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DI Greco #3
Dark Trade
A TEENAGE BOY IS FOUND MURDERED. HE HAS BEEN STABBED THROUGH THE HEART BY A PROFESSIONAL KILLER.
Detective Stephen Greco and his new team discover that the boy is an illegal immigrant. A killer nicknamed “the Knifeman” then strikes again. The murders lead DCI Greco on a dark trail of people smuggling and exploitation.
DCI Greco must quickly get his new team to gel, but he is still recovering from a terrible personal tragedy, and his relationship with DS Grace Harper threatens to turn very unprofessional.
And how is arch-villain and drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? What is his connection to a private clinic specialising in plastic surgery for the city's elite.
This gripping and fast-paced mystery ends with a shocking revelation and an action-packed edge-of-your-seat confrontation.
b>THE DETECTIVES
DCI Stephen Greco is a meticulous policeman with a touch of O.C.D. Easy to admire, but difficult to like. He has created a new team after a personal tragedy threatened to end his career, and is struggling to care for his daughter.
DS Grace Harper is an ambitious young policewoman with excellent people skills. Like Greco, she is a single parent and tries to balance work and childcare.
THE SETTING
The Northern city of Manchester is a place of great diversity, from high-end restaurants and clubs for the moneyed classes to grim housing estates riven by crime and drugs.
Detective Stephen Greco and his new team discover that the boy is an illegal immigrant. A killer nicknamed “the Knifeman” then strikes again. The murders lead DCI Greco on a dark trail of people smuggling and exploitation.
DCI Greco must quickly get his new team to gel, but he is still recovering from a terrible personal tragedy, and his relationship with DS Grace Harper threatens to turn very unprofessional.
And how is arch-villain and drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? What is his connection to a private clinic specialising in plastic surgery for the city's elite.
This gripping and fast-paced mystery ends with a shocking revelation and an action-packed edge-of-your-seat confrontation.
b>THE DETECTIVES
DCI Stephen Greco is a meticulous policeman with a touch of O.C.D. Easy to admire, but difficult to like. He has created a new team after a personal tragedy threatened to end his career, and is struggling to care for his daughter.
DS Grace Harper is an ambitious young policewoman with excellent people skills. Like Greco, she is a single parent and tries to balance work and childcare.
THE SETTING
The Northern city of Manchester is a place of great diversity, from high-end restaurants and clubs for the moneyed classes to grim housing estates riven by crime and drugs.
213 pages, ebook
First published March 9, 2017
1060 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
September 3, 2019
This is the 3rd book in the series of DI Greco.
DCI Stephen Greco and DS Grace Harper are a pair to be reckoned with.
Greco’s career almost ended in the last book, in this book we see him trying to rebuild it. Building a new team after he’d experienced a personal tragedy.
There has been a stabbing.
A young man lies dead, no ID. No clues.
Who is he?
Then another young man is murdered.
It’s found to be a professional hitman.
Rumours are rife......
It’s the Knifeman.
Thrown into the story is a journalist who knows more than he should. It’s making a great story.
I did guess the plot easily enough which did spoil it for me as it ended my anticipation.
Still enjoy this authors books though although this one didn’t hit the mark for me.
It’s quite fast paced more than not so you do find yourself lost within its pages......until I figured it out.
Read the books in order though or you miss out on the DI and his past.
DCI Stephen Greco and DS Grace Harper are a pair to be reckoned with.
Greco’s career almost ended in the last book, in this book we see him trying to rebuild it. Building a new team after he’d experienced a personal tragedy.
There has been a stabbing.
A young man lies dead, no ID. No clues.
Who is he?
Then another young man is murdered.
It’s found to be a professional hitman.
Rumours are rife......
It’s the Knifeman.
Thrown into the story is a journalist who knows more than he should. It’s making a great story.
I did guess the plot easily enough which did spoil it for me as it ended my anticipation.
Still enjoy this authors books though although this one didn’t hit the mark for me.
It’s quite fast paced more than not so you do find yourself lost within its pages......until I figured it out.
Read the books in order though or you miss out on the DI and his past.
July 7, 2020
Dark Trade is the third book in the DCI Stephen Greco series by author Helen Durrant. Although these books can be read as stand alones I would suggest reading them in order to enjoy the back stories relating to the detectives. In this book Greco is looking to build a new team but is still coming to terms with the personal tragedy in his life.
When a young man is found stabbed through the heart, his identification is made difficult with no clues or evidence to be found. It looks like a professional hit and this brutal murder is quickly followed by another young man. Rumours suggest they were killed by someone called the Knifeman.
All things point to the murders being motivated by human smuggling with two sides wanting a bigger percentage of the action.
This is another fast paced novel, lots of action, plenty of back stories and guaranteed to grip readers. Stephen Greco and Grace Harper are steadily growing on me and there is almost as much action in their personal lives as the crime angle. Greco is keen to keep Grace Harper at arms length but Grace has other ideas.
This series is really growing on me now and I enjoy it more with every new book. Good quick exciting read.
When a young man is found stabbed through the heart, his identification is made difficult with no clues or evidence to be found. It looks like a professional hit and this brutal murder is quickly followed by another young man. Rumours suggest they were killed by someone called the Knifeman.
All things point to the murders being motivated by human smuggling with two sides wanting a bigger percentage of the action.
This is another fast paced novel, lots of action, plenty of back stories and guaranteed to grip readers. Stephen Greco and Grace Harper are steadily growing on me and there is almost as much action in their personal lives as the crime angle. Greco is keen to keep Grace Harper at arms length but Grace has other ideas.
This series is really growing on me now and I enjoy it more with every new book. Good quick exciting read.
December 18, 2018
Book 3in the DCI Greco series
This is book 3 in the DCI Greco series by the brilliant Helen H Durrant.
The story begins with a young boy being assassinated. Why would someone want to eliminate a teenager in this manner?
Greco has recently been promoted to DCI of the newly formed Serious Crimes Team and is struggling to pull together a pretty dysfunctional team while dealing with the loss of Suzie. He has kept Grace and Speedy as part of the new team but Grace has romantic inclinations towards Greco and at this point in his life that is more than he is able to cope with and adds to the stress which also impacts on his OCD.
With the makings of a difficult case added into the mix Greco is really up against it.
The team struggle to unravel clues as to what is going on while random people from different areas of the underworld turn up dead.
This is a very intriguing book as there is so much going on with twists, turns and shocks all the way through. We are almost at the end before the dots begin to join up and the end result is even more shocking than expected.
Another absolutely stunning read that keeps the adrenaline pumping all the way through as we are treated to an insight into the stark reality of life within a detective team. The reality is not black and white it is grey and fuzzy and this book captures that perfectly.
5 stars from me. If you like detective books and haven't read any books by this author you don't know what you are missing.
This is book 3 in the DCI Greco series by the brilliant Helen H Durrant.
The story begins with a young boy being assassinated. Why would someone want to eliminate a teenager in this manner?
Greco has recently been promoted to DCI of the newly formed Serious Crimes Team and is struggling to pull together a pretty dysfunctional team while dealing with the loss of Suzie. He has kept Grace and Speedy as part of the new team but Grace has romantic inclinations towards Greco and at this point in his life that is more than he is able to cope with and adds to the stress which also impacts on his OCD.
With the makings of a difficult case added into the mix Greco is really up against it.
The team struggle to unravel clues as to what is going on while random people from different areas of the underworld turn up dead.
This is a very intriguing book as there is so much going on with twists, turns and shocks all the way through. We are almost at the end before the dots begin to join up and the end result is even more shocking than expected.
Another absolutely stunning read that keeps the adrenaline pumping all the way through as we are treated to an insight into the stark reality of life within a detective team. The reality is not black and white it is grey and fuzzy and this book captures that perfectly.
5 stars from me. If you like detective books and haven't read any books by this author you don't know what you are missing.
January 18, 2020
How to review... Not my favourite book by this author. The story was good but it was spoiled a bit by the constant personal issues between DCI Greco and DC Grace Whatshername.
Stephen Greco is bedding in a new team of serious crime detectives when there is a rash of murders on their patch. A couple of young men and a freelance journalist hack have been stabbed in the heart and a couple of gangland figures have been shot. The police struggle to get a handle on what is going down. Constant references to the Rashid Clinic which specialises in plastic surgery for well-heeled clients are a big clue. One of the main doctors has a gambling problem and owes money to a gangster who collects in a different way. It all seemed very obvious to me. Like a great big signpost yelling 'clue'. So that part was too heavy-handed by the author for my liking. I will have to read the next one though. At the end of this Grace drops a big bombshell and I do want to know how this is handled.
Stephen Greco is bedding in a new team of serious crime detectives when there is a rash of murders on their patch. A couple of young men and a freelance journalist hack have been stabbed in the heart and a couple of gangland figures have been shot. The police struggle to get a handle on what is going down. Constant references to the Rashid Clinic which specialises in plastic surgery for well-heeled clients are a big clue. One of the main doctors has a gambling problem and owes money to a gangster who collects in a different way. It all seemed very obvious to me. Like a great big signpost yelling 'clue'. So that part was too heavy-handed by the author for my liking. I will have to read the next one though. At the end of this Grace drops a big bombshell and I do want to know how this is handled.
March 25, 2017
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I am a massive fan of this authors books so I was delighted when I was able to get a copy of her latest release. This one had a lot of dark undertones and it was a real page turner for me. I really enjoy reading about the lives of the main characters and whilst I did guess some of the plot, there were still plenty of twists and turns to keep me entertained and engaged - another 5 star read - very highly recommended, definitely one of my favourite authors!
I am a massive fan of this authors books so I was delighted when I was able to get a copy of her latest release. This one had a lot of dark undertones and it was a real page turner for me. I really enjoy reading about the lives of the main characters and whilst I did guess some of the plot, there were still plenty of twists and turns to keep me entertained and engaged - another 5 star read - very highly recommended, definitely one of my favourite authors!
March 12, 2017
WOW!!!! I loved this one for lots of different reasons
This was a quick read for me as I love this authors books and as a continuing saga from the police characters perspective I always fall straight back into the next case. I was surprised to see quite a big spoiler in this book relating to Dead Nasty (Calladine and Bayliss series bk6) as another series by this author it would mean reading both series together in publication order to avoid plot reveals but as there are characters that cross over between both police teams I could see why the information had come up.
In this book we find Stephen Greco with a reshuffled police team taking Grace Harper and Jed Quickenden from his old team and adding some new team members giving us some fresh characters to learn more about. Their case begins with a teenage boy being stabbed in a very clean professional manner and as the investigation progresses more bodies appear and a wider link as to why they died emerges...there were times I'd guessed things ahead of time and wanted to shake some sense into the police team but at the same time there were things I expected to happen that played out differently.
I'm certainly looking forward to the next instalment and dare I say it Greco may be overtaking Calladine and Bayliss as my favourite.
This was a quick read for me as I love this authors books and as a continuing saga from the police characters perspective I always fall straight back into the next case. I was surprised to see quite a big spoiler in this book relating to Dead Nasty (Calladine and Bayliss series bk6) as another series by this author it would mean reading both series together in publication order to avoid plot reveals but as there are characters that cross over between both police teams I could see why the information had come up.
In this book we find Stephen Greco with a reshuffled police team taking Grace Harper and Jed Quickenden from his old team and adding some new team members giving us some fresh characters to learn more about. Their case begins with a teenage boy being stabbed in a very clean professional manner and as the investigation progresses more bodies appear and a wider link as to why they died emerges...there were times I'd guessed things ahead of time and wanted to shake some sense into the police team but at the same time there were things I expected to happen that played out differently.
I'm certainly looking forward to the next instalment and dare I say it Greco may be overtaking Calladine and Bayliss as my favourite.
December 22, 2018
Although I really liked the first two books in this series, I really didn't like this one.
All of law enforcement was presented as running around clueless while the reader knows exactly what's going on. It became both boring and annoying. Previously Greco's OCD was used to help find clues and solve the case, but this round it just made him look weird.
The relationship between Greco and Grace felt like a really bad soap opera with Grace being the weird psycho stalker. The epilogue was my worse nightmare. I may not continue the series.
All of law enforcement was presented as running around clueless while the reader knows exactly what's going on. It became both boring and annoying. Previously Greco's OCD was used to help find clues and solve the case, but this round it just made him look weird.
The relationship between Greco and Grace felt like a really bad soap opera with Grace being the weird psycho stalker. The epilogue was my worse nightmare. I may not continue the series.
March 16, 2017
I've loved all the book in this series, and this one didn't disappoint. The trouble is, I now want to know what happens next to the two main characters. Can't wait for Greco 4!
March 12, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Dark Trade, the third novel to feature the newly promoted DCI Stephen Greco.
The novel opens with a bang as it describes the murder of a young man. The reader learns immediately that the killer is called Mickey but not much else about him. When the body is discovered Greco and his new team swing into action. As the bodies pile up they gradually uncover what and who are behind this spike in the crime rate.
I enjoyed Dark Trade but I feel the plotting is a bit thin. There are plenty of bodies but very little investigation as the team seem dependent on information acquired from new character DI Leah Wells's snout. How he comes by this information or if it's true is never questioned, just accepted. It is also fairly apparent early on to any seasoned crime fiction reader what is happening but not to the police.
DCI Greco is not a particularly loveable character, he is compulsive, fastidious and appears cold but he is smart, dedicated and shy outside of work. I like him in the "safe pair of hands" way you come to like some characters. This is why I find the whole "relationship" thing with his subordinate DC Grace Harper ridiculous and out of character. She is looking for more than a friendship and he feels he is not ready so rebuffs her but she is convinced he wants more and is a bit stalkerish about it. It takes up far too much time in the novel. There is much more I could say on the subject but don't want to issue spoilers so you'll just have to take my word for it.
Dark Trade is an easy way to pass a few hours. It is not particularly profound but it will hold your attention.
The novel opens with a bang as it describes the murder of a young man. The reader learns immediately that the killer is called Mickey but not much else about him. When the body is discovered Greco and his new team swing into action. As the bodies pile up they gradually uncover what and who are behind this spike in the crime rate.
