Dead Fall is the fourth book in the Cassie Raven series by A K Turner.
In short, mortuary technician Cassie Raven was shocked to find the body of a familiar girl, a school mate and now talented singer on her way up…police say it was a suicide jump, however, Cassie’s instincts are telling her it’s murder.
This is the first book I’ve read by A K Turner and I found it refreshingly different having a series based on a mortuary technician using her instincts to challenge unexplained deaths. Dead Fall has an interesting plot which delved into detailed facts and cleverly revealing the story of the twisted truth of death. I particularly love the way Cassie has a unique way of talking and looking after the bodies, treating them with the utmost respect. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
Big thanks to A K Turner, Bonnier Books and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Acknowledged as the heiress to Amy Winehouse, Camden-based singer Bronte is found dead outside her flat. The police say she fell in an accident, the fans say it was murder and social media is going wild. Forensic technician Cassie Raven is shocked to find the body in the mortuary as she knew Bronte as Sophia Angelopoulous, a fellow victim of the school bullies, and she wants to find justice. Meanwhile Phyllida had left the Met and is now supporting an independent enquiry into Bronte's death.
I hadn't read the previous novels in the series and was actually surprised to find that this was the fourth, such is the subtle way backstory is woven into the narrative. It's a solid enough plot which satisfies the reader's needs for twists and turns. The characters are mainly nicely put together, especially loved DI Bacon! In fact the only thing that I didn't like was the whole 'voices from the dead' bit, but that is not over-egged.

It was great to re-acquaint myself with Cassie and Phyllida in Dead Fall. A really interesting case made all the more enjoyable with the introduction of the multi layered 'Streaky' Bacon. The characters and the situation all have depth and held my interest right through to the unxpected ending. I always recommend A.K, Turner and this book is no exception. My thanks to Netgalley for my copy in return for an honest opinion.

A warm welcome back for Cassie Raven, the Goth mortuary assistant with a spiritual connection to the dead. In what is my favourite of the series so far, she is shocked by the apparant suicide of the young singer known as Bronte, who had gone viral with her song “Clean Break” but who had been caught up in drug addiction and a toxic relationship. For Cassie this case is personal- she knew Bronte when she was Sophia, a classmate from school who, like her, was mercilessly bullied, and she decides to make amends for her behavior then by finding out who was responsible for Bronte’s death. An intriguing and moving mystery unravels, with lots of twists and a fascinating trail of evidence that is slowly uncovered by the work of Cassie and her old nemesis, Phyllida Flyte. As always, the forensic detail is interesting, the characters and their quirks are developed further, and the story is thought-provoking. I also enjoyed meeting the new police character, “Streaky” Bacon, who has more going for him than first appears. A cracking crime read with depth.

Cassie is a rule breaker and risk taker. She may be a mortuary assistant but she quite often leaves the pathologists and police standing. She isn't above making anonymous calls to the police when she makes a discovery that has been overlooked by a pathologist. She makes a good team with Phyllida, who's no longer a serving officer. There's the constant frisson around "will they or won't they?", as they are obviously attracted to each other.

I find some of Cassie's idiosyncrasies a bit irritating - her references to her "guests" for example (the dead bodies). I reserve a little scepticism about the messages she believes she receives from her guests - although this is an angle handled very subtly by Turner.

The plot about murdered musician Bronte is full of delicious red herrings. There's a satisfying ending which sets up the next instalment very nicely.

This is the first book I have read in the Cassie Raven series and I have definitely been missing out! I enjoyed it as a standalone but I will now go back and read the first three.

Cassie Raven is a really interesting character, she is a goth working as a mortuary technician. She can hear the dead which gave it a slightly supernatural twist which I wasn’t expecting but this wasn’t highlighted in excess so it didn’t stray too much from crime fiction.

One of Cassie’s ‘guests’ at the mortuary is Sophia or Brontë, a deeply troubled singer who Cassie went to school with. Her death has been ruled a suicide but when Cassie hears her say ‘I don’t want to die’ she knows there is more to her it. The case is reopened and Flyte an ex detective now with the IOPC and who has previous dealings with Cassie is involved.

Cassie runs her own unofficial investigation alongside the police one to try and get to the truth.

Really enjoyed the premise and loved the POV of Cassie as it was different than just a straight forward Police procedural.

You always know you're going to get a good story from A.K. Turner and Dead Fall is no exception. It's the fourth book in the Cassie Raven series. There are plenty of books written from a pathologist's POV but not many from a mortuary technician. I think I've learned more about forensics from this series!

Dead Fall is a bit different from the other books in the series. Firstly, there's only one case that Cassie focuses on - the suicide of pop singer, Bronte. It isn't the celebrity element that draws Cassie in though. Cassie had gone to school with Bronte and has complex feelings of guilt towards her. Realising that her death wasn't a suicide, Cassie is determined to make amends for her teenage behaviour by solving Bronte's murder.

Secondly, Phyllida Flyte is not a police officer in this story. Instead she works for the IOPC (police watchdog) and is brought in when Bronte's mother claims the police investigation has been handled badly. This allows her and Cassie to work together again. Having said that, it's more like a game of poker between the two women, neither one prepared to share what they already know.

It's a story that surprised me at the end as I hadn't worked out fully what was going on. I love this series and hope there's more to come.

This is a great crime thriller.
I love Cassie and the role she plays in these books, as she’s definitely more than a mortuary assistant.
When a woman is brought in to the mortuary Cassie realises she used to go to school with her and finds it hard to believe she committed suicide.
Flyte is now working for internal investigations but is asked to look into Bronte’s case so visits Cassie to ask some questions. She’s working with a Detective and soon they realise there’s more to this case than a suicide.
Cassie helps Flyte get the answers she needs but then they are left with a predicament on their hands.
This is a great crime thriller that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Another fascinating case for mortuary assistant Cassie Raven to investigate. The twists and turns in the plot are many and unexpected and the ending spectacular. Cassie excels herself this time getting involved in solving the death of an old school friend. Her investigations uncover secrets the police couldn't even guess at. Her character is such that people trust her and confide in her despite her goth appearance and this shines through in A K. Turners writing. Can't recommend the series highly enough. Bring on the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is book 4 in the Cassie Raven series and I recommend reading them in order to understand Cassie's character and her relationship with Flyte. It is a great series. I love Cassie's character and Flyte has grown on me throughout the series. I need more of the two interacting though. They are so different and work so well together. I enjoyed the addition of DI Bacon and I look forward to seeing more from him. He defintely wasn't what I was expecting. The hint of supernatural with Cassie hearing from the dead is done well and left open for the reader to decide whether it's a gift or just subconcious attention to detail. The Investigation is full of twists and turns and made harder by the fact they didn't start investigating straight away. I had no idea who had killed Sophia or why and the ending was heartbreaking.

Cassie Raven is a Pathologist Technician who shows great care for the recently dead. So much empathy that she can occasionally connect with them, hearing their last thoughts.

Phyllida Flyte is a former Detective who is now working for the Police Complaints, investigating mis-handled cases.

The pair of them collide when the body of Sophia is discovered next to the canal at the foot of a block of flats. Initially dismissed as a suicide by the attending Sergeant, Cassie 'hears' Sophia's calls for help whilst in the mortuary leading her to believe this was not a suicide.

A media circus outside the mortuary causes the Police concern when they realise this is a 'Celebrity' death. Sophia is actually up and coming music sensation, 'Bronte'. Who's life was frequently in the headlines due to her drink, drugs and reportedly abusive boyfriend, Ethan.

The case is handed over to Flyte following a complaint from 'Bronte's' mum at the initial mis-handling of the case. Can Flyte find the killer, now 10days has passed, the crime scene now cold?

What follows is a story of Cassie's love-life and her attraction to her Current boyfriend, Bronte's ex-boyfriend and also Flyte. There is a need to flesh out the back story of characters but I did feel there was too much love interest for Cassie. If they had a pulse, she was interested.

Cassie's occasional fantasy of hearing the voices of the dead isn't much of a distraction. Whilst its an interesting concept, it has been done better elsewhere but it certainly doesn't distract from the story. It's not overdone and is used sparingly to help the narrative.

For me, the highlight of this book is Phyllida Flyte and her working relationship with DI Bacon (Streaky). With Flyte no longer being a Detective she has to let Bacon take the lead. Something she is clearly at odds with.

This was my introduction to the world of Cassie Raven and its clear that their is an interesting backstory that is touched on in this book. The story of her mum and dad is one I would like to hear more of, her being murdered and the dad being imprisoned for it have obviously been told in a previous novel.

Whilst this was an entertaining read with an interesting plot and unique motives, I would suggest it wise to read earlier Cassie Raven novels before picking up this one.

Thank you to AK Turner and publishers Zaffre, for providing a free copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

We're now into book #4 of this amazing series, and with each new book, I just love Cassie Raven even more.

Cassie Raven is an unusual Mortuary Technician. Not only does she go above and beyond for her 'guests', often staying with them overnight to keep them company, but she has a very special yet secret talent.... she hears them!

Cassie is a bit of a loner, with her goth appearance, tattoos, and piercings. She may look intimidating, but she has the kindest soul, amazing apathy and is just 'misunderstood' .

If you haven't yet read the previous books, please do... not only because they are truly worth every second of reading them but they give a real backstory of Cassie that I think is worth knowing *no spoilers*

In book #4 the mortuary recieves a new guest, someone that Cassie recognises from her unhappy school days. Bronte, an up and coming music star, who was known to Cassie as Sophia. Sophia also suffered at school and Cassie feels there is unfinished business.

Thought to have been a suicide, something feels off to Cassie, her injuries don't line up with what she expects so when Brontes voice mutters "I don't want to die", she knows she needs to find answers.

Now an ex officer, Phyllida Flyte is brought back into the fold. Whilst their last parting wasn't on the best of terms, there is still an underlying flirtatious tension between them but can they stop butting heads and get back on track to get justice for Bronte and her family?

