A.K. Turner’s *Body Language* introduces us to Cassie Raven, a mortuary assistant in Camden who possesses a unique ability (or perhaps a curse): she can hear the last thoughts of the dead. When her friend and mentor, Mrs. E, ends up on her slab, Cassie senses something more sinister than the official ruling of accidental death.

This book is a captivating blend of crime thriller and supernatural mystery. Turner skillfully weaves a compelling narrative, drawing readers into Cassie’s world with vivid descriptions and engaging dialogue. The mortuary setting, while potentially grim, is handled with a deft touch, providing a fascinating backdrop to the unfolding investigation.

Cassie is a refreshingly unconventional protagonist—a goth with tattoos and piercings—who defies stereotypes and challenges expectations. Her connection to the dead adds a unique dimension to the story, blurring the lines between the living and the departed.

The plot is intricate and well-paced, filled with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The supporting characters, from the quirky pathologist to the gruff detective, are well-developed and add depth to the story.

The ability to hear the last thoughts of the dead is a fascinating concept that sets this book apart. Cassie is a complex and relatable character who you can’t help but root for. The mortuary setting is both eerie and intriguing, and the plot keeps you guessing until the very end.

While the pacing occasionally lags in the middle of the book, and the supernatural element may not appeal to all readers, *Body Language* remains a gripping and original thriller. It will captivate fans of crime fiction and supernatural mysteries alike. With a compelling protagonist, an atmospheric setting, and a twisty plot, this book will keep you hooked until the very last page. I highly recommend it.

The premise of the book is original
There are a lot of twists and red herrings
This is well plotted and well written
An enjoyable book 📕

First book by A K Turner and hopefully not my last. What a great book, gruesome and the cover says it all. Definitely worth a ready

Perfect. No notes. Cassie Raven is a fresh, unique character, as is Phyllida Flyte & I'm so glad to have met them. I'm excited for their next adventure!

@akturnerauthor has created another fabulous series & I would love to see a cross over with Cassie and Janusk Kiszka. That would be amazing!!

With a name like "Body Language" and pictures of surgical equipment on the front cover it was clear from the start. The book was fairly gruesome and yet still very enjoyable

This was my first book by A.K Turner, I was intrigued by the premise of ‘the dead can talk.’ I really enjoy a supernatural twist in my thrillers. Turner made this aspect of the book very believable, even Cassie herself, wasn’t sure if she was actually hearing the dead.

Characters
Cassie is a mortuary technician and extremely good at her job. She’s gentle with her clients and their families. For some reason this was a really important aspect of the book for me. Whether that was because we needed to see the softer side of Cassie or because I’d like to think that we treat our dead with the respect they deserve I’m not sure.

Cassie is quiet a hard character, having said that I warmed to her quickly. She’s had a tough past and made some errors in her younger years. A chance meeting with Mrs E turns her life around, so it is even more devastating to her to find Mrs E as one of her clients. Some of Cassie’s character traits reminded me very much of Sherlock Holms, she has very similar deduction skills.

Other chapters are told from the point of view of Detective Flyte. She is a by the book, no shortcuts taken kind of police officer. Recently moved to the area after some kind of trauma but you don’t know what. She really put my back up at first. The tension between her and Cassie is palpable during the first half of the story. Slowly they start to develop a growing respect of one another and this is when Flyte’s character really starts to develop. I enjoyed her story arc, it was very well done.

My favourite character though was Cassie’s Grandmother, she’s a side character but full of personality. A strong, tough woman who isn’t going to take any nonsense from anyone. I loved her.

Final Thoughts
Overall I enjoyed this book, there a few side stories alongside the main arc which allowed everything to be well rounded. The pacing is fabulous and I found myself along side Cassie trying to work out what was going on. Towards the end the tension keeps on upping a notch, during the final third I found it very hard to put the book down.

Although the story all wraps up there certainly seems to be scope for future books to feature Cassie and Flyte, I for one am hoping there will be.

Many thanks to Tracy for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publishers for a copy of the book via Netgalley.

Respect the newly dead, and they will share their stories. That’s the philosophy of twenty-five year old Cassie Raven, whose secret super-power is ‘hearing’ messages from those who have recently passed away. Her job as a mortuary technician gives full rein to her natural affinity with death, which is also expressed through her fascination with dead animals and her enrolment in an online course in taxidermy. As the plot of Body Language unfolds, Cassie is revealed as an empathic listener, equally open to the living and to those transitioning to the next world.

However, being a committed Camden Goth, Cassie makes an exception for the constabulary. When DS Phyllida Flyte arrives at the mortuary to investigate the theft of the body of an elderly man who died of natural causes, communication problems soon develop. Having recently transferred to one of the most edgy districts in London from an idyllic small town, Flyte finds Cassie’s dyed black hair, eyebrow bolt and lip ring alienating. The mortuary technician is equally repelled by the detective’s colour co-ordinated pale pink finger nails. It looks as if there is no future for this collaboration, but when their bosses attempt to play down incidents related to the death of Cassie’s mentor, the two young women are united by concern and find a way to work together.

The death of Cassie’s old science teacher catapults her into the world of police investigations. Mrs. E. tracked Cassie down when she was living rough and selling the Big Issue, and persuaded her to attend the classes she taught at the Community College. Because of this, Cassie completed her education and is now a senior technician, responsible for carrying out post-mortems and supervising the activities of junior staff. When fifty-one year old Mrs E dies suddenly and her body is brought to the mortuary, Cassie proceeds with the post-mortem in spite of feeling devastated. Few people would be capable of doing this for someone they knew, but to Cassie, it is a sign of respect and a final act of gratitude. But, why hasn’t her valued friend sent her a message from beyond the grave?

Cassie is a ‘face’ in Camden’s nightlife, but most of the time, she’d rather be at home, stuffing one of the squirrel carcases she keeps in her kitchen fridge. Because she lost both her parents when she was very young, and has unanswered questions about them, Cassie finds it difficult to lower her emotional defences, and her romantic relationships have been short. Her bisexuality offers a wide range of possibilities for future choices, but her approach to prospective lovers is cautious.

There’s a lively cast of supporting characters. From annoying new pathologist Archie Cuff, ‘glib as a cabinet minister’, to chirpy rough sleeper Kieran (‘It’s the dog’s, isn’t it?’), whom Cassie knows from her time living in squats, they add humour and narrative texture to a dark tale. Cassie’s relationship with her Polish grandmother shows the warm side of her character, which her alternative lifestyle might otherwise conceal from the reader. Descriptions of Cassie’s colleagues, and the day-to-day details of their work in the mortuary, are convincing to a lay reader, without being overwhelming.

Although, at first sight, the two protagonists could hardly be more different, they are united by a shared vulnerability to make a very relatable team. I became quite fond of Cassie and Phyllida while reading Body Language, so I hope there are more Raven and Flyte novels in the pipeline. A.K. Turner has already had success with the Kiszka and Kershaw novels, written under the pen name Anya Lipska, and the masterly plot planning in Body Language displays a finely honed writing technique.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really hope this is a first of an upcoming book series! I would gladly read more about Cassie and DS Flyte. Giving off a 'Rizzoli and Isles' vibe, I was instantly hooked. The story was gripping, humorously dark, and utterly captivating from start to finish. Cassie Raven is an instantly loveable character. Fascinatingly-written, smart and my new favourite book character!
Add in a tough, but cool female cop; and we have the makings of a truly fantastic book series (I hope!). Highly recommend this one!

'The conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated'

Right up there in my Top 5 best reads for the year so far!

Body language is the first in a new series of supernatural thrillers & I can't wait to see what Ali has in store for Cassie & DS Flyte in the next book.
This was a crime thriller with a storyline unlike any other I've read & it was soooo good. I love anything to do with crime, murder & supernatural, so this was right up my street. Compelling, fast paced & intriguing with strong female leads 💪

'She talks to the dead & the dead talk back'

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Cassie Raven is a rebel, but a very likeable rebel . She is settled in her job at Camden mortuary, she cares for the dead and they tell her their secrets. When the body of her friend and teacher, Mrs E, is brought into the mortuary Cassie feels that something is very, very wrong especially after meeting Mrs E’s estranged son. Convinced that the police will not take her seriously Cassie is determined to investigate on her own. Will she find out the truth or has she stepped into something more deadly than she realises? Excellent characters and a great story, really enjoyable.

