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When a firearms officer kills one suspect and fatally wounds another, a failed body cam and a protected identity should be enough to close ranks. But when Officer X is named – and her link to a victim exposed – Dylan and Mann are drawn into a shocking investigation. A gritty, real-life-inspired new trilogy from Happy Valley advisers R.C. Bridgestock.
What if one moment – one split second – changed everything?
When a firearms officer shoots a suspect dead and wounds another, who later dies in hospital, the official line is that the sun was in her eyes. Her body cam failed. Known only as Officer X, her anonymity is meant to protect her – until a judge releases her name and a media storm erupts.
Detective Superintendent Jack Dylan and DI Charley Mann are called in to determine whether it was a justifiable use of force – or something darker. And when it’s revealed that Officer X knew the victim, and her brother died of a drug overdose linked to the same woman, the case becomes charged with personal and political tension.
As pressure mounts, a vulnerable witness dies and a lost phone surfaces with a photograph and a message that could unravel everything – and reveal the truth about what happened that day.
Split Second brings Dylan and Mann together for the first time, in an investigation that will test their instincts, their loyalties and the limits of justice itself, as both detectives must decide how far they’ll go – and what they’re willing to sacrifice – to uncover the truth.
Publisher: Orenda Books
Format: Ebook | Paperback (27 August 2026)
Source: ecopy to review
MY THOUGHTS
This is the first RC Bridgestock book I have read and the premise immediately appealed. I do enjoy a good police procedural and felt that with the authors’ police background the story would be authentic and believable. This book brings together two detectives from two other series, DS Jack Dylan and DI Charley Mann.
This situation must be every firearms officers nightmare – to be accused of murder whilst doing the job that you have trained for and where you only have a fraction of a second to make a life or death decision. Here, Officer X shot one person but killed two. She is initially protected by anonymity – until her true identity is exposed, putting her at risk.
DS Jack Dylan is investigating on behalf of Professional Standards and responsible for collating the evidence for consideration. A man of few words, his impartiality and strict moral code came through clearly and whilst I’m not familiar with the characters of either Jack or Charley both appeared to be principled. Although Charley only fleetingly appeared throughout the book, as the officer in charge of the deadly stop, her support was crucial to her officers.
This has a well paced plot and with its tense courtroom scenes I was totally invested in the outcome for Abi, the accused officer. Abi was more the focus of the story, both before and during the trial and although I had sympathy for her, I was kept wondering about the reliability of her account when certain revelations were disclosed. Her character is written with compassion and sensitivity and, being mindful of her vulnerability she has a Federation colleague and friend Kat who was a great support, as were her legal team.
The story is tense and thought provoking; the authors write with authority and knowledge and with witness accounts differing, there is enough ambiguity in the narrative to keep the reader guessing.
My thanks to Anne of Random Things Tours for the invite and to the publisher for the digital copy to review.
Former Head of CID Bob Bridgestock is now an international best-selling author, along with his wife Carol, who also worked for West Yorkshire Police. The couple, who write under the pen name of R.C. Bridgestock, were voted the eight best crime writers of all time by WHSmith Readers. The writing duo created the character DI Jack Dylan, a detective from Harrowfield, with nine books in the Dylan series. In 2020, they launched a new series featuring a strong Yorkshire female, Detective Inspector Charley Mann. The couple were the storyline consultants/police procedural on BAFTA winning BBC1 police drama Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey and The Beast Must Die, as well as other police dramas.
Author Links: Website | Insta | Facebook | Bluesky | AmazonUK
