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DI Eve Hunter #2
Out For Blood
A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.
Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.
As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.
Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long – and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down…
Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?
Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.
As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.
Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long – and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down…
Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2020
176 people are currently reading
774 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Masson
7 books113 followersDeborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. Always restless and fighting against being a responsible adult, Deborah worked in several jobs including Secretarial, Marketing, Reporting for the city’s weekly freebie newspaper, and a stint as a Postie - to name but a few. But through it all, she always read crime fiction and, when motherhood finally settled her in to being an adult, maybe even a responsible one, she turned her hand to trying to write what she loved to read. Deborah started with short stories and flash fiction whilst her daughter napped and, when she later welcomed her son into the world, decided to challenge her writing further through online courses with Professional Writing Academy and Faber Academy. Her debut, Hold Your Tongue, was the result of those courses. She’s since published Out For Blood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
October 30, 2020
DI Eve Hunter returns in Deborah Masson's Aberdeen based crime series, with a police team that has begun to gel after initial difficulties, even DS Scott Ferguson has become less arrogant and more bearable. Eve's leg is still problematic although considerably better, and after the harrowing traumas she has experienced, her boss DCI Hastings still has her visiting the psychiatrist, although thankfully it is now only monthly visits. Hastings is insisting that DS Mark Cooper reports to him how Eve is doing, specifically if she is managing to control her temper, which has got her in trouble recently in a domestic abuse case. In the centre of the city, a young IT consultant, Dean Johnstone, from a wealthy and privileged family, is found murdered in his flat. At Hazlehead Golf Club, the body of a young woman is found hanged, a suspected suicide.
After the post-mortem conclusively proves that the young woman was murdered, Eve is desperate to have the case, managing to convince a reluctant Hastings to let her team handle both murder inquiries. Each case presents their own particular difficulties, Dean's father, Robert is less than forthcoming about information on his son, and the silence from others is deafening too. Dean was part of a tight trio of friends from the exclusive Hermitage Boys School, known as the Trinity, and a year ago, one of the group, Andrew Shirriffs died, and the other boy, Finn Miller, is the son of Peter Miller, one the most powerful and influential men in the city. The young woman turns out to be a Eastern European trafficked woman, one of many, abused and exploited, with a tattooed barcode on the back of her neck. Could there possibly be any connection between two such different murder victims from opposite ends of the social and economic strata?
Masson throws a light in the harrowing world of human trafficking, with young women conned into the brutal world of prostitution, with little hope of escape from their desperate circumstances, sharply contrasting with the horrifying behaviour of those from more privileged circles, abusing their power and position, protected and immune from the consequences of their reprehensible actions. One of the best parts of this series is the glimpses we get into the personal lives of those on the police team, such as DC Jo Mearns with her over-protective parents, and Cooper experiencing problems in his marriage. This is a engaging and absorbing well plotted addition to the crime series, with a unexpected twist that emerges at the conclusion of the story. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
After the post-mortem conclusively proves that the young woman was murdered, Eve is desperate to have the case, managing to convince a reluctant Hastings to let her team handle both murder inquiries. Each case presents their own particular difficulties, Dean's father, Robert is less than forthcoming about information on his son, and the silence from others is deafening too. Dean was part of a tight trio of friends from the exclusive Hermitage Boys School, known as the Trinity, and a year ago, one of the group, Andrew Shirriffs died, and the other boy, Finn Miller, is the son of Peter Miller, one the most powerful and influential men in the city. The young woman turns out to be a Eastern European trafficked woman, one of many, abused and exploited, with a tattooed barcode on the back of her neck. Could there possibly be any connection between two such different murder victims from opposite ends of the social and economic strata?
Masson throws a light in the harrowing world of human trafficking, with young women conned into the brutal world of prostitution, with little hope of escape from their desperate circumstances, sharply contrasting with the horrifying behaviour of those from more privileged circles, abusing their power and position, protected and immune from the consequences of their reprehensible actions. One of the best parts of this series is the glimpses we get into the personal lives of those on the police team, such as DC Jo Mearns with her over-protective parents, and Cooper experiencing problems in his marriage. This is a engaging and absorbing well plotted addition to the crime series, with a unexpected twist that emerges at the conclusion of the story. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
July 14, 2020
This is the second DI Eve Hunter crime novel. In this one, her team investigates the murder of Dean Johnstone a twenty five year old IT consultant who comes from a privileged and wealthy background. They are also summoned to a golf course for a possible suicide of a young woman. If you like your police procedurals gritty then you’ll enjoy this series set in the granite city of Aberdeen.
This is another well written novel that draws you into the storytelling. The plot is plausible and the pace is fast. The characters in the investigative team are great - there’s Eve, rash, dogged, fearless with a temper, you’ll definitely want her in your corner. She is all the more interesting because she’s flawed. DS Mark Cooper is a perfect side kick for Eve and I like how in this one we get a more personal side to him with a glimpse at family life which is never easy for a copper. Then there’s hardworking DC Jo Mearns and the growing on you DS Scott Ferguson who is definitely having his more arrogant edges rubbed off! It’s a really good team whose personalities compliment each other. This case is very dark and explores relevant issues such as trafficking for sex workers and also how powerful people can cruelly control others right from school days and with the right connections can get away with far too much. The author captures emotions extremely well especially of trafficked Andreea. It’s a story full of twists and turns as the original investigation grows bigger and more widespread. My only reservation is the ending which I fully appreciate is leading up to this but it feels a bit contrived although it can’t be denied it makes for exciting reading.
Overall, another winner from Deborah Masson. I love Eve’s character and so I hope number three is well under way!
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Transworld (Corgi) for the ARC.
This is another well written novel that draws you into the storytelling. The plot is plausible and the pace is fast. The characters in the investigative team are great - there’s Eve, rash, dogged, fearless with a temper, you’ll definitely want her in your corner. She is all the more interesting because she’s flawed. DS Mark Cooper is a perfect side kick for Eve and I like how in this one we get a more personal side to him with a glimpse at family life which is never easy for a copper. Then there’s hardworking DC Jo Mearns and the growing on you DS Scott Ferguson who is definitely having his more arrogant edges rubbed off! It’s a really good team whose personalities compliment each other. This case is very dark and explores relevant issues such as trafficking for sex workers and also how powerful people can cruelly control others right from school days and with the right connections can get away with far too much. The author captures emotions extremely well especially of trafficked Andreea. It’s a story full of twists and turns as the original investigation grows bigger and more widespread. My only reservation is the ending which I fully appreciate is leading up to this but it feels a bit contrived although it can’t be denied it makes for exciting reading.
Overall, another winner from Deborah Masson. I love Eve’s character and so I hope number three is well under way!
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Transworld (Corgi) for the ARC.
November 14, 2020
I didn’t realise this was the second book in a series until I started reading it (oh no - not again)! It didn’t matter too much but might have helped with the background if I’d read the earlier book. The book is set in Aberdeen, Scotland. A young man, Dean Johnstone, the son of a wealthy businessman, is found dead in his apartment. Just hours later an unidentified young woman is found hanging in a tree at a golf course. This apparent suicide doesn’t fool the Medical Examiner and DI Eve Hunter, DS Cooper and DCs Mearns and Ferguson do their utmost to solve the crimes, particularly to get justice for the young woman who they believe was a forced sex worker from Romania.
The story was interesting although it’s all been done before - the sex trafficking of Eastern European women and girls has been has been the subject of many a book. In this story, events of the present day are coloured, as they so often are, by events in the past and the lengths to which people will go to cover up anything that might tarnish their shiny reputations. It’s not exactly new territory. It all seems to lead back to a private school where three boys who were friends stuck together and later they had sons who went to the same school. Dean Johnstone was one of those sons. Another of the sons, Andrew Shirrif died a year earlier in an apparent suicide. Soon police are wondering if the sins of the fathers rubbed off onto the sons. Unfortunately no one wants to talk - leaving detectives to wonder what they are all hiding.
As it turns out, they are hiding quite a lot! There was nothing wrong with this story - it was good, the characters were likeable enough, the dialogue crisp and the writing all very good. I think, for me, it was just missing a little drama or suspense to elevate it to a higher rating. And, as I said, it lacked an element of originality. Again not a problem if the pace is there, but it wasn’t quite there. I never quite felt fully invested in it. This story will appeal to those who enjoy a solid police procedural (especially if they have read the earlier book) and those who have not read as many crime stories as I have. There was hardly any violence or blood or profanity or sex and no animals were abused. Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Deborah Masson for providing me a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
The story was interesting although it’s all been done before - the sex trafficking of Eastern European women and girls has been has been the subject of many a book. In this story, events of the present day are coloured, as they so often are, by events in the past and the lengths to which people will go to cover up anything that might tarnish their shiny reputations. It’s not exactly new territory. It all seems to lead back to a private school where three boys who were friends stuck together and later they had sons who went to the same school. Dean Johnstone was one of those sons. Another of the sons, Andrew Shirrif died a year earlier in an apparent suicide. Soon police are wondering if the sins of the fathers rubbed off onto the sons. Unfortunately no one wants to talk - leaving detectives to wonder what they are all hiding.
As it turns out, they are hiding quite a lot! There was nothing wrong with this story - it was good, the characters were likeable enough, the dialogue crisp and the writing all very good. I think, for me, it was just missing a little drama or suspense to elevate it to a higher rating. And, as I said, it lacked an element of originality. Again not a problem if the pace is there, but it wasn’t quite there. I never quite felt fully invested in it. This story will appeal to those who enjoy a solid police procedural (especially if they have read the earlier book) and those who have not read as many crime stories as I have. There was hardly any violence or blood or profanity or sex and no animals were abused. Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Deborah Masson for providing me a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
April 12, 2023
Out For Blood is the second book in the DI Eve Hunter series and it's definitely a great addition to the series.
It's has a great guessing game of a storyline and a twisted ending which you'll sit back and say 'well I never'.
I'm looking forward to book 3 as this is a series which seems to get a little better with each book.
Definitely worth reading if you enjoy a good detective read📚
It's has a great guessing game of a storyline and a twisted ending which you'll sit back and say 'well I never'.
I'm looking forward to book 3 as this is a series which seems to get a little better with each book.
Definitely worth reading if you enjoy a good detective read📚
December 1, 2020
DI Eve Hunter #2
The son of an influential businessman is found dead in his central Aberdeen apartment. Hours later, a teenage girl with no identification is found hanged I'm a suspected suicide. DI Eve Hunterand her team investigate the two cases,they find themselves in a tug of war between priveliged and poverty.
With the family and friends of Dean Johnston reluctant to give information, DI Eve Hunter and her team have their work cut out. The plotline is gripping. Two separate crime scenes, two victims but they are intricately linked. The story includes human trafficking. The book also refers back to the previous book, Hold Your Tongue. This is a well written, fast paced mystery.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #DeborahMasson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The son of an influential businessman is found dead in his central Aberdeen apartment. Hours later, a teenage girl with no identification is found hanged I'm a suspected suicide. DI Eve Hunterand her team investigate the two cases,they find themselves in a tug of war between priveliged and poverty.
With the family and friends of Dean Johnston reluctant to give information, DI Eve Hunter and her team have their work cut out. The plotline is gripping. Two separate crime scenes, two victims but they are intricately linked. The story includes human trafficking. The book also refers back to the previous book, Hold Your Tongue. This is a well written, fast paced mystery.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #DeborahMasson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2020
Out for Blood is the second instalment in the DI Eve Hunter series, set in Aberdeen, Scotland. DI Hunter and DS Mark Cooper are called out to Hazlehead MacKenzie Championship golf course on a breezy Mid-October day where the body of a young woman with long, dark hair has been discovered hanged in the trees by the fairway, which had almost given Tom Bradshaw, an older guy dedicated to the game, a heart attack having found her. The police deem it a suicide but Eve isn't so sure. Meanwhile, elsewhere, the team attend a luxury executive flat close to Aberdeen city centre when a neighbour complains of uncharacteristically loud music and find the body of wealthy IT consultant, twenty-five-year-old Dean Johnstone lying face-up on a bloodstained cream rug; he had been hit over the head with a solid bronze statue resulting in blunt force trauma. Eve and both Cooper and pathologist Brian Maclean don't believe the impact was enough to kill him and the preliminary cause of death is documented as smothering. It doesn't take long before Maclean confirms Eve's suspicions that the young woman was murdered. But when they visit Dean's father Robert, the owner of In-Serv in Altens, which was where Dean had worked, he was cagey and something wasn't quite right.
Could these two cases be linked even though the deceased are from opposite ends of the social and economic spectrum? This is a hard-hitting, riveting and engrossing police procedural with a plot that is filled with action and tension, and I loved that there was no messing about or any unnecessary padding, and Masson lands you right in the middle of the drama from the opening chapter. There is refreshing originality about the way the author approaches the topics of sex trafficking, abuse and forced prostitution and the portrayal of the women caught up in this never-ending circle of desperation really was powerful and moving. It also highlighted the fact that those who rub shoulders with high society seem to be able to abuse their power and act with impunity due to their connections and affluence, and I feel that reflects real life, sadly. I find the dynamic between the characters and their banter realistic and the personal lives of the team members are fascinating. This is a well written, considered and compulsive crime novel with more than enough to get your teeth into and an explosive and unexpected conclusion is the icing on the cake. Highly recommended.
Could these two cases be linked even though the deceased are from opposite ends of the social and economic spectrum? This is a hard-hitting, riveting and engrossing police procedural with a plot that is filled with action and tension, and I loved that there was no messing about or any unnecessary padding, and Masson lands you right in the middle of the drama from the opening chapter. There is refreshing originality about the way the author approaches the topics of sex trafficking, abuse and forced prostitution and the portrayal of the women caught up in this never-ending circle of desperation really was powerful and moving. It also highlighted the fact that those who rub shoulders with high society seem to be able to abuse their power and act with impunity due to their connections and affluence, and I feel that reflects real life, sadly. I find the dynamic between the characters and their banter realistic and the personal lives of the team members are fascinating. This is a well written, considered and compulsive crime novel with more than enough to get your teeth into and an explosive and unexpected conclusion is the icing on the cake. Highly recommended.
December 15, 2020
When I read the words "gritty police procedural" and "Aberdeen" in one sentence, I knew I had to try Out for Blood, as Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae series is one of my all-time favourites. As a result, I have a soft spot for the Granite city and its inhabitants - police, criminal or otherwise.
On the recommendation of other readers, I quickly read the first in the DI Eve Hunter series, Hold Your Tongue, before embarking on this one. And I'm glad I did - the first book contains significant character development and backstory which enhanced my enjoyment of Out for Blood. Mind you, this book would also read well as a standalone, as there are non-spoiler "catch up" references to the events of the first book.
The only downside of my Deborah Masson-immersion (two books in two days) is that I now have a really long wait ahead of me for the next instalment! I certainly suffered that phenomenon that occasionally strikes when one reads a really great book, that I really missed the book's "universe" and characters after turning the last page. I now have another favourite series!
In this instalment, the action of which occurs almost a year after the dramatic events that concluded Hold Your Tongue, Aberdeen D.I. Eve Hunter's team are called to two crime scenes on the same morning. Hunter and D.S. Cooper respond to a violent and suspicious death in a plush apartment, while D.S. Mearns and D.S. Ferguson attend what at first appears to be a suicide by hanging near a local golf course.
The dual investigations lead Hunter's team into the world of high-flying alumni of the exclusive Heritage school, whose members are curiously reticent to provide police with any information, even when one of their own has been murdered. They also probe the murky depths of Aberdeen's organised prostitution scene, run by ruthless Eastern European overlords preying on trafficked underage girls. Before long, the team begin to suspect that the two cases may overlap, but with so many shady characters to choose from, the cases throw up many challenges. Interspersed through the narrative are occasional snippets from another perspective, which seem to comprise flashbacks to an earlier time - who is the mysterious narrator, and what relevance do her recollections have to the present events?
A year on, Hunter's team have certainly become more cohesive than they were in the previous book, with Mearns and Hunter now enjoying a mutual respect for each other's strengths and skills. Even Ferguson has now reconciled to being more of a team player. Cooper is as loyal as ever, despite D.C.I. Hastings' efforts to have him inform on Hunter's behaviour and mental state. Hunter's employment remains conditional upon her continued attendance at psychological counselling, which she resents, but at least she now only needs to attend monthly, rather than weekly.
Despite the reduction of overt tension between the police characters in this instalment, I felt that the character development and interrelationships remained first-rate. Hunter is a prickly but sympathetic protagonist, and despite her occasional impetuous behaviour, the reader really wants her to succeed. Cooper, Mearns and Ferguson are compelling supporting characters, each playing a valuable role in the team. There are some innocent victims and really unpleasant witnesses and criminal characters for the team to combat too, which keeps the dramatic tension high.
Deborah Masson's pacing and plotting in Out for Blood is just as assured as in Hold Your Tongue. Revelations and connections are uncovered gradually to the reader, as they are by the tenacious detective team. The conclusion is surprising but deliciously satisfying, given the tangled web of deceit Hunter and her team have had to infiltrate.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Out for Blood and can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who enjoys a well-written, character-driven crime thriller.
My thanks to the author, Deborah Masson, publisher Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the Corgi imprint, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic title. I can't wait for the next instalment!
On the recommendation of other readers, I quickly read the first in the DI Eve Hunter series, Hold Your Tongue, before embarking on this one. And I'm glad I did - the first book contains significant character development and backstory which enhanced my enjoyment of Out for Blood. Mind you, this book would also read well as a standalone, as there are non-spoiler "catch up" references to the events of the first book.
The only downside of my Deborah Masson-immersion (two books in two days) is that I now have a really long wait ahead of me for the next instalment! I certainly suffered that phenomenon that occasionally strikes when one reads a really great book, that I really missed the book's "universe" and characters after turning the last page. I now have another favourite series!
In this instalment, the action of which occurs almost a year after the dramatic events that concluded Hold Your Tongue, Aberdeen D.I. Eve Hunter's team are called to two crime scenes on the same morning. Hunter and D.S. Cooper respond to a violent and suspicious death in a plush apartment, while D.S. Mearns and D.S. Ferguson attend what at first appears to be a suicide by hanging near a local golf course.
The dual investigations lead Hunter's team into the world of high-flying alumni of the exclusive Heritage school, whose members are curiously reticent to provide police with any information, even when one of their own has been murdered. They also probe the murky depths of Aberdeen's organised prostitution scene, run by ruthless Eastern European overlords preying on trafficked underage girls. Before long, the team begin to suspect that the two cases may overlap, but with so many shady characters to choose from, the cases throw up many challenges. Interspersed through the narrative are occasional snippets from another perspective, which seem to comprise flashbacks to an earlier time - who is the mysterious narrator, and what relevance do her recollections have to the present events?
A year on, Hunter's team have certainly become more cohesive than they were in the previous book, with Mearns and Hunter now enjoying a mutual respect for each other's strengths and skills. Even Ferguson has now reconciled to being more of a team player. Cooper is as loyal as ever, despite D.C.I. Hastings' efforts to have him inform on Hunter's behaviour and mental state. Hunter's employment remains conditional upon her continued attendance at psychological counselling, which she resents, but at least she now only needs to attend monthly, rather than weekly.
Despite the reduction of overt tension between the police characters in this instalment, I felt that the character development and interrelationships remained first-rate. Hunter is a prickly but sympathetic protagonist, and despite her occasional impetuous behaviour, the reader really wants her to succeed. Cooper, Mearns and Ferguson are compelling supporting characters, each playing a valuable role in the team. There are some innocent victims and really unpleasant witnesses and criminal characters for the team to combat too, which keeps the dramatic tension high.
Deborah Masson's pacing and plotting in Out for Blood is just as assured as in Hold Your Tongue. Revelations and connections are uncovered gradually to the reader, as they are by the tenacious detective team. The conclusion is surprising but deliciously satisfying, given the tangled web of deceit Hunter and her team have had to infiltrate.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Out for Blood and can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who enjoys a well-written, character-driven crime thriller.
My thanks to the author, Deborah Masson, publisher Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the Corgi imprint, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic title. I can't wait for the next instalment!
June 15, 2020
The body of a young girl is found hanged in woods near the Scottish town of Aberdeen. Closer examination leads to the conclusion that death occurred prior to the hanging raising the possibility of murder. When a second body, the son of a wealthy businessman is discovered, police begin to fear that both deaths may be related.
This is a standard police procedural with the lead detective DI Eve Hunter returning to full time duty after a terrifying previous investigation. She is joined by DS Mark Cooper himself coping with personal difficulties (since when have policemen never had complicated lives!) The story involves elements of human trafficking, old Etonians, privileged fathers and sons using their wealth to furnish their own selfish and greedy desire without a thought for the consequences. I found this novel drab, uninteresting storyline, unnecessarily complex, and a cast of characters displaying the usual traits of unhappy social/personal lives, traumatic past events hindering their ability to adequately carry out their daily duties. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.
This is a standard police procedural with the lead detective DI Eve Hunter returning to full time duty after a terrifying previous investigation. She is joined by DS Mark Cooper himself coping with personal difficulties (since when have policemen never had complicated lives!) The story involves elements of human trafficking, old Etonians, privileged fathers and sons using their wealth to furnish their own selfish and greedy desire without a thought for the consequences. I found this novel drab, uninteresting storyline, unnecessarily complex, and a cast of characters displaying the usual traits of unhappy social/personal lives, traumatic past events hindering their ability to adequately carry out their daily duties. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.
November 23, 2020
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Out for Blood, the second in the DI Evie Hunter series, is another intriguing detective novel which sees a return of Evie Hunter and her team. In this book she is investigating the death of a young woman who is found hanging from a tree, in an apparent suicide. They soon link this to the death of a rich businessman elsewhere in the city, and from there uncover a tangled web of family lies and deceit.
This novel has the perfect combination of police procedural and action, with the welcome return of determined detective Evie Hunter and her colleague DS Cooper, who is having difficulties in his personal life. It’s great to see these characters return and I particularly like Mark Cooper as a character; he and Evie bounce off eachother very well.
There are some really gritty parts to this novel, with some serious issues taking centre stage in the case including prostitution and sex trafficking. The topics are approached with sensitivity but also a refreshing frankness that doesn’t dance around the issue. The plot moves at a good pace but doesn’t feel rushed, and although there is some drama, it never feels unbelievable.
If you can start with book 1 – Hold Your Tongue – then you’ll get some more backstory about the characters, but it’s not essential.
I really enjoyed Out for Blood and feel it helps cement the DI Evie Hunter series as an enjoyable, gripping crime series. Definitely recommended.
Out for Blood, the second in the DI Evie Hunter series, is another intriguing detective novel which sees a return of Evie Hunter and her team. In this book she is investigating the death of a young woman who is found hanging from a tree, in an apparent suicide. They soon link this to the death of a rich businessman elsewhere in the city, and from there uncover a tangled web of family lies and deceit.
This novel has the perfect combination of police procedural and action, with the welcome return of determined detective Evie Hunter and her colleague DS Cooper, who is having difficulties in his personal life. It’s great to see these characters return and I particularly like Mark Cooper as a character; he and Evie bounce off eachother very well.
There are some really gritty parts to this novel, with some serious issues taking centre stage in the case including prostitution and sex trafficking. The topics are approached with sensitivity but also a refreshing frankness that doesn’t dance around the issue. The plot moves at a good pace but doesn’t feel rushed, and although there is some drama, it never feels unbelievable.
If you can start with book 1 – Hold Your Tongue – then you’ll get some more backstory about the characters, but it’s not essential.
I really enjoyed Out for Blood and feel it helps cement the DI Evie Hunter series as an enjoyable, gripping crime series. Definitely recommended.
December 10, 2020
Two seemingly unconnected deaths - one, a young man who is found dead in his apartment, whilst the second is a young woman who was founded hanged at the local golf course and initially suspected of being a suicide. As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate, however, they find that the evidence is leading them towards a showdown with a group of families from an elite school, Money talks but Hunter is determined that wealth will not allow those responsible to get away with it.
I read the first book in the series and was fairly impressed, and this second book is even better. The characters have started to settle into their roles and work well together. Although the theme has been done before, I found that writing was good enough to keep my interest once the book got going. I would definitely read the third book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Corgi, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
I read the first book in the series and was fairly impressed, and this second book is even better. The characters have started to settle into their roles and work well together. Although the theme has been done before, I found that writing was good enough to keep my interest once the book got going. I would definitely read the third book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Corgi, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
January 23, 2021
Set in Aberdeen,
Out for Blood
is the second book in a solid crime-mystery series featuring DI Eve Hunter, Chief Investigating Officer of the Aberdeen Police's Major Incident Team. Eve is still seeing her psychiatrist following a brutal attack on her and her colleague, DS Nicola Sanders, that left Eve with a limp. Her boss, DCI Hastings is reluctant to let Eve handle two new cases. The first is the murder of a young IT consultant, Dean Johnstone from a wealthy and privileged family, found in his flat in the city centre. The second case is the suspected suicide of a young woman, found hanged in the trees at Hazlehead MacKenzie Championship golf course.
Out for Blood is told from an investigative point of view, with a few interjections from an unnamed young woman muddying the waters and creating another dimension. DI Eve Hunter makes a very rewarding protagonist. Her desire for justice, hot-temperament and her personal struggles make her as fascinating as the main plot, giving rise to a novel that is all the more rewarding. Deborah Masson's inspired writing continues to wow me and I especially like that the team are gelling a little more as they had previously often been working in disharmony with each other. In a story that delves into the seedy and repulsive world of human trafficking, the plotting is intriguing and memorable. There is an abundance of twists that I did not see coming and the end is a winner. Overall, Out for Blood is a tremendous tale that definitely leaves me wanting more from both the author and this remarkable team of characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Random House Transworld via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Out for Blood is told from an investigative point of view, with a few interjections from an unnamed young woman muddying the waters and creating another dimension. DI Eve Hunter makes a very rewarding protagonist. Her desire for justice, hot-temperament and her personal struggles make her as fascinating as the main plot, giving rise to a novel that is all the more rewarding. Deborah Masson's inspired writing continues to wow me and I especially like that the team are gelling a little more as they had previously often been working in disharmony with each other. In a story that delves into the seedy and repulsive world of human trafficking, the plotting is intriguing and memorable. There is an abundance of twists that I did not see coming and the end is a winner. Overall, Out for Blood is a tremendous tale that definitely leaves me wanting more from both the author and this remarkable team of characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Random House Transworld via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
March 25, 2024
I don't think this was the book for me. I found it hard to follow due to the many names and use of first and last names. It also got quite boring eventually, some situations that were supposed to make it interesting you already saw coming. The main character did become a lot more likeable around the middle, she's quite funny. Furthermore I wasn't a fan of the ending, it seemed too easy. I would like to know more about how it all was handled in the end. Would not recommend unless you're a crime fan I guess. xx
July 14, 2022
Ooh - that was better! I enjoyed #2 in the series much more, probably helps that you know more about the characters and their backstories - and learning more all the time which helps draw you in to the characterisations. In this book, Eve and her team are investigating another murder, which becomes a series of murder investigations. Interesting perspectives on human trafficking, horrendous insights into how the girls live and are sold for business. Also loved the local perspectives on Aberdeen, the slowly declining oil trade and what minor alternatives might exist to keep the town businesses going. Definitely looking out for #3 in this series when it comes along.
March 28, 2021
Not a bad read but not quite up to the standard of the first in this series. Felt a bit short and rather rushed...
