This isn't my usual read but main character was brilliant and it was a fascinating look into the world of professional wrestling. A really good detective novel with a unique and compelling setting

Excellent novel. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent plot and characterisations. Looking forward to seeing more from the author.

When DI Chris Sigurdsson is assigned a grisly murder case on remote Salvation Island, he knows that it might be his strangest yet.

A forgotten wrestling star of the 1980s has been poisoned whilst in the ring, and amidst the slippery lies of his dangerous opponents, unravelling the victim’s murky past is almost impossible.

And as a storm threatens to cut Salvation Island off from the mainland, the race is on for Sigurdsson to find the ruthless killer before he strikes again…
Too short for me - but it did pack a lot in the 149 pages - Could have been better if it was longer though.

Great book. Very different angle to the usual thriller.

What a brilliant way to start your career as an author. This debut thriller features a new kickarse detective, DI Chris Sigurdsson,. The book sets the basis for a new series that I can not wait to be part of! Recommended.

Rating 3.5/5

This was a very unusual book, but unusual in a good way. I think when I read crime thrillers I must go in with a bit of a preconceived notion of what to expect and this book ended up being a little unexpected.

The wrestling angle I really enjoyed, I actually knew a lot of the terminology from an old acquaintance and whilst I haven't been to a wrestling show for a quite some time, the way the event and the characters were described really brought it all back. I thought Richter captured the atmosphere and personalities so well and I enjoyed reading about the behind the scenes element.

The island as a setting was a fantastic choice, it definitely gave the book the right creepy/remote feeling. The fact that it was a place that had once been popular and had over time fallen into obscurity, I thought matched in really well with our two main characters, Sigurdsson and Mason.

I liked that they were both viewed, for entirely different reasons, as misfits of the force and that they had been almost relegated to the island because of that. Sigurdsson I really liked because he wasn't at all what I was expecting, he's a cop but he has issues with anxiety and whilst he seems really good at his job he also doesn't seem entirely passionate about it. He seemed very human, and not the tough, jaded super hero type that I have come to expect, which I loved.

Mason was also a character that I enjoyed, I liked that she was a force to be reckoned with and kind of had no filter but I also enjoyed getting to see her family life and how she had to juggle her job with it.

Unfortunately, there were a few little things that could have been better in the story, whilst I enjoyed the plot the motivations of some of the characters could have done with a little more fleshing out. The conclusion to the story whilst explained and tied up nicely I didn't find completely credible, I felt like there maybe needed some more explanation or set up sooner in the story to justify certain characters actions.

This was an enjoyable read with an interesting storyline, brilliant setting and characters. I hope I get to see more of Sigurdsson and Mason.

This was a good enough crime thriller but I've read better. The ending disappointed.

The characters of DI Chris Siguardssson and Inspector Carin Mason were interesting and well-rounded, the plot of a murder in an isolated community is a traditional one but here given a modern twist. The setting and description was evocative. This is a slow burning mystery and investigation with plenty of suspects but the eventual murderer isn't any of them. It felt like a bit of a cheat having a completely unexpected murderer.

Not the best of its genre, and I'd have been disappointed if I'd paid full price. Initially I was put off by the wrestling setting, but, in fact, this did add to the book and was interesting. Apart from the two main police characters, the others need more development, they were just outlines really. The writing seemed patchy, some pages were really good, as though the author had gone back and added bits in. Not a great sense of place, again, needs developing. A lot of information suddenly thrown in at the end. I'd read another book by this author to give them another chance.

This book didn't really work for me. It was slow, very boring in places, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I skimmed the memoir pages and didn't really care about it.

This is more a novella than a novel but it's a good read if you like procedurals with damaged detectives. It's based on an interesting premise and a really unappealing victim. I liked Sigurdsson and the setting. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The storyline is good.The death of an ex-wrestler champion,performing on a bleak island,is a bit of a novelty.The wrestling circus,especially the second rate one,is well depicted.The main characters are well developed and all in all,there is a certain atmosheric tension.I know this is a debut so....but nevertheless there is something lacking(style?stricter editing?...)as for the denouement,it is frankly disappointing,not to say a complete shambles.

A very good debut novel from Jon Richter. A good story with interesting characters set in the world of professional wrestling. A desolate island, murder and incompetent police officers makes for an interesting combination! Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads.

Deadly burial by Jon Richter.
A fight to the death…
When DI Chris Sigurdsson is assigned a grisly murder case on remote Salvation Island, he knows that it might be his strangest yet.
A forgotten wrestling star of the 1980s has been poisoned whilst in the ring, and amidst the slippery lies of his dangerous opponents, unravelling the victim’s murky past is almost impossible.
And as a storm threatens to cut Salvation Island off from the mainland, the race is on for Sigurdsson to find the ruthless killer before he strikes again…
Slow utility good read with good characters. I liked the story. But it didn't grab me. 3*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

