This was an audiobook narrated by Lisa Coleman, and is the seventh book in the DCI Tom Douglas series. I have previously listened to another book which is later in the series than this one, and while there are personal aspects of Tom’s life included in the storyline, it is easy enough to follow as a standalone novel, or if you do the same as me and read/listen out of order.

Tom and his team are called in to investigate when a young woman is found dead at a frozen lonely scene. Who is she, and how did she get there? Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? None of these questions are easily answerable.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Callie is trapped in a miserable relationship with an abusive and parasitic boyfriend. When she decides to travel to Myanmar to honour a promise to her grandfather, she befriends an older couple who take her under her wing, and help her realise that she needs to end things with Ian. But when she tries to do so, things take a sinister turn.

And in a lonely kitchen, two women sit and eat their meals in almost complete silence, trapped as they are in a prison of their own making. What are their stories and how did they arrive at this low point?

Slowly all the threads of the stories come together…

I’ll start with the good parts of this audiobook, including the narration. Lisa Coleman did an excellent job, and managed to distinctly voice all of the characters.

I also really like the character of Tom and all of his colleagues. They are believable and likeable – and deserve a better storyline than the one they had here.

Unfortunately the twists and turns in this book were so well signposted that the characters – Callie mainly as large parts of the book are told from her point of view – just end up coming across as unutterably stupid and naive. Without giving anything away, I wanted to shake her for putting up with her awful boyfriend, and then for her subsequent actions, which I won’t reveal here. Many of the characters apart from the officers – and maybe this is because the police characters have had several books through which to develop their characters – were like cardboard cut outs, and never easy to invest in. And there was a huge dollop of coincidence, which never rang true. I did listen to the end, but found myself underwhelmed by the conclusion, which left some strands of storyline hanging.

Despite all of the above, I would consider listening to more in the series, because the investigators were great, and according to other reviewers who have read the whole series, this is a particularly weak book compared to others. So maybe at some point I will pay another visit to Tom Douglas and co. ( )

Once again Rachel Abbott has delivered a believable page turner. There is just enough confusion related to who exactly the narrator of this story is to ensure that you keep reading to solve the mystery.

I have missed reading the 2 novels in this series prior to this one, but I felt I had sufficient understanding of the main characters.

Highly recommended. ( )

Come a Little Closer by Rachel Abbott is a DCI Tom Douglas novel. DCI Tom Douglas is called out to Pennington Flash Country Park. A woman has been found in a birdwatching hide. There is no identification on her, she is very thin, no shoes or sign of a struggle. At first glance it would appear to be suicide. Tom, though, knows there is more to this woman’s story. Nearby three women are in a dark kitchen. They are thin, scared, tired and afraid. Sharon is taking the trip her father always talked about it. Her boyfriend, Ian wanted her to cancel and give him half the money since he is out of work. She is honoring her father by embarking on this cruise. The trip is not as relaxing as she expected. A man seems to be following her and someone was in her cabin. She returns home to an angry Ian and a puzzling problem at work. It is a relief when a new friend offers her assistance. DCI Douglas and his team work to unravel what happened to the woman found in the Flash. They soon discover that she is not the first woman found this way and, undoubtedly, she will not be the last unless the police stop them.

Come a Little Closer may be the seventh book in the DCI Tom Douglas series, but it can be read alone. I struggled with this novel. It is very confusing in the beginning because it jumps around. One minute with DCI Tom Douglas, then with Sharon, then with women, then it jolts to next chapter. It all starts to gel at the half way mark and comes together into a complete story at the end. I thought the writing was choppy and it lacked a nice flow (slow pace too). The dialogue was stilted (awkward). The characters were not fully developed (lacking in details that help bring them to life). The mystery is one that plays out and is supposed to be suspenseful. Unfortunately, I did not feel it. I wanted to get a hold of these women and shake them. I cannot see anyone in this day and age being that naïve (unless they are under 6). I do not want to say to much and spoil for you. I wanted to the story to be less predictable. The chapters that focused on Tom’s private life felt off. They did not blend well with the rest of the book. Be aware that this is a British novel, so it contains British slang and the words are spelled differently (British spelling). Come a Little Closer was not the right fit for me, but many other readers have found it thrilling. I suggest getting a sample and see if it appeals to you. Every individual has their own perspective. ( )