The Colours of Death

This was quite an enjoyable read. A high profile murder mystery set in Lisbon where people can be "gifted", the investigation leads to the perpetrator being gifted too and well as the MC. It makes you look at how people are treated in society when they are seen as different.
It is a well written book with thought given to its characters and world building. It keeps you guessing with all of the twists and turns that have been written in. Loved it.

It took me some time to get into the story but when I did there was no stopping me.
I liked the concept, and the execution of the story. It was very descriptive which helped me immerse myself in this story and "feel" what our main character was feeling, but it sometimes felt like too much description.
I expected that ending for Isabel, didn't quite figure out who the murderer was quickly and that was a great challenge trying to guess it at the start.
It looks like there might be another book because of the way it ended and I'm impatient if that's the case, I want to know more about Isabal and Voronov !

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and the story was well paced out. I enjoyed not only the murder mystery aspect but also the twist of the person responsible having powers too. This added a really good suspense to the story especially with the main character being Gifted herself. It also lead me to see some similarities with the way those who are different in society are treated with suspicion and caution.
The characters were well thought out and I really enjoyed the back stories of each character and it added depth to the story.
I was kept guessing all the way through as to who the perpetrator was and the end result was executed well. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Isabel Reis is an Inspector for the Lisbon Police Force but she’s not just your average Inspector. She’s what they class as Gifted. A Gifted individual falls into one of two categories; Telepathic or Telekinetic so when she’s called to a case which may have some Gifted involvement, she knows that there’s a lot more at stake than just her reputation.

First of all, I just have to say how great it was to read a book that was set in a country other than the United Kingdom or the United States. It was truly a breath of fresh air and although I had to translate a few words along the way, that didn’t matter to me. In fact, I loved it even more because it was something new and I liked discovering what the words translated to.

One thing I’ll say about this book is that it was highly descriptive. Probably one of the most descriptive books I’ve read so far. Things such as the scents in an environment or the way a chair felt to the feeling of being in the rain was described so well. It really made you feel immersed in the story.

The overall storyline was unique. I liked the fact that aside from the Gifted, everything else was ‘normal’. By that I mean, it didn’t overuse the Gifted element of the story. Yes, it was a crucial part of the book but it wasn’t dramatic. It was written super well to the point where although it’s classed in the Fantasy genre, it didn’t feel overly fantastical to the point where it was ridiculous. It was just the right amount.

Aside from a few grammatical errors and paragraphing issues (which, all things considered, wasn’t a major surprise as it’s an ARC), I enjoyed this book a lot. The ONLY reason why I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because of the ending but that is a very subjective reason and I definitely wouldn’t let that deter anyone from giving this book a read.

This was such a good police procedural. Part mystery part sci if. People in this Lisbon can be ‘gifted’. An odd couple of detectives need to solve a murder that’s high profile. I was unable to guess the plot twists and I can’t wait to read the next one.

A really great mystery, full of suspense and with the differences between the "gifted" and the "normals" being understated enough that it was actually quite believable!
This is a real page turner

The colours of death
A riveting mystery thriller. I really liked this book - it drew me in very quickly .
Its a police procedural novel but very different in a different world. I liked the strong main characters and hope very much that the story will continue as I want to see where it goes.

This is crime fiction with a twist. Dectective Inspector Reis is in pursuit of a killer. Nothing new there but the murders take place in an alternative Lisbon, Portugal where the population is split into gifted or non-gifted and Inspector Reis is registered as gifted due to her being a telepath. Without revealing any spoilers, this was a gripping and highly invented thrill ride. I can't wait for more.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I loved this. Speculative crime fiction with some superb writing and an eclectic, engaging group dynamic of characters who you invest in very early on.

In a world where a portion of the population are gifted, monitored and often facing prejudice, one detective who is gifted herself, gets embroiled in some odd and violent murders..

This plot is so addictive and the world building has you believing every word. As an allegory it also works beautifully allowing exploration of social issues within a vibrant and ever shifting perspective.

The Colours of Death is also wildly entertaining and a right old page turner. I didn't want it to end and I'm hoping for plenty more to come.

Highly Recommended.

Lately I have started to get a wee bit tired of some police procedural novels but then this one came along, with the addition of a sci-fi/fantasy edge and I was hooked. A really fresh and original twist on crime fiction with a compelling mystery and fantastic characters. A really, really good read!

Absolutely fantastic! A really good thriller with a twist, I really hope that this is the beginning of a new series. Fast paced with an exciting and original plot line, this was such a pleasure to read. I loved everything about it from the wonderful descriptives that set the scene in alternate reality Lisbon, the character development of Isabel and most importantly what a villain! A definite recommendation.

Sci Fi meets Crime Fiction is this refreshing new take on a thriller!! A wonderful take on the genre and also lovely to be taken to Lisbon in the writing, it truly painted the perfect picture of the capital city right down to the local cuisine which I felt I could taste!!

This debut was so enjoyable to read! I found it was well written, plotted well and easy to read! I’d recommend this to all who are looking for a thriller fix with a little bit of a difference!!

Thank you to Netgalley & Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC!!