Murder Never Misses

DI Hillary Greene #14

by Faith Martin

Please note this is a revised edition of a book first published as Walk a Narrow Mile

Three missing young women. One evil stalker. But Hillary doesn’t think it all adds up.

Hillary is recovering from the vicious attack by her stalker. It appears that he is also behind the disappearance and murder of three women. Her bosses want these unsolved cases closed, but Hillary has a theory that will shock everyone.

However, as the truth comes to light, Hillary and the team are faced with a dire emergency — can they prevent an imminent murder?

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, British Literature, Procedural, Audiobook, Contemporary

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Faith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who is best known for her popular detective series, starring Detective Inspector Hillary Greene.

As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.

As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.

As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hillary Greene was back at Thames Valley Police HQ working in the Crime Review Team on cold cases. She returned after an attack by the stalker who'd been taunting her for some time, and was determined to solve the missing persons cases she was working on, plus catch the stalker. Hillary was sure the cases were linked - she just had to find how. As her 2IC, Jimmy, worked beside her, they interviewed the missing women's family members multiple times. And nothing would link together. Hillary was annoyed and frustrated. When she came up with a theory which she knew everyone else wouldn't believe, she followed it through on her own...

Would Hillary and her team find the answers they sought before it was too late, and Hillary found herself in deeper trouble?

Murder Never Misses is the 14th in the DI Hillary Greene series by Faith Martin and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Hillary's determination; her strength of mind and character. Jimmy is great, with the loyalty he gives his boss. All in all, it's an excellent series that I'm loving. Highly recommended.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hillary Greene #14

Three missing young women. One evil stalker. But Hillary does not think it all adds up.

Hillary Greene is retired from the police force but is back solving cold cases. She now runs CRT, Crime Review Team. Hillary is recovering from a vicious attack by her stalker and it also appears he's behind the disappearance and murder of three women. Her bosses want these unsolved cases closed.

I love this series. There is a plot and sub-plots going on to keep this storyline going along at a steady pace. These books are easy to read as there is just the right amount of action going on. I hate when we get information overload in books. Faith Martin's writing just flows across the pages. If you have not read any of the books in this series, start at book 1: Murder At The Oxford Canal and work your way through the rest of the series. You won't be disappointed. This book can be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this on my kindle in a "mostly read" state...so I picked it back up to escape from King Henry VIII and gave myself a reason to go back to Henry.


II - So...about a year later I was seduced into re-reading this after #13 was rewritten and reread.
Good Grief! (9/23/2023)

Kindle Unlimited

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “WALK A NARROW MILE.”

After her retirement, Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

While dealing with her own personal stalker, Hillary finds three missing women ... all who were stalked in the very same way as Hillary. It starts quietly .. a note here and there ... flowers received from an anonymous admirer ... gifts of jewelry ... and no one ever saw anything out of place.

The stalker has sent proof to Hillary that he abducted and killed these women. Talking to friends, family, and co-workers, nothing seems quite right to Hillary. Has she lost her amazing ability to crawl into a killer's mind? Or is it her new attraction to her handsome boss keeping her distracted?

As the stalker antes the game, Hillary is determined to track the final days of the missing women.... and preventing another killing when the stalker turns his attention to someone close to the investigation.

This is one of my favorite series! Hillary Greene is not your everyday detective. She's 50 and having an affair with a man a lot younger than she. She's brilliant at solving the cold cases that no one has ever solved ..especially murder cases. She is well-respected and liked by her colleagues. She's fearless and wants nothing more than justice for the victims she represents.

MURDER NEVER MISSES is the fourteenth in a series of page-turning crime thrillers set in Oxfordshire. There are twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. It's not heavy on suspense, as the reader knows who the stalker is. The mystery is what happened to the missing women. And it's fun watching Hillary putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Publicity / JIll Burkinshaw / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Renee(Reneesramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former DI Hillary Greene continues working as a civilian for the Crime Review Team. Even though she chose to retire, it was not done without regret and she is still struggling to accept her new consultant role. Having a stalker isn't helping Hillary's state of mind either and until she can uncover his identity, she finds it challenging to keep fully focused on her newest case.
Her stalker is becoming more brazen and has sent Hillary proof that he killed three missing women. These cold cases become Hillary and her teams latest assignment, though the more she interviews family, friends, and employers, the more she feels she is missing something critical as the pieces are just not coming together. She fears she may have lost her legendary ability to solve cases and it is clear she is distracted by not knowing what her stalker will do next. Her growing involvement with her boss isn't easy either as Hillary is very much her own person who has been living alone for a long time. Can she solve these cases, unmask her stalker and find happiness in her personal life? No spoilers here, so you will want to read Murder Never Misses to find out!
I have enjoyed every book in this series, and this one was no exception. These aren't books that keep me up all night, but I do always read a little bit longer than I had planned as the stories always engage me. I am always rooting for Hillary to be successful personally and professionally and as usual, I was one step behind the author as she revealed whodunit and why. It is a very well written series and I would suggest starting at the beginning. If you like the first book, you will have many more to enjoy.
Thank you, Faith Martin, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for the complimentary digital review copy.

[Janet Newport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this arc.

Hillary's back! Yeah! Okay, she's a little discombobulated -- her stalker is still stalking her -- yes, she's feeling a little wobbly. Her personal life is in a state of "flux" and she's trying to sort out how she feels about it. But her new team at Crime Review is starting to gel nicely with one exception and she's back at work. The newest case under review is a "real dog's breakfast".... a real knotted mess that has how many different strands? Where is just one loose strand that can be pulled on? Hillary flounders for a bit, but finds that first loose strand and starts pulling..... finds another loose strand and pulls on that one as well. Her stalker keeps on stalking... right into a trip wire that's been set to trap him.

Another great read, nicely paced with familiar and likeable characters.

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts a week after Hilary has been attacked, but nothing seems to have happened about the potential serial killer. They know Tom works at the police station, they know his approximate height and he is a body builder with large muscles. He is local and has been stalking women in the area for several years. They also know he has good access to most areas of the station including records and he was able to get hold of information about the locker surveillance camera even before it was set up.
How many men in the station fit this description? Why haven’t they made a start of checking on them? When they do begin to look, they seem to ignore the basic information they already have. It felt like the author was deliberately making a mess of this just to keep the story going.

While the hunt for Tom was happening with DI Rhumer, Hilary was following up on the missing women. Unfortunately the author had made this seem almost pointless and for much of the book I wasn’t really interested. It wasn’t until near the end of the book that here was a twist in the case that meant the investigation wasn’t completely useless.

My problem with awarding a rating is although the last twenty percent wasn’t bad the first eighty was. If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.

[Mrs Sandra Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again a very good read, couldn't wait to get to the conclusion. Love DI Greene, but I wish it was easier to read these in order, they don't all seem to be on Kindle!

[Christopher Roden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith Martin doesn't miss a beat - and at last we see the end of Hillary Greene's stalker. Good stuff.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another complex plot, carrying on from the previous book. The new team are now established but as usual it is Hillary who unravels the threads in the mystery.

[P.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith Martin does it again - another unputdownable crime novel, the fourteenth in this series featuring Hillary Greene. I don't think I'll ever tire of Hillary, and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Five well-deserved stars. Would I read it again? Yes!

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Murder Never Misses, the fourteenth novel to feature former DI turned cold case civilian investigator, Hillary Greene of the Oxford police.

After the events of the previous novel, Murder of a Lover, things are hotting up with Hillary's stalker. DI Geoff Rhumer is tasked with identifying him while Hillary concentrates on finding the three missing women he has been taunting her with.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder Never Misses which is a great read and one of the better novels in the series. This surprised me as the stalker's identity is well known to the reader and normally I prefer the thrill of the hunt for an unknown perpetrator but it is very well done and the best way to handle the subject matter. I like Hillary and the team's uneasiness, the trainees' desperation to know what is going on and their disappointment at being out of the loop. I even enjoyed the stalker's point of view (a most unusual occurrence). It held my attention from start to finish, not least the major twist in the second half which is an absolute cracker that I didn't see coming. I'm not sure how realistic it is but it's great fiction.

I think the characterisation is particularly strong in this novel. Hillary is falling in love with her boss and boyfriend, Steven Crayle, and it's nice to see after so many bad times but the stalker is upsetting her so she's tense, ill at ease and not sleeping well. She's worried that she's not at the top of her game but the reader isn't as events unfurl and she displays her usual knack for thinking laterally. Ms Martin also paints a compelling picture of trainee, Vivienne, an airhead who thinks she's smarter and more important than she really is. She's very recognisable. The stalker is shown as a fantasist with a strong sense of self preservation. I think in most ways he rings true.

Murder Never Misses is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Jannelies (there is no hope anymore) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy to receive this book because after book 12 and 13 I hoped Faith Martin would no longer have her readers ask themselves what would happen with Hillary's stalker. And of course, we know now. We also know that the relationship between Hillary and Steve turns into a real one.
One of the strong points of these series is - and therefore also the 5 stars - that the books are rather short, or better: compact. No pages full of people who turn out not to be important for the story. No, you better remember the names you read because they all play a role, however sometimes a small one. This series is addictive!

