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DCI Kate Daniels #1
The Murder Wall
The Murder It's where you look death in the face. Months after discovering a double homicide in a sleepy village, detective Kate Daniels is still haunted by her failure to solve the crime. When a new murder gives Daniels her first case as officer in charge, she jumps at another chance to get it right. But even more shocking than the brutal killing is the fact that Daniels recognizes the corpse. Eager to prove herself, she decides to keep her connection to the dead man a secret from her team, putting her career in jeopardy as her personal and professional lives threaten to collide. As the killer continues to claim his victims, Daniels unearths baffling clues in her search for connections among the murders . . . and while she draws closer to finding the culprit, he is watching her.
464 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
207 people are currently reading
1785 people want to read
About the author
Mari Hannah
25 books364 followersWhen an injury on duty ended my career as Probation Officer, I began writing. I am the author of the Kate Daniels and Ryan & O’Neil series published by Pan Macmillan and the Stone & Oliver series published by Orion. My debut, The Murder Wall, was written as a TV pilot for a BBC Drama Development Scheme - before the adaption. The novel won the Polari First Book Prize. Before becoming an author, I fell in love with scriptwriting and submitted speculative original dramas to the BBC Writersroom. I've also written a romantic comedy feature film that I hope will find a producer one day. In 2010, I won the Northern Writers' Award for my second novel, Settled Blood. And in 2017, I won the Dagger in the Library for my body of work. I'm represented by AM Heath literary agent, Oli Munson, and live in Northumberland with my partner, a former murder detective.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
March 14, 2013
This was a great first outing for what I'm sure will turn into a popular series featuring Kate Daniels. Here, she takes on her first case as lead detective but fails to disclose her connection to the victim, putting her career in jeopardy. Perfectly paced, great characterisation and an interesting plot make for a terrific read. Crime fiction is a huge genre, with many new novels appearing all the time, some of them terrific, some of them - well, frankly, quite awful. I would put "The Murder Wall" into the excellent category and I will certainly be reading more from this author.
September 15, 2013
Excellent first novel, a police procedural on the hunt for a serial killer. The main character is DCI Kate Daniels a bit of a loner trying to make a name for herself in a male dominated force. Putting her career first seems to have impacted negatively on her family and personal life.
The theme of watching/observing out of windows, being stalked is a strong one and resonates throughout the book. It adds real menace and a sense of danger in a lot of the passages; especially as the story builds to a thrilling climax.
I liked the short chapters, the ever present tension and clever dialogue. Mistakes are made during the investigation and the police are seen as human slowly piecing the evidence together.
The undeclared personal involvement of the lead officer is well handled and helps the book get off to a promising start with a sense of danger/disclosure that threatens the whole murder hunt. The various "killers" in the frame also adds to the confusion and gets your mind working right from the start.
No great underlining message here but rather a subtle reflection on a number of issues by a skilled writer.
I liked the setting, the characters and the honest, clear descriptions and overwhelming sense of foreboding. Mari Hannah is a fine new author and a welcome addition to this genre.
I look forward to further installments from Newcastle CID and without hesitation recommend The Murder Wall to lovers of crime fiction.
The theme of watching/observing out of windows, being stalked is a strong one and resonates throughout the book. It adds real menace and a sense of danger in a lot of the passages; especially as the story builds to a thrilling climax.
I liked the short chapters, the ever present tension and clever dialogue. Mistakes are made during the investigation and the police are seen as human slowly piecing the evidence together.
The undeclared personal involvement of the lead officer is well handled and helps the book get off to a promising start with a sense of danger/disclosure that threatens the whole murder hunt. The various "killers" in the frame also adds to the confusion and gets your mind working right from the start.
No great underlining message here but rather a subtle reflection on a number of issues by a skilled writer.
I liked the setting, the characters and the honest, clear descriptions and overwhelming sense of foreboding. Mari Hannah is a fine new author and a welcome addition to this genre.
I look forward to further installments from Newcastle CID and without hesitation recommend The Murder Wall to lovers of crime fiction.
March 27, 2017
My first book read by this author (yes and its the first in the series) and I really enjoyed it. A decent story. Likeable characters and enough background on them to keep you interested in where do they go next. Also as this is set in my home town, well sort of - I live near enough and knew everywhere in the book - that was a nice little extra. I'll definitely be reading more.
March 22, 2014
Lesbian central characters are a sadly rare breed in crime fiction today, so when I find one, and a genuine, strong, likeable one at that, I am very happy.
The Murder Wall is Mari Hannah's first novel, and as far as first novels go, this is a good one. A solid detective story which picks up pace as it goes, by the end of the book I was in the stage of being desperate to know what happens, but wanting to pace myself because I didn't want the book to end, which is always the sign of a good read for me.
The storyline here is compelling, and as an introduction to DCI Kate Daniels and her team, it was great. Mari Hannah made me genuinely care about Kate; she is a professional, lesbian woman who isn't without her flaws, which makes her a very interesting character. To have lesbian representation in a popular crime novel may not seem that important to those outside of the LGBT community, but for those of us within it, it is so important. Not all detectives are straight, white men, who tend to make up the majority of crime fiction protagonists, and it is really rewarding to find a well-crafted character who just happens to be a gay woman.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the novels in this series.
The Murder Wall is Mari Hannah's first novel, and as far as first novels go, this is a good one. A solid detective story which picks up pace as it goes, by the end of the book I was in the stage of being desperate to know what happens, but wanting to pace myself because I didn't want the book to end, which is always the sign of a good read for me.
The storyline here is compelling, and as an introduction to DCI Kate Daniels and her team, it was great. Mari Hannah made me genuinely care about Kate; she is a professional, lesbian woman who isn't without her flaws, which makes her a very interesting character. To have lesbian representation in a popular crime novel may not seem that important to those outside of the LGBT community, but for those of us within it, it is so important. Not all detectives are straight, white men, who tend to make up the majority of crime fiction protagonists, and it is really rewarding to find a well-crafted character who just happens to be a gay woman.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the novels in this series.
November 11, 2013
The Murder Wall by Mari Hannah is Kate Daniels thriller published by Witness Impulse an imprint of Harper Collins. This is a 2012 copyright.
Kate Daniels, a detective is has been haunted by a murder case nearly a year old. A girl and a priest were murdered, the priest had a prayer card in his hand at the time of death. The case is cold as ice, but the girl's parents are always in touch with Kate, their grief keeping the case in Kate's mind.
But, when Alan Stephens is murdered, a man familiar to Kate, she has to decide if she should tell her superiors about having prior knowledge of the victim, or keep that to herself so she can stay on the case and further her career.
The suspects include the victim's ex-wife, his current wife, and maybe even his two sons. He wasn't a very likeable guy. The evidence though begins to point to one person specifically. This makes Kate very uneasy. She can't bring herself to believe this person capable of the crime. Her view may be a bit skewed because of her prior knowledge causing her to approach this case in a way she wouldn't otherwise.
To complicate things her boss is taking care of his terminally ill wife, and is half in love with Kate. But, he still won't let her continue to pursue the cold case that eats away at her until this crime is solved.
This is a dark, moody British crime drama. It is very atmospheric and suspenseful. There are many taut scenes that have more to do with secrets Kate has to keep and the possibility that all them may come out as a result of this case.
The story is multi layered, introducing us to the staff that Kate works with and dealing with the ins and outs of working as a unit, while hoping to keep one's private life, private.
There is also a great deal of good old fashioned detective work going on.
If you like British Detective mysteries, you should like this one. It isn't old school, it's really modern but it just carries that British tone that makes these mysteries so appealing.
Overall a B+
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Kate Daniels, a detective is has been haunted by a murder case nearly a year old. A girl and a priest were murdered, the priest had a prayer card in his hand at the time of death. The case is cold as ice, but the girl's parents are always in touch with Kate, their grief keeping the case in Kate's mind.
But, when Alan Stephens is murdered, a man familiar to Kate, she has to decide if she should tell her superiors about having prior knowledge of the victim, or keep that to herself so she can stay on the case and further her career.
The suspects include the victim's ex-wife, his current wife, and maybe even his two sons. He wasn't a very likeable guy. The evidence though begins to point to one person specifically. This makes Kate very uneasy. She can't bring herself to believe this person capable of the crime. Her view may be a bit skewed because of her prior knowledge causing her to approach this case in a way she wouldn't otherwise.
To complicate things her boss is taking care of his terminally ill wife, and is half in love with Kate. But, he still won't let her continue to pursue the cold case that eats away at her until this crime is solved.
This is a dark, moody British crime drama. It is very atmospheric and suspenseful. There are many taut scenes that have more to do with secrets Kate has to keep and the possibility that all them may come out as a result of this case.
The story is multi layered, introducing us to the staff that Kate works with and dealing with the ins and outs of working as a unit, while hoping to keep one's private life, private.
There is also a great deal of good old fashioned detective work going on.
If you like British Detective mysteries, you should like this one. It isn't old school, it's really modern but it just carries that British tone that makes these mysteries so appealing.
Overall a B+
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2023
With an immensely powerful and gritty prologue to get the juices flowing, I knew instantly that this was going to be my type of crime thriller - loving a sinister serial killer to read about. Mari Hannah captured my attention straight away with this fabulous example of a police procedural and as an added bonus was set in my local area too.
For a first novel in a series, “The Murder Wall” is a well executed story, intriguingly written with immediately fleshed out characters, that absolutely guarantee will grow into even further well developed characters. Although written and published in 2012, this book is still a very modern and up to date crime drama, as if it had been composed yesterday with policing politics very much at the forefront within the plot. I’m over the moon I have the next in the series “Settled Blood” to read to see where DCI Daniels’ dedicated attitude to her career takes her.
If you’re a fan of Ann Cleeves’ “Vera” and/or crime novels set in North East England then you’ll love the ‘DCI Kate Daniels’ series or if you happen to be looking for a new set of crime thrillers with added grit which are fast paced, interesting and keep you invested until the very end, then Mari Hannah is the author for you.
#TheMurderWall - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For a first novel in a series, “The Murder Wall” is a well executed story, intriguingly written with immediately fleshed out characters, that absolutely guarantee will grow into even further well developed characters. Although written and published in 2012, this book is still a very modern and up to date crime drama, as if it had been composed yesterday with policing politics very much at the forefront within the plot. I’m over the moon I have the next in the series “Settled Blood” to read to see where DCI Daniels’ dedicated attitude to her career takes her.
If you’re a fan of Ann Cleeves’ “Vera” and/or crime novels set in North East England then you’ll love the ‘DCI Kate Daniels’ series or if you happen to be looking for a new set of crime thrillers with added grit which are fast paced, interesting and keep you invested until the very end, then Mari Hannah is the author for you.
#TheMurderWall - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 17, 2012
The Murder Wall by Mari Hannah is a debut police procedural set in the North East of England. The book opens with the double murder in a church of a young woman and a priest, and the arrival of Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels. The narrative then forwards eleven months and we see Kate in her role as a member of Newcastle’s Murder Investigation Team (MIT) where the double killing remains unsolved to the frustration of all involved. A new death, the murder of Alan Stephens, gives Kate the chance to shine as she is appointed senior investigating officer for the first time. However it becomes apparent that Kate recognises the victim, for reasons that are only gradually revealed, and her decision not to disclose this fact puts her reputation on the line. It soon becomes apparent that there is a serial killer stalking victims beyond the North-East of England and as the team struggle to find a connection they have to look beyond their immediate pool of suspects.
For a debut novel, this was a substantial book where the author has clearly undertaken detailed research into modern policing. The murder team were given a sense of focus and energy, with many characters fleetingly introduced before they departed to their appointed tasks. The central character of Kate Daniel was very well imagined, and Hannah cleverly avoids female police stereotypes firstly by integrating Kate’s sexuality into the heart of the case and also by giving her a believable vulnerability which contrasts with her ambition. Other high ranking detectives are also given plenty of back story so they become solid characters rather than supporting the female lead.
