This is really good character driven crime with a satisfying conclusion. Not gratuitously violent and with a good backstory, I would definitely recommend this as a police procedural and was engaged and interested throughout.

I had only read the first page when I knew that this novel was going to be a joy to read. Sometimes you can just tell when you’ve found a good author can’t you? The plot was intriguing and very well thought out, but for me it was the brilliant writing that made the story so good. All the characters were described so well that I ‘became’ them for a time. It sounds a bit silly, but the way Chapter 1 describes Ruth coming home from a long and vile day at work took me back to my own working days (no longer, thank heavens) and everything she did or felt was exactly what I used to do or feel. I never found a man dead in my bed though (more’s the pity)! I loved DI Isabel Blood and her team, and the way all the characters were brought to life by the wonderful writing style. Just authentic people that you can relate to and feel connected with. I enjoyed the intriguing little side story about Isabel’s father, and the way it was an aside and did not detract from the main story of solving the murder. There were the usual twists and turns that we’ve come to expect in any crime book, and the police investigation was thorough and very believable. I wouldn’t describe this book as a gripping, stomach clenching, thriller. For me it was a beautifully written and interesting whodunnit, and I’m looking forward very much to the next one. Great stuff! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

Although I have found out that this was the second in the series of DI Blood, I found that it did not affect my enjoyment of the book. It was very cleverly written and I had no idea "whodunnit" until it became unravelling towards the end. I enjoyed meeting the characters in the book, especially the police team who had to solve this crime with so little to go on. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is an easy to read police procedural which I would probably class as cosy crime. It is apparently the second in a series but not having read the first was not a problem. Although the team are investigating a murder there are no gory details and the everyday, mundane tasks of checking alibis and CCTV comes across rather than edge of the seat car chases. D.I. Blood's home life adds another strand to the story but the backstory of the other characters is not explored. Many thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

An enjoyable, but fairly run of the mill police procedural book and It did feel at times that there was almost too much emphasis on the minutiae of police work at the cost of characterisation. I liked the detective team but, knowing the peak district area of Derbyshire we!l, was slightly disappointed by the sense of place. However, I would be interested to read what happens next to DI Blood and her team. 3.5 stars Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book