Vengeance, Roger A Price’s second book in his Detective Vinnie Palmer series, follows on from the tearaway success Nemesis. Liked Nemesis? You’ll love this. Palmer’s back on the job, but I don’t envy him. When the first few chapters serve up a pig’s heart on a paper plate, a murder, arson and the suggestion of political intrigue you know that one of the very best of British crime thriller writers is going to take you on a car chase of a story. Buckle in; it’s breakneck from start to finish, with a twisting, deftly weaved plot that qualifies Vengeance for the sometimes overused accolade of ‘unputdownable’. Roger braids different story lines with a skill that makes it seem easy, and gets the balance between gritty, violent realism and old school chivalry spot on. His attention to police procedural detail adds a ballast of authenticity to the whole story and his creative reach, taking us from the regional details of the England’s North West to the troubled history of Northern Ireland, suggests a writer really starting to flex his muscle. Looking forward to re-joining the Vinnie and Christine (for goodness sake man kiss her!) in book three. Two successes in a row, and like Vinnie Palmer, I don’t believe in coincidences. Roger rocks.