The Embalmer is the third in the Tattoo Thief series and boy do these books just keep getting better and better. From the moment I read the Tattoo Thief in a day I have always eagerly awaited the next instalment so I have been jumping around for ages waiting to be able to read this latest offering from Alison Belsham. For me it was well worth the wait and once again I devoured it is quick time.
When a mummified body is found in the local museum at first Sullivan and his team are not sure if this is just a practical joke or something more sinister. As other bodies start to turn up each one with one of their organs removed and placed in a canopic jar its soon clear that they have a serial killer on the loose and this one seems to also have Francis Sullivan in his sights, he just doesn’t know why. If this was not enough for him to deal with there is still the bad feeling between him and his Sergeant Rory Mackay and Marni Mullins once again finds herself on the wrong side of the law after her husband Thierry is killed. With so much going on you really have to wonder how Sullivan is going to get to the bottom of everything especially when he realizes its not just his sergeant he has to be weary of but those higher up too. The race is on to solve the riddle of what links all the victims and stop the killer before he gets to Sullivan, whilst trying to prove Marni innocent of murder.
What I love most about Alison’s books is that they make me go ewwww and oooh in equal measure. The action is quite fast, and you always seem to learn something new along the way whilst getting fully immersed in the story and the characters. Along with the police action there is the will they wont they element of the relationship between Sullivan and Marni that makes the sometimes gruesome storyline a little less horrific and enables the reader to become more invested in the characters.
Whilst you can read each of the books in their own right, there are definitely references to the previous investigations so for my mind you really should start from the beginning as you will be missing out on some brilliant books if you don’t.

DI Francis Sullivan is back in this third installment of the series. You can read them on their own however as whilst there are links between the two, you can read them as standalones. There are a few references to past cases though so I supposed you might spoil your reading if you read this one before the others.

Someone finds a mummified body in a museum....not that odd I hear you say...but this one is recent and not supposed to be there. So follows a mystery involving a fresh premise I hadn't come across in crime fiction before. At least not in this way.

A chilling case for the police here. Gory but good.

I really enjoyed this book all the way through. It had a really good plot, great main characters and really keeps you hooked on the plot. I would highly recommend this book.

This is the first book by Ms Belsham I've read, but I can see that she will become one of my new go to authors. This is the third book in a series, but reads nicely enough as a standalone. This was a real page turner, thrilling and gripping until the very end, not letting you go until you are exhausted. Can't wait to get stuck into the other books in the series. Recommended.

The Embalmer by Alison Belsham is the third in the series of the Tattoo thief. Although it has several references from the previous novels you can still read this as a standalone. I have not read the previous two books.
When Nathan Cox finds a Mummy that wasn’t there previously in the local museum and finds that the body has been recently mummified and four Canopic jars beside it. He knows there has been a murder. In comes Detective Francis Sullivan to investigate and find out who it is. The murderer nicknamed the ‘The emblamer’ seems to know who Frank is an sends him crypted notes to him and another canopic jar when he kills again. There is a race against time to find out who is the murderer. At the same time Frank is also investigating Marni Mullins case. She was found with a knife in her hand and her husband Thierry dead.
This is a unique gripping thriller by Alison Belsham and I really enjoyed it. But I am afraid I couldn’t give it the five full stars because of the certain reference from the previous stories. But saying that it is still worth the read.

This was an intriguing read, quite unlike other psychological crime thrillers I have read recently. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you immersed in the plot, although I bet you won´t guess who the guilty party is at the end!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for allowing me the opportunity to read and review honestly.

A new author for me and I felt the loss of not having read the previous books in the series.
Complex police thriller ,intricate storyline and good characters.

Nathan Cox knows something isn't right when he entered the museum this morning - something feels different.  It isn't long before he finds a mummy within a display cabinet which wasn't there yesterday when he locked up.  With 4 canopic jars alongside, is this an ancient mummy or is this the first victim of The Embalmer?


Thank you to @NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.  Definitely feel out of my depth with this one not having read the first two books - there is a lot of references to the previous installments in the series relating to characters so I definitely felt a bit out of touch with their development, backstories and relationships.  I felt overwhelmed with the number of characters involved too, particularly with the police investigators, Francis, Rory, Gavin, Kyle - I struggled to keep up with who was who!  Overall, not a bad book but I feel that in order to get the best experience you need to read the full series.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Embalmer but that has in no way influenced my review.

I really enjoy this brilliant detective series with a twist, and I look forward to each new book being published. I was excited to get my mitts on a copy of book three, The Embalmer, which I started as soon as it arrived on my Kindle (having recently read and reviewed the second book in the series, Her Last Breath, which was still very fresh in my mind).

DI Francis Sullivan is on the hunt for a psychopathic serial killer on the streets of Brighton. Discovering a mummified body and canopic jars containing human organs in the local Natural History Museum, DI Sullivan and his team have their work cut out to try and find their killer. But as the body count rises, it becomes clear that the killers motives are very personal indeed...

The Embalmer is another great addition to this wonderful series which not only features a young Detective Inspector out to prove himself but also a headstrong and fiery tattoo artist who can't seem to avoid trouble, Marni Mullins. I love how this series is a little different to everything else available out there. All of the cases investigated so far by DI Sullivan have involved tattoos, to some degree or another (including this latest instalment). Personally, for me, that gives the series a bit of an edge. I will say however, that this is a series best read from the start. Previous cases are mentioned which could give a little too much away if you're reading them out of order, and by starting with the first book you can see for yourself how the relationships develop between Belsham's characters.

Sullivan's frustration at not making progress in the case and watching the body count rise keeps the reader turning the pages from start to finish. I have a rather large soft spot for Sullivan and I really wanted him to succeed (whilst hoping there would be a few more grisly deaths on the cards - go figure!). Whilst Sullivan has problems of his own, Marni Mullins is also up to her neck in it. I really enjoyed how the two stories ran alongside each other. Marni Mullins was less involved in the investigation this time but that's only because she has her hands full with her own disastrous life and those in it. I'll be interested to see what the future holds for Marni.

The team around DI Sullivan continues to be a strong one. Which makes this the perfect time to mention new character, DC Gavin Albright, who is a very welcome addition. Sullivan's Detective Sergeant, Rory Mackay, is still biting at his heels after he was looked over for promotion and Sullivan was appointed DI. There is a lot of tension there which I hope continues to bubble under the surface. And I won't even bother mentioning one of the most loathsome characters I have met in a fictional setting (DCI Martin Bradshaw, if you're wondering) Such a brilliantly written, despicable character. Grr!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I would happily recommend The Embalmer along with the first two books in this series (starting with The Tattoo Thief if you can). I really enjoyed being back in Brighton with the team again. Belsham isn't afraid to put her characters through the wringer and I flipping love that. With a tense and gripping finale this is another brilliant page turner from an author I will always read. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Embalmer. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

A serial killer who sacrifices in order to become an immortal Egyptian god. The woman who he has history with, accused of stabbing her husband, but she swears it was his twin brother.
Can Francis Sullivan solve the case, can he stop the killer and save the girl?
A rollercoaster ride of a plot line. An original idea, with likeable characters. Well researched, with just the right amount of gore to keep a reader interested. Really enjoyed it and would be eager to read others. Thank you NetGalley another excellent read.

Alison Belsham is an exciting new author for me and I simply devoured every page of this thrilling novel.
Detective Francis Sullivan has a serial killer with a difference in his jurisdiction which begins with a fairly recently mummified body in a sarcophagus mysteriously found in the museum. With more bodies turning up with distinctive Egyptian links and clues piling up Francis and his team are on high alert.
At the same time Frances has personal interest in another murder which prevents him from being actively involved - this is easier said than done for the detective.
An interesting storyline with just enough twists and turns to keep you immersed I found this to be one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.

This is a great way to finish off the Mullins/Sullivan trilogy. Sullivan has his hands full with a serial killer with an ancient Egyptian theme. Meanwhile Marni Mullins has her own troubles and needs assistance from her son and Francis to sort them out. As with the first two books, the author manages to include some tattoos into the storyline and to be honest I’d have been disappointed if she didn’t. The friendship between Mullins and Sullivan has always seemed a bit unusual and that’s particularly true here. That’s said it definitely sets these books apart from others in the genre. I’m a little saddened to think this is the end of the series and I’ll be most interested to see what Alison Belsham does next.

This is a cleverly crafted and exciting thriller that moves at great pace. It digs into the twisted mind of a serial killer and follows the process of the police force, going from nothing to two possible suspects, each with their own disturbed story, keeping the reader entertained to the very end.

Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing for the ARC.

This book is amazing! when I wasn't reading it was thinking about it or talking about it! I couldn't wait to pick it up again and again. Yes it was gory but that aside it was nail biting until the end! my kind of book, my interest never wavered but increased with every chapter 5*****

I really wanted to like The Embalmer but I was put off by mistakes in the novel such as someone's height changing from 6ft 3" to 6ft 4" in the space of a few pages. I realise this was a proof copy but still, it put me off.
I just struggled to engage with the style of writing and so I'm afraid I can't recommend which is a shame

Who Is The Embalmer?....
The third book in the Mullins and Sullivan series. The discovery of a mummy at the Brighton Museum of Natural History may not in itself be particularly unusual but it opens up a fresh case when it becomes abundantly clear that the mummy has been very freshly embalmed. Who is the Embalmer? A suspenseful and compelling read with interesting protagonists and a solid cast. A worthy addition to the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing for the advanced copy of this book.

Wow, wow and wow again. This certainly lived up to expectations of a follow on for the first two books and had me totally hooked. A mummy in a museum not unusual but in these circumstances it was. Tattoos on the mummy - Alison's other books involved tattoos and I am so glad this continued.

The only issued I had with this book, was the scene with the snakes - I hate snakes and really didn't like this part - but it was part of the story.

I love the characters of Francis Sullivan and Marni and really hope that Alison continues with this series of books and the tattoo's continue throughout the series.

I cannot rate this book highly enough and really hope the series continues - when's the next one please.

This is the third in the series, and although it does stand alone, there is a lot of reference to the previous events and their effects on the various characters.

A mummified body is discovered in the museum, but DI Francis Sullivan is drawn in as it becomes clear the mummification was done very recently. He and his team then find themselves on a rollercoaster as they try to work out the meaning of the many tattoos on the body, and discover more bodies and canopic jars containing eviscera.

Meanwhile, his friend Marni has been arrested for the murder of her husband. Sullivan believes she is innocent, as does her son Alex, so they are working to find the proof.

The tale is told quite well, and the climax is exciting and gripping.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and Trapeze for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine, you go into work & instead of one of the museums regular exhibits a newly embalmed mummy takes its place...what would you do?

This book was absolutely fantastic & I couldn't put it down. One of the best psychological crime thrillers I've read in a while, a proper nail biting page turner! It wasn't until I was halfway through that I realised that it was the third book in the series by this author, but worked well as a standalone, you just didn't have the characters histories. Many thanks to #netgalley for giving me this ARC in return for my honest review.

Wow....this book had me hooked from page one. I just love Alisons writing style and the way she gets you involved and engrossed into the story is brilliant. Her stories always remind me of Chris Carter’s Robert Hunter series and she’s definitely got some surprises up her sleeve!!!

I had no idea who the guy would turn out to be and was completely wrong with my suspicions. Alison has written a well balanced and well researched story here and I’ll be recommending to everyone who reads these sort of books.