Cover Your Tracks By Claire Askew

‘Cover Your Tracks’ is the latest book in the DI Birch series.

Robertson Bennet returns to Edinburgh after a 25-year absence in search of his parents and his inheritance. But both have disappeared. A quick, routine police check should be enough – and Detective Inspector Helen Birch has enough on her plate trying to help her brother, Charlie, after an assault in prison. But all her instincts tell her not to let this case go. And so she digs. George and Phamie Bennet were together for a long time. No one can ever really know the secrets kept between husband and wife. But as Birch slowly begins to unravel the truth, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.

Although this is the third book in the DI Birch series, it’s the first book for me. The story is seen solely through the narrative of DI Helen Birch who’s investigating the disappearance of an elderly couple when their estranged son hasn’t spoken to them in over 30 years.

As she investigates the case, she finds herself delving into old cases and other missing people.

I really enjoyed this story, it’s set in Glasgow and Claire has used the Scottish dialect in the narrative which adds a bit of charm to the story. I really liked the characters, particularly Helen who’s had a bit of a troubled life with an estranged father and a brother in jail.

The story moves at a good pace with regulars twists and reveals that really kept the reader engaged. With atmospheric settings, vivid descriptions and suspense plotted through each page, ‘Cover Your Tracks’ is a great crime novel that introduced me to a new crime series to look forward to exploring more off.

You can pre-order ‘Cover Your Tracks’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops from 20th August 2020.