I faced this book with some trepidation as I had found the first of the series, The Last Dance, quite difficult (after Thorne) because of a whole new level of detective quirkiness. Whilst cleverly written, this is the kind of guy who I would steer clear/run away from in regular life, so full immersion was very challenging. Declan Miller is one of those people who has to make a joke (usually inappropriate) about everything and interrupts to do so. He keeps rats, is a ballroom dancer and mulls the case over with the dead. As a result I did not read the second in the series. As I launched into the third instalment, I felt my attitudes had mellowed/changed and I enjoyed the humour (unintentional from the character, intentional from the writer) rather endearing. This is serious crime territory - murder, drug cartels, firearms and kidnap, yet it proceeded rather like a mix between the Keystone Cops and French farce to great effect. I really enjoyed the ride and now want to pick up volume two as I have a new commitment to this detective series! With thanks to #NetGalley and #LittleBrownBookGroupUK for the opportunity to read and review

"The Shadow Step" is the third novel in the DS Declan Miller series by Mark Billingham. The series was launched in 2023, with "The Last Dance" and followed by "The Wrong Hands". Now, while it is not essential to read the previous books in order to dive into "The Shadow Step", I would recommend doing so in order to gain a good understanding of the relationships between Miller and his colleagues, especially Sara Ziu and the background to the murder of his wife Alex, and the infamous gangster, Jacquie Cutler. This time around, we are familiar with the antics of Fred and Ginger (rats), and the crime fighting duo of Ratman and Posh gravy. While, Fred and Ginger did appear numerous times, and are growing on me, I was disappointed by the few mentions of "Ratman and Posh (gravy)". After all, when you have such a cool nickname, why not use it more often?

An eloquent mixture of excitement tension and humour in this the third outing for Miller and Xiu. Miller is an interesting character with his own way of doing things much to the chagrin of his superiors. An excellent police procedural laced with the personal life of the main character .

A sharp, witty crime thriller with an intriguing impossible-murder mystery at its heart. DS Declan Miller is a brilliant lead — funny, flawed, and endlessly entertaining — and the mix of suspense, humour, and twists makes this a real page-turner. Packed with quirky characters and clever plotting, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read and another strong outing for Miller.