, doesn’t mean she doesn’t care and this is what makes Cassie stand out and become real, she has a heart and this can sometimes rule her head.

I really enjoyed Body Language, and can’t wait for the next instalment. I see a busy and interesting future for Cassie Raven.

Mortuary Technician Knows Better....
Immersive suspense introducing quirky protagonist Cassie Raven, a mortuary technician. Laced with dark humour, well drawn characters, solid storytelling clearly with plenty of background research, a likeable and interesting protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters this is an engaging and entertaining read

Set in Camden, Cassie Raven is a mortician, she’s intelligent, thorough and can speak to the dead.

When the body of her mentor end up with her she knows the police determination that this was an accidental drowning is wrong and set out to prove it was murder.

Cassie is an individual who knows her own mind and is not to be underestimated just because she’s a woman, tattooed and pierced. She cares about the dead and listens to them.

This is a fast paced thriller with a slightly supernatural edge. Cassie is a fantastic character, well developed and certainly unique.

With its clever plot, a forensic investigation and plenty of twists, this thriller is utterly compelling from start to finish.

I absolutely love discovering new authors and A. K. Turner is certainly a new author for me. ‘Body Language’ is her debut novel and what an absolutely fantastic debut it is too. I absolutely loved, no make that ADORED reading ‘Body Language’ but more about that in a bit.
Cassie Raven is the lead character in ‘Body Language’ and what a breath of fresh air she is too. I thought that she was ace and it took me no time at all to warm to her. She works at the local mortuary and prepares the dead bodies for the pathologist to carry out post mortems. She loves her job and she is very kind and compassionate when dealing with the deceased and their families. Cassie is a Goth and in that respect she kind of reminded me of Abby out of NCIS, as their clothing styles seem to match and they are both quirky. A body of a lady comes into the morgue and the shocker is that Cassie knows her. I won’t say anything more about that as I would hate to give too much away.
I was drawn into the story from the synopsis alone and as soon as I started to read that was it. I just knew that I wouldn’t’ be doing anything else for the rest of the day apart from reading ‘Body Language’.. I was drawn to Cassie and after a while I felt as though she had become a good friend of mine. Of course I had to keep reading to see how the story panned out and what implications that would have for Cassie. I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough as I seemed to sprint through the book. I ended up so deeply involved in the story that I lost all track of time and I didn’t realise just how quickly the pages were turning until I looked up to check and realised that I had read over a third of the book in one go. I was gripped by ‘Body Language’ throughout and on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Body Language’ is absolutely brilliantly written. The author certainly knows how to start a story in such a way that ensures that this book will stay in my mind for a long time to come. The story starts with a bang, hits the ground running and maintains one hell of a pace throughout. The author goes into great detail about the processes of a post mortem. It didn’t bother me too much as I was brought up in a nursing household so gruesome details don’t affect me. I also have a vivid imagination too so as I was reading what happens in a post mortem, I was imagining it happening in my mind. Reading ‘Body Language’ was much like being on a slightly scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Body Language’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I look forward to reading much more from this author in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The protagonists in this novel are Cassie and DS Flyte, and the story is told from their perspectives. When it comes to the characters, the author really went all out. :D Cassie is a bisexual, goth looking woman, who loved dead creatures since she was little. She had a very difficult life, and Cassie is an extremely complex character. Her eye to detail and a very sensitive six sense, just an icing on the cake. DS Flyte is fighting her own demons, but she has an OCD when it comes to her work, she does not like cutting corners, and many people don’t like her. Both of these women are very strong personalities, but their love for the job makes them an amazing combo. Cassie has to be my favourite though, her relationship with the dead ones and her Babcia (granny) is very heartwarming. :)
The book started quite slowly. There were more thoughts about the past and previous experiences rather than the investigation itself, and I was about to lose my hope, but I was very glad that I didn’t give up because the investigation was very entertaining indeed. Cassie’s life story was quite absorbing, and I was happy to learn more about her and her upbringing. I would have liked to know a little bit more about DS Flyte as well, I think she is quite an interesting persona. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this book had to offer, they were really unexpected. On the other hand, there were some events that didn’t really make sense and they were kind of forgotten at the end. :( The topics discussed in this novel were loss, miscarriages, homelessness, poverty, drug dealing and drug use, difficult family relationships, and many more.
The book is set in Camden, London, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the author’s knowledge of the area. The writing style of the book was very creative, detail-oriented but very enjoyable nevertheless. I liked the way the story was flowing, revealing interesting surprises bit by bit. The chapters have a medium length, and the pages just flew by for me. The ending rounded the story very nicely, and I truly hope to read more books with this very intriguing character duo.
So, to conclude, if you are looking for a thriller with different, diverse characters, that are complex and intriguing, this book is for you! The narrative started quite slow, but it allowed to get to know Cassie better, and the rest of the story truly had me engrossed. I enjoyed this thriller, and especially the characters, and I hope you will give this book a try. I think everyone needs to meet Cassie. :)

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K./Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Body Language’ by A.K. Turner in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful surprise this book was! A highly addictive mystery with a fascinating lead in quirky Goth, Cassandra (Cassie) Raven.

Cassie is a mortuary assistant working in the London Borough of Camden. She is dedicated to her work and feels a strong connection with the dead. She talks to them and on rare occasions she finds that she picks up on their final thoughts.

Cassie is shocked to find someone she knows well on the slab: Mrs. E., her former science teacher who had become a mentor and friend. While her death is quickly ruled accidental, Cassie senses that there is more to the case. Is this grief influencing her or is her intuition correct and something sinister is going on?

Cassie has dwelt on the fringes of society and has an innate distrust of the police. So she sets out to discover what happened to Mrs. E. on her own. Yet when a body goes missing from the mortuary, D.S. Flyte is assigned to investigate. She is suspicious of Cassie and the feeling is mutual.

I so enjoyed this unusual mystery. Cassie’s empathy with the dead reminded me of Dr. ‘Ducky’ Mallard, the Medical Examiner on N.C.I.S, who regularly talks to the deceased in his care. Cassie has a complex and rather untidy past. There is also a strong supporting cast including D.S. Flyte, who has her own chapters.

I was so pleased to read that this is the start of a new series and will be looking forward to further mysteries with Cassie and friends.

This is the first in a new series by Anya Lipska writing under the name A.K Turner, and it is a doozy! Cassandra(Cassie) Raven is a mortuary techinician with a difference-she talks to the dead, and they answer back. She uses her skills to pinpoint things that others might overlook and her forensic and psychic skills, allow her to help the people who come across her path to rest in peace.

A new mortician is assigned to work with her who she doesn't immediately get to grips with, he is the opposite of her, well-educated, well off and distant. Named Cuff-which makes you think of a BP cuff which tightens on your arm and causes you pain-he and Cass do not get off to a great start.

But when the inexplicable happens-a body goes missing from their morgue-and the police start investigating as Cass was the last one to use a code to enter the builiding, and Cuff is distraught that this could have happened on his watch, they need to work together to find out what happened to the elderly gentleman  whose body vanished overnight.

Alongside this, you have the policewoman sent to investigate, Phyllida Flyte, who is running away from some unamed trauma and is determined to get her teeth stuck into this case-and she immediately sets her sights on the unusual Cass with her tattoos, body piercings and undercut.

And whilst all this is taking up Cass' mindspace, one day, she opens a body bag to find the woman who set on the path to her profession, her night school science teacher, Mrs E. The cause of death is mysterious, even more so is the appearance of the son that Cass never knew she had. And why is he acting so strangely?

It's an engaging and intriguing series opener which makes you want to know more about Cass, her Polish nana Weronika who is as ferocious as her granddaughter, and the fascinating insights into a mortician's art. I think it's no accident that Cass shares a first name with the character from Greek mythology who was cursed to see visions and have no one believe her, and her surname with a bird that is considered a psychopomp-one that transports souls to heaven...or hell.

In a book about digging deep beyond the surface, this is not a mere whodunnit, this is dive into the intricacies of the death, the way that people experience and react to it, and the effect on those left behind. It's a great read and I highly recommend it!