This is the first book i read by this author and won't surely be the last as I loved it.
It's fast paced, full of twists and turns and Cassie is a strong woman I liked.
Excellent character development, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I wasn’t sure about this one to start with. None of the characters really gripped me and it was a bit slow to start. I also wasn’t sure how the dead speaking to Cassie was going to go but it worked really well. Both Cassie and Phyllida definitely grew on me. I really enjoyed having a main character that was a bit different. Cassie is a bisexual goth who has had an obsession with death since she was a kid. Phyllida isn’t your stereotypical female detective. She is a stickler for the rules and very straight laced. It was interesting to see how these two polar opposite women would work together.

With regards to the case, I had no idea where it was going or who the bad guy was and I loved the reveal. I will definitely be checking more out from this author and I would love to see more of this duo.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is the first in an exciting, original and gripping new series featuring Cassie Raven, a mortuary technician based in Camden Town and DS Phyllida Flyte, a policewoman who has been transferred to Camden for reasons unclear at the start of the book.

Both female characters are strong, engaging and interesting in their own unique ways; Cassie has been brought up by her Polish grandmother, dipped her feet into living rough, taking drugs and dropping out of society but luckily a teacher spotted her potential and encouraged her back to education where she is now a mortuary assistant. Having been fascinated by all things dead during her childhood she believes the dead can talk and treats all the bodies under her care with the utmost love and respect. When one of the bodies turns out to be the teacher who “rescued” her from a dark life, Cassie believes Mrs E is a victim of murder and is determined to find out what really happened.

When a body goes missing from the mortuary, DS Flyte is tasked with investigating and meets Cassie who intrigues her but not necessarily in a good way. The story slowly unfurls allowing the reader to find out more about Cassie and Flyte.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next in the series as the chemistry between the two main characters continues to develop and the plots are original and clever.

Cassie Raven's life was going nowhere until a science teacher started chatting to her as she sold the Big Issue in a street corner. Geraldine Edwards believed in Cassie and it turned the young woman's life around. So when Mrs Edwards's body turns up at Cassie's mortuary she is devastated. But determined to learn what she can about the older woman's death.

I can't tell you how much I liked Cassie. Unconventional looking with her facial piercings and tattoos (I was reminded of the pathologist in Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne books who has a similar look) she loves her job and is very gentle and respectful with the bodies in her care. She talks to them, asks them what happened, how they died. And sometimes they answer. I was fascinated by her from the start. Her vulnerability shines through - whilst she is fine with the dead, she struggles in relationships with the living, can't get close to people. I really wanted to give her a hug so many times! And I was willing her on as she tries to find out what happened to her much loved teacher. The only other person Cassie is close to is her Polish grandmother, who I also adored - there was one point I laughed out loud at something she'd done and I'm sure I'm not the only person to do so.

Whilst the story is mainly told from Cassie's point of view we also hear from DS Phyllida Flyte who is brought in to investigate a crime at the mortuary. Initially, she is not an easy woman to like but for me that changed over the course of the book. I love the attention to detail the author gives her characters - small things about their appearance or little quirks. I also liked that women play most of the central roles.

The author has obviously done a great deal of research into what happens in a mortuary, effects of drugs and police procedure and it has paid off. It feels authentic . The story is part detective investigation, part forensic examination and it kept me turning the pages - I read it over two days.

Body Language is a really interesting thriller packed with detail and featuring an original, engaging protagonist. It's full of dead ends and surprises with a couple of sub plots intertwined with the main storyline. Really enjoyable.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it was absolutely brilliant from the start.
The lead character throughout this book is a woman called Cassie. She was fascinating and had so much depth to her character and showed a strength that you very rarely find in this genre of book.
With a perfectly paced storyline that is full of twists as the story unfolds, and really keeps you hooked until the very end, it is without a doubt one of the best thrillers I have read.

