The Death Messenger, by Mari Hannah, is a police procedural novel set in the UK. This is a second novel in this series follows O’Neill and Ryan. There are several references to the first storyline, and it might have been helpful to have had some experience with the first novel.

In this novel, O’Neill and Ryan have joined forces on an elite squad known as the shadow squad. The Shadow squad investigates crimes that are unusual or exceptional. They catch their first case in the form of a series of high profile disappearances. The bodies soon start to stack up, and it becomes clear that the cases are linked when cryptic videos show up linking all the cases to an unknown woman, and her accomplice. Because of her knack with technology, the team nicknames her Spielberg, and coins her the Death Messenger. Ryan and O’Neill are joined in their efforts to apprehend the Death Messenger by a bullish retired detective named Grace, and her slick, covert spy husband Newman. Together the four of them must track down the killer and her accomplice as the bodies stack up.

The storyline was fresh and interesting. I would like to read the previous novel in the series to gain a little more understanding into the characters. The villain in the story is unique. The storyline does unfold on the slow side. Overall, a worthwhile read. Novel supplied by Netgalley. ( )