One Last Breath by Stephen Booth
This is #5 in the Ben Cooper / Diane Fry series of British Police Procedurals by Stephen Booth. From the back...The vast labyrinth of caverns, passages and subterranean rivers beneath the Peak District are a major tourist attraction. But this summer not all the darkness is underground, and not all the devils are folk legends. Mingling with the holidaymakers is a convicted killer, bent on revenge. Fourteen years ago Mansell Quinn was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his lover. Now he's out under licence, whereabouts unknown, and his ex-wife has been murdered. As they try to anticipate the fugitive's next move, detectives Diane Fry and Ben Cooper become increasingly puzzled by the case. Why did Quinn's two friends refuse to back up his alibi? And why did nobody visit him in prison for the last ten years of his sentence? Nobody, that is, except one of those two friends: ex-soldier Will Thorpe, now living rough somewhere in the Hope Valley. Overstretched and unable to apprehend a killer who moves around the area with impunity, the police can do little but warn other potential victims to be on their guard.
It was an interesting and a bit convoluted who-dun-it that kept me guessing. Although I enjoyed the story, I found it a bit tedious at times with all the descriptions of places. Possibly those who are familiar with the locale would have a better connection. I must say the writing was well done and I was definitely surprised at the ending. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy British procedurals.
