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The Burning Fears
**THE GRIPPING NEW NOVEL FROM WINNER OF THE ILP JOHN CREASEY FIRST NOVEL DAGGER 2025, KATY MASSEY**
Leeds 1982. As a city struggles to break free of the past, evil finds a new place to hide.
DS Mick Hunniford, tired and tainted by the botched Yorkshire Ripper investigation, is yesterday's man, his career hanging by a thread.
Maureen, owner of Leeds's leading brothel, struggles to recover from an horrendous attack three years before.
When notorious escort Lynda Brown is killed in front of Maureen's eyes, they find themselves drawn together once more.
The pair must face a new killer, with new appetites, one which dwells among the city's elites. Can they put the past behind them once and for all, or will this investigation prove to be their last?
Leeds 1982. As a city struggles to break free of the past, evil finds a new place to hide.
DS Mick Hunniford, tired and tainted by the botched Yorkshire Ripper investigation, is yesterday's man, his career hanging by a thread.
Maureen, owner of Leeds's leading brothel, struggles to recover from an horrendous attack three years before.
When notorious escort Lynda Brown is killed in front of Maureen's eyes, they find themselves drawn together once more.
The pair must face a new killer, with new appetites, one which dwells among the city's elites. Can they put the past behind them once and for all, or will this investigation prove to be their last?
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 1, 2026
Like the partnership and DS Mick Hunniford who is trying to move on from his issues in the past and Maureen the Brothel owner .
Would describe as a pacy gritty novel , 2nd one in series be interesting to know if there are plans for further books
Would describe as a pacy gritty novel , 2nd one in series be interesting to know if there are plans for further books
September 14, 2026
Set in Leeds, against the aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper a city in recovery sees Maureen (Mo) brothel madam witness the hit and run of prostitute Lynda Brown.
Uninspired with her lot in life and at a cross roads Mo joins forces with a disillusioned DS Mick Hunniford to investigate what is being portrayed as a tragic accident despite her witness account
Thrown into a corrupt entiltied misogynistic underworld Mo and Mick face resistance and challenges a plenty.
My only point of note is that throughout the book I kept thinking I must have missed a previous instalment as there appeared to be a lot of background and history without some of the clarity which would have helped to add depth and clarity to the reading.
This was a solid read which I'm hoping will develop into a series!
Uninspired with her lot in life and at a cross roads Mo joins forces with a disillusioned DS Mick Hunniford to investigate what is being portrayed as a tragic accident despite her witness account
Thrown into a corrupt entiltied misogynistic underworld Mo and Mick face resistance and challenges a plenty.
My only point of note is that throughout the book I kept thinking I must have missed a previous instalment as there appeared to be a lot of background and history without some of the clarity which would have helped to add depth and clarity to the reading.
This was a solid read which I'm hoping will develop into a series!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Set in the aftermath of the Ripper investigation, Mick is still trying to recover from the botched investigation which his career in the force is now tainted.
Maureen I
Runs the leading brothel in Leeds, but she has her own trauma, still recovering from a brutal attack a few years previously she witnesses the hit and run of Lynda, an escort recently returned from London.
The police are treating it as just another traffic incident, but Mick and Maureen start to uncover more.
I felt this book could have been so much better, the gritty 1980s setting, the corruption, the bleak winter setting in Leeds, but it just fell short and at times was very flat.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc
Maureen I
Runs the leading brothel in Leeds, but she has her own trauma, still recovering from a brutal attack a few years previously she witnesses the hit and run of Lynda, an escort recently returned from London.
The police are treating it as just another traffic incident, but Mick and Maureen start to uncover more.
I felt this book could have been so much better, the gritty 1980s setting, the corruption, the bleak winter setting in Leeds, but it just fell short and at times was very flat.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Burning Fears by Kate Massey is an interesting concept with a great setting.
Set in Leeds, against the aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper, escort Lynda Brown is killed in front of Maureen in a tragic hit and run.
The novel begins well and the clue passed between Lynda and Maureen sets a suspenseful tone to the text. I was intrigued by the premise and the setting and was looking forward to the historical backdrop.
The book is atmospheric and there are moments of suspense and intrigue, Maureen’s character is somewhat feisty and brings an element of interest to the plot.
As a whole I would say that the book is well written and a good variety of characters but it did feel somewhat flat in places which prevented it from being, for me, fully immersive.
Set in Leeds, against the aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper, escort Lynda Brown is killed in front of Maureen in a tragic hit and run.
The novel begins well and the clue passed between Lynda and Maureen sets a suspenseful tone to the text. I was intrigued by the premise and the setting and was looking forward to the historical backdrop.
The book is atmospheric and there are moments of suspense and intrigue, Maureen’s character is somewhat feisty and brings an element of interest to the plot.
As a whole I would say that the book is well written and a good variety of characters but it did feel somewhat flat in places which prevented it from being, for me, fully immersive.
June 6, 2026
The Burning Fears is a gritty crime novel set in Leeds in the aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper investigation. The city feels bruised and distrustful, and that atmosphere runs through the whole book.
I enjoyed the partnership between Mick Hunniford, a detective struggling with the mistakes of the past, and Maureen, a brothel owner still carrying her own trauma. Their investigation into the murder of a local escort uncovers uncomfortable truths about power, privilege and violence.
The setting was the standout for me and the historical backdrop gave the story real weight. While the pacing dipped occasionally, I was invested in the characters and keen to see how the case would unfold.
A solid, atmospheric crime novel with a strong sense of place.
With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
I enjoyed the partnership between Mick Hunniford, a detective struggling with the mistakes of the past, and Maureen, a brothel owner still carrying her own trauma. Their investigation into the murder of a local escort uncovers uncomfortable truths about power, privilege and violence.
The setting was the standout for me and the historical backdrop gave the story real weight. While the pacing dipped occasionally, I was invested in the characters and keen to see how the case would unfold.
A solid, atmospheric crime novel with a strong sense of place.
With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Set in Leeds in 1982, The Burning Fears is an atmospheric thriller. The sense of place is strong, a northern city in the early days of recession and the immediate aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper. The plot involves a local MP linked to corruption, with DS Mick Hunniford on the case.
The supporting characters rather let the novel down, with almost all being stereotypes of rich and poor, good and bad. There is little nuance and the plot is rather linear. This is an interesting and slightly different type of novel, but lacks a spark to make it truly stand out.
The supporting characters rather let the novel down, with almost all being stereotypes of rich and poor, good and bad. There is little nuance and the plot is rather linear. This is an interesting and slightly different type of novel, but lacks a spark to make it truly stand out.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a well written crime thriller, set in 1980's Leeds in the aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper. It is quite gritty with a good sense of atmosphere and I liked Mick the detective in charge of a murder investigation. I would have liked a bit more character development, especially Maureen and other secondary characters. The pacing was steady, although it dipped a bit at times, but as a crime thriller it was gritty, atmospheric and a bit different which kept my interest until the end. A solid read which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Having looked back on my review for the first book, I can definitely say I liked this one more.
Intrigued by the setting, Leeds, post Ripper, where things are still uneasy.
This has a nice mix of police, journalist and working girl all banding together to find the truth.
Slightly predictable, but that doesn't spoil the enjoyment
A good way to spend a few hours.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy
Intrigued by the setting, Leeds, post Ripper, where things are still uneasy.
This has a nice mix of police, journalist and working girl all banding together to find the truth.
Slightly predictable, but that doesn't spoil the enjoyment
A good way to spend a few hours.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews