PINTEREST
BLOGLOVIN
GOODREADS
When a self-styled Angel of Death begins granting the dying a final act of mercy on the streets of Newcastle, DCI Jack Parker is forced to confront both a ruthless killer and his own advancing dementia. The gripping third instalment in Trevor Wood’s addictive, gritty DCI Jack Parker series.
DCI Jack Parker is BACK…
Death is stalking the streets of Newcastle. An anonymous killer is offering the terminally ill a dignified escape. Mercy to some. Murder to others.
KILLER
DCI Jack Parker doesn’t want the case. He has a secret of his own – an early-onset dementia diagnosis he’s desperate to conceal. But the signs are becoming impossible to ignore. As his mind begins to betray him, the city faces its own moral reckoning.
OR
While politicians debate a contentious new law and the self-styled Angel of Death selects another victim, Jack’s world is shaken when the killings are traced to a carers’ support group – one his wife, Helen, has been attending in secret.
SAINT
Yet his deepest fear is also his darkest temptation. Because when his disease becomes unbearable, Jack can’t escape one haunting question:
Could the Angel of Death be the saviour he’s been waiting for?
MY THOUGHTS
The Angel of Death is the third instalment in the DCI Jack Parker series. Published by Orenda Books on 16 July 2026 in ebook, audiobook and paperback formats. My thanks to Anne of Random Things Tours for the invite and to the publisher for the digital copy to review.
I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series and jumping in partway through can be a challenge. However here, I didn’t feel disadvantaged at all. Of course I lost some character backstory but that didn’t affect my enjoyment, I would certainly now go back and read the previous books.
Set in Newcastle, this crime thriller has a gritty and atmospheric undertone. Well respected by his team, DCI Jack Parker is keen to keep his diagnosis of early onset dementia to his loved ones only however it is becoming more difficult to hide a problem and certain colleagues have noticed. With Jack’s symptoms gradually deteriorating, he needs to solve the case before his diagnosis is fully revealed. Because of his own circumstances, this case is especially close to home.
The Angel of Death is not your typical killer. They appear to have their own moral code when faced with potential ‘victims’ suffering from terminal illness. I say victims because those being helped on their way are seemingly doing so of their own will. The problem is are all exercising free will or is there coercion involved? The cases only come to the attention of the police when a complaint of murder is made.
With the Assisted Dying Bill having been recently in the news, there is a topicality and relevance to the story. With most crime thrillers it is easy to feel repugnance for the ‘bad guy’ but here there were shades of grey. As the police hunt intensified, I wasn’t always sure if I wanted the Angel of Death to be caught.
This was an excellent read about a really sensitive topic and despite the sad subject matter it is one I would highly recommend. I was totally invested in both the moral aspect and also the developing investigation and the individuals involved. Jack is of course the star of the story. He doesn’t suffer fools but there is also tenderness and sensitivity coming from that gruff exterior and I loved the dark humour throughout. I do hope there is a further book, as this one ended in a tantalising way.
Trevor Wood has lived in Newcastle for 30 years and considers himself an adopted Geordie, though he still can’t speak the language. He’s a successful playwright who has also worked as a journalist and spin-doctor for the City Council. Prior to that he served in the Royal Navy for 16 years joining, presciently, as a Writer. Trevor holds an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) from UEA. His first novel, The Man on the Street, won the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, the Crimefest Specsavers Best Crime Debut Award and was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. It was followed by two more critically-acclaimed books in the Jimmy Mullen trilogy, One Way Street and Dead End Street. His next book, You Can Run, a standalone thriller set in a remote Northumberland village, was also long-listed for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.
Author links: Website | X | Insta | Orenda Books | Facebook | AmazonUK
