The Redeemer by @VictoriaGoldma2 @3CPublishingUK

A very happy publication day to Victoria Goldman for The Redeemer. I’ve known about this book for quite a long time and it’s been a tough journey to publication. So I’m thrilled for Victoria that it’s now out to buy and read. Before I share an extract and a short review with you, here’s the blurb.

The Blurb

‘REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE … OR MAY YOU NEVER R.I.P.’

Threatening plaques, vigilante killings, a Jewish community in an English town – what’s the link? The clock is ticking to the next murder.

After witnessing a racist incident in a small Hertfordshire town, journalist Shanna Regan uncovers a series of threatening fake commemorative plaques. Each plaque highlights someone’s misdemeanour rather than a good deed.

Delving deeper, Shanna discovers these plaques are linked to vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community.

As her search for the truth becomes personal, Shanna puts her own life in danger. Can she stop the next murder in time?

The Redeemer is a compelling, thought-provoking murder mystery debut, featuring themes of prejudice, identity and heritage, revenge and redemption, and secrets from the past.

The Extract

From the end of chapter three

Twenty-five Campton Avenue is also a bungalow, but it couldn’t be more different from Valerie and Harry’s well-manicured home.

This one looks like it’s been neglected for years, with its frontage exposed to the elements, battered by wind and rain, and a faded blue door with paint scraped off around its edges. The front garden is overgrown, with grass stems up to my knees and prickly weeds growing through the crazy-paving cracks. Remnants of yesterday’s downpour linger: small shimmering puddles in the stony earth of the bare flower beds.

I walk up the gravel path to the door, loose stones crunching under my feet. Inspecting every inch of the façade, I feel my heart sinking. Maybe Valerie’s wrong – I can’t see a plaque.

There’s a small faded wooden box on the door frame, two-thirds up and not much longer than a matchbox. Maybe it once housed the doorbell as I can’t see one of those either, just a large black metal cross beside the front door.

As I wander down the side of the house, a glint of red glaze catches my eye, hidden behind the foliage of a large overgrown bramble bush. I walk over and push the thorny branches away to reveal a black square plaque edged in red and smeared with mud.

I reach into my bag, pull out a white tissue and a bottle of mineral water.

Always be prepared. My grandad’s words ring in my ears.

I unscrew the bottle and pour water onto the thin paper. Wipe the plaque gently but firmly, not wanting to damage it but desperate to see what lies beneath the dirt and grime. It feels like rubbing a lottery scratch card with a coin, though I don’t expect to win any jackpot.

Gradually I reveal the plaque. Deep scratches run across it as if someone has tried to obliterate the red words in rage. Once I’ve read them, I turn away. Blink, then look back. Maybe my eyes have deceived me. But no, the words are still there.

Not much fazes me. Over the years I’ve seen things I wish I could unsee. Lifeless blood-smeared bodies on a Brussels street. Lost teddy bears swept away by Japanese tsunami floods.

But something about these words chills me to the bone.

Maybe I’ve won the jackpot after all.

My Review

The Redeemer is a story of murder and revenge in a quiet Jewish community. Shanna Regan, a journalist, sets out to find the truth about the murders but finds herself on a very personal journey. Can she piece everything together to stop another death? Entertaining and informative, this novel tackles antisemitism in a unique way. A must read.

If you like what you’ve read then you can order The Redeemer here.

The Author

Victoria Goldman MSc. is a freelance journalist and editor. She is a book & stationery addict, crochet novice and nature lover (especially the local wild parakeets). She lives in Hertfordshire and is married with two sons.

Victoria Goldman was given an honourable mention for The Redeemer in the Capital Crime/DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award 2019.

Twitter: @VictoriaGoldma2

Readers’ Club: https://vgoldmanbooks.com/join-my-readers-club/