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Murder Most Extreme: Brilliant British detective DCI Ann Dixon must catch a killer by entering his twisted underworld
Struggling to solve a series of horrific murders, to what depths would a senior detective plunge in the line of duty?
Will DCI Ann Dixon find herself crumbling in the face of bitter public derision, press humiliation, and scorn from the victims’ relatives? Mocked by male colleagues for incompetence, it seems only wilful determination can save her failing career. Catching the perpetrator may require overriding all sense of self-respect. Amidst the irony of striving to retain dignity while dealing with the criminal underworld of murder mixed with the occult and sadomasochistic sex, the usually confident and self-assured DCI Dixon has her emotions tested to the limit. Resolute in her fight to succeed, she becomes entwined in the depravity of the murders. Will his determination to outwit her tarnish her reputation forever? As a complex web of events unravels, involving human trafficking, MI6, Interpol, DEA officers, Mossad agents, and a journey to the Brazilian forest, Dixon is left fighting on all fronts to retain her credibility. The murderer must be stopped. But how? Mired in bitter personal grief, her nerves and skill are almost shredded.
On her relentless quest for justice, DCI Ann Dixon confronts the killer in a nail-biting final scene. In the deadly, final confrontation, will she outwit the murderer and survive his twisted underworld?
Will DCI Ann Dixon find herself crumbling in the face of bitter public derision, press humiliation, and scorn from the victims’ relatives? Mocked by male colleagues for incompetence, it seems only wilful determination can save her failing career. Catching the perpetrator may require overriding all sense of self-respect. Amidst the irony of striving to retain dignity while dealing with the criminal underworld of murder mixed with the occult and sadomasochistic sex, the usually confident and self-assured DCI Dixon has her emotions tested to the limit. Resolute in her fight to succeed, she becomes entwined in the depravity of the murders. Will his determination to outwit her tarnish her reputation forever? As a complex web of events unravels, involving human trafficking, MI6, Interpol, DEA officers, Mossad agents, and a journey to the Brazilian forest, Dixon is left fighting on all fronts to retain her credibility. The murderer must be stopped. But how? Mired in bitter personal grief, her nerves and skill are almost shredded.
On her relentless quest for justice, DCI Ann Dixon confronts the killer in a nail-biting final scene. In the deadly, final confrontation, will she outwit the murderer and survive his twisted underworld?
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Published June 13, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 17, 2024
Like any good mystery thriller, “Murder Most Extreme” keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, but I can guarantee that you won’t expect all the twists that author Elizabeth Rex has in store in this, the first book of The DCI Dixon Investigations series.
We hit the ground running with Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Ann Dixon and her Sergeant David Hughes of the Central London Police Division. Wealthy Tom Casey has been horrifically murdered in his own home and it is up to the police force to determine who did this. Many clues point to two perpetrators but it’s not clear who had the motive for murder. Is the circumstantial evidence accurate, or have clues been planted to throw police off the murderer’s track? The heat begins to turn up when the body count starts to rise, and at the end of the case, the outcome may affect Ann Dixon more than she first thought.
You can tell that Elizabeth Rex took a lot of care developing the plot, down to the finer points of detail. The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, or in the case of the story, there aren’t other things happening. Rex’s realistic portrayals of government bureaucracy are a breath of fresh air in the genre where things seemly fall into place deus ex machina. Ann has to work with the system to solve this mystery, which is a huge asset to the character’s arc and the overall book.
The conflict that Ann experiences as a female member of law enforcement also felt very appropriate. It’s no surprise that there are more men than women in the police, so Ann must combat stereotypes and sexism to get ahead. Rex has a good balance of outright reprehensible characters who only see Ann as a piece of meat, characters who are set in their ways, and ones who may struggle with their feelings, but make a genuine effort to stay focused on the task before them.
The author put a lot of detail into crafting her characters. While Ann is tenacious and incredibly smart, she also has a soft spot for her partner Josie which Ms. Rex beautifully showcases. It is wholesome watching their relationship develop from partners to spouses to parents throughout the book. While the relationship isn’t crucial to her character, I think it serves as a nice foil for a woman who throws herself completely into her work.
“Murder Most Extreme” is a book you will want to reread to appreciate all the details that Elizabeth Rex leaves for her readers. The ending is exactly what you should have expected but you probably never saw it coming.
We hit the ground running with Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Ann Dixon and her Sergeant David Hughes of the Central London Police Division. Wealthy Tom Casey has been horrifically murdered in his own home and it is up to the police force to determine who did this. Many clues point to two perpetrators but it’s not clear who had the motive for murder. Is the circumstantial evidence accurate, or have clues been planted to throw police off the murderer’s track? The heat begins to turn up when the body count starts to rise, and at the end of the case, the outcome may affect Ann Dixon more than she first thought.
You can tell that Elizabeth Rex took a lot of care developing the plot, down to the finer points of detail. The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, or in the case of the story, there aren’t other things happening. Rex’s realistic portrayals of government bureaucracy are a breath of fresh air in the genre where things seemly fall into place deus ex machina. Ann has to work with the system to solve this mystery, which is a huge asset to the character’s arc and the overall book.
The conflict that Ann experiences as a female member of law enforcement also felt very appropriate. It’s no surprise that there are more men than women in the police, so Ann must combat stereotypes and sexism to get ahead. Rex has a good balance of outright reprehensible characters who only see Ann as a piece of meat, characters who are set in their ways, and ones who may struggle with their feelings, but make a genuine effort to stay focused on the task before them.
The author put a lot of detail into crafting her characters. While Ann is tenacious and incredibly smart, she also has a soft spot for her partner Josie which Ms. Rex beautifully showcases. It is wholesome watching their relationship develop from partners to spouses to parents throughout the book. While the relationship isn’t crucial to her character, I think it serves as a nice foil for a woman who throws herself completely into her work.
“Murder Most Extreme” is a book you will want to reread to appreciate all the details that Elizabeth Rex leaves for her readers. The ending is exactly what you should have expected but you probably never saw it coming.
October 16, 2024
Called to a crime scene, DCI Ann Dixon never suspected how far she would need to go to solve a murder.
I have to admit, it's not comfortable to be an outlier when so many other people seemed to have enjoyed this book. In the beginning, the edgy nature of the title graphics set me aback. Then, there were the continuity errors in the identities of characters: the most egregious of which was an officer who was fired, back on the job the next day, and then seemingly dismissed again. However, two things stretched credibility for me: a police officer being involved in a questionably legal extraction of a person of interest and an overly graphic sex scene that did not further the plot.
As I only liked the character of Ann when she was with her wife, I will not be continuing with this series.
Content warning: overt misogyny, S&M, occult, brutal murder victim description.
I have to admit, it's not comfortable to be an outlier when so many other people seemed to have enjoyed this book. In the beginning, the edgy nature of the title graphics set me aback. Then, there were the continuity errors in the identities of characters: the most egregious of which was an officer who was fired, back on the job the next day, and then seemingly dismissed again. However, two things stretched credibility for me: a police officer being involved in a questionably legal extraction of a person of interest and an overly graphic sex scene that did not further the plot.
As I only liked the character of Ann when she was with her wife, I will not be continuing with this series.
Content warning: overt misogyny, S&M, occult, brutal murder victim description.
March 23, 2025
Poor writing, dull book
Ridiculously long chapters (I'm a fast reader and these are still between 30-60 minutes long), written in formal language even when the characters are speaking, and so many plot errors before getting to the halfway point. The characters are unlikeable, the plot is far too busy and I now no longer care who the killer is - I've thrown in the towel at 50% read, and wonder if the proofreaders did the same. The one thing I can be thankful for is that I didn't pay for this, as I'd feel obliged to finish it.
Ridiculously long chapters (I'm a fast reader and these are still between 30-60 minutes long), written in formal language even when the characters are speaking, and so many plot errors before getting to the halfway point. The characters are unlikeable, the plot is far too busy and I now no longer care who the killer is - I've thrown in the towel at 50% read, and wonder if the proofreaders did the same. The one thing I can be thankful for is that I didn't pay for this, as I'd feel obliged to finish it.
October 4, 2025
Six stories in one book
This book was overly long with many subplots and rambling commentary. I felt like at 337 pages (which for most books is average), it could have been whittled down to 200 pages. Going to other countries in their investigations was needless and bogged down an already difficult plot to follow. I didn't like the hero at all and found myself wanting to know more about the villain instead. If you're stuck in a room and want to read a book, don't pick this one up. Pick up War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy instead. It'll be a quicker read at 1600 pages.
This book was overly long with many subplots and rambling commentary. I felt like at 337 pages (which for most books is average), it could have been whittled down to 200 pages. Going to other countries in their investigations was needless and bogged down an already difficult plot to follow. I didn't like the hero at all and found myself wanting to know more about the villain instead. If you're stuck in a room and want to read a book, don't pick this one up. Pick up War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy instead. It'll be a quicker read at 1600 pages.
November 16, 2025
I didn’t enjoy reading this book and will not be reading or continuing with this author for many reasons. First and foremost, I really didn’t enjoy the way the story was written, too abrupt and lacked flow. Then there were the unnecessary violent sexual descriptions, unbelievable plots and constant self pity from the main character. One of the worst books I have ever read.
March 28, 2025
Hot mess
One of the worst I've ever read. Totally divorced from reality, this book has a plot that is not conceivable, goes sideways, and was edited by a chimpanzee with a typewriter. Do not spend money on it!!!
One of the worst I've ever read. Totally divorced from reality, this book has a plot that is not conceivable, goes sideways, and was edited by a chimpanzee with a typewriter. Do not spend money on it!!!
August 16, 2024
excellent
A very good gripping book I enjoyed it from start to finish a bit boys own in places but overall very good
A very good gripping book I enjoyed it from start to finish a bit boys own in places but overall very good
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews