The first book I have read by Patricia Marques.

This book is set in Lisbon and not your normal crime thriller.
People are able to perform telepathy are classed as gifted.
Isabel is a gifted police officer and has to solve a murder. Will her ‘gift’ help her.
An interesting concept and something a bit different.
Well written

The Colours of Death is a book that’s just a joy to read. Having read a lot of books for NetGalley, there are some that I enjoy but mentally note things to write about whilst reading and then there are those that I just lose myself in. This does however mean I really struggle to write reviews about them other than just typing ‘read this book!’ over and over again!

The Colours of Death is set in an alternate timeline of Lisbon, where some people are able to perform either telekinesis or telepathy and as such are classified as ‘Gifted’. Our main character Isabel is a Gifted police officer. I liked the fact that these skill sets are actually discriminated against within society and Isabel has to be careful how she lets her talents manifest. It’s frustrating that telepathy would make solving crimes a lot easier but she has to get permission to use her powers on suspects and witnesses. As a migraine sufferer I also really appreciated the realistic descriptions of her constant headaches which come with her Gift. I really empathised with Isabel and she is a likeable and strong main character.

The crime itself was gory and there are enough characters to misdirect the reader with some red herrings. The book was also really well paced, with some flashbacks to Isabels past and descriptions of the world intermingled with the crimes which ramp up as the book goes along. There’s also some interesting revelations made as the story progresses which hint at a sequel (which I would be very excited to read). However, this book does work well as a standalone read which is appreciated as in reading the ARC I acknowledge that a sequel might be a fair amount of time coming!

Overall, The Colours of Death is an intriguing thriller with a sci-fi edge and I hope there’s a sequel coming soon – for now though, read this book! Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder and Stoughton for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Colours of Death by Patricia Marques is a clever futuristic thriller set in a world where a percentage of the population are "Gifted" with powers of telepathy or telekinesis. Along with these powers come suspicion and stigma as the rest of the population fear what they cannot understand.
When a mam dies in strange circumstances on a crowded train in Lisbon, the case falls to Gifted detective Isabel Reis and her new partner. Isabel has powers of telepathy, and would prefer to work alone, but protocol dictates that all Gifted detectives must have a non gifted partner , to ensure that they follow the strict protocols laid down in law. When it emerges that the dead man was involved in testing Gifted people, and had ties to a powerful politician with less than kind views about the Gifted. Isabel is more invested than ever in solving the case, but can she do it without allowing her own powers to get out of control?
I really enjoyed this unusual spin on a thriller, and thought the author posed some interesting ethical questions about authority and autonomy while telling a good story. The pacing was good, with a dramatic opening and then a steady pace with several twists and turns before the dramatic conclusion. I was surprised to learn that this was a debut, the writing is assured and the story polished. The character of Isabel was really well developed and I appreciated getting to know so much of her back story and family history with all its complications. I would love to read more books featuring her investigations , there is definitely potential for this to develop into a series.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Colours of Death by Patricia Marques is a sci-fi crime novel. Isabel is the main character and this is a fairly typical storyline of parental rejection due to her “giftedness” alongside the reveal that she really is more gifted than she, or anyone else, initially thinks. That aside, the storyline is very well developed and the characters are credible. Isabel’s new partner Voronov grows steadily into a solid lead character as the book progresses. I enjoyed the story very much, although it was very descriptive and I was shocked how cold and wet Portugal seemed to be?? I really, however, didn’t like the ending. Enough loose ends are tied up to finish it but so much left hanging obviously (or maybe hopefully) to allow Patricia to develop a series? Three and a half stars because of the apparently rushed ending but I’m rounding up to four as the story is relatively novel and is well executed overall.

I was a bit worried about the sci-fi element of this book but actually really enjoyed it. It was an interesting new angle to a police procedural and the book was well written with a good conclusion. I also enjoyed the Lisbon setting - a city I visited over 30 years ago and after reading this, would like to revisit. Recommended.

