Helen H. Durrant

new-series, first-in-series, manchester, law-enforcement, procedural, mental-health-issues, secrets, lies, bullies, crime-thriller, gangsters, psychopath, jewelry-heist, dual-perspectives

DS Hedley Sharpe is a long-serving detective working for Manchester’s Major Crime Division and is nearing retirement age but is still messed up since his wife's unsolved murder. He's jaded, aging, perennially grumpy, and pessimistic. His partner, Stuart, is sympathetic to those on the other side of the investigation but I can't believe how well he tolerates His Negativeness. The case is fascinating, and the investigation is relentless with its twists and sidetracks. All characters are well portrayed, but I can't say that I care for the main characters. Still, I'm glad that I read it.
I requested and received an EARC from Jaffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Life got in the way of reading it for free but I love the author's writing, so I bought it and read it before reviewing.… (mais)

suspicion, suspense, intrigue, action, serial-murder, local-law-enforcement, murder-investigation, unputdownable, family, family-dynamics, procedural, childcare-issues, trafficking, crime-thriller, mystery, secrets, lies, teamwork, gangs, gangsters, torture, missing-persons, due-diligence, England*****

Another fantastic read!
The DCI has his head in concrete and doesn't take the team seriously because he "knows better" than they about what's really going on in the streets. Meanwhile the team finds bodies ands other things that they'd rather not have in the drug world and at the village church(?!). A real nail biter at times, and DS King has problems in her personal life as well. I haven't actually read anything from this series in a couple of years (see TBR pile) but that didn't matter in terms of following along and enjoying the ride. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Jaffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

gaffer tape is called duct tape in the US… (mais)

Although this is the third book in this series, but the first one I had read, it stood up very well as a standalone and it was a very enjoyable read.

DI Lennox and DS Wilde discover a body bizarrely dressed up like a Victorian doll, a body that has been savagely beaten and had its kidneys and eyes removed. Everything is pointing to this being the body of a woman that was kidnapped three weeks earlier and the husband paid a half million pound ransom for. Lennox and Wilde set off investigating the murder which quickly takes them to a local nightspot that is owned by the local hoodlum.

I have to say I quickly took to the main characters in this series, and I enjoyed the interplay between them. Lennox it turns out is hiding away in England following threats from a particularly nasty criminal overlord in Scotland and is struggling to put down roots, or even have a place to live in because of this.

Overall I felt this was a good crime fiction book and turned out to be quite a complex case that unravelled like the layers of an onion, but also included quite a few red herrings and some good surprises along the way. It is quite a pacy and quick read but if you enjoy crime fiction I think you would enjoy this quick read.

The resolution left the series up in the air and I would like to think the author will find a way to write more in the series as overall I did enjoy this book and spending time with the central characters. The only thing that bothered me in this book was the title as I feel it gave away some of the plot well in advance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.… (mais)

unputdownable, suspense, abduction, law-enforcement, procedural, due-diligence, grisly, grieving, series, organ-theft, thriller, real-horror, working-partners, relationships, murder, murder-investigation, mutilation, England, *****

Not an unbiased review because I love this author's work (but this is the first I've read in this series). The publisher's blurb is a good intro, but it's the writer's craft that is so riveting. The characters are so real, the mystery could be in any urban area with competent policing (love this pair), and some of the twists are beyond diabolical. Excellent read!
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (mais)