Title: THE IMPOSTER – Dr Bloom #4
Author: Leona Deakin
ISBN: 978 1529 1769 71
Publisher: Penguin / Transworld
Pages: 384
Source: Review copy from the Publisher
Blog Tour Organised by Random Things Tours
Dr Bloom is faced with her most challenging case yet as she races to catch a highly unpredictable murderer in London. He doesn’t just want your identity. He wants your life…
No one sees him coming.
A stock-market trader is pushed from a high-rise balcony and falls to his death on the street below. The only clue the police can find is a box of matches.
No one survives for long.
The decomposing body of a member of the Saudi Royal Family is discovered in a car. Evidence suggests the killer took the man’s life, then stole his identity, wore his clothes and lived in his hotel room – before vanishing into thin air like smoke.
Nothing but matchsticks are left behind.
Dr Bloom realizes the only thing linking these murders is a trail of burnt matches and broken lives. Time is running out – and if she isn’t careful, she might be the next to burn …
Official Summary
07 November 2022
True to form, I started this series a little late. I have not read the previous three books, but The Imposter was a brilliant read. I would recommend starting the series at the beginning. I found I was missing some information – but nothing too serious. I was able to keep up and follow the storyline. I am left curious enough to have added the previous three books to my TBR.
The author tells a complex story, there are a lot of characters in this book and the story is set in various locations. You are drawn into the hunt for a serial killer while separate chapters allow you to spend time with the killer – almost leaving you one step ahead of the investigators. All the while there are different elements of the story at play. You must stay focused while reading this one to keep up with all the developments in the story.
Dr Augusta Bloom is called on to assist with the hunt for a serial killer. However, there is more to DCI Nadia Mirza requesting her assistance. Dr Bloom’s experience with Seraphine Walker is what interest DCI Mirza. She is convinced that Seraphine is behind the murders, even if Dr Bloom insists she is mistaken. These three women end up in a battle of wills as the hunt for the killer intensifies.
This book is an intense read that requires focus from start to end. There are a lot of characters and if you are new to the series, it could feel a little overwhelming as you try to keep track of everyone. There are also a lot of elements to this story and often past and present collide. I am left eager to read the previous three books to catch up on anything I missed out on.
There are a lot of characters in this book. Dr Augusta Bloom comes across as distant. I battled to get into her head and I am not completely convinced that I like her. I believe that is due to not having read the previous books in the series. (I will share more about this character when I have been able to read the other books.)
Marcus Jameson on the other hand won me over very quickly. This man appears to have no hidden secrets. He felt like an open book, despite him not sharing details of his past with Augusta.
Seraphine Walker – well this is an unusual woman. She is extremely well-informed and seems to stay one step ahead all the time. Unfortunately, she was so ‘perfect’ that she lost realism. That’s probably just me….
I don’t doubt that this detailed story will keep you on the edge of your seat as all the puzzle pieces fit together. The Imposter is full of surprises, making it a gripping read you will not want to put down.
Crime, thriller and mystery fans are in for a treat when they reach for this title – but be warned, by the time you reach the end of this book, you will want to read the previous books in the series.
Also by Leona Deakin
Gone – Dr Bloom #1
Four strangers are missing. Left at their last-known locations are birthday cards that read:
YOUR GIFT IS THE GAME.
DARE TO PLAY?
The police aren’t worried – it’s just a game. But the families are frantic. As psychologist and private detective Dr Augusta Bloom delves into the lives of the missing people, she finds something that binds them all.
And that something makes them very dangerous indeed.
As more disappearances are reported and new birthday cards uncovered, Dr Bloom races to unravel the mystery and find the missing people.
But what if, this time, they are the ones she should fear?
Lost – Dr Bloom #2
There is an explosion at a military ball. The casualties are rushed to hospital in eight ambulances, but only seven vehicles arrive. Captain Harry Peterson is missing.
His girlfriend calls upon her old friend Dr Augusta Bloom, who rushes to support the investigation. But no one can work out what connects the bomb and the disappearance.
When Harry is eventually discovered three days later, they hope he holds the answers to their questions. But he can’t remember a single thing.
Hunt – Dr Bloom #3
The Foreign Secretary is being held under the Terrorism Act. He will answer the police’s questions on one condition – they let him speak to Dr Augusta Bloom.
He asks Bloom to track down his niece, Scarlett, who hasn’t spoken to her family for ten years. The last they heard, Scarlett was getting involved with Artemis – an organisation dedicated to women’s rights and the feminist movement, led by the charismatic Paula Kunis.
But as Bloom learns more about Artemis, she’s torn. Is this organisation everything it claims to be, or do they have a secret side and an alternative agenda? And if so, what has become of Scarlett?
The only way to find out for sure is for Bloom to go undercover. But will she make it out safely – or will she become the next Artemis woman to disappear?
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Leona Deakin draws inspiration for her writing from her own experiences having started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police and her successful work in psychology since. Leona was part of a team responsible for designing methods of selection for recruiting and promoting officers from PC to Chief Superintendent. Her role was to create realistic policing scenarios – from personnel issues to large scale incidents (plane crash, terrorist bomb etc) – that could be used to test leadership skills. To do this she spent a great deal of time interviewing and observing officers at various ranks and reviewing cases. This gave Leona an insight into the police culture that helps her to write authentic character interactions in her novels.
Leona is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. She has written four novels in the acclaimed Dr Augusta Bloom series: Gone, Lost, Hunt and The Imposter.
Thank you to Anne Cater, from Random Things Tours, for including me on this tour. This was a “new-to-me” author, and I loved this book. You are in for an edge-of-your-seat read when you reach for this one. Thank you for your continued support, remember to leave a comment, sharing your thoughts on this series. Until next time…Happy Reading!
Interesting review!
Thank you
Thanks for the blog tour support x
Always a pleasure