Hey guys,
Today its my turn on the blog tour for The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belsham and I’ll be sharing my review with you all!
About the author:
Alison Belsham initially started writing with the ambition of becoming a screenwriter — and in 2000 was commended for her visual storytelling in the Orange Prize for Screenwriting. In 2001 she was shortlisted in a BBC Drama Writer competition. Life and children intervened but, switching to fiction, in 2009 her novel Domino was selected for the prestigious Adventures in Fiction mentoring scheme. In 2016 she pitched her first crime novel, The Tattoo Thief, at the Pitch Perfect event at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival and was judged the winner.
Twitter:@alisonbelsham
About the book:
A policeman on his first murder case
A tattoo artist with a deadly secret
And a twisted serial killer sharpening his blades to kill again…
When Brighton tattoo artist Marni Mullins discovers a flayed body, newly-promoted DI Francis Sullivan needs her help. There’s a serial killer at large, slicing tattoos from his victims’ bodies while they’re still alive. Marni knows the tattooing world like the back of her hand, but has her own reasons to distrust the police. So when she identifies the killer’s next target, will she tell Sullivan or go after the Tattoo Thief alone?
The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belsham
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed The Tattoo Thief. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but I found myself getting pulled into the story really quickly. I liked the tattoo angle, not least because I have a few myself, so it was interesting to read about.
Marni Mullins is a tattoo artist, and she stumbles upon a body in a dumpster when taking a break at a tattoo show. Conflicted, she calls it in but then goes back to work at the tattoo show, not expecting anything to come of it. Until the police find her.
What follows is a twisty-turny read with lots of things going on. DI Sullivan is investigating the discovery, but he has a lot more going on than what he’s letting on. I enjoyed reading about him and his thinking processes.
I loved the interactions between Francis and Marni too, especially as the book progresses. Their back and forth banter is good fun to read. There is definitely a connection there, and I liked them both as characters.
The Tattoo Thief is a really interesting crime thriller, told from multiple viewpoints, including the killer. It is graphic, and more than a little tense at times. Hard to believe its a debut!
Recommended for sure!
Check out the tour: