The Lines by Matt Brolly @mattbrollyuk @roukinofficial @brilliancepublishing #DSLiamKilshaw #TheLines

the setup…
Liam Kilshaw was once a marine with the UK Royal Navy Special Forces, assigned to Special Boat Services (SBS) until he almost died during a dive that went terribly wrong. He’s now a Detective Sergeant with the St. Ives police force and is dealing with his PTSD by going out with the volunteer lifeboat rescue crew to face his demons. When he joined them on a recent call out, they discovered the body of a man with zip tie marks on his wrist, indicating he’d been murdered, not drowned. It is suspiciously similar to another body found earlier, a woman with ties to a drug gang. The investigation leads to a much larger conspiracy…and the bodies begin to pile up.

the heart of the story…
This is very much Kilshaw’s story. I felt his pain as he tries to push through his fear of the sea while doing his job. He’s an interesting man and a highly skillful investigator with good instincts and discipline. The case was an enigma and all the while I got the sense that someone was hiding in plain sight.

the narration…
Samuel Roukin made me believe he was Liam Kilshaw. I liked his voice for the character and he was great with the storytelling.

the bottom line…
The attempted introduction of fentanyl into Cornwall through local drug lines by outsiders was the central focus. I admired how law enforcement organized to stop the distribution before it got started, avoiding the US catastrophe. I really liked Liam on a personal and professional level. He’s got issues but has a grounded self awareness and I want to see where he goes next. The last third of the book made my heart race, making it a great series start.

Book Info

• Release Date: October 15, 2025
• Series: DS Liam Kilshaw #1
• Narrator: Samuel Roukin
• Audio Length: 9 hours
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)