The Gravedigger's Song is the third crime thriller in the Tom Kilgannon series by Martyn Waites. Released 30 Aug 2022 by Blackstone Publishing, it's 350 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a very well written and honestly gripping crime novel. The intro scene is horrifyingly brutal and creepy and involves a home invasion, torture murder, sexual assault (including an adult and a minor), and explicit on page descriptions of the crimes. Coming off a long stint of village cozies, it was difficult to read. The book does get easier to stomach, but the first 20 pages are a series of gut punches, and readers should be forewarned.
The plotting and action are very tautly controlled and well wrought. The author has a gift with description and the characterizations are believable. There is a thread throughout of the importance of found family which is uplifting and beautifully inclusive.
The language is rough in places (R - rated), and the descriptions are bloodthirsty. The climax, denouement, and resolution are very well written and (mostly) satisfying.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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