The Final Straw

by Jenny Francis

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Pub Date 28 Apr 2020 | Archive Date 19 May 2022

Troubador Publishing Ltd. | Matador

General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

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Description

It is 2001 and Detective Inspector Charlie Moon is back with a new case!

A prisoner found hanging in his cell after serving over twenty years of a life sentence draws Moon into the investigation of a murder which took place in the 1970s – a student named Sharon Baxter who was stabbed to death and her body dumped at the side of a canal. At first nothing seems to make sense and the plot thickens with the discovery that all the files on the case have mysteriously gone missing leading Moon to suspect a police cover-up and implications going far beyond a simple miscarriage of justice.

Assisted once again by his journalist friend, Jo Lyon, Moon sets about following a trail of clues which soon reveal the chilling truth about how an innocent man came to be convicted of a crime he did not commit. Dark secrets from the past are uncovered as Moon and Jo piece together what turns out to be a harrowing tale of corruption and depravity stretching back many years. It is not long, however, before Moon is drawn into conflict with his bosses and he is forced to choose between yielding to their wishes to drop the case or putting his career on the line. Moon realises time is not on his side but will he discover who killed Sharon and why before it is too late? There is, however, one final twist to the story – a twist nobody expects not even Charlie Moon!

A Note From the Publisher

Jenny Francis is the pen name of Patricia Scudamore and Hilton Catt, who write both business and careers books, as well as crime thrillers, and have been working together for over forty years. The Final Straw is the follow-up book in the series, preceded by The Silent Passage (9781783064106) and Blood Ties (9781785893797).

Jenny Francis is the pen name of Patricia Scudamore and Hilton Catt, who write both business and careers books, as well as crime thrillers, and have been working together for over forty years. The...

Advance Praise

"The riddle of why an innocent man was jailed for a crime he did not commit is the background to the story but there are also important messages about trust and betrayal which will resonate with so many of us. A good and at times heart-wrenching read." - Amazon

Available Editions

EDITION	Ebook
ISBN	9781838597474
PRICE	US$4.99 (USD)
PAGES	200

Available on NetGalley

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Additional Information

Average rating from 8 members

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Featured Reviews

Hannelore C, Reviewer

Thank you NetGalley and Troubadour Publishing Ltd. for the eARC.
This is the third in the DI Charlie Moon series and it's another enjoyable read.
A man who was imprisoned for 20 years hanged himself and Moon is drawn into the case believing the man was innocent. Together with his team and his friend Jo, a self-employed journalist, they delve into the cold case of the young girl the prisoner was accused of knifing to death. There's also a particularly nasty character featured...
I really like Moon and the mystery is a good one with quite a surprising ending. Hopefully a fourth book is not too far away because I enjoy this series

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Claire Y, Reviewer

That was some ride!

An inspector detective is called upon by a prison inmate to investigate an age old murder after the prisoner convicted of the crime is found hanging in his cell. The inmate claims the prisoner was innocent. Not an easy task to investigate a 23+ year old murder because all of the case files and physical evidence files are missing and/or destroyed (think coverup and conspiracy.)

What now? Well, you'll find out as you follow the inspector detective in gathering witness information and background information on the friends and families of the living and deceased.

An interesting narrative. A refreshing take on the "whodunnit theme."

Four stars -- I really liked it. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Sharon W, Reviewer

D I Charlie Moon returns for his third outing. This time he investigates a twenty plus year old murder after a prisoner commits suicide. He was found guilty of murdering a student in the seventies.
From early on in the book the reader gets the feeling there is an undercurrent of police incompetence or corruption.
Charlie goes all in investigating if this was a miscarriage of justice with his team and Jo , his friend and also a journalist..
Charlie is not someone to be palmed off or diverted from finding out the truth as he is convinced that an innocent man was wrongly convicted.
A very well written and enjoyable thriller with plenty of surprises, hidden depths and a great ending.
Looking forward to the next Charlie Moon book as this series improves in subsequent books.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review ahead of publication.
4+ stars

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Reviewer 373271

Though this case is revisited after the death of the accused, I was happy to see that Moon was able to investigate and bring the correct person to justice even 30 years later. This was a quick read, but honestly was action packed and for this story I enjoyed the length of the book!

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