Evil in Return

Evil In Return is the third book in the Mark Tartaglia series by British author, Elena Forbes. DI Mark Tartaglia and his Barnes Murder Squad investigate a body discovered in the crypt of Brampton Cemetery. The victim has been tortured, killed with a single bullet to the head, and the corpse mutilated. He is identified as Joe Logan, ex-actor, teacher and first-time author of a bestseller, publicity-shy and hiding out on a narrow boat on the Maida Canal. His laptop yields a bizarre email in Gothic script, and the team has difficulty locating one of his most recent phone contacts.

When a second corpse subjected to the same brutal treatment is discovered, the team struggle to connect the victims. Clever detective work eventually reveals other potential victims who confess the dreadful secret they have been hiding for years. But just who is targeting these men, and why? As Forbes skilfully builds her story to its exciting climax, the list of potential suspects in the reader’s mind lengthens: it seems everyone has something to hid, and no-one is telling the complete truth.

With each instalment, Forbes expands her main characters and makes them a bit more human. Both Sam Donovan and Mark Tartaglia make some unwise decisions, reminding us that the police, too, are human and prey to insecurities and failings. This instalment touches on missing persons and again involves some psychological profiling. Evil In Return is another excellent offering from Elena Forbes and readers will look forward to the fourth book in this series, The Jigsaw Man.