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DC Nasreen Maqsood #1
No Way Out
What would you do if you woke up in a strange room, strapped to a bed?
This is exactly the predicament Daniel Rose finds himself in.
He is soon introduced to a beautiful, intimidating woman who calls herself the Queen Bee, and refers to Danny as one of her workers. But what exactly does that mean and what does she want with him?
Meanwhile, Detective Constable Nasreen Maqsood gets assigned to Danny’s missing persons case, and not only does she want to crack it so she can prove to her male superiors that she’s right for the job; she also wants to find Danny as they used to be old school friends.
Still trapped, Danny realises there are other bees in the bunker, new ones and ones that are coming to the end of their usefulness. What happens to a bee that is taken to C Wing? What happens when your time is up?
Nasreen has no idea what she’s up against and for Daniel, the clock is ticking…
This is exactly the predicament Daniel Rose finds himself in.
He is soon introduced to a beautiful, intimidating woman who calls herself the Queen Bee, and refers to Danny as one of her workers. But what exactly does that mean and what does she want with him?
Meanwhile, Detective Constable Nasreen Maqsood gets assigned to Danny’s missing persons case, and not only does she want to crack it so she can prove to her male superiors that she’s right for the job; she also wants to find Danny as they used to be old school friends.
Still trapped, Danny realises there are other bees in the bunker, new ones and ones that are coming to the end of their usefulness. What happens to a bee that is taken to C Wing? What happens when your time is up?
Nasreen has no idea what she’s up against and for Daniel, the clock is ticking…
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2020
About the author
D.C. Brockwell
26 books24 followersD C Brockwell lives in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, with his wife, Beks and rescue cat, Olivia. He works as a dental technician for Elite Dental Studios in the day, and writes crime/horror/action and adventure/romance stories in the evenings and weekends. After completing his dental technicians’ course at Lambeth College in March 2018, he sat down and started taking his writing more seriously, completing five first drafts of novels in a year.
A graduate of criminology and criminal justice studies at the University of Portsmouth, he has always had an interest in crime, specifically abnormal psychology. It was while studying criminology that he penned his first (unpublished) novel, which, he says, will never see the light of day.
He self-published his first romance novel, The Southern Belles in July 2019, under his pseudonym, Katie Simpkins, a name both he and Beks chose together.
His first crime novel is a contemporary and gritty crime drama.
A graduate of criminology and criminal justice studies at the University of Portsmouth, he has always had an interest in crime, specifically abnormal psychology. It was while studying criminology that he penned his first (unpublished) novel, which, he says, will never see the light of day.
He self-published his first romance novel, The Southern Belles in July 2019, under his pseudonym, Katie Simpkins, a name both he and Beks chose together.
His first crime novel is a contemporary and gritty crime drama.
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July 13, 2020Honestly I would have enjoyed this if the story focused more on Danny who by the way IS THE MAIN CHARACTER. I came here for Danny and I appreciate a good novel surrounding different characters but the way that main one only gets like 10 percent of screen/appearance time irks me. We’re so busy with other characters and their shenanigans. Thank you, NEXT!
July 8, 2020
Danny Rose is missing. A male escort, he wakes up in a strange room, nude, strapped to a bed. A woman walks into the room, introduces herself as Queen Bee and tells him what she wants with him. His thoughts immediately turn to escaping ..... somehow.
Danny soon realizes he is not the only one .... there are other 'worker bees'... some of which have been held captive for 5 years ..and some are new, like Danny.
Detective Constable Nasreen Maqsood is assigned to investigate Danny's missing person case. Unbeknown to her partner and to her superior, she has a history with Danny. They were school mates as children, later they were girlfriend-boyfriend before the relationship burned itself out.
If Nasreen tells, they will immediately remove her from this case. She has had to work twice as hard to prove that she's as good as any of the male detectives and being pulled from a case would be devastating for her.
When Danny's been missing for more than a week, her superior shuts down the investigation, but Nasreen works it herself in her off time. What she discovers leads her into territory she's never seen before .... and finds herself racing the clock to find Danny.
This being the author's first crime novel, it moves at a fast pace with a cast deftly drawn characters. The plot is tightly woven and keeps the reader riveted from the very first first page.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 8, 2020
Danny Rose is missing. A male escort, he wakes up in a strange room, nude, strapped to a bed. A woman walks into the room, introduces herself as Queen Bee and tells him what she wants with him. His thoughts immediately turn to escaping ..... somehow.
Danny soon realizes he is not the only one .... there are other 'worker bees'... some of which have been held captive for 5 years ..and some are new, like Danny.
Detective Constable Nasreen Maqsood is assigned to investigate Danny's missing person case. Unbeknown to her partner and to her superior, she has a history with Danny. They were school mates as children, later they were girlfriend-boyfriend before the relationship burned itself out.
If Nasreen tells, they will immediately remove her from this case. She has had to work twice as hard to prove that she's as good as any of the male detectives and being pulled from a case would be devastating for her.
When Danny's been missing for more than a week, her superior shuts down the investigation, but Nasreen works it herself in her off time. What she discovers leads her into territory she's never seen before .... and finds herself racing the clock to find Danny.
This being the author's first crime novel, it moves at a fast pace with a cast deftly drawn characters. The plot is tightly woven and keeps the reader riveted from the very first first page.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 26, 2020
I’ve discovered another great series and I loved the main character DC Nasreen Maqsood.
Nas is asked to investigate a missing person and when she looks at the file she realises she knows the man.
We also get to see where Danny is being held and it’s not pleasant. Beatrice or Bea is holding Danny and other escorts/prostitutes against their will and charging people to have sex with them. They are being held in a converted bunker under a farm and Bea is making a fortune from them.
When the workers have become useless to her they are either killed off or auctioned off to be tortured.
Danny knows he needs to try and escape but this doesn’t work out well for him.
When Nas is told to move on to another case she continues to investigate Danny’s disappearance in her own time, which gets her in serious trouble.
There’s also some dodgy dealings with senior members of the Police and soon others are dragged into this.
This is a gripping crime thriller and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
Thanks to Duncan Brockwell for sending me a copy of the book to read.
Nas is asked to investigate a missing person and when she looks at the file she realises she knows the man.
We also get to see where Danny is being held and it’s not pleasant. Beatrice or Bea is holding Danny and other escorts/prostitutes against their will and charging people to have sex with them. They are being held in a converted bunker under a farm and Bea is making a fortune from them.
When the workers have become useless to her they are either killed off or auctioned off to be tortured.
Danny knows he needs to try and escape but this doesn’t work out well for him.
When Nas is told to move on to another case she continues to investigate Danny’s disappearance in her own time, which gets her in serious trouble.
There’s also some dodgy dealings with senior members of the Police and soon others are dragged into this.
This is a gripping crime thriller and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
Thanks to Duncan Brockwell for sending me a copy of the book to read.
October 8, 2020
"Not for me"
The police procedural elements were handled efficiently, and the conspiracies rang true, but the basic concept of the underground bunker and the criminal activities was far-fetched.
The police procedural elements were handled efficiently, and the conspiracies rang true, but the basic concept of the underground bunker and the criminal activities was far-fetched.
August 24, 2020
An incredible debut by this wonderful author.
A young detective is put on the case of a male escort that has gone missing. When she realises this man is someone she grew up with, and even dated, she resolves to do everything to find him.
Nasreen was promoted to fill out equality quotas but wants to proves she's worth it. However after just 5 days, another case comes along and she must leave her friend unfound.
Meanwhile a serious underground business of sex slaves and people trafficking is going strong on an abandoned farm.
Beas Bees and Alan's All-stars have a torrid life, being used as set slaves until they are no longer of use then disposed of.
There's a lovely relationship between one of the Bees and Beas right hand woman.
There are some grusome elements but its not excessive and fits perfectly with the story and its sadistic characters.
Throw in some gangs, drug importing and corrupt cops then you have the makings of a breathtaking story that once it gets going, does not let up.
A fantastic read, brilliantly written, no stone left unturned and every angle covered.
Look out for future releases by Mr Brockwell, he is a fantastic up and coming author and you certainly won't want to miss out.
A young detective is put on the case of a male escort that has gone missing. When she realises this man is someone she grew up with, and even dated, she resolves to do everything to find him.
