Good writes

Excuse the slightly cringeworthy pun for the title of this review!
 
Neil White is a criminal lawyer and writer. During the day he goes to court. At night he writes crime fiction. 
 
Last Rites is the third book in the "DC Laura McGanity" series. It was preceded by Fallen Idols (2007) and Lost Souls (2008) but I don't think that you need to read both of those books before reading this one. Reading books from a series in the wrong order is a big deal for some people, and there are certain series when it is really important. But from reading this book I would say that it's fine to get into this series at this point.
 
The Lancashire town of Blackley has been rocked by the violent death of Luke Howarth. The fingers of suspicion point towards his girlfriend, Sarah Goode - missing since his murder. Just another crime of passion with a tragic end. Or is it?
 
Reporter Jack Garrett isn't so sure - especially when he's asked by Sarah's distraught parents to find their daughter. Their description of caring schoolteacher Sarah doesn't tally with the media's portrayal of a cold-blooded killer. But as he hunts for Sarah, Jack finds himself immersed in the town's troubled history and discovers that dangerous rituals from the past are impacting on the present.
 
Jack's girlfriend, DC Laura McGanity, in the midst of a tough custody battle for her son, must be content to sit on the sidelines. But she soon finds herself caught up in the investigation, as the mystery surrounding Sarah's disappearance dramatically unravels.
 
This is another very good piece of British crime fiction. We really are spoilt for choice these days, with so many excellent authors turning out very good books. Neil White is no exception to this. Whilst I felt this book was probably about 100 pages too long, given what actually happens during the story, it's still a very good read for crime fiction fans.
 
I'll be looking out for more of White's books in the future.