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DS Jack Mackinnon #1

Deadly Obsession

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HE WATCHES...HE WAITS...HE STRIKES

A young Polish girl fixated on fame ~ A killer with a deadly obsession

Detective Jack Mackinnon has his work cut out trying to track down missing student, Anya Blonski. As Mackinnon follows the trail of obsession and murder to the shady owners of the Star Academy, who thrive on society's obsession with reality TV shows, he realises the fame they offer comes at a price.

When a second girl goes missing, Mackinnon is forced to consider a serial killer may be stalking the city.

246 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2012

2581 people are currently reading
740 people want to read

About the author

D.S. Butler

35 books899 followers
Author of the Karen Hart series. Ex-biochemist turned crime-writer. Huge Queen fan. Loves to read crime fiction.

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5 stars
1,862 (35%)
4 stars
2,027 (38%)
3 stars
1,086 (20%)
2 stars
242 (4%)
1 star
92 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
Profile Image for Gary.
3,032 reviews425 followers
January 29, 2021
I recently discovered the writing of D.S Butler’s series DS Karen Hart and since reading the first one have eagerly devoured her other work. I decided to purchase the DS Jack Mackinnon series and read the opening book ‘Deadly Obsession’. I felt a little disappointed at first, not getting the instant bond with the characters that I am very familiar with in her other series but pretty confident that will come.

On reflection this is a good grounding and introduction to the new characters and was written in the familiar way that I enjoy. DS Jack Mackinnon is investigating the disappearance of a missing Polish student, Anya Blonski when a second girl goes missing from the same academy. Mackinnon is forced to consider a serial killer may be stalking the city.

Not the most exciting book I have read but entertaining.
Profile Image for Pat.
2,310 reviews501 followers
June 3, 2019
OK, so this series debut did not rock my world. It was, however, a perfectly competent and slightly pedestrian police procedural. As with many series, I am going to be forgiving with this first book - bearing in mind it was competent - in the expectation that the series will get better. It was also a very quick read.

The series features a DS Jack Mackinnon, although this first book seems to be more about his partner (whose name escapes me right now) who really struggles with guilt after a Polish man who came to him to report his sister, Anya Blonski, missing ends up murdered. Of course there was nothing he could have done. Anya was (I think) 19 years old and not considered vulnerable. And she remains missing.

Soon another girl goes missing. Both of them attended a particular dance academy. The detectives keep going back there to question the owners and, while it all seems a bit fishy, there is no real thread to pull. Until they realise...but that would be telling. Things do pick up towards the end. Can the police find the girls in time? I will read the next book and take it from there.
Profile Image for Jayne.
1,035 reviews673 followers
June 15, 2022
In her author bio, D.S. Butler listed author Peter James as one of her influencers and it shows.

"Deadly Obsession" was a fast-paced, character-driven, and entertaining read.

Even though I did guess the "villain" midway through the book., the book was a winner for me.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a superb job.

I look forward to listening to future books in the author's DS Jack Mackinnon series and to trying the author's Karen Hart series, too.
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,334 reviews102 followers
September 18, 2025
Short crime book that felt like a newbie writting. D S Butler followed up with the excellent Karen Hart series and I thought I’d try this one. Not for me.
Profile Image for Book Addict Shaun.
937 reviews319 followers
December 27, 2017
Deadly Obsession was a decent enough introduction to DS Jack Mackinnon and I have had this series on my TBR for a while. It will probably linger on the TBR for a while longer yet though because this introduction was extremely lacklustre.

Firstly the focus isn’t completely on Mackinnon but his partner who is racked with guilt when a Polish man turns to him for help finding his missing sister, only to turn up dead not long after he turned him away. The story itself does have a good basis, women going missing with stars in their eyes believed to have found this magical cruise that will deliver them all of their dreams. Unfortunately however the plot was too easy to work out as I read and there were virtually no red herrings that ever made me focus on another character as the suspect. Mackinnon as a character was somebody that I enjoyed reading about and I cared about his personal issues away from the job which makes him somebody I would want to read about again.

