Publication: 4th February 2021 – Hodder & Stoughton
‘Leave your daughter with me, or I will kill you both’
It felt like a normal Friday evening before Karl and his daughter Leah were ambushed by a figure in a blank mask. At knife point, Karl is forced to make an impossible choice. Stay and die, or walk away from Leah and take this thug’s word that they both will live.
Should Karl trust a villain and leave his daughter with a knife at her throat? Could he ever live with himself if he did?
It’s not long before more seemingly unconnected and innocent people across London are offered a deal in exchange for their life. More blood is spilled, more families shattered, and more people are left to suffer with the consequences of their decisions.
DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen must hunt for a killer that appears to have no face, no motive and no conscience before more victims are forced to make their choice.
This is second in Will Shindler’s Finn and Paulsen series – a British detective series that ranks with Mark Billingham, M.J. Arlidge and Stuart MacBride.
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Thrilled to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of The Killing Choice, the new gripping novel by Will Shindler.
Last year I really enjoyed Will Shindler’s debut novel, The Burning Men, so when I was invited to join the blog tour for this second novel, I accepted without thinking twice about it. In The Burning Men, we were introduced to DI Alex Finn and his new colleague, DC Mattie Paulsen, but, if you haven’t read it, you can easily read The Killing Choice as a stand-alone, although I highly recommend you give The Burning Men a read.
The Killing Choice starts with Karl Suleman and his daughter Leah on their weekly father-daughter dinner when they are stopped by someone in a mask and with a knife who gives them a choice: if Karl leaves, both he and his daughter will survive; if Karl stays, they will both die. What would you do? Karl’s choice ends tragically and while he is condemned by the media and the public, and, most of all, by his wife, DI Alex Finn and his team investigate.
The Killing Choice is a gripping and suspenseful police procedural that shows on one side the police in a race against time trying to stop a killer before he hits again while, at the same time, they are facing personal problems; on the other side, the victims of what seems to be random attacks that leaves them feeling guilty and helpless.
In this second novel we learn more about the two leading detectives. A year after the death of his wife Karin, DI Alex Finn is still grieving. He buries himself into work, arriving first thing in the morning and leaving late at night. When one of her oldest friends tells him that Karin asked her to keep an eye on him, he may be ready to acknowledge that he needs help.
DC Mattie Paulsen is facing problems both on the professional and personal side: she feels frustrated that, after a year, she still must prove herself to DI Finn and this may put her in danger. On the personal side, she receives bad news from her parents that affect her deeply.
The Killing Choice is a story of revenge, guilt, choice, and grief that poses the question: would you risk your life to protect the person you love? Twisty and intense it shows the author’s deep knowledge of police procedure and it will leave you on the edge of your seat. I am already looking forward to the next installment of this must-read series!
A huge thank you to Jenny and Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to join the blog tour and for providing me with a proof of the novel.
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Will Shindler has been a Broadcast Journalist for the BBC for over twenty-five years, spending a decade working in television drama as a scriptwriter on Born and Bred, The Bill and Doctors. His time on these leading prime time dramas has given him a rich grounding in authentic police procedure, powerful character development and gripping narratives. He currently combines reading the news on BBC Radio London with writing crime novels and has previously worked as a television presenter for HTV, a sports reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and one of the stadium presenters at the London Olympics. The Burning Men is his first novel.
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