After years of searching, DCI Kett and the extreme crime task force have finally found Joseph Maynard—one of the last members of Hollenbeck. A psychopath of the highest order, Maynard’s violent and coercive nature has reared its head too many times in recent cases.
It’s time to end his reign of terror once and for all.
But the raid on Maynard’s lair goes wrong. By capturing him, Kett sets in motion a horrific chain of kidnappings—five innocent victims snatched from their homes in the same night.
Only Maynard knows how to save them, but it’s not just freedom he’s asking for in return. It’s something unthinkable.
Kett and the team must find Maynard’s victims before time runs out, because it’s not just their lives on the line.
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 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.
If I could give more than five stars I would. This book has to be the best of the best absolutely brilliant story I will be reading this again and keeping it with all the books from this series
Brutal, violent, fast paced & at times scary this is the best Kett yet. I felt like maybe it was also the last Kett but it seems there is one more. I can’t deny I will miss the characters when the series ends. I want to see where they all end up.
Maynard was brutal in this book from the first few pages. The violence was turned up a notch. I suspected someone from the team but not who it ended up to be.
The book did a great job of highlighting how dangerous the internet can be for young boys in particular. There was shades of the Tate brothers in the story.
Excellent as usual. The only annoyance I have is Clare & the constant roaring about tossing, at times I feel it takes away from the seriousness of the tale. It doesn’t add humour, Duke & the others provide that.
Delighted to see Norman welcomed, I’ve warmed to him so much
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Nothing makes me happier that release day for another DCI Kett book, I never read the blurb I don’t need to , go in blind , jump down the dark rabbit hole and get sucked into this DARK world Absolutely amazing I love every single thing about it , you feel everything the darkness of the story , the reality of the world we live in today , the light of ketts kids , the humour, the banter Another 5*
My only problem now is what to read that will compare
I recommend you read from book one, one of the best authors, the characters feel so real , you think your there with them , love billy and girls , excellent again , read in 2 days , can’t wait for next one
This was an easy five stars! Such an epic story that kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Thankfully his daughters didn't feature too much as I do find them irritating unfortunately. I love the humour that is scattered throughout, especially between PC Duke and DI Porter. Det Sup Clare is someone else entirely lol! His language, peppered with multiple toss insults, is a swearword dictionary of its own lol! The story is so well written, each character fleshed out that you feel you know them personally. The excitement level, mixed with tension and dread is at an all time high, with many twists and turns you don't see coming. I think this was one of his best yet. Well done Mr Smith!
Favourite Quote: She really does seem angry today, sir, he said. Maybe you should speak with her, see if she’s okay? No, grunted Clare. I like my bollocks untossed, thank you very much.
Favourite Quote: Some prick on YouTube tells them to ignore their teacher because she’s a woman, and low and behold, they do it. Another one says the only way to properly control their girlfriend is to give her a slap. What happens? These lovely little teenage boys who wouldn’t have said boo to a goose a few years ago are giving bitches black eyes and boasting about it on TikTok.
Dark! Twisted! Absolutely relentless! Cold Iron Kills plunges deeper into the abyss than any Kett novel before it, and I was hooked from the first page. The atmosphere is suffocating, the stakes personal, and the emotional damage. Off the charts!
Kett is being hunted, not just by killers, but by a system that seems hell-bent on turning him into the devil. The way they twist the narrative, the pressure mounting around his family, the suggestion that he’s the monster? What the actual f**k. It’s chilling. At times, I was speechless. The book doesn’t just flirt with darkness, it marries it.
And yet, somehow, Alex Smith still delivers laugh-out-loud moments. The banter is razor-sharp. Clare’s wildly unprofessional phrases are comedy gold, and his cluelessness about slang like tossing! Absolutely hilarious! That balance between horror and humour is what makes this series so addictive.
Will Kett finally retire? Will he survive long enough to make that choice? When are Kate and Duke getting married, was it just me, or did it feel like it was about to happen near the end? I missed the mention of Porter’s horrible tea making skills. Still hoping we’ll get a scene where he finally makes a decent cup for Kett. Also, no mention of his kid.
The ending left me breathless. The final chapters twist the knife in ways I didn’t see coming. Smith’s prose is lean and lethal, and the pacing never lets up. This was the perfect way to start and end my birthday, dark, hilarious, and unforgettable.
From start to finish this book had me totally hooked. I love all of the Kett series, but I think this is probably the best book of the series and that’s saying something. It included the normal humour, but it was tempered a little in this book. Some of the more recent books, the humour probably went a little over the top. However, in this one it was still there but more appropriate. There were times I was laughing out loud. But this book hit you from page 1 and just didn’t let you go. There were some twist to the plot, which I didn’t see coming. I thought I had worked things out and then I was surprised. I can easily say this has been my favourite book of the year. Whilst you could read this as a stand-alone, you really need to have read the previous books to fully appreciate the storyline and some of the references. As I have said before, my recommendation would be to start at book 1 and read them all, if you haven’t already. The best Kett book I’ve read - and I keep thinking Alex can’t keep making them better - but he does. A very easy 5 out of 5.
I genuinely thought that was the end of the series! Every DCI Kett book is so well written, I don’t have a break until I’m finished haha. The suspense and clues throughout the book are crazy and when you think you’ve guessed the ending, surprise you’re wrong! Alex Smith is an outstanding author, I love this series so much and I’m ecstatic there will be another book this winter (although Robbie does need a break!). Probably one of the best crime thriller series out there and I’m always recommending to friends and family.
I love the character developments and the conversations between characters that add a sense of humour to the plot line. Clare is hilarious and I love Duke and Savage’s relationship.
The ending of Cold Iron Kills was shocking, definitely not what I had thought whilst reading. Though ties up Hollenbeck and Maynard well. The plot is horrifying but written in a way that makes it so believable. You feel as if you are going through it with Kett.
5 stars and the best book I have read this year. Thank you Alex Smith
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I read a ton of police procedures & detective stories & this author, along with a certain 2 other authors are permanently set to preorder, as soon as they can be.
I love the meshing of dark sarcastic humor, alongside side splitting, the bad guys are as bad as you get, & I don’t say that lightly, some of the ways this author brings to bringing death on his poor victims are truly cruel & not for the lighthearted.
The team behind stopping all the mayhem & madness are always ready to have a good crack at them though, fist or 2, maybe a baseball bat, well they ARE baddies, no time to take things gentle just because it’s a first date!
I can pretty much guarantee you that if you read this, then buy the book, once your finished it you’ll be buying them from book one onwards, or…
Here’s an idea… buy book one NOW! As I said above, no time for mucking around, there’s murders to be solved, books to read, & there’s no time like the present to take that first step … with BOOK ONE!
I have been addicted to DCI Kett and his team from book one and can’t believe it’s almost over. One more book to go, I cannot wait! Cold Iron Kills has to be the most shocking yet, given the twists and turns it delivers! I won’t give any spoilers, but it made me both gasp in shock and full on belly- laugh. If you enjoyed the previous 17 books, you’ll love this one. Alex Smith is so good at his craft, his ability to make so many books about the same team, so different and exciting is mind-blowing. And yet each book has elements of familiarity. Like Clare’s big tossing jacket, the ongoing masculinity feud between Porter and Duke and the comedy moments of Evie, Moira and Alice. I truly hope he continues to write for a long time to come, he has one ride or die fan here! I rarely leave reviews on books, but this one hit differently. Read it, you won’t regret it!
I have been addicted to DCI Kett and his team from book one and can’t believe it’s almost over. Cold Iron Kills has to be the most shocking yet, given the twists and turns it delivers! I won’t give any spoilers, but it made me both gasp in shock and full on belly- laugh. If you enjoyed the previous 17 books, you’ll love this one. Alex Smith is so good at his craft, his ability to make so many books about the same team, so different and exciting is mind-blowing. And yet each book has elements of familiarity. Like Clare’s big tossing jacket, the ongoing masculinity feud between Porter and Duke and the comedy moments of Evie, Moira and Alice. I truly hope he continues to write for a long time to come, he has one ride or die fan here! Read it, you won’t regret it!
My goodness, what a ride, and all the previous ones have been too. Where does Smith get his imaginative horrors from? How does the team survive all these? Why is Clare so crazed and what is with his jacket? Has Duke, all testosterone fueled energy, gotten dumber, notwithstanding all his other lovely qualities. I had to put the book down a lot towards the end, as it was too intense to bear. How is Smith so prolific? A tiny correction from my American upbringing: Duke smacking his face with his hands in the tunnel is more like Curly in The Three Stooges rather than the Marx Brothers. Fantastic and very scary story.
Another brilliant DCI Kett book! This one really hits the ground running and with the death of one of the wider team, Kett wants this case closed quickly. With Maynard in hospital, Kett tries to get information out of him but his evil is deep set, and he is still able to manipulate people despite being incapacitated. It really is a race against time to solve this case and there’s lots of nail biting moments in this book. As always Clare’s colourful vocabulary brings some humour to the story and I guarantee you’ll learn some new words in this book! I can’t wait to read the next book in this brilliant series.
Cold Iron Kills by Alex Smith is the latest in the DCI Kett police series. Once again DCI Kett and the extreme task force will once again tackle Maynard, the last member of Hollenbech. Again the whole team are involved in fighting the latest extreme violence that members of Hollenbech thrive on. This time it will have to be the end of Joseph Maynard and all of the existing followers or the end of the team. Will the team be able to survive the latest onslaught from Hollenbech? Highly recommended
I can't get enought of DCI Kett and the gang... Hollenbeck's Maynard is back and he's taking out as many people as he can while he builds his army of devotees. But Kett will discover why while keeping his crew safe (ish) Clare is tossing all over the place. Even with all the evil they face you find yourself chuckling or laughing at some of the dialogue or poor Porter. Absolutely my fav British detectives!! And I am probably the only one who doesn't laugh at his bratty out of control daughters. I don't find them funny but that's just me.
As usual, absolutely fantastic. It amazes me how the content of this series is so serious, so disturbing (the bad guys) yet I laugh so much thanks to Alex Smiths incredible way of bringing DCI Kett, Porter, Kate, Duke and of course Clare (the good guys) to life. I feel like I know them, I’m there with them. You have a gift Alex Smith and THANK YOU so much for sharing it with us. One thing - PLEASE don’t let it end!
What a book ! I read it each evening and I was completely engrossed, the tunnels were my favourite bit and the boys - what lengths would they go to, they were completely but Carmichaels (am I spoiling it for people who haven'read the book) who was indeed The Master , they got revenge on him in the most original way, I thoroughly enjoyed the book - no I loved it absolutely loved it.
This was an outstanding book in the brilliant DCI Kett series. I have been a fan since the very first in the series 'Paper Girls'. The tension just ramped up in this book and I was honestly worried for some of the characters. I really don't know where Alex gets his ideas from, he is an exceptional author. Just looking forward to book 19 now. Bravo Alex, a job incredibly well done.
Well, I wanted a fast paced red and that's exactly what I got. Twisty and gruesome this one certainly puts Kett's tossing team through its paces. Lots of humour to balance the darkness, but oh boy... I'm not sure where Smith can take this series next. Thankfully the next one is de out later in the year
This book had such a cinematic feel that I felt drawn in from the very first pages. Alex Smith has a way with words and capacity to create storylines which engage and horrify in equal measure, and the series is getting better and better. That I find the reference to "toss" has lost it's humour and is a little wearing that couldn't distract from such a rollercoaster on the sofa.
Another fantastic,tense thrilling story from Alex Smith. All the team of characters and reference to previous cases was fantastic continuity. But the fabulous humour keeps you chuckling throughout, awesome balance against the gritty, bloody tension. Brilliantly written, and vivid descriptions, bring the whole book together.
Rereading some other stuff and I find this, an Alex Smith book I didn’t know about. To make it even more perfect the book is utterly fantastic. Well done, Alex. You’ve knocked it out of the park. If I had to have one criticism, it’s that there isn’t another one to go straight on to.
Is this early retirement for Robbie Kett? After all the horror crimes he's been through. Maybe just slowing down for the time being and his team which he fondly regards as his family may just encourage him to take one last case. As harrowing as this case was and one of his own involved he may have different thoughts.
This must be one of Alex Smith's most violent books. I centres around the last (?) throws of Hollenbeck, the violent group that would aim for world domination. There are plenty of surprises, and a long final episode that sees Robert Kett and his team in a desperate situation.
I thoroughly recommend it, but it gets pretty violent,
Have read the full series of books. They did not falter in the excitement and brutality. The mix of characters are well put together, with a flow of humour to help offset the grim story lines.
Kett gets Maynard and a twist in loyalties comes to light. A lot of nail biting stuff but it was obvious right would win. The young lads brainwashed, what happened to them?
This is the best series of books ever! Seriously they are tossing brilliant!! I absolutely love them. I'm not sure how a murder series can have you laughing through it, but Colin Clare never fails. I hope there are going to be many, many more books to come...
Alex Smith does it again, just when you think these books can’t get any better - along comes the next one! I still don’t think we’ve send the end of Hollenbeck yet though - I think there will be a huge twist which no one will see coming!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.