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DCI Kett #15
Truly Madly Deadly
Love Can Be Murder…
It’s Valentine’s Day, and DCI Robert Kett and the Extreme Crime Task Force are preparing to join in the romantic celebrations when a shocking confession throws the city into chaos.
A man walks into the police station and admits to brutally murdering his wife.
And he claims somebody else forced him to do it.
Nobody believes his story, but when two more innocent victims vanish, the blood-drenched evidence starts pointing to a killer who gets his kicks by putting devoted couples through an unimaginable trial of terror and torture—turning them against each other in the name of an unsettling local tradition.
Love may be in the air, but death stalks the streets.
And how do you catch a killer who doesn’t actually kill?
It’s Valentine’s Day, and DCI Robert Kett and the Extreme Crime Task Force are preparing to join in the romantic celebrations when a shocking confession throws the city into chaos.
A man walks into the police station and admits to brutally murdering his wife.
And he claims somebody else forced him to do it.
Nobody believes his story, but when two more innocent victims vanish, the blood-drenched evidence starts pointing to a killer who gets his kicks by putting devoted couples through an unimaginable trial of terror and torture—turning them against each other in the name of an unsettling local tradition.
Love may be in the air, but death stalks the streets.
And how do you catch a killer who doesn’t actually kill?
466 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2024
1029 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Alex Smith
25 books678 followersAlex Smith wrote his first book when he was six. It wasn’t particularly good, but it did have some supernatural monsters in it. His latest books, the DCI Robert Kett thrillers, have monsters in them too, although these monsters are very human, and all the more terrifying for it. In between these two books he has published twelve other novels for children and teenagers under his full name, Alexander Gordon Smith—including the number one bestselling series Escape From Furnace, which is loved by millions of readers worldwide and which is soon to become a motion picture. He lives in Norwich with his wife and three young daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
July 31, 2024
The best yet.
Well, now my heart beat has returned to normal, I think I can honestly say this is the best in the series so far. The plot line in this story was extraordinary. How the author comes up with these ideas is really beyond me. The tension just ramped up chapter by chapter. The bad guys in the story were just horrible and I cheered in a few places when justice was served. But come the last part of the book. I was in tears at one point. How could you Mr. Smith? I will say no more except you need to read this book pronto. I cannot wait for book 16 - already on preorder. It will be most interesting to see how he can top this one. But, to be fair, this author seems to do it each time. Bravo Alex a job very well done.
Well, now my heart beat has returned to normal, I think I can honestly say this is the best in the series so far. The plot line in this story was extraordinary. How the author comes up with these ideas is really beyond me. The tension just ramped up chapter by chapter. The bad guys in the story were just horrible and I cheered in a few places when justice was served. But come the last part of the book. I was in tears at one point. How could you Mr. Smith? I will say no more except you need to read this book pronto. I cannot wait for book 16 - already on preorder. It will be most interesting to see how he can top this one. But, to be fair, this author seems to do it each time. Bravo Alex a job very well done.
October 31, 2025
I finished this on the same day I started it, but wanted to wait a few days before leaving my review, because I didn't want to be too hot-heated in my response to certain aspects that kind of annoyed me.
The plot in this installment was really well executed and well paced. (Not as original as other readers seem to think though; it's a very similar plot to the movie 'Kidnap Capital; (2015) where a sadistic gang in the Philippines kidnaps tourists - including couples - and forces them into gladiatorial-style fights in a basement arena for ransom and sport; and there are also some elements from another film 'Would You Rather' (2012) worked into the storyline too), but it was the repeated injection of lefty politics that was annoyingly jarring to me. I don't know why author's do this. Do they assume that everyone who is reading their books thinks the same way as them? Because we don't. I don't read crime-fiction in order to hear the author try to be as insulting as they possibly can to anyone who leans right. There was an unnecessary part where a pub in a low-income area, was almost farcically described as if conjured up by the nightmares of a Guardian hack who thinks anyone who has the audacity to want to fly a Union Jack or a St George's flag, is some kind of backwards, angry racist.
I've always thought that Alex Smith has been brilliant when writing characters, but it seems his creative genius, perhaps only applies to evil ne'er do wells? Maybe he just doesn't spend much time around people who don't lean left? And maybe that's why his descriptions of those who might have had the nerve to want to vote to leave Brexit, look like cartoonish caricatures that fall short of offering anything other than his obvious distaste, for those who lean a little bit further to the right of Mao than him. Describing a married couple as looking as though they were actually carved from a hunk of gammon wasn't the hilarious little dig he thought it was. It pulled me immediately out of the story and had me wondering why the hell someone who is obviously very good at creating amusingly imperfect yet believably likeable characters, throughout this series, felt the need to rely upon the kind of trite, unimaginative bollocks I'd expect to read in a tabloid newspaper.
That kind of thing isn't just mildly annoying, it's enough to pull the reader out of the story and cause the 'suspension of disbelief' needed in order to read these kinds of book, to start to dissolve, as the otherwise engaging, exciting tale of suspense stops being a vector for escapism and instead becomes yet one more medium for the hectoring leftists, more concerned with staying "on message" than keeping all readers thoroughly immersed in their writing. Likewise, I really didn't need to read the pointlessly included little back & forth between Kett & Porter who for some reason needed to talk about illegal immigrants as if they were all just a poor, desperate, underclass of people for whom all native Brits should feel nothing but pathological empathy. Which is even more ridiculous when these characters are supposed to be police officers, and as such will have been more than aware of just how many instances of rape, sexual assault, torture, kidnap and sex trafficking have been going on in Britain for the past few decades, with almost all of the culprits being either recently arrived migrants, settled migrants or second generation migrants. The police in almost every town where this was (and still is) going on, knew exactly what was happening but chose not to do anything about it because they were afraid of being labelled "racist". And for anyone who takes issue with my talking about his in a review for a fictitious book...well Alex Smith started it by deciding to inject IRL politics into a story which is supposed to be a bit of escapist fun. He pulled me out of the story and got me thinking about the REAL truth with regards to both migrants, and the police who did nothing to stop them operating their "grooming gangs".
Another thing that pissed me off with this book, was the increasingly annoying insistence of the author to write almost all of the male characters as if they were bumbling fools who trip over their own feet, forget things immediately after having just been told them, can't make a cup of tea, or in the case of Norman Balls, be such a ridiculous caricature that it's hard to suspend any sense of disbelief when he's included. He's the butt of everyone's jokes, referred to as an incel by one of the female characters and treated so poorly by Kett et al that it makes me dislike them for having been written this way...almost as if it were cathartic for the author to have someone who even he could easily punch down at.
The female characters are of course all really smart, witty, sassy, better able to handle the sight of dead bodies, better at driving, have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the lore and legend of East Anglia, think they can take on men in a fight, and even head up an armed response unit, because...um...girl power or something? The way in which the two genders are portrayed are exactly what one would expect from a sitcom made in the past 30 years, or in various television adverts where the man is always the dopey buffoon and the wise, problem-solving women are all but rolling their eyes for their "sisters" who are watching them. And I'm not exaggerating. At one point there was an exchange between the 'Super-Perfect-Mary-Sue' - aka - Savage, and the 'Oh-So-Quirky-Manic-Pixie-Medical-Examiner' - aka - Franklin, that went:
"This is the only date I'm getting. " Savage said. "Story of my life."
"Preach, sister,">/i> said Franklin, returning to her work.
Sorry, I didn't realise that the story had been set in the 'Women's Studies' class, circa 1998.
It probably didn't register with most other readers, but I was already pissed off with this book, so to have an exchange like that just set my teeth even more on edge than they already were. There was just too much of this lazy reliance on woke stereotypes. Which is funny, because Smith tries to use the term 'woke' in this book too, for some reason (probably trying to make it seem current and forgetting that in future, this sort of thing will actually make the book feel dated and pull other readers out of the story too) and it just contributed to the list of annoyances that this book plagued me with, from beginning to end.
The cryptic crossword clue was very easy to solve - but then if you're used to doing cryptic crosswords then you know the certain little 'tells' that each clue contains, and which will make figuring out the answer a lot easier. I'd figured out how the characters chosen to battle it out in the van had been selected (and by whom) at around the 65% mark. It seemed very obvious to me, but then I'm used to seeing how a killer is usually introduced to us at a certain point of the story, and then not really referenced much after that. It's a formula that I've liked and enjoyed throughout most of the other 14 books in this series. And I did really love them when I first came across one on the titles on Amazon Unlimited and immediately went and downloaded another handful of them, as soon as I'd finished reading 'Paper Girls'. But I had to take a break after the previous title in this series, because the OTT schlocky humour between everyone on the MIT just got to be too much for me. Having Superintendent Clare use the words 'toss', 'tosser', 'tossing' or 'tossbadger' was funny at first, but now it's just grating. It's been done to death and now, instead of it offering some light-hearted juxtaposition against the darker elements of the crimes in these stories, it just derails my focus for no reason whatsoever.
I don't need for there to be light relief in violent crime fiction. I like visceral descriptions of violence, creative ways of killing people and storylines that are exciting and, despite on the face of it, being unbelievable, are drawn so well that they're real to me goddamn it! If I don't want to read about horrific, savage attacks and cruel sadistic plans to harm/hurt/kill the characters I'm reading about, I'll go read another genre. It's the last few days of October now and I feel as though I should be reading something for the "spooky season". I have the next book in this series already purchased and when I bought it, I remember thinking that it sounded as though it would be perfect for this time of year because it also has a bit of a spooky element to it. (I've actually got #16/ 'Every Last Devil', #17/ 'Red Line' and #18/ 'Cold Iron Kills' all sat on my Kindle because I was previously really happy to keep on reading about Robert Kett and I don't want to not read them when I've paid for them.
But the thing is, I will read them. I want to read them. I know that might sound odd considering I just listed all of the things I didn't like about THIS book, but you know what? Even with all of those little niggles set aside, these books are a hecking great rollercoaster ride once you get into them. All that stuff about politics and gender roles aside, Alex Smith knows how to write a damn good crime fiction/thriller. He knows how to drop just the right amount of breadcrumbs so that you might guess who the perpetrator is in one book, but have absolutely zero idea in the next one. Yes, the friendly relationships that all of the character in the MIT is a bit cheesy, but I can easily overlook that when I'm also getting lots of graphic descriptions of whatever little slice of hell that Smith has decided to put his characters through this time.
I read this entire book in one sitting. It's a certified "page-turner" and all my little complaints aside, I cannot give this book anything less than a much deserved 4 star rating. The action scenes were exciting, the sub-plot was a great addition, and the torturous scenarios & settings Smith put some of his characters through were wonderfully & despicably heinous. I actually had a great time reading this book. Maybe it's because we right leaning individuals have had to try to put politics aside whenever we've interacted with/appreciated the visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, digital art), performing arts (theater, music, dance), literature (prose & poetry, or the world of computer/video games). It's become something so ubiquitously present, that in order to be able to enjoy immersing ourselves in something fun, we just have to take what want from the experience and try not to focus on all of the left-wing propaganda peppered throughout.
