DEGENERATE, REGENERATE: The Sequel to Fairytales Don’t Come True and the 2nd Volume of the Criminal Conversation trilogy

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Policeman Stephanidou went out to a small Greek Island to solve s cold case. A lone man living the lifestyle of a hermit, who's wife had died in mysterious circumstances gave his life story in an attempt to quell the rumours and set the record straight.

In January 2021 I published a sequel to Fairytales entitled Degenerate, Regenerate, and at the end of March 2021 I published a psychological suspense story, You Know What You Did. A third book was published in June 2021, entitled All That We Are Heir To, to make up the 'Criminal Conversation' trilogy with Fairytales and Degenerate, In November 2022 I published another psychological suspense story, What Else Did You Do?, which is a sequel to You Know What You Did. The work didn't stop, as alongside this sequel I was writing a fourth book to follow the 'Criminal Conversation' trilogy. Entitled 'Innocent, Guilty'. It was published in January 2023, and a fifth book, 'The Future of Our House' came out in June 2023. The sixth and final book, 'Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out' has recently been published. I was born and grew up in North London, England, but was unable to attend university when young due to family financial circumstances. Instead, I worked at various occupations, including dental nurse, laboratory assistant and shop assistant. Book two in the Criminal Confessions series sees us transferred to a small, poor, Greek island. I said, in my review of book one, Fairytales Don’t Come True, that I came to Lyndhursts’s writing through her poetry, recognised a writing style and started on her novels. This second helping does not disappoint. When Stephanos Stephanidous reputation as an honest police detective puts him on the wrong side of a superior, he earns a posting on a small Greek island where crime is non-existent. With nothing to do, he starts looking into an old cold case involving the apparent suicide of a young woman and the simultaneous disappearance of a young man. He happens upon Kadi, one of the main characters in the past drama, an old man now with little time to live and a burden to unload.I came into Degenerate, Regenerate straight after finishing Fairytales Don't Come True, and found that the second book in this series is as fascinating and impactful as the first. I loved the ties to the first book which are far from obvious but subtlety introduced.

Lange’s entertaining book makes it clear that, no matter how wild and risky his lifestyle may be, he takes comedy more seriously than anything else." — Publishers Weekly Degenerate, Regenerate is the 2nd book in the Criminal Conversation Trilogy, which is set on a small Greek island.

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I really thought Stephanos was a good character in that his flaws and desperation were clear to see in his move to the island. He needed something that the cold case had to reignite his true self which came to the forefront of this book. The plot is steady and fulfilling, especially the later stages when the titles start to unravel what is truly happening.

When you go through the layers in this modern day Greek tragedy, you will find the themes of confession, penance and even resurrection. I won't say who or why or what because that would be a spoiler. So, what does this have to do with the tragic story of Magdalena in Fairytales Don't Come True you might ask. Keep reading, for when the connection becomes clear you will squeal with delight. I did! The bare-bones were still there—the smell and taste of different Greek foods, the topography—the hill and the spectacular view over the sea, the warm summer sun. But the buildings and the people were dilapidated and decrepit.No monumental explosions or rip-roaring car chases, but another good thinker that saw me abandon my own desk for the duration of the read. In late 2021 I undertook editorial training and freelance work as a sub-editor. I terminated that work in late 2022, but have my hands full writing my own books and reviewing those of others. So, we jumped onto this one, the second book in the Criminal Conversations trilogy by Laura Lyndhurst, and I wasn't disappointed. Some sequels - or the next book in a series - drops you right at the end of the previous book, and you don't have to do any thinking as you enter into it, and that's no fun at all. While the opening direction of Degenerate Regenerate does indeed captivate, you're also wondering how it ties to Fairytales Don't Come True, and you then arrive at one of those moments where you point your finger at a particular character in the story, and say, "I know who you are!" even before they’re fully introduced. I love investigations; the sorting through clues and evidence, and scratching your head over what might be firm leads and what might be red herrings, and this one has that - it did for me.