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DI Mariner #4
Baby Lies
BABY LIES by CHRIS COLLETT
Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters?
Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.
'Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.’ Yorkshire Post
Six-week-old baby Jessica is abducted from a local nursery. And Detective Tom Mariner realises he’s not going to get the time-off he was hoping for.
The police get a good description of the woman who took Jessica, but the appeal to the public doesn’t generate a single lead.
Then the kidnapper calls demanding money for Jessica’s safe return . . . and a terrible discovery is made in the woods.
Can Mariner get to bottom of a complex case which involves much more than a child abduction?
Discover an absorbing crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the fourth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
THE SETTING
Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation’s manufacturing industry
But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales.
Birmingham’s population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.
THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “BLOOD MONEY.”
DI MARINER SERIES
Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies
Book 3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies
Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters?
Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.
'Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.’ Yorkshire Post
Six-week-old baby Jessica is abducted from a local nursery. And Detective Tom Mariner realises he’s not going to get the time-off he was hoping for.
The police get a good description of the woman who took Jessica, but the appeal to the public doesn’t generate a single lead.
Then the kidnapper calls demanding money for Jessica’s safe return . . . and a terrible discovery is made in the woods.
Can Mariner get to bottom of a complex case which involves much more than a child abduction?
Discover an absorbing crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the fourth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
THE SETTING
Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation’s manufacturing industry
But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales.
Birmingham’s population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.
THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “BLOOD MONEY.”
DI MARINER SERIES
Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies
Book 3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2007
2582 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Chris Collett
24 books137 followersChris Collett grew up in a Norfolk seaside town where she worked in a boarding house (now defunct) a local bakery (closed down) and a crisp factory (razed to the ground). After leaving school, Chris moved to Liverpool to train as a teacher for children with learning disabilities, including autism. Now a recently retired university lecturer, Chris is married with two grown up children and lives in Birmingham, on DI Tom Mariner's 'patch'. She has published short stories, teaches creative and crime writing and is a manuscript assessor for the Crime Writers Association.
All 8 books of the DI Tom Mariner series are released in revised editions by Joffe Books, along with a new standalone: The Truth About Murder.
Find out more at www.chriscollettcrime.co.uk
All 8 books of the DI Tom Mariner series are released in revised editions by Joffe Books, along with a new standalone: The Truth About Murder.
Find out more at www.chriscollettcrime.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
March 6, 2018
Six week old baby Jessica is abducted from a local nursery. Detective Tom Mariner realises he's not going to get the time off he was hoping for. The police have a good description of the woman who took Jessica, but the appeal to the public does not generate a single lead. Then the kidnapper calls demanding money for Jessica's safe return.....and then a terrible discovery is made in the woods!
The race is on to find baby Jessica. They have a description of the woman who took her but there is not a single lead. Jessica's dad works for a research institute, could this be the reason Jessica has been taken? Or is it something more sinister.
I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Chris Collett for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The race is on to find baby Jessica. They have a description of the woman who took her but there is not a single lead. Jessica's dad works for a research institute, could this be the reason Jessica has been taken? Or is it something more sinister.
I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Chris Collett for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 11, 2018
I started reading Chris Collett books fairly recently and enjoy the good plots and excellent character building in her novels. This is the 4th book I have read in the Detective Tom Mariner series based in my native Birmingham and centred around a dedicated policeman named Tom Mariner. As with a lot of successful crime series the main character in this case Tom Mariner comes with baggage and a fair few problems in life.
In this story a six-week-old baby named Jessica is abducted from a local nursery and Detective Tom Mariner cancels a well deserved holiday to lead the hunt. The police get a good description of the woman who took Jessica, but the appeal to the public doesn’t generate a single lead and the case proves to be not as straight forward as first seemed.
The book works as a stand alone but I would recommend reading the whole series to get the full enjoyment.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Joffe Books for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this story a six-week-old baby named Jessica is abducted from a local nursery and Detective Tom Mariner cancels a well deserved holiday to lead the hunt. The police get a good description of the woman who took Jessica, but the appeal to the public doesn’t generate a single lead and the case proves to be not as straight forward as first seemed.
The book works as a stand alone but I would recommend reading the whole series to get the full enjoyment.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Joffe Books for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2019
This was first published as Blood Lies.
Again I’ve jumped into a series that I hadn’t realised .
But this is a new case although I may have missed out on the establishment of the main characters and what went before.
It’s a decent plot. Child missing, been abducted, and I’ve read far too many of these so I may not have been the right audience at this moment in time. But on its merits of excitement it’s high up there. Writing, yes this author knows how to capture the reader.
Very well done.
Again I’ve jumped into a series that I hadn’t realised .
But this is a new case although I may have missed out on the establishment of the main characters and what went before.
It’s a decent plot. Child missing, been abducted, and I’ve read far too many of these so I may not have been the right audience at this moment in time. But on its merits of excitement it’s high up there. Writing, yes this author knows how to capture the reader.
Very well done.
March 10, 2018
THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “BLOOD MONEY.”
Just when DI Tom Mariner thinks he is about to escape for a week with his girlfriend, Anna, he gets a call about a possible kidnapping of an infant.
The 6-week-olf infant was taken by a local day nursery. A woman walked in, presented herself as Jessica's mother and walked out with the child. No one knew the woman, so how was she allowed to just walk in and take the baby? There seems to be no motivation at all, until the child's father is found to work at a research company. His company has been the target of animal rights activists.
Surprisingly, an anonymous note lets the police know where the baby is being held and she is returned unharmed.
Something keeps tickling at Mariner's guts and he knows there is something more. And more is what he gets. One of the nursery workers is found murdered. And what he finds while investigating this hit and run, he discovers something that will change everything he thought he knew.
This is part of a terrific series. Although the fourth book, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. However, I recommend starting at the beginning.. if only to be able to completely follow Mariner's issues with his girlfriend.
The themes of child abduction, baby sales, and white slavery keep the reader glued to the pages. It's fun to watch the police procedural play out .. one question, one clue at a time.
This is an excellent addition to an excellent series.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Just when DI Tom Mariner thinks he is about to escape for a week with his girlfriend, Anna, he gets a call about a possible kidnapping of an infant.
The 6-week-olf infant was taken by a local day nursery. A woman walked in, presented herself as Jessica's mother and walked out with the child. No one knew the woman, so how was she allowed to just walk in and take the baby? There seems to be no motivation at all, until the child's father is found to work at a research company. His company has been the target of animal rights activists.
Surprisingly, an anonymous note lets the police know where the baby is being held and she is returned unharmed.
Something keeps tickling at Mariner's guts and he knows there is something more. And more is what he gets. One of the nursery workers is found murdered. And what he finds while investigating this hit and run, he discovers something that will change everything he thought he knew.
This is part of a terrific series. Although the fourth book, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. However, I recommend starting at the beginning.. if only to be able to completely follow Mariner's issues with his girlfriend.
The themes of child abduction, baby sales, and white slavery keep the reader glued to the pages. It's fun to watch the police procedural play out .. one question, one clue at a time.
This is an excellent addition to an excellent series.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
March 5, 2018
This book has everything you could want from a #crimebook. #psychologicalthriller #policeprocedural #ukcrime #babylies #netgalley #5stars #2018picks My full review will be posted on 14/03 when it is my stop on the #blogtour
March 4, 2018
Review to be posted 3/22/18. Part of blog tour.
March 15, 2025
Setting: Birmingham, England; early 21st century.
As his estranged brother is coming up for trial for the events featured in the previous book in the series, Mariner is still receiving treatment for the after-effects of his near-death experience and also trying to build a life with his new girlfriend.
But, just as the couple are about to set off for a short holiday to visit friends, a baby goes missing from a local nursery and it is a case of all hands to the pumps to try to establish what has happened to the missing child and why...
Another great tale in this crime series - excellent characters and a totally unpredictable storyline make for a fascinating read and I am looking forward to reading more tales of DI Mariner soon! - 9/10.
As his estranged brother is coming up for trial for the events featured in the previous book in the series, Mariner is still receiving treatment for the after-effects of his near-death experience and also trying to build a life with his new girlfriend.
But, just as the couple are about to set off for a short holiday to visit friends, a baby goes missing from a local nursery and it is a case of all hands to the pumps to try to establish what has happened to the missing child and why...
Another great tale in this crime series - excellent characters and a totally unpredictable storyline make for a fascinating read and I am looking forward to reading more tales of DI Mariner soon! - 9/10.
March 13, 2018
Blog Tour Review
After the successful completion of Operation Ocean Blue,DI Tom Mariner is looking forward to some well earned holiday.He needs time to prepare himself for the upcoming trial of the man who attempted to kill him.He is just about to leave his office when Pc Mann informs him that a six month old baby girl has been abducted from a local nursery.Although the police have a good description of the woman who took baby Jessica even after putting out an appeal to the public they can't generate any leads.
Then the kidnapper calls demanding money for Jessica's return and a dreadful discovery is made in the woods.
Tom Mariner and his team find themselves investigating a complex case that turns out to involve a lot more than a child abduction.
After the intense opening chapter that chronicles the conclusion of Operation Ocean Blue,Tom and his team swiftly find themselves caught up in the mysterious disappearance of baby Jessica.I really liked DI Tom Mariner and his DS Tony Knox,two likeable characters who had a mutual respect for each other and were friends as well as work colleagues.There is a lot more to this book than Jessica's disappearance and the scary truth is that the issues raised throughout this story happen every day all around the world.It's terrifying when you realise that there are people who actually think and behave in the way that the unsavoury characters did in this thriller.
Although this book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone there are threads that continue on from the previous books.Fortunately the trial wasn't dragged out for too long,it was dealt with in one chapter,I'm not a big fan of court scenes myself.In my opinion there was a bit too much about Tom`s personal life,I prefer the story to concentrate on the case or cases being investigated and there to only be snippets about the police teams personal lives.Just enough to add some dimension to the characters but not so much that it disrupts the flow of the main story.
I did enjoy the investigation parts of this well written thriller,I liked the sympathetic police team,there was some unexpected twists,The story kept the reader guessing and was heart breaking at times and also thought provoking.
Many thanks to Joffe books for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
After the successful completion of Operation Ocean Blue,DI Tom Mariner is looking forward to some well earned holiday.He needs time to prepare himself for the upcoming trial of the man who attempted to kill him.He is just about to leave his office when Pc Mann informs him that a six month old baby girl has been abducted from a local nursery.Although the police have a good description of the woman who took baby Jessica even after putting out an appeal to the public they can't generate any leads.
