The Other Victim

DI Matt Brindle #2

by Helen H. Durrant

Ronald Potter is found dead on the kitchen floor of a house he was about to show a client around. Ronald led a blameless life and Detective Matt Brindle and the team cannot find any motive for his murder.

But an intensive search of the property leads to a very disturbing discovery in the cellar.

Meanwhile, a young mother is being held captive by someone who will stop at nothing to get the information they want.

DI Matt Brindle discovers disturbing connections to organised crime and a sleazy night club. Can he expose the villains before any more people die?

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2018

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the DI Matt Brindle Series.

Ronald Potter is found dead on the kitchen floor of a house he was about to show a client around. Ronald led a blameless life and Detective Matt Brindle can not find any motive for murder.

Ronald Potter had been stabbed. He could be a bit cantankerous and abrupt, but that's not a motive to kill someone. DI Matt Brindle and his team have been given the case. Then a man's body is found burned out in a car that had been dumped into the canal. A young mother goes missing. Is there a connection to cases or three random incidents?

DI Matt Brindle and his team are back. This is turning out to be quite a good series even though we are only on book 2, it's showing lots of potential. With three different cases going on at the same time, you would think that it would be a little bit confusing, but the authors style in writing makes it easy for the reader to keep up with. We get backstories to the main characters which makes them more believable and true to life. The twists are there to keep you guessing. This book could be read as a standalone. A very nice easy read.

I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Helen H. Durrant for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

DI Matt Brindle is back after a medical leave of absence. His leg was injured in a work-related explosion and he's battled with himself deciding if he wanted to return to work or not. The decision was taken out of his hands when his boss called him in to investigate a murder.

Ronald Potts is found dead on the kitchen floor of a house that he was about to show a client. Brindle and his team cannot find any reason for his death, By all accounts, he was a nice man, quiet, kept to himself and did his job.

However, the dead man may have had secrets. The police find another body in the cellar ..one that's been there quite a while. Identity may be next to impossible as it's not an entire body and what they find has been burned.

So far, what Matt has is a dead real estate agent, a pile of female bones, a dead club owner. underage dancers at said club, and some of them are missing.

Matt has a new team member who has her own agenda, especially when it comes to her brother.

There are twists and turns galore with a riveting ending. Reading this author's other books/series, I expected a suspenseful mystery filled with nefarious suspects and otherwise, solid characters ... and I was not disappointed. I really enjoy the blend of Matt's professional life intertwined with the personal.

This is the second of this series, and although is easily read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend starting with the first book.

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

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Matt Brindle is officially my favourite character by Helen H. Durrant and I'll certainly be keeping my eye out for any more books she writes that has this character in it.
Supremely enjoyable read.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those 'thank heavens for spending half my life on trains' occasions as the return trip from Leeds to Coventry gave me time to read this whole book! At one point I ran out of kindle battery but was so engrossed I switched to the app on my phone. Technology can be great and so is this book. 

We start with the murder of an estate agent then the story goes off on plenty of twists and turns as people go missing or are beaten whilst Brindle and his team rush to work out exactly what is going on. And there is a lot going on. I quite enjoyed the busyness of it all and the pace matches it exactly. However the writing is such that you do't get lost with it all. 

I'm loving this new series and can't wait for the next one

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great police procedural, complex but easy to follow plot, I really enjoyed it.

[Janet Newport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this arc.

While this was the 2nd Matt Brindle book and I haven't read the first one, I had no trouble coming late to this series. Although I do want to read the first one! This was a well-paced, fast read with bad guys everywhere!
And just a small police team after them. Actually, there were several police teams after them... But this book focused on just one team and just a small, convoluted part of the crimes committed by the bad guys! The characters of the involved police team, while not perfect were absolutely believable and credible making the action very plausible. While there were some brutal crimes involved, they were well written without any over-the-top technicolor details. (I don't mind gory violence, but I know a lot of folks don't). Another solid book from this author and I hope this series continues.

4.5 stars rounded up.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Matt Brindle series by author Helen H Durrant. I have read both the Matt Brindle books and this is promising to be a very good series. Good characters that I am sure will grow and well written plots.

Matt Brindle and his team are called on to investigate the murder of local estate agent Roland Potter who is found murdered in a house he was selling. Their problems increase when further dead turn up as well as a young girl going missing.

This is a good police procedural and a series I intend to continue with.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and thoroughly enjoyed HIS THIRD VICTIM so I have been hoping and praying there would be more books featuring Matt Brindle so I was very eager to read this one.

Matt has just returned to Police work after a long time recovering from an accident in which he injured his leg and his partner was killed. He is still pretty traumatised but hopefully over the worst.

The story begins with an Estate Agent being found dead on the kitchen floor by prospective purchasers. Who would want to kill an unassuming man who is hurting no-one? That is the first problem facing Matt and his team and more get added to the pile as we turn page after page.

There are family problems involving his mother and the opening of Brindle Hall to the public. A new team member, Kate, with her problems and attitude. When links start reaching back to events Matt is trying to forget he has to delve deep to keep on top of the panic.

The family relationships and problems bring a new perspective to the story to make it even more gripping.

This is a very complex and intertangled story with different crimes to be investigated and different teams involved it kept me totally engrossed in the book and turning page after page until I reached the stunning conclusion.

Absolutely awesome read I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Crime Fiction of any sort.

Definitely 5 golden stars from me I am now waiting for the next book from Helen Durrant who is, without a doubt, one of my favourite authors and I have loved every one of her books. Keep 'em coming Helen.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luckily I had written this review at the time so here it is.

This was the second book in the DI Brindle series. I thought it was a stand alone. Not to worry, this was a very readable book, quite a complex story with lots of moving parts.

It starts with the death of a real estate agent in an empty house that is for sale. Forensics is called and another body, that of a young woman is found in the crawl space under the house. Are these deaths connected? There is also a missing teenage mother of a young child. No one seems wiling to talk and when they do its lies and obfuscation.

Helen Durrant holds all these threads and weaves them confidently into a compelling narrative of greed, power and vengeance. Enjoyable. Actually, you can't really go wrong with Helen H. Durrant.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Other Victim, the second novel to feature DI Matt Brindle of the East Pennine police.

When estate agent Ronald Potter is stabbed to death in one of the houses he is selling Brindle and the team are tasked with the investigation but with no obvious motive it is difficult until a discovery in the cellar adds a further puzzling dimension to the case and if that wasn't enough, the team are also asked to look into missing teenager Kaz Fletcher. How it all links together is the meat of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Victim which is an easy read that held my attention from start to finish. There is never a dull moment so I found myself turning the pages compulsively, eager to find out what was coming next. It's not difficult to follow but the relationship between the characters is complex and the reason behind it (apart from being unreasonable) only emerges slowly as the novel progresses and that I found intriguing. The pace is fairly frenetic with plenty of twists and action and yet, it doesn't seem so as Ms Durrant has such a readable style of writing.

The characters are fairly standard for the genre with Brindle being fairly normal, i.e. no noticeable vices and the quirk of owning a stately home in need of money and maintenance. New start DS Kate Baxter is a more interesting character with a prickly character which can make her unlikeable at times and a chaotic home life and I have a real soft spot for the boss, Superintendent Talbot Dyson, an unreconstructed dinosaur with a soft heart and some good lines.

The Other Victim is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and 1 / 2 stars

This is the second in the DI Matt Brindle series. I read the Kindle edition.

Estate Agent Ronald Potter is found dead at a home around which he was to show two women. He was found with a knife sticking out of his abdomen. Potter was said to be abrupt and cantankerous, but certainly was no reason to kill him. DI Matt Brindle and his team are assigned the case. Currently he is at home on his estate renovating and recovering from a previous injury.

DC Lily Haines joins Matt for his interviews. DS Kate Baxter, new to the force and the team, joins Matt and Lily for a search of Ronald’s home. Kate is more than a little abrasive. Matt and Lily are not too sure about her attitude. When Matt and Kate go to the sale house and examine it closely. Going down in the coal chute, they make a gruesome discovery. Was this the reason Potter was killed? To protect the secret? When they speak to the next door neighbor, they learn something interesting.

Meanwhile, Karen Fletcher is missing. Matt is tasked with going to talk to the mother. Karen is sixteen and a six-week old son. The story is interspersed with vignettes about what is happening to a young woman. A burned body is found inside a car in the canal.

The Karen Fletcher case grows with the introduction of gangsters, strip joints, lies and cover ups. Matt wonders if all this has to do with Ronald Potter’s death. The cases get thornier and there seem to be tentacles growing everywhere. The small team is frustrated that they don’t seem to be making any progress and with the lies and evasions they are getting from witnesses.

Matt receives some astounding and devastating news. He begins to make connections. Kate goes missing. An altercation occurs in a hospital room and Matt makes an arrest. The team follows the clues and it leads them to a break. As the crime syndicate begins to crumble, the cases begin to get solved.

Helen Durrant is a wonderful writer. Her books are superb. Her writing is excellent and tight; there is nothing in this book that does not aid the story. The plotting is simple and straightforward; one event follows another in a logical progression. I anxiously await the next Helen Durrant novel.

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

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

-- I received a copy for free in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley. --

The Other Victim opens with Ronald Potter, an estate agent, being found stabbed to death in one of the properties he is trying to sell. With this already being a difficult task, it becomes harder when a discovery in the cellar adds more mystery to the case. Simultaneously, the team are searching for a missing girl to add stress to their caseload.

Although this was a good novel, it did not capture my attention as much as I hoped it would. I found myself struggling to get into the story and not wanting to pick it up as often as I would have liked. I skim read some of it and had to force myself just to finish, however I did enjoy the premise of the story.

[Brook Monaco Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't grab my attention. Honestly, I had to force myself to read, but the story didn't grip me. I'm bummed because I do really like her other books.

Merged review:

This book didn't grab my attention. Honestly, I had to force myself to read, but the story didn't grip me. I'm bummed because I do really like her other books.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toff Cop Continues!

I was a bit worried originally that the first book was a stand-alone but it seems Durrant wants to continue with her stately-home owning cop Matt Brindle. It's certainly an interesting setup and the characters are pretty relatable. Tim Bentinck adds some great local accents to give a feel of authenticity, though I hasten to add both that I am very much an ignorant Southerner and also that his female voices are also quite strained and whiny at times. He does the main thing I worry about though which is to have enough character voices to help distinguish between them.

The mystery here is an interesting one, two seemingly unrelated victims but are they linked? It dovetails well into what went in the first book and despite its relative brevity is quite detailed with several turns and twists along the way. Does it, as the blurb states have a ' stunning edge-of-your-seat ending'? Well, not in my book I have to say and the motivations of the villains wasn't always convincing to me.

It's satisfying for the most part though I wouldn't put it in the top rank in this crowded genre.

[Joanna Larum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of Helen Durrant's novels featuring Detective Inspector Matt Brindle but it is perfectly possible to read and follow it without having read the first one. I love the character of Matt and especially the almost comedy aspect of his relationship with his mother - a real-life Lady! He now has a new partner to work with and Kate Baxter arrives with plenty of problems of her own. She has even had to move area to try and overcome these problems.
At first, I didn't think that they would be able to work together but they manage to rub the worst corners from each other and seem to be fitting together nicely now. I hope to see them both again in more books about their cases.
The book begins with the murder of an estate agent in a house he was supposed to be showing to a client, but the body count begins to mount when burnt bones are found in the cellar. It all seems to be linked to a local club which employs (often under-age) girls as dancers and Matt and Kate have to find and prove the link with a local villain.
The story is fast-moving but easy to follow and the reader doesn't get lost in too much detail (or too many characters). Written in Helen Durrant's inimitable style, this is not a book which the reader will pick up and put down. The reader is impelled to keep turning the pages until the end is reached and one is left with a burning desire to read the next one in the series.

[Claire Tomonaga · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[J_McA 251 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had an extremely difficult time getting through this book. The plot itself was fairly well-done. However, the sheer number of characters was extremely frustrating. I counted 23 character introductions in the first four chapters alone, which is just way too many. Granted, a few were introduced to help the plot along and then never referred to again, but that’s okay. It was the multitude of other characters who drove the plot that really got to me. When I have to keep checking the character list to remind myself of the connections between characters, it takes me out of the action of the plot, which I really do not like. This book reminded me of British mystery/drama television shows. I do enjoy watching those, even though they also tend to introduce a bunch of characters and then let the watcher sort it all out over the course of the show. This works when I can put faces and actions with characters; it does not work when it’s names on a page. Unfortunately, this caused me to go in and out of the plot so much, that I didn’t feel like I got the true continuity of the story. This is a shame, because I was looking forward to reading this book. Ultimately, it just became a frustration, so that by the time of the big reveal, I was just glad I didn’t have to try to remember who everyone was anymore. I understand that this author has a popular series with some of the same characters. Perhaps reading those first might have helped me with this one, so I would make that recommendation to anyone wanting to read this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Joffee Books, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Beth Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could go wrong when selling a house?
Well when a buyer finds the body of the estate agent dead on the kitchen floor, it could cause problems.

An estate agent has been brutally stabbed to death in a kitchen of a house.
A grizzly discovery is made in the cellar of the same property.
A man is pulled out of a river.
And there are three missing girls.
Are the cases connected?

As DI Matt Brindle and his team investigate and realise estate agent, Ronald Potter, had nothing to hide. So why was he murdered?

It's a frustrating case for the team but will they unravel the truth from the lies they are being told?

As each lead points to a dead end it begins to feel like the murderer will never be brought to justice.


I haven't read many of Helen's books but the ones I have read have been amazing.
With several cases on the go it has the potential to get confusing, but Helen manages to keep the story fluid and easy to follow.
The plot-itself is fast paced with little unnecessary fluff to get bogged down with.
The Other Victim is a cracking read and I really recommend it if crime fiction is your sort of thing.
I haven't read the fist in this series, but it didn't stop me getting into the story and getting to know the characters.
The DI Matthew Brindle series shows great promise and I look forward to the next instalment.

[Krys · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of this author's Calladine & Bayliss series, as well as her DI Greco series, so I was super excited to see another series by her come across my feed. However, this story left me feeling a bit let down. To be honest, it felt like it was missing some crucial element that I have come to expect from this author.

Perhaps it has to do with certain elements and background characters being added seemingly for no reason. Or maybe its because when it comes right down to it, there is no real justice being served for the baddest of them all. Sure he's stopped, but then...? Unfortunately I can't say anything else without spoiling things.

I will say this story did take a couple of twists that I did not see coming, and I will continue on both with this author and with this series, I just hope the next DI Brindle story is more in tune with what I have come to expect from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been busy catching up on reading all of Helen’s books (all of which I have loved by the way) but I must admit that I haven’t come across DI Matt Brindle before. Sorry Helen but fret no more because I have certainly come across him now.
DI Matt Brindle is different to a lot of policemen I have come across in crime fiction. Matt is rather posh to say the least and he doesn’t really need to be a policeman. By that I mean that he has a title and an estate. His mother certainly doesn’t want him to work for the police. That is perhaps understandable because Matt was left with physical and mental scars following events in a previous case. Matt feels enormously guilty too because he survived but his close work colleague didn’t. Against his mother’s wishes he goes back to work and he is soon thrust into the thick of things and he has to investigate the murder of Ronald Potter. Matt is a determined policeman, who investigates cases thoroughly and methodically. If something doesn’t seem right to him then it usually isn’t. Matt is like a dog with a bone in that respect. Matt works well as part of a team but he works equally well on his own. He sounds like an ideal type of boss in that he won’t ask anybody to do anything that he wouldn’t be willing to do himself. Will Matt solve the case? Will DI Matt Brindle stay in the police force or will he do as his mother wishes? 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.
Wowzers Helen H. Durrant has come up with the goods again and this is one hell of a read. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. From the moment I picked the book up, I was hooked on the story. I binge read the book over the space of a few hours despite my intention not to read too much in one sitting. Whoops. For me, ‘The Other Victim’ really is a ‘CPID’ (can’t put it down) book. It wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book and if I had to be parted from it, then I was counting down the time until I could pick it up again. I usually have the attention span of a gnat but not in this case because I had to really concentrate on the book as there was so much going on. The pages turned over at speed and at one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves. Before I knew what was happening I had finished reading the book, which I was so disappointed about. I was enjoying everything about the book and I just wanted it to continue. Reading this book was much like being on one hell of an unpredictable and at times rather scary rollercoaster ride. There were times where I almost had to read through my fingers as I genuinely feared what was going to happen next. Silly me because I knew that I had to read on if I wanted to find out what happened in the story.
In my opinion ‘The Other Victim’ is superbly written and the book has a bit of everything. There’s drama, murder, danger and intrigue in spades. I would have no hesitation in recommending this author and her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board just has to be 5* out of 5*.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Other Victim is the second outing for DI Matthew Brindle. When local estate agent Roland Potter is found murdered in a house he was about to sell it is up to Matt Brindle and his team to try to work out who would want him dead and why. When other bodies turn up and a young girl goes missing he begins to think the case might not be so easy to solve. As investigations lead him to a club known for hiring underage girls he begins to suspect that people are withholding information from him and hampering the case.
I liked Matt Brindle. He is still struggling with both his injuries from a previous case that resulted in the death of his partner, and the guilt that it was due to his error in judgement that she died. On top of his workload as a DI, he is also trying to turn around the family fortunes but his methods are not going down well with his mother Lady Elinor Brindle and she is often complaining to him. He clearly likes his young DC Lily Haines and despite her age, he considers her an asset to the team. DS Kate Baxter is a bit of a prickly character but I did find myself warming towards her by the end of the book. She is new to both the team and the area having moved due to issues with her younger brother. She is quite ambitious but Matt seems to get the measure of her quite quickly and is keen for her to remember they are all on the same side and need to work together if they are going to solve the case.
Although I have read other books by this author this is the first one I have read in this series. That being said, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book as it works very well as a stand alone. Once again Helen H Durrant has produced an outstanding read and The Other Victim really keeps you turning the pages as you try to work out if all the murders are connected. At times it can seem like there is a lot going on, but at no point did I find it confusing. Every character that was introduced has a purpose in the story and its eventual conclusion. This is clearly going to be another outstanding series by this author and look forward to more outings for Matt and co.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Matt Brindle series and, although the main story is self-contained, like most main characters, he is a little complex and so, to get to know him better you really would be better of reading book one first.
In this book we follow him as he tries to investigate the death of an Estate agent, found in a pool of blood in a house he was just about to show. Sadly, this investigation stalls before it even gets started and the police are flummoxed as to motive let alone figuring out who the perpetrator is. But then a more intensive search of the property kicks up a second gruesome discovery and it becomes a race against time to get to the bottom of things.
I have read and enjoyed all of this author's books thus far. Yes they are your bulk standard Police Procedural, but they are very good examples of the genre and keep my attention nicely throughout and leave me satisfied at the end. Basically, they give me what I need from a book to be a good, solid read.
In this book Matt has some new members of his team to get to know and indeed, get to grips with. This gives the book some good banter and interaction between them all which I do love in a book. At the same time, on a personal front, he is still trying to make ends meet, using the Estate to bring in some money but, at the same time, trying to keep his mother as happy as possible! As his investigation progresses, we see another side of him as it gets a wee bit personal. I love the development of his character, yes he's a tad stereotyped; wounded, suffered loss, out for revenge but aren't most leads in this genre a bit that way so there's nothing wrong with that at all.
The main crime part of the story flows well. It twists and turns as it goes along as you would expect, with a few red herrings along the way.
All in all, a good addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Fans of Police Procedurals should enjoy. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Denise Zendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An estate agent is found dead at a property he was selling, and Detective Inspector Matt Brindle and his team can’t find any motive. Sure, the guy was kind of surly, and maybe not someone who should be in customer service, but who kills someone for a bad personality? While searching the property, the police find human bones in the cellar, sending them off on a chase that reaches back to Brindle’s own family.

This was a hard-to-put-down book for me. Brindle is a complicated character. His mother has a title, but the family is cash poor, and they have to open the family estate to the public to keep afloat. He’s very quiet about his situation, and many of his co-workers don’t know he comes from money. He likes it that way. His heart is in policing, not in being part of the gentry. In the first book, his partner was killed while they were working a case, and he was severely injured. In this book, he’s finally back at work, not sure that he wants to be there, but his boss needs him, and working this case is better than sitting in a pool of misery and guilt. The secondary characters are all interesting, and even some of the “bad guys” have a redeeming quality or two. The ending was a complete surprise, and all of the loose ends were nicely tied up.

It’s the second in the series, but the author skillfully wove in previous details so I could tell things had happened, but I didn’t feel lost or left out. I think they can be read as standalones, but I would opt for reading in order, because I’m compulsive, and I like to know the characters’ backstory and see how they grow.

I received a free copy of this from the publisher, Joffe Books, but purchased my own copy when I finished it. Brindle, and this author, are people I want to keep up with. If you like dark, gritty, well-written traditional British police procedurals with compelling characters and real-world storylines, give this one a go.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Matt Brindle and his team have a new member in this the second book in the series, DS Kate Baxter. Working together with the rest of the team they are called to investigate the discovery of Ronald Potts,a local estate agent, whose body has been found in the hall of a property he was due to show to an interested buyer. Ronald has been stabbed through the chest, searching the house for clues in the cellar they discover another body.
Some parts are missing and what they found could be impossible to identify as it has been badly burned. The bones are that of a young woman. Despite their efforts they seem unable to find a reason anyone would want to murder Ronald, who seems to have been a man who kept himself to himself and although not popular doesn`t appear to have had any enemies.
When the discovery of a local club owners burned body turns up in a car by the canal and a young girl is reported as missing Matt and his team are drawn into the murky world of gangsters, pole dancing clubs with underage dancers.
Matt is sure there has to be a connection between them all.
Kate has a younger brother, he has made friends with the missing girls brother. It seems they decide try and discover whats happened on their own, not a good move.
Kate is not much better and when she goes alone to chase up a lead she too goes missing.
This story is full of twists and turns with plenty red herrings to keep you guessing. I liked the way that alongside the case we were given more insight into the personal lives of Matt and his team.
You could read this as a standalone though I`d recommend beginning with the first as I think this is a series which will grow, there are a host of interesting characters whom I for one want to know more about.
A really good read thanks to Joffe books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

[LJ (ljwritesandreviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

(rounded up from 4.5)

DI Matt Brindle has a lot on his plate, dealing with a new Detective Sergeant from Manchester and trying to keep his mother happy as he opens up their estate to the public. Then the body of estate agent Ronald Potter is found in a house that he was about to show to a buyer.

The mystery deepens as a skeleton is found in the basement at the same time a young mum disappears. It’s up to Matt and his team to dig to the bottom of the mystery.

So this is the second book in the Matt Brindle series, I have not had a chance to read the first novel, His Third Victim, but I can safely say this can be read as a stand-alone without missing too much.

I have no idea where to start with this novel, there’s just so much packed into it! There’s murder, kidnapping, dodgy business men, gangsters...see what I mean? That isn’t even the tip of the iceberg.

I’ve previously read Helen’s excellent Bayliss and Calladine series but dare I say it I think I enjoyed this even more! It’s hard to explain why exactly but I felt there was just this more Northern feel to it which tends to get lost in books sometimes even when they’re set in the North of England.

The characters are fantastic too. Brindle with his snobbish mother, huge country estate and is still haunted by the death of his old partner. The new girl Kate who is trying to deal with her wayward baby brother and sick mother. Then there’s DC Lily Haines who is young and a little inexperienced but she is good detective and seems kind hearted.

I have to be honest the ending felt a little...confusing and as I’m writing this review I’m still processing exactly what happened but I could not have predicted what happened at all.

Overall The Other Victim is packed with plenty of murder and mayhem with a good line up of suspects that will keep you guessing until the end.

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

An estate agent is found dead in a house when he should be showing prospective buyers around. An unassuming man who lived very frugally despite doing well in business in the past. Why him? When a man is found burned in a car dumped in the canal the team suddenly have their hands full. A young girl is missing who is also a mother. She has taken herself off before but this time it doesn’t somehow ring true.. Could any of these be linked or is there a visitor in town causing chaos? Helen as ever gives us a wonderful read which you lose yourself in very easily. DI Matt Brindle and team are new on the pages and by half way through I felt not only comfortable with them but that I was getting to “know” them as I always enjoy in a crime read. Some background to the main players which always makes for a more interesting book and a good plot mean I can disappear easily within the pages without even thinking about it. Twists and turns along the way to keep your grey matter alive without having to think too much but enough to keep you wondering. A very enjoyable read.
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[Pat Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series featuring DI Matt Brindle but cannot be enjoyed as a standalone book. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book so I was looking forward to learning more about Matt and his team. He is joined by a new member of the team, DS Kate Baxter who we find has quite a few problems in her own life. They are called to investigate the death of an estate agent in the house he was showing to a prospective buyer. On searching the house Matt and Kate make a gruesome discovery of some body parts of a young woman. They then have to find if these two deaths are linked and also if the added disappearance of a young girl is also connected. Matt is convinced that these crimes are connected to the death of his previous DS and also his recent attack, but can he find this link? The Other Victim has a strong storyline with plenty of suspects and is a very enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

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I do love this author’s books and I was very eager to get my hands on a copy of this one having enjoyed the first book in the series.

This is a well written, enjoyable story. I will be honest and say that it didn’t really grip me like her other books have done and I did find it almost a little bit more of a cosy crime at times than a fast paced action police procedural but it was a great story and I enjoyed reading it, and there is nothing wrong with a bit of cosy crime every now and again!

Having read this one I would say that you would be better reading the previous book as the lead character, DI Matt Brindle has a back story that carries through in to this book.

Four stars from me for this one – I really enjoyed it!

[marjorie hall-venmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book

I have always admired Helen Durante novels, I would alway be one to automatically pre order her books once they became available to pre order. This one again was a really good read, I didn’t read it as fast as I normally do, this was due to ill health. I found the story extremely interesting, however I have to be fair and found the ending a bit of a let down, unusually for Ms Durant. I just personally felt it was a little rushed and if anything, once the evening started to fall into place, we seemed to be at the epilogue without any kind of charges being made. Oh o know there would be it just lacked the excitement of her other books, anyhow I still do recommend it as a good read. However to ms Durant in future I will definitely be taking a good look at any future books from now on before I pre order, just felt it was not quite up to your usual standard. I hate to say, as you where in one of my 5 best authors list

[John Mccormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again I am indebted to NetGalley for providing a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review. The author i am ashamed to say is new to me, however I will follow this entertaining book by catching up on more of her offerings.
This is a fast paced completely engrossing modern day Police procedural set in and around Huddersfield, somewhat old fashioned in style but none the worse for that, by that I mean a genuine mystery with plenty of plot twists and turns as several cases become linked and solved by teamwork and without the usual escalating body count. Descriptive with excellent characterization throughout this is the second book in the series, and while there are several references to the previous book which has resulted in the death of a colleague and serious injuries to our hero, from which he is still recovering, it did not detract from and in any way spoil my enjoyment of this quality book.