The Descent

Louise Blackwell makes for an engaging protagonist, and the beautiful and atmospheric setting is an added bonus. In this book we learn more about what makes Louise tick. Conflicted and intriguing in equal measure, Detective Louise Blackwell of the Avon & Somerset Police is fast becoming a favourite series character of mine in this her second outing. Louise is fighting herself in this novel, trying to be there 100% for her work as well as for her family. As one would expect, she fails and mistakes are made. It is distressing to realize that Louise does not trust her own judgement.

This plot featured social outcasts and a charismatic man who preyed upon their vulnerabilities. It was so disturbing to be reminded that there are many people we see every day who are ‘invisible’, people who have no one to really miss them if they were to disappear…. How lonely and desperate they must be.

The setting – Weston-super-Mare, a seaside tourist town in Somerset, England and the backstory of the protagonist added much to the narrative.

In case you haven’t yet guessed, I loved “The Descent” just as much as its predecessor “The Crossing“, and can’t wait to read the next novel in the Louise Blackwell series which is called “The Gorge”. Highly recommended!