Neon

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With its name in lights, NEON is destined for the top of the bestseller charts in 2020.

'NEON' is an astonishingly accomplished novel from debut author, G.S. Locke. I loved every single page and devoured this edge-of-your-seat thriller in one sitting. So, if you are looking for novel that provides a new twist on the serial-killer genre, then NEON is the book for you. With its sublime characterisation and tautly-plotted narrative, this is a superior thriller in every way. The story focuses on a trio of main protagonists. There is, of course, the serial killer NEON who poses his victims in elaborate light displays in and around Birmingham; then there is Detective Matt Jackson, lead investigator on the NEON case, whose wife Polly, was also a victim of the NEON's. Our third main protagonist is the fantastically realised hitwoman, Iris, who is hired by a suicidal Matt, to put an end to his misery. All seems straightforward until Matt finds information that could lead to the real identity of NEON and then the fun really begins. Instead of Iris carrying out the contracted murder/suicide of Matt, the two join forces to hunt down the deliciously twisted serial killer, NEON. Cue a high-octane, thrill-a-minute, literal page-turning journey to the final, stunning denouement of NEON. Whilst the plot of the novel is undoubtedly a force of nature, the real stars of the show, so to speak, are the enduring characters of NEON, Matt and Iris. They quite simply burst forth from the page, as if rebelling against the mere jumble of words that make up their fictional existence. Hitwoman and terminally ill Iris, a cross between the indefatigable Lisbeth Salander and the gloriously psychotic Alice, from 'Luther', in particular, simply light up the page (pun intended), of Locke's debut novel. As I've run out of superlatives for 'NEON', a glorious mash-up of 'Luther', 'Line of Duty' and Stieg Larsson's 'Millennium Trilogy', I will stop here. Suffice to say, you won't be disappointed in the sparkling, gloriously colourful, light display of 'NEON' - a definite smash hit for 2020

In one word: brilliant! #Neon #NetGalley

This is a compulsive crime thriller from GS Locke, set in Birmingham, where a stone cold and ruthless serial killer is running rings around the police. DCI Matt Jackson has been leading the hunt for the imaginative killer targeting women, creating a macabre neon lit tableau in which the dead women are posed as 'artistic installations'. His latest victim was Jackson's beloved wife, Polly, an act that has plunged the detective into an abyss of darkness and depression that has him wanting to check out of life completely. To this end, he has organised his own murder-suicide by hiring a hitman. Only as a new lead comes to light, he discovers he wants to take care of unfinished business first, and when the hitman turns out be a woman, Iris Palmer, he convinces her to join him in the Neon killer search.

Iris has her own urgent reasons for agreeing to Jackson's plan, she needs money and she needs it fast. If Jackson had thought he could 'manage' Iris, he is due for a rude awakening, she has no intention of sticking to his rules, creating moral dilemmas and guilt for him. To his surprise, he finds the hitwoman can out think his fellow police officers when it comes to strategies and running a murder investigation. Interspersed in the narrative is the perspective of the killer, a determined and manipulative man, playing with Jackson, with plans for him that involve the most ambitious and enthralling neon lit display in which Jackson is the intended star. In the most twisted of investigations, certain facts come to light that force Jackson to question the motivations of the Neon killer, a serial killer that another killer, the hitwoman Iris, has in her sights.

Locke certainly has a fascinating protagonist in DCI Matt Jackson, a man certain he is done with life but has one last task he wants to complete, ensure that his wife Polly's killer pays for his horrific crime with his life. His unusual partnership with the complex and hard nosed Iris, rendered vulnerable by what is happening in her personal life, is the highlight of this brilliant piece of crime fiction. The ending has elements that are heartbreaking, and if you are wondering if Jackson remains committed in wanting to die, you are going to have to read this riveting crime thriller! Highly recommended. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.