I enjoyed Dark Trade but I feel the plotting is a bit thin. There are plenty of bodies but very little investigation as the team seem dependent on information acquired from new character DI Leah Wells's snout. How he comes by this information or if it's true is never questioned, just accepted. It is also fairly apparent early on to any seasoned crime fiction reader what is happening but not to the police.
DCI Greco is not a particularly loveable character, he is compulsive, fastidious and appears cold but he is smart, dedicated and shy outside of work. I like him in the "safe pair of hands" way you come to like some characters. This is why I find the whole "relationship" thing with his subordinate DC Grace Harper ridiculous and out of character. She is looking for more than a friendship and he feels he is not ready so rebuffs her but she is convinced he wants more and is a bit stalkerish about it. It takes up far too much time in the novel. There is much more I could say on the subject but don't want to issue spoilers so you'll just have to take my word for it.
Dark Trade is an easy way to pass a few hours. It is not particularly profound but it will hold your attention.
November 2, 2018
Gripping? Not so much
This is supposed to be a 'gripping crime thriller full of twists', but it wasn't gripping, and if there were twists you could see them from miles away.
This is a DI Greco mystery, the third in the series. I haven't read the first two, and I don't have plans to do so. None of the characters were very interesting, and they certainly weren't sympathetic. In fact, they were cold and dull, and I couldn't care less about what happens to them.
The plot was obvious, the murders for the most part unnecessary, and the relationship between Greco and Grace was boring and forced.
I realize that I haven't said anything nice at all about this book. Well. I did finish it, so it wasn't unreadable.
Results: this book did not do anything for me. I couldn't get into the characters, and the plot was obvious from very early on. So if you're looking for a gripping murder mystery, look elsewhere.
This is supposed to be a 'gripping crime thriller full of twists', but it wasn't gripping, and if there were twists you could see them from miles away.
This is a DI Greco mystery, the third in the series. I haven't read the first two, and I don't have plans to do so. None of the characters were very interesting, and they certainly weren't sympathetic. In fact, they were cold and dull, and I couldn't care less about what happens to them.
The plot was obvious, the murders for the most part unnecessary, and the relationship between Greco and Grace was boring and forced.
I realize that I haven't said anything nice at all about this book. Well. I did finish it, so it wasn't unreadable.
Results: this book did not do anything for me. I couldn't get into the characters, and the plot was obvious from very early on. So if you're looking for a gripping murder mystery, look elsewhere.
March 13, 2017
2 stars
A young boy is killed; stabbed through the heart. The killing looks to be professional. Is it drugs? As yet he is unidentified. DCI Greco is begins the investigation.
He is heading up a team that is falling apart at the seams, and with personal problems aplenty and the case is a tough one. The police discover that the young boy was an illegal immigrant. This is a second killing done in the same manner, and the cops have taken to calling him the “Knifeman.”
I had to wonder at times just how Greco got to be a DCI. He seemed clueless at times. I think Ms. Durrant’s other books in this series were better. They were better written and plotted. Perhaps I just didn’t like this one as much…
I want to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
A young boy is killed; stabbed through the heart. The killing looks to be professional. Is it drugs? As yet he is unidentified. DCI Greco is begins the investigation.
He is heading up a team that is falling apart at the seams, and with personal problems aplenty and the case is a tough one. The police discover that the young boy was an illegal immigrant. This is a second killing done in the same manner, and the cops have taken to calling him the “Knifeman.”
I had to wonder at times just how Greco got to be a DCI. He seemed clueless at times. I think Ms. Durrant’s other books in this series were better. They were better written and plotted. Perhaps I just didn’t like this one as much…
I want to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
September 15, 2019
Decent plot but no great characterisation
March 10, 2024
It's been a while - far too long in fact - since I read the previous DCI Greco novel, Dark Houses, and I'd forgotten how much I liked this team. In Dark Trade, we join Greco and co at a particularly difficult time in his life. He is still struggling with grief, and on top of a new home and new living arrangements, he is starting a new role with a new and expanded team. And the case he is landed with is quite a difficult one to get to grips with. The murder of a homeless teenager and an investigation keeps drawing them back to an exclusive clinic, a missing journalist and a potential gang war right under their noses. That's a lot for anyone to be tackling. Add in complications in his relationship with DS Grace Harper and I can see why Greco is regularly so unsure of himself.
I really enjoyed this trip back into Greco's Manchester. The story is packed with misdirection, there are plenty of red herrings in terms of the whys and wherefores of the case, the root cause of which are soon made clear to the reader, even if they remain a mystery to the team. And alongside the main case, the tension between Grace and Greco on the personal front, really did keep me turning the pages. Grace is very open about her feelings for Greco, but he is struggling to accept that it's okay to move on and it adds a small layer of conflict he could probably do without.
