What do you think?
Rate this book
D.I. Grace Fisher #1
Good Girls Don't Die
You’d know if someone close to you was capable of lethal violence, right?
Dead wrong.
Accused of grassing up a fellow officer and driven brutally out of home and job, Grace Fisher is thankful to survive some dark times and find haven with the Major Investigation Team in Essex.
One female student is missing, last seen at a popular bar in Colchester. When a second student, also out drinking, is murdered and left grotesquely posed, the case becomes headline news.
Someone is leaking disturbing details to a tabloid crime reporter. Is it the killer? Or a detective close to the case?
With another victim, and under siege by the media, the murder enquiry hits a dead end. The review team brought in to shake things up is headed by Grace’s old DCI. Who is going to listen to her now?
Dead wrong.
Accused of grassing up a fellow officer and driven brutally out of home and job, Grace Fisher is thankful to survive some dark times and find haven with the Major Investigation Team in Essex.
One female student is missing, last seen at a popular bar in Colchester. When a second student, also out drinking, is murdered and left grotesquely posed, the case becomes headline news.
Someone is leaking disturbing details to a tabloid crime reporter. Is it the killer? Or a detective close to the case?
With another victim, and under siege by the media, the murder enquiry hits a dead end. The review team brought in to shake things up is headed by Grace’s old DCI. Who is going to listen to her now?
441 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2014
29 people are currently reading
1381 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Grey
19 books102 followersI write the DI Grace Fisher series of crime novels, set in Colchester, Essex. 'The Special Girls', the third in the series, was a Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Month. The first three books in the series are 'Good Girls Don't Die', 'Shot Through the Heart' and 'The Special Girls. The murder detective's fourth investigation, 'Wrong Way Home', was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month.
Quercus also publish my novels of psychological suspense, 'Out of Sight' and the Amazon bestseller 'The Bad Mother', as well as historical fiction by my new writing persona, V.B. Grey.
As a screenwriter I've contributed episodes to such television crime dramas as 'The Bill', 'Wycliffe', 'Rosemary & Thyme' and 'Midsomer Murders' and, with Jimmy McGovern, an episode of the Bafta and International Emmy award-winning BBC series 'Accused'.
I enjoy writing crime and suspense because such gripping and tightly-woven stories offer a chance to explore how secrets come back to haunt us, the chilling emotions of why people kill, how love can go terrifyingly wrong, and the psychology of what we most fear.
I was born within the sound of Bow Bells in London's East End, grew up in Manchester, lived for ten years on what was once a tidal island at the edge of the Romney Marsh, and now live and work in north London.
Quercus also publish my novels of psychological suspense, 'Out of Sight' and the Amazon bestseller 'The Bad Mother', as well as historical fiction by my new writing persona, V.B. Grey.
As a screenwriter I've contributed episodes to such television crime dramas as 'The Bill', 'Wycliffe', 'Rosemary & Thyme' and 'Midsomer Murders' and, with Jimmy McGovern, an episode of the Bafta and International Emmy award-winning BBC series 'Accused'.
I enjoy writing crime and suspense because such gripping and tightly-woven stories offer a chance to explore how secrets come back to haunt us, the chilling emotions of why people kill, how love can go terrifyingly wrong, and the psychology of what we most fear.
I was born within the sound of Bow Bells in London's East End, grew up in Manchester, lived for ten years on what was once a tidal island at the edge of the Romney Marsh, and now live and work in north London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
November 5, 2014
This book introduces us to a new Detective – Grace Fisher and is set in the Colchester area. Grace is a detective with a past that she is trying to get away from and I did feel for part of the read that I was reading a sequel , because that past is only revealed to us in dribs and drabs and it takes a while for us to learn all her back story, which explains why she is in Colchester, starting a new job.
Events start with a missing girl, soon followed by the discovery of another girl’s body. With one girl already dead and another missing, is there a serial killer on the loose? It is quite a complex plot with a number of suspects and the investigation felt very realistic. I found myself constantly changing my mind as to who the guilty party was throughout the read. I found it hard to put down as I was really caught up in the plot, wanting to know how it was going to end. Grace is a very engaging, likeable, human character and I really enjoyed reading about her. I also liked her work partner, Lance and hope that another book tells us more about him, because I really felt that he also has a story to tell. A highly recommended read for fans of police procedurals. Many thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
Events start with a missing girl, soon followed by the discovery of another girl’s body. With one girl already dead and another missing, is there a serial killer on the loose? It is quite a complex plot with a number of suspects and the investigation felt very realistic. I found myself constantly changing my mind as to who the guilty party was throughout the read. I found it hard to put down as I was really caught up in the plot, wanting to know how it was going to end. Grace is a very engaging, likeable, human character and I really enjoyed reading about her. I also liked her work partner, Lance and hope that another book tells us more about him, because I really felt that he also has a story to tell. A highly recommended read for fans of police procedurals. Many thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
October 26, 2014
**Actual Rating 4.5 stars***
Some top notch crime fiction from the pen of Isabelle Grey here,which just goes to show there is still a lot of life left in the police procedural drama stakes, all you need are some well drawn characters, a haunting yet intriguing mystery and an ability to draw the reader in and make them care about what is going on – all of which happens here with bells on.
Grace joins the Major Investigation Team in Essex, having been unceremoniously dumped from her previous life for doing the right thing. Thrust into the ebb and flow of a case investigating missing and murdered girls, she barely has time to draw breath – whilst she is intuitive and intelligent she holds herself back in an attempt to stop rocking the boat – this gives her an appealing edge over other female leading characters in crime fiction and makes you root for her all the way.
Definitely one of the most readable crime novels I have read recently, there is a beauty in the writing and a definite addictive quality to it which keeps you turning the pages and eager to know how it all pans out. An enthralling story and a great supporting cast adds to the whole and Grace’s back story becomes more and more compelling as more details start to emerge. Some dark themes explored as well – obsession and domestic violence along with some interesting threads to do with freedom of the press and police politics – overall this was a superb example of its kind and I really cannot recommend it highly enough for fans of Crime Fiction.
Happy Reading Folks!
Some top notch crime fiction from the pen of Isabelle Grey here,which just goes to show there is still a lot of life left in the police procedural drama stakes, all you need are some well drawn characters, a haunting yet intriguing mystery and an ability to draw the reader in and make them care about what is going on – all of which happens here with bells on.
Grace joins the Major Investigation Team in Essex, having been unceremoniously dumped from her previous life for doing the right thing. Thrust into the ebb and flow of a case investigating missing and murdered girls, she barely has time to draw breath – whilst she is intuitive and intelligent she holds herself back in an attempt to stop rocking the boat – this gives her an appealing edge over other female leading characters in crime fiction and makes you root for her all the way.
Definitely one of the most readable crime novels I have read recently, there is a beauty in the writing and a definite addictive quality to it which keeps you turning the pages and eager to know how it all pans out. An enthralling story and a great supporting cast adds to the whole and Grace’s back story becomes more and more compelling as more details start to emerge. Some dark themes explored as well – obsession and domestic violence along with some interesting threads to do with freedom of the press and police politics – overall this was a superb example of its kind and I really cannot recommend it highly enough for fans of Crime Fiction.
Happy Reading Folks!
February 24, 2016
I loved Isabelle Grey books.
But this one turned out to be quite slow for me, the pace was very tedious at times and I tried to make myself stay with it because I respect this author so much.
For some reason it just didn't pull me in like the others she has written.
Grace joins a team that are looking for Polly throughout this book. Shes missing, taken or ran off, no one quite knows and although there are many suspects, you never get to know for sure which one it could be.
Grace is in disgrace for dobbing in another officer from her previous location [we get to learn what as time goes on] so now is in another part of town in another division.
Another person is found dead.
There are leads that are not to be told to the public but it gets leaked out and Grace is looking like shes in the firing line.
It makes for a huge enormous brilliant story, but just something was lacking. I can't put my finger on it.
Although Polly was referred to in the book, it was like sometimes she had vanished from the pages of the book to and poked back in as an after thought.
Its MY opinion and I am not being a critic, I just found it very difficult to keep with it.
Like I said, I finished it because I respected the authors previous work. I will still be reading any other subsequent books she writes this won't put me off.
*My thanks to Quercus Books via Net Galley for my copy*
But this one turned out to be quite slow for me, the pace was very tedious at times and I tried to make myself stay with it because I respect this author so much.
For some reason it just didn't pull me in like the others she has written.
Grace joins a team that are looking for Polly throughout this book. Shes missing, taken or ran off, no one quite knows and although there are many suspects, you never get to know for sure which one it could be.
Grace is in disgrace for dobbing in another officer from her previous location [we get to learn what as time goes on] so now is in another part of town in another division.
Another person is found dead.
There are leads that are not to be told to the public but it gets leaked out and Grace is looking like shes in the firing line.
It makes for a huge enormous brilliant story, but just something was lacking. I can't put my finger on it.
Although Polly was referred to in the book, it was like sometimes she had vanished from the pages of the book to and poked back in as an after thought.
Its MY opinion and I am not being a critic, I just found it very difficult to keep with it.
Like I said, I finished it because I respected the authors previous work. I will still be reading any other subsequent books she writes this won't put me off.
*My thanks to Quercus Books via Net Galley for my copy*
November 18, 2017
I had an advance copy of the 3rd book in this series earlier this year, enjoyed it and decided to try an earlier one. This is the first book and feels a bit like it at times - the 3rd is better IMO. That said I do think Isabelle Grey deserves rather more recognition that she seems to have. I do like DI (although in this case DS) Grace Fisher as a character. She has an interesting background and certainly by book 3 is developing very nicely. There are other worthwhile characters in this book too. I guess I'd call this a "holiday read" sort of book but none the worse for that. This is pace and a decent enough plot. 3.5/5 for me and I do have book 2 though goodness knows when I'll get to it!
October 6, 2014
For anyone who thinks that the good old police procedural has had its day, think again. Isabelle Grey has come up with a cracking new novel which is the first in a new series featuring Detective Sergeant Grace Fisher.
Grace Fisher left her last posting in Maidstone after being driven out for grassing up a fellow officer, losing her job, home and husband in the process. Taking a demotion she joins the Major Investigation Team in Essex and starts on the day a student is reported as missing following the end of year exams. Anxious that her past hasn’t followed her Grace is keen to make her mark, but reluctant to tread on anyone’s toes in the process during the investigation into Polly Sinclair’s disappearance she meets up with an old friend who is a journalist on the local paper.
When a body of another student is found and the media turn on the police details only known to a favoured few are soon splashed across the local paper. Grace is under suspicion for leaking the news and Grace is soon fighting to avoid disciplinary action.
This is an intricately plotted story which has a number of threads that held my attention from beginning to the end. As in any good detective novel the red herrings are carefully placed and far from obvious, the motive believable and above all populated by a great range of characters. Grace is an appealing protagonist and one who despite her unfortunate start in Essex is more normal than many who populate this genre. Her partner Lance is equally affable although understandably cautious about Grace and the range of secondary characters from victims to suspects and everyone in between all realistically portrayed. As in real life there are the public faces and the private faces, none more so than the hack from the national paper The Courier, Ivo Sweatman who is easily the best secondary character to grace the genre for years.
I love the way the media activity is seamlessly integrated into the storyline with Ivo chasing his headlines in a ruthless manner which mirrors contemporary news stories rather too well. Ivo is clear that while the Senior Investigating Officer may want the truth he is chasing the story and sad though it may be, the longer the police take to find a suspect to charge the story will keep rolling, and as we know it doesn’t take long for the media to turn on the police. Isabelle Grey hasn’t ignored social media either keeping this story right up to date.
Isabelle Grey’s training in screenwriting shines through, this is well-written and engaging which despite the number of different lines of enquiry being followed as well as some sub-plots both past and present, is easy to follow where a lesser writer could have tripped themselves up on the knots.
This is a series I will be following without a doubt, particularly as the first book of the series can be far too much background and not enough present, this author has provided just the right combination of both. I’d like to say a big thank you to the publishers Quercus for allowing me to have a copy of the book ahead of publication on 9 October 2014 in return for this honest review.
Grace Fisher left her last posting in Maidstone after being driven out for grassing up a fellow officer, losing her job, home and husband in the process. Taking a demotion she joins the Major Investigation Team in Essex and starts on the day a student is reported as missing following the end of year exams. Anxious that her past hasn’t followed her Grace is keen to make her mark, but reluctant to tread on anyone’s toes in the process during the investigation into Polly Sinclair’s disappearance she meets up with an old friend who is a journalist on the local paper.
When a body of another student is found and the media turn on the police details only known to a favoured few are soon splashed across the local paper. Grace is under suspicion for leaking the news and Grace is soon fighting to avoid disciplinary action.
This is an intricately plotted story which has a number of threads that held my attention from beginning to the end. As in any good detective novel the red herrings are carefully placed and far from obvious, the motive believable and above all populated by a great range of characters. Grace is an appealing protagonist and one who despite her unfortunate start in Essex is more normal than many who populate this genre. Her partner Lance is equally affable although understandably cautious about Grace and the range of secondary characters from victims to suspects and everyone in between all realistically portrayed. As in real life there are the public faces and the private faces, none more so than the hack from the national paper The Courier, Ivo Sweatman who is easily the best secondary character to grace the genre for years.
I love the way the media activity is seamlessly integrated into the storyline with Ivo chasing his headlines in a ruthless manner which mirrors contemporary news stories rather too well. Ivo is clear that while the Senior Investigating Officer may want the truth he is chasing the story and sad though it may be, the longer the police take to find a suspect to charge the story will keep rolling, and as we know it doesn’t take long for the media to turn on the police. Isabelle Grey hasn’t ignored social media either keeping this story right up to date.
Isabelle Grey’s training in screenwriting shines through, this is well-written and engaging which despite the number of different lines of enquiry being followed as well as some sub-plots both past and present, is easy to follow where a lesser writer could have tripped themselves up on the knots.
This is a series I will be following without a doubt, particularly as the first book of the series can be far too much background and not enough present, this author has provided just the right combination of both. I’d like to say a big thank you to the publishers Quercus for allowing me to have a copy of the book ahead of publication on 9 October 2014 in return for this honest review.
March 30, 2017
This is my first book by Isabella Grey. I loved the writing itself, it flowed easily and I was looking forward to getting stuck in. Unfortunately, the plot was boring for me. Nothing much happened, and when it did there was no suspense. Despite this, I will read more from Isabelle. I liked Grace, the main character and I’m looking forward to hearing more about her, and her background
Thanks goes to net galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks goes to net galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2016
5 Words: Crime, mystery, murder, love, family.
AUDIOBOOK.
This was very good, and I absolutely loved the narrator, but I felt that the story itself was a little bit too slow and the narrative a little bit too sloppy.
It seems to be a common theme that women in the police force are basically shat upon by every male in the force, and it gets a little tiresome after a while. This theme is there full force in this book and it felt like a little bit too much, like it have gone just that little bit too far.
I did like the relationship between the press and the police in this book. It was quite refreshing that it wasn't just to two sides tearing each other to shreds, that there was a little give and take from both side.
I did really like Grace, but I'm not entirely sure if this is just down to the amazing performance of the narrator.
If you are looking for a great audio-performance then go get this now.
AUDIOBOOK.
This was very good, and I absolutely loved the narrator, but I felt that the story itself was a little bit too slow and the narrative a little bit too sloppy.
It seems to be a common theme that women in the police force are basically shat upon by every male in the force, and it gets a little tiresome after a while. This theme is there full force in this book and it felt like a little bit too much, like it have gone just that little bit too far.
I did like the relationship between the press and the police in this book. It was quite refreshing that it wasn't just to two sides tearing each other to shreds, that there was a little give and take from both side.
I did really like Grace, but I'm not entirely sure if this is just down to the amazing performance of the narrator.
If you are looking for a great audio-performance then go get this now.
October 7, 2014
4.5 stars
I loved the sound of this book after reading its blurb and hoped it would meet my expectations. I'm glad to say that it did. Our main character is DS Grace Fisher who I warmed to immediately. It felt like I already knew her and not like I'd only just met her. Once a DI she is now disgraced, in the midst of a divorce and hoping Essex is the place she can start afresh.
Her first case with new partner Lance is the case of a missing student named Polly. No sooner have they attempted to investigate than a second student, Rachel is found dead and sexually mutilated. The public are worried and Grace's job is about to become a lot more difficult as the case is played out very publicly in the press. As one of the more outspoken journalists Roxanne is an old friend of Grace's, all eyes are on Grace when sensitive information leaks out to the press...
The two girls share a connection and it's Grace's job to try and find out who is responsible for the murder and where Polly is. Whether she is even alive. There's a number of suspects in the line up all of whom could easily have been responsible. For me though and the reason I gave this book 4.5 instead of 5 was that I chose my suspect very early on and I was correct. The book therefore lost some of its tension and I wasn't surprised by its conclusion. That said it does take a lot to throw me off course as a seasoned crime reader!
What we have here though is a very normal yet realistic case. It's something we could read about in the news or watch on the latest TV drama which given the background of Isabelle Grey is to be expected. It's a very enjoyable police procedural reminding me at times of Lynda La Plante. I love police procedurals, from the normal stuff like interviewing friends and trying to work out which piece of the puzzle goes where to the interviewing of the suspects where we can really get inside their heads. Isabelle's knowledge and background adds an authenticity to the novel that amateurs just can't provide and that makes the book so much more enjoyable.
The character of Grace is well developed and we learn so much about her yet there's still stuff we don't know. She's somewhat of a lost soul and given her past I am rooting for her to find the happiness she so obviously craves. For that reason this absolutely has to be the start of a series and if book two isn't in the works I am going to be sorely disappointed. The characters, the setting, the storytelling and the writing are just too good for this not to be a series. I have no trouble recommending this book to anyone who likes a realistic, gripping police procedural as they rarely get much better than this. Just for me a few more red herrings were needed!
Thanks to Quercus for the review copy.
I loved the sound of this book after reading its blurb and hoped it would meet my expectations. I'm glad to say that it did. Our main character is DS Grace Fisher who I warmed to immediately. It felt like I already knew her and not like I'd only just met her. Once a DI she is now disgraced, in the midst of a divorce and hoping Essex is the place she can start afresh.
Her first case with new partner Lance is the case of a missing student named Polly. No sooner have they attempted to investigate than a second student, Rachel is found dead and sexually mutilated. The public are worried and Grace's job is about to become a lot more difficult as the case is played out very publicly in the press. As one of the more outspoken journalists Roxanne is an old friend of Grace's, all eyes are on Grace when sensitive information leaks out to the press...
The two girls share a connection and it's Grace's job to try and find out who is responsible for the murder and where Polly is. Whether she is even alive. There's a number of suspects in the line up all of whom could easily have been responsible. For me though and the reason I gave this book 4.5 instead of 5 was that I chose my suspect very early on and I was correct. The book therefore lost some of its tension and I wasn't surprised by its conclusion. That said it does take a lot to throw me off course as a seasoned crime reader!
What we have here though is a very normal yet realistic case. It's something we could read about in the news or watch on the latest TV drama which given the background of Isabelle Grey is to be expected. It's a very enjoyable police procedural reminding me at times of Lynda La Plante. I love police procedurals, from the normal stuff like interviewing friends and trying to work out which piece of the puzzle goes where to the interviewing of the suspects where we can really get inside their heads. Isabelle's knowledge and background adds an authenticity to the novel that amateurs just can't provide and that makes the book so much more enjoyable.
The character of Grace is well developed and we learn so much about her yet there's still stuff we don't know. She's somewhat of a lost soul and given her past I am rooting for her to find the happiness she so obviously craves. For that reason this absolutely has to be the start of a series and if book two isn't in the works I am going to be sorely disappointed. The characters, the setting, the storytelling and the writing are just too good for this not to be a series. I have no trouble recommending this book to anyone who likes a realistic, gripping police procedural as they rarely get much better than this. Just for me a few more red herrings were needed!
Thanks to Quercus for the review copy.
July 21, 2017
The first book in the series revolving around DI Grace Fisher.
There are two story lines running through this book, the first is Grace's story and why she has just started this new (demoted) position. We find out in a series of flash backs and re-tellings ( a few too many re-tellings- I got it the first time) about how she had apparently grassed up a fellow officer for drug abuse and how the rest of her colleagues including her hubby and commanding officer turned against her, she was forced to resign.
The second story line starts just after Grace's new appointment (through the help of a distant friend) to Essex. A girl has gone missing on a University campus and as soon as her dead body is found another girl goes missing. The first girl's body was posed in both a comfy and disturbing manner but these details are kept off record. Then somehow the press have "inside" info about this murder and the police are left wondering if the killer talked to the press or is it one of them.
There is also a third incident with a journalist friend of Graces that does not bode well for the friend or Grace.
There are two story lines running through this book, the first is Grace's story and why she has just started this new (demoted) position. We find out in a series of flash backs and re-tellings ( a few too many re-tellings- I got it the first time) about how she had apparently grassed up a fellow officer for drug abuse and how the rest of her colleagues including her hubby and commanding officer turned against her, she was forced to resign.
The second story line starts just after Grace's new appointment (through the help of a distant friend) to Essex. A girl has gone missing on a University campus and as soon as her dead body is found another girl goes missing. The first girl's body was posed in both a comfy and disturbing manner but these details are kept off record. Then somehow the press have "inside" info about this murder and the police are left wondering if the killer talked to the press or is it one of them.
There is also a third incident with a journalist friend of Graces that does not bode well for the friend or Grace.
December 22, 2014
What a fantastic book. Well written, great characters and a superb storyline. I could not put it down.
March 25, 2017
I finished this book but I didn't enjoy it. I found the story very slow and the last 100 pages were the best part of the book.
Read
February 3, 2015Thanks to the guys at Quercus for a copy of Isabelle’s Grey’s new novel in exchange for review. Having read The Bad Mother I was excited to see what Grey would come up with next and Good Girls Don’t Die doesn’t disappointment.
This is set to be the first in a series of books starring Detective Sergent Grace Fisher, new to the Essex Police Force having moved from Kent after the breakup of her marriage, she has a great back story forced out of her old team, deserted by those she thought were her friends and even her husband she is starting again trying to get away from the treatment she faced in her last job. In Essex she is thrown into the investigation of missing girl Polly Sinclair when police then find the body of another girl it seems they have a killer to find.
Meanwhile journalist Ivo is also looking to get his scoop on the latest killer eager to obtain his headline he sweet talks local journalist Roxanne into giving him information into the key players, in return for nothing but some shifts on his paper. But then tragedy strikes and Ivo finds himself at a new low, report the crime straight away or get the scoop? Has he finally crossed a line, it seems he has, but ultimately by the conclusion of the book he does manage to redeem himself and prove to be not all bad.
This is a great book for those who love to solve a crime, with a few well thought out suspects that each could have motive to be the killer. The police can’t agree on who the killer is but Grace is trusting her intuition and it’s leading her down another path. Will that path uncover the truth of what happened to Polly? You’ll have to read it to find out.
The book really caught my attention and was a pleasure to read, the main character is immensely likeable and all of the side characters are crucial to the plot and help to move the story along, I can’t wait to read more about Grace Fisher and see what happens to her in the next books. If this book was anything to go by criminals better watch out, she’s on to you!
If you like a good old fashioned police investigation get this one in your reading list!
This is set to be the first in a series of books starring Detective Sergent Grace Fisher, new to the Essex Police Force having moved from Kent after the breakup of her marriage, she has a great back story forced out of her old team, deserted by those she thought were her friends and even her husband she is starting again trying to get away from the treatment she faced in her last job. In Essex she is thrown into the investigation of missing girl Polly Sinclair when police then find the body of another girl it seems they have a killer to find.
Meanwhile journalist Ivo is also looking to get his scoop on the latest killer eager to obtain his headline he sweet talks local journalist Roxanne into giving him information into the key players, in return for nothing but some shifts on his paper. But then tragedy strikes and Ivo finds himself at a new low, report the crime straight away or get the scoop? Has he finally crossed a line, it seems he has, but ultimately by the conclusion of the book he does manage to redeem himself and prove to be not all bad.
This is a great book for those who love to solve a crime, with a few well thought out suspects that each could have motive to be the killer. The police can’t agree on who the killer is but Grace is trusting her intuition and it’s leading her down another path. Will that path uncover the truth of what happened to Polly? You’ll have to read it to find out.
The book really caught my attention and was a pleasure to read, the main character is immensely likeable and all of the side characters are crucial to the plot and help to move the story along, I can’t wait to read more about Grace Fisher and see what happens to her in the next books. If this book was anything to go by criminals better watch out, she’s on to you!
If you like a good old fashioned police investigation get this one in your reading list!
December 15, 2014
I found this a compelling read and it in two days. Grace Fisher - previously a Detective Inspector in the Kent force has moved to Essex to start a new life as a Detective Sergeant. The reader does not know at first exactly what happened to Grace to cause her to leave her previous job but the circumstances are gradually revealed.
A student disappears following a night out and Grace is part of the investigating team. As she gradually builds relationships with her colleagues she meets up with a friend from her university days who is now a journalist. But being friends with a journalist is not always a good idea for a detective.
The body of a young woman is found on a derelict building site but this isn't the missing student but another student from the same university. Suspicion falls on a lecturer and also on the landlord who rents flats to students. Do the police have a serial killer on their hands? Can Grace cope with the facts about her past life being revealed to her current colleagues?
I liked Grace as a character. She makes mistakes but she accepts responsibility for those mistakes. She is prepared to go out on a limb and put her career, even her life on the line for what she believes is right. The tensions between the police and the journalists involved in reporting the case is very well done and it all adds to the overall tension in the book as it speeds towards its climax and another death before the murderer is caught.
Well written and well plotted this is an excellent police procedural crime story and probably one of the best books I've read this year. I hope there are going to be more novels featuring Grace Fisher. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley fro review purposes.
A student disappears following a night out and Grace is part of the investigating team. As she gradually builds relationships with her colleagues she meets up with a friend from her university days who is now a journalist. But being friends with a journalist is not always a good idea for a detective.
The body of a young woman is found on a derelict building site but this isn't the missing student but another student from the same university. Suspicion falls on a lecturer and also on the landlord who rents flats to students. Do the police have a serial killer on their hands? Can Grace cope with the facts about her past life being revealed to her current colleagues?
I liked Grace as a character. She makes mistakes but she accepts responsibility for those mistakes. She is prepared to go out on a limb and put her career, even her life on the line for what she believes is right. The tensions between the police and the journalists involved in reporting the case is very well done and it all adds to the overall tension in the book as it speeds towards its climax and another death before the murderer is caught.
Well written and well plotted this is an excellent police procedural crime story and probably one of the best books I've read this year. I hope there are going to be more novels featuring Grace Fisher. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley fro review purposes.
December 7, 2014
Won this book as part of the good reads first reads system, so was looking forward to reading this. I liked the main character and was intrigued that she had a chequered past in Kent and now had moved to Essex and was forever hoping that her past would not affect her future. I liked the pace of the book and this was constant and I found this made for a steady read.
Most of the other characters were good although I wasnt so keen on their only being a few real options as to the killers identity and there could have been a few more options and surprises to keep you as the reader guessing but overall a good start to the authors journey into the crime fiction genre and I would read more from Isabelle Grey.
Most of the other characters were good although I wasnt so keen on their only being a few real options as to the killers identity and there could have been a few more options and surprises to keep you as the reader guessing but overall a good start to the authors journey into the crime fiction genre and I would read more from Isabelle Grey.
December 2, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, I tend to favour the male detectives but Grace Fisher was a fantastic character. I found it interesting to see both the murder case and Graces past unfold simultaniously. The descriptions were detailed and the story flowed well with enough red herrings to make the ending a surprise. A well written story with likeable characters I will be trying out the authors other work .
February 2, 2015
Grace moves to Colchester to make a new start as a detective sergeant in the local constabulary. A student goes missing from the university then another is found murdered and violated. Was it the randy law lecturer or maybe the Polish house owner who liked to watch the girls. Great story and I do hope this is the start of a series.
January 1, 2015
Wasn't sure at first...seemed a bit slow. But then I got into it and really had no idea who the murderer was until towards the end. There were a lot of suspects and I was never really sure. Felt sorry for the murderer though, the reasons why he did what he did.
December 20, 2014
I enjoyed this book which kept you guessing right up to the end.
January 4, 2015
Absolutely loved this book. I listened on audio and the narrated was excellent but most importantly a good modest (for once) british detective story. Went straight for another book by Isabelle Grey.
December 8, 2020
4 1/2 star listen
A really good start to a new series , a very likable main character , exciting plot, keeps you guessing throughout, which suspect actually did it !
A really good start to a new series , a very likable main character , exciting plot, keeps you guessing throughout, which suspect actually did it !
September 24, 2018
I am finding that I am enjoying crime novels on audio much more than I do when I actually read them. A lot of this is down to the narrator of course, and Melody Grove reads this series very well.
Grace Fisher is a detective with the Colchester branch of the Essex Police. She has just moved to the area and the force from Sussex where she was hounded out for reporting a corrupt officer, and then for reporting her policeman husband for beating her nearly to death for reporting said officer. So. Happy days.
The story starts with a call from Polly Sinclair's parents reporting their daughter missing. It is Monday morning, she went out Friday night and hasn't been seen since. Grace and her new colleague, Lance, investigate the missing girl. Polly is a student at the University of Essex in Wivenhoe, near Colchester. Lance and Grace interview her housemates and her landlord, and they begin to suspect that the landlord isn't all that he seems.
Shortly after this, another female student is found murdered and the police think that the two incidents are linked. A week later, the local journalist who has obviously been sniffing around the story is also found dead - possibly because she had found out who had taken Polly and Rachel? Who knows?
Grace and Lance are torn on who they think did it. Lance is convinced it's the dodgy landlord who has strange, slightly extreme religious opinions about respect and how a woman should behave. Grace however is less convinced, and is interested in the slightly introverted chap who works in the campus bookshop and claims to be Polly's best friend... Who is right? Well, you'll have to read/listen to it, I'm not giving away spoilers here!
I like a series like this (currently listening to the second book in this series) because I like getting to know the characters, I liked Grace and Lance and look forward to hearing more about them. I don't know why I prefer to listen to these sorts of books than read them - possibly they are not long enough to read as I do like a good tome I can get my teeth into. Listening to them takes a great deal longer than reading them would.
4 stars for this one.
Grace Fisher is a detective with the Colchester branch of the Essex Police. She has just moved to the area and the force from Sussex where she was hounded out for reporting a corrupt officer, and then for reporting her policeman husband for beating her nearly to death for reporting said officer. So. Happy days.
The story starts with a call from Polly Sinclair's parents reporting their daughter missing. It is Monday morning, she went out Friday night and hasn't been seen since. Grace and her new colleague, Lance, investigate the missing girl. Polly is a student at the University of Essex in Wivenhoe, near Colchester. Lance and Grace interview her housemates and her landlord, and they begin to suspect that the landlord isn't all that he seems.
Shortly after this, another female student is found murdered and the police think that the two incidents are linked. A week later, the local journalist who has obviously been sniffing around the story is also found dead - possibly because she had found out who had taken Polly and Rachel? Who knows?
Grace and Lance are torn on who they think did it. Lance is convinced it's the dodgy landlord who has strange, slightly extreme religious opinions about respect and how a woman should behave. Grace however is less convinced, and is interested in the slightly introverted chap who works in the campus bookshop and claims to be Polly's best friend... Who is right? Well, you'll have to read/listen to it, I'm not giving away spoilers here!
I like a series like this (currently listening to the second book in this series) because I like getting to know the characters, I liked Grace and Lance and look forward to hearing more about them. I don't know why I prefer to listen to these sorts of books than read them - possibly they are not long enough to read as I do like a good tome I can get my teeth into. Listening to them takes a great deal longer than reading them would.
4 stars for this one.
June 8, 2018
This was a little disappointing for me. Grace's back story was interesting, but it was also depressing and referred to over and over again. At times it seemed as if nothing had ever gone right for Grace and nothing ever would.
The police procedural aspects also felt rather demoralizing: there was a lot of hopeless going round in circles, which may well be realistic, but made for dull reading. The chapters from Ivo's perspective were a little jarring, although they definitely read as a distinctly different narrative. Ivo himself was a difficult character to pin down; he wasn't very coherently drawn. The novel as a whole felt slow and overlong.
My final issues were with the character of Grace herself. I didn't really warm to her, which is perhaps beside the point, but again she didn't make complete sense to me. She was supposed to be a recently demoted DI, but read as a surprisingly immature character. I barely believed in her as a DS. Her decisions about contact with Roxanne were unwise and unlikely for a senior officer and I don't believe for one moment that her conduct warranted re-promotion.
On the positive side, the pool of suspects was tight and the plot made sense, but I don't think I'll continue with this series.
The police procedural aspects also felt rather demoralizing: there was a lot of hopeless going round in circles, which may well be realistic, but made for dull reading. The chapters from Ivo's perspective were a little jarring, although they definitely read as a distinctly different narrative. Ivo himself was a difficult character to pin down; he wasn't very coherently drawn. The novel as a whole felt slow and overlong.
My final issues were with the character of Grace herself. I didn't really warm to her, which is perhaps beside the point, but again she didn't make complete sense to me. She was supposed to be a recently demoted DI, but read as a surprisingly immature character. I barely believed in her as a DS. Her decisions about contact with Roxanne were unwise and unlikely for a senior officer and I don't believe for one moment that her conduct warranted re-promotion.
On the positive side, the pool of suspects was tight and the plot made sense, but I don't think I'll continue with this series.
September 9, 2021
A common-or-garden thriller really, with whole chapters that can be easily skipped where 1 journalist tries to chat up another, and lots of repeated information about Grace's last job. The culprit is easy to spot, too. It's fairly well written, though I won't be reading any more by her.
August 14, 2019
Fantastic discovery. A convincing story, really well written and brilliantly paced. I fear I will have read them all before the week is out.
October 3, 2019
Such a frustrating book. Great storyline and good characters, but the plot was completely transparent, it was very obvious early on who the killer was but I found myself continuously thinking the police were completely incompetent for blatantly ignoring what was staring them in the face. I shall try more books from the Grace Fisher series and hope they are not as frustrating!
March 18, 2017
I think this is a good start to what, I hope, will be a series. Grace Fisher was hounded out of her job in Maidstone for doing the right thing and has moved to Colchester to make a fresh start. Unfortunately a student disappears on her first day in the new job and then a couple of days later a body is found, but it's not the missing student. Are they linked? There is nothing particularly new in the plot - the police haul in a couple of plausible suspects and the plot revolves around their actions and the onus of proving who did it - but the characters are well drawn and extremely likeable so it makes for an easy read. I have 2 negative comments to make - I felt that Grace's treatment in Maidstone was a bit overdone and can't believe that in this day and age none of her colleagues wouldn't have backed her in doing the right thing. To me it is a rather old fashioned view of the police and the thin blue line. Secondly I guessed the perpetrator rather quickly, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel as I liked the way it all unfolded and the detectives' thought processes. This is a very easy book to read and I thoroughly recommend it as a good way to pass a few hours.
October 27, 2014
This was a good police procedural book spoilt a bit for me by the rather irritating main protagonist, who made a couple of really fundamental errors of judgment that I couldn't let go of and that seriously distracted me for the remainder of the book.
Our main womn has just moved to a new job following a demotion. She's left her old job because she pointed a finger at a drug-using colleague, and because she took her husband to court for beating her up - so he lost his job too. So she's pretty screwed up, and she's lucky to be getting another chance, and you'd think, wouldn't you, that she'd be very, very careful not to break any rules? Yup, I thought so too. Turns out her only friend in her new town is the local crime reporter who is strictly off-limits when they are working on the same murder. But does our girl fess up to having been out boozing with her? Nope. And where do the lasses go drinking? The very pub where the murdered girl drank the night before - even though they have a choice of any number of other pubs. And not only is she stupid enough to then pay with her credit card, when she's caught and hauled over the coals, and told never, never again what does she do? Yes, she does it again.
Then there's Trev, the wife-beater, who tracks her down, says he's sorry, tells her it's just as much her fault and does she fancy a pizza. Does she tell him to sling his hook? No, she opts for the pizza. Okay, she then doesn't eat it and storms off, but really - I mean, it's only been a few months, she's been only a few days in the job, if she loses the job she's up s*t creek without a paddle.
It was a good story. It was told pretty well. I read it quickly. But sadly, my enjoyment was really diluted because of our woman's antics, so I won't be going back for more.
Our main womn has just moved to a new job following a demotion. She's left her old job because she pointed a finger at a drug-using colleague, and because she took her husband to court for beating her up - so he lost his job too. So she's pretty screwed up, and she's lucky to be getting another chance, and you'd think, wouldn't you, that she'd be very, very careful not to break any rules? Yup, I thought so too. Turns out her only friend in her new town is the local crime reporter who is strictly off-limits when they are working on the same murder. But does our girl fess up to having been out boozing with her? Nope. And where do the lasses go drinking? The very pub where the murdered girl drank the night before - even though they have a choice of any number of other pubs. And not only is she stupid enough to then pay with her credit card, when she's caught and hauled over the coals, and told never, never again what does she do? Yes, she does it again.
Then there's Trev, the wife-beater, who tracks her down, says he's sorry, tells her it's just as much her fault and does she fancy a pizza. Does she tell him to sling his hook? No, she opts for the pizza. Okay, she then doesn't eat it and storms off, but really - I mean, it's only been a few months, she's been only a few days in the job, if she loses the job she's up s*t creek without a paddle.
It was a good story. It was told pretty well. I read it quickly. But sadly, my enjoyment was really diluted because of our woman's antics, so I won't be going back for more.
April 6, 2015
This is a compelling introduction to a new detective series starring police officer Grace Fisher. The murder is unraveled slowly, but realistically. The story felt very fresh and up to date, with references to modern technology that the author clearly understood. That was refreshing, as there is nothing worse than reading about detectives trying to solve a murder without comprehending the roles Twitter or cellphones played in the crime.
Although the story was slow-going, it had a depth that I found appealing. The characters were well written and fleshed out. Grace's history was interesting and I enjoyed the direction her story took.
I look forward to reading more in this series, as I found it a nice change of pace.
Although the story was slow-going, it had a depth that I found appealing. The characters were well written and fleshed out. Grace's history was interesting and I enjoyed the direction her story took.
I look forward to reading more in this series, as I found it a nice change of pace.
January 28, 2018
This book took a while to get going and was so predictable it was stupid! This is not a page turner and there is no twist at the end, there is a lack of suspense and the prolouge seemed pretty pointless.
However the writing was good and I like the MC Grace and if you like police style stories maybe this is for you, but this was neither the murder mystery or thriller I expected.
However the writing was good and I like the MC Grace and if you like police style stories maybe this is for you, but this was neither the murder mystery or thriller I expected.
January 3, 2015
For some reason I struggled with this book. The plot was there and so were the characters but got me it was abit flat and not very gripping
Shame
Shame
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews