What do you think?
Rate this book
DI Hillary Greene #12
A Narrow Return
Ex-Detective Inspector Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley to work on cold cases for her new boss. Now a civilian, she not only has to cope with the loss of her professional status, but she has also acquired a stalker. When her superior, Superintendent Steven Crayle, is unsure about letting someone with Greene’s reputation on his team he hands her a 20-year old murder file that’s as cold as a blizzard.Who would want to slaughter a housewife and loving mother of three in her own home? And after all these years, if the original team couldn’t make a case, what chance is there of justice now? With something to prove, to both herself and her new boss, Hillary Greene knuckles down to catch a killer.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
6066 people are currently reading
869 people want to read
About the author
Faith Martin
98 books986 followersFaith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who is best known for her popular detective series, starring Detective Inspector Hillary Greene.
As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.
As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.
As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.
As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.
As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.
As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
May 21, 2018
DI Hillary Greene #12.
Now a civilian, Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley to work on cold cases for her boss. Superintendent Steven Crayle is unsure about letting someone on his team with Greene's reputation, so he hands her a twenty year old murder file that's as cold as a blizzard.
With retirement only lasting eighteen months, Hillary is back working. Now a civilian working on a cold murder case that were never solved. Her first case is of Anna McRae who was found dead in her own home. She had been beaten to death by a rolling pin. Her sister had been the prime suspect. We also learn that Hillary now has a stalker. Can Hillary solve this cold case while fending off the attention she is getting from her stalker?
There is the usual twists and turns that we get in this series. I always like the main characters. The books are always well written and easy to read. If you have not read previously, any of the books in this series, if I was you I would start with book one, otherwise you will you will miss out on a really good series.
I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Now a civilian, Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley to work on cold cases for her boss. Superintendent Steven Crayle is unsure about letting someone on his team with Greene's reputation, so he hands her a twenty year old murder file that's as cold as a blizzard.
With retirement only lasting eighteen months, Hillary is back working. Now a civilian working on a cold murder case that were never solved. Her first case is of Anna McRae who was found dead in her own home. She had been beaten to death by a rolling pin. Her sister had been the prime suspect. We also learn that Hillary now has a stalker. Can Hillary solve this cold case while fending off the attention she is getting from her stalker?
There is the usual twists and turns that we get in this series. I always like the main characters. The books are always well written and easy to read. If you have not read previously, any of the books in this series, if I was you I would start with book one, otherwise you will you will miss out on a really good series.
I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2023
After eighteen months away from Thames Valley police headquarters, Hillary Greene maneuvered her narrowboat back to its mooring, not sure if she was doing the right thing. But heading back to work, albeit into a different department, with a new title, felt right to Hillary. The Crime Review Team - CRT - was a department handling cold cases, and Hillary was now in charge. Her 2IC, Jimmy Jessop, was also an ex cop, retired then back into the thick of things, and Hillary and Jimmy hit it off straight away. Her first case, the murder of Anna McRae twenty years prior, had never been solved. Now Hillary was determined to find the murderer who'd had twenty years' freedom, whereas the victim hadn't. Secrets, lies - they were all there, but could Hillary find the answers she sought?
Murder Never Retires is the 12th in the DI Hillary Greene series by Faith Martin and once again I really enjoyed it! I love that Hillary has returned to Thames Valley Police, but am not impressed with her stalker!! But her way of getting the job done is impressive! Looking forward to the next in the series soon. Recommended.
Murder Never Retires is the 12th in the DI Hillary Greene series by Faith Martin and once again I really enjoyed it! I love that Hillary has returned to Thames Valley Police, but am not impressed with her stalker!! But her way of getting the job done is impressive! Looking forward to the next in the series soon. Recommended.
May 18, 2018
4.5 Stars
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “A NARROW RETURN.”
Her retirement has lasted all of a year and a half and now she's back. Although no longer a DI, she is working as a consult for the Police Headquarters. She has a new team and she's being given cold, cold murder cases which have never been solved.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.
Her first case is 20 years old. Anna McRae was found dead in her home, beaten to death with a rolling pin. She was a wife and mother of three children ... but since she was having an affair with her sister's husband, the sister was the prime suspect. But it could never be proven. After 20 years, whatever leads the detectives had once had have turned ice cold.
While she and her team start painstakingly putting together a new case and re-investigating the friends and families of Ms. McRae, she finds that the victim had many more secrets that were never brought to light.
What also emerges is that Hillary has a stalker. First her locker is broken into and a comb goes missing. She receives roses hand delivered to her office. A Valentine and a book of poems are next.
Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?
HIllary still has the same sharp, feisty edges she has always had. Popular with rank and file, she's no-nonsense and extremely competent in her job. Her new team consists of an older retired Sergeant who has heard of Hillary's reputation and is eager to work with her. Because of budget cuts, the other two members are civilians ... they do the grunt work to free up detectives to do the 'real' work. The young man is greener than green, but is promising in his eagerness to learn from Hillary. The other is a young woman who has designs on the boss and really doesn't want another woman around.
Great characters all around with lots of twists and turns make this crime thriller an exceptional addition to the series.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “A NARROW RETURN.”
Her retirement has lasted all of a year and a half and now she's back. Although no longer a DI, she is working as a consult for the Police Headquarters. She has a new team and she's being given cold, cold murder cases which have never been solved.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.
Her first case is 20 years old. Anna McRae was found dead in her home, beaten to death with a rolling pin. She was a wife and mother of three children ... but since she was having an affair with her sister's husband, the sister was the prime suspect. But it could never be proven. After 20 years, whatever leads the detectives had once had have turned ice cold.
While she and her team start painstakingly putting together a new case and re-investigating the friends and families of Ms. McRae, she finds that the victim had many more secrets that were never brought to light.
What also emerges is that Hillary has a stalker. First her locker is broken into and a comb goes missing. She receives roses hand delivered to her office. A Valentine and a book of poems are next.
Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?
HIllary still has the same sharp, feisty edges she has always had. Popular with rank and file, she's no-nonsense and extremely competent in her job. Her new team consists of an older retired Sergeant who has heard of Hillary's reputation and is eager to work with her. Because of budget cuts, the other two members are civilians ... they do the grunt work to free up detectives to do the 'real' work. The young man is greener than green, but is promising in his eagerness to learn from Hillary. The other is a young woman who has designs on the boss and really doesn't want another woman around.
Great characters all around with lots of twists and turns make this crime thriller an exceptional addition to the series.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
May 25, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this book.
Having read book #1 and book #3 in the series, I was actually very surprised to find that within such a short space of time since my last review (25 November 2017) so many more books in this series were published. So I somehow missed them out on NetGalley. Because of that, it was somewhat a surprise to read that Hillary is suddenly almost fifty and coming back from retirement. Oops.
Luckily, having enjoyed her retirement for more than a year, Hillary is now in full swing again and she tackels on a cold case with everything she has. And with success, of course.
Faith Martin is re-building Hillary's life all over again. With so many characters from the first books gone, there is room for new people in her life - not all of them good.
I sincerely hope to find the next book in this series soon on NG because the cliffhanger is great!
Having read book #1 and book #3 in the series, I was actually very surprised to find that within such a short space of time since my last review (25 November 2017) so many more books in this series were published. So I somehow missed them out on NetGalley. Because of that, it was somewhat a surprise to read that Hillary is suddenly almost fifty and coming back from retirement. Oops.
Luckily, having enjoyed her retirement for more than a year, Hillary is now in full swing again and she tackels on a cold case with everything she has. And with success, of course.
Faith Martin is re-building Hillary's life all over again. With so many characters from the first books gone, there is room for new people in her life - not all of them good.
I sincerely hope to find the next book in this series soon on NG because the cliffhanger is great!
August 21, 2018
Worth a shot
A new author and character for me. Although this is something like book 12 in the series, it is the start of a new chapter in her life. There were references to previous events and cases, but I don't think it mattered too much that I hadn't read previous books. Something I am about to change. I have now downloaded the first book.
The story is well thought out and developed. I was correct in my deductions at least as to part of the solution. Probably a lucky guess.
A new author and character for me. Although this is something like book 12 in the series, it is the start of a new chapter in her life. There were references to previous events and cases, but I don't think it mattered too much that I hadn't read previous books. Something I am about to change. I have now downloaded the first book.
The story is well thought out and developed. I was correct in my deductions at least as to part of the solution. Probably a lucky guess.
October 29, 2019
* Happy sigh!! *
A simply superb return for ex-DI Hillary Greene to her old hunting grounds in the form of a new consultancy to the Thames police and, dare I say it, a possible shot at a rewarding relationship.
A simply superb return for ex-DI Hillary Greene to her old hunting grounds in the form of a new consultancy to the Thames police and, dare I say it, a possible shot at a rewarding relationship.
June 15, 2018
Hillary Greene enjoyed a rather short retirement, parked her houseboat and came back to work as a police consultant assigned to cold case reviews. This is easy reading with simple construction, success in solving her first murder case that had a 20-year history to it, physical attraction to her new boss and promise of a new stalker to thwart in a future book. She is able to buy back her old car, so that is a good thing, but the stalker works where she works, so that will be unpleasant.
I have had mixed experience with this series but have liked a number of the books and will look forward to the next.
A Kindle Unlimited selection.
I have had mixed experience with this series but have liked a number of the books and will look forward to the next.
A Kindle Unlimited selection.
January 23, 2022
After retiring and travelling the canals for 18 months, Hillary Greene returns to act as a civilian consultant in the Crime Review Team. She’s handed an unsolved murder from 20 years ago and sets about reopening the investigation, ably assisted by a former police sergeant.
It’s not the action packed, rough and tumble she’s used to. And being a civilian, she doesn’t have the powers she once had. But she doesn’t let it affect her as she sets about examining the evidence and interviewing witnesses once more. It’s slow progress, tarnished only by evidence that she has an admirer, who is fast becoming a stalker.
As with all the previous novels in the series, this latest novel has all the sharp characters, conflict and humour that makes the series memorable. There are plenty of references to key moments in the past and some sharp observational humour to underpin the main story. Hillary may be a little rusty, but she soon hits her stride to find the details missed in the original investigation and identify the killer.
The series never disappoints and this novel is no exception, taking Hillary into new, but familiar territory.
It’s not the action packed, rough and tumble she’s used to. And being a civilian, she doesn’t have the powers she once had. But she doesn’t let it affect her as she sets about examining the evidence and interviewing witnesses once more. It’s slow progress, tarnished only by evidence that she has an admirer, who is fast becoming a stalker.
As with all the previous novels in the series, this latest novel has all the sharp characters, conflict and humour that makes the series memorable. There are plenty of references to key moments in the past and some sharp observational humour to underpin the main story. Hillary may be a little rusty, but she soon hits her stride to find the details missed in the original investigation and identify the killer.
The series never disappoints and this novel is no exception, taking Hillary into new, but familiar territory.
February 28, 2023
Luckily for us Hillary couldn't just stay retired and is back to work as a consultant on cold cases. And the one that was used in this book is really good! Very creative, full of details which keep us wondering and make so hard to guess. Really liked reading all through all the twists and new developments until the end. I am sure I will stay with DI Greene until the end of the series.
August 25, 2024
Hillary has decided to come back to the police as a cold case consultant. She's working with another retired cop, a handsome boss, and two younger people. The case is a 20 year old murder of a young mother that was never solved. She and the team interview the original people involved, and Hillary's insight helps her crack the case, despite the fact that she as apparently acquired a stalker.
January 2, 2023
I really like the disciplined writing that sets the scene without belaboring the details. The h has returned after a year or so cruising British waterways, she's bored with herself and is ready to solve cold case murders. She has a different team and while they are unsure at first, together they solve the unsolvable.
May 26, 2018
Review to follow
May 23, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Murder Never Retires, the twelfth novel to feature ex-DI Hillary Greene of Thames Valley police.
After almost two years of retirement, cruising the waterways on her narrow boat, Hillary returns to Oxford and takes a position as consultant on the Crime Review Team. Her new boss, Superintendent Steven Crayle, isn't overly enthusiastic about having an investigative superstar, as Hillary has been billed, and hands her the coldest of his pending cases, the 20 year old murder of housewife Annie Macrae in her own home.
I thoroughly enjoyed Murder Never Retires which is a straightforward police procedural with several unexpected twists. It is interesting to see Hillary in a new setting with different colleagues although her methods are still the same. She knuckles down, keeps interviewing, looks for discrepancies and puts it all together. I found the detail on her new department and its working practices interesting and informative and a change from the normal procedural.
The novel held my interest throughout as I love the grind of winnowing out the fact from perception and lies and it is particularly relevant when dealing with cold cases. In the early novels in the series I could usually guess the perpetrator early on but Ms Martin has become more adept at hiding both perpetrator and motive so I was pretty clueless until the denouement and hung on to every word as I tried to work it out.
The novel revolves around Hillary who is a very likeable protagonist. Smart, attractive and personable she seems to have it all and yet is single and solitary. This may change as there is the possibility of romance in the air although whether it will be a new boyfriend or her recently acquired stalker is open to to question. I was a bit disappointed that there is no mention of her former colleagues in the novel, not even an update, but the new team adequately fill the gap.
Murder Never Retires is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
After almost two years of retirement, cruising the waterways on her narrow boat, Hillary returns to Oxford and takes a position as consultant on the Crime Review Team. Her new boss, Superintendent Steven Crayle, isn't overly enthusiastic about having an investigative superstar, as Hillary has been billed, and hands her the coldest of his pending cases, the 20 year old murder of housewife Annie Macrae in her own home.
I thoroughly enjoyed Murder Never Retires which is a straightforward police procedural with several unexpected twists. It is interesting to see Hillary in a new setting with different colleagues although her methods are still the same. She knuckles down, keeps interviewing, looks for discrepancies and puts it all together. I found the detail on her new department and its working practices interesting and informative and a change from the normal procedural.
The novel held my interest throughout as I love the grind of winnowing out the fact from perception and lies and it is particularly relevant when dealing with cold cases. In the early novels in the series I could usually guess the perpetrator early on but Ms Martin has become more adept at hiding both perpetrator and motive so I was pretty clueless until the denouement and hung on to every word as I tried to work it out.
The novel revolves around Hillary who is a very likeable protagonist. Smart, attractive and personable she seems to have it all and yet is single and solitary. This may change as there is the possibility of romance in the air although whether it will be a new boyfriend or her recently acquired stalker is open to to question. I was a bit disappointed that there is no mention of her former colleagues in the novel, not even an update, but the new team adequately fill the gap.
Murder Never Retires is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
May 31, 2018
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I am a huge fan of this series so when I saw that this book had been released I was really keen to get my hands on a copy!
The storyline for this one is great, the book is very well written and it flows beautifully. I was hooked from the first few pages and I thought that the ending was great - definitely another great addition to the DI Hillary Greene series and I am really looking forward to seeing where the next book takes us!
A 5 star book for me!
I am a huge fan of this series so when I saw that this book had been released I was really keen to get my hands on a copy!
The storyline for this one is great, the book is very well written and it flows beautifully. I was hooked from the first few pages and I thought that the ending was great - definitely another great addition to the DI Hillary Greene series and I am really looking forward to seeing where the next book takes us!
A 5 star book for me!
May 17, 2018
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
In this twelfth instalment, Hillary returns to work as a civilian consultant looking into cold cases, having found 18 months of retirement more than enough. No longer being an actual police officer is an adjustment, although other things are refreshingly the same: Hillary still has her bell-shaped hair cut (I find this very intriguing - kicking out at the bottom all round??) and every heterosexual male she encounters is of course attracted to her. I enjoyed her stroppy young assistant Vivienne and the plot was a decent one, although an awful lot of "man" hours seemed to be going into one 20 year old cold case, even if it was an unsolved murder. Hillary's stalker is rather alarming.
Still enjoying these very much.
In this twelfth instalment, Hillary returns to work as a civilian consultant looking into cold cases, having found 18 months of retirement more than enough. No longer being an actual police officer is an adjustment, although other things are refreshingly the same: Hillary still has her bell-shaped hair cut (I find this very intriguing - kicking out at the bottom all round??) and every heterosexual male she encounters is of course attracted to her. I enjoyed her stroppy young assistant Vivienne and the plot was a decent one, although an awful lot of "man" hours seemed to be going into one 20 year old cold case, even if it was an unsolved murder. Hillary's stalker is rather alarming.
Still enjoying these very much.
February 9, 2020
This wasn’t a bad story, but Hilary was a bit off her game and was very slow on the up take when it came to Phil Cleeves.
There was also a stalker in the station that caused Hilary some problems, but their way of dealing with it was fairly feeble. The Superintendent decides to put up a hidden camera, but puts the requisition through normal channels so the stalker can see it, how dumb is that? In the end this isn’t resolved and is left over for the next book.
There was also a stalker in the station that caused Hilary some problems, but their way of dealing with it was fairly feeble. The Superintendent decides to put up a hidden camera, but puts the requisition through normal channels so the stalker can see it, how dumb is that? In the end this isn’t resolved and is left over for the next book.
May 24, 2018
Another entertaining and captivating mystery, Hillary couldn’t stay away from the force, it was deeply rooted in her and on her return she is faced with a cold case that was twenty years old, how in heaven's was she going to solve that with most witnesses aged and died. This is what it’s all about for Hillary putting together those pieces of the puzzle that didn’t make sense. On top of that she picked up a stalker one on the force of all places, now that was another puzzle she needed to solve and fast. Although Hillary was minus her old gang she was still able to do the job she enjoys with great results. A great storyline as is expected and the characters are awesome, my only regret is that I have to wait for the next book to find out how they deal with the scumbag who has decided to target Hillary.
May 27, 2018
Hillary’s back! After only eighteen months of retirement she joins the Crime Review Team as a civilian consultant. Her new boss Superintendent Steven Crayle decides to drop her in at the deep end with a cold case that’s over twenty years old. Anne McRae was found beaten to death in her kitchen, with no real forensic evidence and only one suspect that they can’t place at the crime scene, can Hillary crack the case?
So I know this is the twelfth in the Hillary Greene series but I think if you’ve never read any of the others books this is perfect place to give them a go as you are pretty much starting afresh. She has a new boss, new team even a new office, which is more of a cupboard, in the basement of the police HQ which they lovingly call Hades.
I like the fact Faith Martin retired Hillary, it’s given the series a whole new lease of life! I’d recommend this to people who are fans of the TV show New Tricks.
Hillary is feeling distinctly wrong footed investigating an old case and not being treated with the same respect or having the same powers as when she was a DI. She also has a new inexperienced team, who for the most part work part time. The only bright spot is her new right hand man, Jimmy Jessop, a retired detective sergeant, and a person who seems to understand her methods. Another downside to being back is she has picked up a stalker too. Add all that a complex case with seemingly no leads equal a real page turner.
There’s also a new bit of chemistry between her and her new boss Steven Crayle which I can’t wait to see how that works out.
Another great police procedural from Faith Martin that will have you intrigued from beginning to end.
So I know this is the twelfth in the Hillary Greene series but I think if you’ve never read any of the others books this is perfect place to give them a go as you are pretty much starting afresh. She has a new boss, new team even a new office, which is more of a cupboard, in the basement of the police HQ which they lovingly call Hades.
I like the fact Faith Martin retired Hillary, it’s given the series a whole new lease of life! I’d recommend this to people who are fans of the TV show New Tricks.
Hillary is feeling distinctly wrong footed investigating an old case and not being treated with the same respect or having the same powers as when she was a DI. She also has a new inexperienced team, who for the most part work part time. The only bright spot is her new right hand man, Jimmy Jessop, a retired detective sergeant, and a person who seems to understand her methods. Another downside to being back is she has picked up a stalker too. Add all that a complex case with seemingly no leads equal a real page turner.
There’s also a new bit of chemistry between her and her new boss Steven Crayle which I can’t wait to see how that works out.
Another great police procedural from Faith Martin that will have you intrigued from beginning to end.
November 24, 2018
Wow these books never fail to thrill ! Now to read the next one...
January 26, 2022
Really good, with a dry amusing humour; and of course the effect of "Hil" on the other, almost in awe, police people.
Great fun; indeed I bought and started reading the next one since it leads into it, something I never do..
Great fun; indeed I bought and started reading the next one since it leads into it, something I never do..
May 24, 2018
I have been a fan of Faith Martin’s Hilary Greene series for quite a while now. I came to the party slightly later than a lot of others but I have certainly caught up with the other books in the series. I eagerly devour each and every book that is realised and I have loved each one that I have read. ‘Murder Never Retires’ is no exception. I absolutely totally and utterly blinking well loved it but more about that in a bit.
Where do I start with Hilary Greene? This book sees our heroine Hilary Green return from some time away sailing on her barge, which she decided to do after she retired from the police. She was that fed up and stressed out that she decided she just needed to get away. The break has done her good- she looks healthier, she has lost weight, her hair has natural highlights and she just seems very relaxed. However I think that the novelty has worn off for her now and she is itching to have purpose again. She goes to visit her former boss to discuss a ‘possible’ return but her former boss knows that it’s almost 100% certain that she will return because she can’t switch off her keen copper’s instinct. Hilary does return but as a civilian employee/ consultant to a cold case review squad. She finds this rather hard to begin with as she has to get used to not having rank and status over her colleagues with all the limited perks that her former role brought her. Hilary has not lost her ability to be able to coax information from even the most reluctant of witnesses or persons of interest. Hilary has a very accurate gut instinct and if something doesn’t seem right to her then it usually isn’t. This book sees Hilary attract the attention of one seriously disturbed police employee. I won’t say which one because that would give a spoiler but safe to say his behaviour rang huge alarm bells for me from the moment I started reading about him. Will Hilary solve the cold case? Will Hilary get on with her colleagues? How will Hilary deal with the unwanted attention of her admirer? Will Hilary stay in her new role? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story and before you know it, you are addicted to reading this book. I picked this book up intending to only read a couple of chapters but I should have known that it would be impossible to just stop at two chapters. Nine chapters later and I was still reading. The chapters are long but because I was enjoying the story and I was so into the investigation, I didn’t realise quite how quickly the pages were turning and before I knew what was happening I had cleared over half of the book. The characters were so realistic that I took to most of them and reading this book felt like reuniting with old friends and colleagues. There was more than one occasion that I wish I could have jumped into the pages of the book to defend Hilary and to deal with her rather creepy admirer but then I had to remind myself that it was fiction. I just have a very vivid and overactive imagination. Everything that the different characters went through, I went through with them. ‘Murder Never Retires’ is one heck of a fast paced rollercoaster ride of a read with lots of twists and turns and moments that hit you like a punch to the gut.
In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘Murder Never Retires’ and I wholeheartedly recommend this series to other readers. It was fabulous to see Hilary having a new lease of life with her retirement and subsequent re-employment with the police. It was also nice to see this series going in another direction and I absolutely loved the idea of the cold case squad. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Hilary Greene series. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.
Where do I start with Hilary Greene? This book sees our heroine Hilary Green return from some time away sailing on her barge, which she decided to do after she retired from the police. She was that fed up and stressed out that she decided she just needed to get away. The break has done her good- she looks healthier, she has lost weight, her hair has natural highlights and she just seems very relaxed. However I think that the novelty has worn off for her now and she is itching to have purpose again. She goes to visit her former boss to discuss a ‘possible’ return but her former boss knows that it’s almost 100% certain that she will return because she can’t switch off her keen copper’s instinct. Hilary does return but as a civilian employee/ consultant to a cold case review squad. She finds this rather hard to begin with as she has to get used to not having rank and status over her colleagues with all the limited perks that her former role brought her. Hilary has not lost her ability to be able to coax information from even the most reluctant of witnesses or persons of interest. Hilary has a very accurate gut instinct and if something doesn’t seem right to her then it usually isn’t. This book sees Hilary attract the attention of one seriously disturbed police employee. I won’t say which one because that would give a spoiler but safe to say his behaviour rang huge alarm bells for me from the moment I started reading about him. Will Hilary solve the cold case? Will Hilary get on with her colleagues? How will Hilary deal with the unwanted attention of her admirer? Will Hilary stay in her new role? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story and before you know it, you are addicted to reading this book. I picked this book up intending to only read a couple of chapters but I should have known that it would be impossible to just stop at two chapters. Nine chapters later and I was still reading. The chapters are long but because I was enjoying the story and I was so into the investigation, I didn’t realise quite how quickly the pages were turning and before I knew what was happening I had cleared over half of the book. The characters were so realistic that I took to most of them and reading this book felt like reuniting with old friends and colleagues. There was more than one occasion that I wish I could have jumped into the pages of the book to defend Hilary and to deal with her rather creepy admirer but then I had to remind myself that it was fiction. I just have a very vivid and overactive imagination. Everything that the different characters went through, I went through with them. ‘Murder Never Retires’ is one heck of a fast paced rollercoaster ride of a read with lots of twists and turns and moments that hit you like a punch to the gut.
In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘Murder Never Retires’ and I wholeheartedly recommend this series to other readers. It was fabulous to see Hilary having a new lease of life with her retirement and subsequent re-employment with the police. It was also nice to see this series going in another direction and I absolutely loved the idea of the cold case squad. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Hilary Greene series. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.
June 1, 2018
This is the 12th book in the series but as it involves Hilary in a new role you don’t really need to have read the previous 11 first, although I would still recommend it as they are brilliant books.
This one starts off with Hilary coming out of retirement after leaving the force 18 months previous. This time though Hilary is no longer a DI but a civilian coming in to work on Cold Cases and she is thrown in at the deep end with her first case.
I personally love how the police investigate cold cases and enjoy watching programs based on it, so I was intrigued to see how Faith went about it with Hilary and her team.
The book follows Hilary as she investigates the 20 year old murder. With nothing much to go on Hilary’s team have to start from scratch looking into some missed DNA and reinterviewing everyone again.
I really love where this series is going and can’t wait to find out which case Hilary is going to investigate next
This one starts off with Hilary coming out of retirement after leaving the force 18 months previous. This time though Hilary is no longer a DI but a civilian coming in to work on Cold Cases and she is thrown in at the deep end with her first case.
I personally love how the police investigate cold cases and enjoy watching programs based on it, so I was intrigued to see how Faith went about it with Hilary and her team.
The book follows Hilary as she investigates the 20 year old murder. With nothing much to go on Hilary’s team have to start from scratch looking into some missed DNA and reinterviewing everyone again.
I really love where this series is going and can’t wait to find out which case Hilary is going to investigate next
December 12, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Hillary Greene is back! After retiring and travelling around on her narrow boat, she's back in Oxford, heading a small team for her old department, looking into cold cases as a civilian consultant. Her new boss, Superintendent Crayle, heads the Crime Review Team and her first case is a murder committed over 20 years ago. An obviously impossible one, which Crayle, aware of her reputation as a superb thief taker, thinks she'll never solve. He is ambitious, and doesn't want to be outdone by Hillary, Ha, is he in for a surprise!
A mother was found at home by her young daughter, killed by a rolling pin. No clues were left behind and the original police team never found the murderer. Hillary and her small team put in a lot of hours; interviewing the people surrounding the case is tough, a lot of them are no longer around.
She's being stalked, not pleasant...But there may be a new man in her life, hopefully we'll find out more in the next book!
It's actually quite refreshing, not only to have Hillary back, but to have new characters and cold cases - as a fan of the cold
case genre, I'm excited about the direction this series is taking. Really enjoyed the book, finished it in a day!
Hillary Greene is back! After retiring and travelling around on her narrow boat, she's back in Oxford, heading a small team for her old department, looking into cold cases as a civilian consultant. Her new boss, Superintendent Crayle, heads the Crime Review Team and her first case is a murder committed over 20 years ago. An obviously impossible one, which Crayle, aware of her reputation as a superb thief taker, thinks she'll never solve. He is ambitious, and doesn't want to be outdone by Hillary, Ha, is he in for a surprise!
A mother was found at home by her young daughter, killed by a rolling pin. No clues were left behind and the original police team never found the murderer. Hillary and her small team put in a lot of hours; interviewing the people surrounding the case is tough, a lot of them are no longer around.
She's being stalked, not pleasant...But there may be a new man in her life, hopefully we'll find out more in the next book!
It's actually quite refreshing, not only to have Hillary back, but to have new characters and cold cases - as a fan of the cold
case genre, I'm excited about the direction this series is taking. Really enjoyed the book, finished it in a day!
June 5, 2018
Having read all of the earlier books in this series, I was keen to see how Faith Martin would manage to keep the story fresh with DI Hillary Greene now being retired.
She has managed it very well.. As in the real world; early retirement can so often lead to being rehired as a consultant.. This has opened up the opportunity for a raft of new characters on the police team. It has also created the opportunity for a different view of the police procedural genre.
I think the book would stand alone on its own merits. Indeed if you are new to the series this would be a good place to start.
Like all of the earlier books the story is set in and around Oxfordshire, dipping into Northamptonshire too. I like the use of real places, it gives a sense of geographical reality.
I liked the quality of the dialogue which added both humour and a sense of reality in the work place.
Once again I give my thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for a copy in exchange for this review.
She has managed it very well.. As in the real world; early retirement can so often lead to being rehired as a consultant.. This has opened up the opportunity for a raft of new characters on the police team. It has also created the opportunity for a different view of the police procedural genre.
I think the book would stand alone on its own merits. Indeed if you are new to the series this would be a good place to start.
Like all of the earlier books the story is set in and around Oxfordshire, dipping into Northamptonshire too. I like the use of real places, it gives a sense of geographical reality.
I liked the quality of the dialogue which added both humour and a sense of reality in the work place.
Once again I give my thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for a copy in exchange for this review.
July 1, 2023
Come back
An excellent 'come back'' story successfully introducing new characters quite different to her last crew and with at least two contenders for her heart and of course, like any serial, a cliff hanger on which to end.
An excellent 'come back'' story successfully introducing new characters quite different to her last crew and with at least two contenders for her heart and of course, like any serial, a cliff hanger on which to end.
October 21, 2023
Superb, as usual!
Read
February 15, 2019Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.
Twenty years ago, mother-of-three Anna McRae was found beaten to death in her kitchen with a rolling pin. She’d been having an affair with her brother-in-law, so the prime suspect was Anna’s sister Debbie. But the evidence never added up.
However as Hillary digs deeper, more secrets and betrayals emerge. Who wanted Anna dead and can Hillary finally bring her justice?
Meanwhile, Hillary is distracted by an unknown admirer, who quickly seems to be going from suitor to stalker.
Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?
This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from start to the absolutely thrilling conclusion.
What readers are saying about MURDER NEVER RETIRES
“***** A fantastic read” Olga
“Martin's writing is impeccable, and her timing keeps the reader turning the pages feverishly.” Bebe Brechner
“Great characters all around with lots of twists and turns.” Linda Strong
“I was engrossed from the first page.” Greta
“Really enjoyed the book, finished it in a day!” Hannelore Cheney
“Great read.” Nerys
MURDER NEVER RETIRES is the twelfth in a series of page-turning crime thrillers set in Oxfordshire.
THE LOCATION
The village of Chesterton, just a few miles from the market town of Bicester. With recent development, the village is nowadays in danger of becoming a mere ‘suburb’ of its biggest neighbour. Especially since it’s a stones-throw from Bicester Village — the famous high-end designer-label shopping centre that brings large amounts of UK and foreign shoppers. But at the time of the original murder investigation, it was a village like many to be found in rural Oxfordshire. Surrounded by farmland, it was a peaceful, quiet location. Not the sort of place where you’d expect a shocking murder to happen.
THE DETECTIVE
DI Hillary Greene
An attractive, single woman nearing the landmark age of fifty, Hillary Greene was a police officer of many years’ experience (earning the rank of DI) and came up through the ranks. Consequently, she knew how the system worked, and was always fiercely loyal to the force without being blinkered to its faults. Forced to retire early through no fault of her own, she has now returned to the force as a civilian consultant on cold cases. She still enjoys a rather enigmatic relationship with the wily Commander Marcus Donleavy, but it is her new boss, the very attractive Steven Crayle, who is likely to cause her the most problems now!
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “A NARROW RETURN. (less)
GET A COPY
Kindle Unlimited $0.00 AmazonStores ▾Libraries
Or buy for $2.99
Kindle Edition
Published May 21st 2018 by Joffe Books crime, thriller and mystery (first
She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.
Twenty years ago, mother-of-three Anna McRae was found beaten to death in her kitchen with a rolling pin. She’d been having an affair with her brother-in-law, so the prime suspect was Anna’s sister Debbie. But the evidence never added up.
However as Hillary digs deeper, more secrets and betrayals emerge. Who wanted Anna dead and can Hillary finally bring her justice?
Meanwhile, Hillary is distracted by an unknown admirer, who quickly seems to be going from suitor to stalker.
Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?
This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from start to the absolutely thrilling conclusion.
What readers are saying about MURDER NEVER RETIRES
“***** A fantastic read” Olga
“Martin's writing is impeccable, and her timing keeps the reader turning the pages feverishly.” Bebe Brechner
“Great characters all around with lots of twists and turns.” Linda Strong
“I was engrossed from the first page.” Greta
“Really enjoyed the book, finished it in a day!” Hannelore Cheney
“Great read.” Nerys
MURDER NEVER RETIRES is the twelfth in a series of page-turning crime thrillers set in Oxfordshire.
THE LOCATION
The village of Chesterton, just a few miles from the market town of Bicester. With recent development, the village is nowadays in danger of becoming a mere ‘suburb’ of its biggest neighbour. Especially since it’s a stones-throw from Bicester Village — the famous high-end designer-label shopping centre that brings large amounts of UK and foreign shoppers. But at the time of the original murder investigation, it was a village like many to be found in rural Oxfordshire. Surrounded by farmland, it was a peaceful, quiet location. Not the sort of place where you’d expect a shocking murder to happen.
THE DETECTIVE
DI Hillary Greene
An attractive, single woman nearing the landmark age of fifty, Hillary Greene was a police officer of many years’ experience (earning the rank of DI) and came up through the ranks. Consequently, she knew how the system worked, and was always fiercely loyal to the force without being blinkered to its faults. Forced to retire early through no fault of her own, she has now returned to the force as a civilian consultant on cold cases. She still enjoys a rather enigmatic relationship with the wily Commander Marcus Donleavy, but it is her new boss, the very attractive Steven Crayle, who is likely to cause her the most problems now!
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “A NARROW RETURN. (less)
GET A COPY
Kindle Unlimited $0.00 AmazonStores ▾Libraries
Or buy for $2.99
Kindle Edition
Published May 21st 2018 by Joffe Books crime, thriller and mystery (first
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2018
5 stars
After a year and a half of retirement, Hillary Greene is testing the waters to go back to work. When she meets with her old boss, Marcus Donleavey, he tells her about the Crime Review Team. It reviews cold and unsolved cases with a view toward modern forensic techniques and technical savvy. She would be under one Detective Superintendent Steven Crayle. He is a wonderfully handsome man, but more than a little brusque.
Meeting her new team, she learns that they are James “Jimmy” Jessop who is a retired DS, Sam Pickles, a tall young man who is studying at university and Vivienne Tyrell a perfume-wearing twenty-year old who takes an instant dislike to Hillary.
The first case that they review is a woman of three who was beaten to death in her kitchen some twenty years earlier. Her name was Anna McRae and she was having an affair with her brother-in-law Shane. The main suspect then was his wife Debbie Gregg. Debbie was Anna’s sister. She had two daughters and one son named Peter, Lucy and Jenny. Anna’s husband’s name was Melvin.
Jimmy and Hillary’s first interview is with Debbie Clegg, now aged sixty-two. When the rest of the family receives letters from the Thames Valley Police saying that they are reviewing Anna’s death, many of them are nervous.
When forensics finally identifies the stray hair found on Anna’s body, they police have a suspect. Interviewing the suspect is tricky. They deny ever being in Anna’s home and claim to know nothing about her murder. They were at work at the time it happened. Hillary smells something off about the whole interview, but can’t put her finger on it.
The identity of the killer comes as a surprise – at least to me it did.
Hillary solves another one! This is another great book in the Hillary Greene series. We didn’t really think that she would retire, now did we? I truly enjoy Faith Martin’s writing. It is so clear and easy to read for all people. The novel is written linearly, that is to say that one event follows another in a logical progression.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great addition to the Hillary Green series to read, enjoy and review.
After a year and a half of retirement, Hillary Greene is testing the waters to go back to work. When she meets with her old boss, Marcus Donleavey, he tells her about the Crime Review Team. It reviews cold and unsolved cases with a view toward modern forensic techniques and technical savvy. She would be under one Detective Superintendent Steven Crayle. He is a wonderfully handsome man, but more than a little brusque.
Meeting her new team, she learns that they are James “Jimmy” Jessop who is a retired DS, Sam Pickles, a tall young man who is studying at university and Vivienne Tyrell a perfume-wearing twenty-year old who takes an instant dislike to Hillary.
The first case that they review is a woman of three who was beaten to death in her kitchen some twenty years earlier. Her name was Anna McRae and she was having an affair with her brother-in-law Shane. The main suspect then was his wife Debbie Gregg. Debbie was Anna’s sister. She had two daughters and one son named Peter, Lucy and Jenny. Anna’s husband’s name was Melvin.
Jimmy and Hillary’s first interview is with Debbie Clegg, now aged sixty-two. When the rest of the family receives letters from the Thames Valley Police saying that they are reviewing Anna’s death, many of them are nervous.
When forensics finally identifies the stray hair found on Anna’s body, they police have a suspect. Interviewing the suspect is tricky. They deny ever being in Anna’s home and claim to know nothing about her murder. They were at work at the time it happened. Hillary smells something off about the whole interview, but can’t put her finger on it.
The identity of the killer comes as a surprise – at least to me it did.
Hillary solves another one! This is another great book in the Hillary Greene series. We didn’t really think that she would retire, now did we? I truly enjoy Faith Martin’s writing. It is so clear and easy to read for all people. The novel is written linearly, that is to say that one event follows another in a logical progression.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great addition to the Hillary Green series to read, enjoy and review.
April 3, 2023
New chapter for Hillary Greene
This book picks up about a year and a half after the last one. Now retired Hillary Greene has spent the time traveling up and down the waterways of England in her narrow boat but she’s finally come back home to berth her boat in Thrup and to take up Superintendent Marcus Donleavy on his offer of a consultant job in Cold Cases. It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for Hillary. Oh, and she seems to have picked up a stalker.
The first case Hillary is given is a 20 year old murder case. It appears the initial investigation was thorough and there appears to be no new paths to tread. But of course we are talking about Hillary so I was looking forward to how this was going to play out. To be fair to the original DI, Hillary gets the benefit of some distance and life changes that he didn’t have. Hillary does a great job with limited resources and her famous intuition serves her well, if a bit slowly for her tastes.
There are a couple of subplots. First is that she is very inconveniently attracted to her handsome new boss. Second is that she’s picked up a stalker. Both of those storylines appear to be continuing into the next book.
The resolution of the case is fun to read. We can see the pieces falling together as if we were watching literal jigsaw puzzle pieces flit through the air into a whole picture. I did figure out what was happening a bit before the resolution. The author has cleverly dropped the clues but it’s subtle. It’s one of my favorite things about this series. They are true mysteries in the whodunit tradition where we the reader is given all the clues to figure it out. I’m a much bigger fan of these mysteries than a lot of the more modern ones where we don’t have all the information and therefore have no shot of solving it ahead of the detective. Hose are more crime books than mysteries and they want to go for the surprise shock value. Give me a good mystery where I can exercise “the little grey cells” any time! I’m on to book 13 right now as I continue on my binge read.
This book picks up about a year and a half after the last one. Now retired Hillary Greene has spent the time traveling up and down the waterways of England in her narrow boat but she’s finally come back home to berth her boat in Thrup and to take up Superintendent Marcus Donleavy on his offer of a consultant job in Cold Cases. It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for Hillary. Oh, and she seems to have picked up a stalker.
The first case Hillary is given is a 20 year old murder case. It appears the initial investigation was thorough and there appears to be no new paths to tread. But of course we are talking about Hillary so I was looking forward to how this was going to play out. To be fair to the original DI, Hillary gets the benefit of some distance and life changes that he didn’t have. Hillary does a great job with limited resources and her famous intuition serves her well, if a bit slowly for her tastes.
There are a couple of subplots. First is that she is very inconveniently attracted to her handsome new boss. Second is that she’s picked up a stalker. Both of those storylines appear to be continuing into the next book.
The resolution of the case is fun to read. We can see the pieces falling together as if we were watching literal jigsaw puzzle pieces flit through the air into a whole picture. I did figure out what was happening a bit before the resolution. The author has cleverly dropped the clues but it’s subtle. It’s one of my favorite things about this series. They are true mysteries in the whodunit tradition where we the reader is given all the clues to figure it out. I’m a much bigger fan of these mysteries than a lot of the more modern ones where we don’t have all the information and therefore have no shot of solving it ahead of the detective. Hose are more crime books than mysteries and they want to go for the surprise shock value. Give me a good mystery where I can exercise “the little grey cells” any time! I’m on to book 13 right now as I continue on my binge read.
May 26, 2018
This is the twelfth book in the Hillary Greene series and, although Hillary has retired and now come back to solve cold cases, it is as thrilling and intriguing as the previous eleven books. It still works well as a standalone although, once again, I would recommend reading the whole series.
Hillary now has a new team to work with - Jimmy Jessop who is a retired sergeant, Sam Pickles who is at university and Vivienne Tyrell, a twenty-year-old blonde who dislikes Hillary on sight. Marcus Donleavy is still her boss, although there is a Chief Superintendent Steven Crayle who works day-to-day with Hillary. He is tall and handsome and I am expecting at least a sniff of romance from him!
Twenty years ago, a woman was found dead in her kitchen, battered to death with her own rolling pin. The case was never solved but Hillary goes back to the beginning in an attempt to find out who the killer was, revisiting all family members and piecing together the clues as they are delivered. At the same time, she finds she has attracted an admirer who must be working from the same police station but who quickly moves on and becomes a stalker.
Hillary uses her innate intelligence and 'seat of the pants' intuition to finally put the twenty-year-old mystery to bed in her usual inimitable style, following up clues which lead her to the answer, an answer I must admit to never having suspected, even though the information is all there. Once again, the story grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go until the reader reaches the end where, once again, the reader feels totally inadequate for not reading the clues properly. Wonderfully written and page-turningly exciting, this is going to be another huge success for Faith Martin. I would heartily recommend to all crime lovers.
Hillary now has a new team to work with - Jimmy Jessop who is a retired sergeant, Sam Pickles who is at university and Vivienne Tyrell, a twenty-year-old blonde who dislikes Hillary on sight. Marcus Donleavy is still her boss, although there is a Chief Superintendent Steven Crayle who works day-to-day with Hillary. He is tall and handsome and I am expecting at least a sniff of romance from him!
Twenty years ago, a woman was found dead in her kitchen, battered to death with her own rolling pin. The case was never solved but Hillary goes back to the beginning in an attempt to find out who the killer was, revisiting all family members and piecing together the clues as they are delivered. At the same time, she finds she has attracted an admirer who must be working from the same police station but who quickly moves on and becomes a stalker.
Hillary uses her innate intelligence and 'seat of the pants' intuition to finally put the twenty-year-old mystery to bed in her usual inimitable style, following up clues which lead her to the answer, an answer I must admit to never having suspected, even though the information is all there. Once again, the story grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go until the reader reaches the end where, once again, the reader feels totally inadequate for not reading the clues properly. Wonderfully written and page-turningly exciting, this is going to be another huge success for Faith Martin. I would heartily recommend to all crime lovers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews