The Reprobation Trilogy by Catherine Fearns - Book Tour & Review

 

Reprobation

Are you one of the elect?

Dr. Helen Hope is a lecturer in eschatology – the study of death, judgement, and the destiny of humankind. She is also a Calvinist nun, her life devoted to atoning for a secret crime.

When a body is found crucified on a Liverpool beach, she forms an unlikely alliance with suspect Mikko Kristensen, lead guitarist in death metal band Total Depravity. Together, they go on the trail of a rogue geneticist who they believe holds the key – not just to the murder, but to something much darker.

Also on the trail is cynical Scouse detective Darren Swift. In his first murder case, he must confront his own lack of faith as a series of horrific crimes drag the city of two cathedrals to the gates of hell.

Science meets religious belief in this gripping murder mystery.

Purchase Link: mybook.to/reprobation 

My Review
Reprobation is the first book in a standalone trilogy, and this one follows a few characters who all carry over into the other two books in the trilogy. They include Dr. Helen Hope, a Calvinist nun who also teaches Eschatology at a college; DI Darren Swift, a detective; and Mikko Krsitensen, lead guitarist in a death metal band. 
When a body is found hung on a crucifix on the beach, DI Swift and his partner look to Dr. Hope for answers because of the religious text also found at the crime scene. Drawing her into the murder mystery means Dr. Hope does her own snooping, and when she stumbles across Mikko's band, she strikes up a strange friendship with him, even though he may be a suspect in the murder. 
Who is really behind the murder, and what exactly is really going on?
I really enjoyed this story. It was a little different than what I was expecting, but in a good way. It definitely makes one really think about life, death, and whatever comes after. It was a fascinating read, and the mystery was incorporated nicely, in a way that was engaging and exciting. 
I found myself fascinated by both Mikko and Dr. Hope. All of the characters, main and side, brought something to the story to tie it all together, but I think these two were my favorites. 
The book is a little dark, and there were some heavy religious tones to it, but they're part of the plot, and even non-religious people won't be (or shouldn't be) bothered by them. 
I'm giving this one 4.5 stars. Highly recommend!

Consuming Fire

What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen…

Liverpool is in the grip of an intense heatwave, and strange things are happening. 

A woman dies in an apparent case of Spontaneous Human Combustion; a truck explodes on the dock road; the charred corpses of pets litter the city; forest fires ravage the pinewoods…and there are birds everywhere, silent flocks drawing in ominously.

Detective Inspector Darren Swift thinks there are connections, and his investigation delves into the worlds of football, nightclubs and organised crime. But is he imagining things?

Dr. Helen Hope doesn’t think so. And she believes the key lies in a mysterious seventeenth-century occult book which has gone missing from Liverpool Library.

In the blistering sequel to Reprobation, DI Swift is forced to confront some inconvenient ghosts from his past, as a terrifying shadow lies over his city’s reality….

 Purchaase Link - https://mybook.to/consumingfire

My Review
Consuming Fire is the sequel to Reprobation, and this one sees DI Swift and Dr. Helen Hope back on a new case. This one, if the title doesn't give it away, involves some strange events involving fire. Spontaneous combustion, forest fires, charred animals, and more. What does it all mean? What is happening, and why? 
Another odd mystery. More demons from the past to confront. 
Consuming Fire has a unique plot with some intriguing twists. And this one gives us more insight into DI Swift and his upcoming nuptials to his firefighter boyfriend, Matt. The case starts to wear on them both, especially Darren (aka DI Swift), and their relationship is put to the test.
I don't want to spoil too much, so I'll just say this: Consuming Fire is highly entertaining, intense, and will keep you glued to the pages. It's a well-written thrill ride into the depths of Hell. 
4.5 stars. Highly recommend! 

Sound

Can you hear it?

A professor of psychoacoustics is found dead in his office. It appears to be a heart attack, until a second acoustician dies a few days later in similar circumstances.

Meanwhile, there’s an outbreak of mysterious illnesses on a council estate, and outbursts of unexplained violence in a city centre nightclub. Not to mention strange noises coming from the tunnels underneath Liverpool. Can it really be a coincidence that death metal band Total Depravity are back in the city, waging their own form of sonic warfare?

Detective Inspector Darren Swift is convinced there are connections. Still grieving his fiancé’s death and sworn to revenge, he is thrown back into action on the trail of a murderer with a terrifying and undetectable weapon.

But this case cannot be solved using conventional detective work, and D.I. Swift will need to put the rulebook aside and seek the occult expertise of Dr. Helen Hope and her unlikely sidekick, guitarist Mikko Kristensen.

Purchase Link - mybook.to/sound

My Review
Whoo, boy. Sounds is the third book in the Reprobation trilogy, and this one sees the return of Mikko Kristensen, guitarist for Total Depravity, a death metal band.
This time, DI Swift and Dr. Hope are investigating strange sounds, unexplained violence, and mysterious illnesses. What is going on this time around? And how will they stop everything before it's too late?
Sound definitely packs a punch, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a fast-paced, gripping read that has Darren, Hope, and Mikko racing against the clock to stop a murderer with a terrifying weapon. 
Another fantastic, well-written thriller/mystery from Catherine Fearns. I can't say enough good about this trilogy, and I 100% highly recommend it to fans of the genre (murder mysteries). I'm so glad I took a chance on these books.
4.5 stars!

Author Bio –

Catherine Fearns is a writer from Liverpool. Her novels Reprobation (2018) and Consuming Fire (2019) are published by Crooked Cat and are both Amazon bestsellers. As a music journalist Catherine has written for Pure Grain Audio, Broken Amp and Noisey. Her short fiction and non-fiction has appeared in Toasted Cheese, Succubus, Here Comes Everyone, Offshoots and Metal Music Studies. She lives in Geneva with her husband and four children, and when she’s not writing or parenting, she plays guitar in a heavy metal band.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @metalmamawrites

Website: https://www.catherine-fearns.com/