This is the second of the DI Fenchurch trilogy. It is an adequate story but progresses too slowly for my taste. Abi, Simon Fenchurch's wife, witnesses a murder and falls apart, but this unraveling is presented as variation on one liners like, "I should have been able to do something...". Simon and Abi share a painful history. Their daughter vanished 10 years ago and was never found. This is all potentially interesting stuff but the presentation is too bland.

I received a review copy of "Worth Killing For" A DI Fenchurch Novel, Book 2" by Ed James (Thomas & Mercer) through NetGalley.com. ( )

This is the second book featuring DI Simon Fenchurch and I enjoyed it a lot more than The Hope that Kills, the first in this police procedural series. To get the full history of the characters and appreciate their development, I would nevertheless suggest starting with the first book.
There were still the drums in Fenchurch's ears and his burrito obsession; two things which I found repetitive in book 1, but fortunately, Fenchurch shows development as well. He is back together with his wife Abi, is drinking less, and has vowed to move on with his life without obsessing over their daughter Chloe's disappearance a decade ago.
During a night out, Fenchurch and Abi witness the fatal stabbing of a young woman. Fenchurch manages to apprehend a young boy who appears to be involved in mobile phone thefts. With the boy in custody, the case seems pretty much solved. But, of course, it isn't that straightforward, and this is where Ed James really started to impress me. He crafted a very complex and highly original storyline. It moved along at a fast pace and was not predictable at all. While I still feel that there are parts that are a tad clichéd (e.g. Fenchurch constantly getting disciplined and his eternal conflicts with other cops), the plot is developed brilliantly. I loved the way Ed James incorporated the London setting amid the contemporary topics of politics, leaving the EU, racial tension and gangs. It was very British. By that, I simply mean that you may end up Googling at least a couple of things unless you're very used to the vernacular and British life. But this was also part of what made the plot and the dialogue seem very realistic and believable. So basically, with this second book, Ed James has convinced me to keep going with yet another British police procedural series and after that ending, I have to say I'm quite keen to find out what's next for DI and Mrs. Fenchurch.
I received an ARC via NetGalley. ( )