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Sally Spencer
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THE DEAD HAND OF HISTORY an up-all-night detective mystery full of twists and turns (Detective Monika Paniatowski Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by SALLY SPENCER (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 1,501 ratings
Meet Monika Paniatowski, an ambitious new DCI with everything to prove — and everything to lose.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Spencer delivers another first-rate whodunnit.” Kirkus

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A terrific mystery — tense and with all the clues there once you figure out how to assemble them. I’ll certainly read more of these.” Lynn, Goodreads

Two severed hands. One newly promoted detective with her hands full.

Monika Paniatowski can’t wait to land her first case as detective chief inspector. And, as it turns out, she won’t have to.

On her first day, a woman’s severed hand is found in a leafy park.

Monika races to the scene, determined to stay one step ahead of the gutter press. They don’t like women, and they don’t like Poles, and it’s no secret they don’t think Monika is up to the job.

All the evidence points to Stan Szymborska, the victim’s downtrodden husband. He shares Monika’s heritage, and rumour has it, he had every reason to want his wife dead.

But Monika’s not so sure. Something tells her there’s more to this case than meets the eye.

She wants to trust her instincts. But is the powerful chemistry between her and the prime suspect leading her off track?

The clock is ticking to catch a ruthless killer . . .

Then a second severed hand is delivered straight to the newspaper.

Discover a brilliantly twisty mystery series set in the 1970s — when it was tough to be a woman in a man’s world.

Fans of Ashes to Ashes, Rachel McLean, Angela Marsons, Jodie Lawrance, D.S. Butler, Lynda La Plante, Rebecca Bradley and Caro Ramsay will devour this thrilling retro crime series.

WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT THE MONIKA PANIAKOWSKI MYSTERIES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The plot twisted and turned, and kept me wanting more!” Margaret B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “One of the best police procedurals around. Spencer proves again that she is in league with Peter Turnbull and Lynda La Plante.” Library Journal

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Monika carries the torch nobly as Spencer’s franchise keeps its edge.” Kirkus

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Belongs in the same league with Rebus, Resnick, Harpur and Iles, Morse et al.” Booklist

THE DETECTIVE
DCI Monika Paniatowski is smart, ambitious and damaged. Her sergeant started a rumour she landed her post by sleeping her way to the top. But the truth is Monika — a Polish immigrant with a long and traumatic backstory — has had to work twice as hard as any of the resentful male colleagues currently betting against her. Will her flawless instincts be enough to win them round?

THE SETTING
Whitebridge was once a thriving Northern mill town — with canals crisscrossing through it — where everyone looked to the mills for employment and business opportunities. In the 1970s, it is a place in decline, where the social fabric is ripping apart.

DCI MONIKA PANIATOWSKI MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE DEAD HAND OF HISTORY
Book 2: THE RING OF DEATH
Book 3: ECHOES OF THE DEAD
Book 4: BACKLASH
Book 5: LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER
Book 6: A WALK WITH THE DEAD
Book 7: DEATH’S DARK SHADOW
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  1. Book 1 of 14
    Monika Paniatowski Mysteries
  2. Print length
    305 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 16, 2021
  5. File size
    1.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

Meet Monika Paniatowski, an ambitious new DCI with everything to prove — and everything to lose

Fans of Ashes to Ashes, Rachel McLean, Angela Marsons, Jodie Lawrance, D.S. Butler, Lynda La Plante, Rebecca Bradley and Caro Ramsay will devour this thrilling retro crime series.

THE DEAD HAND OF HISTORY
THE RING OF DEATH
ECHOES OF THE DEAD
BACKLASH
LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER
A WALK WITH THE DEAD
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Customer Reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars 1,501
4.4 out of 5 stars 932
4.4 out of 5 stars 931
4.5 out of 5 stars 1,001
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,463
4.5 out of 5 stars 1,316
Price $0.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Spencer elevates Monika Paniatowski, the protégé of Det. Chief Insp. Charlie Woodend (A Dying Fall, etc.), to center stage in this pedestrian police procedural set in 1973 Lancashire. On her first day as Woodend's successor, Paniatowski faces a misogynistic sergeant with an axe to grind and visits the site of a grisly discovery—a bag containing a severed human hand. After another hand turns up and proves to be that of baker Tom Whittington, the police figure out the first hand belongs to Linda Szymborska, Whittington's managing director at the bakery, with whom he was having an affair. Szymborska's husband is the obvious suspect, but Paniatowski hesitates to arrest him, opening herself to charges of bias due to their shared Polish background. Readers should be prepared for stock characters—the single mother trying to succeed in a man's world, her subordinate determined to undermine her—and a routine plot. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Monica carries the torch nobly as Spencer's franchise keeps its edge" ― Kirkus Reviews

"The Woodend series has always been one of the best British police procedurals around. Now Spencer has taken up a new series with Paniatowski in the lead, and she proves again that she is in the league with Peter Turnball and Lynda La Plante" ― Library Journal

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09M4DBMFJ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joffe Books crime, thriller and mystery (November 16, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 16, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 1,501 ratings

About the author

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Sally Spencer

Sally Spencer

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Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men). However, Alan uses James Garcia Woods as his pen name for the mysteries set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.

Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah. He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.

He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.

His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.

He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and thirteen (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski. His DI Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the DI Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.

Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,501 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written with interesting characters. The pacing receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it's a worthy introduction to the series.

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4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book.

"Interesting protagonist even if misogyny and racism in the police force is perhaps just a bit overblown for the era" Read more

"Well written and a really good page turner with interesting characters. Look forward to reading more in this series and discovering the back story." Read more

"...I think the author did a great job developing the characters, the physical environment, and the detective work involved. Well done." Read more

"...She is bright, knowledge and likable. The narrative drags in places but the dialog between officers could be good. I'll read the next in the series." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written.

"Well written and a really good page turner with interesting characters. Look forward to reading more in this series and discovering the back story." Read more

"A good read. Towards the end I had changed my mind about the murderer a lot. That makes a good story in my opinion...." Read more

"I will say that this was a well written, but, I didn't like any of the characters. None of them...." Read more

"Handily a great read..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with one describing it as a good detective novel that serves as a worthy introduction to the series.

"...A worthy introduction to a series and a compelling reason to read them all" Read more

"For me, a good detective novel is one where there is a final sense of satisfaction when you finish reading the story...." Read more

"Good start to a series..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • william neville
    5.0 out of 5 stars Handily a great read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Logical progression but with turns that are consistent but I did not anticipate. A worthy introduction to a series and a compelling reason to read them all
    One person found this helpful
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  • margaret
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting protagonist even if misogyny and racism in the police force is perhaps just a bit overblown for the era
    Helpful
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  • Amazon Syl
    5.0 out of 5 stars And the saga continues
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I'll be really sorry to come to the end of this series! I'm finding it really hard to put down each installment and immediately by the next in series as soon as the previous is complete.
    I shall miss Woodend and Joan, but Monicka is turning into a worthy substitute. I'm glad Beresford is getting his due, and there's young Crane beginning to show his character. I look forward to seeing more of him
    One person found this helpful
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  • lubylu55
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not sure if this actually deserves a 3 but I enjoyed it.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A brand new DCI’s first case if a severed hand a woman’s severed hand. The next clue is a man’s severed hand. Besides a sarcastic reporter and a traitorous sub ordinate she also has to deal with her boss being a former lover.

    Why a 3? In the very last pages of the book the author uses one sisters name for the other. Unforgivable.
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  • Ann Gregory
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Well written and a really good page turner with interesting characters. Look forward to reading more in this series and discovering the back story.
    Helpful
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  • Jadoo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good start to a series
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It was a bit stumbling - just as a brand new position will entail. Would be five stars except - some parts seemed to allude to a former book so were a bit frustrating, and the contraction of 'and' to 'an' in some of the dialogue was distracting and seemed forced.
    I look forward to the second in the series.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Maureen
    5.0 out of 5 stars A story of twists and turns, RECOMMENDED.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    For me, a good detective novel is one where there is a final sense of satisfaction when you finish reading the story. Where you have got feelings about how you think things will turnout and there is a surprise you perhaps didn’t see coming, yet are satisfied.
    I think the author did a great job developing the characters, the physical environment, and the detective work involved. Well done.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lulubak
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four stars
    Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A good read. Towards the end I had changed my mind about the murderer a lot. That makes a good story in my opinion. Kept guessing and not having a clue until right towards the very end. Well done to the author.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Different
    Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Set in the seventies makes for a rather different than usual police procedure story. At first the dialogue was awkward until Monika and the author finally found her voice. But I did like the story, although I did guess the killer rather sooner than I think the author intended. Would have liked a bit more insight into the time period and maybe something more about the business and works of a bakery. As it was, the story gave normal indication of why that setting and not some other business. But, in spite of that, a decent read.
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  • L. RUSTAGE
    5.0 out of 5 stars An original, absorbing mystery
    Reviewed in Spain on February 2, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This police procedural is unusual in that it is more based on psychology than most, and the reader is drawn into the lives and worries of the police officers, as well as the victim and principal suspect. The crime is horrific, and has echoes of previous events, and there is real peril for those involved. An absorbing and satisfying read.
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars interesting read
    Reviewed in Australia on April 8, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Sally Spencer needs a proof reader. The book was very badly written and the story lost itself near the end.
    Report
  • snowdrop1941
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this story with a strong woman as the main character.
    Monika is of Polish extract, and her Sergeant, Wilson, is a racist, misogynist man. I liked how the red herring and twists were brilliantly deployed to totally confuse me. I hope to read more about these characters.
    Report
  • Steveukfc
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and Well Written
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Very good story well told but the final part felt rushed and lacked the detail of the earlier chapters. It skimmed the finale in just a couple of chapters and gave little background. This contrasted with a quite detailed build up.

    There was also a very obvious loose end which I'm assuming will be swept up in the next book as it involves her team and it's development rather than this case particularly, but it would have been more complete to deal with it here in my opinion. But really looking forward to the next book and it's only a four not a five due to the reasons given above.
    Report

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