I judged this book by it's cover and that's why I decided to read it. A silly mistake in retrospect because I thought I'd be getting a dark gritty bloody book which was not the case.
I personally couldn't connect with the main character Cassie even though I wanted to so badly because in real life I think we'd be friends, as the lead of a book it just wasn't happening.
Also I found it hard to get into the writing style and at times felt that very little was happening.

Sadly it's 2.5 Stars

Oh yes! This series has just jumped, body and soul, into my must read category. Cassie Raven is a brilliant character. Senior mortuary technician, goth, body whisperer, she is everything I look for in a compelling character driven narrative. As I read more and more crime fiction, I find I am increasingly drawn to those characters that have a unique voice. Cassie Raven is a brilliant example of that. Cassie is a young woman with her own individual style who does not easily fit into the standard societal image of a mortician. But she is intelligent, intuitive and most of all she cares about her job and the people who are under her care.

A.K. Turner’s character springs out from the pages as a lively and wholly formed character that I just took to straight away. Lovers of Turner’s previous Kiszka and Kershaw series will recognise that 25 year old Cassie’s Polish heritage is something that is close to Turner’s heart and it’s good to see it used here to great effect in cementing the bond between Cassie and her grandmother.

Strange happenings in the mortuary and the death of a much-loved mentor provide the basis for an excellent plot and lots of entertaining moments in a fantastic read that has a great deal to commend it. I found the forensic science aspects of the book really fascinating, providing an authentic look at the role of a mortuary technician as well as offering instruction and insight.

Great storytelling combined with relatively short chapters help to make this a read that I was eager to not put down, such was my interest in both the plot and the characters. Body Language is an easy, fast paced read, and also a gripping one.

Not only is Cassie a great character, but there’s enough interest in her co-workers and in the fantastic character of Flyte, to sustain my interest for quite some time in the future. Flyte is a police officer with a rod up her back and one who Cassie finds so straight-laced – yet ultimately her dedication to her job mirrors Cassie’s own so closely that the two find they have more in common than they initially imagined. I can see these two having an interesting future together!

Verdict: This is a compelling start to a new series and it’s not hyperbole to suggest that I am already addicted to Cassie Raven. This series has at one bound become unmissable.

“ THE DEAD CAN TALK - WE JUST NEED TO LISTEN .”
Cassie Raven is a mortuary assistant having turned her life around thanks to a chance meeting of a former teacher from being on the streets and a drug fueled life. She is talented and has insights sometimes where the pathologists are stumped- something some are rather put out by. When a body arrives and it is her old teacher Mrs E she wants to treat it with the very greatest of respect as she does every body but she also wonders how Geraldine E got there- she was healthy and not that elderly. A little digging and she finds that Geraldine had a fiance- someone neither they or the funeral directors have heard from, only her estranged alcoholic son. I really enjoyed this to the point of almost racing through it- I say almost as I was enjoying it so much I wanted to savour it. Despite the subject matter (and I find pathology/forensic medicine very interesting) it made me smile- Cassie has a certain “ je ne sais quoi” about her, that certain something in her attitude to life and death and someone you would want as a friend. This is almost a cozy crime mystery- there is that warm familiarity and nothing to put you off your dinner (other than the odd “ brain in formaldehyde type” mention of autopsy thing). A wonderful read, an excellent plot, one I thoroughly enjoyed.

A.K. Turner is a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book.
Cassie is a mortuary technician and when she is faced with someone she knows in a body bag, her heart stops.
The Police have said it was an accidental drowning in the bath but Cassie is not convinced.
Cassie hears messages from the dead so when Mrs E asks her to help her, she knows her death was not an accident, but murder.
Detective Flyte meets Cassie after another person is taken to the mortuary and Cassie asks for her help in finding Mrs E’s killer.
They make a great team as each of them find out new pieces of information that leads them to the killer.
This is a great crime thriller that well and truly had me hooked throughout the book.
Thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Camden Mortuary assistant Cassie Raven has pretty much seen it all. But this is the first time she's come face to face with someone she knows on the slab. Someone she cared about, her friend and mentor Mrs E. Deeply intuitive and convinced she can pick up the last thoughts of the dead, Cassie senses that there must be more to the ruling of accidental death. Is grief making her see things that aren't there, or is intuition right and theres something more sinister to her friends death than the ME thinks?

Cassie Raven has a difficult past and I liked the fact that she could listen to the dead and she has the ability to analyse key details. The first half of the book is quite graphic. Cassie is strong willed, compassionate, feisty and unique. I also liked DS Phyllida Flyte even though she's a bit of a cold fish. This is a very well written book and I was hooked straight away.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #BonnierBooksUK and the author #AKTurner for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Body language introduces one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. Losing both her parents in a car crash, at a young age Cassie Raven goes to live with her polish grandmother and starts an obsession with dead things. Then as a teen she starts to rebel and moves out to live in squats and take drugs, her turn around comes from a chance meeting, while selling the Big Issue, with science teacher Mrs Edwards. Signing up to her course at the adult education centre she gets her A levels and now works as a technician in a mortuary.

She cares for the dead as if they are still living and shows them a great deal of tenderness, often getting fleeting moments of an almost supernatural response from them. Until the day Mrs Edwards is on her table from an apparent drowning, being found dead in the bath at only fifty one. Then a body goes missing from the morgue, the police get involved and Cassie who distrusts the police immensely is the number one suspect.

Narrated by Cassie and then also DS Flyte this is a fast paced read with short snappy chapters that held me in complete rapture. With a unique protagonist, Carrie not only spoke to the dead she spoke to me. I too was obsessed by death, horror and the macabre from a young age and I find it more strange that people shy away from it. We are all going to get there eventually after all.

So if you fancy a crime thriller with a difference and a complicated unusual main character, this will pull you in with the back story and keep you there with the deftly crafted plot.

Body Language is the first instalment in a new supernatural thriller series, set in Camden, London and featuring 25-year-old mortuary technician Cassie Raven, a goth-girl living with her Polish grandma, whose parents were killed in a car accident before she could remember them. She a loner, an introvert who is cynical and doesn't trust people easily unless they've earned it. The job suits her; the dead sometimes ‘speak’ to her and she has visions of their lives before they died. These fleeting ‘communications’ are a source of intrigue and comfort to Cassie but don’t spill over into her life outside work. Cassie’s world is rocked when her old science teacher, 51-year-old Geraldine Edwards, is brought into the morgue – Cassie owes her a great deal as she saved her from a life of drugs and homelessness by tempting her back into education – and is perturbed by the inconclusive autopsy. Meanwhile, the body of elderly Harold Hardwick vanishes from the morgue and fingers are pointed at Cassie – it was her passcode that was used to gain entry. When the missing body is found in a bag in the canal five days later DS Phyllida Flyte is called in to investigate and when Cassie herself is attacked she begins to wonder whether these things may be connected and sets off to investigate…

This is a compulsive, engrossing and twisty read, and although I'm not usually a fan of thrillers with a supernatural element to them, it worked brilliantly in this case. It's well written and carefully plotted, and protagonist, Cassie, is a breath of fresh air; she has an intriguing backstory, she's flawed and human and a tad weird which all makes her very relatable. She's also a quirky and refreshingly original character and the type we rarely see in crime fiction. Unique, compelling and spirited, Cassie Raven is a captivating character and Alison Turner weaves a clever story that keeps you guessing the whole way with great twists and turns. It's a compelling read from first page to last and the way it is written it just flows beautifully and you quickly become immersed in Cassie’s world. It's well-paced, gripping and entertaining, although I wasn't sure about DS Flyte, who came across as a judgemental battle-axe who appears emotionally cold and initially this makes her quite abrasive. She’s certainly interesting, though, and the two get off on the wrong foot at the beginning but mellow as it progresses. There's also a lot of information about forensics and mortuary etiquette, which I found fascinating. This riveting and thoroughly enjoyable page-turner comes highly recommended.

"From her first day in the mortuary five years ago it had felt totally natural to talk to the bodies in her care, to treat them as if they were still alive — still people. Occasionally they would even answer."

Body Language introduces us to a new and original voice in crime fiction. Cassie Raven is a goth mortuary assistant who secretly believes the dead speak to her, practices taxidermy in her free time and has held a fascination with the dead since childhood. It goes without saying that she's viewed as strange by some. But I liked this complex, flawed and slightly offbeat protagonist.

When the body of her former teacher, mentor and friend Geraldine Edwards is brought into the morgue following her sudden death, Cassie is hit by not only a tidal wave of grief, but the feeling that this wasn't a natural death. When the police and pathologist rule out foul play she decides to listen to what the body is telling her and embarks on her own investigation.

This was an entertaining read. It took me a while to get into, but asked halfway through the pace picked up and oozed tension. From that point on I was unable to stop reading and stayed up until the early hours finishing the whole thing.

The novel is full of interesting and memorable characters and storylines that feel both far-fetched and relatable. The author's examination of grief and trauma stood out to me in particular for the sensitive, moving and realistic way in which it is portrayed. And Cassie isn't our only protagonist. We are also told the story from the point of view of DS Phyllida Flyte. She and Cassie are poles apart and yet at their core they are very much like. They are both strong women who are seen as outsiders and believe in fighting to get the answers and justice that victims deserve. I liked how the pair paralleled each other while instantly disliking each other and enjoyed watching the slow shift in their dynamic over the course of the book.

A tense, twists, darkly humorous and sometimes grisly read that keeps you guessing, this is a great start to a new series. I'm especially excited to see where the author takes Cassie next after the jaw-dropping conclusion.

Body Language - A.K Turner

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Zaffre and Netgalley.

Camden mortuary assistant Cassie Raven has pretty much seen it all. But this is the first time she's come face to face with someone she knows on the slab. Someone she cared about. Her friend and mentor, Mrs E. Deeply intuitive and convinced that she can pick up the last thoughts of the dead, Cassie senses that there must be more to the ruling of an accidental death. Is her grief making her see things that aren't there, or is her intuition right, and there's something more sinister to her friend's death than the ME thinks?
Harbouring an innate distrust of the police, Cassie sets out to investigate and deliver justice to the woman who saved her life.

Cassie is dedicated to her job as a mortuary assistant, she listens to what the dead have to say. When her friend Geraldine turns up in the mortuary, Cassie is determined that the cause of death isn’t as obvious as it seems.

For fans of crime and mystery, this book has been left open to turn into a series. If you are a fan of Silent Witness, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 4/5

The cover and blurb of this book really appealed to me, with the tools in the image it could have been gruesome but, I didn’t find it so. I found this a slow-burner and would have liked more to have happened sooner but, really enjoyed it when the plot started to evolve and at the point of Cassie being chased I couldn’t race through the pages fast enough and felt like I was running with her! Cassie wanted to find out the real cause of her friend Mrs E’s death DS and this led to her playing detective in a hurry before the cremation of the body and therefore the destruction of any potential evidence. DS Flytes’ character intrigued me and we learned more about her as she softened through the book, I liked the relationship she was forming and the respect she had for Cassie. The ending took a few twists and turns and not what I had thought would happen; I really enjoyed that!

I loved this book, I thought Cassie was a really good lead character, I liked the fact she was so quirky, and feisty and a very original character. I knew this book was going to be a bit different from the description, and I loved that ,.it was refreshing to read such a fresh take on this genre. I liked the pace of the book, the other characters in it and the plot kept me guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Cassie Raven, a mortuary technician. She take her job very seriously with a personal touch. She talks to the dead, she treats them with respect.
One day a new body is brought in, only to find it was an old teacher of hers, who she had an incredible bond with. Something about her death just dosent sit right woth Cassie, she investigates further, hitting many obstacles on the way, she never gives up.

Ummm wow!!! I absolutely loved Cassie!! I loved her personality and dedication. I though she was fab. Wasnt too sure on Flyte to begin with, but she didn't grow on me!
It found it so easy to get lost in this one. It was brilliantly gripping, and the twists completly blind sided me. Just as I thought I'd figured it all out, something else happened to throw me off. A hard one to put down. Well deserved 5 stars from me. I can say with confidence that it is a must read!!