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No Time to Cry: Constance Fairchild Series 1 (The Constance Fairchild Series)

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Con is suspended, while awaiting the trial of Roger DeVilliers, a paedophile, and the corrupt detective Bailey.

Despite Con being suspended from all duties and warned to stay away, she defies her superiors and continues to look into what is happening. She goes to Edinburgh in what was supposed to be her getting away from the press but she has an ulterior motive which is to visit the mother of the young man who she had found.The fact that I finished this book at all, and until near the end was contemplating giving it four stars is a testament to Oswald’s skill as a writer. I don’t like Con Fairchild, but the story kept me going until close to the end – it was only then, and when I sat down to think about what I’d read, that the weaknesses became apparent. I enjoyed the Welsh mythology at the centre of the plot, and it was good to have a story set in Ceredigion, but there was some terrible cod-Welsh dialogue of the "see boyo" variety that really grated. This wasn't helped by an audiobook narrator who couldn't do a Welsh accent or pronounce some basic Welsh words. But she does her best to ignore them and finds allies in Karen Eve, Bain and Diane Shepherd. They do their best to include her in the investigation that concerns the young man she found and others that have died from their injuries.

Cons mum seems to always be attracted by cult leaders who she donates money too. As we find again in this story. As J D Oswald, James has written a classic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro. Inspired by the language and folklore of Wales, it follows the adventures of a young dragon, Sir Benfro, in a land where his kind have been hunted near to extinction by men. The whole series is now available in print, ebook and audio formats. Once again, Mr Oswald creates fantastic characters even ones of the four legged variety; I absolutely loved Gelert the deerhound who embodies the phrase "[wo]man's best friend" and I guarantee you will want a Gelert in your life albeit without the flatulence!

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

I have to give special mention to Rose Akroyd, the voice actor on the excellent Audible version of both Constance Fairchild books. Her performance is outstanding and she gives life to all of the books characters, especially Con whose voice in my head is now eternally linked to Rose’s. The balance between these three time frames is extremely well maintained in this intriguing novel, as the characters try to cope with the challenges they all face. In the first time frame men are faced with the impossible tasks set out for them in battlefields in which many die and all are treated badly. The difficulties that are faced as a country in mourning makes for problems and decisions that must be made. The family mystery which Sarah confronts is a long standing situation, but it becomes more convoluted as the novel progresses. This is a timely novel as anniversaries of some of the events approach and there is an existing significance to the tomb even today. I have found this book to be both profound and moving, and I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to read and review it.

Nonetheless, while trying to carry on with normal-ish life, she still manages to find a mutilated near-dead body of a young man as she takes out the rubbish at her flat. (a bit of rubbish convenient plot point, but let’s bin that thought). Having read and thoroughly enjoyed No Time To Cry by James Oswald, I was delighted to finally get the opportunity to read the second book in this fantastic crime fiction series, Nothing to Hide. I was impressed with the third book about the new character and I look forward to reading both the Inspector McLean and the Con Fairchild series in the future. Strongly recommended. If you are a fan of James Oswald, then you’ll be delighted to hear that Nowhere to Run is a full cream version of his love for the unknown and inexplicable. While we are treated to a full on contemporary police procedural with drama with danger, thrills and all the action you’d expect, we also are not allowed to forget that we are in a land of myths and magic; in the heart of Arthurian legends where the Mabinogion was born. I really, really wanted to love this. James Oswald is one of my favourite authors, and although I didn’t enjoy the first Con Fairchild book as much as his Inspector McLean series, I hoped that this second Con Fairchild book would be different.I think I can safely say that I'm a fan of James Oswald's work and I particularly like his character DC Constance Fairchild, otherwise known as Con. She is one tough cookie and this is shown in all its glory here. Con doesn’t get on with her parents as they disapproved of her choice to become a police officer. Despite her upbringing she is far from being the lady she was raised to be. With tattoos on her arms, she likes to drink a pint when in the local pub and her language is hardly that of a refined lady! Con Fairchild, the main character, is from a rich aristocratic family: she’s actually Lady Constance Fairchild. She is also a detective constable in the Metropolitan Police; in the last book, she was instrumental in breaking up a ring of corrupt police in her own unit. Now she’s suspended from duty and pretty much all her colleagues dislike her. This dislike is supposed to be because of what she did, but to be honest, the way she’s written, it comes across far more as if Con Fairchild is the kind of colleague whom, while you wouldn’t wish them to die in a fire, if you heard they’d been involved in a tragic accident you wouldn’t lose much sleep over it.

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