Thanks Netgalley and Joffe!

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again the h puzzles her way through missing person files, thinking it's murder and wondering if she's now the target of the murderer. I like that she's accepted her limitation of her new role and that she's a willing participant in her affair with her boss. Love the heroine's (author's) thought process.

[Sheila Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hillary has recovered well from the attack in book 13, and returns to continue the missing persons case which also began in the previous book. There are 3 missing girls, Hillary suspects they are all dead, and she is the stalker/killer's hit list. As the missing persons are treated as cold cases, Hillary continues to investigate, although her live stalker case is handed over to DI Rhumer and his team.

Can Hillary outsmart her stalker and find out what really happened to the 3 girls?

I love returning to the Hillary Greene series. I always know I'm in for a treat, nothing shocking or gruesome. This is no exception, however I'm finding it hard to give my thoughts without spoilers! So I'm not going to say any more about the plot than I have above.

I've often written how much I like the character of Hillary Greene, and I'm also really enjoying the development of her relationship with her new team, and her romance with Steven Crayle. I'm not usually a fan of romance in my crime books, however you just get hints of it rather than it being shoved in your face.

[Lorraine Woodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest Hillary Greene book is every bit as good as the rest. I really enjoy reading this series and don’t want to put the book down until it is finished. Despite being book number 14 it keeps you as entertained and engaged as the very first book in the series.

[Maureen Hetzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding detective work performed by former DI Hillary Green, now retired and working on cold cases! Highly recommend.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

Another excellent read from Faith Martin. I sat up reading this until 3 am, couldn't put it down. I loved the story, as I have loved all the series so far.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Hillary has survived a near miss by her stalker who calls himself “Lol.” It is supposed to stand for “Love of my Life.” DI Geoff Rhumer is called in to assist on the case. With three women identified and possibly more missing, there is a great sense of urgency to the case.

As Hillary, Jimmy, and Sam (Vivienne is nearly useless), dig into the cases and begin their interviews, something just doesn’t add up. Especially for Hillary and Jimmy. Meanwhile, Steven (Hillary’s boss and lover), DI Rhumer and Jimmy are searching for Hillary’s stalker. They know now that he is a cop and that he works or has worked in Administration.

Through a series of astute deductions and quick moves, Hillary solves all three of her missing women cases. At the same time, Rhumer’s task force is bringing in five good suspects that may be Hillary’s stalker. When one doesn’t show up for work, they suspect the worst.

In a brilliant, but rather foolhardy move, Hillary, Jimmy and Steven capture the stalker.

This is as well written as all of Faith Martin’s novels. The growing relationship between Hillary and Steven is nice to see. Jimmy is a gem. Sam will make a good police officer if he decides to go that route. I really enjoyed this book, although it was not quite as good as some of her previous novels, I still liked it very much.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read, enjoy and review.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

After gathering information which seemed more and more impossible to make sense of eventually Hilary finally solves the cases of 3 missing girls. The search for her stalker meantime is passed to another DI. Does he solve it? You need to read the book to find out. One thing though. I really think this would make a great tv series with Pauline Quirke in the lead role.

[Rebecca Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read

Another chapter with some loose ends tied up. Our feisty heroine is the subject of the attentions of an unbalanced stalker, but who is he? Easy to read, undemanding but diverting.

[Philip Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow and disappointing

This story took a very long while to build to anything, and then settled into a disappointing finish.
I'll try more of the series before possibly ditching this author.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I discovered that I had already read this book, but decided to read it again. I think this is a great series but renaming every book makes it completely confusing. I read the kindle edition which isn't listed in Goodreads.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scrolled through all of the stalker crap, as usual. I can’t believe she ruined three books with that garbage. If I wanted to spend time in the head of a psychopath, I would be reading a different genre.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally when I finish a book in a series, I'll go to Libby and either checkout the next book or put it on hold, but then I always just listen to the "due next" audiobook I already have checked out so it kind of spaces out series for me.

I couldn't do that for this one. The library had it in and I immediately started listening because I had to see what was happening after the cliffhanger of the last book.

Hillary is trying to move past her attack, but it's rattled her which the author does a good job of showing through Hillary's actions, like how she absentmindedly will rub her knife scars.

