The Devil’s Dice has all the hallmarks of a great crime procedural – a flawed detective with something to prove, grumpy sceptical colleagues, a beautiful semi-rural setting and a brooding background of growing peril. But this is not just another crime procedural, this is a Meg Dalton story. Meg’s voice jumps at you from page one – pithy, sharply observational, self-deprecating – it’s the voice of common sense laced with a deliciously wry humour that will give you the odd belly laugh in between the twists and thrills. But underlying the charm and warmth of this voice is a fiercely independent woman fighting her small corner of the policing world, desperate to protect her vulnerable friends and family and unafraid to tackle disturbing ethical issues. This last is the Roz Watkins trademark – drilling ever deeper into the story’s underlying dilemmas, until you start to question your own views. It’s an absorbing read, entertaining on both a superficial and intellectual level. From the moment Meg observes the dead body of a patent attorney who’s clawed his own face in his death throes (clock the typical dark humour of chocolate cake as the murder weapon), to the riddle-like premise of a victim whose death was apparently predicted several hundred years ago. There are claustrophobic chase scenes, stark family reveals and a gambling conundrum that echoes the moral paradox at the heart of this book. I’m not normally a crime procedural fan, but this one had me genuinely hooked from page one and I was drawn quickly into Meg’s puzzling quagmire long into the night. The first book in a series with a rumoured ITV option that will guarantee to throw Meg into the full limelight of uniquely engaging classic crime heroes. I was given an advance copy of this book and this was my honest review.