November 23, 2020
I read Out for Blood really fast, and I finished it in just a couple of days. I enjoyed Deborah Masson’s debut novel, Hold Your Tongue, so I jumped at the chance to read her second. If you’re looking for an addictive new crime series, then I highly recommend her DI Eve Hunter series.
In her second book, Deborah Masson explores the horrific world of human trafficking. In the opening chapters, the body of a young woman is discovered hanging from a tree at a golf course. It is clear to Eve, from very early on, that this has been made to look like a suicide. And what’s even more disturbing is the mark that has been branded onto the young woman’s skin. But this isn’t the only case that Eve Hunter has to deal with. The son of a multi-millionaire businessman has been found dead at his home, in what looks like suspicious circumstances. As Eve gets to grips with the two cases, she begins to believe that there is a link between the two.
The scenes, in which Deborah Masson describes the conditions the girls (who are victims of human trafficking) are living in, are very harrowing. Although there has been a lot said about this heinous crime, it is still shocking to read about, even if it is in fiction. It makes you think of the people who really are living their lives like this. You really get the sense that they have no power or freedom in their lives at all. They are wholly dependent on the people who have forced them into this position.
The two investigations gelled together really well, and at no point throughout the book did I feel confused. Once it starts to become clear to Eve that the two cases might be connected, the pace really picks up. I didn’t feel sorry at all for the young man who had been killed. This was especially when Deborah Masson begins to reveal who he really was, and what he was involved in. I wanted Eve to get justice for the girl who had been found at the golf course more than I did for the young man.
Eve Hunter is a really intriguing detective as well. She has had issues with her anger in the past. Her involvement in a previous case, as well, has meant that she hasn’t been on the best of terms with some of her colleagues. I think it would be best to read the first book in the series to get to know her character and her past a bit better, but it isn’t necessary.
I’ve really enjoyed both the books in this series and I’m looking to forward to reading more from Deborah Masson. Out for Blood is fast-paced and a cleverly thought out crime novel.
In her second book, Deborah Masson explores the horrific world of human trafficking. In the opening chapters, the body of a young woman is discovered hanging from a tree at a golf course. It is clear to Eve, from very early on, that this has been made to look like a suicide. And what’s even more disturbing is the mark that has been branded onto the young woman’s skin. But this isn’t the only case that Eve Hunter has to deal with. The son of a multi-millionaire businessman has been found dead at his home, in what looks like suspicious circumstances. As Eve gets to grips with the two cases, she begins to believe that there is a link between the two.
The scenes, in which Deborah Masson describes the conditions the girls (who are victims of human trafficking) are living in, are very harrowing. Although there has been a lot said about this heinous crime, it is still shocking to read about, even if it is in fiction. It makes you think of the people who really are living their lives like this. You really get the sense that they have no power or freedom in their lives at all. They are wholly dependent on the people who have forced them into this position.
The two investigations gelled together really well, and at no point throughout the book did I feel confused. Once it starts to become clear to Eve that the two cases might be connected, the pace really picks up. I didn’t feel sorry at all for the young man who had been killed. This was especially when Deborah Masson begins to reveal who he really was, and what he was involved in. I wanted Eve to get justice for the girl who had been found at the golf course more than I did for the young man.
Eve Hunter is a really intriguing detective as well. She has had issues with her anger in the past. Her involvement in a previous case, as well, has meant that she hasn’t been on the best of terms with some of her colleagues. I think it would be best to read the first book in the series to get to know her character and her past a bit better, but it isn’t necessary.
I’ve really enjoyed both the books in this series and I’m looking to forward to reading more from Deborah Masson. Out for Blood is fast-paced and a cleverly thought out crime novel.
June 21, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of Out for Blood, the second novel to feature DI Eve Hunter of the Aberdeen Police.
Dean Johnstone is found murdered in his luxury flat and at the same time a teenager is found hanging from a tree at the local golf course. What, if anything, links a wealthy privileged young man and a poor, possibly foreign young woman? DI Eve Hunter is determined to find out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Out for Blood which is an engrossing police procedural with some interesting twists and an unexpected solution. The novel is mostly told from the investigative point of view with a few interruptions from an unnamed young woman who recounts her interactions with some young men. I liked the twist associated with these excerpts as I was completely deceived.
I have struggled recently with concentration, finding it difficult to keep my attention on a novel but I managed just fine with this one. It is quite a short novel so little is wasted and it always seems on point. There are plenty of developments to hold the interest and some strange behaviour from the principal potential sources of information to puzzle over. If I have one criticism and I’m not sure it is, it’s that the denouement is a flurry of information with everything explained, including new information, in one chapter. It’s a lot to take in when everything before that has been laid out logically and methodically.
Being Scottish I’m a sucker for a bit of Tartan Noir and the familiarity of the setting. I must admit that apart from the odd word and place name I didn’t get much sense of Scottishness. It could have been anywhere in the U.K. Not having to deal with the vernacular might be perceived as a bonus for many readers.
Out for Blood is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Dean Johnstone is found murdered in his luxury flat and at the same time a teenager is found hanging from a tree at the local golf course. What, if anything, links a wealthy privileged young man and a poor, possibly foreign young woman? DI Eve Hunter is determined to find out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Out for Blood which is an engrossing police procedural with some interesting twists and an unexpected solution. The novel is mostly told from the investigative point of view with a few interruptions from an unnamed young woman who recounts her interactions with some young men. I liked the twist associated with these excerpts as I was completely deceived.
I have struggled recently with concentration, finding it difficult to keep my attention on a novel but I managed just fine with this one. It is quite a short novel so little is wasted and it always seems on point. There are plenty of developments to hold the interest and some strange behaviour from the principal potential sources of information to puzzle over. If I have one criticism and I’m not sure it is, it’s that the denouement is a flurry of information with everything explained, including new information, in one chapter. It’s a lot to take in when everything before that has been laid out logically and methodically.
Being Scottish I’m a sucker for a bit of Tartan Noir and the familiarity of the setting. I must admit that apart from the odd word and place name I didn’t get much sense of Scottishness. It could have been anywhere in the U.K. Not having to deal with the vernacular might be perceived as a bonus for many readers.
Out for Blood is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
August 7, 2020
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK - Transworld Publishers, for the ARC.
This is book #2 of the DI Eve Hunter series; I thoroughly enjoyed Book #1 - Hold Your Tongue, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this one. I still liked the way Eve and her team interact and work together, but felt overall that the whole investigation seemed to run around in circles and didn't seem to be believable.
A young woman's bedraggled body is discovered hanging from trees on the edge of a golf course - it appears to be a suicide but something about the scene doesn't seem right.
IT consultant Dean Johnstone is found murdered on the floor of his plush executive apartment.
Three sons of three prominent Aberdeen businessmen, friends since their schooldays at Heritage School for Boys - Andrew Shirriffs who committed suicide one year earlier; Dean Johnstone now found murdered, and Finn Miller who seems to have dropped off the map. Eve and her team determine to find the connection between all three - is Finn in some kind of danger?