I've really enjoyed this series, because aside from each book working well as a standalone, there has been another thread running through them, which brings Kett back into the clutches of a vast, sprawling, underground network of sadistic killers, and finding himself once again, having to take down another head from the hydra that is Hollenbeck. This particular instalment didn't have anything to do with that group, but I have a feeling that they're going to resurface in another title soon enough. And I'm totally here for it. If I had to guess, I'd say that the next member of the team to be targeted and put through a horrific ordeal, has to be Pete; especially after what happened in this book. I don't think this series will be able to go on for much longer though. For one, we'll have run out of colleagues to be put through the wringer, and secondly, it sounds as though Kett's body is getting slower, weaker and wracked with more and more pain, with each subsequent storyline. Whether he likes it or not, he's going to have to retire from the force altogether, or be relegated to a desk job, which doesn't sound like something I think he could bring himself to do. So, I think we're going to come to an end with this particular series, in the not-too-distant future.
I saw that Alex Smith has started to write another series featuring DI Harrison Baird, which is set in the DCI Robert Kett 'universe', but I don't know that I want to jump into that series just yet. From what I can gather about it there are similar comedic themes assigned to some of the characters (the blurb says that our protag has little to worry about, save for how to avoid eating DI Henry Crump’s awful fish pie; which seems like a copy of the Pete Porter's inability to make a cup of tea, mixed in with the time everyone was trying to avoid eating Superintendent Clare's 'Bounty' bar cake. And on top of that, DI Baird is relocating from a big city to a town in East Anglia, which was how we were first introduced to Robert Kett. It just feels as though it's going to be cut from the exact same cloth as the "Kett universe" and I don't know if I'm up for more of the same, only with some new fames and faces at the helm of each instalment.
But that is a worry for another day. For now I'm just going to settle in with the next book in THIS series 'Every Last Devil' which will hopefully give me the little taste of spookiness I'm looking for, as we move into the next sabbat on 'The Wheel Of The Year'. It's Samhain, which marks the beginning of the Celtic new year, and is the celebration of the traditional Gaelic festival of the start of winter. And this year it falls exactly on the same day as Halloween (or 'Hop-Tu-Naa' as it is known here on the Isle of Man) so I'm going to be sipping on some tea made with lemon & cinnamon, lighting a black candle, and reading what I hope is going to be another wild story with just enough of the spooky stuff to be feel like it's appropriate for this time of year.
The plot in this installment was really well executed and well paced. (Not as original as other readers seem to think though; it's a very similar plot to the movie 'Kidnap Capital; (2015) where a sadistic gang in the Philippines kidnaps tourists - including couples - and forces them into gladiatorial-style fights in a basement arena for ransom and sport; and there are also some elements from another film 'Would You Rather' (2012) worked into the storyline too), but it was the repeated injection of lefty politics that was annoyingly jarring to me. I don't know why author's do this. Do they assume that everyone who is reading their books thinks the same way as them? Because we don't. I don't read crime-fiction in order to hear the author try to be as insulting as they possibly can to anyone who leans right. There was an unnecessary part where a pub in a low-income area, was almost farcically described as if conjured up by the nightmares of a Guardian hack who thinks anyone who has the audacity to want to fly a Union Jack or a St George's flag, is some kind of backwards, angry racist.
I've always thought that Alex Smith has been brilliant when writing characters, but it seems his creative genius, perhaps only applies to evil ne'er do wells? Maybe he just doesn't spend much time around people who don't lean left? And maybe that's why his descriptions of those who might have had the nerve to want to vote to leave Brexit, look like cartoonish caricatures that fall short of offering anything other than his obvious distaste, for those who lean a little bit further to the right of Mao than him. Describing a married couple as looking as though they were actually carved from a hunk of gammon wasn't the hilarious little dig he thought it was. It pulled me immediately out of the story and had me wondering why the hell someone who is obviously very good at creating amusingly imperfect yet believably likeable characters, throughout this series, felt the need to rely upon the kind of trite, unimaginative bollocks I'd expect to read in a tabloid newspaper.
That kind of thing isn't just mildly annoying, it's enough to pull the reader out of the story and cause the 'suspension of disbelief' needed in order to read these kinds of book, to start to dissolve, as the otherwise engaging, exciting tale of suspense stops being a vector for escapism and instead becomes yet one more medium for the hectoring leftists, more concerned with staying "on message" than keeping all readers thoroughly immersed in their writing. Likewise, I really didn't need to read the pointlessly included little back & forth between Kett & Porter who for some reason needed to talk about illegal immigrants as if they were all just a poor, desperate, underclass of people for whom all native Brits should feel nothing but pathological empathy. Which is even more ridiculous when these characters are supposed to be police officers, and as such will have been more than aware of just how many instances of rape, sexual assault, torture, kidnap and sex trafficking have been going on in Britain for the past few decades, with almost all of the culprits being either recently arrived migrants, settled migrants or second generation migrants. The police in almost every town where this was (and still is) going on, knew exactly what was happening but chose not to do anything about it because they were afraid of being labelled "racist". And for anyone who takes issue with my talking about his in a review for a fictitious book...well Alex Smith started it by deciding to inject IRL politics into a story which is supposed to be a bit of escapist fun. He pulled me out of the story and got me thinking about the REAL truth with regards to both migrants, and the police who did nothing to stop them operating their "grooming gangs".
Another thing that pissed me off with this book, was the increasingly annoying insistence of the author to write almost all of the male characters as if they were bumbling fools who trip over their own feet, forget things immediately after having just been told them, can't make a cup of tea, or in the case of Norman Balls, be such a ridiculous caricature that it's hard to suspend any sense of disbelief when he's included. He's the butt of everyone's jokes, referred to as an incel by one of the female characters and treated so poorly by Kett et al that it makes me dislike them for having been written this way...almost as if it were cathartic for the author to have someone who even he could easily punch down at.
The female characters are of course all really smart, witty, sassy, better able to handle the sight of dead bodies, better at driving, have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the lore and legend of East Anglia, think they can take on men in a fight, and even head up an armed response unit, because...um...girl power or something? The way in which the two genders are portrayed are exactly what one would expect from a sitcom made in the past 30 years, or in various television adverts where the man is always the dopey buffoon and the wise, problem-solving women are all but rolling their eyes for their "sisters" who are watching them. And I'm not exaggerating. At one point there was an exchange between the 'Super-Perfect-Mary-Sue' - aka - Savage, and the 'Oh-So-Quirky-Manic-Pixie-Medical-Examiner' - aka - Franklin, that went:
"This is the only date I'm getting. " Savage said. "Story of my life."
"Preach, sister,">/i> said Franklin, returning to her work.
Sorry, I didn't realise that the story had been set in the 'Women's Studies' class, circa 1998.
It probably didn't register with most other readers, but I was already pissed off with this book, so to have an exchange like that just set my teeth even more on edge than they already were. There was just too much of this lazy reliance on woke stereotypes. Which is funny, because Smith tries to use the term 'woke' in this book too, for some reason (probably trying to make it seem current and forgetting that in future, this sort of thing will actually make the book feel dated and pull other readers out of the story too) and it just contributed to the list of annoyances that this book plagued me with, from beginning to end.
The cryptic crossword clue was very easy to solve - but then if you're used to doing cryptic crosswords then you know the certain little 'tells' that each clue contains, and which will make figuring out the answer a lot easier. I'd figured out how the characters chosen to battle it out in the van had been selected (and by whom) at around the 65% mark. It seemed very obvious to me, but then I'm used to seeing how a killer is usually introduced to us at a certain point of the story, and then not really referenced much after that. It's a formula that I've liked and enjoyed throughout most of the other 14 books in this series. And I did really love them when I first came across one on the titles on Amazon Unlimited and immediately went and downloaded another handful of them, as soon as I'd finished reading 'Paper Girls'. But I had to take a break after the previous title in this series, because the OTT schlocky humour between everyone on the MIT just got to be too much for me. Having Superintendent Clare use the words 'toss', 'tosser', 'tossing' or 'tossbadger' was funny at first, but now it's just grating. It's been done to death and now, instead of it offering some light-hearted juxtaposition against the darker elements of the crimes in these stories, it just derails my focus for no reason whatsoever.
I don't need for there to be light relief in violent crime fiction. I like visceral descriptions of violence, creative ways of killing people and storylines that are exciting and, despite on the face of it, being unbelievable, are drawn so well that they're real to me goddamn it! If I don't want to read about horrific, savage attacks and cruel sadistic plans to harm/hurt/kill the characters I'm reading about, I'll go read another genre. It's the last few days of October now and I feel as though I should be reading something for the "spooky season". I have the next book in this series already purchased and when I bought it, I remember thinking that it sounded as though it would be perfect for this time of year because it also has a bit of a spooky element to it. (I've actually got #16/ 'Every Last Devil', #17/ 'Red Line' and #18/ 'Cold Iron Kills' all sat on my Kindle because I was previously really happy to keep on reading about Robert Kett and I don't want to not read them when I've paid for them.
But the thing is, I will read them. I want to read them. I know that might sound odd considering I just listed all of the things I didn't like about THIS book, but you know what? Even with all of those little niggles set aside, these books are a hecking great rollercoaster ride once you get into them. All that stuff about politics and gender roles aside, Alex Smith knows how to write a damn good crime fiction/thriller. He knows how to drop just the right amount of breadcrumbs so that you might guess who the perpetrator is in one book, but have absolutely zero idea in the next one. Yes, the friendly relationships that all of the character in the MIT is a bit cheesy, but I can easily overlook that when I'm also getting lots of graphic descriptions of whatever little slice of hell that Smith has decided to put his characters through this time.
I read this entire book in one sitting. It's a certified "page-turner" and all my little complaints aside, I cannot give this book anything less than a much deserved 4 star rating. The action scenes were exciting, the sub-plot was a great addition, and the torturous scenarios & settings Smith put some of his characters through were wonderfully & despicably heinous. I actually had a great time reading this book. Maybe it's because we right leaning individuals have had to try to put politics aside whenever we've interacted with/appreciated the visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, digital art), performing arts (theater, music, dance), literature (prose & poetry, or the world of computer/video games). It's become something so ubiquitously present, that in order to be able to enjoy immersing ourselves in something fun, we just have to take what want from the experience and try not to focus on all of the left-wing propaganda peppered throughout.
I've really enjoyed this series, because aside from each book working well as a standalone, there has been another thread running through them, which brings Kett back into the clutches of a vast, sprawling, underground network of sadistic killers, and finding himself once again, having to take down another head from the hydra that is Hollenbeck. This particular instalment didn't have anything to do with that group, but I have a feeling that they're going to resurface in another title soon enough. And I'm totally here for it. If I had to guess, I'd say that the next member of the team to be targeted and put through a horrific ordeal, has to be Pete; especially after what happened in this book. I don't think this series will be able to go on for much longer though. For one, we'll have run out of colleagues to be put through the wringer, and secondly, it sounds as though Kett's body is getting slower, weaker and wracked with more and more pain, with each subsequent storyline. Whether he likes it or not, he's going to have to retire from the force altogether, or be relegated to a desk job, which doesn't sound like something I think he could bring himself to do. So, I think we're going to come to an end with this particular series, in the not-too-distant future.
I saw that Alex Smith has started to write another series featuring DI Harrison Baird, which is set in the DCI Robert Kett 'universe', but I don't know that I want to jump into that series just yet. From what I can gather about it there are similar comedic themes assigned to some of the characters (the blurb says that our protag has little to worry about, save for how to avoid eating DI Henry Crump’s awful fish pie; which seems like a copy of the Pete Porter's inability to make a cup of tea, mixed in with the time everyone was trying to avoid eating Superintendent Clare's 'Bounty' bar cake. And on top of that, DI Baird is relocating from a big city to a town in East Anglia, which was how we were first introduced to Robert Kett. It just feels as though it's going to be cut from the exact same cloth as the "Kett universe" and I don't know if I'm up for more of the same, only with some new fames and faces at the helm of each instalment.
