Steps to Heaven (Sgt Major Crane Novels) [Kindle Edition]

Wendy Cartmell (Author)

Book Description

STEPS TO HEAVEN the internationally acclaimed British crime thriller.

There's a new detective in town! Maverick Royal Military Policeman, Sgt Major Tom Crane, is a Special Investigations Branch detective based at Aldershot Garrison, England. Crusty Crane leads his team under the watchful eye of fresh-faced Captain Edwards, a young officer who cannot control his recalcitrant Sgt Major.
A young soldier murders his wife and six year old son and then commits suicide, after recently returning from Afghanistan. As Crane investigates he finds the soldier had links with a local church. As the body count rises, events take a darker turn and he wonders what the churches are offering - salvation, or slaughter?
Crane is angered by his Captain's decision to stop investigating the cases. He also has to cope with demands on his time and his emotions from his wife, who wants them to start a family and also wants Crane to leave the Army.

"Steps to Heaven is a great read it makes Cartmell a writer to watch!" Vidiq
"A top-notch thriller" Diana M Hockley Book Reviewer
"A roller-coaster ride story that elevates your blood pressure" Readers Favorite

***Be sure to read 40 Days 40 Nights *** A semi finalist in The Kindle Book Review Best Book of 2012 competition, set over 40 Days and 40 Nights. Accidents, thefts, murders and terrorists plague Sgt Major Crane as he tries to solve the crimes and keep everyone happy, including his wife Tina!

Check out Violation the third Sgt Major Crane novel

Editorial Reviews

Review

Steps to Heaven e-thriller of the month Jan 2013!
"This is an absorbing story, with a well-constructed plot assembled on the foundations of a strong basic theme. The characters are believable and likeable and the backdrop to the story - the army garrison - provides an interesting glimpse of life in the forces. Producers of television shows are always looking for new detective characters and I imagine that the army investigator, Sgt Major Crane, would be right up their street. I heartily recommend Steps To Heaven to fans of crime thrillers, police procedurals and whodunnits."
R R Gordon             

"She is on a par with the literary giants of the genre" Zen Cherry author and reviewer
"Superbly written military mystery" Hayley Sale The Kindle Book Review

About the Author

Wendy Cartmell is the author of the Sgt Major Crane military crime thrillers.
There are three books in the series #1 Steps to Heaven #2 40 Days 40 Nights #3 Violation. Currently working on #4 Cordon of Lies.
Reviewer for e-thriller.com. Agented by Leslie Gardner.

Product Details

• File Size: 347 KB
• Print Length: 319 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1467938815
• Publisher: Wendy Cartmell (October 9, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005U9T20A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,107 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb read June 20, 2012

By Diana M. Hockley

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wendy Cartmell has triumphed in this top notch thriller. Opening with a horrific scene, she inviegles the reader into the intricate investigation led by Sgt Major Tom Crane and his staff, Billy and Kim. Someone is luring young fathers into killing their families and in spite of the army hierarchy announcing that the first episode is a domestic argument gone too far, Tom has reason to think otherwise. Things go downhill from there.

As the army investigators and police dig deeper, more tragedies occur, giving the army a problem with keeping the details out of the media's reach.

Sgt Major Tom Crane is a new character amid the hundreds of fictional sleuths available to the avid reader. Ms Cartmell has created a team of likeable characters with their own private problems and insecurities, which in Tom's case, threatens to impinge on the investigation. The fact that Sgt Major Crane is not a six foot plus hunk and gorgeous is a refreshing change!

I am particularly partial to English thrillers and this has to come at the top of the list. A truly terrific read and I for one, am going to be buying the two next novels featuring Tom and his team.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Police Procedural With Military Twist Exciting! December 21, 2012

By Glenda A Bixler VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm not quite sure why, but Steps to Heaven reminded me of a Columbo cop tale--maybe because of the main character, who is brash, persistent, hard-punching and hard-hitting in terms of personality. The kind of guy that makes a great cop, but not necessarily a nice human being. Fortunately, he has some friends who will point out this latter fault from time to time. Since the author has personally been a wife and occupant of Army facilities and living, the novel allows readers to learn especially about the difficulties as a service wife.