Then the kidnapper calls demanding money for Jessica's return and a dreadful discovery is made in the woods.
Tom Mariner and his team find themselves investigating a complex case that turns out to involve a lot more than a child abduction.
After the intense opening chapter that chronicles the conclusion of Operation Ocean Blue,Tom and his team swiftly find themselves caught up in the mysterious disappearance of baby Jessica.I really liked DI Tom Mariner and his DS Tony Knox,two likeable characters who had a mutual respect for each other and were friends as well as work colleagues.There is a lot more to this book than Jessica's disappearance and the scary truth is that the issues raised throughout this story happen every day all around the world.It's terrifying when you realise that there are people who actually think and behave in the way that the unsavoury characters did in this thriller.
Although this book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone there are threads that continue on from the previous books.Fortunately the trial wasn't dragged out for too long,it was dealt with in one chapter,I'm not a big fan of court scenes myself.In my opinion there was a bit too much about Tom`s personal life,I prefer the story to concentrate on the case or cases being investigated and there to only be snippets about the police teams personal lives.Just enough to add some dimension to the characters but not so much that it disrupts the flow of the main story.
I did enjoy the investigation parts of this well written thriller,I liked the sympathetic police team,there was some unexpected twists,The story kept the reader guessing and was heart breaking at times and also thought provoking.
Many thanks to Joffe books for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
January 16, 2019
This is a 4.5 star read.
March 9, 2018
This is the third Chris Collett book I have read and I would like to start by saying I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
Once again Tom Mariner is the lead detective with his Sergeant, Tony. Both have had personal problems in the past but both seem to be growing stronger as people and I think it shows the quality of the writing that a reader can be so caught-up in what are the back stories. Tom is having problems with his partner Anna, a rather selfish young lady, and they move further apart throughout this story. Tony has lost his wife through his own rather selfish behaviour but is also moving on and becoming a much more likeable character.
A baby is abducted from a local nursery and Tom is tasked to find her and find the person who abducted her. But the abduction is linked to other criminal matters and the investigation spreads until it encompasses other cases which are being investigated at the same time.
As always, Chris Collett keeps the reader enthralled all the way through the book. There are many twists and turns in the plot which the author skilfully weaves amongst the personal storylines, never veering too far from the main story but expanding the reader's knowledge of the whole. I would thoroughly recommend this book to all who like a good police novel and, as I said before, I can't wait for the next one!
Once again Tom Mariner is the lead detective with his Sergeant, Tony. Both have had personal problems in the past but both seem to be growing stronger as people and I think it shows the quality of the writing that a reader can be so caught-up in what are the back stories. Tom is having problems with his partner Anna, a rather selfish young lady, and they move further apart throughout this story. Tony has lost his wife through his own rather selfish behaviour but is also moving on and becoming a much more likeable character.
A baby is abducted from a local nursery and Tom is tasked to find her and find the person who abducted her. But the abduction is linked to other criminal matters and the investigation spreads until it encompasses other cases which are being investigated at the same time.
As always, Chris Collett keeps the reader enthralled all the way through the book. There are many twists and turns in the plot which the author skilfully weaves amongst the personal storylines, never veering too far from the main story but expanding the reader's knowledge of the whole. I would thoroughly recommend this book to all who like a good police novel and, as I said before, I can't wait for the next one!
September 18, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this arc.
I had read the 3rd Tom Mariner story (but not the first 2 yet) and found it very compelling. This one picks up almost immediately after Killer Lies and answers the big questions I had at the end of Killer Lies, but left me with some new ones.... I'll just have to keep reading!
While the "action" in Baby Lies wasn't quite as intense as Killer Lies, it still got fairly frenetic at times. Not feeling completely beaten up at the end was good for me. The characters and their relationships continued to evolve and dissolve... I'll just have to keep reading!
I had read the 3rd Tom Mariner story (but not the first 2 yet) and found it very compelling. This one picks up almost immediately after Killer Lies and answers the big questions I had at the end of Killer Lies, but left me with some new ones.... I'll just have to keep reading!
While the "action" in Baby Lies wasn't quite as intense as Killer Lies, it still got fairly frenetic at times. Not feeling completely beaten up at the end was good for me. The characters and their relationships continued to evolve and dissolve... I'll just have to keep reading!
March 14, 2018
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I enjoyed this book, the story is great and I was gripped by the plot!
I do like the character of Tom Mariner and he bring a lot of personal baggage with him that I think makes him a more rounded character with some depth. he works really well with the team he has and I really like their interaction.
This is the fourth book in the series and it is definitely one of my favourite crime series out there at the moment - four stars from me for this one and it is another great addition to the series!! This book is fine to be read as a stand alone.
I enjoyed this book, the story is great and I was gripped by the plot!
I do like the character of Tom Mariner and he bring a lot of personal baggage with him that I think makes him a more rounded character with some depth. he works really well with the team he has and I really like their interaction.
This is the fourth book in the series and it is definitely one of my favourite crime series out there at the moment - four stars from me for this one and it is another great addition to the series!! This book is fine to be read as a stand alone.
March 27, 2018
*thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
3 stars.
For the most part, this was a good story. But at about the half way mark it started to, still be ok, but less interesting. I can't go more I to it as there would be spoilers but I will say that the ending wrapped things up most things quite well even though it did surprise me when the story actually ended because it felt rather sudden. I'd imagine the next book in the series to pick up where this left off but I cant say for sure that it will but that would explain the sudden end. I liked the characters and Chris Collett does know how to tell a good story. This is my second book from her and while I considered book 1 in this series to be 2 stars, I still wanted to give her books another try and I'm glad I did. If you liked the sound of the description of this story, I would suggest giving it a go.
3 stars.
For the most part, this was a good story. But at about the half way mark it started to, still be ok, but less interesting. I can't go more I to it as there would be spoilers but I will say that the ending wrapped things up most things quite well even though it did surprise me when the story actually ended because it felt rather sudden. I'd imagine the next book in the series to pick up where this left off but I cant say for sure that it will but that would explain the sudden end. I liked the characters and Chris Collett does know how to tell a good story. This is my second book from her and while I considered book 1 in this series to be 2 stars, I still wanted to give her books another try and I'm glad I did. If you liked the sound of the description of this story, I would suggest giving it a go.
June 25, 2018
DI Mariner has an early start on the raid called Operation Ocean Blue. But his day is about to get worse when he is called in to investigate a baby abduction - six-week-old baby Jessica is taken from a local nursery.
Although the book can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading them in order.
Another enjoyable read from this series with its interesting story and well-developed characters.
Although the book can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading them in order.
Another enjoyable read from this series with its interesting story and well-developed characters.
March 23, 2018
This is the fourth book featuring DI Mariner and his team and can be read as a standalone but I always enjoy it better if I have familiarised myself with the characters. This book involves a case of human trafficking but also includes child abduction, illegal adoption and extortion. It is a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns and false leads to keep you guessing. Can’t wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 27, 2018
I never got really involved in this free download. The story is quite good - nicely detailed plot with plenty of twists and turns; but the characters are somehow not very relatable, and the action lost me a few times when it got bogged down in details and obscure scene changes. I don’t think I’ll try to read any more of this series.
March 7, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Baby Lies, the fourth police procedural to feature DI Tom Mariner of Birmingham police.
Emma O'Brien is not looking forward to leaving her daughter Jessica in a crèche for the day while she gives a lecture at a hospital but she is reassured that the the hospital has recommended the crèche and has a standing agreement with them for temporary cover. She is horrified when Jessica isn't there when she goes to collect her. Tom Mariner is minutes away from his well deserved holiday when the call comes in but immediately gets to work. What he and team discover is far darker than any one of them could have imagined.
I thoroughly enjoyed Baby Lies which has a well devised plot and more than enough twists and turns to hold my interest throughout. I love the straightforward third person narrative from Tom or occasionally his sergeant Tony's point of view without a hint of the perpetrator's thoughts or motivations. It makes for an immersive read, allowing the reader to speculate along with the police and to be surprised by some of the twists. It might not be the current fashion but it's my favourite style. Great stuff.
I also like the way the case builds slowly with several false starts and blind alleys as they try to make sense of the kidnapping. It seems very realistic as they start from nothing and gradually build a picture as new leads, information and events inform their thinking. It's amazing how they get from nothing to a solution but as an avid true crime documentary watcher I know it is often the way.
Ms Collett does not neglect her characterisation either. Throughout the series Tom has been in an uneasy relationship with his girlfriend, Anna as they seem to want different things from life and he is a bit of a commitmentphobe. She moves their relationship on again in this novel and it involves a bit of soul searching. It makes him a bit more human.
Baby Lies is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Emma O'Brien is not looking forward to leaving her daughter Jessica in a crèche for the day while she gives a lecture at a hospital but she is reassured that the the hospital has recommended the crèche and has a standing agreement with them for temporary cover. She is horrified when Jessica isn't there when she goes to collect her. Tom Mariner is minutes away from his well deserved holiday when the call comes in but immediately gets to work. What he and team discover is far darker than any one of them could have imagined.
I thoroughly enjoyed Baby Lies which has a well devised plot and more than enough twists and turns to hold my interest throughout. I love the straightforward third person narrative from Tom or occasionally his sergeant Tony's point of view without a hint of the perpetrator's thoughts or motivations. It makes for an immersive read, allowing the reader to speculate along with the police and to be surprised by some of the twists. It might not be the current fashion but it's my favourite style. Great stuff.
I also like the way the case builds slowly with several false starts and blind alleys as they try to make sense of the kidnapping. It seems very realistic as they start from nothing and gradually build a picture as new leads, information and events inform their thinking. It's amazing how they get from nothing to a solution but as an avid true crime documentary watcher I know it is often the way.
Ms Collett does not neglect her characterisation either. Throughout the series Tom has been in an uneasy relationship with his girlfriend, Anna as they seem to want different things from life and he is a bit of a commitmentphobe. She moves their relationship on again in this novel and it involves a bit of soul searching. It makes him a bit more human.
Baby Lies is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
March 4, 2018
DIi Mariner and his team have their hands full. As some young women are freed from forcibly becoming sex workers another case comes in. A child has been taken from a creche. The one and only time her mother leaves her in order to attend a conference where she is speaking, she returns to find another woman has taken her precious daughter. Her partner works for a research institute where animal activists have had more than their say. Could this be the reason for the kidnap? Or are there other, more sinister persons involved? Chris always writes with a flair. A flair for you getting to know the characters, warts and all. A little humour when suitable, and some backstory to keep them alive on the page. An excellent plot (as always), and that special something to keep the pages turning make this an entertaining enjoyable read. 3*
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1
March 8, 2018
What a pleasure it is to see Chris Collett’s DI Tom Mariner available for the Kindle! I read several of these books years ago and enjoyed them very much, so I was sorry to discover that they were not available for the Kindle until recently.
“Baby Lies,” the fourth book published for Kindle is every bit as good as I remember the earlier books being. Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is a Birmingham police officer and this book is a police procedural with some attention paid to the private lives of the officers. I don’t like spoilers so I am not going to give away the plot; suffice it to say that there are several mysteries all of which are satisfactorily explained by the book’s end.
I have already bought another one to read, and I cannot commend these books and this writer highly enough. An enthusiastic five stars.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.
March 9, 2018
The police have their hands full in this story. A very young baby has been abducted, they have a good description of the woman who took the baby, but no one in the general public has seen either one of them. But there are other issues with this kidnapping, more than just a ransom amount. What you may ask? I will not tell you, you must read the book to find out what is going on. I would like to thank Joffe Books for a copy of this book. The review is my own opinion.
March 4, 2018
Interesting story line filled with thrilling twists and gripping turns! I thoroughly enjoyed the detectives in this series as they worked their way through the harrowing case of a missing child that wasn’t what it seemed. Great book! * I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
April 3, 2018
It wasn’t so very long ago that I hadn’t read any books by Chris Collett but I am now a huge fan. So imagine my excitement when I was asked if I would like to take part in the blog tour for ‘Baby Lies’. I’ll give you a clue and say that the happy dance wasn’t pretty. Anyway I digress so back to my review I do go.
I have to say that I developed something of a soft spot for DI Tom Marriner and took to him from the start. He’s a dedicated police officer, who leads from the front. He works well as part of a team and doesn’t hesitate to muck in to do his fair share of the work when necessary. Marriner has a gut instinct that is often spot on. He has a keen nose for a clue or for something that might be amiss. If something doesn’t feel right then it usually isn’t and Marriner doesn’t rest until his curiosity has been satisfied and the matter has been fully investigated. Marriner has a partner, Anna and their relationship has hit a bit of a bump in the road so to speak. They recently suffered the tragedy of a miscarriage, which hit them hard. Marriner being the typical man has a stiff upper lip and doesn’t talk about his feelings and he wants to appear strong & supportive of Anna. As you can imagine the miscarriage has hit her hard as she was desperate to start a family. The main case featured in this book affects Marriner very much. A baby is kidnapped from a creche near to the hospital. The mother was lecturing at the hospital and put the baby into the creche whilst she taught the lesson. Somebody claiming to be the mother then entered the creche and took the baby. Marriner tries to investigate thoroughly but his intention Is thwarted somewhat by the staffing arrangements at the creche, the apparent lack of witnesses and the lack of adequate security footage. Marriner faces a race against time to get the baby back before something happens to it. What has happened to the baby? Will Marriner get to the bottom of this case? What is really going on? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
To say that I enjoyed reading this book is a massive understatement. The story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout. The main storyline really did appeal to me in the sense that I used to work in the child protection field and so I really felt like a member of the investigating team from the start. I was wanting to ask my own questions of the creche staff and I regularly found myself ‘arguing’ with the book. I know, I know it’s a work of fiction but the story seemed so convincing that I really did feel as though I was ‘living’ the case. I was hooked on this book from the moment I started reading and my sole focus was on the book until the moment I turned the back page so to speak. I hadn’t realised quite how quickly I was reading the book until I looked up from my Kindle and saw that I had cleared over half the book. The page numbers just seemed to be flying past. Reading ‘Baby Lies’ really felt like being on a rollercoaster ride with all the highs, the lows and the moments where you have to put your hands over your eyes as you genuinely fear what is going to happen next, but you realise that you have to continue/ read on if you want to find out how the story is going to end.
In short I absolutely loved reading the riveting ‘Baby Lies’ and I would wholeheartedly recommend this author and this series to other readers, but particularly to those who love reading police procedurals. Chris Collett is right up there on my list of must read and favourite authors. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I have to say that I developed something of a soft spot for DI Tom Marriner and took to him from the start. He’s a dedicated police officer, who leads from the front. He works well as part of a team and doesn’t hesitate to muck in to do his fair share of the work when necessary. Marriner has a gut instinct that is often spot on. He has a keen nose for a clue or for something that might be amiss. If something doesn’t feel right then it usually isn’t and Marriner doesn’t rest until his curiosity has been satisfied and the matter has been fully investigated. Marriner has a partner, Anna and their relationship has hit a bit of a bump in the road so to speak. They recently suffered the tragedy of a miscarriage, which hit them hard. Marriner being the typical man has a stiff upper lip and doesn’t talk about his feelings and he wants to appear strong & supportive of Anna. As you can imagine the miscarriage has hit her hard as she was desperate to start a family. The main case featured in this book affects Marriner very much. A baby is kidnapped from a creche near to the hospital. The mother was lecturing at the hospital and put the baby into the creche whilst she taught the lesson. Somebody claiming to be the mother then entered the creche and took the baby. Marriner tries to investigate thoroughly but his intention Is thwarted somewhat by the staffing arrangements at the creche, the apparent lack of witnesses and the lack of adequate security footage. Marriner faces a race against time to get the baby back before something happens to it. What has happened to the baby? Will Marriner get to the bottom of this case? What is really going on? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
To say that I enjoyed reading this book is a massive understatement. The story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout. The main storyline really did appeal to me in the sense that I used to work in the child protection field and so I really felt like a member of the investigating team from the start. I was wanting to ask my own questions of the creche staff and I regularly found myself ‘arguing’ with the book. I know, I know it’s a work of fiction but the story seemed so convincing that I really did feel as though I was ‘living’ the case. I was hooked on this book from the moment I started reading and my sole focus was on the book until the moment I turned the back page so to speak. I hadn’t realised quite how quickly I was reading the book until I looked up from my Kindle and saw that I had cleared over half the book. The page numbers just seemed to be flying past. Reading ‘Baby Lies’ really felt like being on a rollercoaster ride with all the highs, the lows and the moments where you have to put your hands over your eyes as you genuinely fear what is going to happen next, but you realise that you have to continue/ read on if you want to find out how the story is going to end.
In short I absolutely loved reading the riveting ‘Baby Lies’ and I would wholeheartedly recommend this author and this series to other readers, but particularly to those who love reading police procedurals. Chris Collett is right up there on my list of must read and favourite authors. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.
March 25, 2018
Another great book by Chris Collett about DI Tom Mariner. I hated to put this book down, the same as the others in the DI Mariner series.
DI Tom Mariner is a man that takes his work very seriously and it gets in the way of his relationship with Anna. She wants a family and to move to a small town in the country to start over. Tom is not really into that, but he is willing to try to make her happy. However, his job keeps getting his attention. Anna finds her life is going in a different direction from Tom and doesn't quite know how to tell him. Being a Detective, Tom feels that something is off and he decides to find out what is going on. He reads Anna's texts to find out that she is communicating with another man.
A baby is taken from a day care and Tom is called in just as he's getting ready to leave for a week of vacation. This case has a lot of twists and deception. The police have planned a raid on a brothel and find a lot of young girls who have been taken as sex slaves. These young girls were told a story to get them to go with their captors. They were young and naive. DI Mariner is still trying to figure out who the young woman is in the picture on his office wall who was found dead several months ago.
Tony Knox works with DI Mariner and has his own personal problems. He and Mariner are good friends as well. Charlie Glover another detective that works with Mariner. These men all work very hard at their jobs and are very caring men as well. The case of the baby that was taken from the day care, the death of the young woman that was found several months ago, and the women in the brothel are all interconnected and Detective Mariner, Tony Knox, and Charlie Glover all work long hours to solve the case of the missing child. When they start to figure out what is really going on and why the child was taken, the reader is pulled into their lives and the case. I was trying to figure out why the child was taken throughout the entire story and I loved all the threads that needed to be unraveled to get to the bottom of the case.
I love this series and can't get enough. The twists and deception being uncovered in these stories are very detailed and deep. I love how Chris Collett draws her readers into the stories and how she tangles everything together with these characters. I love DI Mariner and hope that he can find the right woman for him to make him happy.
Thank you for another great story Chris Collett. I give this story a 5 star review, and look forward to more of the DI Mariner stories.
DI Tom Mariner is a man that takes his work very seriously and it gets in the way of his relationship with Anna. She wants a family and to move to a small town in the country to start over. Tom is not really into that, but he is willing to try to make her happy. However, his job keeps getting his attention. Anna finds her life is going in a different direction from Tom and doesn't quite know how to tell him. Being a Detective, Tom feels that something is off and he decides to find out what is going on. He reads Anna's texts to find out that she is communicating with another man.
A baby is taken from a day care and Tom is called in just as he's getting ready to leave for a week of vacation. This case has a lot of twists and deception. The police have planned a raid on a brothel and find a lot of young girls who have been taken as sex slaves. These young girls were told a story to get them to go with their captors. They were young and naive. DI Mariner is still trying to figure out who the young woman is in the picture on his office wall who was found dead several months ago.
Tony Knox works with DI Mariner and has his own personal problems. He and Mariner are good friends as well. Charlie Glover another detective that works with Mariner. These men all work very hard at their jobs and are very caring men as well. The case of the baby that was taken from the day care, the death of the young woman that was found several months ago, and the women in the brothel are all interconnected and Detective Mariner, Tony Knox, and Charlie Glover all work long hours to solve the case of the missing child. When they start to figure out what is really going on and why the child was taken, the reader is pulled into their lives and the case. I was trying to figure out why the child was taken throughout the entire story and I loved all the threads that needed to be unraveled to get to the bottom of the case.
I love this series and can't get enough. The twists and deception being uncovered in these stories are very detailed and deep. I love how Chris Collett draws her readers into the stories and how she tangles everything together with these characters. I love DI Mariner and hope that he can find the right woman for him to make him happy.
Thank you for another great story Chris Collett. I give this story a 5 star review, and look forward to more of the DI Mariner stories.
May 2, 2019
Several threads populate this installment of the DI Tom Mariner series. Anna, his partner of four years, has found another love in Herefordshire, where she has been urging Marinier to obtain a transfer for, and by the end she has left.
In a dawn raid os prostitution establishments Mariner and his colleagues find sad very young women, one of whom talks about being reunited with her baby. Katarina, who speaks English provides a means of prosecuting the pimps. At the same time a baby is abducted from a nursery/creche service near the hospital. Emma O'Brien and Peter Klinnemann are partners, Peters having left his wife and grown children, one of whom has a drug problem. Additionally he works for a medical research firm testing a new drug for Alzheimers, that uses animals for the testing. It has come under the protest of animal rights activitists, and presents another possible reason for the kidnapping. They get a ransom demand which turns out to not be from the kidnapper, but instead a opportunist that is the partnet of one of the workers at the day care center. There are just too many posssibilities for perpetrators, and it looks like they are stuck. Then Christie Walker the day care deputy manager is killed and some of her belongings are found at the site of the prostitution raid.
In the end it is a efficiently run baby sales ring that includes the man who run the prostitution ring, offering children of the prostitues, most of whom are from Albania, the owner of the day care center and a hospital nurse, and a mixup of baby Jessica with another child in the hand off. Inadvertantly this is found out by Christie who may have devised a scheme to get a baby and to blackmail for the means to better her life.
Another piece of Mariner's life that increases the stress on him and his relationship is the upcoming trial of McCrae, from the previous installment, for the murder of his family and his own abduction, which has resulted in Mariner's own PTSD.
This was a good addition to the series, complicated and well-plotted. I find several of the recurring characters sympathetic and compelling.
In a dawn raid os prostitution establishments Mariner and his colleagues find sad very young women, one of whom talks about being reunited with her baby. Katarina, who speaks English provides a means of prosecuting the pimps. At the same time a baby is abducted from a nursery/creche service near the hospital. Emma O'Brien and Peter Klinnemann are partners, Peters having left his wife and grown children, one of whom has a drug problem. Additionally he works for a medical research firm testing a new drug for Alzheimers, that uses animals for the testing. It has come under the protest of animal rights activitists, and presents another possible reason for the kidnapping. They get a ransom demand which turns out to not be from the kidnapper, but instead a opportunist that is the partnet of one of the workers at the day care center. There are just too many posssibilities for perpetrators, and it looks like they are stuck. Then Christie Walker the day care deputy manager is killed and some of her belongings are found at the site of the prostitution raid.
In the end it is a efficiently run baby sales ring that includes the man who run the prostitution ring, offering children of the prostitues, most of whom are from Albania, the owner of the day care center and a hospital nurse, and a mixup of baby Jessica with another child in the hand off. Inadvertantly this is found out by Christie who may have devised a scheme to get a baby and to blackmail for the means to better her life.
Another piece of Mariner's life that increases the stress on him and his relationship is the upcoming trial of McCrae, from the previous installment, for the murder of his family and his own abduction, which has resulted in Mariner's own PTSD.
This was a good addition to the series, complicated and well-plotted. I find several of the recurring characters sympathetic and compelling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2018
Somewhat disappointing
Nothing suspenseful in this read.
About half way through the book earlier suspicions about who was involved congealed, and the totality of it was easy to solve after that.
Overall it's okay but it won't keep the reader turning pages well into the night, I don't think. It certainly didn't have that effect on me. I was in no particular hurry to finish it; in fact, I left it for days until I could find time to resume reading without giving it a second thought.
One thing I didn't like at all was, surprisingly, the ending. Without spoiling anything for other readers, a team like that wouldn't have already been on site and at the ready, plus it's highly unlikely anyone would've survived, one of them in particular. Readers of the book will understand what I mean when they get to this part.
It seemed like a hurried effort by the author to wind it all up, but it was contrived and borderline nonsensical to me.
My recommendation is that it's an okay read for a few hours of distraction away from the real world. It's certainly not the best book I ever read, but it's not the worst one either. Everyone is different so you might really enjoy it. Give it a try.
Nothing suspenseful in this read.
About half way through the book earlier suspicions about who was involved congealed, and the totality of it was easy to solve after that.
Overall it's okay but it won't keep the reader turning pages well into the night, I don't think. It certainly didn't have that effect on me. I was in no particular hurry to finish it; in fact, I left it for days until I could find time to resume reading without giving it a second thought.
One thing I didn't like at all was, surprisingly, the ending. Without spoiling anything for other readers, a team like that wouldn't have already been on site and at the ready, plus it's highly unlikely anyone would've survived, one of them in particular. Readers of the book will understand what I mean when they get to this part.
It seemed like a hurried effort by the author to wind it all up, but it was contrived and borderline nonsensical to me.
My recommendation is that it's an okay read for a few hours of distraction away from the real world. It's certainly not the best book I ever read, but it's not the worst one either. Everyone is different so you might really enjoy it. Give it a try.
December 30, 2018
The police raid a brothel and bring in Eastern European girls, most of whom are under age. Then a baby goes missing from a child care centre. The police are given a description of the abductor by a young member of the staff. Some time later, the child care worker is found dead on train tracks as a result of an apparent suicide. But things are not as they seem. Despite appearances, there are connections that take some time for the police to realise. Who abducted the baby? How or why did the child care worker die? Are the two events related? And is there a connection with the brothel? The answers to these questions are answered by determined police work. This is the situation facing DI Tom Mariner, but meanwhile his love life is also in turmoil. Can he solve these seemingly unconnected cases and rescue his love life?
I thought this was a pedestrian case, but when the connections started to appear it, it became anything but ordinary and turned into a complex interwoven tragedy. I gave this story 4 stars out of 5.