A wrestler is murdered during a bout in the ring. The victim had been writing his memoirs so the story is told in alternating chapters between extracts from his memoirs and the investigation into his death. The main character, DI Chris Sigurdsson is described as a police detective riddled with fear and neurosis, suffering from panic attacks and always tortured by premonitions of his own death, apparently triggered by the accidental death of his younger brother in childhood. His female colleague is abrasive and suffering from her own insecurities. The characterisation of both police officers seem quite one dimensional and there is no brilliance or outstanding deductive ability to counter balance their flaws. They are very average police detectives and the crime is solved more by luck than intent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
What made me pick this book from NetGalley, I can’t remember. Certainly not the fact that it all revolves around the murder on a wrestling star. I abhorr violence and thus everything that has to do with wrestling or free-fighting. When I started the book I immediatly got the image of one of the Netherlands’ most famous fighters, a very scary condemned criminal. So I felt a little sick in the stomach.
However, I did not stop reading because I immediately like the style of the story. So, eventually I read the whole book and was not disappointed. Jon Richter found a way to describe some very unattractive characters and build a good story around them. The main characters Chris Sigurdsson and Carina Mason are doing their best but of course their efforts are not being valued by their boss. The fighters all have stage names and stage habits and the weather is appaling. We read a lot about rain, and rabbits, and panic attacks and there is even a little romance…
So if not the best debut of the year, I certainly want to read more of this authors. It is not often someone can write a book about something I really do not want to read about, and let me read the book in two days…

4 stars

Detective Inspector Chris Sigurdsson is assigned to investigate the death of a professional wrestler on Salvation Island. He is to assist a police officer on the island by the name of Carina Mason. “Vic Valiant” died in the ring of poisoning.

Our story goes back and forth between the present and an autobiography written by the unfortunate Mr. Valiant. Given what he wrote in his book, he is a most unlikeable fellow.

DI Sigurdsson is a most unusual officer. He is most fearful of his own death and imagines all kinds of horrors associated with it. Carina Mason has a mysterious past and is dogged by DCI Wells who dislikes women and holds a grudge against her for her taking time off to have a baby.

The officers seem to be a little lost at times, but they continue on interviewing witnesses and following suspects. One of my favorite parts of the book is the other professional wrestlers. They are quite colorful.

Since I know a bit about professional wrestling, that part of the book is well written. In fact, the book has potential for a debut writer. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Richter’s novels.

The murderer comes as a surprise, although upon reflection, perhaps it shouldn’t have.

I want to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK/HQ Digital for forwarding to me a copy of this debut book to read.

A desolate island in the middle of nowhere is the setting of this whodunit. A wrestling champion dies in the middle of a fight. Everybody assumes it's a heart attack until the autopsy reveals that he was poisoned. Two police officers with much to prove need to find out what happened. DCI Sigurdsson is an outsider with many psychological issues. He gets a cold welcome from the local police force on Salvation island, especially from Carin Mason, a woman with dark secrets. The cast of suspects is very colorful (they are mostly professional wrestlers). There are parts of the victim's diary interspaced throughout the story. It is easy to read and I loved the setting, but unfortunately I wasn't impressed. The characters are one-dimensional and the police officers not very good. They don't really solve the case, they simply stumble into situations that they didn't see coming, including the final confession. The motive is thin and the different plot points don't really mesh well together. Still, It's entertaining, even for people who know nothing about wrestling.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins. I absolutely love police procedural books and this one did not disappoint and had some usual suspects and red herrings along the way.

DI Chris Sigurdsson is one of the most unique crime fighters I've seen in awhile. He suffers panic attacks at the most opportune times and he's obsessed with his own death. Because he ratted out a fellow office for beating a suspect, he's become persona non grata and no one wants to work with him.

His supervisor comes up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Send Sigurdsson to a remote island to spy on a female detective there. The supervisor is still pouting that the lady detective dared to take time off to have a baby. So he decides to have the whistle blower report anything and everything she does.

The murder he is investigating is of a has-been wrestler. He is somehow poisoned with strychnine while he is in the ring.

It's an interesting case, as well as frustrating, having to decide who's lying and who isn't. There are many suspects ... his competitors in the ring, the big boss, and there is the secret he's been keeping for years. While trying to solve this murder, he also gets involved in a drug ring.

Every other chapter or so, the reader sees the victim's life in the form of a book with his memoirs. His memoirs are honest and what you see isn't always what you get.

All the characters are fascinating and credible in their own way. I've never been a big fan of wrestling, but the behind- the- scenes language and action is quite entertaining. Lots of action keeps the reader invested in the story and the reader is rewarded with a surprise twist.

I believe this is the author's debut novel .. Well Done!

I wish to thank the author / HarperCollinsUK - HQ DIgital / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins/HQ Digital for an advance copy of Deadly Burial, a police procedural set on Salvation island, off the Devon Coast.

DI Chris Sigurdsson is sent to Salvation to help Inspector Carina Mason investigate the death of fading wrestling star, Vic Valiant, who died in the ring of strychnine poisoning.

The novel is a fairly straightforward investigation with the usual red herrings, faulty theorising and unco-operative witnesses. In fact, their poor investigative skills and the way they keep barking up the wrong tree get a bit annoying after a while. It is fiction so I expect the protagonists to be a bit more savvy. To compensate for this there are a couple of good twists, some fairly theatrical scenes and the novel is intercut with excerpts from the increasingly unpleasant Vic Valiant's autobiography.

The descriptions of Salvation Island in all its faded glory and rabbits are well done and I felt I could really picture it. I don't know anything about wrestling so while the detail of it seems authentic I can't pass comment. It was smart to set the novel in a second rate operation as it gives the author more scope for dodgy dealings.

Mr Richter has all the minor characters pegged and they are well drawn. Chris Sigurdsson is a dreary character. Obviously, as a fictional detective he has to be troubled so he is burdened with a fear of death, OCD and serious panic attacks which overshadow everything in his life. Carina Mason is bullied by their superior, the misogynistic DCI Wells, and overcompensates the fear of losing her job with a tough exterior and abrasive manner. I can't say I took to either of them.

Deadly Burial is a decent first effort with some teething problems but worth a read as I think Mr Richter has a promising future as a novelist and I will be interested in reading his next book.