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DI Kate Fletcher #1
Closer to Home
Family. Secrets. Murder.
Newly promoted DI Kate Fletcher has reluctantly returned to her home town after a twenty-year absence and a recent divorce. The discovery of a child’s body near the estate where Kate grew up has her rushing back to Thorpe – a place of bad memories and closed mouths.
As her team investigate the murder, they keep hitting dead ends. The community is reluctant to reopen old wounds and retell old stories. But Kate’s history refuses to stay buried.
Then another child disappears…
Can Kate solve the case and right the wrongs from her past?
Newly promoted DI Kate Fletcher has reluctantly returned to her home town after a twenty-year absence and a recent divorce. The discovery of a child’s body near the estate where Kate grew up has her rushing back to Thorpe – a place of bad memories and closed mouths.
As her team investigate the murder, they keep hitting dead ends. The community is reluctant to reopen old wounds and retell old stories. But Kate’s history refuses to stay buried.
Then another child disappears…
Can Kate solve the case and right the wrongs from her past?
236 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2017
1070 people are currently reading
732 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
November 17, 2020
A new author for me, which I really enjoyed. The main character is DI Kate Fletcher who returns to the town where she grew up. The plot was entirely believable, the local history regarding mining communities and the strikes, were very relevant to the story. The story is mostly told in the present, with flashbacks from the past (1984). Showing that the past and present are always connected, you must work out how and why, and ultimately who.
The book moves at a steady pace, that feels just right and builds up to a great finale. I really enjoyed this and it has all the elements you want in a police procedural. Suspense, twists and a well-developed cast, that felt natural. Kate is a strong, but complex character with more personal history, to be revealed?
I need to say a huge thank you to Andrea for pointing me in the direction of this author, when she recommended the second book in the series. I recommend this book and probably the series. I will let you know as I move onto the second book.
The book moves at a steady pace, that feels just right and builds up to a great finale. I really enjoyed this and it has all the elements you want in a police procedural. Suspense, twists and a well-developed cast, that felt natural. Kate is a strong, but complex character with more personal history, to be revealed?
I need to say a huge thank you to Andrea for pointing me in the direction of this author, when she recommended the second book in the series. I recommend this book and probably the series. I will let you know as I move onto the second book.
August 11, 2019
Just a mini review. A new author for me & she knows how to spin a story. I really enjoyed this & it has all the elements you want in a police procedural. Suspense, twisty plot & a smart MC surrounded by a well developed cast. The bonus is a bit of local history that is relevant to the story & gives it added depth. 'Nuff said.
October 24, 2019
First time read from this author, a great crime read children being murdered it goes back to the past Kate a detective the past her dad was a miner and a murder of a child in the past how does it all connect .looking forward to book two in this series.
October 11, 2017
Closer To Home is the first in a brand new crime series featuring DI Kate Fletcher.
A story that involves children and death is never going to make for comfortable reading but hats off to the author as the story very much focuses on the police and the investigation itself of which doesn’t make it to uncomfortable.
Kate and her team are really up against it and you really feel the urgency for them to get answers but they don’t seem to be getting anywhere. I could very much feel their frustration and wanted the killer found as soon as possible.
This is very much a story more focused on police procedural and good old fashioned thinking. Kate has to rely on instinct and the process of elimination to catch the killer. This could easily be a crime series on television and one that I would certainly watch.
As Kate gets closer to catching the killer the pace really starts to pick up so you get that rush of adrenaline that has you on the edge of your seat in the anticipation of everything being revealed.
Closer To Home is a strong and solid start to a new crime series. It is set at the perfect pace building up to a very satisfying ending of which I for one could never have worked out. The author gives just the right amount of background for the characters so that it leaves you looking forward to getting to know them better through the course of the series. A definite read for fans who love a good crime book to sink their mind and their teeth into.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
A story that involves children and death is never going to make for comfortable reading but hats off to the author as the story very much focuses on the police and the investigation itself of which doesn’t make it to uncomfortable.
Kate and her team are really up against it and you really feel the urgency for them to get answers but they don’t seem to be getting anywhere. I could very much feel their frustration and wanted the killer found as soon as possible.
This is very much a story more focused on police procedural and good old fashioned thinking. Kate has to rely on instinct and the process of elimination to catch the killer. This could easily be a crime series on television and one that I would certainly watch.
As Kate gets closer to catching the killer the pace really starts to pick up so you get that rush of adrenaline that has you on the edge of your seat in the anticipation of everything being revealed.
Closer To Home is a strong and solid start to a new crime series. It is set at the perfect pace building up to a very satisfying ending of which I for one could never have worked out. The author gives just the right amount of background for the characters so that it leaves you looking forward to getting to know them better through the course of the series. A definite read for fans who love a good crime book to sink their mind and their teeth into.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
October 12, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am South Yorkshire born and bred and it was lovely to read about the area I am so familiar with. The book is really well written and I loved the characters. It is very much Police Procedural and again I loved reading about the processes and hierarchy in the Police Force.
Kate was a teenager during the troubles of the miner’s strike which caused her, and her sister, to be bullied at school. When the family moved away from Thorpe she thought her troubles were over. However, fate decided differently and she is promoted to DI in Doncaster and is thrown straight in to murders in the village of her childhood.
The team struggle to find a way forward with the case as they hit dead end after dead end. Little do they know that they are looking in the wrong direction. Team members have their own ideas of who they like for the crime and they are all wrong, Raymond, DCI tries to persuade Kate away from her gut instincts and tempt her down what he thinks is the right path but Kate is not convinced.
As the dots are slowly joined up the pace of the book increases as the team rush to get to the killer before it is too late.
A very good read. It lacked some of the gore and adrenaline pumping suspense that I love which lost it a few marks but it was still an extremely gripping read,
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the advance copy.
Kate was a teenager during the troubles of the miner’s strike which caused her, and her sister, to be bullied at school. When the family moved away from Thorpe she thought her troubles were over. However, fate decided differently and she is promoted to DI in Doncaster and is thrown straight in to murders in the village of her childhood.
The team struggle to find a way forward with the case as they hit dead end after dead end. Little do they know that they are looking in the wrong direction. Team members have their own ideas of who they like for the crime and they are all wrong, Raymond, DCI tries to persuade Kate away from her gut instincts and tempt her down what he thinks is the right path but Kate is not convinced.
As the dots are slowly joined up the pace of the book increases as the team rush to get to the killer before it is too late.
A very good read. It lacked some of the gore and adrenaline pumping suspense that I love which lost it a few marks but it was still an extremely gripping read,
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the advance copy.
November 2, 2017
Thanks to Bloodhound Books, for the advance ARC copy for my honest review.
This was my first read from the author Heleyne Hammersley but I have a mixed bag reaction to Closer to Home, liked parts of it and other parts I didn't.
It's well written, but I feel that for the Police Protocol genre, especially with what's out their from other British authors, she needs to get more dirt and grit on her hands. It's way too clean for this style of book, she easily could have camouflage it better or worded it to tame it down. I also felt that Closer to Home, reads very slowly, just seems to amble along, verse being more fast paced.
An example would have been to include the kidnapping of Aleah Reese as a protocol verse just having the Police looking for her.
I liked DI Kate Fletcher, several of her team also are likable, liked how the author included pretty detailed the police protocol that they do in England, found it interesting, compared to how things are done in the US and liked the setting in Thorpe, a mining town that's still scared from a strike in the 80's.
It's not a bad read, just feel for me that Closer to Home could have been a lot better and I'm on the fence if I'd give the author another try or not.
This was my first read from the author Heleyne Hammersley but I have a mixed bag reaction to Closer to Home, liked parts of it and other parts I didn't.
It's well written, but I feel that for the Police Protocol genre, especially with what's out their from other British authors, she needs to get more dirt and grit on her hands. It's way too clean for this style of book, she easily could have camouflage it better or worded it to tame it down. I also felt that Closer to Home, reads very slowly, just seems to amble along, verse being more fast paced.
An example would have been to include the kidnapping of Aleah Reese as a protocol verse just having the Police looking for her.
I liked DI Kate Fletcher, several of her team also are likable, liked how the author included pretty detailed the police protocol that they do in England, found it interesting, compared to how things are done in the US and liked the setting in Thorpe, a mining town that's still scared from a strike in the 80's.
It's not a bad read, just feel for me that Closer to Home could have been a lot better and I'm on the fence if I'd give the author another try or not.
March 30, 2020
Good read bit slow at beginning but once gets going it's good. Ending I never expected. I'm now reading the 2nd in this 4 book series"merciless"
October 6, 2017
This is the first book I've read by Heleyne Hammersley and I enjoyed it.
The book centres around the main character Kate Fletcher who moves back to the town where she grew up as part of a job promotion with the Police.
Soon the body of a young girl is found and Kate has to speak to people who she knew when she was at school in the area.
There are some flashback chapters which explain what happened to Kate as a child but I felt there could have been more of a back story about her marriage and her son.
The last few chapters really pick up the pace and I'd recommend this book if you like a good crime thriller.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for sending me an advance copy to read and review.
The book centres around the main character Kate Fletcher who moves back to the town where she grew up as part of a job promotion with the Police.
Soon the body of a young girl is found and Kate has to speak to people who she knew when she was at school in the area.
There are some flashback chapters which explain what happened to Kate as a child but I felt there could have been more of a back story about her marriage and her son.
The last few chapters really pick up the pace and I'd recommend this book if you like a good crime thriller.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for sending me an advance copy to read and review.
December 17, 2019
This review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
Kate Fletcher and her younger sister were teenagers during the miner’s strike of 1984. As teenagers they were bullied and finally, the family moved away for a new start away from Thorpe, the animosity and the bitterness shown towards their family. Since then, for the last twenty years, Kate has been living in Cumbria. But, fate is often fickle and due to personal upheaval and a promotion, Kate finds herself reluctantly back in Doncaster and her childhood home, the village of Thorpe as a DI in the South Yorkshire police force.
Seven-year-old Aleah Reese was abducted, murdered and her cold, dead body is left face down in the pond at the old quarry site. Her flame snuffed out before it had a chance to burn bright, her life taken away before she had a chance to shine, the endless roads and future possibilities that lay ahead of her taken away by a heinous act. As Kate and her team investigate Aleah’s death’s they come up against dead end after dead end in their search, brick walls and roadblocks barring the way forward. There are various suspects involved in the case all hiding secrets, lies and half-truths and different team members each favour a different suspect as the murderer. Tensions mount for the team, they are frustrated by their lack of progress, that they can’t find a breakthrough and then…another child is abducted.
As a setting, Thorpe is a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else and everyone knows each others business. Mining was the lifeblood of the village and the miner’s strike from over thirty years ago is like a scar that hasn’t healed and that still bleeds bitterness for those families involved. The past has cast a long shadow, one that has reverberated through the years and that is still felt in the present. The village has a long memory, old resentments linger and many of the residents, rather unfondly remember Kate and her family.
Along with the present-day investigation, there are also flashback chapters from 1984. It is only a small thing but, personally, I would have liked to have seen a few more flashback chapters included as they are few and far between. In 1984, with the miner’s strike, it was a time of strife, of divisions, of simmering anger that often boiled over and, it was a time of a small community torn apart, rent asunder. The flashbacks are really interesting and I would have been happy to have seen them appear at more regular intervals during the narrative mining the past (yep, I went with a mining pun, sorry) for some more additional detail and depth.
Kate is carrying some baggage from her past, from her youth in Thorpe and from her more recent divorce and return to the area. However, her past doesn’t shape her, it is a part of her that lives within and that serves to help make up who the whole of who she is. She is determined and tough, a strong main character who is ably supported by her team and throughout the story, we get to see them start the process of building connections and developing relationships. She has a tenacity of spirit and follows her gut, her feelings and her instincts even when the investigation is pointing in another direction. As a DI she prefers to be out investigating and leading from the front rather than dealing with the paperwork and sat behind a desk.
I thought that Closer To Home was well-written with a very clever, suspenseful and taut story. There are lots of potential suspects and the author does a good job of keeping the picture blurred and the water murky where they are all concerned. The pacing is decent and in the final few chapters it really moves up a gear as the team close in on the killer and the story builds to its climax. One thing that I kept coming back to whilst I was reading Closer To Home is that I kept thinking what a brilliant TV show it would make.
Closer To Home focuses far more on the investigation, the police and their procedures rather than delving into the darker details of the actual crime. Admittedly, it isn’t as dark as my usual taste in thrillers lacking the gore and the gruesomeness that I love, what can I say I’m drawn to darkness. However, the investigation in Closer To Home is compelling, it is a gripping story full of unfolding drama that plays out across the pages, a satisfying series opener and it was the ideal balm to scratch my itch for a quick thriller fix.
Kate Fletcher and her younger sister were teenagers during the miner’s strike of 1984. As teenagers they were bullied and finally, the family moved away for a new start away from Thorpe, the animosity and the bitterness shown towards their family. Since then, for the last twenty years, Kate has been living in Cumbria. But, fate is often fickle and due to personal upheaval and a promotion, Kate finds herself reluctantly back in Doncaster and her childhood home, the village of Thorpe as a DI in the South Yorkshire police force.
Seven-year-old Aleah Reese was abducted, murdered and her cold, dead body is left face down in the pond at the old quarry site. Her flame snuffed out before it had a chance to burn bright, her life taken away before she had a chance to shine, the endless roads and future possibilities that lay ahead of her taken away by a heinous act. As Kate and her team investigate Aleah’s death’s they come up against dead end after dead end in their search, brick walls and roadblocks barring the way forward. There are various suspects involved in the case all hiding secrets, lies and half-truths and different team members each favour a different suspect as the murderer. Tensions mount for the team, they are frustrated by their lack of progress, that they can’t find a breakthrough and then…another child is abducted.
As a setting, Thorpe is a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else and everyone knows each others business. Mining was the lifeblood of the village and the miner’s strike from over thirty years ago is like a scar that hasn’t healed and that still bleeds bitterness for those families involved. The past has cast a long shadow, one that has reverberated through the years and that is still felt in the present. The village has a long memory, old resentments linger and many of the residents, rather unfondly remember Kate and her family.
Along with the present-day investigation, there are also flashback chapters from 1984. It is only a small thing but, personally, I would have liked to have seen a few more flashback chapters included as they are few and far between. In 1984, with the miner’s strike, it was a time of strife, of divisions, of simmering anger that often boiled over and, it was a time of a small community torn apart, rent asunder. The flashbacks are really interesting and I would have been happy to have seen them appear at more regular intervals during the narrative mining the past (yep, I went with a mining pun, sorry) for some more additional detail and depth.
Kate is carrying some baggage from her past, from her youth in Thorpe and from her more recent divorce and return to the area. However, her past doesn’t shape her, it is a part of her that lives within and that serves to help make up who the whole of who she is. She is determined and tough, a strong main character who is ably supported by her team and throughout the story, we get to see them start the process of building connections and developing relationships. She has a tenacity of spirit and follows her gut, her feelings and her instincts even when the investigation is pointing in another direction. As a DI she prefers to be out investigating and leading from the front rather than dealing with the paperwork and sat behind a desk.
I thought that Closer To Home was well-written with a very clever, suspenseful and taut story. There are lots of potential suspects and the author does a good job of keeping the picture blurred and the water murky where they are all concerned. The pacing is decent and in the final few chapters it really moves up a gear as the team close in on the killer and the story builds to its climax. One thing that I kept coming back to whilst I was reading Closer To Home is that I kept thinking what a brilliant TV show it would make.
Closer To Home focuses far more on the investigation, the police and their procedures rather than delving into the darker details of the actual crime. Admittedly, it isn’t as dark as my usual taste in thrillers lacking the gore and the gruesomeness that I love, what can I say I’m drawn to darkness. However, the investigation in Closer To Home is compelling, it is a gripping story full of unfolding drama that plays out across the pages, a satisfying series opener and it was the ideal balm to scratch my itch for a quick thriller fix.
October 10, 2017
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This is the first book I've read by Heleyne Hammersley and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The pace of the book is spot on for the content and it works so well with the story as it ramps up towards the end as the story starts to get to its completion adding to the tension. In the book I really liked Kate as a character, her background is complex and it really helps make her strong and realistic - she has her own baggage from her personal life that she brings to the crimes she is investigating and that really made the book for me. I do love a troubled character that leads the story as it gives an added depth.
This is definitely a book I would recommend and genuinely interested in reading more from this author - I have added her two previous books to my Amazon wishlist! 4 stars from me for this one, a solid crime thriller!
This is the first book I've read by Heleyne Hammersley and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The pace of the book is spot on for the content and it works so well with the story as it ramps up towards the end as the story starts to get to its completion adding to the tension. In the book I really liked Kate as a character, her background is complex and it really helps make her strong and realistic - she has her own baggage from her personal life that she brings to the crimes she is investigating and that really made the book for me. I do love a troubled character that leads the story as it gives an added depth.
This is definitely a book I would recommend and genuinely interested in reading more from this author - I have added her two previous books to my Amazon wishlist! 4 stars from me for this one, a solid crime thriller!
May 16, 2018
Do you ever judge a book by its cover? I do it all the time, even though I tell myself that I am letting lots of gems go. I didn't really want to read this one based on the cover. But it was a Kindle Unlimited book and I have a three month trial. What's the worst that could happen? I am tickled that I picked this book up. It was everything a police procedural should be and set in England to boot! Kate was smart and really showed some intelligent police work. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
June 6, 2018
A really top notch read. I really enjoyed this story despite the subject matter. Set in the Doncaster area of South Yorkshire, well researched and covered some of the issue related to the miners strike of the 80,s. A very gripping read and will be reading more from this author.
June 4, 2021
Enjoyed this and the narration, unfortunately the other books in the series are not on audio.