I will admit that one element of the story I picked up a lot faster than the investigating team, although the author does a great job in slowly revealing the key details of the case to make sure that, although I was several steps ahead of the police, I didn't have the full picture until later in the novel. It's a very quick read, a shade off 300 pages, but one that kept me glued to the page and completely invested in the story. I do like the style of the book, the pacing and the characters, who are a great team to while away a few hours with. New character, DI Leah Wells was someone I wasn't quite sure of, uncertain whether it was ambition of something else that pushed her to go off grid and do her own thing on occasion but it felt like her heart was in the right place.
A pacy, intriguing story that takes us into the world of illegal immigration and forced labour - still alarmingly of the moment even if this book is nearly seven years old. There is a darker side to this story, and an interesting twist or two towards the end in what was an enjoyable read. ust hunt out book four!
I really enjoyed this trip back into Greco's Manchester. The story is packed with misdirection, there are plenty of red herrings in terms of the whys and wherefores of the case, the root cause of which are soon made clear to the reader, even if they remain a mystery to the team. And alongside the main case, the tension between Grace and Greco on the personal front, really did keep me turning the pages. Grace is very open about her feelings for Greco, but he is struggling to accept that it's okay to move on and it adds a small layer of conflict he could probably do without.
I will admit that one element of the story I picked up a lot faster than the investigating team, although the author does a great job in slowly revealing the key details of the case to make sure that, although I was several steps ahead of the police, I didn't have the full picture until later in the novel. It's a very quick read, a shade off 300 pages, but one that kept me glued to the page and completely invested in the story. I do like the style of the book, the pacing and the characters, who are a great team to while away a few hours with. New character, DI Leah Wells was someone I wasn't quite sure of, uncertain whether it was ambition of something else that pushed her to go off grid and do her own thing on occasion but it felt like her heart was in the right place.
A pacy, intriguing story that takes us into the world of illegal immigration and forced labour - still alarmingly of the moment even if this book is nearly seven years old. There is a darker side to this story, and an interesting twist or two towards the end in what was an enjoyable read. ust hunt out book four!
August 10, 2019
A good read.
I really enjoyed Dark Trade by Helen H Durrant.
There is a lot of police procedure in this book that pulls you into a world of a lot of evil people. The storyline thought I feel will carry on into her next book. It's well paced with good character that you get to know. The main character is very likeable but he doesn't trust very easily because of his past. I will be looking forward to reading her next book.
Well worth reading.
I really enjoyed Dark Trade by Helen H Durrant.
There is a lot of police procedure in this book that pulls you into a world of a lot of evil people. The storyline thought I feel will carry on into her next book. It's well paced with good character that you get to know. The main character is very likeable but he doesn't trust very easily because of his past. I will be looking forward to reading her next book.
Well worth reading.
October 10, 2020
Another enjoyable read, a really good series of books.
November 14, 2023
I listened to this book on audible! Story is good and I will recommend this series to anyone who like an easy read and an easy detective story.
However: (my audible review)
I love these books but the narration is simply awful! I disliked it in the other 2 books but in this one… just no, even worse! Why the heck does all the ladies get the deepest voices? Read the book without the accents… arghhh I was so close to giving up on this book all because of the narration. I’m sorry mr Camm but please stooopppp!
However: (my audible review)
I love these books but the narration is simply awful! I disliked it in the other 2 books but in this one… just no, even worse! Why the heck does all the ladies get the deepest voices? Read the book without the accents… arghhh I was so close to giving up on this book all because of the narration. I’m sorry mr Camm but please stooopppp!
May 8, 2017
This is the third in the series featuring DCI Stephen Greco and DS Grace Harper. Greco is building a new team following a personal tragedy that almost ended his career. Grace is his 2nd and like Greco, a single parent trying to balance personal and professional life.
A young man has been murdered, stabbed through the heart. There is no ID, no clues, no evidence. They only know this was a professional hit. And then there's another young man murdered which is rumored that he was killed by someone called the Knifeman.
These murders look to be motivated by human smuggling ... and two warring sides both wanting a bigger cut of the action. Throw in a journalist who knows more that he should and it's the making of a terrific story.
It's a fast-paced mystery with credible characters. Greco is a little OCD which makes him more than human, but not exactly likeable all the time. He's working with and trying to evaluate his new team, but Grace Harper is known to him. At one time they were close, good friends, but Grace seems to want to take that relationship a step further. Greco is doing everything he knows to dissuade her ... he's just not ready for any kind of personal relationship.
The bad guys are really bad .... and loyal to no one. Everyone seems to have a secret agenda and the fun really begins when they all start to turn on each other.
This is a very good crime fiction series. This one does well as a stand alone, but would recommend reading the entire series in order.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
A young man has been murdered, stabbed through the heart. There is no ID, no clues, no evidence. They only know this was a professional hit. And then there's another young man murdered which is rumored that he was killed by someone called the Knifeman.
