Book Review: Blood Alcohol (Serial Investigations #3) by Rhiannon D’Averc

A horrific torture case with a ticking clock.

All he can see is the bottle.

Private detectives Ram and Will thought they’d wrapped everything up when they found Ray Riley’s body in Sevenoaks. But it turns out that things aren’t what they seemed – and Riley may be the latest victim of a torture-happy murderous duo.

For the second time, Serial Investigations London are called in to assist as civilian consultants with DI Alex Heath’s team at the Met – but they have their own personal problems getting in the way of clear thinking.

Will has something to get off his chest, and it’s related to that kiss they shared – the one they both tried to forget. But Ram can’t stop drinking to push away the confusion, and this time he’s going to land himself in more trouble than ever before.

Can they get over their issues for long enough to stop another murder – or even keep themselves alive?

Purchase: Amazon.com

Goodreads: Blood Alcohol (Serial Investigations #3

Review

*I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 5 stars

When Will and Ram are brought in by the met police to consult on the murders of Ray Riley and Simon Shystone from the previous novel, they are soon drawn into a much bigger case than either of them expected.

Ram’s drinking is getting more and more out of control and puts him in serious danger. It also blinds him somewhat to just how unwell Will is becoming. The two of them are trying to move on from ‘that kiss’ between them however forgetting about it proves more difficult than either of them could imagine.

As with the first two books in the series, I really enjoyed reading Blood Alcohol. This time the murder mystery continued from the previous book and they are also working a possible infidelity case alongside it. When events spiral out of their control, Will and Ram finally talk about San Francisco which has only been hinted about up until now. One of my favourite scenes in the novel was when Ram wakes up to the consequences of his latest night out and he finally admits he has a problem. From Will’s reaction and how he handles it you can see just how much they care for each other.

I also love how Will’s friendship with Harry is developing. Ram painted a rather negative picture of Harry but he’s actually a genuinely sweet and nice guy who really cares about Will. I look forward to seeing more of Harry in future novels in the series.

Their relationship progresses somewhat in Blood Alcohol although from how the novel ends I have a feeling it’s just going to lead to more regrets and hurt.

The two-novel mystery wraps up at the end as well however it uncovers more questions than answers. I really want to know what kind of game the mysterious Coda is playing and I’m really looking forward to reading book 4.