This was great. I loved this concept. <spoiler> it is about a morgue tech that can see and feel the dead's story </spoiler>. i want more of this uniqueness. I wanted soooo many more stories so i really hope this becuase a series. I am glad i took a chance on a new author

This is a slow paced story, full of layers and interesting characters that will keep guessing through all the story.
I was intrigued with this story, Cassie Raven, a mortuary assistant, can feel the last seconds of the death bodies; they tell her their last thoughts and feelings. This has helped her to solve some of the deaths of her patients; because sometimes arranging an “accidental” death is much easier than you think and murder is hidden behind it. Everything will change when one of her patients is an old teacher of Cassie, one that she respected and challenged her. And when she starts feeling her presence outside the morgue, she will start to investigate what has happened to Mrs E. There will be possible suspects to this case and Cassie will have to trust her instinct if she wants to continue alive; but in the end it’s always the same question: who would benefit from her death? The story not only centers in Cassie but DS Flyte, she is not a likable character, she is too strict and a little rude; but she loves her job and when something doesn’t feel right for her she will investigate it till the end.
I liked the partnership Cassie-Flyte and I hope we will see them again, they complement each other and make the story really interesting. There’s a little bit of background of both characters, they haven’t had an easy childhood and this will mark their way in adulthood; making the reader understand more their actions and behavior.
If you are looking for an intriguing and original read, this is your next read, believe me. Ready to discover “Body Language”?

Body Language follows Cassie Raven, a goth mortuary technician with an ability to hear the thoughts of the dead.

This book was a decent enough read, I wasn't immediately sold on it as i can't say i was a huge fan of the character of Cassie. This never really changed as i am not a big fan of reading about characters that use drugs etc and she was just a bit too odd for my tastes. The other main character was a policewoman who was very rigid in her rule following who was too much the other way. The author obviously wanted contrasting main characters but i felt it could have been done in a less crude way.

The plot kicks off when someone Cassie knows ends up on the slab and she disagrees with the pathologist who put it down to natural causes. She knows there is more to it and sets out to prove it. The plot was actually better than expected - when I first started reading I fairly quickly thought this book would be a 2 star read and the story brought it up to a solid 3. It wrapped up well and i did enjoy the experience. Had the characters been more to my taste i would have liked it more but for me they cost the book a star.

This book was provided as an ARC by Netgalley for an honest review

Fifty-one-year-old Mrs Geraldine Edwards has turned up in the mortuary in Camden, London, much to the horror of Cassie Raven, a mortuary assistant. Her science teacher, Mrs E. was responsible for rescuing Cassie from a bleak future, for believing in her and the person responsible for Cassie now employed in her current profession. Cassie, a Goth living with her Polish gran, is a loner who is well suited to her job and believes she can glean the final thoughts of the dead. When the medical examiner rules her friend's death as accidental, Cassie's intuition tells her otherwise...

Intricately plotted and very cleverly crafted by A.K. Turner I took a great liking to the main character almost immediately. Protagonist Cassie has an intriguing backstory, she's flawed, spirited and ever so slightly weird. The story flowed really smoothly and as I became immersed in Cassie's world I didn't want to put my Kindle down. With all of the twists, I was guessing at every turn right through till the excellent finale. I loved the contrast between Cassie and the investigating detective, DS Phyllida Flyte and was mightily impressed by Ali Turner's edgy writing style.

An absorbing, gritty, chilling read which might appeal to those who enjoy a large helping of forensic science in their crime fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

“…the dead could talk – if only you knew how to listen.”

Oh my what a read!! Body Language is something different. The marketing says it’s for fans of Gerritsen and Reichs. I’ve read one of the Bones books and I struggled; I’m yet to venture into the world Gerritsen has created. But Body Language, I loved!

I’ll tell you know, this book is not backwards in coming forwards. It’s rather graphic at points which for me is not a bad thing (I loved it) but if you prefer your crime thrillers without… this book is predominantly based in a mortuary so make of it what you will.

I really like Cassie. She’s a little odd but she’s astute. Nothing gets past her. Her tenacity is a credit to her. She could be so much more if she had the confidence in herself but I think that’s why I warm to her. She’s not afraid to follow her nose but she’s unwilling (like me) to open up to others for the greater good.

It’s a different sort of crime novel. It’s slightly unassuming with plenty going on. I found Body Language a totally chilling story with such an ending. I seriously enjoyed the chapters swapping between Cassie and Flyte. I want and need more! A seriously cracking start to a new sparkly and dark series!!