I absolutely loved this book, great characters, who I can’t wait to get to know better. A gripping plot, engrossing and engaging storyline, what more could you want. DS Aiden Corcoran still feels guilty for not catching a serial killer before he had killed his last two victims, but he had caught him, he had also sustained a hip injury at the same time. He just can’t seem to accept the fact that he hadn’t stopped the killer sooner. Now he has moved away from his old job and has been demoted. When a young woman Sarah Langton is dumped on a roadside, emaciated, barely clinging to life, she had been missing for 6 weeks, but where had she been? Aiden is assigned the case by his boss DI Thompson. When he finds he has to work with Marie Palmer a Criminal Psychologist he is not impressed. But as they work together on the case, they begin to get along better and develop a mutual respect for each other. A day after Sarah is found another person is dumped, Howard, he had been deprived of sleep, and made to listen to the same song over and over, he had been missing for two weeks. On day three of the investigation another person is dumped, Matt doesn’t even know if he is real, he has been missing for 5 months, has been put in and out of a tank of water, practically eradicating everything he knows, he can’t even remember the name of what was his month old son, when he had disappeared. When a forth woman is taken, it’s up to Aiden and Marie to try and put the pieces together, to work out what these people have in common if anything. What links them? They all come from different parts of the UK, they don’t know each other, but they all seem to have been held in the same block of cells. This is a brilliantly plotted police procedural, I love the developing relationship between Aiden and Marie and look forward to see where that goes in the future. Told in a timeline over the three days, alternate chapters through the viewpoints of Aiden and Marie, interspersed with a chapter from each victim as they tell of their ordeal. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, if you like a good police procedural and are looking for a new series, with some new characters to get to know I would definitely recommend this one. The tension builds as Aiden and Marie race to try and find Dawn before time runs out. I would like to thank #netgalley and #Headline for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest fair and unbiased review.

Senseless by Ed James gets off to a cracking start as DS Aidan Corcoran and criminal psychiatrist Dr Marie Palmer pair up to investigate when victim, Sarah Langton, is found in Oxfordshire, England showing signs of neglect six weeks after she disappeared. As the detective struggles with the case, more missing persons appear. The story's focus here was the pithy relationship between the reluctant DS Corcoran and Dr Palmer. Corcoran is not a fan of criminal profiling, but despite this, the two worked well together. Both very different and opinionated, they made likeable protagonists as they hunted down clues and searched for links. With its quick pacing and the engrossing plotline, this thriller held my attention right from the exciting prologue and there was never a dull moment as I followed the leads alongside the investigating team. A rip-roaring denouement rounded things off very nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Senseless and highly recommend it to fans of the genre. I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Headline via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The opening of this book gets you hooked as it is a chilling read with a great plot. The story has a great pace with really good characters there are lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I have not read an Ed James book before but it will definitely not be the last one. Can’t wait to read his next one. The story starts with a woman found close to death naked, half crazy and starved on the side of a country road in Oxford. Then a while later another missing person reappear this is where DS Concoron and Dr Palmer need to start finding clues.

Well this did not disappoint. Simple and clear style of writing, well written, quick to pick up. Great pace with plenty of twists and turns. Great start and it caught my interest straight away. I particularly liked the short chapters. Sarah Langton turns up after being kidnapped for 6 weeks, she’s been starved and is emaciated. ‘’I’ve found a girl’s body.’ Bob looked over again. She was painfully skinny. He groaned. ‘Listen, she’s like a sack of bones. I think she might be a druggy.’ ‘Is she breathing?’ ‘Mate, you need to send someone out to sort this—’ The woman rolled over onto her side. ‘Christ!’ Bob jumped back, pressing himself against his van. The woman’s eyes were shut, but her chest was moving, like she was sipping shallow breaths. ‘She’s alive.’ ‘Thanks, Bob.’’ She’s just the first, 3 more people are kidnapped and tortured, and it’s all about revenge. Shocking conditions, quite horrific ill-treatment and I’m not usually squeamish... Infidelity is thrown into the equation too. I didn’t take to DI Alana Thompson, she was rude and her attitude was demeaning. However, all part of the incredible plot. As most thrillers do, it kept me guessing until the end, it was an exceptional page turner and kept me on the edge of my seat. DS Corcoran was a great guy and he partnered Dr Marie Palmer, to his dismay initially, a criminal psychiatrist who was put on the case to support him. Corcoran has got history, he was demoted from the Met. The way their relationship developed over the case intrigued me and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.... hopefully there is one. Dark and edgy. Could have been improved with a little more depth to the characters, however James will most probably develop the team in his next book. Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Headline for this ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

A woman turns up six weeks after disappearing, almost starved to death. The another missing person reappears. What is going on? A great crime story with interesting characters. Will look forward to any further additions to the series. Recommended! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.