This is one hell of a read that leaves your head swimming with twists galore. It's definitely a perplexing plot that is also really informative on the mortuary procedures which I love.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for the ARC.

I enjoy this series. I think each one could be read as a standalone as it does give a bit of background to the characters in each. Cassie is an easy character to like and her interactions with each case lead to them being solved. This time it's someone she knew from school who, supposedly, killed herself but Cassie is determined to discover the truth. This leads her to go on an unofficial investigation, putting herself in a bad situation whilst also uncovering a whole history of lies. I'm hoping the next book arrives soon

Excellent addition to the series of Cassie Raven. Great characters and interactions combined with the mystery of a dead singer.

Well worth reading.
Cant wait for more

I only discovered Cassie Raven last year and I was excited to see a new book coming. In case you haven't caught on yet, goth Cassie is a mortuary technician working in trendy Camden, in London. Living on a canal boat with her cat, she has weathered a lot in her life so far, which gives her sympathy for the casualties of life who wash up, as it were, on the mortuary slab - and a natural antipathy for powers and principalities such as her own managers, or then local police.

Cassie also has a special talent - the ability (sometimes) to hear the dead, enabling her to resolve issues for her deceased clients. Such as solving their murders.

A supernatural twist like this could easily be overdone, made into a Get Out of Jail Free card, but Turner resists this. She uses the idea in these books with great subtlety. Cassie gets hints and feelings from the dead, not their detailed memoirs. It is, though, enough to spur her on to pursue justice where it seems to be lacking. This special sense is though somehow bound up with Cassie's own rather traumatic past, so she's very alert to the danger of simply projecting her own feelings onto the corpses she encounters in her job.

And in Dead Fall, she needs to be. Local up-and-coming young singer Bronte, who has apparently taken her own life, is someone Cassie had unfinished business with from way back - unfinished business that leaves her feeling guilty, and means there is a real risk that she's turning nothing into something when she concludes that Bronte was, in fact, murdered. Nevertheless, she's not going to fail Bronte a second time, so Cassie begins to look into the girl's troubled life and background.

In a novel that therefore explores the pressures of fame and success - and the exploitative nature of the music industry - Turner therefore riffs off Camden's reputation as an edgy, creative but diverse sort of place as well as well as documenting the hounding, online and offline, of a vulnerable young woman. Of course in the background is the tragedy that befell Amy Winehouse, another notable Camden figure as well as the prurient interest of the Press, the fans - and the bitter attentions of patriarchy.

In Dead Fall we therefore get a real zinger of a story: a perplexing mystery with a very contemporary edge, one which draws on a very human tragedy. At the same time Cassie is trying to make sense of her relationship the genial, Hooray Henryish Archie, a wealthy doctor who wants to take her out of Camden to a life in his own wholesome, rural milieu. There's a struggle for integrity too, I think, with Cassie also tempted by ex DS Phyllida Flyte. Buttoned up Flyte recently came out as gay, and there's a real romantic tension between the two women, a tension even more piquant because of Cassie dilates for police. Given the circumstances in which Phyllida left the Force in the last book, Case Sensitive, it's perhaps a little unlikely that she would be involved in a Camden case, as she is here, so soon, but I can let that go given the edge that her and Cassie's relationship brings to these books.

All in all, another great episode in this series and I can't rate it highly enough. Get this one ordered in.

Cassie Raven is a mortuary technician who hears the voices of her "guests". Brontë, a singer who was at school with Cassie comes in as an apparent suicide, but Cassie isn't so sure. The initial police investigation wasn't very thorough so Phyllida Flyte reviews the case, then starts working with DI Bacon who takes it over. Cassie and Flyte have previous history so there's lots of flirty tension between them. Both women are sympathetic, professional and kind. DI Bacon is great, he constantly smashes all the dinosaur policeman preconceptions and stereotypes. The plot and the police procedural are really good, with an excellent twist in the motive.
This is the fourth book in the series but it isn't necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. Thank you for introducing me to this author. I enjoyed this book. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zaffre for my copy of Dead Fall by A K Turner.
I hadn’t heard of this series before ( this is the fourth book) but it did not matter. I loved it and now have 3 books to catch up on.
Cassie is a mortuary technician, who believes she has a unique gift, the dead speak to her.
With a contact in the police, detective Phyllida Flyte, Cassie fights for the dead and the truth.
A great read with an unusual slant.

This was a fab read featuring mortuary technician Cassie Raven who has a special relationship with some of the bodies she attends as part of her duties. The latest one is rising pop star Brontë who Cassie knew from her school days and although the evidence points to suicide Cassie has her doubts.

This has a great balance of Cassie’s own life and investigations into Bronte’s death as well as chapters told from the point of view of former detective Flyte which offers a solid police procedural side to the story. The story unfolds really well and the discoveries that reveal this is a murder investigation and the key characters are very intriguing, I was especially fascinated with DI Bacon as he had unexpected depths. The culprit was unexpected and the reason was tragic, especially the effect it had on others. Will definitely look out for the next in series. 9/10