Series: The Dying Squad #2
Release Date: August 18th 2022
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 320
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis
On the sixth day, God created MANchester. On the seventh, The Generation Killer intends to tear it down.

There’s a new serial killer in Manchester – and it’s up to a dead guy to catch him. Joe Lazarus, specifically: his latest Dying Squad assignment demands he bring to justice The Generation Killer, a psychopath who murders the oldest member of a family, as well as the youngest. Joe and his new partner Bits have mere hours to catch the killer and save his latest kidnap victim.

Joe’s former partner, Daisy-May has her own problems. Children in the Pen are going missing and Daisy-May resolves to find out who’s taking them, one of the many, Warden-of-the-Pen jobs on her to do list. Her predecessor The Duchess won’t be able to lighten her load; she’s tracked her terrorist-in-waiting sister, Hanna, to Tokyo. The Duchess doesn’t know what Hanna’s planning, she only knows that unless she stops her, it’s going to be very bad news for the living…

Review
The Generation Killer is the newest installment in Adam Simcox’s The Dying Squad series. In this sequel, we follow Joe Lazarus on his newest assignment for the Dying Squad. He’s tasked with taking down The Generation Killer – a serial killer who murders both the oldest and youngest member of the family. Teaming up with his new partner Bits, they have to race against the clock to save The Generation Killer’s latest victim. Meanwhile, Joe’s former partner Daisy-May has her own case to deal with – Children in the Pen are going missing and Daisy-May must use all her wits to find out who’s taking them.

This series is such a fun, fresh take on the crime thriller. It’s a fascinating blend of police procedural and urban fantasy. It’s fast paced, addictive, and has more than a few eerie moments. There are also plenty of plot twists and pretty much all of them I didn’t see coming. The story is set in Manchester, a city I’ve visited on quite a few occasions so it was so interesting to see Simcox bring the city to life in the story.

The characters are well crafted in this story and I really enjoyed seeing how they tackle the challenges in their investigations. There’s also plenty of really quick, funny dialogue in the story which definitely kept me wanting more. While The Generation Killer could absolutely be read as a standalone book, I’d definitely recommend picking up The Dying Squad first. If you’re looking for an utterly compelling, fresh take on the crime thriller with loads of tension and atmosphere, this series is a must read.