Vigilante is the second in the DS Jessica Daniel detective series by Kerry Wilkinson. This series is low on violence or shock value, just daily investigative work by a determined police woman that gets the job done.
This opens in the low income area of Manchester, where someone has stabbed a young local criminal just out of prison. Forensics finds a lead - DNA under his fingernails from scratching his assailant - problem is, the DNA match belongs to a career criminal already serving life inside Manchester Prison. Jessica has no witnesses and no leads when two other low tier thugs are killed. This time there are hair fibres on the victims, again belonging to inmate Daniel McKenna. Interrogating him at the prison, they see there is no physical way he could get out - unless the wardens and guards are in collusion. Two more deaths lead the case in multiple directions - as one of the dead was a prison guard, and another, one of their own. Besides how McKenna could escape and return to his cell - what would be the motive behind these random attacks?
This takes place fifteen months after the previous novel and although it stands on its own, readers will want to read Locked In first. As well as recurring characters, all the beans are spilled about the previous case, and it's nicer to know beforehand. Along with her usual team, this adds Welsh DC Carrie Jones, and a love interest in nerdy forensics member Adam. We see a personal side to Jessica as she juggles work and dating Adam, before becoming so obsessed with the case in the second half she blindly pursues a wrong direction.
So blind she asks her team to break the law, so certain she is correct.
As a mystery reader on the lookout for clues, the villain was pretty easy to guess. When the killer entered the stage, a giant spotlight directed by the patron saint of armchair detectives shone down, and I knew who it was. Jessica also suspects someone on her team is acting strangely and follows up - but again, I knew why she was wrong. Which begs the question to you, reader: is it just as enjoyable to know (or) guess and be right, as it is to be surprised at the reveal of the villain? I say yes. I found this an enjoyable sequel to the first even though I could see the plot for the trees. The characters were as good and we get to know them better.
Like all the great detectives out there (Vera, Lewis, Midsomer), it's more about the puzzle and the personality. Looking forward to the third in the growing series.
My other reviews in the Jessica Daniel series:
2011 / Tradeback / 406 pages
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