Patricia Marques's sci-fi crime thriller is set in the present day in an alternative Lisbon in Portugal, featuring a world of the stigmatised 'gifted', with either telekinetic or telepathic abilities, too often feared and hated by the 'regulars', with the PNP, the right wing political party, leading the anti-gifted agenda under the powerful Bento Soares. In the Policia Judiciara, Inspector Isabel Reis is a telepathic gifted, having to operate with her new partner, Inspector Aleksandr Voronov, a regular, there to ensure she sticks to the rigid regulations imposed on the gifted in the police. The two find themselves at the Gare do Oriente, where they find the oddest death in a railway carriage that has alarm bells ringing. It appears the victim had bashed their head repeatedly until they died, but terrified witness reports suggest this might be a crime committed by a telekinetic gifted with levels of powers that are unheard of.

Matters become exacerbated when it becomes clear the murder victim is Gil Dos Santos, one of the heads of the National Testing Institute (NTI) that oversees the gifted, compiling a registry, the level of power an individual might have, providing guides, and carrying out the critical role of monitoring, rumours swirl of disappearances, secret experimentation and militarisation of the gifted. Reis, a woman with her own secrets, knows she has a high profile and a political nightmare of a case where her role will be under particular scrutiny, she is going to need her partner to have her back, and Vonorov has a past that raises concerns. With Julio Soares, the son of Bento, having connections with the dead man, he becomes an integral part of the police inquiry, along with the other head of the NTI, Celia Armindas. Reis finds herself facing further murders, dangers, obstacles and obfuscations, in a complex investigation, with the public increasingly baying for blood.

Marques's debut novel was a joy to read, it was well plotted, beautifully written, atmospheric and engaged my interest from beginning to end. Isabel Reis made for a fascinating central protagonist, we are given her back story as a child, losing a father that loved her but died too soon, and a mother that rejected her when it became clear she was gifted. She has a brother in the church, Sebastiao, whom she has a close relationship with, and a sister, Rita, more under her mother's influence. Isabel has lived under the constant pressure of wanting to hide and control her telepathy, not seeing the below the radar celebration and acceptance of the gifted in Lisbon. This is a riveting and entertaining crime read with some original aspects that I think many readers will love. I am hoping this evolves into a series, it shows so much promise. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

I wasn't certain about this book. Would a central theme of ESP/6th Sense characters be seamlessly integrated with the police murder storyline (note I'm using murder and not homicide which in my knowledge of Latin means killing a man!). The answer is yes it can and very effectively.
Characterisations are really good and I found Isabel to be a stubborn but still likeable character. However I did find the ending a bit too like my description of a Hollywood style ending although I accept the ending had to embrace mind over mind with a bit of heaving and throwing thrown in.
I was intrigued by the writer trying to portray Lisbon in winter as almost like an Arctic area. I have no knowledge of temperatures in winter in Portugal but if they compare with winter temperatures in Nicosia in Cyprus then 15c or there about is hardly cold - still when you are used to 20s and 30s Celsius then I guess it feels like that.
So, in summary a very good and and definitely worth reading

This was a little bit different to my usual crime thrillers but i found it fascinating and it felt very realistic and the author has done a great job with it.

It took me a while to get into this book and I think that was a personal thing and not a reflection on the book or writing style itself. However I did find that the first 50% of the book was a tad slow with a lot of character building but not a lot of storyline building.

In the second half however, wow what an action packed mystery whodunnit. I really enjoyed the twist of the police detective with telepathic abilities but unable to use them most of the time.

Isabel was a great main character with what seems to be a sad backstory that we still have not completely learnt by the end of the book. I also enjoyed her relationships with her brother and her partner (at work). I think that there is scope to build more there is needed too.

The book ended on a cliffhanger so I presume this is intended to be a series which is why some threads were left untied. But all in all I enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more about Isabel.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a complimentary ARC copy.

The Colours of death by Patricia Marques is her debut novel set in an alternative city of Lisbon in Portugal. Where some of the populations are gifted. The either have Telepathic or Telekinetic powers. They are closely monitored by the authorities and if they become the most powerful, they are taken away to be never seen again.
Isabel Reis is an Inspector in the Lisbon Police force. She is also gifted with telepathy. She is called to investigate a suspected suicide but, when they look at the incident more closely, they find its murder made by someone who is gifted and immensely powerful. She also meets her new partner Aleksandr Voronov, who is a regular and has previous problems with this previous partner because they were also gifted. But as the investigation goes on, they become friends. The victim of the investigation seems to be the head of National testing unit that is in charge of testing and monitoring gifted people.
The colours of death is a unique sci-fi/procedural story sent in Lisbon Portugal. Which I found entertaining as I have not read many books set in Portugal or heard. There is a lot of backstory of Isabel life which was okay but somehow towards the end of the story I found a bit too much and wanted more from the ending. Four stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley et all for the opportunity to read this book I don't normally like sci fi so this book was so different for me. It was really good & well written

Sorry but I just couldn't get into.this book. So can't really give feedback as it wouldn't be fair. Feel it's more sci fi than thriller.

4*

Very enjoyable read full of tension and suspense, perfect for fans of Rivers of London.

Set in modern day Lisbon with a twist. Members of the population manifests telekinetic abilities and are known as the Gifted.

The main storyline follows the crime fighting duo of Isabel Reis (Gifted) and Aleksandr Voronov, police officers on the case of the murder of the head of Portugal’s National Testing Unit. The book follows the twists and turns of the investigation, while also thoroughly fleshing out the characters through flashbacks of their own. A well paced, and imaginative read.

The Colours of Death is a smart, neatly weaving mystery. It is set in Portugal, in what is an alternative world, although as with the best Sci-Fi, it is our world with some imagined differences that drive the plot. The best parallel I can think of is with the X Men – there are people who are ‘Gifted’, who have powers of telepathy and telekinesis, and who are registered, monitored and tracked by the Government. It also draws out parallels with racism, immigration, and how society treats difference.

Detective Inspector Isabel Reis is Gifted, but the pills she takes to dampen down her telepathy are having a reduced effect. They give her headaches but at least they minimise the voices that she can hear when she is near people. In the opening chapter, she is called to the train station, to investigate the death of a man on a train, his head smashed in against a window. But no-one was near him. Did he do it himself or was he propelled by someone with a strong telekinesis gift?

That is what Reis and her new partner Voronov have to find out. We see some of Isabel’s personal life, the development of her and Voronov’s work relationship, and some of the political backdrop to living in a society where some are fearful of those with special gifts.

The characters are well drawn and it is an engaging police procedural that offers something a little different to the norm.

I found this book a slow start but captivating.

Isabel works with the police and has a gift that she suppresses because of the stigma associated with gifted individuals, a murder on a train of Gil a researcher who works at NTI the association who keeps check on gifted individuals leaves the detectives with no leads or clues. Isabel also has the issue of a new partner Voronov who informed on his last partner to work alongside. Investigations take them deep into the NTI but no clues to actually solve the murder and another murder of the son of a high profile political figure against gifted leaves Isabel suspended. Isabel also battles with her own gift and stops using suppressants and uses her gift to help solve the murder.

I really enjoyed this book

Interesting concept that lifts a police procedural a cut above, set in an alternative world where a small proportion of the population have psychic powers. A backdrop of a populist “anti-gifted” political movement provides contemporary identity politics parallels, although not as heavy handed as that could be. It feels “tv-ready” - complex central character with family problems, new partner with a worrying past, not quite playing by the rules etc., with an added x-men bonus.
The early scene-setting is effective, sufficient world building to crack on and give more info later. Less satisfying for me was a real sense of Lisbon as a place - there are descriptions but few emotional beats to believe in, replaced instead by a pet hate of mine - the inclusion of Portuguese words in speech when everything else is in English. It takes me out of the story as i take it for granted they are speaking translated Portuguese... I appreciate this is not going to be everyone’s problem!

Anyway, enjoyable and pacy police procedural. Probably the first of a series?

Set in Lisbon, where humans are of two categories — the Gifted and the non-gifted, The Colours of Death follow Inspector Reis of the Lisbon Police Force as she's called to investigate a case that may have a Gifted involvement. A Gifted person falls into one of two categories, Telekinetic or Telepathic.

The story is very descriptive and I was instantly transported to Lisbon. The novel shows us what it's like for families with a Gifted member and the discrimination this group of people face. It also shows the government's methods of ‘helping’ said people and some of the things fear leads to. I liked the relationship between Isabel and her new partner, Voronov, and how they grow to trust each other.

The writing was kind of slow and I did get lost at some points but the story is an interesting one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC which was given in return for an honest review.

What a brilliant book! Such a unique take on the police procedural!

Some characters have unique gifts including telepathy or telekinesis, their gifts are then ranked on a scale and this really does make the story. Isabel Reis is the inspector and has gifts of her own but it isn't all straight forward for her.

Suspicious deaths and murder suspects running around town with dangerous powers! What's not to like?

I like the fact that we get a very clear narrative of Isabel as I feel like this could be the first of a long line of novels set in this world.

I did work out the reveal but that might have been due to the fact that I always try to guess. I was also slightly underwhelmed by the ending as I wanted to know more and it felt a little abrupt.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to anyway with an interest in crime or sci-fi.

The Colours of Death by Patricia Marques
I give this book 3.75 stars

A violent and mysterious crime. Suspected Gifted involvement. A city baying for blood. And a killer who has only just begun . . .

This alternative detective mystery is narrated in 3rd person set in present day, and is located in Lisbon. Inspector Isabel Reid and her new Russian partner Voronov need to find and stop an ingenious killer..This book has a very interesting concept and was a descriptive and enjoyable read.

With thanks to Netgalley,the author and Hodder and Stoughton for my chance to read and review this book

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of The Colours of Death, a thriller set in Lisbon in the present day, featuring Detective Inspector Isabel Reis.

A man dies on a train by repeatedly hurling himself against the glass and while the witnesses know what they saw they’re not entirely sure that it was voluntary. Gifted detective Isabel Reis is asked to investigate. Gifted, however, has a particular meaning in this world, the Gifted have special powers are are closely monitored.

I was invited to read The Colours of Death and I hummed and hawed about it before taking the plunge, because superpowers and the inexplicable are not really my thing. I’m glad I did as it is a great read that held my attention from start to finish.

It doesn’t take long to get into Isabel’s world and once settled into this new normal the reader can enjoy a twisted investigation with strong characters. It is told from Isabel’s point of view so the reader can identify with her and her struggles with her Gift, while living a mystifying investigation. No, I’m not equally gifted and had no idea of where the novel was taking me or who the perpetrator was or, up until the reveal, why. I found it totally absorbing and it was as fast as I could get back to it when I had to put it down. I liked the way the author built her story, bit by bit, and the imaginative use of the Gifts to bring it to a resolution. I also liked the writing which is clear, concise and lively.

So, the novel has a good, absorbing plot but it’s not just about plot. It’s about discrimination and the effect it has on individuals’ every day life. Isabel is ashamed of being Gifted and tries to hide it, but this isn’t easy when she has to declare it at every turn and get tested regularly. It also isn’t easy when public opinion is whipped up against them. It’s the constant onslaught of small indignities that is so powerful. It is a stroke of genius to make the discriminated something outside our collective lived experience as it avoids unconscious prejudice and allows the reader to see it clearly.

The Colours of Death is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.