Black Reed Bay: The MUST-READ thriller of 2021 … first in a heart-pounding new series (Detective Casey Wray, Book 1)

By Rod Reynolds

When a young woman vanishes from an exclusive oceanfront community in the middle of the night, Detective Casey Wray’s takes on a case that leads her in chilling, unexpected directions … A twisty, breath-taking police procedural. First in a heart-pounding new series.

‘Urgent, thrilling and richly imagined. Without doubt his best yet' Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End

‘Reynolds captures the claustrophobic feel of a small town  … a tense slice of American noir’ Vaseem Khan, author of Midnight at Malabar House

'If you were hooked on Mare of Easttown, this will be right up your street … I read this obsessively' Nina Pottell, Prima

‘Rod Reynolds makes the most of this desolate, windswept location … a thrillingly complex narrative develops at speed … his superior cop saga is just the first instalment of a projected series’ The Times

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Don’t trust ANYONE…

When a young woman makes a distressing middle-of-the-night call to 911, apparently running for her life in a quiet, exclusive beachside neighbourhood, miles from her home, everything suggests a domestic incident.

Except no one has seen her since, and something doesn’t sit right with the officers at Hampstead County PD. With multiple suspects and witnesses throwing up startling inconsistencies, and interference from the top threatening the integrity of the investigation, lead detective Casey Wray is thrust into an increasingly puzzling case that looks like it’s going to have only one ending…

And then the first body appears…

For fans of Susie Steiner, Peter Swanson, M J Arlidge, James Lee Burke and Tana French

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**LONGLISTED for the CWA Steel Dagger for THRILLER of the YEAR**

‘Electrifying’ Crime Monthly

‘An awesome read. A turn of the screw in every chapter’ Oscar de Muriel

‘If you love Harlen Coben and Lee Child, you will love this … cinematic, epic, you will forget to breathe’ Miranda Dickinson

‘Compelling and stylish, with devious twists and a cleverly crafted ending. Very, very impressive’ G J Minnett 

‘A twisty, high-stakes, high-voltage murder mystery’ Tim Baker

‘In Casey Wray he has created a series character with an engaging mix of guts and vulnerability ably supported by a strong supporting cast. His prose style is crisp with the occasional touch of the poetic that lifts noir writing out of the pulps’ Shots Magazine

‘Beautifully written, deeply atmospheric and cleverly plotted, with a brilliant new protagonist’ Andrea Carter

‘Utterly gripping and packs one hell of an emotional punch. Perfect for fans of Bosch’ Steph Broadribb

‘There’s something particularly special about Black Reed Bay and it’s Detective Casey Wray … I felt like I’d known her all my life’ Joy Kluver

• Language: English
• Publisher: ORENDA BOOKS
• Release date: May 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781913193683

Reviews for Black Reed Bay

[atticusfinch1048 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Black Reed Bay – A highly addictive detective.Black Reed Bay is the opening salvo in a new detective series from Rod Reynolds, and what an excellent introduction. Reynolds already an expert as a crime writer, still gives a gripping narrative throughout the book, with a nice twisty ending that even I did not see coming. Reynolds brings the experience of his four previous novels to bare and already has a reputation for perfectly pitched books. He knows how to keep the reader hooked and draws them in deeper. While Reynolds the clues around the novel he makes sure you cannot join the dots so easily, and that is what makes him a very special writer.A young woman makes a distressing call in the middle of the night, running for her life from someone who is about to kill her. At the time she is in an exclusive beachside neighbourhood, which happens to be miles from her own home. Many saw her but did not see where she went.With nobody seeing Tina Grace since her disappearance Detective Casey Wray is the lead investigator along side her partner Detective Dave Cullen. There seem to many leads that go nowhere and plenty of suspects that they can find no incriminating evidence. This is a case that is a puzzle, that tests Wray and the rest of her team at the station house.One thing is clear, somebody does not want them investigating this crime and trying to scare Wray from the case. Unfortunately for the criminals she is not easily put off and will not be happy until she has solved the case and brought the relevant people to justice. As that is what the Police do.With many twists and turns and unseen circumstances, that throws Wray various ways, she is also caught in the middle of office politics between her chief and Police Headquarters. She needs to deal with the noise and keep her focus. Some how she does keep her focus and she does resolve everything, but how it ends is a juicy twist.This is a breathtaking introduction to a new detective series and I cannot wait until I meet Detective Casey Wray again. This is a highly addictive detective series.

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a well-written police procedural, with enjoyable banter and a fast moving plot for the first half. The second half dragged a bit and was less entertaining, but the solution was coherent and tied up all the loose ends.