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Just Kill: a twisting, addictive crime thriller that will keep you guessing
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jul 26'Sharp, suspenseful, and utterly compelling - Remi Kone is a crime writer to watch' Karin Slaughter
London during a blistering heatwave. A man wakes in the middle of the night, hearing noises from downstairs. He assumes it's a burglar - nothing prepares him for what he finds.
Across the city, DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle are called to a murder scene outside their jurisdiction. A woman has been killed - the only suspect, a friend from Leah's past who refuses to speak to anyone but her.
Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Zed Okoro's mother has vanished. He will do anything in his power to find her - even if it means risking his own life.
As Leah and Randle investigate, they discover a conspiracy with roots far from home.
Three incidents. One connection. What secrets make people kill?
EVERYBODY LOVES REMI KONE'S THRILLERS
'Watch out for Remi Kone - she's a startling new crime writing talent!' Peter James
'An exciting and powerful voice in dramatic storytelling' Patricia Cornwell
'Twisty, deep and human . . . I want more from these characters and this author' Lee Child
'An assured and original new voice in crime fiction' Jane Casey
'DI Leah Hutch is a new detective to die for' MJ Arlidge
'A rare blend of emotional depth and page-turning suspense' Jimmy Akingbola
London during a blistering heatwave. A man wakes in the middle of the night, hearing noises from downstairs. He assumes it's a burglar - nothing prepares him for what he finds.
Across the city, DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle are called to a murder scene outside their jurisdiction. A woman has been killed - the only suspect, a friend from Leah's past who refuses to speak to anyone but her.
Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Zed Okoro's mother has vanished. He will do anything in his power to find her - even if it means risking his own life.
As Leah and Randle investigate, they discover a conspiracy with roots far from home.
Three incidents. One connection. What secrets make people kill?
EVERYBODY LOVES REMI KONE'S THRILLERS
'Watch out for Remi Kone - she's a startling new crime writing talent!' Peter James
'An exciting and powerful voice in dramatic storytelling' Patricia Cornwell
'Twisty, deep and human . . . I want more from these characters and this author' Lee Child
'An assured and original new voice in crime fiction' Jane Casey
'DI Leah Hutch is a new detective to die for' MJ Arlidge
'A rare blend of emotional depth and page-turning suspense' Jimmy Akingbola
Audible Audio
Expected publication July 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A fresh and fascinating new voice in British crime fiction, Emmy-nominated British-Nigerian television producer Remi Kone (Killing Eve, Spooks) debuted last year with the more-than-solid Innocent Guilt, which introduced DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle, delved into dark corners of the human psyche, and forced Hutch to confront complications in her own upbringing.
Now Kone returns with Just Kill, an exciting second tale in her nascent South London series, where Hutch and Randle quickly get caught up in two strange murder cases during a London heatwave. A man discovers a corpse on his downstairs sofa, ‘watching’ television. He swears he never met the deceased. Across the city, a troubled maths teacher has been murdered, and the man caught fleeing the scene is a former classmate of Hutch’s. Meanwhile Zed Okoro, a 14-year-old boy, is determined to find his missing mother, by any means necessary. Hutch is pulled from her usual Battersea base by the involvement of her former classmate in the Elephant and Castle murder, but during Just Kill she ends up travelling far further afield as she and Randle investigate a conspiracy with roots in Africa.
Kone creates a propulsive tale that switches perspectives between Leah, Zed, and others. DI Hutch is an intriguing heroine; a mixed race detective who was raised by her grandmother (after her father, a policeman, went to prison for killing her adulterous mother), and is abrasive, stubborn, and struggles to trust others. The shadow of her father, Eli, looms large even as she tries to block it out; she’s tried to hide her connections to a killer, especially from her boss in London who was a colleague of Eli.
Hutch must try to solve a puzzling case that stirs up her own past, while dealing with her imprisoned father and nightmares about what she may or may not have witnessed as a child. When more deaths follow, and she’s told to take leave, will she finally deal with some of her own issues, or try to keep ploughing on through? With Just Kill, Kone builds on her debut and offers another tense, fast-paced police procedural that delves into some darker corners of psychology and society, while setting up some intriguing possibilities for several characters’ futures; the ones who survive.
