C J Browne

Barbara Fagan Speake

Primed by the past is a gripping psychological thriller. Its author, Barbara Fagan Speake is a prize winning crime writer. It shows in the quality of the writing. The novel draws you in from the first page with an intriguing prologue that captures your imagination and sets the scene for an exciting action packed read. Scottish police detective, Annie Macpherson makes a likable lead character. I’ve enjoyed following her progress through the personal and professional challenges that her secondment to the Connecticut police provide during the story. 

Primed by the Past is a great start to a promising series featuring Annie as she extends her stay with the Connecticut police department. As an American now settled in the UK, Barbara writes with authority about the US legal set up and uses her professional background as a clinical psychologist to inform the actions and motivation of her characters, resulting in some fast moving and fascinating plot turns.  I’ve read all three of the Annie Macpherson crime novels, and while it is always good to meet a character at the start of their novel journey, they can all be read as satisfying standalones. The fourth book in the Annie Macpherson series is due out later this year.

 Barbara is always ready to help novice writers and I can recommend her guest post ‘Lessons I have learnt from writing crime fiction and Indie publishing’ on this Crime Book Club website link.