Initially it seems like just another routine call out for busy Sydney paramedics Jane and Alex - a single vehicle car accident with only minor injuries. Although sympathetic towards the victim (who claims to have been chased by a stalker), it appears he has some kind of psychological problem and the pair can only deliver him to hospital before continuing onto their next call. It is not until several hours later when they are called to a fatal train accident that they realise it is the same victim and this time he is dead. Although they have many issues of their own to deal with, Jane and Alex can't help but be drawn into the web of intrigue the accident leaves behind.
Detective Ella Marconi makes her sixth appearance in Katherine Howell's series, when she and partner Murray are assigned the case. Facing the uphill task of trying to determine whether the victim Marko was pushed or jumped himself, Jane shares her earlier experience with Ella. Determined that it won't simply be written off as a suicide, Ella pushes any necessary boundaries to find the truth.
Woven into the storyline are Alex and Jane's own personal tribulations. Alex's teenage daughter Mia is undergoing a rebellious phase that is causing him a great deal of stress and Jane is battling to break ties with her ex (whose current wife has taken to harassing her, believing she and Steve are having an affair). Tensions on all fronts combines and builds as Ella and Murray do their very best to uncover the truth.
It is always refreshing to read a crime novel set in an Australian city and Katherine Howell's books have the added bonus of combining the amazing work paramedics do into the storyline. It is a combination that works well and in this case it certainly adds another layer to a suspenseful and riveting plot.
Web of Deceit certainly lives up to its name. It is a fabulous read that kept me engaged from start to finish.
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