From my perspective, since I grab a police procedure to see if I can solve the crime along with the officer, his personality is somewhat secondary to his cop characteristics. I liked him and felt comfortable seeing him take command and shoot out orders fast and steadily...

In fact, I'd say I've had a couple of bosses like him. A couple I didn't personally like, but that's ok if you can respect them, right? The ones you can't respect aren't worth talking about...LOL

The setting for the novel is the Aldershot Garrison where Sgt Major Crane is an officer in special investigations. So he was immediately called when an apparent murder/suicide happened.

A soldier who had just come back from Afghanistan had killed his wife, and then, while holding his son close in his arms, he had slit the boy's throat and then his own.

From a procedural standpoint, it soon became clear that the soldier had done it... Sgt Crane's boss wanted to close the case. But Crane asked him whether he didn't want to know why... Crane, obviously, could not rest until he did! And so he was authorized to continue the investigation exploring what might have occurred on his last stay in Afghanistan, as well as his personal and family life.

And then another murder/suicide occurred... And another...

And Crane found himself working with the Aldershot police as well as the police from two other towns. All would have thought the cases could be routinely closed until Crane forced them to see that something had to be "causing" these men to choose to do what they had.

Slowly, as a result of Crane's having found some religious pamphlets in Crooks' home that had not been noticed, he began to put together the idea that what was happening to these men had started after they were back home, and, possibly, within a church or some type of religious cult leader's influence...

Fortunately, Sgt Major Crane had no clue of who was behind this--so I didn't feel bad in not figuring it out. LOL But the author certainly had me fully involved in the "why" of these incidents and "how" it was happening. The surprise ending totally caught me off guard! I especially enjoyed the character of Padre Symonds. Once he realized what was happening, he began to research and working with Crane as closely as possible, actually getting caught up too far with the investigation? Still, I think he realized that his position required that he help in any way possible...and he did!

This debut novel is first in a series with the latest, third book just out! If you're into police procedural, I highly recommend you check out when the police have to work with the army investigators! Enjoyed it!

GABixlerReviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising debut novel January 19, 2012

By K. A. Smith

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The reader is quickly introduced to the case that will be central to this book. A prologue gives us a birds-eye view of the events immediately before the first murder/suicide so that we have an inkling of what Sergeant Major Tom Crane from the Armed Forces Special Investigations Branch at Aldershot Garrison will see when he arrives on the crime scene.

Just as the reader know things about this incident and similar ones that occur later, because we are there, that Tom Crane doesn't know, so there are occasionally events that Tom Crane takes part in that he only relates to us, even though for the most part we are right at his shoulder. We piece together the evidence just as he does, although there are a couple of surprises at the end.

STEPS TO HEAVEN raises interesting questions about the mental vulnerability of soldiers who have returned from tough conditions in Afghanistan and are expected to just pick up "normal" life. We are given insights of what life is like on the army bases for them and their families.

The author has chosen to write this e-novel entirely in the present tense and it took me time to get used to that. While this does give the action a sense of immediacy it does cause its own problems with establishing chronology. For example the events actually take place over a period of August to November, but I didn't really get that sense of the passage of time. There's a rather complex relationship between the dates too that left me a bit cold.

STEPS TO HEAVEN is a self-published e-book, the debut title in a series that already has a second title. In some ways it is a classic police procedural in a modern setting, although set in the British Army rather than the police force. I liked Tom Crane's focus on why, what has led these soldiers to these abnormal acts. The author also establishes a personal background for us about Tom Crane which gives room for later development.

This was a nice solid relatively quick read and I'll certainly read the next, 40 DAYS 40 NIGHTS set in the leadup to the 2012 Olympics

More About the Author

Wendy Cartmell is the author of the Sgt Major Crane military crime thrillers.
There are three books in the series #1 Steps to Heaven #2 40 Days 40 Nights #3 Violation. Currently working on #4 Cordon of Lies.
Reviewer for http://www.e-thriller.com. Agented by Leslie Gardner.

"This woman can write!" David Anderson, Author

"Steps to Heaven. A very well written book. I am impressed with the author's ability and am convinced that she is on par with the literary giants of this genre." ZenCherry