These murders look to be motivated by human smuggling ... and two warring sides both wanting a bigger cut of the action. Throw in a journalist who knows more that he should and it's the making of a terrific story.
It's a fast-paced mystery with credible characters. Greco is a little OCD which makes him more than human, but not exactly likeable all the time. He's working with and trying to evaluate his new team, but Grace Harper is known to him. At one time they were close, good friends, but Grace seems to want to take that relationship a step further. Greco is doing everything he knows to dissuade her ... he's just not ready for any kind of personal relationship.
The bad guys are really bad .... and loyal to no one. Everyone seems to have a secret agenda and the fun really begins when they all start to turn on each other.
This is a very good crime fiction series. This one does well as a stand alone, but would recommend reading the entire series in order.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
June 19, 2023
Exciting plot; great ending... What is going to happen next in the life of Stephen Greco? This story was a corker though for once I was ahead of the police. The police team is coming together in a new form and working pretty well. Greco's hard lines are softening and Speedy is pulling his share finally. The author needs to know that the correct term is "a fine toothed comb," not a fine toothcomb. There is no such thing as a toothcomb...we don't comb teeth. Really!
May 11, 2017
I like thrillers and suspenseful novels to be fast paced. This novel left me bored at times, dragging the story with too many unimportant details that took me out of the plot, instead of connected me with it. The premise, idea, and plot were good but weren't executed to the potential that they had.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review
September 18, 2020
Third in the series and Greco has a new team with Grace and Speedy in tow. Grace turns out to be a right stalker and I do not like her character one bit. The whole story screamed organ harvesting but the team just did not figure it out which I found very frustrating. I did not enjoy this book very much.
October 18, 2020
Just can't gel with the characters I'm afraid. They seem stiff and lacking depth to me.
March 8, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley, Helen H. Durrant and Joffe Books for my ARC of this book for an unbiased review.
Available Editions
EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781912106615
Links Joffe Books
THE BLURB
A teenage boy is found murdered. He has been stabbed through the heart by a professional killer.
Detective Stephen Greco and his new team discover that the boy is an illegal immigrant. Then another youth from the same background is killed. The murder leads DCI Greco on a trail of people smuggling and exploitation.
DCI Greco must quickly get his new team to gel, but he is still recovering from a terrible personal tragedy, and his relationship with DS Grace Harper threatens to turn very unprofessional.
And why is arch-villain and drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? And what is the connection to a private clinic specialising in plastic surgery.
If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Mel Sherratt, Ruth Rendell, or Mark Billingham you will be gripped by this exciting new crime fiction writer.
THE DETECTIVES
DCI Stephen Greco is a meticulous policeman with a touch of O.C.D. Easy to admire, but difficult to like. He has created a new team after a personal tragedy threatened to end his career, and is struggling to care for his daughter.
DS Grace Harper is an ambitious young policewoman with excellent people skills. Like Greco, she is a single parent and struggles to balance work and childcare.
THE SETTING
The Northern city of Manchester is a place of great diversity, from high-end restaurants and clubs for the moneyed classes to grim housing estates riven by crime and drugs.
MY REVIEW
This is a good all round read. It is the 3rd in a series of DCI Greco books. This i read as a stand alone having not previously read any other books by this author. I will however be keeping an eye out for more of these books by her. As a stand alone it works well, there is mention of relationships and characters from previous books but nothing that detracts from this story.
The story is set in Manchester. The book gets straight into a murder, no hanging around and no nonsense. The story progresses quickly and several characters are introduced, some new to the murder team and some hand picked for the case. As one murder is being investigated, another has occured with the same characteristics as the first, then a third murder seemingly unrelated and so it continues. A newspaper reporter Tony Rouse is caught up in the investigation, and after being asked questions he disappears. The Rashid Clinic is a reputable cosmetic surgery centre has ties to the local mob gang, through one of its gambling addicted doctors. A Romanian lorry driver with a really bad attitude and an illegal sweat shop are also thrown into the mix.
What begins as a drug and gang related issue soon turns into something much more deadlier and darker. Things start to fall into to place. The detectives have to travel to Brighton from Manchester, have boarder control and Illegal Immigration Officers involved. There are so many things going on this book, but not once did i feel i was getting lost in the details or the plots. It is very well laid out and explained right through, the characters are memorable and each has their own unique aspect to them such as nickname.
I would recommend this book to other readers for the fast paced plots, the ease of reading, the great characters and the well written story.
Available Editions
EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781912106615
Links Joffe Books
THE BLURB
A teenage boy is found murdered. He has been stabbed through the heart by a professional killer.
Detective Stephen Greco and his new team discover that the boy is an illegal immigrant. Then another youth from the same background is killed. The murder leads DCI Greco on a trail of people smuggling and exploitation.
DCI Greco must quickly get his new team to gel, but he is still recovering from a terrible personal tragedy, and his relationship with DS Grace Harper threatens to turn very unprofessional.
And why is arch-villain and drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? And what is the connection to a private clinic specialising in plastic surgery.
If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Mel Sherratt, Ruth Rendell, or Mark Billingham you will be gripped by this exciting new crime fiction writer.
THE DETECTIVES
DCI Stephen Greco is a meticulous policeman with a touch of O.C.D. Easy to admire, but difficult to like. He has created a new team after a personal tragedy threatened to end his career, and is struggling to care for his daughter.
DS Grace Harper is an ambitious young policewoman with excellent people skills. Like Greco, she is a single parent and struggles to balance work and childcare.
THE SETTING
The Northern city of Manchester is a place of great diversity, from high-end restaurants and clubs for the moneyed classes to grim housing estates riven by crime and drugs.
MY REVIEW
This is a good all round read. It is the 3rd in a series of DCI Greco books. This i read as a stand alone having not previously read any other books by this author. I will however be keeping an eye out for more of these books by her. As a stand alone it works well, there is mention of relationships and characters from previous books but nothing that detracts from this story.
The story is set in Manchester. The book gets straight into a murder, no hanging around and no nonsense. The story progresses quickly and several characters are introduced, some new to the murder team and some hand picked for the case. As one murder is being investigated, another has occured with the same characteristics as the first, then a third murder seemingly unrelated and so it continues. A newspaper reporter Tony Rouse is caught up in the investigation, and after being asked questions he disappears. The Rashid Clinic is a reputable cosmetic surgery centre has ties to the local mob gang, through one of its gambling addicted doctors. A Romanian lorry driver with a really bad attitude and an illegal sweat shop are also thrown into the mix.
What begins as a drug and gang related issue soon turns into something much more deadlier and darker. Things start to fall into to place. The detectives have to travel to Brighton from Manchester, have boarder control and Illegal Immigration Officers involved. There are so many things going on this book, but not once did i feel i was getting lost in the details or the plots. It is very well laid out and explained right through, the characters are memorable and each has their own unique aspect to them such as nickname.
I would recommend this book to other readers for the fast paced plots, the ease of reading, the great characters and the well written story.
March 12, 2017
I love both this series and the author's other series featuring Calladine & Bayliss. They are nice quick easy reads for me. Yes, they are your basic, bulk standard Police Procedural genre-wise but they are very good examples of them in terms of the crimes involved. In this one we travel a rather murky path when DCI Greco investigates the deaths of a couple of illegal immigrants. The lid definitely comes off the worm can as he and his team delve deeper into the whys and wherefores of these crimes as they make connections to the underworld. And exactly where does the plastic surgery clinic come into things? Greco has his own issues to contend with (best to read the previous two books in the series for the full picture) and is having a bit of a hard time juggling his personal and professional lives, hampered in a way by one of his colleagues.
Firstly, and I have to mention it as it is a bit of a bugbear of mine, there is quite a bit of padding at the back of the book. Other books by the author, a character list and a glossary of English slang. The version I read stopped at 92%. Ok, some author's / publishers do that and that's OK, I just need to be pre-warned about it as I do notice % as I read and get a bit grumpy when I think I have more to read and then it ends. Hence me mentioning it here in case my comment helps others. It also does end on a cliffhanger but the main story is complete and the reveal at the end didn't leave me feeling cheated, it actually had the desired effect of leaving me wondering what will happen next for those involved. So all's good there.
The story in itself, the crime being investigated, was very well handled. It kept my interest and although I had a few inklings of what was occurring, I wasn't completely right as the author did manage to fool me a couple of times on my journey.
Characters were, as always, very well drawn. I am still umming and erring about Greco but he is starting to come together nicely, apart from his personal relationships that is, that still irks me a bit but, by the end of the book, when a new spin is added, I am slowly coming around to the author's way of thinking and ready to accept it for what it is.
All in all though, a good solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed and a good addition to this author's pretty impressive back catalogue. Can't wait for the next one, need to find out...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Firstly, and I have to mention it as it is a bit of a bugbear of mine, there is quite a bit of padding at the back of the book. Other books by the author, a character list and a glossary of English slang. The version I read stopped at 92%. Ok, some author's / publishers do that and that's OK, I just need to be pre-warned about it as I do notice % as I read and get a bit grumpy when I think I have more to read and then it ends. Hence me mentioning it here in case my comment helps others. It also does end on a cliffhanger but the main story is complete and the reveal at the end didn't leave me feeling cheated, it actually had the desired effect of leaving me wondering what will happen next for those involved. So all's good there.
The story in itself, the crime being investigated, was very well handled. It kept my interest and although I had a few inklings of what was occurring, I wasn't completely right as the author did manage to fool me a couple of times on my journey.