The story takes us into the realms of human trafficking for prostitution, drugs and the power of the wealthy to indulge in anything - legal or not, against the powerlessness of the young girls involved - their intolerable lives as modern sex slaves.
As said, I don't think the plot was that well-thought out in this book and the investigation seemed to rely on a lot of hunches and conjecture. But I enjoyed catching up with Eve and her team.
This is book #2 of the DI Eve Hunter series; I thoroughly enjoyed Book #1 - Hold Your Tongue, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this one. I still liked the way Eve and her team interact and work together, but felt overall that the whole investigation seemed to run around in circles and didn't seem to be believable.
A young woman's bedraggled body is discovered hanging from trees on the edge of a golf course - it appears to be a suicide but something about the scene doesn't seem right.
IT consultant Dean Johnstone is found murdered on the floor of his plush executive apartment.
Three sons of three prominent Aberdeen businessmen, friends since their schooldays at Heritage School for Boys - Andrew Shirriffs who committed suicide one year earlier; Dean Johnstone now found murdered, and Finn Miller who seems to have dropped off the map. Eve and her team determine to find the connection between all three - is Finn in some kind of danger?
The story takes us into the realms of human trafficking for prostitution, drugs and the power of the wealthy to indulge in anything - legal or not, against the powerlessness of the young girls involved - their intolerable lives as modern sex slaves.
As said, I don't think the plot was that well-thought out in this book and the investigation seemed to rely on a lot of hunches and conjecture. But I enjoyed catching up with Eve and her team.
January 5, 2021
OMG, if you are going to read any book this year it HAS to be this one.
Being a massive fan of Deborah Masson's previous novel Hold Your Tongue I was stupidly excited to recieve a copy of Out for Blood. If anything this one is even better!
I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole way through and think I forgot to breathe at times, it's exhilarating, breath taking, engrossing, engaging and just WOW.
Once again we see DI Eve Hunter tackling an unusual crime scene, a Jane Doe with a branding on her neck, the same way you'd see an animal branded. Who is she and how did she end up hanging from a tree?
Still traumatised and haunted by losing her friend (Book 1) you'll see Eve attending anger management/psychiatry sessions which she hates. These sessions really add to the overall story and as a reader really helps you to start understanding Eve a little more.
The plot delves into the stark contrast of the wealthy, privileged and the life of the victims left hanging.
I loved seeing the characters develop throughout this book, the diversity of the team dynamics and also the 'realness' of DI Hunter, showing that she's just as human as the rest of us.
I can not wait to see what Deborah has in store for Book 3!!!
Huge thanks to Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for the ARC.
Being a massive fan of Deborah Masson's previous novel Hold Your Tongue I was stupidly excited to recieve a copy of Out for Blood. If anything this one is even better!
I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole way through and think I forgot to breathe at times, it's exhilarating, breath taking, engrossing, engaging and just WOW.
Once again we see DI Eve Hunter tackling an unusual crime scene, a Jane Doe with a branding on her neck, the same way you'd see an animal branded. Who is she and how did she end up hanging from a tree?
Still traumatised and haunted by losing her friend (Book 1) you'll see Eve attending anger management/psychiatry sessions which she hates. These sessions really add to the overall story and as a reader really helps you to start understanding Eve a little more.
The plot delves into the stark contrast of the wealthy, privileged and the life of the victims left hanging.
I loved seeing the characters develop throughout this book, the diversity of the team dynamics and also the 'realness' of DI Hunter, showing that she's just as human as the rest of us.
I can not wait to see what Deborah has in store for Book 3!!!
Huge thanks to Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for the ARC.
November 19, 2020
Set in Aberdeen, DI Eve Hunter is working two cases, the death of a wealthy young man and the suspected suicide of a young woman.
When the suspected suicide turns out to be murder, the investigation really begins.
Are these two cases involving people from two different backgrounds linked?
This is a harrowing tale of human trafficking, about the women who are brought into the country under false pretences, only to be forced into the world of prostitution facing continual abuse. It’s also about wealth, privilege and power and how some of those people abuse their positions with impunity.
Full of fantastic characters and a clever, twisty plot, this glimpse into the two worlds make this a dark and compelling thriller. I was thoroughly gripped from start to finish.
Thank you to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour, for the promotional material and an eARC of Out For Blood.
When the suspected suicide turns out to be murder, the investigation really begins.
Are these two cases involving people from two different backgrounds linked?
This is a harrowing tale of human trafficking, about the women who are brought into the country under false pretences, only to be forced into the world of prostitution facing continual abuse. It’s also about wealth, privilege and power and how some of those people abuse their positions with impunity.
Full of fantastic characters and a clever, twisty plot, this glimpse into the two worlds make this a dark and compelling thriller. I was thoroughly gripped from start to finish.
Thank you to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour, for the promotional material and an eARC of Out For Blood.
December 3, 2020
This book was detailed, heavily researched and well plotted. The pace of the book was a little slow for me but I enjoyed it and would recommend it. The characters have moved on a little from the first book, but I'm not sure if it was necessary to have read it before this one.
April 29, 2021
Three or More
I have not read the first DI Eve Hunter book but having read this one look forward to it. Eve is tasked with resolving a domestic violence issue when she is told that a guy has been discovered dead in his apartment, a second death follows shortly after. She then discovers that a friend of the dead guy also died recently. Her and her team, Cooper, Mearns are desperate to unravel the connection between the deaths. As they investigate further it becomes apparent that people know more than they are saying. DI Hunter is a character that I feel will have many more adventures and I look forward to reading them. Deborah Masson has a knack of keeping you on your toes.
I have not read the first DI Eve Hunter book but having read this one look forward to it. Eve is tasked with resolving a domestic violence issue when she is told that a guy has been discovered dead in his apartment, a second death follows shortly after. She then discovers that a friend of the dead guy also died recently. Her and her team, Cooper, Mearns are desperate to unravel the connection between the deaths. As they investigate further it becomes apparent that people know more than they are saying. DI Hunter is a character that I feel will have many more adventures and I look forward to reading them. Deborah Masson has a knack of keeping you on your toes.
December 26, 2020
Good crime novel. Don't know if i'll read the other book in this series or any of the other books.
November 6, 2022
Thrilling
October 16, 2021
Got through it in a day so an addictive read.
June 1, 2021
Deborah Masson is new to me , and I was attracted to her writings based in Aberdeen . Stuart MacBride has really cornered the North East of Scotland but I was interested in some new spin.
I had not read the first book of the series ‘Hold your tongue ‘ and feel that this put me at a disadvantage in this tale of privilege, greed and murder.
I will look to read Hold your tongue in the coming months.
I now plan to delve into The Coffinmakers garden to see if Mr MacBride is keeping up to snuff.
I had not read the first book of the series ‘Hold your tongue ‘ and feel that this put me at a disadvantage in this tale of privilege, greed and murder.
I will look to read Hold your tongue in the coming months.
