“Rookie detective Joe Finch knows better than most what tragedy looks like. But trying to solve the brutal murder of an entire family? Just another day in Cooper.

Even for the sleazy backwater of Cooper, Nebraska, the multiple murder of an entire family, brutally bludgeoned to death in their beds, is big news.

Detective Joe Finch, raw with guilt over his partner’s traumatic shooting during a routine traffic stop, hopes the case will at least focus his mind. But then he discovers that the crime scene is the house he grew up in, and the ghosts of his own tragic childhood come rushing back to confront him.

As Finch dredges the corrupt and criminal mires of Cooper in a desperate search for the truth, the only certainty is that everyone there is lying. Caught between greedy politicians, a violent cartel boss, an ambitious reporter and a sinister cult lurking in the cornfields on the outskirts of town, Finch is soon out of his depth.

In a town where the law exists only to be bent or broken, can Finch steel himself against entrenched evil and the haunting spectre of his past—and live to serve justice in Cooper?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Follow Me to the Edge by Tariq Ashkanani. Follow Me to the Edge was published by Thomas & Mercer on 8th March 2022 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. My copy of Follow Me to the Edge arrived at damppebbles HQ as part of my Capital Crime Book subscription which I fervently recommend to all crime fiction fans. And make sure you don’t miss the Capital Crime Festival in London in late September (scroll down for more information).

Follow Me to the Edge is the second book in Ashkanani’s ‘Cooper series’. The first being the excellent Welcome to Cooper which, once again, I can thank the marvels at Capital Crime for putting on my radar towards the end of last year. But this is not a follow on from the previous book, oh no! This is more of an origins story where the reader meets a younger, inexperienced Detective Joe Finch – a character who played in a key role in the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed Ashkanani’s first Cooper book so was excitedly champing at the bit to make a start on this latest instalment.

It’s 1993 and newly qualified Cooper detective, Joe Finch, is called to the scene of a brutal murder. Three members of the Richardson family are dead in their beds, bludgeoned to death. David, the father, is found on the banks of the reservoir, stabbed through the heart. The initial cause of death mooted by many is murder-suicide. But Joe, who is overly familiar with the Richardson family home, makes a shocking discovery. A piece of evidence which raises many more questions than it answers. With police corruption rife within the upper echelons of Cooper PD, and fuelled by guilt and regret over the shooting of his partner, and the inescapable memories of his troubled past, it’s down to Joe to unpick what little evidence he has and find out who killed the Richardson family…

Follow Me to the Edge is a fantastic follow up to the first book in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting a younger, less experienced, quite different version of Joe Finch. To the point where I actually warmed to Joe’s character despite him having very few redeeming qualities in the first book! Follow Me to the Edge can certainly be read without reading Welcome to Cooper but I think you would miss out on experiencing the contrast between now and then. Joe is a fascinating, multi-layered character – the more I discover about him, the more I can understand him. Sort of. I loved how this book provided the background to two key relationships in Joe’s life. The reader has now seen the bones of these connections, ready for the author to build upon (I hope) in the future.

It was a joy to return to Cooper, Nebraska after my first visit in Welcome to Cooper. Despite going back in time (this book is set in 1993, before the events in the first book) the place didn’t really feel as though it had changed much. Still a dead-end town where the rules don’t always apply. Still not a lot of hope amongst those who call it home. Alongside Joe’s investigation into the murder of the Richardson’s is a subplot featuring what is clearly a cult. These chapters were incredibly intriguing and I was keen to see in what direction the author was going to take this storyline. I have to say, it all fits in perfectly, I couldn’t have guessed how it was going to conclude but the author ties everything up in such a clever and satisfying way. It was a bit of a gasp out loud moment for me. Expertly done.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. But I would encourage you to read Welcome to Cooper first so you can become familiar with some of the characters beforehand. Follow Me to the Edge is a very assured, very readable follow up which drew me in and didn’t let go. Ashkanani has a talent for writing interesting, believable characters which I really appreciate. I particularly liked Ackerman. The plot was well paced with lots of surprises along the way and the setting felt like a character in its own right. Nebraskan noir at its finest! I hope there is more to come from Cooper but if there’s not (and I have no idea either way!) then I will happily read whatever the author delivers next. I really enjoy the way Ashkanani tells a story. Recommended.

Follow Me to the Edge by Tariq Ashkanani was published in the UK by Thomas & Mercer on 8th March 2022 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | Book Depository | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop |

Tariq Ashkanani is a solicitor based in Edinburgh, where he also helps run Write Gear, a company that sells high-quality notebooks for writers, and co-hosts Write Gear’s podcast Page One. His follow-up thriller, Follow Me to the Edge, is out now.

CAPITAL CRIME RETURNS IN SEPTEMBER WITH RICHARD OSMAN, ANTHONY HOROWITZ, DOROTHY KOOMSON AND PAULA HAWKINS TO HEADLINE

Richard Osman, Rev. Richard Coles, Kate Mosse, Robert Harris, Dorothy Koomson, Bella Mackie and Paula Hawkins are amongst the authors confirmed for Capital Crime, London’s only crime and thriller festival, which returns 29^th September-1^st October after its hugely successful inaugural event in 2019.

Taking place in London’s stunning Battersea Park, Capital Crime will be hosting over 164 panellists, bringing together readers, authors, industry figures and the local community for the first major literary festival held on the site. With a Goldsboro Books pop-up bookshop in the iconic Pump House Gallery, the first ever Fingerprint Awards ceremony, alongside an array of London’s tastiest local street food vendors and bar area, it promises to be a weekend of fun, innovation and celebration of crime fiction.

On the opening night (Thursday 29^th September), Anthony Horowitz, Kim Sherwood and Charlie Higson will be discussing all things Bond, and the role the capital city has played in the fictional spy’s life, and the 007 car from Sherwood’s incredible new novel, ‘DOUBLE OR NOTHING’ will be on display at the heart of the festival, in association with Alpine and Ian Fleming Publications.

Thursday’s programming will comprise of a series of events dedicated to Capital Crime’s social outreach programme, in which two sixth form students and their teachers from schools in and around the capital will be invited to meet with authors and publishing professionals to demystify the industry and attract new and diverse young voices into publishing.

Robert Harris will be in conversation with comedian and podcaster Andrew Hunter Murray, discussing dystopian fiction, and there will also be a very special opportunity for aspiring authors to pitch their novel idea to agents David Headley (DHH), Emily Glenister (DHH), Camilla Bolton (Darley Anderson) or Phillip Patterson (Marjacq). The first evening will close with the very first Fingerprint Award Ceremony. The winners, selected by readers across five categories Crime Novel of the Year; Thriller Novel of the Year; Historical Crime Novel of the Year; Debut Novel of the Year and Genre-Busting Novel of the Year, will be announced alongside a very special Lifetime Achievement Award and Industry Award of the Year.

Friday’s events include Jeffrey Deaver, Michael Robotham and Mark Billingham interviewed on the theme of ‘Crime Across Continents’ by Victoria Selman, and Mark Edwards, Will Dean, Erin Young and Chris Whitaker speaking to Tariq Ashkanani about setting their thrillers in the US. In addition, Abir Mukherjee, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Anna Mazzola and Jessica Fellowes will be speaking to Suzy Edge about historical crime writing, and Dorothy Koomson and Kate Mosse will be in conversation about their work with the Women’s Prize and the versatility of crime fiction. Claire McGowan, David Beckler, Catriona Ward, Chris Carter, Nicci French, W.C. Ryan, Stuart Neville and Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir will also be taking part in panels on the themes of courtroom dramas, ghost stories, crime set in Brighton and medicine in crime fiction, amongst other topics, throughout the day, and the first two rounds of Capital Crime’s quiz ‘Whose Crime Is It Anyway?’ will take place, featuring teams of debut authors.

Saturday will see Peter James interviewed on his writing career by clinical psychologist Chris Merritt; bestsellers Jeffrey Archer, Lucy Foley and Clare Mackintosh in conversation with Barry Forshaw and a Polari Panel hosted by Paul Burston. Other events include former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Lady Hale in conversation with Harriet Tyce; bestselling Icelandic author Ragnar Jonasson in conversation with the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdottir; Sarah Vaughan, Louise Candlish and Paula Hawkins discussing the experience of screen adaptations, before rounding off the festival with Richard Osman in conversation with Bella Mackie.

The final round of ‘Whose Crime is it Anyway?’ will also take place, as well as panels on the topics of spies, Grand Dames, detectives and comedy crime featuring Vaseem Khan, Robert Thorogood, Antti Tuomainen, Steve Cavanagh, Jane Casey, Catherine Ryan Howard and Steph Broadribb.

As well as panels and events, there will be exciting public events throughout the weekend, including launch events for Elly Griffiths’ breath-taking new thriller Bleeding Heart Yard, The Perfect Crime anthology, which brings twenty-two bestselling crime writers from across the world together in a razor sharp and deliciously sinister collection of crime stories, and an interactive treasure hunt inspired by Peter James’s latest blockbuster, Picture You Dead (publisher). There will also be entertainment, including a crime-themed comedy performance from The Noise Next Door on Thursday.

The full programme can be found here.

Book your tickets here. I hope to see you there!