Reviews

Bartlett's writes a really good crime novel, yet as a former police officer, and as a technical consultant to other crime writers on police matters, it feels like the story is bogged down by authenticity. The barrage of radio code words, departmental acronyms, reporting structures, sometimes gets in the way of propelling the story forward. It's a minor criticism though, for a book that pits police bureaucracy against merciless vigilantism. A good intro to to detective Jo Howe, and a reason to anticipate more adventures with her.

carlg88's review

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5.0

Absolutely loved this book. Fantastic thriller with just the right amount of action, character building, great plot and some excellent dialogue. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, as I want to know a more about these characters. So glad that there is more to come.
It really shows that this author knows what he is talking about when it comes to policing. I enjoyed how the pace built up towards the end of the book and the ending was very satisfying. Look forward to more!
I recommend this book highly.

madisonmc's review

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

2.75

If I hadn't predicted how everything would end up unfolding, I would have been ok with this purely for how greatly gritty it was but, sadly the lack of surprise and the vibes throughout never had me overly enthused.

More than anything else it's just not my style, I'm not into blackmail and a never ending game, chasing ones tail. Especially when I saw the outcome long before it became apparent, and even some of the earlier plot twists did not surprise. I also never gave a shit about the characters, so that didn't help.

I still stand by my earlier comment, when I was debating DNF and went to look at some reviews to be inspired to stay. I understand why so many of the 5 star reviews respond positively to the gritty edge and negative complexities of the police force with all the blackmail, gov cuts, impossible situations etc.

sonny_12's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is really worth diving into, it is rather fast paced and full of twists and turn on every page. The US reviews aren’t so great on this book but the British reviews all mostly 5 stars!! This gem is definitely worth it!! I did preorder book number 2 for further reading!!

nixbix_reads's review

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4.0

This was a wild ride from start to finish! A gritty debut from a former police officer, we see the lengths people will go to to get what they want. I really enjoyed this story - I thought it was well written & the characters were fleshed out, and it had me on the edge of my seat. At first it feels like there are too many people & too many stories, but gradually, things start to become clearer. As things were getting pieced together, I had to know what was going to happen to everyone, and my jaw dropped at some of the revelations. Blackmail, corruption & vigilantes make this a tense story that I couldn’t put down - I hope Graham Bartlett has more stories to tell!

Thanks to Allison & Busby & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

bookoholic's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

mpr2000's review against another edition

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4.0

A high profile murder always means problems and a lot of work for the police; but in this book the case will also be stressful and difficult. When a promising football player appears dead as the son of Brighton’s Chief Superintendent, you can imagine that our main character, Detective Superintendent Jo Howe, knows that this will not be an easy case. This will be only the beginning and the police know that they have to catch the killer as soon as possible.
I have to say that at the beginning it is a little bit difficult to follow all the characters, so many! But as the story progresses you need all of them in this twisted and dark story, it will be impossible to stop reading it!
I’ll admit that Jo is a special character, maybe not easy to like but she is a great character and a great detective!
It was quite interesting to read the police procedural, not the usual view I am used to but makes the story more real and keeps the reader wanting to know more.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this read, it’s addictive and a little dark sometimes but a great book to enjoy.
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