August 15, 2021
This is my first book by the author and it’s a good read. There’s enough backstory to give the characters dimensionality. The plot’s engaging too, though I guessed the villain part way through. Much of the story harks back to the miners’ strike and the societal divisions this brought about. I think, as it’s the first in a series, the characters will come alive better once we know them more. The ending was particularly exciting.
October 11, 2017
Ok, #KillerHook prologue alert! That one had me hyperventilating. I’m claustrophobic and I was struggling to breathe reading it! A sign of just how twisted my reading mind is – if it terrifies me I’m hooked and hooked I was all the way through!
Closer to Home is a taut investigation of the murder of a young child. DI Kate Fletcher is heading up the investigation in the town she left 20 years ago. A small and closely knit community are reluctant to break rank but Kate’s history is not going to stay buried.
Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read this book was! The murder of a small child is never easy to read about but when the story is interspersed with Kate’s history in the village in the 1980s at the height of the miners strikes then it becomes even more hard-hitting as the very real struggle and divisions that existed are brought to life through the pages. I got a real sense of what life was like for Kate and others in the bitter times of the miners strikes of the 1980s and #CloserToHome brought home the very real impact that the politics of that time had on small mining communities
As a DI I loved Kate, she is a tough and ballsy character who is not afraid to confront anyone in her search for the truth and justice. She’s a hands-on type of DI & is struggling with the desk-bound elements of the role preferring to be out with her team and involved in the investigations It’s always exciting when you get to meet and know a new team in a crime series and this book was no exception. I loved the interaction between the team members and how Kate’s relationship with each of them developed and grew as the book progressed.
The families affected by the death of the child seem to be harbouring some kind of secret and even resentment about Kate as a young girl. This common history is interwoven through the pages and it makes the story come alive. Plenty of red herrings keeps the armchair detectives satisfied as suspicion falls across a whole cast of characters and the tension just kept rising as I got nearer the end and wow what a cracker of an ending that was, it has left me looking for more of Kate and her team!
#CloserToHome was a brilliantly plotted narrative with a cast of characters that as a reader, I wholly engaged with; it provided me with a real sense of time and place as both the past and present were brought together to provide an immersing and totally plausible read. If you like your police procedurals full of drama, gasps and OMGs then this one is for you!
Closer to Home is a taut investigation of the murder of a young child. DI Kate Fletcher is heading up the investigation in the town she left 20 years ago. A small and closely knit community are reluctant to break rank but Kate’s history is not going to stay buried.
Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read this book was! The murder of a small child is never easy to read about but when the story is interspersed with Kate’s history in the village in the 1980s at the height of the miners strikes then it becomes even more hard-hitting as the very real struggle and divisions that existed are brought to life through the pages. I got a real sense of what life was like for Kate and others in the bitter times of the miners strikes of the 1980s and #CloserToHome brought home the very real impact that the politics of that time had on small mining communities
As a DI I loved Kate, she is a tough and ballsy character who is not afraid to confront anyone in her search for the truth and justice. She’s a hands-on type of DI & is struggling with the desk-bound elements of the role preferring to be out with her team and involved in the investigations It’s always exciting when you get to meet and know a new team in a crime series and this book was no exception. I loved the interaction between the team members and how Kate’s relationship with each of them developed and grew as the book progressed.
The families affected by the death of the child seem to be harbouring some kind of secret and even resentment about Kate as a young girl. This common history is interwoven through the pages and it makes the story come alive. Plenty of red herrings keeps the armchair detectives satisfied as suspicion falls across a whole cast of characters and the tension just kept rising as I got nearer the end and wow what a cracker of an ending that was, it has left me looking for more of Kate and her team!
#CloserToHome was a brilliantly plotted narrative with a cast of characters that as a reader, I wholly engaged with; it provided me with a real sense of time and place as both the past and present were brought together to provide an immersing and totally plausible read. If you like your police procedurals full of drama, gasps and OMGs then this one is for you!
October 12, 2017
The present and the past are always connected, it’s just a case of figuring out ‘the how and the why’ because that leads you to ‘the who’. Told mostly in the present, with flashbacks from the past, the murder of a child brings Kate back to her home town and a case I enjoyed solving alongside her. I couldn’t figure this mystery out ahead of time and until Kate began putting the pieces of this puzzle together, I was pleasantly kept in the dark.
One of the main things I loved about this novel was the realistic portrayal of both the case and the characters. Kate was extremely likeable, and came across very down to earth, she cared about her entire team and was determined to solve this case. None of the characters were over-written, it all just felt natural, the characters came across as real people. There were no unrealistic moments where Hammersley made a ‘jump’ causing events to feel unconnected or the flow disrupted. The plot was entirely believable; the ‘realistic-ness’ of this case really shone through for me.
The pacing of this novel was spot-on, the pace wasn’t too fast, so it didn’t read as a thriller, but it wasn’t too slow, so you lose interest, either. I read this novel in two sittings and I thoroughly enjoyed both sittings. There’s not too much of a backstory for the characters in this novel, in the sense that there’s no subplot, the focus is solely on the case. I’m a huge fan of reading about the personal lives of the detectives as they’re trying to solve their current case so you can trust me when I say this novel works well without that trope.
Closer to Home is a solid selection for fans of police procedurals and mystery books; it’s not too gory or gritty, and that was much appreciated because the case features children and too much gore would be hard for even the most seasoned reader to stomach.
Sometimes when you’re reading a novel, you’re looking for it to fulfill a need, e.g. if you want that adrenaline rush, you pick up a fast-paced thriller. Closer to Home doesn’t feature the most complex case but if you’re looking for a novel to relax and unwind with, this is the perfect choice – a police procedural with dark themes but is a light read, enjoyable all the way through.
*My thanks to Bloodhound Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book*
One of the main things I loved about this novel was the realistic portrayal of both the case and the characters. Kate was extremely likeable, and came across very down to earth, she cared about her entire team and was determined to solve this case. None of the characters were over-written, it all just felt natural, the characters came across as real people. There were no unrealistic moments where Hammersley made a ‘jump’ causing events to feel unconnected or the flow disrupted. The plot was entirely believable; the ‘realistic-ness’ of this case really shone through for me.
The pacing of this novel was spot-on, the pace wasn’t too fast, so it didn’t read as a thriller, but it wasn’t too slow, so you lose interest, either. I read this novel in two sittings and I thoroughly enjoyed both sittings. There’s not too much of a backstory for the characters in this novel, in the sense that there’s no subplot, the focus is solely on the case. I’m a huge fan of reading about the personal lives of the detectives as they’re trying to solve their current case so you can trust me when I say this novel works well without that trope.
Closer to Home is a solid selection for fans of police procedurals and mystery books; it’s not too gory or gritty, and that was much appreciated because the case features children and too much gore would be hard for even the most seasoned reader to stomach.
Sometimes when you’re reading a novel, you’re looking for it to fulfill a need, e.g. if you want that adrenaline rush, you pick up a fast-paced thriller. Closer to Home doesn’t feature the most complex case but if you’re looking for a novel to relax and unwind with, this is the perfect choice – a police procedural with dark themes but is a light read, enjoyable all the way through.
*My thanks to Bloodhound Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book*
October 7, 2017
I haven’t read anything by Heleyne Hammersley before but had decided from the blurb that I might enjoy this one. I wasn’t sure I was going to like DI Kate Fletcher but as we progressed the mix of her current personal life and the back story of young Kathy and her sister won me round. I think there is more mileage in this character and I would be happy to see her again in future book(s). I read about a third of this book in a hospital waiting room and anything that can hold your attention there and block out all the comings and goings has to be good.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC
June 10, 2020
High praise in itself, Brit author Heleyne Hammersley reminds us of the very successful Scot author Val McDermid. Much like the latter’s protagonist DCI Carol Jordan, in “Closer to Home” (first of right now just a three-book set), DCI Kate Fletcher is a clever and resourceful cop in her own right, as well as an effective supervisor of her subordinate police team. As is in vogue in modern police procedurals, one of her specialists concentrates on database mining and reviewing CCTV footage, both of which helped solve the child kidnapping and murder cases subject of the plot.
We found the writing easygoing and the story quite suspenseful. A few flashback chapters to Kate’s high school days were mostly asides, but arguably shed light on the eventual motive of the killings. Anyhow, we were definitely pleased with our introduction to this series and shall gladly seek out more – “bring ‘em on”!
We found the writing easygoing and the story quite suspenseful. A few flashback chapters to Kate’s high school days were mostly asides, but arguably shed light on the eventual motive of the killings. Anyhow, we were definitely pleased with our introduction to this series and shall gladly seek out more – “bring ‘em on”!
August 1, 2020
Over thirty years later DI Kate Fletcher is back in her home town of Thorpe, where her first investigation is of a missing young girl. But events take a turn for the worst for her and her team when a body is discovered. But it will not be the last. Is there any connection between the present day and the discovery of a female child back in 1975.
An interesting crime story and a good start to a new series
An interesting crime story and a good start to a new series
October 11, 2019
Really enjoyed this book and I'm thrilled its the beginning of a series - I'm off to get the others now! Well done Heleyne.
March 12, 2020
The book annoyed a little right from the start, the police are mad at the man who found the a young girl floating in a pond because he touched the body to check if she might still be alive. What was he supposed to do, he didn’t know that the girl was already dead? (Incidentally later in the book they are moaning because somebody didn't go and check to see if the body was alive)
I also found the construction of the story a bit weird. As well as the criminal investigation there were Kate’s school days thrown in, seemingly at random. I might have been OK with these flashbacks if I could see any relevance to the main story.
The actual investigation wasn’t bad, but the reasoning behind the murders was a bit ridiculous. I quite liked Kate, but I didn’t really feel a connection with her.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
I also found the construction of the story a bit weird. As well as the criminal investigation there were Kate’s school days thrown in, seemingly at random. I might have been OK with these flashbacks if I could see any relevance to the main story.
The actual investigation wasn’t bad, but the reasoning behind the murders was a bit ridiculous. I quite liked Kate, but I didn’t really feel a connection with her.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
June 8, 2020
This could be a one hour, Sunday afternoon TV show. I do think there were too many characters and it got a little muddled in the middle of the book. I kept putting the book down not wanting to finish but still wanting to know the "whodunit." It was just okay.
November 4, 2017
Enjoyable book
March 14, 2020
This book could not get me excited at all after 31%. Passed. No redeeming qualities.
Author did not create any excitement, tension, suspense or anything to keep me reading. Cannot recommend this one for crime lovers.
Author did not create any excitement, tension, suspense or anything to keep me reading. Cannot recommend this one for crime lovers.
October 10, 2017
Closer to Home, is a crime based novel, with DI Kate very much in the forefront, and I really connected with her character straight away. The description of the area Thorpe, which I haven't visited felt real and I could associate with the community that is living there.
Kate has a past that you find out about as you read on, flawed, but not to the point of annoyance. With her heart and professionalism she wants the killer found quickly. How she manages to do this and flashback to her time living in Thorpe was well conceived.
Hammersley, takes us back to the era of 1985 and as I grew up then I had a soft spot and a reminisce of what life was like. For Kate and her school friends living where they did, it wasn't an easy time. How this affected the cast of characters that we are given was in various ways.
Closer to Home is an easy page turning read with plenty of unease and trepidation running through out. I found the pace was perfect for revealing the plotlines, and we are given plenty of suspects, atmosphere and great characters throughout.
I am hoping this isn't the last we see of Kate and her team.
Kate has a past that you find out about as you read on, flawed, but not to the point of annoyance. With her heart and professionalism she wants the killer found quickly. How she manages to do this and flashback to her time living in Thorpe was well conceived.
Hammersley, takes us back to the era of 1985 and as I grew up then I had a soft spot and a reminisce of what life was like. For Kate and her school friends living where they did, it wasn't an easy time. How this affected the cast of characters that we are given was in various ways.
Closer to Home is an easy page turning read with plenty of unease and trepidation running through out. I found the pace was perfect for revealing the plotlines, and we are given plenty of suspects, atmosphere and great characters throughout.
I am hoping this isn't the last we see of Kate and her team.
November 8, 2017
The first in a new crime series, featuring DI Kate Fletcher, Closer to Home is a well written and well researched novel. Kate grew up in the mining town of Thorpe, South Yorkshire in the 80's. Her family moved away during her teens as she and her sister were bullied due to their dad's job.
She returns 20 years later following her promotion, and hits the ground running as she investigates the death of a young girl.
Another child goes missing and Kate discovers there may be a link to what is happening to the children and her past.
I love the way the author describes the area in which the story is set, both past and present. The characters - particularly Kate - are well rounded,
All in all a very good police procedural novel with twists, turns and a cracking ending.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
She returns 20 years later following her promotion, and hits the ground running as she investigates the death of a young girl.
Another child goes missing and Kate discovers there may be a link to what is happening to the children and her past.
I love the way the author describes the area in which the story is set, both past and present. The characters - particularly Kate - are well rounded,
All in all a very good police procedural novel with twists, turns and a cracking ending.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 21, 2018
Closer to Home was a bargain read I picked up on my Kindle. It is the first in the DI Kate Fletcher series. I really liked it. Kate is a well crafted character with a complex back story, a slight renegade but not ridiculously so, just enough to be interesting. The case is intriguing with twists and turns, connections to the past and to other crimes. I did finger the villain, but I still feel as there was a lot that was well done here and I would be interested in reading another in this series.
January 31, 2019
No suspense
There wasn't a great deal of suspense. The flashbacks didn't add anything to the story. Protagonist was neither likeable nor dislikeable. The reason behind the crime just felt weak as well.
There wasn't a great deal of suspense. The flashbacks didn't add anything to the story. Protagonist was neither likeable nor dislikeable. The reason behind the crime just felt weak as well.
April 16, 2019
2015, the body of Aleah Reese (7, daughter) had been found by Bessy floating in the Jepson Quarry pond.
Jack Garrett had pulled her out.
Bessy called it in.
DCI Raymond greeted DI Kathy “Kate” Fletcher at the crime scene.
DCI Dan Hollis followed right behind.
Jackie Reese (wife/mother) & Craig Reese (2nd husband/stepfather) weren’t quite the same after their daughter Aleah went missing.
DCI Hollis, DI Fletcher, & PC Tatton (FLO) came to visit the parents.
DS O’Connor had been brought on to help with the Reese case.
Dr. Kailisa (ME) had the results back.
No rape, but she had been strangled to death.
Aspen Grove. Another child had gone missing: Callum Goodwin (4, son).
Trevor Goodwin (husband/father), & Anna Goodwin (wife/mother) were told the sad news.
Now there is 2 cases to solve.
“George Reese was in bookies when A went missing. With Craig!” (pg.24)???
Goodwin or Godwin?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dunnit murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Bloodhound Books; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Jack Garrett had pulled her out.
Bessy called it in.
DCI Raymond greeted DI Kathy “Kate” Fletcher at the crime scene.
DCI Dan Hollis followed right behind.
Jackie Reese (wife/mother) & Craig Reese (2nd husband/stepfather) weren’t quite the same after their daughter Aleah went missing.
DCI Hollis, DI Fletcher, & PC Tatton (FLO) came to visit the parents.
DS O’Connor had been brought on to help with the Reese case.
Dr. Kailisa (ME) had the results back.
No rape, but she had been strangled to death.
Aspen Grove. Another child had gone missing: Callum Goodwin (4, son).
Trevor Goodwin (husband/father), & Anna Goodwin (wife/mother) were told the sad news.
Now there is 2 cases to solve.
“George Reese was in bookies when A went missing. With Craig!” (pg.24)???
Goodwin or Godwin?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dunnit murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Bloodhound Books; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
October 11, 2017
Thank you to the author and Bloodhound Books for the ebook copy and blog blitz spot in exchange for my honest review!
This was my first time reading anything by Heleyne Hammersley and I will definitely be looking for more of her books! This was a well-paced and tensely written suspense novel. There were complex characters and DI Kate Fletcher felt very real. Her background and emotions she was experiencing made her human to me. In some crime thrillers or suspense novels the protagonists can seem larger than life or on the unrealistic side, but not Kate.
Kate has to return to her home town after a 20 year absence when the body of a child is discovered. She and her team must work hard to try and uncover what happened. They continue to hit dead ends because the small-knit community refuses to revisit the past. People are hiding bad memories that they buried long ago, and as they get deeper in, Kate's own past is starting to come to light. When another child disappears the pressure is on for Kate and her team to find them.
I don't want to give away too much more of the book. I think that a lot of these thrillers are better experienced with less plot given away. Overall, this book was a page turner with a steady pacing to it. The mix of dealing with the case and her past made Kate the perfect flawed protagonist. I would highly recommend this crime suspense novel to anyone that likes a lighter police procedural with a kidnapping element to it.
I give this a solid 4/5 stars!
This was my first time reading anything by Heleyne Hammersley and I will definitely be looking for more of her books! This was a well-paced and tensely written suspense novel. There were complex characters and DI Kate Fletcher felt very real. Her background and emotions she was experiencing made her human to me. In some crime thrillers or suspense novels the protagonists can seem larger than life or on the unrealistic side, but not Kate.
Kate has to return to her home town after a 20 year absence when the body of a child is discovered. She and her team must work hard to try and uncover what happened. They continue to hit dead ends because the small-knit community refuses to revisit the past. People are hiding bad memories that they buried long ago, and as they get deeper in, Kate's own past is starting to come to light. When another child disappears the pressure is on for Kate and her team to find them.
I don't want to give away too much more of the book. I think that a lot of these thrillers are better experienced with less plot given away. Overall, this book was a page turner with a steady pacing to it. The mix of dealing with the case and her past made Kate the perfect flawed protagonist. I would highly recommend this crime suspense novel to anyone that likes a lighter police procedural with a kidnapping element to it.
I give this a solid 4/5 stars!
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