I now plan to delve into The Coffinmakers garden to see if Mr MacBride is keeping up to snuff.
June 19, 2024
Couldn’t put it down, such a good plot twist
June 30, 2020
I received an ARC of this book via netgalley. Whilst I have enjoyed the development of Eve's character and those of the others in the team I don't understand the negativity towards her, it feels like if the power that be don't want her they should just get on and do something about it. It adds nothing to the narrative line of the series and, in my opinion, almost detracts from it. They seem to have taken all the fight and feist out of Eve in this follow on.
The cases that begin this second book has elements from all ends of society two deaths, st first seemingly unconnected run on parallel lines that inch ever closer. The case lacks the twists and turns of the last book in the series and at times even feels quite mundane. There is little guess work needed to see who if not how they are intertwined.
it must be difficult to follow something like Hold Your Tongue the first in this series and for me this has failed to do so with any aplomb. It is a decent book just nothing to make it stand out from the mass of Mystery and thriller writing. I hope the author brings back the feisty team that populated the first book in the series.
The cases that begin this second book has elements from all ends of society two deaths, st first seemingly unconnected run on parallel lines that inch ever closer. The case lacks the twists and turns of the last book in the series and at times even feels quite mundane. There is little guess work needed to see who if not how they are intertwined.
it must be difficult to follow something like Hold Your Tongue the first in this series and for me this has failed to do so with any aplomb. It is a decent book just nothing to make it stand out from the mass of Mystery and thriller writing. I hope the author brings back the feisty team that populated the first book in the series.
March 21, 2025
The book begins with a farmer finding a woman hanging from a tree. We later find out she had been murdered and it wasn’t suicide. In the autopsy, a lot of scarring is found of forced sex and a barcode on her neck, typical of human trafficking. After speaking to some youths who were nearby drinking, they reveal there was a car with a man and woman in.
It then takes us to Eve Hunter back on another case. Her and Cooper go to a house where a man, Dean Johnstone, has been hit over the head and suffocated. His next door neighbour, Lisa, tells them he often had various women round and a man at the same time and was kept awake by music and the noise of them having sex. They interview his father, Robert Johnstone, who gives no info away - he owns a IT company and they’re a rich family. Dean was friends with the son of the rich Peter Miller, Finn, and his friend had been found hanged a year earlier, Andrew Shirriffs, son of Patricia and Kirk who are rich restaurant owners. They all seem to have intense sexual interests.
We then get a narrative from Andreaa, whose friend Elena hasn’t returned home, clearly the woman hanging. There’s a woman Daria who brought met them at the airport in the uk after Romania, and groomed them and then gave them to her brothers, Vlad and Bogdi, who raped them and then trafficked them to other men . Andreaa is pregnant. She goes to do her usual weekly shop that Daria now trusts her to do, and she talks with Marius about Elena being missing. He takes Andreaa to a shelter.
We get a narrative from Peter and Robert who clearly have a lot to hide and reference Elena’s death, which shows how the two deaths are connected. It was so nice seeing Rosie from the previous flat doing well in her own flat and she helps Eve with some questions, showing how there is rich business owners to operate with the Romanian women. They also go around shops in the area and speak to Marius who clearly knows more and Eve sees through it. Marius phoned Andreaa to tell her Elena is dead. We then see a chapter from Anndreaa showing how Elena had met 3 rich boys she liked - clearly Dean, Finn and Andrew.
A man called David who went to school with the 3 reveals that they regarded themselves as the trinity and they had bullied him. They sexually assaulted him, forcing a prostitute on him. It was reported but nothing happened due to the families money and their parents being the original “trinity” trio.
A taxi driver comes forward saying that he saw a woman running that night and confirms it was the woman murdered. His descriptions shows she was running from the direction away from Dean Johnstones flat. They manage to get a dna match on a vase which has her finger prints on too. They interview Peter Miller who also dodges questions about Finn and his whereabouts who has been absent since the deaths.
Reporter, Marcie, Jenkins replacement, brings to them some news Jenkins was working on before her death in the last book. A note was given to her that was before Andrew’s death written to K (Kirk) saying that someone else had been there when Andrew died. Detective Crawford was given the info at the time but seeming ignored it - he also retired not long after that. They go to visit his home - he is now bed bound after a stroke and can’t speak but his wife tells about how much they enjoyed his retirement before his stroke due to the big payout he got for his service - something we know didn’t happen.
Eve and Mearns go to visit a woman we heard about earlier in the book, Laura, who had fled to a women’s shelter after fleeing from her abusive husband again. The shelter happens to be where Andreaa now is.
They chat to Andrew’s mum Patricia who confirms she thinks her son was murdered. She says on the night of his death, he was phoned by Finn drunk who said he’d sent a girl round for Andrew to help his comedown from the drugs they’d been taken. Therefore a sex worker was present at the time. She believed Finn was involved in his death.
Ferguson and Mearns go undercover to the hotel where they know miller is having an event. They chat to a regular who tells them that the hotel and bar closes once a month for their events and he once saw a group of girls coming out of a limo at the back with two men, all foreign with matching tattoos of barcodes. They then wait and witness it themselves, car following them to the flat where the women are kept. They also witness a woman being taken to a celebrity footballers. They find out Miller has a variety of businesses from nail bars to air bnbs, including the properties where the girls were being sent. After all this info, they go back to Marius who they had met earlier and thought he was hiding something, as his shop is round the corner from the flats. He confirms his relationship with Andreaa and that the victim is Elena, and Elena knew something that could expose somebody. Mearns and Ferguson question a bar staff member who hates what’s going on and only stays due to providing for his family - he tells them that Elena was one of the women who used to come to the hotel. Guests would take the women to their rooms. He also confirms Kirk had an interest in Elena and took her one night. Andreaa confirms that Elena was with the three guys one night when they were doing a sexual “game” where one of them was accidentally hanged. She wanted to expose it and went to see Dean that night but never came home. The files are gained from Crawfords home too which shows Elena’s DNA at Andrew’s death scene.
We then get a narrative again from somebody, showing someone called El died accidental with 3 guys. Whilst we think this narrative is from Andreaa, it is actually from Patricia from an event years earlier where her friend died, and they all buried her.
Patricia reveals she sent the note to the papers, hoping to expose Robert. She knew that he had covered up Andrew’s death and that there was a sex worker, Dean and Finn there. Dean phoned Robert to tell him Elena was planning on going to Patricia and telling her everything about the sex game gone wrong. When Dean went to stop Elena, she hit him on the head. Vlad and Bogdi later went back to kill him. Robert had told Patricia that Elena was the one who killed Andrew and had been sleeping with her husband Kirk, so Patricia got his phone and invited Elena over where she hit her. Robert then strangled her and convinced her they needed to make it look like a suicide Kirk confirms Robert lied, he never slept with her. He did this because he wanted to break up their marriage as he was in love with her. He’d also killed El years earlier. Peter Miller is confirmed as the one who bribed Crawford as he didn’t want the files getting out about Finn’s involvement in Andrew’s death. Finn is also investigated for his involvement. The book ends with the women in the flat being freed and Andreaa moving in with Marius.