In the last book the stalker sent Hillary three crosses with the initials of missing women and Hillary is afraid that they're dead. As she and the CRT begin investigating things just aren't adding up. It's because the three women are just that - missing, but the stalker likes to fantasize about how he killed them. Hillary find two of the women alive and well, and the other one was murdered by her lover. Meanwhile, she realizes the stalker has been pretending to date Vivienne, the vapid girl on her on team, which is how he knows so much about Hillary's movements. The end is another intense scene with Hillary acting more reckless than normal.

One of my favorite things in this book is relationship between Crayle and Hillary. It's so fun to watch. It's not overpowering, just gentle, sweet, and pretty realistic. They're a good match. I like that these books, though, are about Hillary, not her relationships.

The narration is good! Apparently they switched narrators a couple books ago but I hardly even noticed.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better than the last one with some great twists

In this book the subplot from the last book takes center stage. Hillary is looking into the case of the three missing girls and another detective has been brought in to look for the stalker who attacked Hillary in the last book.

There’s a lot of personal angst here as Hillary wonders if she’s lost her touch, has being a victim changes her and can she keep doing the job? She’s also reckoning with the growing relationship with Steven.

The setup investigating the crimes is frustrating because they can’t find much and Hillary just has an itch that she’s missing something. The stalker is playing games with her and she’s annoyed. Steven’s growing feelings have made him even more protective and Hillary is conflicted about that, both enjoying it and despising it in equal measure.

As the story hits critical mass there are some very interesting twists. Some things come straight out of left field and that’s annoying as I like a mystery that gives me clues to be able to solve them. We don’t get that in the way we usually do here. And it’s super annoying how long it takes Hillary and her team to cotton on to a couple of very obvious things. We’ve been told through 14 books how astute she is…there is no way she would miss something this obvious.

But my enjoyment of the series is redeemed from the last book’s miss so I a, happy to be able to continue my binge.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ex DI Hillary Greene is now working as a civilian consultant in the cold case unit of the Thames Valley Police. In the previous novel she cleverly survived a vicious attack by the man who has been stalking her by convincing him that she was a willing partner in his sick game. But she knows he will try again to abduct her and she won’t survive next time. Her boss and lover, Steven Crayle, is worried about her and she is being watched day and night by a band of current and ex police. She is no longer part of the team trying to find her stalker, but instead, is allowed to review the investigations of the three missing women, that the stalker sent her clues about. The women are all different and their cases puzzling so Hillary seems to be getting nowhere, until she starts to think about them differently.

This is another enjoyable addition to the series. Of course Hillary was never going to be totally sidelined from finding her stalker and her intuition plays an important role in finding out what happened to the missing women. She is a great character and I especially love the way she interacts with her team and nurtures the younger members (well, those that want to be mentored). I’m pleased that she has found real love with Steven after her disastrous first marriage and a few lovers that didn’t work out. That he is prepared to stay the night in her narrow boat (and narrow bed), despite being very tall, speaks a lot for him!

[Joanna Larum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 14th in the Hillary Greene series and I still haven't had enough of it! I still want more!
Hillary Greene has retired from the police and returned as a civilian consultant as part of the Crime Review Team. Her new case isn't a murder from the past but a series of missing persons, all women, who disappeared years ago. As Hillary begins to investigate them it becomes apparent that they had all been bothered by a stalker and probably the same stalker who is now following Hillary and who attacked her at the end of the last book.
As is usual with Faith Martin's books, the plots and subplots intertwine, keeping the reader guessing and forcing you to read on. Never mind that you are hungry or that you need to sleep - you have to keep on reading until you get to the end and you find out what happened to the missing girls and if the stalker is caught without killing anyone (especially Hillary!)
This can be read as a standalone, but the previous novels give the background and then build on it, so it would be criminal not to read them and get the most enjoyment possible out of the whole series. I have to hold my hands up - my name is Joanna and I am addicted to Faith Martin's books!

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the end of the previous book, we left Hillary having just escaped from her now knife wielding stalker. So now she is out to get him- and so are the police. For anyone who hasn't yet had the pleasure of meeting our Hillary (she feels like a friend), she was DI Greene but having retired is now just plain Hillary. She now runs CRT- the crime review team- cold case unit by any other name and so far has found 2 murderers that had previously gone unsolved. There was a case of three missing girls which she had started to look at and when links became apparent to her stalker, she steps up the ante. The police are investigating the more current crime of her stalker. I love this series. It’s one of those that you can comfortably sit with and enjoy. Nothing too scary, nothing too uncomfortable and a smile along the way with characters that you take to and become like that old pair of slippers- oh so comfortable. There is an excellent plot and sub -plots along the way to keep things moving at a nice steady pace. A perfect summer’s read.
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