Characters were, as always, very well drawn. I am still umming and erring about Greco but he is starting to come together nicely, apart from his personal relationships that is, that still irks me a bit but, by the end of the book, when a new spin is added, I am slowly coming around to the author's way of thinking and ready to accept it for what it is.
All in all though, a good solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed and a good addition to this author's pretty impressive back catalogue. Can't wait for the next one, need to find out...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
July 4, 2023
‘The Knifeman’, a killer for hire, is leaving neat dead bodies but it’s only the tip of the iceberg as DCI Greco and his newly formed Serious Crime Squad follow the trail of bodies to a much darker international trade. Greco is as bleak as ever, still dealing with grief and betrayal over his ex-wife. Greco has brought DS Jed ‘Speedy’ Quickenden and DC Grace Harper with him and the other members of the team can feel the cliche. I almost gave this four stars, the story had so many characters to keep track of. Although the dark and tangled web was satisfying and compelling, it was hard for me to follow at times. Grace has shown herself bright and capable but I haven’t enjoyed the long story arc involving her flirty overtures towards Greco which reach a crisis point here. UK actor Nicholas Camm uses a huge variety of voices and accents to differentiate all the characters here, it was very good work (currently free on the Audible Plus catalogue).
December 30, 2018
I like this author that's the stars
Four-star review because finger hit it instead of the three-star , only gave it three stars because I like the author . Read all of the dark series or listen to it . Computer reading . So I could use my imagination on the characters . I really like this character Greko. When I say listen I did not buy the audible . I just listened to computer reading what limited would let me do. All the same reading thus my imagination . Read all the dead series . Then went on to this series, read first. two books . Couldn't wait until the third . Then I started this book ,Had no choice someone was reading this one . Sounded all old , all the same, even female characters . Had to stop after fourth chapter. Have to listen while I'm cooking . So disappointed . Onto the next book , hope that there is one.
Four-star review because finger hit it instead of the three-star , only gave it three stars because I like the author . Read all of the dark series or listen to it . Computer reading . So I could use my imagination on the characters . I really like this character Greko. When I say listen I did not buy the audible . I just listened to computer reading what limited would let me do. All the same reading thus my imagination . Read all the dead series . Then went on to this series, read first. two books . Couldn't wait until the third . Then I started this book ,Had no choice someone was reading this one . Sounded all old , all the same, even female characters . Had to stop after fourth chapter. Have to listen while I'm cooking . So disappointed . Onto the next book , hope that there is one.
April 10, 2021
DI Stephen Greco is still trying to get over a personal tragedy, and also has to build a new team (which includes Grace and Speedy) at work, whilst trying to catch 'The Knifeman'.
There is a lot going on in this book, even though it was a short, easy listen. It is fast paced with a believable plot and characters. Could be read as a standalone, but you would get a better understanding of Greco if you read the first two books too.
There is a lot going on in this book, even though it was a short, easy listen. It is fast paced with a believable plot and characters. Could be read as a standalone, but you would get a better understanding of Greco if you read the first two books too.
March 15, 2022
Medical mysteries.
Two young men are found dead on Greco's patch. Both knife crimes, carried out efficiently. Only clue tall, thin man in vicinity. Nothing more, face unknown.
But he is closer to the investigation than anyone knows.
Speedy has a clingy girlfriend, Michelle and Grace has the hots for Stephen Greco.
Surprises for both pairings.
More bodies and this time they are shot, are they all victims of one person?
Two young men are found dead on Greco's patch. Both knife crimes, carried out efficiently. Only clue tall, thin man in vicinity. Nothing more, face unknown.
But he is closer to the investigation than anyone knows.
Speedy has a clingy girlfriend, Michelle and Grace has the hots for Stephen Greco.
Surprises for both pairings.
More bodies and this time they are shot, are they all victims of one person?
June 8, 2017
I have read a few novels by this author and have enjoyed each one. I loved fast paced novels that one cannot turn the pages fast enough. A novel that is quite gruesome with plenty of twists and turns always holds my attention. I seldom write what the story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do highly recommend.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.
September 3, 2017
Love the Greco series. Give me more, please.
This one was dark, twisted, and full of malice and evil. To think that there are people among us who think along this lines, and actually commit these heinous crimes, is disturbing to me. I think that's why I like this series. Good overcomes evil, in the end. As it should be.
This one was dark, twisted, and full of malice and evil. To think that there are people among us who think along this lines, and actually commit these heinous crimes, is disturbing to me. I think that's why I like this series. Good overcomes evil, in the end. As it should be.
July 18, 2019
Another brilliant book in this series
I have now read all of the books in the Greco series and getting to know the characters. They are good stories that take you away from yourself for a while.. Once you start to read you have to keep going.I hope there Will be more in this series. Thank you so much
I have now read all of the books in the Greco series and getting to know the characters. They are good stories that take you away from yourself for a while.. Once you start to read you have to keep going.I hope there Will be more in this series. Thank you so much
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