[This review was written for the May 2026 issue of Deadly Pleasures magazine in the USA]
Now Kone returns with Just Kill, an exciting second tale in her nascent South London series, where Hutch and Randle quickly get caught up in two strange murder cases during a London heatwave. A man discovers a corpse on his downstairs sofa, ‘watching’ television. He swears he never met the deceased. Across the city, a troubled maths teacher has been murdered, and the man caught fleeing the scene is a former classmate of Hutch’s. Meanwhile Zed Okoro, a 14-year-old boy, is determined to find his missing mother, by any means necessary. Hutch is pulled from her usual Battersea base by the involvement of her former classmate in the Elephant and Castle murder, but during Just Kill she ends up travelling far further afield as she and Randle investigate a conspiracy with roots in Africa.
Kone creates a propulsive tale that switches perspectives between Leah, Zed, and others. DI Hutch is an intriguing heroine; a mixed race detective who was raised by her grandmother (after her father, a policeman, went to prison for killing her adulterous mother), and is abrasive, stubborn, and struggles to trust others. The shadow of her father, Eli, looms large even as she tries to block it out; she’s tried to hide her connections to a killer, especially from her boss in London who was a colleague of Eli.
Hutch must try to solve a puzzling case that stirs up her own past, while dealing with her imprisoned father and nightmares about what she may or may not have witnessed as a child. When more deaths follow, and she’s told to take leave, will she finally deal with some of her own issues, or try to keep ploughing on through? With Just Kill, Kone builds on her debut and offers another tense, fast-paced police procedural that delves into some darker corners of psychology and society, while setting up some intriguing possibilities for several characters’ futures; the ones who survive.
[This review was written for the May 2026 issue of Deadly Pleasures magazine in the USA]
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Just Kill is a taut, blistering thriller that captures the suffocating tension of a city caught in a heatwave and a police force racing against time. From the opening scene—a man jolted awake by noises downstairs, only to stumble into something far more horrifying than a burglary—the novel sets its tone with a sharp, unsettling jolt that never quite lets up.
DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle make a compelling investigative duo, pulled into a murder outside their jurisdiction for reasons that quickly become personal. Leah’s connection to the only suspect—a friend from her past who refuses to speak to anyone but her—adds a layer of emotional complexity that deepens the mystery rather than distracting from it. Their dynamic is steady, grounded, and threaded with the kind of unspoken trust that makes you want to follow them anywhere.
Running parallel is fourteen‑year‑old Zed Okoro’s desperate search for his missing mother. His storyline is raw and deeply affecting, a reminder of how fear sharpens into determination when you have no one else to fight for you. The way his path slowly begins to intersect with Leah’s investigation is one of the novel’s most gripping elements.
What I loved most is how the book weaves these seemingly separate incidents into a single, chilling thread. The conspiracy that emerges feels both expansive and intimate, rooted in places far from London yet casting long shadows across the city. The heatwave becomes its own character—oppressive, relentless, heightening every moment of danger and doubt.
The pacing is tight, the atmosphere tense, and the emotional stakes rise with every chapter. Just Kill asks the kind of questions that linger long after the final page: what secrets push people to the edge, and how far will they go when they feel they have no choice left?
Gripping, layered, and quietly devastating, this is a thriller that keeps its pulse racing from start to finish.
With thanks to Remi Kone, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle make a compelling investigative duo, pulled into a murder outside their jurisdiction for reasons that quickly become personal. Leah’s connection to the only suspect—a friend from her past who refuses to speak to anyone but her—adds a layer of emotional complexity that deepens the mystery rather than distracting from it. Their dynamic is steady, grounded, and threaded with the kind of unspoken trust that makes you want to follow them anywhere.
Running parallel is fourteen‑year‑old Zed Okoro’s desperate search for his missing mother. His storyline is raw and deeply affecting, a reminder of how fear sharpens into determination when you have no one else to fight for you. The way his path slowly begins to intersect with Leah’s investigation is one of the novel’s most gripping elements.
What I loved most is how the book weaves these seemingly separate incidents into a single, chilling thread. The conspiracy that emerges feels both expansive and intimate, rooted in places far from London yet casting long shadows across the city. The heatwave becomes its own character—oppressive, relentless, heightening every moment of danger and doubt.
The pacing is tight, the atmosphere tense, and the emotional stakes rise with every chapter. Just Kill asks the kind of questions that linger long after the final page: what secrets push people to the edge, and how far will they go when they feel they have no choice left?
Gripping, layered, and quietly devastating, this is a thriller that keeps its pulse racing from start to finish.
With thanks to Remi Kone, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
April 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Just Kill. This was a tense, fast-paced read that really pulls you in with its multiple strands and keeps you trying to piece everything together.
The story opens during a heatwave with an unsettling scene, a man disturbed in the night, expecting a burglary but finding something far worse. From there, we follow DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle as they’re pulled into a murder case outside their usual patch. The only suspect is someone from Leah’s past, and the fact she’ll only speak to Leah adds an immediate layer of tension and personal stakes.
Running alongside that is Zed Okoro’s story. At just fourteen, his desperation to find his missing mother brings a different kind of urgency and emotional weight to the plot. His chapters added a sense of vulnerability that balanced the procedural side of the investigation quite well.
What worked for me was how these threads gradually start to connect. There’s a steady build as you realise these aren’t isolated incidents but part of something much bigger, and that underlying conspiracy gives the story its momentum. The relationship between Leah and Randle also grounds it, there’s a nice balance there, and Leah in particular comes through as a strong, believable lead with just enough of her own history feeding into the case.
This is a gripping and engaging thriller with a strong central character and enough twists to keep you guessing. A solid four-star read, especially if you enjoy crime fiction where multiple storylines collide and gradually reveal the bigger picture.
The story opens during a heatwave with an unsettling scene, a man disturbed in the night, expecting a burglary but finding something far worse. From there, we follow DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle as they’re pulled into a murder case outside their usual patch. The only suspect is someone from Leah’s past, and the fact she’ll only speak to Leah adds an immediate layer of tension and personal stakes.
Running alongside that is Zed Okoro’s story. At just fourteen, his desperation to find his missing mother brings a different kind of urgency and emotional weight to the plot. His chapters added a sense of vulnerability that balanced the procedural side of the investigation quite well.
What worked for me was how these threads gradually start to connect. There’s a steady build as you realise these aren’t isolated incidents but part of something much bigger, and that underlying conspiracy gives the story its momentum. The relationship between Leah and Randle also grounds it, there’s a nice balance there, and Leah in particular comes through as a strong, believable lead with just enough of her own history feeding into the case.
This is a gripping and engaging thriller with a strong central character and enough twists to keep you guessing. A solid four-star read, especially if you enjoy crime fiction where multiple storylines collide and gradually reveal the bigger picture.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow. After reading Kemi's debut, Innocent Guilt, I couldn't wait to read this.
Three seemingly unrelated incidents see Leah Hutch and Ben Randle pulling the threads together.
A man goes downstairs, and what he sees is terrifying.
A woman goes missing, her son is determined to find her.
A woman has been killed, and an old friend of Leah's will only speak to her.
How are these connected?
The oppressive heatwave of the London streets ramp up the tension. With Leah's boss breathing down her neck, wanting results yesterday, Ben and Leah are forced to seek answers from other sources that spread beyond London.
The writing is sharp and on point. There are no wasted words, no padding out, just great dialogue. I really like these two detectives. No undercurrents, strictly business.
Throughout Leah is still having nightmares, but slowly, the jigsaw pieces are starting to fit together. Let's hope it has a conclusion soon as I would hate for this to drag on in the next few books.
There are plenty of twists that had me gripped throughout.
This is turning out to be a great detective series.
I look forward to the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Three seemingly unrelated incidents see Leah Hutch and Ben Randle pulling the threads together.
A man goes downstairs, and what he sees is terrifying.
A woman goes missing, her son is determined to find her.
A woman has been killed, and an old friend of Leah's will only speak to her.
How are these connected?
The oppressive heatwave of the London streets ramp up the tension. With Leah's boss breathing down her neck, wanting results yesterday, Ben and Leah are forced to seek answers from other sources that spread beyond London.
The writing is sharp and on point. There are no wasted words, no padding out, just great dialogue. I really like these two detectives. No undercurrents, strictly business.
Throughout Leah is still having nightmares, but slowly, the jigsaw pieces are starting to fit together. Let's hope it has a conclusion soon as I would hate for this to drag on in the next few books.
There are plenty of twists that had me gripped throughout.
This is turning out to be a great detective series.
I look forward to the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Remi Kone’s Just Kill is a tense, emotionally driven crime thriller that hooked me from the very first page. When DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle are called to a murder outside their jurisdiction, things quickly turn personal especially when the suspect is tied to Leah’s past. What unfolds is a cleverly layered investigation across three incidents all connected that they have to link together and solve.
Alongside the main case, Leah is struggling to uncover the truth about her mother’s death. Her father’s cryptic clues and her unsettling nightmares add a strong taunt layer. Zed Okoro is another standout, with his determination to find answers about his own mother bringing real emotional weight to the story.
The writing is confident and well paced, revealing just enough to keep the reader guessing. The short chapters make it hard to put down, and the twists build effectively toward a satisfying final revelation that sets up the next book perfectly.
Just Kill is a tense, emotional, and highly engaging read. With strong characters, clever plotting, and a compelling mix of personal and professional stakes, it’s a true page turner that crime thriller fans won’t want to miss.
Alongside the main case, Leah is struggling to uncover the truth about her mother’s death. Her father’s cryptic clues and her unsettling nightmares add a strong taunt layer. Zed Okoro is another standout, with his determination to find answers about his own mother bringing real emotional weight to the story.
The writing is confident and well paced, revealing just enough to keep the reader guessing. The short chapters make it hard to put down, and the twists build effectively toward a satisfying final revelation that sets up the next book perfectly.
Just Kill is a tense, emotional, and highly engaging read. With strong characters, clever plotting, and a compelling mix of personal and professional stakes, it’s a true page turner that crime thriller fans won’t want to miss.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A police procedural set in London sees DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle called to a murder scene outside their jurisdiction. A woman has been killed - the only suspect, a someone from Leah's past, refuses to speak to anyone but her.
Meanwhile, 14yr old Zed Okoro's mother has vanished. Desperate to find her he struggles to survive alone. But who is the man stalking their home?
As Leah and Randle investigate, they are called to an another murder scene at Zed’s home, which causes Leah to relive her childhood trauma.
A gripping read! I need to read the first instalment now. Highly recommend
A police procedural set in London sees DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle called to a murder scene outside their jurisdiction. A woman has been killed - the only suspect, a someone from Leah's past, refuses to speak to anyone but her.
Meanwhile, 14yr old Zed Okoro's mother has vanished. Desperate to find her he struggles to survive alone. But who is the man stalking their home?
As Leah and Randle investigate, they are called to an another murder scene at Zed’s home, which causes Leah to relive her childhood trauma.
A gripping read! I need to read the first instalment now. Highly recommend
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is such a powerful, gripping and emotional read featuring DI Leah Hutch and set in London. it gripped me right from the opening pages and the pace never let up the the last chapter. There are multiple connecting threads throughout the story, all blending in to form a tightly woven 5* thriller which literally took my breath away at times. The powerful plotting, strong characters and plenty of twists all come together in a fantastic crime thriller which will appeal to fans of the genre. Suffice to say, I loved it and can highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The second book in what is developing into an excellent series featuring DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle this is a real page turner in which three crimes become inextricably intertwined.
The writing is concise and the plot develops quickly as you are engaged from the opening page.
I particularly enjoyed how Leah's personal life and character are revealed throughout the book.
All in all an excellent read.
The writing is concise and the plot develops quickly as you are engaged from the opening page.
I particularly enjoyed how Leah's personal life and character are revealed throughout the book.
All in all an excellent read.
Review of advance copy
Loved this second one! The plot had me guessing the whole time and the character developments of DI Leah Hutch and DS Ben Randle has me hooked.
Gutted I now have to wait for the next in the series.
Leah’s back story is such an intriguing one so well done Remi Kone, I’ve got to know more!
Gutted I now have to wait for the next in the series.
Leah’s back story is such an intriguing one so well done Remi Kone, I’ve got to know more!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This series is really warming up into a Do Not Miss. I’m fascinated by Leah’s back story and fairly certain DI Randle has one too. Zeds story kept me guessing until the end. Solid.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews