“Five candidates. One job. A killer prepared to murder their way to the top.

Salford, 1983. Lorraine Quick is a single mother, a member of a band going nowhere fast, and personnel officer at the grim Memorial Hospital.

A new general manager position is being introduced, and Lorraine’s recent training in the cutting-edge science of psychometric testing will be pivotal. As the profiles start to emerge, a chilling light is cast on the candidates.

When a lethal dose of anaesthetic is deliberately substituted for a flu vaccine, and a second suspicious death quickly follows, it’s clear a killer is at work in the hospital. Can Lorraine’s personality tests lead her to the murderer?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am pleased to share my review of Sharp Scratch by Martine Bailey. Sharp Scratch is published by Allison & Busby today (that’s Thursday 22nd February 2024) and is available in hardcover and digital formats with the paperback to follow in the Summer. I chose to read a free ARC of Sharp Scratch but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Josie at Allison & Busby for sending me a finished copy.

Lorraine Quick doesn’t really enjoy her job as a Personnel Officer at the Memorial Hospital in Salford. But it’s a means to an end whilst she and her band hold out for their big break. Plus, as a lone parent, she needs to support her young daughter. And despite the tedious nature of her role, it brings in a steady income. Offered the opportunity to train in psychometric testing, Lorraine accepts despite realising that it means time away from her daughter. And it’s another string to her bow at work, of course. Something that will always be useful in her role. When Lorraine’s friend and colleague dies suddenly from a deadly dose of anaesthetic, staff at the hospital realise there is a killer in their midst. When a second death follows shortly afterwards, everyone becomes a suspect. Luckily, following instruction from the Government, all of the top managers at the hospital are vying for the coveted General Manager role and are due to undergo a psychometric test as part of the recruitment process. Will Lorraine be able to use her new-found skills to work out which of her colleagues is the killer…?

Sharp Scratch is a slow-burn mystery from debut crime author Martine Bailey set in the early 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was in power. I really wanted to love this book as the premise revolves around Fpsychometric testing, which I find really intriguing (there was also a brief period in my life where I was drawn to studying Human Resources – don’t worry, it passed!). A test knows more about you than you know yourself! And that’s why our protagonist, Lorraine, agrees to undergo the training. Perhaps it will fill in the blanks in her life, show her that just because she doesn’t fit in with her colleagues at the hospital, that maybe there is a group or organisation out there where she can be her true self. Lorraine is particularly affected by the first death as Rose, the victim, was a work-friend who Lorraine knew wanted to share something with her. Sadly they never get the chance to have that chat. It’s also hard for Lorraine to ignore that the infection control nurse who delivered the fatal dose of anaesthetic gave Lorraine a flu jab only moments before. A close call, to say the least! The unexpected death brings the police into the hospital. There’s a dash of chemistry between Lorraine and DS Diaz which bubbles along throughout the book. Diaz sees himself as very knowledgeable on all of the latest crime fighting techniques making their way to the UK from the FBI in the US. Psychometric testing also piquing his interest which is what brings the two characters together. Diaz pushes for Lorraine to share the results of the test but Lorraine, understandably, is reluctant to do this.

Would I recommend this book? This is a tough one. If you’re a reader who enjoys a story that moves at a slower pace then there’s every chance you will enjoy this book. Normally, that would be me but for some reason this book was too slow for even my tastes. It took me longer than usual to read it. I also felt the characters were unlikeable and flat. Again, unlikeable characters would normally be ticking the boxes for me but Lorraine and DS Diaz, they didn’t inspire me to return to the book. The other thing I just couldn’t get my head around was how dated the book felt. Yes, it’s set in the early 1980s so you would expect a degree of that but if you had told me that it had been written over forty years ago, then I wouldn’t be surprised. There were a few unexpected twists but they happened so late in the story that I just couldn’t get excited about the turn of events. However, just because I wasn’t a fan of Sharp Scratch doesn’t mean you won’t be. I’m sure this book will find its audience and they will savour the 80s references and wonderful nostalgia which the author has so meticulously included.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Sharp Scratch. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Sharp Scratch by Martine Bailey was published in the UK by Allison & Busby on 22nd February 2024 and is available in hardcover and digital formats with the paperback to follow (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 | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Martine is a writer and keen reader who enjoys crime, mysteries and the gothic. After writing four acclaimed historical novels she has created a chilling new crime series beginning with Sharp Scratch set in northern England in the 1980s.

After studying English Literature while playing in bands on the Manchester music scene she worked as a hospital personnel officer and qualified in psychometric testing. Over her career she assessed staff for Ashworth top security psychiatric hospital and completed an MSc on the ‘Psychic Prisons’ that can trap psychiatric staff in negative behaviours.

Martine’s debut, An Appetite for Violets, takes sharp-witted cook Biddy Leigh on a murderous trip to Italy. Fay Weldon described its mix of crime, gastronomy and history, as a new genre, the ‘culinary gothic’. It was a Booklist top ten crime fiction debut of the year. The Penny Heart (A Taste for Nightshade in the US) is a Sunday Times Best Summer Read that draws on cooking, trickery and revenge. The stars, riddles and murder align in The Almanack, a historical mystery featuring fifty authentic riddles. In its sequel, The Prophet, destiny and murder weave an intricate web around Tabitha’s new life.

Martine’s novels explore the psychological pressures of crime with an interest in social class and the north/south divide in Britain. Her influences are Ruth Rendell, Sarah Waters and the gothic tradition. She is married with one son and lives in Chester, UK.