I enjoyed the book but definitely not as much as the first. I thought the plot became very muddled and the ending extremely confusing.
It then takes us to Eve Hunter back on another case. Her and Cooper go to a house where a man, Dean Johnstone, has been hit over the head and suffocated. His next door neighbour, Lisa, tells them he often had various women round and a man at the same time and was kept awake by music and the noise of them having sex. They interview his father, Robert Johnstone, who gives no info away - he owns a IT company and they’re a rich family. Dean was friends with the son of the rich Peter Miller, Finn, and his friend had been found hanged a year earlier, Andrew Shirriffs, son of Patricia and Kirk who are rich restaurant owners. They all seem to have intense sexual interests.
We then get a narrative from Andreaa, whose friend Elena hasn’t returned home, clearly the woman hanging. There’s a woman Daria who brought met them at the airport in the uk after Romania, and groomed them and then gave them to her brothers, Vlad and Bogdi, who raped them and then trafficked them to other men . Andreaa is pregnant. She goes to do her usual weekly shop that Daria now trusts her to do, and she talks with Marius about Elena being missing. He takes Andreaa to a shelter.
We get a narrative from Peter and Robert who clearly have a lot to hide and reference Elena’s death, which shows how the two deaths are connected. It was so nice seeing Rosie from the previous flat doing well in her own flat and she helps Eve with some questions, showing how there is rich business owners to operate with the Romanian women. They also go around shops in the area and speak to Marius who clearly knows more and Eve sees through it. Marius phoned Andreaa to tell her Elena is dead. We then see a chapter from Anndreaa showing how Elena had met 3 rich boys she liked - clearly Dean, Finn and Andrew.
A man called David who went to school with the 3 reveals that they regarded themselves as the trinity and they had bullied him. They sexually assaulted him, forcing a prostitute on him. It was reported but nothing happened due to the families money and their parents being the original “trinity” trio.
A taxi driver comes forward saying that he saw a woman running that night and confirms it was the woman murdered. His descriptions shows she was running from the direction away from Dean Johnstones flat. They manage to get a dna match on a vase which has her finger prints on too. They interview Peter Miller who also dodges questions about Finn and his whereabouts who has been absent since the deaths.
Reporter, Marcie, Jenkins replacement, brings to them some news Jenkins was working on before her death in the last book. A note was given to her that was before Andrew’s death written to K (Kirk) saying that someone else had been there when Andrew died. Detective Crawford was given the info at the time but seeming ignored it - he also retired not long after that. They go to visit his home - he is now bed bound after a stroke and can’t speak but his wife tells about how much they enjoyed his retirement before his stroke due to the big payout he got for his service - something we know didn’t happen.
Eve and Mearns go to visit a woman we heard about earlier in the book, Laura, who had fled to a women’s shelter after fleeing from her abusive husband again. The shelter happens to be where Andreaa now is.
They chat to Andrew’s mum Patricia who confirms she thinks her son was murdered. She says on the night of his death, he was phoned by Finn drunk who said he’d sent a girl round for Andrew to help his comedown from the drugs they’d been taken. Therefore a sex worker was present at the time. She believed Finn was involved in his death.
Ferguson and Mearns go undercover to the hotel where they know miller is having an event. They chat to a regular who tells them that the hotel and bar closes once a month for their events and he once saw a group of girls coming out of a limo at the back with two men, all foreign with matching tattoos of barcodes. They then wait and witness it themselves, car following them to the flat where the women are kept. They also witness a woman being taken to a celebrity footballers. They find out Miller has a variety of businesses from nail bars to air bnbs, including the properties where the girls were being sent. After all this info, they go back to Marius who they had met earlier and thought he was hiding something, as his shop is round the corner from the flats. He confirms his relationship with Andreaa and that the victim is Elena, and Elena knew something that could expose somebody. Mearns and Ferguson question a bar staff member who hates what’s going on and only stays due to providing for his family - he tells them that Elena was one of the women who used to come to the hotel. Guests would take the women to their rooms. He also confirms Kirk had an interest in Elena and took her one night. Andreaa confirms that Elena was with the three guys one night when they were doing a sexual “game” where one of them was accidentally hanged. She wanted to expose it and went to see Dean that night but never came home. The files are gained from Crawfords home too which shows Elena’s DNA at Andrew’s death scene.
We then get a narrative again from somebody, showing someone called El died accidental with 3 guys. Whilst we think this narrative is from Andreaa, it is actually from Patricia from an event years earlier where her friend died, and they all buried her.
Patricia reveals she sent the note to the papers, hoping to expose Robert. She knew that he had covered up Andrew’s death and that there was a sex worker, Dean and Finn there. Dean phoned Robert to tell him Elena was planning on going to Patricia and telling her everything about the sex game gone wrong. When Dean went to stop Elena, she hit him on the head. Vlad and Bogdi later went back to kill him. Robert had told Patricia that Elena was the one who killed Andrew and had been sleeping with her husband Kirk, so Patricia got his phone and invited Elena over where she hit her. Robert then strangled her and convinced her they needed to make it look like a suicide Kirk confirms Robert lied, he never slept with her. He did this because he wanted to break up their marriage as he was in love with her. He’d also killed El years earlier. Peter Miller is confirmed as the one who bribed Crawford as he didn’t want the files getting out about Finn’s involvement in Andrew’s death. Finn is also investigated for his involvement. The book ends with the women in the flat being freed and Andreaa moving in with Marius.
I enjoyed the book but definitely not as much as the first. I thought the plot became very muddled and the ending extremely confusing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2020
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC
This the second novel in the DI Eve Hunter series set in Aberdeen.
Two people are found dead, one in a luxury penthouse, and one hanged in a tree.
One is a well known businessman, the other an unknown and seemingly foreign young woman.
What is the connection? Is there a connection?
DI Hunter is keen to explore any possible connections.
What transpires is a twisty story with a couple of red herrings and a few unexpected turns.
It unfolds slowly before an exciting, all out final act.
This has the makings of a great series, the characters are growing as we read more about them and developing nicely.
I'm looking forward to more from Deborah Masson and DI Eve Hunter.
This the second novel in the DI Eve Hunter series set in Aberdeen.
Two people are found dead, one in a luxury penthouse, and one hanged in a tree.
One is a well known businessman, the other an unknown and seemingly foreign young woman.
What is the connection? Is there a connection?
DI Hunter is keen to explore any possible connections.
What transpires is a twisty story with a couple of red herrings and a few unexpected turns.
It unfolds slowly before an exciting, all out final act.
This has the makings of a great series, the characters are growing as we read more about them and developing nicely.
I'm looking forward to more from Deborah Masson and DI Eve Hunter.
December 31, 2020
Boring very disappointed
Disappointing not nearly as good as the first book. Wont get any more by this author. Skipped large sections of this book so boring.
Disappointing not nearly as good as the first book. Wont get any more by this author. Skipped large sections of this book so boring.
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