The writing was good, and there was a good sense of place with where the book was set. There were some atmospheric moments throughout however the weak plot just stopped me from enjoying the book and immersing myself in it. Recently I’ve read a number of books like this and it’s just annoying to reach that denouement and realise I was right all along. I must stress that it’s annoying only because the story itself was so obvious and so weak in its execution. Had I worked out the killer in a fantastically written and plotted story then I’d be patting myself on the back, here I was just rolling my eyes. As this is just a short introduction to the series, I probably will read the others because they have been so well-received but this is a book I would recommend others to skip and just read the main series.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,271 reviews98 followers
September 21, 2018
Anya Blonski is a dance student who has hopes of becoming famous. Then she becomes missing. DS Jack Mackinnon is investigating her case. There are conflicting stories as to just where she went. A cruise line but no one remembers the name of the cruise line or where they heard that rumor. But she isn't the only girl missing. Can Mackinnon figure it out? It's not who you think it is! I would like to thank Booksprout for a copy of this book for me to read and review.
Profile Image for Anne Vaughan.
122 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2017
really enjoyed this book. can't wait for next installment
3 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2021
Don't give up on this series
This is my 3rd book read in the DS mackinon series, as I have read them somewhat out of order (which doesn't seem to matter too much).
An enjoyable, easy read, but not nearly as gripping as the others I have read in this series. I would encourage people who weren't keen on this book to read another of the series, as the others, in my opinion, are better.

That being said, I enjoyed this book, just not quite as much as others in the series
Profile Image for Colleendearborn.
370 reviews49 followers
May 17, 2024
The book earns the 4 stars, but too dark/disturbing for me— 3.75 stars. Interesting characters and plot. Accessed it from Hoopla Digital.
Profile Image for Michelle.
773 reviews9 followers
May 28, 2021
3.8/5

I enjoyed this author’s Karen Hart’s series immensely, so I thought I would give this series a try

Good points: Great mystery with many twists and turns. Good characters.

Bad points: I could not really enjoy the main Det. Mackinnon, as much as I did Hart.

But, I have downloaded Book #2
190 reviews
March 23, 2020
A good storyline,easy read.

The storyline is up there with all the other procedural Police books.Enjoyed the flow,kept my interest.It had a satisfactory ending.If you like a quick uncomplicated read I would recommend it,I would read more of this authors books as and when.☺
Profile Image for Kathy.
842 reviews4 followers
July 7, 2020
This is the first in a murder mystery series but I didn't really care for it. I just didn't connect.
Profile Image for Emma Taylor.
156 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2024
I enjoyed this book but also wasn’t wow’d by it. A very easy read and I liked the storyline however I feel like it lacked a bit of substance. When we found out who the killer was I wanted more on why they had done it but it just felt quite random and a little rushed (this is the killer, the end). I’m going to try another by this author for the writing style though!
154 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2020
Actual rating 1.5 stars.

I read Deadly Obsession as I'd enjoyed two of the books in D.S. Butler's Karen Hart series - and sadly her Mackinnon books are not a series I'll be continuing reading. I was really quite staggered by how flimsy this book is. Mackinnon isn't an interesting or well-defined character. I know absolutely nothing about him apart from where he lives, that he wants to get into major crime and that he is in a relationship with Chloe. That's literally it. I can't help feeling that the author made a mistake by having Mackinnon's colleague Collins be the one to initially refuse to investigate Anya's disappearance, because this means the (scant) emotional motivation in the book is Collins' - he feels guilty and wants to crack the case because of that. Mackinnnon himself has no personal involvement, and is therefore less interesting. He's just sort of there the whole time. I want to invest in a series character, not forget about them. I also would have liked some of the police force to have been female.

The plot lacks depth or twists - I liked the sound of the Star Academy and twisted reality TV, but this is only explored in the most surface manner, and I didn't find any of it very convincing. The writing, too, is flat and pedestrian. There are far too many uninteresting details included- how the characters take train journeys, the roads they go down etc - which prevents it from even being pacy. I always felt with the Karen Hart series that the plots had a decent level of complexity which made up for the flat prose, but unfortunately those flaws are fully exposed here.

There are many, many better police procedural series out there - and better books by this author, too.
Profile Image for Texas.
1,685 reviews394 followers
September 14, 2018
Deadly Obsession #1 - This is not my first story by this author but I see where this series could be as good as the Harper Grant series written under Danica Britton. This story is well written with a good plot and some interesting characters. There's enough twist to the story that you have two suspects automatically. The story moved rather quickly and didn't take long to read. It will be interesting to see how the policemen will grow through out the series since this is a good but basic introduction to these two men and this series.

The author wrote this book several years ago and her writing style has improved since then (going by the Grant series). There's a preview of the story, which I appreciate knowing what a story is about before I read it. I found this book on Booksprout.co. 3*

Her Missing Daughter - This isn't my favorite story by this author. It needed to move at a faster pace, even when setting up the foundation of the storyline. There is too much trivial details that act as filler instead of enhancing the story and should have been edited out. The characters aren't well developed, along with some of their dialog. The main character bored me with her continuous yammering and thinking everyone owed her answers. I know the murdered woman was her childhood friend but they weren't that close, even with their Friday Skype chats since Yappy moved to India five years earlier. I didn't find any suspense with this story and the psychological part escaped me.

There's a preview of the story, which I appreciate knowing what a story is about before I read it. I found this book on Booksprout.co, which is why I read this. 2*
36 reviews
April 10, 2019
Really poor

I genuinely can't believe how bad this was (there are so many 5 star reviews). I presume this book was published without the use of a copy editor as it was repetitive, had huge amounts of pointless description (main detective looked out of a window whilst speaking to potential witness and there was a whole paragraph describing a random woman walking by on the pavement below!) and, in places, lacking in basic grammar and punctuation. There was no tension, all the characters were one dimensional, there was no explanation of why the murderer did what he did it even how long he'd been doing it (why did no-one look for the earlier girls/why did none of the family know?). One character was built up and then just forgotten about. I also found it strange that the author credits police officers as having helped her - the police procedures where virtually non-existent and the two main characters seemed to be totally unsuited to the job and to have no idea how to investigate (or even think in a logical manner). I honestly don't know who this book would appeal to - it wasn't thrilling, it isn't a 'police procedural', it isn't a whodunit (no clues, no twists and turns), it isn't a drama - but having said that it does have a lot of 5 star reviews.
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,400 reviews140 followers
September 17, 2018
Deadly obsession by DS Butler.
HE WATCHES...HE WAITS...HE STRIKES​
​A young Polish girl fixated on fame ~ A killer with a deadly obsession
​DEADLY OBSESSION is the first book in the DS Jack Mackinnon Police Procedural Series.
​DS Jack Mackinnon has his work cut out trying to track down missing student, Anya Blonski. As Mackinnon follows the trail of obsession and murder to the shady owners of the Star Academy, who thrive on society's obsession with reality TV shows, he realises the fame they offer comes at a price.
When a second girl goes missing, Mackinnon is forced to consider a serial killer may be stalking the city.
This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the story and the characters. Jack was my favourite character. Looking forward to the next book. 4*.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kirsten Schlewitz.
409 reviews29 followers
August 7, 2019
This is probably a 2.5, but because it's the first in the series—and, helpfully, because the books are free with Kindle Unlimited—I'll be generous here. This is a standard police procedure that, unfortunately, doesn't provide much in the way of suspense or thrills. There's a mystery, sure, but one that doesn't take *that* much effort to figure out. It seems the point of this book might be more about establishing the personality and world of the main character rather than focusing on plot device and tension—or maybe the author just needs a bit more time to write a more engaging book.

But given the characters were solid and there seems to be potential hiding in the storyline, it seems it'll be worth continuing the series.
Profile Image for Neelabh Pratap  Singh.
Author 43 books26 followers
August 1, 2021
In any serial killer thriller, the motive of the serial killer has to be strong and compelling enough for the killer to commit a crime over and over again, but here the author hasn't established any motive for the killer to commit the crime. Secondly, the lead Jack MacKinnon's character was not established at all and he was thrown into a case right away (which he wasn't dealing with at the first place). This kind of storytelling works well for action thrillers but for serial killer thrillers, the reader must feel for both the protagonist and the antagonist. The author here seems to be just worried about finishing the story rather than make it character driven. I doubt if I give subsequent books in the series a try.
Profile Image for Tanya Stewart.
175 reviews7 followers
September 23, 2017
Fun, interesting and quick read!

A great book for a quiet day of reading because once you begin you won't want to stop till it's over! Unlike many British crime novels that I have read this one moves quickly at an intriguing and alluring pace with enough red herrings and possible protagonists to keep you guessing but you won't figure it out until the end. It's a well developed and created tale with enough character development to give you a sense of each one without blogging down with details, a great balance! I enjoyed it very much and am now moving on to learn what happens next in the Detective McKinnon series!
Profile Image for Pat Eroh.
2,618 reviews32 followers
September 23, 2018
A very interesting story that shows the emotions of rookie detectives and how they evolve as detectives. I believe this is a process many of them go through. I would think that some get there quickly but not all. This story concerns a missing daughter after her mother is murdered, as told in many reviews. But while the story does indeed involve the missing daughter, that isn't really the focus of this story so the name can be misleading. However, it is such a great story and very difficult to guess what will happen next. I will definitely read more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Mr Mark Hawksford.
351 reviews6 followers
February 14, 2020
Deadly Obsession

I am finding reviewing this book a little more difficult than usual. I enjoyed the book and got quite engrossed in it. However, the plot was quite a simple one and there were a few chapters, especially where Jack went to Oxford to be with his girlfriend, which I couldn’t see too much relevance to. It’s not a story that has lots of different things going on and all tie up with a shock twist at the end. In someways that is quite nice about the book. However, in other ways it just seemed a little thin on plot. On saying that, as I say, I still enjoyed it and would say it was worth reading to others.
6,021 reviews45 followers
August 17, 2018
a beautiful and talented young dancer disappears - and no one but her brother wants to search for her

at 19, police just think over protective big brother Henryk is just not appreciating reality

young girls have their own lives

his conviction that something is wrong seems confirmed when he turns up dead himself.

whom should one really trust in the big city?

what lies behind the lives and possible deaths of the talented young women?

macabre and intriguing story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
180 reviews5 followers
January 26, 2019
Read until the small hours!

I read two books by this author ..bring them home and where secrets lie. They were about Karen Hart a DS and her team. The characters were so real and likeable I was disappointed when I finished them. So now I've started reading the Jack McKinnon series instead! I love the way the author writes bringing characters to life. The stories are gripping and do not disappoint. Would absolutely recommend anybody who likes police procedure books to read this author


Profile Image for JL Dixon.
338 reviews9 followers
April 4, 2020
I had been told by a few people to read the DS Jack McKinnon series of books by DS Butler. Deadly Obsession is the first such book.
A young woman is missing and her overly protective brother is demanding the police take it seriously. He then turns up dead, brutally murdered, and his sister, Anya's disappearance takes on new meaning.
This is a compelling book with solid, well developed characters, and a storyline that builds with complexity and momentum right up to the end.
Right, I'm off to read book two, Deadly Motive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for MsNessahXCIII.
5 reviews
March 15, 2022
Plot twist I didnt see coming

*Caution Potential Spoilers*

Pros.

The book is a good length as somebody who likes stories to get to the point quickly this book did that for me.
The little plot twist at the end did catch me off guard as who i thought it would be wasnt actually the culprit.

Cons

Despite the book being about Mackinnon it did focus quite heavily on Collins (who i am now obsessed with and would very much like his own series)

Overall it is a pleasant read and it has definitely made me want to continue the series.
52 reviews
May 28, 2019
D.S Butler a new favourite

I first read D.S butler's East end series and found it great so I turned to the DS MacKinnon series and I wasn't disappointed the storyline was great and was a fantastic read the only thing is a guessed who the bad guy was around 3\4 of the way through but that's just me I like a good detective read and usually figure things out pretty quickly.
I would definitely recommend this book, book 2 here I come hope it's as good as this one.
Profile Image for Christine.
1,956 reviews60 followers
May 9, 2021
I would rate this book 3.5/4 stars. I love the author's Karen Hart series, so while I'm waiting for a new book in that series to come out, I wanted to give this series a try. The plot is intriguing and the villain is creepy. It took me a while to get to know the two main investigators, but I especially grew to like DS Jack Mackinnon. Although I didn't enjoy the book as much as those in the Karen Hart series, I will definitely read the next book in the series and see if/how the characters grow.
Profile Image for M R B Davis.
705 reviews5 followers
May 21, 2021
Two girls get kidnapped

McKinnon and Colins investigate the disappearance of two young girls with the same aspirations. The story then goes sad and doesn't meet expectations. Maybe this is because this is the first in the series. What about#2. This opens the reader to McKinnon's background and develops the character. More on the character of his colleagues might be good. Perhaps they will be more apparent in #2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews

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