I thought this was a pedestrian case, but when the connections started to appear it, it became anything but ordinary and turned into a complex interwoven tragedy. I gave this story 4 stars out of 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 18, 2020I’ve enjoyed the first three Tom Mariner series. He’s an easy going, caring detective who has had some tricky cases to investigate and a love life that’s never quite delivered. In this fourth outing, the focus is on babies, in particular ones that go missing.
The story starts off well enough with the abduction of a baby from a crèche. While all is not what it seems, the story starts to slow and seems to meander as the detectives struggle to get to grips with the case. When the baby is suddenly returned the story shifts to Mariner’s troubles with Anna. DS Knox, his friend and colleague, also has issues with his love life.
But there’s another mystery bubbling to the surface. The pace picks up a little as the team investigate and make connections they missed with an earlier murder. An arrest soon follows, leading to a rather abrupt and unexciting ending.
While it’s an easy going and entertaining read, Tom Mariner’s love life seemed to pose more of a challenge than the crimes being investigated.
The story starts off well enough with the abduction of a baby from a crèche. While all is not what it seems, the story starts to slow and seems to meander as the detectives struggle to get to grips with the case. When the baby is suddenly returned the story shifts to Mariner’s troubles with Anna. DS Knox, his friend and colleague, also has issues with his love life.
But there’s another mystery bubbling to the surface. The pace picks up a little as the team investigate and make connections they missed with an earlier murder. An arrest soon follows, leading to a rather abrupt and unexciting ending.
While it’s an easy going and entertaining read, Tom Mariner’s love life seemed to pose more of a challenge than the crimes being investigated.
March 10, 2018
This latest book in the DI Tom Mariner series sees Tom and his team successfully raiding a brothel which was linked to a human trafficking ring.
As he is about to take a weeks well earned leave a call comes in that a seven week old baby, Jessica has been abducted from a creche at a local nursery.
No way can Tom ignore this one, he immediately organises a team to investigate. The enquiries throw up links to other cases and when a baby`s body is discovered a race against time begins to find baby Jessica before its too late.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of possibilities emerging to explain possible reasons behind the abduction. Blackmail, illegal adoption or animal rights activists involvment?
Not only does Tom have the case to deal with but his own personal life and relationship with his partner Anna now looks doomed to failure.
Thanks to Joffe books for allowing me to read this as an ARC. I love this series and can`t wait for book 5.
As he is about to take a weeks well earned leave a call comes in that a seven week old baby, Jessica has been abducted from a creche at a local nursery.
No way can Tom ignore this one, he immediately organises a team to investigate. The enquiries throw up links to other cases and when a baby`s body is discovered a race against time begins to find baby Jessica before its too late.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of possibilities emerging to explain possible reasons behind the abduction. Blackmail, illegal adoption or animal rights activists involvment?
Not only does Tom have the case to deal with but his own personal life and relationship with his partner Anna now looks doomed to failure.
Thanks to Joffe books for allowing me to read this as an ARC. I love this series and can`t wait for book 5.
March 12, 2018
I received a digital ARC of #BabyLies from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I really liked this book. I got caught up in the story very quickly and couldn't put it down. I felt like it had a lot of potential but for me it slowed down a bit towards the end. The last 30% or so was much slower paced than the first 70%. I did like the unexpected twist towards the end which I hadn't foreseen. The person I thought was somehow involved, actually wasn't!
My one grumble was the ending though. It seemed far too abrupt - one minute I was reading through a scene, I turned the page, and am shocked to see the words "The End"! I mean, yes everything was explained - who was involved and how a related to b, and how c happened, etc. I just didn't expect it to end where it did that's all.
Otherwise it was a good read that had barely any spelling errors in, which was a nice change for an ARC.
I really liked this book. I got caught up in the story very quickly and couldn't put it down. I felt like it had a lot of potential but for me it slowed down a bit towards the end. The last 30% or so was much slower paced than the first 70%. I did like the unexpected twist towards the end which I hadn't foreseen. The person I thought was somehow involved, actually wasn't!
My one grumble was the ending though. It seemed far too abrupt - one minute I was reading through a scene, I turned the page, and am shocked to see the words "The End"! I mean, yes everything was explained - who was involved and how a related to b, and how c happened, etc. I just didn't expect it to end where it did that's all.
Otherwise it was a good read that had barely any spelling errors in, which was a nice change for an ARC.
March 24, 2018
#NetGalley #BabyLies
DI Mariner and his team have just busted a brothel where the girls are there against their will.. He is supposed to take a few weeks vacation with his girlfriend Anna, those plans fall through when a call comes in that a baby named Jessica was abducted from a day care, nursery.
.
While investigating the abduction they start to see possible links to the brothel and others. This story has a bit of everything, abduction, illegal adoption, human trafficking, prostitution, blackmail, murder and just enough personal drama. I found the book exciting, but I didn't care for the ending. It seemed to just stop abruptly.
This was the first book I've read in the series and I look forward to reading previous and future books in the series.
DI Mariner and his team have just busted a brothel where the girls are there against their will.. He is supposed to take a few weeks vacation with his girlfriend Anna, those plans fall through when a call comes in that a baby named Jessica was abducted from a day care, nursery.
.
While investigating the abduction they start to see possible links to the brothel and others. This story has a bit of everything, abduction, illegal adoption, human trafficking, prostitution, blackmail, murder and just enough personal drama. I found the book exciting, but I didn't care for the ending. It seemed to just stop abruptly.
This was the first book I've read in the series and I look forward to reading previous and future books in the series.
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