My Cradle, Your Grave by Sharon Jackson

I had never read any books by Sharon Jackson, but the title of the first book in her Haunted Past series intruiged me. Who wouldn't be interested by the title My Cradle, Your Grave? Let me tell you about this singular novel.

The Blurb

DI Devlin Doyle is a detective with a past, if only he could remember it. After a case goes wrong he finds himself in a new city and launches into an investigation that hits closer to home than he knows.

DI Serenity "Wren" Jones is a woman in a man's world. To succeed she's had to be tough. When she's assigned the task of "babysitting" a new detective sent from the London's met office, she is less than impressed.

As an investigation of a series of assaults turns to brutal murder, they find themselves in a race against time, digging through a past crime, to solve murders that rhyme.

The Review

The first thing to accept about My Cradle, Your Grave is that it ends on a cliff hanger and you're going to want to read the second book in the series, Snakes and Daggers, immediately after you finish the first.

The second is that this, by definition, is a crime novel with bloody descriptions and troubling psycological themes. If you dislike cliff hangers or like your crime cosy or themes gentle, this is not the book for you. However, I loved it and truly could not put it down. I read it well past my bed-time, in the train and even neglected dusting and washing dishes to read the next chapter of this unique story.

I was surprised to discover My Cradle, Your Grave was a debut novel. The characters are well developed and beautifully drawn. The back story is delicately revealed and cleverly manipulated. This does not read like a first book.

My Cradle, Your Grave is an exciting crime novel and Sharon Jackson is a talented author to watch out for going forward.

The Author

Sharon Jackson is originally from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. She is a avid reader and a self proclaimed book bug! She has suffered from nightmares her entire life and documented them, converting them into crime scenes in hopes to one day create her own book series using them as inspiration. This was how the haunted past book series was born. She has an amazing family and a daughter and hopes that her nightmares can finally have a purpose.