But that is a worry for another day. For now I'm just going to settle in with the next book in THIS series 'Every Last Devil' which will hopefully give me the little taste of spookiness I'm looking for, as we move into the next sabbat on 'The Wheel Of The Year'. It's Samhain, which marks the beginning of the Celtic new year, and is the celebration of the traditional Gaelic festival of the start of winter. And this year it falls exactly on the same day as Halloween (or 'Hop-Tu-Naa' as it is known here on the Isle of Man) so I'm going to be sipping on some tea made with lemon & cinnamon, lighting a black candle, and reading what I hope is going to be another wild story with just enough of the spooky stuff to be feel like it's appropriate for this time of year.
February 1, 2025
Another twisty, crime from Alex. This guy really knows how to write a brilliant crime novel. Everyone of the ones I've read have been very exciting. I'm really enjoying all the characters and hope to read more soon.
April 25, 2025
These characters really need some stress free vacations lol
April 9, 2024
Another brilliant book from Alex Smith.
The story is set around Valentines Day and the killer in this book definitely has a warped sense of love.
When Kett is called to reception to find a man who tells him he was made to kill his wife, he doesn’t quite know where to start.
Soon another couple have been subjected to the same treatment with one of them being found burnt to a crisp in a lorry.
Kett and the team work hard to find a link between the couples but aren’t prepared when the killer strikes close to home.
This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed and as always the humour in these books add another element to the crime story that I love.
A brilliant book.
The story is set around Valentines Day and the killer in this book definitely has a warped sense of love.
When Kett is called to reception to find a man who tells him he was made to kill his wife, he doesn’t quite know where to start.
Soon another couple have been subjected to the same treatment with one of them being found burnt to a crisp in a lorry.
Kett and the team work hard to find a link between the couples but aren’t prepared when the killer strikes close to home.
This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed and as always the humour in these books add another element to the crime story that I love.
A brilliant book.
Read
April 16, 2024Brilliant as always
I love all the team and Clares dialogue has me crying with laughter
After discovering this author thanks to J D Kirk I've bought everyone as soon as it comes out and have enjoyed everyone. Keep them coming
I love all the team and Clares dialogue has me crying with laughter
After discovering this author thanks to J D Kirk I've bought everyone as soon as it comes out and have enjoyed everyone. Keep them coming
May 18, 2024
Love these books
It was good to catch up with Kett and the gang. Would love these to be taken up by Netflix!
It was good to catch up with Kett and the gang. Would love these to be taken up by Netflix!
March 15, 2025
Wow just wow!! I’m gonna need a minute pretty sure I forgot to breathe for a while there
August 27, 2024
I always enjoy Kett stories and this was no exception! Great twist ☺️
April 25, 2024
As always I look forward to new offerings from the pen of Alex Smith, It has been so since reading his YA Furnace Series over a decade ago. I picked up this title on release day but did not get to it for a week and then I read in over 2 days and 3 sittings. It is another excellent volume in a great series. I could hardly put it down. I got up very early to start it on it the second day, and stayed up way too late that next night reading.
The description of this volume is:
“Love can be murder …
It’s Valentine’s Day, and DCI Robert Kett and the Extreme Crime Task Force are preparing to join in the romantic celebrations when a shocking confession throws the city into chaos.
A man walks into the police station and admits to brutally murdering his wife.
And he claims somebody else forced him to do it.
Nobody believes his story, but when two more innocent victims vanish, the blood-drenched evidence starts pointing to a killer who gets his kicks by putting devoted couples through an unimaginable trial of terror and torture—turning them against each other in the name of an unsettling local tradition.
Love may be in the air, but death stalks the streets.
And how do you catch a killer who doesn’t actually kill?”
This story hits right from the beginning. Right from the start it is clear someone is play a very sadistic game. But they are playing it with other people’s lives. And with each iteration of the game the stakes go up. Kett and the team are trying to put together these seemingly random selections of victims. They just cannot find a connection and it just does not make any sense. But they must put the pieces together for the crimes are escalating and show no signs of stopping.
The team in this one is struggling to put the pieces together and Clare’s insistence on redicilous nicknames is not helping at all. Neither is his wife’s decision to have a period of celibacy. And when you toss in a bent cop, human trafficking, and other stuff they stumble upon it proves to be a very rough Valentine’s day for Kett and the team.
I actually figured this one out part way through. It is still a pretty dark piece of Bristish Crime fiction. If you have read the other DCI Kett books this one is a must read. If you happen to be a fan of rough and tough action you will almost certainly enjoy this novel. And the other books in the series. This is the sixteenth of the DCI Kett stories that I have read, the seventeenth novel where Kett makes an appearance. Kett made a brief appearance in The Harder They Fall, the first of the Softley Series of books.
About the author we are informed that:
“Alex Smith wrote his first book when he was six. It wasn’t particularly good, but it did have some supernatural monsters in it. His latest books, the DCI Robert Kett thrillers, have monsters in it too, although these monsters are very human, and all the more terrifying for it. In between these two books he has published thirteen other novels for children and teenagers under his full name, Alexander Gordon Smith—including the number one bestselling series Escape From Furnace, which is loved by millions of readers worldwide and which is soon to become a motion picture. He lives in Norwich with his wife and three young daughters.”
My original introduction to Smith’s works were The Furnace novels many years ago. I have not read everything he has published but much of it. They are almost always edge of your seat thrillers. I still hope that someday he will finally release book 2 is the Softley Softley Series, but until then I am thankful for another read in this dark and gritty series. For some the Kett stories will be the things of nightmares, for others a look at the underside of society. But no matter how you read them they are crime thrillers with a lot of action, great characters and often a significant violence! This one has several surprises for Kett, the team and for us the readers! It is well worth the read.
The description of this volume is:
“Love can be murder …
It’s Valentine’s Day, and DCI Robert Kett and the Extreme Crime Task Force are preparing to join in the romantic celebrations when a shocking confession throws the city into chaos.
A man walks into the police station and admits to brutally murdering his wife.
And he claims somebody else forced him to do it.
Nobody believes his story, but when two more innocent victims vanish, the blood-drenched evidence starts pointing to a killer who gets his kicks by putting devoted couples through an unimaginable trial of terror and torture—turning them against each other in the name of an unsettling local tradition.
Love may be in the air, but death stalks the streets.
And how do you catch a killer who doesn’t actually kill?”
This story hits right from the beginning. Right from the start it is clear someone is play a very sadistic game. But they are playing it with other people’s lives. And with each iteration of the game the stakes go up. Kett and the team are trying to put together these seemingly random selections of victims. They just cannot find a connection and it just does not make any sense. But they must put the pieces together for the crimes are escalating and show no signs of stopping.
The team in this one is struggling to put the pieces together and Clare’s insistence on redicilous nicknames is not helping at all. Neither is his wife’s decision to have a period of celibacy. And when you toss in a bent cop, human trafficking, and other stuff they stumble upon it proves to be a very rough Valentine’s day for Kett and the team.
I actually figured this one out part way through. It is still a pretty dark piece of Bristish Crime fiction. If you have read the other DCI Kett books this one is a must read. If you happen to be a fan of rough and tough action you will almost certainly enjoy this novel. And the other books in the series. This is the sixteenth of the DCI Kett stories that I have read, the seventeenth novel where Kett makes an appearance. Kett made a brief appearance in The Harder They Fall, the first of the Softley Series of books.
About the author we are informed that:
“Alex Smith wrote his first book when he was six. It wasn’t particularly good, but it did have some supernatural monsters in it. His latest books, the DCI Robert Kett thrillers, have monsters in it too, although these monsters are very human, and all the more terrifying for it. In between these two books he has published thirteen other novels for children and teenagers under his full name, Alexander Gordon Smith—including the number one bestselling series Escape From Furnace, which is loved by millions of readers worldwide and which is soon to become a motion picture. He lives in Norwich with his wife and three young daughters.”
My original introduction to Smith’s works were The Furnace novels many years ago. I have not read everything he has published but much of it. They are almost always edge of your seat thrillers. I still hope that someday he will finally release book 2 is the Softley Softley Series, but until then I am thankful for another read in this dark and gritty series. For some the Kett stories will be the things of nightmares, for others a look at the underside of society. But no matter how you read them they are crime thrillers with a lot of action, great characters and often a significant violence! This one has several surprises for Kett, the team and for us the readers! It is well worth the read.
April 10, 2024
Truly, Madly, Deadly -
OMG! The series that just keeps giving. The Kett series is undoubtedly my favourite series of books. I often say, can they get any better. This one will grab you from the start and have you laughing, crying and turning the pages as quickly as you can. No plot give aways, but there were a few times I was actually in tears, and I am not usually a very emotional person. I just didn’t want to put this book down, but unfortunately I have to work and couldn’t just keep reading it from start to finish in one go. As with the whole series there are also laugh out loud moments with a team that all Kett readers have grown to love. As with most of my Kett reviews, this can be read as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend you start at book 1 and work your way through the whole series. You will not be disappointed. Whilst I enjoy all the books, I really did think this was top notch. An easy 5 out of 5. I’d give it more stars if they were available. Thank you Alex.
OMG! The series that just keeps giving. The Kett series is undoubtedly my favourite series of books. I often say, can they get any better. This one will grab you from the start and have you laughing, crying and turning the pages as quickly as you can. No plot give aways, but there were a few times I was actually in tears, and I am not usually a very emotional person. I just didn’t want to put this book down, but unfortunately I have to work and couldn’t just keep reading it from start to finish in one go. As with the whole series there are also laugh out loud moments with a team that all Kett readers have grown to love. As with most of my Kett reviews, this can be read as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend you start at book 1 and work your way through the whole series. You will not be disappointed. Whilst I enjoy all the books, I really did think this was top notch. An easy 5 out of 5. I’d give it more stars if they were available. Thank you Alex.
June 30, 2024
I havnt written a review on every book in series as iv not long made a proper account on here but they would all say same thing anyway... absolutely brilliant! I started reading them when there was only about 5 or 6 books out and kept getting the next on preorder on my kindle
I'm not normally a police crime solving book person prefer other types of psychological thrillers but these really got me hooked, some of them I finished in 3 days!
Think there are about 15 now which is alot for a book series but if you have read them I'm sure most will agree the characters are great u just love them especially Ketts kids 😂 and what he goes thru from book 1 to get his wife back is heart wrenching, that story line carries on for few books as well as the case they solve in each book
They are quite dark crimes some worse than others but really recommend for crime thriller fans these are a must 💯💯
I'm not normally a police crime solving book person prefer other types of psychological thrillers but these really got me hooked, some of them I finished in 3 days!
Think there are about 15 now which is alot for a book series but if you have read them I'm sure most will agree the characters are great u just love them especially Ketts kids 😂 and what he goes thru from book 1 to get his wife back is heart wrenching, that story line carries on for few books as well as the case they solve in each book
They are quite dark crimes some worse than others but really recommend for crime thriller fans these are a must 💯💯
April 13, 2024
OMG, The Best Yet!
What an ending. I loved the "blow the bloody doors off" reference from The Italian Job. Also adored the off the wall humor which came thick and fast in this book. The characters are absolutely priceless...especially Duke and Clare. It is a shame that Clare's wife has picked this time to take a brief sabbatical with dire consequences. The nicknames, the tossed insults and of course Kett's daughters' favorite phrase are in there and so clever. Brilliant plot perfectly wrought. Smith has outdone himself on this one. Even little dog, Colin, makes a pointed appearance. Ooo, just delicious!!!
What an ending. I loved the "blow the bloody doors off" reference from The Italian Job. Also adored the off the wall humor which came thick and fast in this book. The characters are absolutely priceless...especially Duke and Clare. It is a shame that Clare's wife has picked this time to take a brief sabbatical with dire consequences. The nicknames, the tossed insults and of course Kett's daughters' favorite phrase are in there and so clever. Brilliant plot perfectly wrought. Smith has outdone himself on this one. Even little dog, Colin, makes a pointed appearance. Ooo, just delicious!!!
April 15, 2024
SUPERB!
Book 15 as expected was an absolute belter! I am completely addicted to this fabulous series. Such a powerful story based around love or the lack of it. The characters have grown well over the series all equally necessary to make such a wonderful reading experience. At an early part of the story Duke was trying a little word association and I nearly choked on my apple with laughing out loud with what he came up with sooo funny. Superintendent allocating nick names was hilarious. It is a very tense story and the ending had me biting my nails. A well deserved 5 star again Alex, well done. BP Sheffield
Book 15 as expected was an absolute belter! I am completely addicted to this fabulous series. Such a powerful story based around love or the lack of it. The characters have grown well over the series all equally necessary to make such a wonderful reading experience. At an early part of the story Duke was trying a little word association and I nearly choked on my apple with laughing out loud with what he came up with sooo funny. Superintendent allocating nick names was hilarious. It is a very tense story and the ending had me biting my nails. A well deserved 5 star again Alex, well done. BP Sheffield
October 31, 2024
Love is great
Alex, bringing such love entwined with the worst example of human nature was different - well done on using Valentine's Day as your theme. Following on from my previous review, this book is another shining example of writing that shows human emotions and the less glorious aspects of how policing affects officers personally - something that other writers seem to ignore generally. And of course the storyline is cracking great, with the ending and reveal still a surprise.
And thank you for giving Dawson a very special involvement although a "don't drink as you read" warning lol
Alex, bringing such love entwined with the worst example of human nature was different - well done on using Valentine's Day as your theme. Following on from my previous review, this book is another shining example of writing that shows human emotions and the less glorious aspects of how policing affects officers personally - something that other writers seem to ignore generally. And of course the storyline is cracking great, with the ending and reveal still a surprise.
And thank you for giving Dawson a very special involvement although a "don't drink as you read" warning lol
May 11, 2025
Truly Madly Deeply: (DCI Kett Crime Thrillers Book 15)
I really have enjoyed reading this series of DCI Kett crime books, in order from the beginning. The only way to do it. I am amazed an ordinary person could write about some of the things in this series. Alex Smith must have the very best talent to write all the books he has written. An amazing talent, his creative vibe must surely be up there with the exceptional!! All hail to Alex Smith, who has filled my days with books to read for the past couple of weeks. Good job I am retired because I just can’t put the Kindle off!! Thank you for using your talent for all us prolific readers. 💕
I really have enjoyed reading this series of DCI Kett crime books, in order from the beginning. The only way to do it. I am amazed an ordinary person could write about some of the things in this series. Alex Smith must have the very best talent to write all the books he has written. An amazing talent, his creative vibe must surely be up there with the exceptional!! All hail to Alex Smith, who has filled my days with books to read for the past couple of weeks. Good job I am retired because I just can’t put the Kindle off!! Thank you for using your talent for all us prolific readers. 💕
April 30, 2024
Mr Smith, you cannot ABSOLUTELY not do that again! Never, ever again, ok? My heart almost gave out and I had tears in my eyes!
Truly Madly Deadly is the best book so far ( and all the other books are fantastic ) but this one? a masterpiece!
it had Norfolks finest ( Kett, Porter, Duke, Clare, Savage, Spalding, Balls ) , it had fantastic witnesses ( the old couple!!) it had some really deranged and evil characters and the murders were just awful!
Fantastic read!
And thank you for the Nicknames.. I think I'm going to use some of them ;)
Truly Madly Deadly is the best book so far ( and all the other books are fantastic ) but this one? a masterpiece!
it had Norfolks finest ( Kett, Porter, Duke, Clare, Savage, Spalding, Balls ) , it had fantastic witnesses ( the old couple!!) it had some really deranged and evil characters and the murders were just awful!
Fantastic read!
And thank you for the Nicknames.. I think I'm going to use some of them ;)
May 4, 2024
Heartstoppingly great.
A fabulously written installment of Kett & Co, taking me on an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I felt genuine stress and fear at times, was laughing out loud uncontrollably at others. I tried my best to read it slowly and make it last as long as I could - but as always, I think I inhaled this book. Alex never fails to take you on a journey, having you question the human psyche, and making you wonder how on earth anyone can create such complex and original plots over and over again.
Darkness and Light coming together so effortlessly.
A fabulously written installment of Kett & Co, taking me on an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I felt genuine stress and fear at times, was laughing out loud uncontrollably at others. I tried my best to read it slowly and make it last as long as I could - but as always, I think I inhaled this book. Alex never fails to take you on a journey, having you question the human psyche, and making you wonder how on earth anyone can create such complex and original plots over and over again.
Darkness and Light coming together so effortlessly.
June 29, 2025
Just finished reading Truly, Madly, Deadly by Alex Smith, absolutely fantastic read. As usual couldn't put it down. His books just seem to get better and better if that's even possible. Superb plot. You actually feel like your there with DCI Kett and the team. I was so emotional by the end, you will have to read it to see what happens. These books always make me laugh my socks off but the emotions this book put me through 😊 Well Done Alex Smith. Great book.Thoroughly recommend this author. His books are superb 📖😊
April 10, 2024
This series is by far my favorite, absolutely brilliant and funny af. Someone is targeting Valentine's Day to make loving couples fight it out to the death of at least one in a locked on fire lorry. And they keep one step ahead of the team. Kett is tired and hurting throughout but brilliant as always, new nicknames from Clare, Duke is trying so hard to ask Savage a question, Porter is his fun self....it's a fun run and absolutely hilarious.
April 12, 2024
Truly Madly Deadly
OMG what a book. I love the Robbie Kett series. A fantastic team that work together seamlessly and for me are like family that i love to hear whats been happening to them. I am not ashamed to say i shed a tear at the end of the book. Both saddness and relief. Cant wait for the next book. I so hope Clare gets his wishes it will be the most eclectic wedding ever.
OMG what a book. I love the Robbie Kett series. A fantastic team that work together seamlessly and for me are like family that i love to hear whats been happening to them. I am not ashamed to say i shed a tear at the end of the book. Both saddness and relief. Cant wait for the next book. I so hope Clare gets his wishes it will be the most eclectic wedding ever.
April 12, 2024
Truly Madly Deadly by Alex Smith
Truly Madly Deeply by Alex Smith is book 15 in the DCI Kett crime thriller series.
This time the team are up against a Valentine death series, when a couple are placed in a locked truck and the survivor is let loose whilst the loser dies and is then incinerated in the burning truck.
Madness and mayhem run rampant, that is just the police team, without taking into account serial killers.
Recommended
Truly Madly Deeply by Alex Smith is book 15 in the DCI Kett crime thriller series.
This time the team are up against a Valentine death series, when a couple are placed in a locked truck and the survivor is let loose whilst the loser dies and is then incinerated in the burning truck.
Madness and mayhem run rampant, that is just the police team, without taking into account serial killers.
Recommended
April 21, 2024
This is book 15 in this series and it’s still just as fresh and probably one of favourite detective series ever, Kett is just unmatched, I think it’s because of all that he’s endured.
The story was absolutely incredible, i read it so quick because i was on the edge of my seat.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading the end, I thought the author can’t do that to us not after everything they’ve been through
This was another adrenaline filled instalment.
The story was absolutely incredible, i read it so quick because i was on the edge of my seat.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading the end, I thought the author can’t do that to us not after everything they’ve been through
This was another adrenaline filled instalment.
May 1, 2024
Another fabulous read from Alex Smith! DCI Kett and his trusty gang of detectives solve the grisly crime under intense pressure. A powerful story based around St Valentine's day and true love. Superintendent Clare is outrageous as usual with his 'tossing' comments lol! PC Duke and DS Savage bring an hilarious but touching addition to the team. The tense finale had me on the edge of my seat. Another clear winner and can't wait for the next one.
August 17, 2024
Excellent read
Another excellent addition to the DCI Kett series and as always, lots of ups and downs, suspense and laughs and even got a bit teary at the end. I do love this series, the story is always well paced and interesting and I adore the characters, they feel like old friends now. This book was great, had me wondering where the story was going and wrapped up really well at the end.
Another excellent addition to the DCI Kett series and as always, lots of ups and downs, suspense and laughs and even got a bit teary at the end. I do love this series, the story is always well paced and interesting and I adore the characters, they feel like old friends now. This book was great, had me wondering where the story was going and wrapped up really well at the end.
April 8, 2024
Alex Smith consistently and quickly turns out excellent books. His plots always have my heart racing and hoping the good guys prevail over the absolutely despicable villains. This book had one proofreading error when "discretely" was used instead of "discreetly." Spoiler ahead: Thank you for saving all of our leading characters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2024
Brilliant!
This book is brilliant! The plot is excellent, with the usual twists & turns I have come to expect from Alex Smith. Although the story is dark, other bits are hilarious with Superintendent Clare doing his usual best to ‘toss’ everybody off!!!! Read the whole series…… again brilliant!
This book is brilliant! The plot is excellent, with the usual twists & turns I have come to expect from Alex Smith. Although the story is dark, other bits are hilarious with Superintendent Clare doing his usual best to ‘toss’ everybody off!!!! Read the whole series…… again brilliant!
April 19, 2024
Just SO GOOD
Is it possible for these to keep just getting better and better with each new book??? I posit that it is possible and is happening. I love all the DCI Kett books, but this one had me laughing, nerve-wracked, and wanting to be in love all at the same time. PLEASE keep them coming, Alex Smith!!!!!
Is it possible for these to keep just getting better and better with each new book??? I posit that it is possible and is happening. I love all the DCI Kett books, but this one had me laughing, nerve-wracked, and wanting to be in love all at the same time. PLEASE keep them coming, Alex Smith!!!!!
April 20, 2024
Wow. The best Kett book yet & I have loved every single one.
I was hooked immediately, the plot was so dark & scary at times. How does he come up with these ideas?
The end had me experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, I was scared, sad, happy, I felt totally overwhelmed. Truly an outstanding book.
Can’t wait for the next one.
I was hooked immediately, the plot was so dark & scary at times. How does he come up with these ideas?
The end had me experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, I was scared, sad, happy, I felt totally overwhelmed. Truly an outstanding book.
Can’t wait for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2024
Love the Kett series and this was no exception. They are set in Norfolk. It is Valentines day and Jack valentine is up to some nasty tricks. Superintendent Clare is tossing brilliant, as he has a bit of stress in his personal life, and the rest of the team are full of life as the body count mounts. A terrific read. I couldn't work out who was the mastermind but couldn't put it down.
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