The Book Bump

First Published: 2021
Author: Nadine Matheson
Language: English
Genre: Thriller – Police Procedural
My rating: 3.5/5

Body parts start turning up on the banks of the River Thames. The murders have all the hallmarks of The Jigsaw Killer, except he is serving a life sentence. It would seem DI Anjelica Henley has a copycat killer on her hands.

This is the first Inspector Anjelica Henley novel, but it reads like a sequel, which is a little disturbing initially. There’s a lot to catch up on with the case of the Jigsaw Killer while trying to digest all the new information concerning the Copycat Killer.

The book contains graphic content, but it’s what you’d expect from a police procedural novel about not one but two serial killers on the loose.

Matheson created a strong female lead who was easily relatable. She shows both strength and vulnerability. She continues to do her job despite crippling anxiety attacks, a lack of support from her husband and other obstacles, thus creating a multi-faceted, authentic character. Through DI Henley, the author shines a light on marginalised groups, mental health struggles, sexism and racism.

Unfortunately, the supporting characters were rather forgettable. I barely remember their names as I write this review… That shouldn’t happen. The reader was teased with their backstories, but there was a lack of explanation in this book. The rookie cop with his family problems was one subplot I’d have liked the author to develop more.

The killers, whether the Jigsaw Killer or the Copycat Killer, weren’t very compelling. They came across as stereotypical. The Jigsaw Killer is the archetype of a villain: charming, ruthless, and impossible to apprehend. This last point is a pet peeve of mine… the villain has all the power for 80% of the story, and the “good guys” are powerless to stop them, but miraculously, the villain gets his comeuppance at the very end. It’s overused and not particularly credible.

The pacing of the novel felt slightly off. Nothing investigative-worthy happens. For a police procedural, I expected a lot more investigating. The narrative reads like the police are twiddling their thumbs, waiting for the evidence to fall into their laps. The ending felt rushed, taking away any suspense and tension that the novel had been previously building.

I LOVE a good police procedural novel. There’s something special about making something so mundane, gripping, and suspenseful. This novel could have been rated higher, but it lacked that critical build-up of tension. The story dragged, and the plot got saggy. Had it perhaps been 50 to 100 pages shorter, maybe then I’d have felt more thrills.