It was good to read a crime novel set in the North East of England and although I’ve not visited the city, Newcastle came across vividly. In terms of the crimes at the heart of the novel, the reader is only given as much information as the police uncover, with the exception of passages from the killer’s point of view. I thought these excepts worked well although the motive only becomes clear towards the end of the book.
Overall I thought this a solid and enjoyable read. The Catholic Church played a minor but significant role in parts of the narrative and some of these sections didn’t quite ring true. For example are the last rites still administered these days? But there was a darkness and grit to the book that I liked and this, combined with a strong female lead, means I will certainly be reading any future Kate Daniels books.
For a debut novel, this was a substantial book where the author has clearly undertaken detailed research into modern policing. The murder team were given a sense of focus and energy, with many characters fleetingly introduced before they departed to their appointed tasks. The central character of Kate Daniel was very well imagined, and Hannah cleverly avoids female police stereotypes firstly by integrating Kate’s sexuality into the heart of the case and also by giving her a believable vulnerability which contrasts with her ambition. Other high ranking detectives are also given plenty of back story so they become solid characters rather than supporting the female lead.
It was good to read a crime novel set in the North East of England and although I’ve not visited the city, Newcastle came across vividly. In terms of the crimes at the heart of the novel, the reader is only given as much information as the police uncover, with the exception of passages from the killer’s point of view. I thought these excepts worked well although the motive only becomes clear towards the end of the book.
Overall I thought this a solid and enjoyable read. The Catholic Church played a minor but significant role in parts of the narrative and some of these sections didn’t quite ring true. For example are the last rites still administered these days? But there was a darkness and grit to the book that I liked and this, combined with a strong female lead, means I will certainly be reading any future Kate Daniels books.
March 6, 2017
I had to give up after about 60 pages because I just couldn't continue. And maybe it's because I only got about 60 pages in, but I felt like for a police procedural/murder mystery, it was about everything else but the damn murder. There seemed to be too much over-explaining of things that didn't seem necessary, and too much under-explaining of things that were actually important - like gee, I don't know, the actual crime scene and the victim?. Plus it felt like the author over-used '...' to the point where normal actions like someone starting her car up seemed overly dramatic when it really shouldn't have been.
It's a 'no' from me.
It's a 'no' from me.
May 30, 2017
A Saturday Slaughters selection for May 2017. A dry and jumbled police procedural I was quite disappointed as the author had excellent ideas. However, the execution lacked finesse.
I wanted to love Kate Daniels but there was no development to her character, nothing to hold onto, to make her the bright star on the police force.
Jo was better developed, the reader could see her in the setting but there was no actual profiling going on.
Won't recommend.
I wanted to love Kate Daniels but there was no development to her character, nothing to hold onto, to make her the bright star on the police force.
Jo was better developed, the reader could see her in the setting but there was no actual profiling going on.
Won't recommend.
January 25, 2021
Starting off, I wasn't sure if I would like this book, but I quickly found it to be a page-turner. The writing could use some polish, but it was Mari Hannah's first book, so let's give her a chance. I will definitely read the next in the series.
March 30, 2023
Not for me. I found this too slow and predictable, not to mention, at 457 pages, at least 200 pages too long.
October 3, 2018
This is a really fast and furious read with the protagonist being a feisty female detective called Kate Daniels. Daniels doesn't stand any nonsense or flak from her work colleagues and doesn't ask them to do anything she wouldn't do herself. After several murders the team are eventually in agreement there is a serial killer at large who is committing crimes across several policed areas. They under-estimate the killer and find it difficult to find any connection between the victims. This novel does not slow down and at times has you holding your breath as, one after another, the victims meet gruesome deaths that, at first, appear unconnected. Daniels personal/work life is a main part of the story and how she finds it difficult to marry the two. The author has the knack of frustrating the reader by letting them see some of the connections between the killer and their victims whilst keeping the police in the dark and yet writing at such a pace as to keep the reader engrossed. I couldn't put this book down yet found myself looking over my shoulder as the perpetrator is so despicable,but clever they make your skin crawl. Keep the lights on when reading at night.
July 28, 2018
I enjoyed this and will certainly continue with the series :-)
July 29, 2012
Eleven months after discovering a brutal double murder in a sleepy Northumbrian town, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels is still haunted by her failure to solve the case. Then the brutal killing of a man on Newcastle's Quayside gives Daniels another chance to get it right, and her first case as Senior Investigating Officer. When Daniels recognises the corpse, but fails to disclose the fact, her personal life swerves dangerously into her professional life. But much worse, she is now being watched. As Daniels steps closer to finding a killer, a killer is only a breath away from claiming his next victim...
For a debut crime novel, the blurb alone has you wondering whether this can actually be pulled off. An old unsolved case haunting our protagonist, then a new crime scene that immediately puts her in a difficult position, and a decision, she chooses is not the one of being up front as she should in the job, so where can she go with this?
Where Mari Hannah does go, is a very mature and easily readable plot, that carries you along smoothly with the characters, with the feeling that this isn't going quite the right way, but we have faith the the twists and turns and dark corners are going to bring us into the light at some point, just after another dark and difficult corner has to be confronted. It is flawlessly written and easy to keep track of the characters and their interacting lives. A group of people in a team, I am definitely waiting to read in Mari's next release in the series.
Kate Daniels is an easy character to spend time with. A strong cop, but also a human being. A great great debut and I for one, can't wait to read more.
For a debut crime novel, the blurb alone has you wondering whether this can actually be pulled off. An old unsolved case haunting our protagonist, then a new crime scene that immediately puts her in a difficult position, and a decision, she chooses is not the one of being up front as she should in the job, so where can she go with this?
Where Mari Hannah does go, is a very mature and easily readable plot, that carries you along smoothly with the characters, with the feeling that this isn't going quite the right way, but we have faith the the twists and turns and dark corners are going to bring us into the light at some point, just after another dark and difficult corner has to be confronted. It is flawlessly written and easy to keep track of the characters and their interacting lives. A group of people in a team, I am definitely waiting to read in Mari's next release in the series.
Kate Daniels is an easy character to spend time with. A strong cop, but also a human being. A great great debut and I for one, can't wait to read more.
May 13, 2012
Mari Hannah's debut novel introduces us to a new detective, DCI Kate Daniels. Kate is intelligent, gutsy and strong but someone's out to put a spanner in the works of Daniels's illustrious career. Almost a year after discovering a brutal double murder, Daniels is presented with the corpse of a familiar face but fails to disclose the connection - making everything even more complicated. A murderer is on the loose in Newcastle and it's up to Daniels to stop the killer from claiming any more victims.
Mari Hannah's writing is taut and intelligent, she keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the novel. The way in which Mari describes the characters gives the reader a great mental image of who she's writing about. There's an abundance of characters which just adds to the realistic feel of the piece.
It's fast-paced, gritty and realistic. It contains lots of information regarding police procedures but the information is always relevant to the story. The idea behind the crimes is highly original and, as a native north-easterner, I loved that the geographical locations were accurate.
In Kate Daniels, Mari has created a character that you want to know more about and I for one and am pleased that the second installment featuring DCI Daniels will be out later this year.
Always mindful of the reader, Hannah has produced short chapters for bedtime readers who want to stop at the end of a chapter. However, the story is so good, you may find it keeps you awake all night!
A great debut from a writer with bags of potential.
Mari Hannah's debut novel introduces us to a new detective, DCI Kate Daniels. Kate is intelligent, gutsy and strong but someone's out to put a spanner in the works of Daniels's illustrious career. Almost a year after discovering a brutal double murder, Daniels is presented with the corpse of a familiar face but fails to disclose the connection - making everything even more complicated. A murderer is on the loose in Newcastle and it's up to Daniels to stop the killer from claiming any more victims.
Mari Hannah's writing is taut and intelligent, she keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the novel. The way in which Mari describes the characters gives the reader a great mental image of who she's writing about. There's an abundance of characters which just adds to the realistic feel of the piece.
It's fast-paced, gritty and realistic. It contains lots of information regarding police procedures but the information is always relevant to the story. The idea behind the crimes is highly original and, as a native north-easterner, I loved that the geographical locations were accurate.
In Kate Daniels, Mari has created a character that you want to know more about and I for one and am pleased that the second installment featuring DCI Daniels will be out later this year.
Always mindful of the reader, Hannah has produced short chapters for bedtime readers who want to stop at the end of a chapter. However, the story is so good, you may find it keeps you awake all night!
A great debut from a writer with bags of potential.
January 22, 2020
Rep: lesbian mc, bi mc
CWs: murder, mentions of past rape, scenes from murderer's pov describing rape & murder
some notes:
• seems like it's trying for lone wolf detective and failing
• maybe not all your interviewees actually are dickheads, kate, maybe it's you
• ENOUGH of the ellipses i'm BEGGING
• i don't know what it is about the writing but it's just bad
• the chapters are so short? and sometimes just END abruptly
• no one has proper conversations they just shout at each other and storm out
• what's the point of having the murderer be a character they don't even know about until the end
CWs: murder, mentions of past rape, scenes from murderer's pov describing rape & murder
some notes:
• seems like it's trying for lone wolf detective and failing
• maybe not all your interviewees actually are dickheads, kate, maybe it's you
• ENOUGH of the ellipses i'm BEGGING
• i don't know what it is about the writing but it's just bad
• the chapters are so short? and sometimes just END abruptly
• no one has proper conversations they just shout at each other and storm out
• what's the point of having the murderer be a character they don't even know about until the end
September 29, 2020
Meh. Maybe I would have like it more if I'd not just read Susie Steiner's fantastic debut Missing, Presumed. As a police procedural, this suffered badly in comparison and I'm frankly stunned that it won the Polari First Book Award. By 2013, surely you needed more than just a (closeted) gay central character???
Cliches abound - maverick cop disregards procedure, cop has complicated personal life, killer fixates on detective, etc etc. Plotting was ok, characterisation was lacking, and some of the writing just poor.
"They took the lift to the ground floor... and walked in silence to his car. Bright got in and hesitated before starting the engine."
At this point I am picturing Daniels standing chatting to her boss through the car window and then him driving off. Half a page later we get, "Bright glanced sideways at her"! This happened more than once and was very jarring, taking me out of the story to go back and work out who is where.
There are too many good books out there for me to continue with this series.
Cliches abound - maverick cop disregards procedure, cop has complicated personal life, killer fixates on detective, etc etc. Plotting was ok, characterisation was lacking, and some of the writing just poor.
"They took the lift to the ground floor... and walked in silence to his car. Bright got in and hesitated before starting the engine."
At this point I am picturing Daniels standing chatting to her boss through the car window and then him driving off. Half a page later we get, "Bright glanced sideways at her"! This happened more than once and was very jarring, taking me out of the story to go back and work out who is where.
There are too many good books out there for me to continue with this series.
November 11, 2013
DCI Kate Daniels, her partner Hank Gormley, with the rest of the MIT are tracking a killer. Kate is also still trying to solve an unsolved from the prior year. As it turns out, the cases may be related.
Vibrant details fill the pages for character, scenery, and narrative descriptions allowing rich and thorough enjoyment throughout the tale.
As the narrative progresses, we learn as the characters learn about the twisting mysteries, as well as, the personal obstacles the characters face and overcome. The story line is primarily told from the perspective of Kate Daniels, yet does seamlessly shift to other perspectives as needed.
Both the action and the mystery components of the story are well plotted and consistent throughout.
Overall, a thrilling read!
Vibrant details fill the pages for character, scenery, and narrative descriptions allowing rich and thorough enjoyment throughout the tale.
As the narrative progresses, we learn as the characters learn about the twisting mysteries, as well as, the personal obstacles the characters face and overcome. The story line is primarily told from the perspective of Kate Daniels, yet does seamlessly shift to other perspectives as needed.
Both the action and the mystery components of the story are well plotted and consistent throughout.
Overall, a thrilling read!
August 10, 2015
Kate Daniels, a detective is has been haunted by a year old murder case. A young girl and a priest were murdered, and Kate was the one who discovered them. The priest had a prayer card in his hand at the time of death. The case has gone cold, but the girl's parents keep in touch with Kate, their grief keeping the case alive in Kate's mind.
Then Alan Stephens is murdered, a man familiar to Kate She has to decide if she should tell her superior, Bright, about having prior knowledge of the victim, or whether to keep that knowledge to herself so she can stay on the case. Alan was the ex-husband of her ex-girlfriend Jo - and Kate wants to protect Jo because she knows that Jo will be a suspect
Great story and characters
Then Alan Stephens is murdered, a man familiar to Kate She has to decide if she should tell her superior, Bright, about having prior knowledge of the victim, or whether to keep that knowledge to herself so she can stay on the case. Alan was the ex-husband of her ex-girlfriend Jo - and Kate wants to protect Jo because she knows that Jo will be a suspect
Great story and characters
April 8, 2021
The author nearly lost me in the first few chapters. I was really having problems with her style, which seemed to include keeping you in the dark and wanting you to know you are being kept in the dark. It didn’t help that she would have someone say they are going to tell you something important, then they don't.
I really couldn’t get into the story and I just found Kate irritating. It didn’t help that the author seemed to want everybody to be damaged in some unexplained way.
In the end I found it such hard work I just had to skip read through to the end, if possible I would have given 1.5 stars.
I really couldn’t get into the story and I just found Kate irritating. It didn’t help that the author seemed to want everybody to be damaged in some unexplained way.
In the end I found it such hard work I just had to skip read through to the end, if possible I would have given 1.5 stars.
May 20, 2017
Great read
Great book. It's a compelling story. I think what is most disturbing is how realistic it is. What I liked the most was the authors writing style. It was easy to follow. Also her ability to give both sides. Her characters are very realistic and she enables you to connect with them, especially the lead character. Really enjoyed it and highly recommend this book and the author. I'm off to find some more.
Great book. It's a compelling story. I think what is most disturbing is how realistic it is. What I liked the most was the authors writing style. It was easy to follow. Also her ability to give both sides. Her characters are very realistic and she enables you to connect with them, especially the lead character. Really enjoyed it and highly recommend this book and the author. I'm off to find some more.
September 3, 2016
Excellent 'first in series' without the clichés. Even though our detective is haunted by an old case (aren't they all) the new case is complicated, and more than a few people have secrets - the police included, and our main character in particular. Nothing turns out to be quite what it seems and one of their own is in the middle of it... It's well written, the characters feel real and the plot is credible but not at all obvious.
December 9, 2020
I was attracted to this book because it is set in the Newcastle/Northumberland area, a part of the country I know well. I found the story reasonably engaging but thought it was overlong - maybe because the author was setting the scene/introducing the characters for what was planned as a series. However, for me that led to an uneven narrative-flow and, at times, a dilution of any real build-up of the tension - although that did improve in the final section of the story.
December 31, 2018
Was an ok read for me. May read book two. Not sure yet.
June 10, 2023
Finally after two months!!! It’s amazing and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series
March 20, 2025
Good Police Procedural set in Newcastle. The story was told well and all the dots connected nicely. All of the characters were flawed which made the book more believable. A good first start to a new series.
December 27, 2025
Solid start to a series, DCI Kate Daniels is convinced there is a link between an unsolved murder in a church and a more recent murder with a connection to her own personal life. I look forward to reading more in the series.
January 16, 2021
Very good thriller - page Turner
Read
October 9, 2025Enjoyed all the scenes in different places in the north east, but the actual mystery wasn't that compelling and the ending felt rushed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews