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sloreads_ca's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
more on blog
Perfect Death, the third book in the D.I. Callanach series, showcases the most significant character growth yet. While there were moments that elicited an eye-roll, the narrative was compelling enough that I didn’t find myself shouting at my car speakers or becoming so irritated that I was pulled out of the story. Ava and Luc have evolved as characters, presenting themselves with newfound depth and subtlety.
I’m not a fan of graphic violence or in-depth descriptions of awful things. Perfect Death almost put me over the edge a few times. It just teetered on the edge of being too much for me.
Detective Sergeant Lively provides great banter and perspective throughout. Even though he’s a side character, in Perfect Death, he becomes less flat, and I got to see more of what makes him tick.
Ava’s righteousness is really on display in this story. She bends so many rules, disregards orders and flouts regulations. I don’t understand how Ava can stand on her moral high ground while overlooking her actions. The source of most of my eye-rolling, Ava’s character has grown at a different pace than Luc’s.
I found it more of a police procedural than a thriller. While earlier books in the series made the tension snap, Perfect Death is blander. I didn’t catch a lot of foreshadowing or twists, and the mystery was quite linear.
The audiobook narration is fantastic. The accents were understandable but distinct. I can’t comment on their accuracy, but they were wonderful to listen to.
Looking ahead, I’m optimistic that the next book in the series will bring more growth for Ava, recapture the tension and pacing that made earlier books so gripping, and perhaps see Luc finally seeking the therapy he needs. These potential developments leave me eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the D.I. Callanach series.
Perfect Death, the third book in the D.I. Callanach series, showcases the most significant character growth yet. While there were moments that elicited an eye-roll, the narrative was compelling enough that I didn’t find myself shouting at my car speakers or becoming so irritated that I was pulled out of the story. Ava and Luc have evolved as characters, presenting themselves with newfound depth and subtlety.
I’m not a fan of graphic violence or in-depth descriptions of awful things. Perfect Death almost put me over the edge a few times. It just teetered on the edge of being too much for me.
Detective Sergeant Lively provides great banter and perspective throughout. Even though he’s a side character, in Perfect Death, he becomes less flat, and I got to see more of what makes him tick.
Ava’s righteousness is really on display in this story. She bends so many rules, disregards orders and flouts regulations. I don’t understand how Ava can stand on her moral high ground while overlooking her actions. The source of most of my eye-rolling, Ava’s character has grown at a different pace than Luc’s.
I found it more of a police procedural than a thriller. While earlier books in the series made the tension snap, Perfect Death is blander. I didn’t catch a lot of foreshadowing or twists, and the mystery was quite linear.
The audiobook narration is fantastic. The accents were understandable but distinct. I can’t comment on their accuracy, but they were wonderful to listen to.
Looking ahead, I’m optimistic that the next book in the series will bring more growth for Ava, recapture the tension and pacing that made earlier books so gripping, and perhaps see Luc finally seeking the therapy he needs. These potential developments leave me eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the D.I. Callanach series.
readdrinkandbehappy's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
poppytop19's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
hj22's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
_onemorechapter_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
𝑻.𝑾: Grief, Murders, and Suicide
💭This series keeps getting better and better!
Edinburgh homicide detectives DI Luc Callanach & DCI Ava Turner are back. This is the 3rd book in the DI Callanach series by author Helen Fields. I am still loving this series. It’s a great crime/mystery series. Please, read the first two books before picking up this one. You really need the background.
It all begins when the naked body of a young woman is found on Arthur’s Seat. With no obvious wounds, it appears to be death by misadventure. But as Luc investigates, small discrepancies begin to add up. Then the head of a charity organization dies under mysterious circumstances. Both families are gutted & the body count is just beginning.
Meanwhile, Ava is left reeling after her former boss & mentor is found dead of an apparent suicide. But he left a few surprises behind that threaten not just his family but the department itself. Ava has no choice but to secretly investigate his death & it’s not long before she’s in well over her head.
Running alongside the 2 investigations are personal storylines for the 2 MC’s. Luc, in particular, is stunned when his estranged mother turns up to deliver some surprising news. It’s a cracker & no doubt this will unfold further in future books.
The writing is clear, the plot complex, with plenty of action, and a rather creepy, manipulative killer thrown in. In alternate chapters, we meet a killer whose methods & pathology will make your skin crawl. He’s a busy guy. The way in which Helen has crafted a character who has the ability to be all things to all people, to take on a multitude of personas and thereby hide in plain sight is brilliant. And the clinical justification of what they are doing, how they pick their victims, and the joy, albeit temporary, that they get from seeing the devastation they cause is actually quite chilling. Tension rises as we watch his meticulous plans take shape & you may find yourself yelling “Run away!” to characters who are unwittingly caught in his web. Because we know more than the police, watching them flounder for clues is excruciating.
Now compared to the murders in the last two books, the ones you are faced with here are a lot less gory but no less distressing, especially for the ones that are left behind. Despite the outward appearance in the first case of the victim's death being almost serene, the truth is far removed. But the manner of death, and poisoning, makes the overall tone and pace of the book feel very different to its predecessors. Not in a bad way.
Although it felt like a slower-paced read, it was no less gripping, and having the two separate threads interesting at various stages kept the pages turning and the attention one hundred per cent on the action. With these stories, with the crimes Helen Fields writes, you need to stick around. Things build slowly, we get introduced to a lot of things throughout, and you need to take your time with things. There are still moments of great peril, where first Ava and then Callanach and DS Lively are all placed in great jeopardy and these moments will have you on the edge of your seat. But there are also many moments of seemingly calm narrative. Don't let this fool you. Nothing in this book is innocuous. Every interaction serves a purpose.
Helen Fields continues to add depth to her characters in each book. Callanach is as complex and engaging as ever, with the psychological and physical repercussions of his past still following him. Ava is now promoted to DCI. She is literally up to her eyes in work and has little social life. Her relationship with DI Callanach is slightly estranged. They are strong protagonists and there’s a great cast of secondary characters. I like Ailsa and Tripp being more involved, and I am beginning to like DS Lively and I do believe he is starting to grow on me. He continues to steal every scene with his blunt & humorous dialogue. Familiar faces return to add colour to the story. Journalist Lance Proudfoot, Luc’s secret weapon, is back although by the time the dust settles, he may think twice before offering his services again.
Overall, this is a fast-paced & eminently readable story full of characters who have become old friends. The criminal investigations peak simultaneously for an explosive finish & I look forward to Perfect Silence. As with the previous books in the series, Helen Fields has created an utterly terrifying serial killer. She always manages to produce such original ideas; this is another reason why these books have become a favourite of mine. She is one of the most exciting crime writers in the business at the moment and I really can’t wait to see where she’ll take Luc, Ava and the rest of them next!
𝐏.𝐒 All the Perfect Novels by Helen holds two or multiple crime investigations well handled parallel.
𝐏.𝐒.𝐒 Luc and Ava are such a good pairing I think the books should now be called Callanach/Turner.
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 4.17 (7347) 🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Crime Fiction, Thriller and Police Procedural
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: D.I. Callanach (Book 3)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Yes, Yes and Yes!
Fast-paced, gruesome murders, captivating characters, this series has it all! Crime fans, if you haven’t yet discovered this series, you don’t know what you’re missing out on!
💭This series keeps getting better and better!
Edinburgh homicide detectives DI Luc Callanach & DCI Ava Turner are back. This is the 3rd book in the DI Callanach series by author Helen Fields. I am still loving this series. It’s a great crime/mystery series. Please, read the first two books before picking up this one. You really need the background.
It all begins when the naked body of a young woman is found on Arthur’s Seat. With no obvious wounds, it appears to be death by misadventure. But as Luc investigates, small discrepancies begin to add up. Then the head of a charity organization dies under mysterious circumstances. Both families are gutted & the body count is just beginning.
Meanwhile, Ava is left reeling after her former boss & mentor is found dead of an apparent suicide. But he left a few surprises behind that threaten not just his family but the department itself. Ava has no choice but to secretly investigate his death & it’s not long before she’s in well over her head.
Running alongside the 2 investigations are personal storylines for the 2 MC’s. Luc, in particular, is stunned when his estranged mother turns up to deliver some surprising news. It’s a cracker & no doubt this will unfold further in future books.
The writing is clear, the plot complex, with plenty of action, and a rather creepy, manipulative killer thrown in. In alternate chapters, we meet a killer whose methods & pathology will make your skin crawl. He’s a busy guy. The way in which Helen has crafted a character who has the ability to be all things to all people, to take on a multitude of personas and thereby hide in plain sight is brilliant. And the clinical justification of what they are doing, how they pick their victims, and the joy, albeit temporary, that they get from seeing the devastation they cause is actually quite chilling. Tension rises as we watch his meticulous plans take shape & you may find yourself yelling “Run away!” to characters who are unwittingly caught in his web. Because we know more than the police, watching them flounder for clues is excruciating.
Now compared to the murders in the last two books, the ones you are faced with here are a lot less gory but no less distressing, especially for the ones that are left behind. Despite the outward appearance in the first case of the victim's death being almost serene, the truth is far removed. But the manner of death, and poisoning, makes the overall tone and pace of the book feel very different to its predecessors. Not in a bad way.
Although it felt like a slower-paced read, it was no less gripping, and having the two separate threads interesting at various stages kept the pages turning and the attention one hundred per cent on the action. With these stories, with the crimes Helen Fields writes, you need to stick around. Things build slowly, we get introduced to a lot of things throughout, and you need to take your time with things. There are still moments of great peril, where first Ava and then Callanach and DS Lively are all placed in great jeopardy and these moments will have you on the edge of your seat. But there are also many moments of seemingly calm narrative. Don't let this fool you. Nothing in this book is innocuous. Every interaction serves a purpose.
Helen Fields continues to add depth to her characters in each book. Callanach is as complex and engaging as ever, with the psychological and physical repercussions of his past still following him. Ava is now promoted to DCI. She is literally up to her eyes in work and has little social life. Her relationship with DI Callanach is slightly estranged. They are strong protagonists and there’s a great cast of secondary characters. I like Ailsa and Tripp being more involved, and I am beginning to like DS Lively and I do believe he is starting to grow on me. He continues to steal every scene with his blunt & humorous dialogue. Familiar faces return to add colour to the story. Journalist Lance Proudfoot, Luc’s secret weapon, is back although by the time the dust settles, he may think twice before offering his services again.
Overall, this is a fast-paced & eminently readable story full of characters who have become old friends. The criminal investigations peak simultaneously for an explosive finish & I look forward to Perfect Silence. As with the previous books in the series, Helen Fields has created an utterly terrifying serial killer. She always manages to produce such original ideas; this is another reason why these books have become a favourite of mine. She is one of the most exciting crime writers in the business at the moment and I really can’t wait to see where she’ll take Luc, Ava and the rest of them next!
𝐏.𝐒 All the Perfect Novels by Helen holds two or multiple crime investigations well handled parallel.
𝐏.𝐒.𝐒 Luc and Ava are such a good pairing I think the books should now be called Callanach/Turner.
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 4.17 (7347) 🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Crime Fiction, Thriller and Police Procedural
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: D.I. Callanach (Book 3)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Yes, Yes and Yes!
Fast-paced, gruesome murders, captivating characters, this series has it all! Crime fans, if you haven’t yet discovered this series, you don’t know what you’re missing out on!
lisaleestboeken's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
thewrongqueen's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kellylacey's review
5.0
So back in early last year, I went to a Blackwell’s Bookstore event. I had just started my blog I wanted to review some local bookish events. So when it said two crime authors were featuring I was delighted. They were Helen Fields and Paul Finch, two authors I had never read before.
The event was eye opening and I’ve said it many times in previous posts that hearing Helen Fields discuss how book one in the series Perfect Remains came to fruition, reignited my love of crime fiction. I had swayed away to more chick lit and women’s fiction. So when I started to read Perfect Remains on my way home, sat on a cold bus, I was transported into this police world with a sexy French cop. It was so gory and fast-paced I was addicted. So if there were a Helen Fields fan club I would have the Platinum package as I adore her writing.
Getting onto book three Perfect Death, as the heavy envelope flopped through my letterbox I knew by the label that this was it. Thank goodness I hadn’t had to wait long as Perfect Prey (book 2) had only been out in the summer.
So I started it yesterday and finished it today. I will go for the superficial and talk about the cover. So the cover I have used in my featured image and Bookstgram shot is an ARC copy, about A5 size so it’s a slightly enlarged version.
Here is how your copy will look:
Perfect Death: The new crime book you need to read from the bestseller of 2017 (A DI Callanach Thriller, Book 3) by [Fields, Helen]
So I am happy that each book in the series is called Perfect something and this cover is superb. It really reflects the storyline. I will have to get a copy to match my others on my bookcase.
So in book three, we are thrown back into the lives of Ava and Luc. What I like is the consistency between all three books. They all have the same level pace and the characters don’t suddenly change personalities. They are the roots that you cling to whilst reading as the whirling madness engulfs you page after page.
This book has much less gore than the previous two, was I disappointed? No, I was just surprised it enabled me to focus much more on the storyline which is very intense from page 1. I felt like this book was emotionally driven. It didn’t need the shock value of the gore it wasn’t about all that, it really was about the team and them growing together. We got to invest more in the characters. I see them like a movie in my head and I feel like I really know them more after reading Perfect Death.
As well as my love of the writing, I really enjoy that Edinburgh and its surrounding areas are heavily featured in the books. So much so that when I am walking around Edinburgh and I see a place mentioned in the book, it flings the characters to the four front of my mind and makes the stories come to life. I know how it feels to walk over a certain bridge or go down a little side street. I love having those moments.
I loved this book, it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was SO much more! The books can be read as standalone but I thoroughly encourage you to buy the set of three for your kindle and meet Luc and Ava from the start.
A cracker of top-notch crime fiction. Helen Fields stories have the ability to chase me under the covers with all the lights on. Deeply disturbing crime fiction that you just can’t help but want MORE. Bravo! Roll on book four……
For more of my review visit lovebooksgroup.blog
The event was eye opening and I’ve said it many times in previous posts that hearing Helen Fields discuss how book one in the series Perfect Remains came to fruition, reignited my love of crime fiction. I had swayed away to more chick lit and women’s fiction. So when I started to read Perfect Remains on my way home, sat on a cold bus, I was transported into this police world with a sexy French cop. It was so gory and fast-paced I was addicted. So if there were a Helen Fields fan club I would have the Platinum package as I adore her writing.
Getting onto book three Perfect Death, as the heavy envelope flopped through my letterbox I knew by the label that this was it. Thank goodness I hadn’t had to wait long as Perfect Prey (book 2) had only been out in the summer.
So I started it yesterday and finished it today. I will go for the superficial and talk about the cover. So the cover I have used in my featured image and Bookstgram shot is an ARC copy, about A5 size so it’s a slightly enlarged version.
Here is how your copy will look:
Perfect Death: The new crime book you need to read from the bestseller of 2017 (A DI Callanach Thriller, Book 3) by [Fields, Helen]
So I am happy that each book in the series is called Perfect something and this cover is superb. It really reflects the storyline. I will have to get a copy to match my others on my bookcase.
So in book three, we are thrown back into the lives of Ava and Luc. What I like is the consistency between all three books. They all have the same level pace and the characters don’t suddenly change personalities. They are the roots that you cling to whilst reading as the whirling madness engulfs you page after page.
This book has much less gore than the previous two, was I disappointed? No, I was just surprised it enabled me to focus much more on the storyline which is very intense from page 1. I felt like this book was emotionally driven. It didn’t need the shock value of the gore it wasn’t about all that, it really was about the team and them growing together. We got to invest more in the characters. I see them like a movie in my head and I feel like I really know them more after reading Perfect Death.
As well as my love of the writing, I really enjoy that Edinburgh and its surrounding areas are heavily featured in the books. So much so that when I am walking around Edinburgh and I see a place mentioned in the book, it flings the characters to the four front of my mind and makes the stories come to life. I know how it feels to walk over a certain bridge or go down a little side street. I love having those moments.
I loved this book, it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was SO much more! The books can be read as standalone but I thoroughly encourage you to buy the set of three for your kindle and meet Luc and Ava from the start.
A cracker of top-notch crime fiction. Helen Fields stories have the ability to chase me under the covers with all the lights on. Deeply disturbing crime fiction that you just can’t help but want MORE. Bravo! Roll on book four……
For more of my review visit lovebooksgroup.blog
shantti's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0