The Web They Wove by Catherine Yaffee begins when the mutilated body of a young female is found at a park in Leeds. DI Ziggy Thornes and his team are called out to investigate. With little evidence found at the scene it seems like they are stuck at a dead end. When a second body turns up in the same place, Ziggy starts to feel the pressure as the inevitable comparisons with the Yorkshire Ripper start in the press. When he realises that the victims have been held captive for days before being murdered, he starts to realise that there is a seriously depraved person out there, and that the case is starting to turn personal.
Although this is the second novel by Catherine Yaffe it is the first I have read. However this can absolutely be read as a standalone. The back ground of Ziggy is revealed gradually through the story, including why he’s called Ziggy, and so I didn’t get the feeling I was missing anything. Although he was the typical divorced detective he also had a vulnerability about him that I liked and made him seem more rounded. His interaction with his team members was natural and he genuinely seemed to care about his team.
I am a big fan of novels that give the perspective from the serial killer and this is no exception. I thought the chapter’s from the killers voice gave an interesting extra dimension to the story, that I found fascinating. They were interspered thoughout and gave a change from the hectic pace of the police procedures.
The story was full of twists and turns that really drew me in from the beginning with some well written prose. Every time I thought I had a handle on where the case was going I would be thrown off direction once again. I very much enjoyed The Web they Wove and will definitely be looking to catch up with Ziggy on his next case.
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UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Web-They-Wove-Tangled-Book-ebook/dp/B0937K58PF/
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