Detective Inspector Romney is disappointed when he turns up to a crime scene and finds a woman - Detective Sergeant Joy Marsh. But regardless of his personal feelings, they have to work together to solve a brutal rape. The pressure is on though when a second rape, exactly like the first occurs.

This is a hard book to like. Romney was a jerk and wasn't remotely likable and for all the series title is Romney and Marsh - I wouldn't exactly call it an equal partnership. Plus he's way too young to be such a misogynistic prick. He reads like a much older character and I was pretty surprised to find he's only supposed to be 43 years of age. But it wasn't just him. Marsh isn't much better - I found it hard to sympathise with her after her severe doubts about the "alleged" rape - when all evidence points to the fact it happened and there was no reason to doubt the victim.

Honestly the whole tone of this book was odd - it seemed to just alternate between either loving or low key hating women and I didn't like it. Plus the romance was icky. Romney is busy mooning over his hot younger girlfriend he's seen six times and slept with on five of those occasions and the crime scene tech is doing him favours and trying everything she can to get his attention - it was painful. I almost stopped reading but I was hoping it'd get better. It didn't. But, then, it didn't get any worse either so I guess that's a win.

The mystery itself was alright. The who was clever the two men were in it together - each one raping the one they had to play witness at. On the other hand, the major fail of not examining the evidence - i.e. the photos the victim were sent of the rape - and failing to see the attacker in mirror in the photo - was ridiculous

An okay read but not a series I'll be continuing. 2.5 stars, rounded to 2 stars. ( )

Detective Inspector Romney is joined by hs new Detective Sergeant, Joy Marsh to their first crime scene. A serious attack on two people which is soon followed by a similar crime. Can Romney with all of his experience catch the guilty party.
An enjoyable solid start to a new series. ( )

Good detective story. One knew early on in the book who committed the crime. The book was mostly about catching him ( )

Good read for a slow weekend if you like police procedurals

I enjoyed this book while recovering from an illness. It doesn't demand much from the reader and contained enough surprises to keep my interest. ( )

A very tidy first novel that I would have awarded 4.5 stars. Strong, likeable characters combined with believable villains. Whilst the rapes involved in the main storyline are quite harrowing, particularly for the victims, the author does not overindulge himself with the details. An intriguing story, well rounded and with a very satisfying ending. ( )