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amargari's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
amothersmusings1's review
5.0
“Killing for Keeps” is Book 5 in Mari Hannah’s #DCIKateDaniels series and sees the detective and her team solve two hideous and brutal killings that takes them from the streets of Newcastle to the sunny climes of Spain. The entire murder investigation team are horrified by what appears to be torture killings and they really do make you squirm reading the graphic details. Even though the victims are gangster related, Daniels will stop at nothing to find their killer. She cares deeply about all people, showing more compassion than most, whilst staying hard and unaffected on the outside - until this case comes along.
However, her dedication and empathy comes at price. Under so much pressure to perform, she starts to feel like she can’t breathe. Everyone in the office is relying on her to put the cases to bed but by needing to break down an impenetrable wall of hostile silence and with witnesses terrified to speak out in fear of retribution, she really does have her work cut out and struggles to keep within police rules. This is the first time we’ve seen Kate vulnerable and as a ‘real’ person other than a detective and it was totally understandable how the case got under her skin.
I personally enjoyed this book better than the others in the series, though it’s getting harder to choose a favourite, much like picking a favourite child but because of the continued development and seeing a fragile side of Daniels that shows her emotions exposed, made me feel a real affinity with her that most readers will feel too.
“Killing for Keeps” is yet again another fabulous addition to the DCI Kate Daniels series, which can easily be read as a standalone due to Mari Hannah’s clever back history inclusions and I will continue to recommend this author and her books for many more moons to come.
#KillingForKeeps - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
wendoxford's review against another edition
3.0
Was really
looking enjoying this until the denouement which just had too many flaws, that could so easily, not have been there, with a good editor. First, insulin doesn't have a shelf life of a month...nothing like...Second, we don't need telling 3 times in almost so many chapters that Hank has lost 3 stones. Once the reader is assumed to be an idiot, there is no way back! That said, I retain a soft spot for the very flawed Kate Daniels!
looking enjoying this until the denouement which just had too many flaws, that could so easily, not have been there, with a good editor. First, insulin doesn't have a shelf life of a month...nothing like...Second, we don't need telling 3 times in almost so many chapters that Hank has lost 3 stones. Once the reader is assumed to be an idiot, there is no way back! That said, I retain a soft spot for the very flawed Kate Daniels!
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
Killing for Keeps is the fifth installment in the Kate Daniels series - set in and around the North East - in this instance Newcastle and Blanchland. This is a hard-hitting and chilling case for Northumbria Police, the worst torture case they’ve ever seen.
Mari Hannah has raised the stakes this time - the prologue sets the scene for what will follow. And the first chapter (six weeks later) opens the door to a thrilling narrative when we see just what has taken place and what Kate and her team are up against.
Story in a nutshell
Two brothers from a well-known criminal family are found dead within a few miles of each other - tortured to death.
Ripples start to spread across the city - associates of the men are uneasy and witnesses scared. Kate has to break some rules, putting herself and her career in jeopardy. But there is someone out there who lives by his own rules and is prepared to remove anyone who gets in his way.
This is one investigation that Kate and the team will never forget.
Booktrailer recommended!
Killing for Keeps is dangerous, chilling and skillfully plotted. Mari’s best yet. It’s darker and the first chapter is not an introduction to the story but rather a gateway to Kate Daniel’s worst nightmare.
If you thought the other cases Kate had to deal with were horrific and hard to deal with, the ones here are, well, something else entirely. And it’s not what the cases are, but what they represent and how they affect Kate and the team that is the most fascinating of all.
The darker undertone of this book works well as the shady and shadowy parts of the North East - an industrial estate and the underbelly of the nightclub area are chillingly brought to realisation. Contrast remote scenes with the busy and chaotic setting of the police HQ and the confusion of the local city hospital provides an eerie picture of Newcastle. Then the action moves to Blanchland - a local beauty spot and remote yet popular village much loved by tourists and the contrast with the subject matter is greater still. Just when you thought you knew and recognised Kate’s world well, she’s off on a trail to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Spain. A booktrail on a grand scale you will agree and a fascinating insight into how police forces work together on such complicated and far reaching cases such as this.
Recently, the Kate Daniels series has been optioned for television and she has been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library award proving, beyond doubt, that she is a crime writer we’re going to hear a lot more about. We’re proud to say that she’s a local author and has put the North East region firmly on the literary map.
Booktrail with map of the locations in the novel coming soon on The booktrail
link: Come to the North East of Kate Daniels t
Mari Hannah has raised the stakes this time - the prologue sets the scene for what will follow. And the first chapter (six weeks later) opens the door to a thrilling narrative when we see just what has taken place and what Kate and her team are up against.
Story in a nutshell
Two brothers from a well-known criminal family are found dead within a few miles of each other - tortured to death.
Ripples start to spread across the city - associates of the men are uneasy and witnesses scared. Kate has to break some rules, putting herself and her career in jeopardy. But there is someone out there who lives by his own rules and is prepared to remove anyone who gets in his way.
This is one investigation that Kate and the team will never forget.
Booktrailer recommended!
Killing for Keeps is dangerous, chilling and skillfully plotted. Mari’s best yet. It’s darker and the first chapter is not an introduction to the story but rather a gateway to Kate Daniel’s worst nightmare.
If you thought the other cases Kate had to deal with were horrific and hard to deal with, the ones here are, well, something else entirely. And it’s not what the cases are, but what they represent and how they affect Kate and the team that is the most fascinating of all.
The darker undertone of this book works well as the shady and shadowy parts of the North East - an industrial estate and the underbelly of the nightclub area are chillingly brought to realisation. Contrast remote scenes with the busy and chaotic setting of the police HQ and the confusion of the local city hospital provides an eerie picture of Newcastle. Then the action moves to Blanchland - a local beauty spot and remote yet popular village much loved by tourists and the contrast with the subject matter is greater still. Just when you thought you knew and recognised Kate’s world well, she’s off on a trail to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Spain. A booktrail on a grand scale you will agree and a fascinating insight into how police forces work together on such complicated and far reaching cases such as this.
Recently, the Kate Daniels series has been optioned for television and she has been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library award proving, beyond doubt, that she is a crime writer we’re going to hear a lot more about. We’re proud to say that she’s a local author and has put the North East region firmly on the literary map.
Booktrail with map of the locations in the novel coming soon on The booktrail
link: Come to the North East of Kate Daniels t
syren1532's review against another edition
4.0
Another enjoyable installment of the DCI Daniels series and again I found this one hard to put down. Looking forward to the next installment.
amberlyswords's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was okay. The writing was okay and the paced of plot was fine. Both the atmosphere and the ending was okay. The cover of the book was okay and I would liked the characters to been flash out bit more.