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Maeve Kerrigan #8.6
Silent Kill
A murder in broad daylight…
A teenage girl is killed on a London bus. The case should be simple. The bus was full of witnesses, and there are cameras everywhere.
A hunt for a killer…
But the more DC Georgia Shaw and her colleagues Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent delve into the crime, the more elusive the answers become.
A case that spirals out of control…
It seems impossible that no one saw anything, but soon the leads run cold. Will they uncover what really happened, or will the killer get away with murder?
A teenage girl is killed on a London bus. The case should be simple. The bus was full of witnesses, and there are cameras everywhere.
A hunt for a killer…
But the more DC Georgia Shaw and her colleagues Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent delve into the crime, the more elusive the answers become.
A case that spirals out of control…
It seems impossible that no one saw anything, but soon the leads run cold. Will they uncover what really happened, or will the killer get away with murder?
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2020
644 people are currently reading
985 people want to read
About the author
Jane Casey
35 books2,662 followersShe studied English at Jesus College, Oxford, followed by an mPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature at Trinity College, Dublin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 30, 2020
Georgia on my mind…
When Detective Constable Georgia Shaw is sent to a murder scene, she’s shocked to discover the victim is a teenage schoolgirl. Minnie Charleston had been on the bus for a while, earbuds in and seemingly asleep, while a succession of other passengers took the empty seat beside her. But when one passenger finally noticed blood, it became clear that at some point on the journey she had been stabbed. Georgia will be part of the investigation team, under her sergeant, Maeve Kerrigan, and Inspector Josh Derwent, as they try to discover which of the passengers had a reason to kill Minnie…
This novella length story is very definitely one for existing fans, rather than an entry point for newcomers to the series. Georgia has appeared in the last couple of books, as a fast-track entrant whom Maeve finds irritating and unreliable – not the kind of person you want to depend on when lives are on the line. This time we hear the story from Georgia’s point of view, discovering more about her life and getting a better understanding of why she behaves as she does. Since the books are usually told in the first person from Maeve’s perspective, this is also the first time we get another person’s impression of her, and her increasingly complicated relationship with Josh.
For a novella it’s quite long, and there’s a surprisingly strong plot, with several suspects and a full investigation, all of which I found to be just as good as the plots of the full-length novels. Minnie, it turns out, was an unpleasant girl – a bully and a manipulator. However, as Georgia and Maeve dig deeper into her family circumstances, they begin to see that she may not have been wholly to blame. Left largely to her own devices by uncaring parents, she has got involved with a far-right group, and the detectives have to discover if that has anything to do with the murder. Or there was a teacher she drove to resign from her posh school, or the girl she bullied so badly the girl had to change schools. The solution has a lot of depth considering the brevity and, as always with Casey, the reader has a reasonably fair chance of working it out, although of course I failed!
I was glad to get to know Georgia better. In fact, I’ve always felt that Maeve treats her unfairly and hasn’t shown the support and guidance a boss should to a younger, inexperienced subordinate. Georgia is perhaps more accepting of this – she clearly admires Maeve, though she resents her too for the effortless way Maeve seems to deal with things that make Georgia anxious. Georgia also has a major crush on Josh, making her rather jealous of his clear preference for Maeve. (What is it with all these female detectives, not to mention the readers? Am I the only one immune to this sexist bully’s charms??) A cold word from Maeve or Josh stings this sensitive girl more than they seem to know, but they should know – it’s their job to know. I grew to like Georgia considerably more, but seeing Josh and Maeve through her eyes made me like them a little less. I expect bullying and insensitivity from Josh, but I can see why Georgia finds Maeve’s behaviour hurtful too. If Maeve realised that the smallest compliment from her is treasured by this insecure young woman, maybe she’d encourage her more often, rather than making her feel like a fool. Time for Maeve’s mother to give her a talking-to in one of their famous phone conversations, I feel!
As usual, Casey has me arguing about the behaviour of her characters, which is why I love these books. Maeve and Josh feel entirely real to me, and so they entertain me sometimes and annoy me sometimes just as real people do. I’m glad to be able to add Georgia to the list of characters I now care about – I’m sure she’ll still annoy me too, often, but I’ll feel more ready to make excuses for her next time she does. I also think it’s good that Casey is bringing forward new recurring characters – something Reginald Hill did to great effect – since it helps to stop the staleness that sometimes creeps into long-running series. In short, this novella is a bonus that fans won’t want to miss!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Detective Constable Georgia Shaw is sent to a murder scene, she’s shocked to discover the victim is a teenage schoolgirl. Minnie Charleston had been on the bus for a while, earbuds in and seemingly asleep, while a succession of other passengers took the empty seat beside her. But when one passenger finally noticed blood, it became clear that at some point on the journey she had been stabbed. Georgia will be part of the investigation team, under her sergeant, Maeve Kerrigan, and Inspector Josh Derwent, as they try to discover which of the passengers had a reason to kill Minnie…
This novella length story is very definitely one for existing fans, rather than an entry point for newcomers to the series. Georgia has appeared in the last couple of books, as a fast-track entrant whom Maeve finds irritating and unreliable – not the kind of person you want to depend on when lives are on the line. This time we hear the story from Georgia’s point of view, discovering more about her life and getting a better understanding of why she behaves as she does. Since the books are usually told in the first person from Maeve’s perspective, this is also the first time we get another person’s impression of her, and her increasingly complicated relationship with Josh.
For a novella it’s quite long, and there’s a surprisingly strong plot, with several suspects and a full investigation, all of which I found to be just as good as the plots of the full-length novels. Minnie, it turns out, was an unpleasant girl – a bully and a manipulator. However, as Georgia and Maeve dig deeper into her family circumstances, they begin to see that she may not have been wholly to blame. Left largely to her own devices by uncaring parents, she has got involved with a far-right group, and the detectives have to discover if that has anything to do with the murder. Or there was a teacher she drove to resign from her posh school, or the girl she bullied so badly the girl had to change schools. The solution has a lot of depth considering the brevity and, as always with Casey, the reader has a reasonably fair chance of working it out, although of course I failed!
I was glad to get to know Georgia better. In fact, I’ve always felt that Maeve treats her unfairly and hasn’t shown the support and guidance a boss should to a younger, inexperienced subordinate. Georgia is perhaps more accepting of this – she clearly admires Maeve, though she resents her too for the effortless way Maeve seems to deal with things that make Georgia anxious. Georgia also has a major crush on Josh, making her rather jealous of his clear preference for Maeve. (What is it with all these female detectives, not to mention the readers? Am I the only one immune to this sexist bully’s charms??) A cold word from Maeve or Josh stings this sensitive girl more than they seem to know, but they should know – it’s their job to know. I grew to like Georgia considerably more, but seeing Josh and Maeve through her eyes made me like them a little less. I expect bullying and insensitivity from Josh, but I can see why Georgia finds Maeve’s behaviour hurtful too. If Maeve realised that the smallest compliment from her is treasured by this insecure young woman, maybe she’d encourage her more often, rather than making her feel like a fool. Time for Maeve’s mother to give her a talking-to in one of their famous phone conversations, I feel!
As usual, Casey has me arguing about the behaviour of her characters, which is why I love these books. Maeve and Josh feel entirely real to me, and so they entertain me sometimes and annoy me sometimes just as real people do. I’m glad to be able to add Georgia to the list of characters I now care about – I’m sure she’ll still annoy me too, often, but I’ll feel more ready to make excuses for her next time she does. I also think it’s good that Casey is bringing forward new recurring characters – something Reginald Hill did to great effect – since it helps to stop the staleness that sometimes creeps into long-running series. In short, this novella is a bonus that fans won’t want to miss!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 9, 2020
This just made me want more Maeve & Josh. And I’m still no fan of Georgia. Can’t wait for the next book!
July 4, 2021
Georgia'nın ağzından anlatılan bir davaydı ve tahmin edersiniz ki biraz yorucuydu aslında. Ama onun neden böyle biri olduğunu sonlarda anlıyoruz neyse ki. Ve bir önceki kitapta düşündüklerimi başkalarının da düşündüklerini görmek iyi oldu :)
August 18, 2020
Silent Kill is a novella set between “Cruel Acts and “The Cutting Place” told from the point of view of DC Georgia Shaw. We learn why behaves the ways she does since her arrival in “Let the Dead Speak”. It’s an insight into the mind of an insecure young woman struggling to find her feet as a cop and in the team. She’s clearly her own worst enemy and can't resist the impulse to shit stir.
I knew beforehand that I’d have more empathy towards Georgia but this book tells us why we should (even if she will still irritate us!). I had a bunch of theories and while none were right, one was kinda close. It certainly confirms why for me she did what she did in “The Cutting Place” deliberately (she might’ve been drunk, but she knew what she was doing). If only she could see that Maeve has had to work her arse off, none of it came easy for her and she’s been working with Derwent for about five years so they have history (and she had to deal with a lot of the shitty side of Derwent). Georgia is ambitious to want everything without working for it, then blaming others for it not happening to her.
It was a nice hark back to earlier Maeve Kerrigan novels when we’d have chapters from other character’s perspectives. My only sadness is I did miss Liv appearing in this book.
Oh and as for Josh and Maeve, well Maeve may be a brilliant detective but she’s oblivious to what’s in front of her (unless she’s under the influence of good painkillers!).
Now I’m off to read it a second time. Hopefully this will keep me going until next year’s novellas which will be published in place of a full book (Casey has a stand alone being published next year that sounds intriguing so I believe there will be two more Maeve novellas).
I knew beforehand that I’d have more empathy towards Georgia but this book tells us why we should (even if she will still irritate us!). I had a bunch of theories and while none were right, one was kinda close. It certainly confirms why for me she did what she did in “The Cutting Place” deliberately (she might’ve been drunk, but she knew what she was doing). If only she could see that Maeve has had to work her arse off, none of it came easy for her and she’s been working with Derwent for about five years so they have history (and she had to deal with a lot of the shitty side of Derwent). Georgia is ambitious to want everything without working for it, then blaming others for it not happening to her.
It was a nice hark back to earlier Maeve Kerrigan novels when we’d have chapters from other character’s perspectives. My only sadness is I did miss Liv appearing in this book.
Oh and as for Josh and Maeve, well Maeve may be a brilliant detective but she’s oblivious to what’s in front of her (unless she’s under the influence of good painkillers!).
Now I’m off to read it a second time. Hopefully this will keep me going until next year’s novellas which will be published in place of a full book (Casey has a stand alone being published next year that sounds intriguing so I believe there will be two more Maeve novellas).
February 18, 2024
It was interesting to see life through Georgia's eyes and learn some of her backstory. She's not as compelling as Maeve, but she is likeable and sympathetic in this tale. An interesting mystery, as well.
September 8, 2020
I’ve never really cared for Georgia as a character and this novella from her viewpoint did nothing to change that. The mystery was also lacking for my expectations as a fan of the series. No biggie though, it wasn’t awful. I’d only recommend it to big fans of the series and those that are interested in Georgia as a character.
August 7, 2020
I still haven’t read the full series but I’m loving the little glimpses into the characters by reading these short stories. Looking forward to catching up on the series when I can!
August 14, 2020
Now I understand!
*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
After reading The Cutting Place, I was left a bit undecided about Georgia and her place within the team of Detectives. So, I was really pleased to read Silent Kill. Not only is it a good Murder mystery in its own right, but the story is told from Georgia’s point of view.
As Georgia found out more about the murder victim in this case it made her reflect on her own character and behaviours. She really just wants to be part of the team, but she needs help in becoming that.
We also learn more about Georgia’s own back story - the loss of her sister to cancer and her difficult relationship with her own Mother.
She now seems a much more rounded character to me and I look forward to seeing her progress in future stories.
*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
After reading The Cutting Place, I was left a bit undecided about Georgia and her place within the team of Detectives. So, I was really pleased to read Silent Kill. Not only is it a good Murder mystery in its own right, but the story is told from Georgia’s point of view.
As Georgia found out more about the murder victim in this case it made her reflect on her own character and behaviours. She really just wants to be part of the team, but she needs help in becoming that.
We also learn more about Georgia’s own back story - the loss of her sister to cancer and her difficult relationship with her own Mother.
She now seems a much more rounded character to me and I look forward to seeing her progress in future stories.
June 9, 2021
I have waited ages for this to be available in Canada. It was a good read, although some of the information used as evidence in the final interview came out of the blue. It was a change for the story to be from Georgia's point of view, but she is still hard to like, and I'm really only in it for Josh and Maeve.
August 11, 2020
Addicted
I'm still on board with this series, which avoids tropes of the genre and brings what to me feels like a fresher perspective. Not totally sold on Georgia, who is the focus of this particular novella, but it was a quick read and a quick fix.
I'm still on board with this series, which avoids tropes of the genre and brings what to me feels like a fresher perspective. Not totally sold on Georgia, who is the focus of this particular novella, but it was a quick read and a quick fix.
May 30, 2021
Fun story with a cool mystery but I really hate seeing the world through Georgia's eyes. What a disgusting human being. I'm ready for more Maeve.
August 13, 2020
Having read and enjoyed all the other books in the series this one really didn't do it for me. Luckily it's relatively short so I didn't have much time invested in it. I found the whole story really dull and shallow based more on how Georgia looked and how she and others had applied their makeup. Sorry but really not my cup of tea.
August 9, 2020
Wrong photograph Goodreads, even though I put in the correct ISBN number as well. This is a review for Silent Kill by Jane Casey.
It was nice to read the story from the perspective of Georgia, it was like earlier novels which are written from other character’s perspectives. I don’t like Georgia. She is the most annoying character. She comes across as silly and unwilling to get her hands dirty. She is more concerned with how she looks than doing her job. My hope was that after reading this I would understand her better.
It was nice to follow Maeve from someone else’s viewpoint. She comes across as hard working, diligent and very clever. I missed Josh though as most of the action was based around interviews by Maeve and Georgia. I’m still not sure that Georgia understands the work involved, and doubt that she will make a good police officer, let alone one attached to a murder squad.
The story is similar to a locked room mystery, as whoever killed the teenage girl on the bus must have been on the bus themselves. As usual, Maeve thinks outside the box and is successful as she works out who the killer is. Poor Georgia has no clue.
Well, I don’t like Georgia any better after this short story. She adds a bit of interest to the stories but often gets in the way as opposed to assisting other officers. This has made me want another book immediately, although I fear from what I have read elsewhere I’m going to be unlucky. Roll on 2022 then!
It was nice to read the story from the perspective of Georgia, it was like earlier novels which are written from other character’s perspectives. I don’t like Georgia. She is the most annoying character. She comes across as silly and unwilling to get her hands dirty. She is more concerned with how she looks than doing her job. My hope was that after reading this I would understand her better.
It was nice to follow Maeve from someone else’s viewpoint. She comes across as hard working, diligent and very clever. I missed Josh though as most of the action was based around interviews by Maeve and Georgia. I’m still not sure that Georgia understands the work involved, and doubt that she will make a good police officer, let alone one attached to a murder squad.
The story is similar to a locked room mystery, as whoever killed the teenage girl on the bus must have been on the bus themselves. As usual, Maeve thinks outside the box and is successful as she works out who the killer is. Poor Georgia has no clue.
Well, I don’t like Georgia any better after this short story. She adds a bit of interest to the stories but often gets in the way as opposed to assisting other officers. This has made me want another book immediately, although I fear from what I have read elsewhere I’m going to be unlucky. Roll on 2022 then!
March 12, 2023
I thought I'd read all of Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series, so it was a nice surprise to find this novella, published in 2020, which had somehow slipped through the net. It's a cracker, too, told - for once - from the viewpoint of DS Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent's less than popular colleague, DC Georgia Shaw, giving a welcome opportunity for an outsider POV on their relationship. It's also an insight into Georgia's insecurities, which manifest both in a preoccupation with her own attractiveness and in envy, resentment and reluctant admiration of the more senior Maeve, who comes over here as competent and professional. By the end, though, it's much more apparent why Georgia is the way she is.
The body of a fifteen year old schoolgirl found on a bus, stabbed to death while no-one apparently noticed anything untoward, is the starting point for the story, and it's a great read, suspicion falling one by one on the passengers who sat nearby. Ultimately it's a short book but one which feels like it has a couple of important messages therein, perhaps primarily around the reasons why people might act how they do, even when it looks indefensible.
The body of a fifteen year old schoolgirl found on a bus, stabbed to death while no-one apparently noticed anything untoward, is the starting point for the story, and it's a great read, suspicion falling one by one on the passengers who sat nearby. Ultimately it's a short book but one which feels like it has a couple of important messages therein, perhaps primarily around the reasons why people might act how they do, even when it looks indefensible.
February 9, 2022
This book deserves more stars. I think I’ve read to many cop/murder/ serial killer books and I feel jaded, because they feel so “formula” to me right now.
On hold with this genre for a while.
Got some B horror, some apocalyptic fiction, a biography.
Ill be back and re-read this
On hold with this genre for a while.
Got some B horror, some apocalyptic fiction, a biography.
Ill be back and re-read this
August 10, 2020
Loved this novella narrated by Georgia, the team member Maeve likes the least. It gave me great insight into Georgia, and why she behaves as she does around certain team members. Loved it.
September 10, 2024
Main character: Georgia
October 5, 2024
seeing joshmaeve from other people’s pov is just tew good
January 24, 2025
This was a short story and while quite good was nothing compared to her full length novels
August 14, 2025
Quick novella, nice to get to know Georgia a bit better
April 26, 2022
I miss this series! I enjoyed this novella. I would have preferred a different perspective but got to know one of the unlikeable characters, Georgia, better and I did like her more by the end so that purpose was met. The mystery was interesting too.
January 14, 2021
This novella was very interesting. It's written from Georgia's point of view, and she's kind of been an outsider in the Maeve series. Her perspective is very different from Maeve's and it was good to learn more about her and to see the other members of the team through Georgia's eyes.
The crime itself is pretty interesting, and the story moves pretty quickly. There are some social comments on race and class that are particularly timely, and the ending, while not a complete surprise, was very well done.
I'm a huge fan of the series, so I had to read this. It's a quick read, so if you like Casey's writing I'd suggest checking it out.
The crime itself is pretty interesting, and the story moves pretty quickly. There are some social comments on race and class that are particularly timely, and the ending, while not a complete surprise, was very well done.
I'm a huge fan of the series, so I had to read this. It's a quick read, so if you like Casey's writing I'd suggest checking it out.
August 11, 2020
Have loved all Jane Casey's books featuring Maeve Kerrigan/Josh Derwent. This novella was, in my opinion, a mistake.
First person telling of young female DC in the team. She is shallow, inexperienced and unprofessional...'nuff said
First person telling of young female DC in the team. She is shallow, inexperienced and unprofessional...'nuff said
January 30, 2021
The story isn't much of a who dunnit, and nowhere as suspenseful as other Maeve & Josh books. I've never liked Georgia & I like her even less now. Can't understand why she wants to be a detective as she has the wrong personality imo. Too selfish and sly. Was disappointed with this book.
February 18, 2022
TRIGGERS: anxiety, bullying, anorexia, murder, cancer, rehab facility, racism, anti-Muslim, gangs, mental health, eating disorders, post-natal depression
WARNING: mentions of Holocaust deniers committing cruel pranks against a teenager, neo-Nazis, anti-Semetism, Black Lives Matter
~
I have no idea why the author chose to write a 100+ page “short” story in the POV of the most hated/disliked recurring character of the series – Georgia. That's like writing a Harry Potter novel from the POV of Dolores Umbridge.
Unfortunately, though I've hated Georgia until now, it actually gets worse. She's vain, insecure, and – yes, the author tries to mitigate all that by suggesting it's because of her home life and family situation – but that doesn't make her any more likeable. Plenty of people have shitty parents, a horrible home life, or have lost a family member, without becoming a vindictive bitch who is only out for what she can get.
In one story, Georgia blatantly blackmails Derwent (over something that isn't even happening, isn't logical, and doesn't make sense at all, in the wider sense of the series), racial profiles a suspect, “falls” for a Dr of a witness, spends half her work day doing the bare minimum and the other half imagining what Derwent would be like in bed. Oh, and defends a murderer. Breaks the 4th wall, for no apparent reason (at the start of Chapter 7). And, when she comes home to her flat, and hears that her flatmate's boyfriend is home, she VERY deliberately undoes buttons on her blouse and blatantly flirts with him, pressing up against him in a disgusting attempt to make the girl angry. Then, says “She only had herself to blame” when the boyfriend eyes her up, as if, somehow, it's this girl's fault that Georgia acts like a raging slut. It's no wonder the flatmate hates her.
I think the best way to describe how I felt about this being in Georgia's POV would be to show you these little snippets:
“As for Maeve, she was wandering around the classroom looking at the posters on the walls, lost in thought. I took advantage of her being distracted to stand next to Derwent, lining up on his team. It looked as if he and I were there together, and Maeve was just tagging along. I liked giving that impression.”
“I would never admit it to Belcott, or anyone else, but I resented the fact that Derwent had a glint in his blue eyes that he never wasted on me. I might as well have been invisible to him, or even a man. He just wasn’t interested. At all.”
“I didn’t have a lot of friends, especially women. I always got on better with men – until we slept together and they ghosted me. If that didn’t happen, their girlfriends got worried about me being too much competition and made them back off.”
“I wanted to meet Lewis, and I wanted him to fall for me, because it would annoy the shit out of Amanda. That wasn’t the only reason – I wasn’t a complete monster. I wanted to be with someone who would tell me I was beautiful and appreciate me.”
I actually have hated Belcott since Book 1, for the disgusting way he talks about Maeve, and how everything under the sun has some sexual innuendo, but here, he won me over for a split second, by finally putting Georgia in her place. Though, sadly, I doubt it will show in the next novel.
“‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall.’
I turned the camera off and glared at Belcott. ‘Appearances matter, Pete.’
‘Turning up matters. Being there on time. Doing the job when you get there. How you look – that doesn’t matter.’”
Then, Maeve had her turn:
“Maeve was sorting through the contents of the girl’s bag. She paused to study an asthma inhaler, one of three that had been shoved in a side pocket of the bag.
‘So are we sure it’s murder? It couldn’t have been natural causes? If she had asthma, that could have killed her.’
‘Not unless it was armed with a knife.’ She pinched the edge of the girl’s coat and drew it back so I could see that the side of her torso was saturated with blood. ‘She was stabbed.’
‘Oh.’
‘Do you think the response officers and paramedics would have called us in for an asthma attack?’
‘No, of course not.’”
~
So, why 3 stars? Because the STORY was good. The crime itself was clever, if slightly disgusting. There's a lot of triggers here, but the way the story panned out, the pacing and interviews, were well done. If it wasn't for the strong, and horrible female-competition aspect of this series, Maeve's stupid behaviour, and Georgia's disgusting behaviour, then this would be a brilliant series. I utterly love Derwent and Godley, I kind of like Una now (though I hated her at first, as planned), and I love Kev Cox and the other Detectives. If only the women – in a series written BY a woman – cared less about their appearance, their personal lives, and who is sleeping with whom, this would be a cracker of a crime series.
WARNING: mentions of Holocaust deniers committing cruel pranks against a teenager, neo-Nazis, anti-Semetism, Black Lives Matter
~
I have no idea why the author chose to write a 100+ page “short” story in the POV of the most hated/disliked recurring character of the series – Georgia. That's like writing a Harry Potter novel from the POV of Dolores Umbridge.
Unfortunately, though I've hated Georgia until now, it actually gets worse. She's vain, insecure, and – yes, the author tries to mitigate all that by suggesting it's because of her home life and family situation – but that doesn't make her any more likeable. Plenty of people have shitty parents, a horrible home life, or have lost a family member, without becoming a vindictive bitch who is only out for what she can get.
In one story, Georgia blatantly blackmails Derwent (over something that isn't even happening, isn't logical, and doesn't make sense at all, in the wider sense of the series), racial profiles a suspect, “falls” for a Dr of a witness, spends half her work day doing the bare minimum and the other half imagining what Derwent would be like in bed. Oh, and defends a murderer. Breaks the 4th wall, for no apparent reason (at the start of Chapter 7). And, when she comes home to her flat, and hears that her flatmate's boyfriend is home, she VERY deliberately undoes buttons on her blouse and blatantly flirts with him, pressing up against him in a disgusting attempt to make the girl angry. Then, says “She only had herself to blame” when the boyfriend eyes her up, as if, somehow, it's this girl's fault that Georgia acts like a raging slut. It's no wonder the flatmate hates her.
I think the best way to describe how I felt about this being in Georgia's POV would be to show you these little snippets:
“As for Maeve, she was wandering around the classroom looking at the posters on the walls, lost in thought. I took advantage of her being distracted to stand next to Derwent, lining up on his team. It looked as if he and I were there together, and Maeve was just tagging along. I liked giving that impression.”
“I would never admit it to Belcott, or anyone else, but I resented the fact that Derwent had a glint in his blue eyes that he never wasted on me. I might as well have been invisible to him, or even a man. He just wasn’t interested. At all.”
“I didn’t have a lot of friends, especially women. I always got on better with men – until we slept together and they ghosted me. If that didn’t happen, their girlfriends got worried about me being too much competition and made them back off.”
“I wanted to meet Lewis, and I wanted him to fall for me, because it would annoy the shit out of Amanda. That wasn’t the only reason – I wasn’t a complete monster. I wanted to be with someone who would tell me I was beautiful and appreciate me.”
I actually have hated Belcott since Book 1, for the disgusting way he talks about Maeve, and how everything under the sun has some sexual innuendo, but here, he won me over for a split second, by finally putting Georgia in her place. Though, sadly, I doubt it will show in the next novel.
“‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall.’
I turned the camera off and glared at Belcott. ‘Appearances matter, Pete.’
‘Turning up matters. Being there on time. Doing the job when you get there. How you look – that doesn’t matter.’”
Then, Maeve had her turn:
“Maeve was sorting through the contents of the girl’s bag. She paused to study an asthma inhaler, one of three that had been shoved in a side pocket of the bag.
‘So are we sure it’s murder? It couldn’t have been natural causes? If she had asthma, that could have killed her.’
‘Not unless it was armed with a knife.’ She pinched the edge of the girl’s coat and drew it back so I could see that the side of her torso was saturated with blood. ‘She was stabbed.’
‘Oh.’
‘Do you think the response officers and paramedics would have called us in for an asthma attack?’
‘No, of course not.’”
~
So, why 3 stars? Because the STORY was good. The crime itself was clever, if slightly disgusting. There's a lot of triggers here, but the way the story panned out, the pacing and interviews, were well done. If it wasn't for the strong, and horrible female-competition aspect of this series, Maeve's stupid behaviour, and Georgia's disgusting behaviour, then this would be a brilliant series. I utterly love Derwent and Godley, I kind of like Una now (though I hated her at first, as planned), and I love Kev Cox and the other Detectives. If only the women – in a series written BY a woman – cared less about their appearance, their personal lives, and who is sleeping with whom, this would be a cracker of a crime series.
August 18, 2020
E-novella, set between books 8 and 9 of Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series.
There is a thing that often happens in any genre where there's tons of technical information - whether real or invented - and that is that the characterisation takes second place. This is not necessarily a bad thing - sometimes that stuff is what we read for. And sometimes if we get too much character stuff, we find ourselves frustrated because it feels like, actually, feelings, all well and good, but it seems trivial next to the Big Stuff.
Jane Casey manages to strike a gorgeous balance between nitty-gritty stuff and making it feel like her characters are real. They care a lot about their work - to the detriment of other parts of their lives - but they do exist beyond it. So reading her police procedurals is a joy - and this latest is a particular thrill because we get inside the head of Georgia Shaw, Maeve's colleague and sometime thorn-in-side. The dynamics of the department are seen through these new eyes, and what I love is that Georgia gets to be as annoying and calculated in some ways as we imagined, while also having hidden depths. Because everyone has hidden depths, but it's very easy to excuse everything when getting inside someone's head (oh they're just misunderstood!) - this isn't what we get here.
There's also a satisfying mystery with twists; not as many as we would get in a full-length work, of course, but enough for this to feel like a satisfying instalment.
A very very pleasing thing to read.
There is a thing that often happens in any genre where there's tons of technical information - whether real or invented - and that is that the characterisation takes second place. This is not necessarily a bad thing - sometimes that stuff is what we read for. And sometimes if we get too much character stuff, we find ourselves frustrated because it feels like, actually, feelings, all well and good, but it seems trivial next to the Big Stuff.
Jane Casey manages to strike a gorgeous balance between nitty-gritty stuff and making it feel like her characters are real. They care a lot about their work - to the detriment of other parts of their lives - but they do exist beyond it. So reading her police procedurals is a joy - and this latest is a particular thrill because we get inside the head of Georgia Shaw, Maeve's colleague and sometime thorn-in-side. The dynamics of the department are seen through these new eyes, and what I love is that Georgia gets to be as annoying and calculated in some ways as we imagined, while also having hidden depths. Because everyone has hidden depths, but it's very easy to excuse everything when getting inside someone's head (oh they're just misunderstood!) - this isn't what we get here.
There's also a satisfying mystery with twists; not as many as we would get in a full-length work, of course, but enough for this to feel like a satisfying instalment.
A very very pleasing thing to read.
December 18, 2021
I get that Georgia is meant to be an antagonistic character therefore her narration is meant to rub the reader up the wrong way but there are so many off-putting ways in which Jane Casey decided to go about this. Sometimes Georgia’s irritable qualities are expected and predictable given what we know of her from the series and then there are times when the author seems to be adding random stereotypical girl hate tropes to cast her in an unfavourable light even when it doesn’t seem necessary or fit with the context of the story.
I disliked Georgia before this book and after it but even as someone who never empathised with the character I can tell that some of Georgia’s negative characteristics seem forced by the author specially after we’ve been made to believe how difficult it is for a woman to make it to the murder task force.
I love this series and have been following it for a long time and will continue to do so despite my mixed feelings about this novella.
I disliked Georgia before this book and after it but even as someone who never empathised with the character I can tell that some of Georgia’s negative characteristics seem forced by the author specially after we’ve been made to believe how difficult it is for a woman to make it to the murder task force.
I love this series and have been following it for a long time and will continue to do so despite my mixed feelings about this novella.
January 8, 2023
Nice to see Georgia's perspective as I'm always wondering what's going through her mind when she does things that make me cringe so hard (this book is no exception lol). I like how she is trying better her detective skills, but I wish she knew that she doesn't have to beat Maeve at everything. There can in fact be TWO fabulous female detectives on one team, no need for comparing herself to others... but with a mother like hers, it makes sense for a character like Georgia to be how she is.
Maeve and Josh from another's point of view was what I was anticipating the most, tbh. Some cute moments in this book (Josh is down bad omg), but if they don't kiss within the next ten books I am going to scream.
Maeve and Josh from another's point of view was what I was anticipating the most, tbh. Some cute moments in this book (Josh is down bad omg), but if they don't kiss within the next ten books I am going to scream.
June 12, 2021
Same series, different POV. Still loves it
I love this series of books and this author. All the books so far have been written from Maeve`s perspective but this one is first person from Georgia (her colleague 's) perspective. Took a bit to get used to. If you like British police procedurals you will enjoy this series but I would start from the beginning so you will understand the characters more. If you read any as a stand alone this one might be a good one since it's a bit different being from the other perspective. One or two sweat words, no sexual situations (one reference to 'shagging') and no gore
I love this series of books and this author. All the books so far have been written from Maeve`s perspective but this one is first person from Georgia (her colleague 's) perspective. Took a bit to get used to. If you like British police procedurals you will enjoy this series but I would start from the beginning so you will understand the characters more. If you read any as a stand alone this one might be a good one since it's a bit different being from the other perspective. One or two sweat words, no sexual situations (one reference to 'shagging') and no gore
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