Three and a half stars
Another case for DCI Stephen Greco and the team. Two young girls have been killed in a particularly cruel and horrible way by someone without an ounce of kindness or goodness. You would not want to come across this particular individual - ever! Greco is still not a people person but is trying his best, both at work and at home. Although this book began with a good pace, it definitely went up a gear or two later as the team began to piece it all together. I found myself racing through the pages in my haste to see who had done it and why. I've enjoyed all this authors' books and this is no exception - perfect for those who enjoy crime/police novels. ( )

I received a free advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ‘Dark Houses’ is a well-written British police procedural full of twists and turns that holds the reader’s attention right up until the end. There are the usual interactions between colleagues as well as with the media. I found the glossary very helpful to interpret the British humor and idioms used throughout the book. Someone is brutally murdering young women in empty houses. It appears they have a serial killer on their hands. A young man who hears voices confesses but there seems to be someone else pulling the strings. The action and suspense never quits and keeps the reader guessing right up until the end. Character development is excellent and the plot is well developed. This is a keeper. ( )

This is the second book in the DI Greco series by Helen Durrant. I am a big fan of her other books, the Calladine and Bayliss series. I was a bit disappointed with the first in the DI Greco series. I felt Greco was kind of one-dimensional, not very likable, and his crew just didn't seem to mesh well. This second book blew me away though. Everything clicked and worked. The mystery was great, I got a better feel for the character of Greco and felt like I liked him, and his staff seemed to gel better than before. Actually, the mystery wasn't just great, it was ground-shaking, absolutely amazing. It had me physically attached to my e-reader for the last third of the book, not able to do anything else until I finished the very last page. I hope there will be more to come in the Greco saga. Read the first book in the series as it was good and sets a good stage for this one, and then get your world rocked when you read Dark Houses. ( )