Nasreen was promoted to fill out equality quotas but wants to proves she's worth it. However after just 5 days, another case comes along and she must leave her friend unfound.
Meanwhile a serious underground business of sex slaves and people trafficking is going strong on an abandoned farm.
Beas Bees and Alan's All-stars have a torrid life, being used as set slaves until they are no longer of use then disposed of.
There's a lovely relationship between one of the Bees and Beas right hand woman.
There are some grusome elements but its not excessive and fits perfectly with the story and its sadistic characters.
Throw in some gangs, drug importing and corrupt cops then you have the makings of a breathtaking story that once it gets going, does not let up.
A fantastic read, brilliantly written, no stone left unturned and every angle covered.
Look out for future releases by Mr Brockwell, he is a fantastic up and coming author and you certainly won't want to miss out.
December 26, 2020
Wow! What an excellent read. My jaw dropped to the floor after the first two chapters, so to avoid catching flies I adjusted my face and read on. This is one creepy, toe curling, gory, gripping story. Shocked my innocent tiny mind (wink) and sent shivers down my spine. DC Nasreen Maqsood is one heck of a woman and I loved her character. There are a lot of shady characters in the storyline which makes for great reading....you never know who is going to betray who. Plenty of action, thrills and suspense throughout with an exceptionally satisfying ending.... but I need to know more SO book two in the series downloaded and I can't wait to carry on with my adventure. A well deserved 5 star rating.
January 5, 2022
Awkwardest writing ever. The characters are not believable, their actions, conversations and feelings (the depth of which is expressed through gems of sentences like, "She liked him a lot, but more than that... she _really_ liked him...") are not believable. The whole premise of the book is not believable. These kinds of businesses function pretty well all over the world without the need for "keeping them [sex slaves] held captive" (an actual quote, yes, "keeping them held captive") to the extent described, with these slaves having short "shelf lives" (i. e. being subject to being killed). Which means unnecessarily high risks and unnecessarily high expenses for output which is achievable through business processes with much lower stakes for everyone involved. People are usually not particularly wont to increase their count of criminal charges for no good reason, unless they are a special kind of very dumb psycho-/sociopath. But nope, the author informs us the main villain is smart and tries to show us her human side. NOT BELIEVABLE given the ludicrous premise. A person who genuinely thinks a captive should be grateful for "a life of luxury in his three-by-three room" (the author is NOT being ironic here, he is ACTUALLY trying to be sinister, and this is a good example of the ridiculousness of the whole book) would not be able to not creep out every single human being they would strike up a conversation with and thus would hardly be suitable for a membership in a country club; there is any number of social mores they would have violated multiple times throughout their lives and would be shunned by everyone.
What is described is an operation that has been going on for a long time, and only a particular detective taking a particular interest in a particularly rebellious sex slave finally busts this den. Nope; if someone had actually decided to set up something like this (and was a person of the kind that would be able to set up something like this), things would have gone wrong in a myriad of ways a long-long-long-long-long time ago.
By way of some minor peeves (which are nonetheless extremely irritating because the book is chock-full of them)—the way immigrant characters talk is not believable. It might surprise the author, but Germans actually have the verb "to be" that functions much like its English counterpart (English being a Germanic language), so a German would NOT say "I from Bavaria". Even a Japanese person, after so many years in a foreign country, wouldn't say things like "I not know" and "I sorry", because language gets picked up in whole phrases, so if the person has heard "I don't know" or "I'm sorry" two or three times, they would start repeating it. No one speaks a foreign language by translating content words separately on their own, _especially_ when surrounded by native speakers for many years.
These constant on-the-nose (and ridiculous) reminders that "these are foreigners" only add to the stilted, heavy-handed language throughout. You get a ridiculous detailed description of every single clothing item a person took off before taking a shower; there are multiple instances of the reader being provided random unneeded details about clothing colours ("she grabbed her jacket from her chair, put it over her white blouse, and picked up her black bag"—all of that is really essential information!!!!). You are told the character traits of the characters ("pragmatist", two times half a page apart). You are told what the situation is supposed to be like ("a waking nightmare"). A person who is trained in firearms and spits out details about a certain gun when the time comes, first specifies what she needs in a gun in the following way, "The gun, it has to be small enough to fit in my bag". No, people who know their way around a gun usually have certain preferences and would specify an exact make and model or two.
I persevered until the end because this was actually the worst book I've ever read (so far), and I was in a way awed by how bad one could write and still think their writing was worthy of being made into a book, so decided to finish it and write a review. I'm seriously shocked by the ratings of this book here on Goodreads (I'm new... and I guess this is a good lesson in how much one should trust Goodreads reviews).
What is described is an operation that has been going on for a long time, and only a particular detective taking a particular interest in a particularly rebellious sex slave finally busts this den. Nope; if someone had actually decided to set up something like this (and was a person of the kind that would be able to set up something like this), things would have gone wrong in a myriad of ways a long-long-long-long-long time ago.
By way of some minor peeves (which are nonetheless extremely irritating because the book is chock-full of them)—the way immigrant characters talk is not believable. It might surprise the author, but Germans actually have the verb "to be" that functions much like its English counterpart (English being a Germanic language), so a German would NOT say "I from Bavaria". Even a Japanese person, after so many years in a foreign country, wouldn't say things like "I not know" and "I sorry", because language gets picked up in whole phrases, so if the person has heard "I don't know" or "I'm sorry" two or three times, they would start repeating it. No one speaks a foreign language by translating content words separately on their own, _especially_ when surrounded by native speakers for many years.
These constant on-the-nose (and ridiculous) reminders that "these are foreigners" only add to the stilted, heavy-handed language throughout. You get a ridiculous detailed description of every single clothing item a person took off before taking a shower; there are multiple instances of the reader being provided random unneeded details about clothing colours ("she grabbed her jacket from her chair, put it over her white blouse, and picked up her black bag"—all of that is really essential information!!!!). You are told the character traits of the characters ("pragmatist", two times half a page apart). You are told what the situation is supposed to be like ("a waking nightmare"). A person who is trained in firearms and spits out details about a certain gun when the time comes, first specifies what she needs in a gun in the following way, "The gun, it has to be small enough to fit in my bag". No, people who know their way around a gun usually have certain preferences and would specify an exact make and model or two.
I persevered until the end because this was actually the worst book I've ever read (so far), and I was in a way awed by how bad one could write and still think their writing was worthy of being made into a book, so decided to finish it and write a review. I'm seriously shocked by the ratings of this book here on Goodreads (I'm new... and I guess this is a good lesson in how much one should trust Goodreads reviews).
March 8, 2021
3*
Although I enjoyed the premise, the construction was unconvincing and the character portrayal felt clumsy at times. Good enough to read to the end, but probably won't continue with the series.
Although I enjoyed the premise, the construction was unconvincing and the character portrayal felt clumsy at times. Good enough to read to the end, but probably won't continue with the series.
July 8, 2020
The story begins with DC Nasreen Maqsood and her supervisor DS Terrence Johnson being handed a new case to investigate by senior officer DCS Clive Adams. It is a missing persons case, handed on from another team and already a day old. As soon as she sees the file Nas has a dilemma on her hands. Should she reveal that the missing man, Daniel Rose, is an ex-boyfriend from years ago (of course she should, those are the rules!) or keep schtum and try to help find him? He had always aspired to be an artist but for some reason had ended up working as a male escort. Nas decides that he has already had enough bad luck in his life and makes up her mind to find him if she can. Meanwhile Daniel, or Danny as he is known, is waking up on day 2 of his imprisonment as a sex slave. He soon meets one of the owners, a woman called Beatrice Hamilton who, together with her husband Alan, runs this very high class and excusive establishment buried underground at a remote farm. She calls herself Queen Bee or Bea and her ten male workers are known as bees. Alan runs the ten women, who he calls his All-Stars. No one is there voluntarily, they are watched over by guards and Danny soon finds out how brutal and strict the regime is. Bees who become troublesome or who outlive their shelf life end their days as the playthings of the more sadistic customers and are disposed of in a huge furnace. The whole business, which has been running successfully for many years now, is overseen by Bea's father, a particularly brutal drug importer and property developer called William Rothstein who has no problem eliminating anyone who gets in his way. Danny is soon expected to perform for a number of wealthy clients who come mostly from the criminal fraternity and pay well over the odds to have their exact requirements met, but he refuses to be broken down and makes a plan to escape, thereby ensuring his days are numbered. Nas and Terrence find a witness to Danny's abduction but before they can make much progress they are removed to another case. Nas vows to keep investigating in her own time but when this is brought to the attention of a corrupt senior officer by the Hamilton family she soon finds herself suspended. Little does she realise the full extent of the corruption and the plans that are being hatched with criminals, and so, putting her entire career at stake, Nas goes off grid, assisted by Terrence, and is determined more than ever to find Danny, dead or alive. She makes good progress in her investigation, not realising that a similar interest into the farm is being taken by a team from the National Crime Agency. Eventually their enquiries will converge in a complex and fascinating plot where a falling out amongst those pulling the strings could lead to all sorts of devastating repercussions. There are parts of the story guaranteed to shock and horrify, after all these are nasty people who do nasty things but it is extremely well written and is feels gratuitous. The characters were well described and easy to get to know. Terrence was a good solid detective and I liked Nasreen's loyalty and determination but being a widow with a young daughter to care for she really didn't consider the risks she was taking at times. Overall this was a fantastic read which flowed effortlessly and one I really didn't want to put down until I got to the end. I can't wait to see what happens to Nas in book 2, Bird Of Prey, which comes out in September 2020. 5*
February 2, 2021
This is a deeply disturbing book about a "blood bunker" ran by the daughter of a gangster. She and her husband enslave sex workers and when they have outstayed their usefulness, there are some deeply disturbing methods of disposal. in places this reads like badly written fan fiction or a sick fantasy. There are so many writing mistakes I gave up counting. This needed a much tighter edit. There are phrases and sentences repeated within a paragraph of each other, as if the author is drunk and has forgotten that he's already said it. For example, we are told that Daniel Rose always prided himself on his pragmatism, and two paragraphs later we are told that he is very pragmatic, as if we haven't just been told that.
There are strangely irrelevant details too, like the man in the "mid brown" jumper, and rambling back stories of characters that don't even matter. What was particularly annoying, however, was the amount of "telling not showing." Pages and pages of backstory as if reading it in a newspaper report. What happened to the Number One writing rule of "Show don't tell?"
There are scenes that go beyond gory and enter the world of wildly stretched credibility. Without giving spoilers away, I simply could not believe in the Cora episode. Be warmed- some scenes of torture of violence are extremely gruelling and disturbing. Many characters are stereotypes, such as Beatrice's gangster father and the thugs that she employs. Beatrice herself is hard to believe in. Even villains need a motivation, but she is just plain evil.
I will say this- it does build suspense, if you can overlook the numerous errors and if you can stomach some truly sickening scenes.
There are strangely irrelevant details too, like the man in the "mid brown" jumper, and rambling back stories of characters that don't even matter. What was particularly annoying, however, was the amount of "telling not showing." Pages and pages of backstory as if reading it in a newspaper report. What happened to the Number One writing rule of "Show don't tell?"
There are scenes that go beyond gory and enter the world of wildly stretched credibility. Without giving spoilers away, I simply could not believe in the Cora episode. Be warmed- some scenes of torture of violence are extremely gruelling and disturbing. Many characters are stereotypes, such as Beatrice's gangster father and the thugs that she employs. Beatrice herself is hard to believe in. Even villains need a motivation, but she is just plain evil.
I will say this- it does build suspense, if you can overlook the numerous errors and if you can stomach some truly sickening scenes.
July 7, 2020
Not for the squeamish or fainthearted.
When escort Danny goes missing its down to his friend Nasreen to find him.
They have a history together and it’s a while after she is working on a case of a missing person that when his name comes up, she realises who he is.
She is determined to keep it quiet from her superiors, so as she can remain on the case; of course it isn’t long before their connection is revealed; which causes her to be suspended from duty.
It turns out that Danny isn’t the only one who disappeared in similar circumstances, in fact over a period of 16 years, over 150 prostitutes found themselves in enforced sexual slavery.
Sadly for all of Beas Bees and Alan’s Allstars; as they are called, there is only one way out, and its not good, because there really is….. NO WAY OUT!
Beatrice and Alan her husband own and run the “brothel” with a difference. It has high end paying clients for whom nothing is out of bounds…… NOTHING!
In places this is quite graphic, but not in a senseless way at all as it is in keeping with what is going on.
There is quite a bit going on; most of which centers around Beas father William Rothstein, a wealthy businessman who is one you really don't want to mess with.
Throw some police corruption into the mix and you have got one heck of a story!
Gripping and gritty all the way through makes it a book that you won't want to put down, in fact I read it in less than two days!
This is a debut novel by this author, I look forward to reading more of their work.
When escort Danny goes missing its down to his friend Nasreen to find him.
They have a history together and it’s a while after she is working on a case of a missing person that when his name comes up, she realises who he is.
She is determined to keep it quiet from her superiors, so as she can remain on the case; of course it isn’t long before their connection is revealed; which causes her to be suspended from duty.
It turns out that Danny isn’t the only one who disappeared in similar circumstances, in fact over a period of 16 years, over 150 prostitutes found themselves in enforced sexual slavery.
Sadly for all of Beas Bees and Alan’s Allstars; as they are called, there is only one way out, and its not good, because there really is….. NO WAY OUT!
Beatrice and Alan her husband own and run the “brothel” with a difference. It has high end paying clients for whom nothing is out of bounds…… NOTHING!
In places this is quite graphic, but not in a senseless way at all as it is in keeping with what is going on.
There is quite a bit going on; most of which centers around Beas father William Rothstein, a wealthy businessman who is one you really don't want to mess with.
Throw some police corruption into the mix and you have got one heck of a story!
Gripping and gritty all the way through makes it a book that you won't want to put down, in fact I read it in less than two days!
This is a debut novel by this author, I look forward to reading more of their work.
November 15, 2020
Not Believable
Human trafficking, organized crime and police corruption collide in this novel featuring a Muslim police woman. A gangster's daughter is kidnapping sex workers and forcing them into sexual servitude, then torture and murder when they have expended their usefulness. One of the abductees is DC Nasgood's ex-boyfriend and she is determined to solve the case. But doing so may destroy her career if it doesn't cost her her life.
It was hard to work up too much enthusiasm for this. It is hard to picture women paying to have sex with the victims in an atmosphere devoid of romance. Even harder to believe that the male victims would be able to perform when mistreated, confined and abused. Nasgood makes so much of toeing the line and going the extra mile at work it seems odd she would risk her career by not disclose she knew the victim. It is an unpleasant read that plays out predictably. Pass.
Human trafficking, organized crime and police corruption collide in this novel featuring a Muslim police woman. A gangster's daughter is kidnapping sex workers and forcing them into sexual servitude, then torture and murder when they have expended their usefulness. One of the abductees is DC Nasgood's ex-boyfriend and she is determined to solve the case. But doing so may destroy her career if it doesn't cost her her life.
It was hard to work up too much enthusiasm for this. It is hard to picture women paying to have sex with the victims in an atmosphere devoid of romance. Even harder to believe that the male victims would be able to perform when mistreated, confined and abused. Nasgood makes so much of toeing the line and going the extra mile at work it seems odd she would risk her career by not disclose she knew the victim. It is an unpleasant read that plays out predictably. Pass.
July 11, 2020
i so very much enjoyed this book .Danny is an escort but one night he never goes home he wakes up in a room strapped to a bed and told he is one of her bee . detective constable Nasreen maqsood knows Danny and the case has been stopped so she looks in to it herself. Beattie dad is a big crime man and he will do anything to stop the police shutting him down i so recommend this book and a new author for me
September 1, 2020
OK read.
I had to Google some terms to understand British slang. I did finish book as I wanted to know what happened. It was bland & methodical.
I had to Google some terms to understand British slang. I did finish book as I wanted to know what happened. It was bland & methodical.
October 19, 2020
Disturbing and nerve jangling!
Oh my goodness this is seriously disturbing reading and impossible to put down, every chapter seems to finish on a cliffhanger. Written in such a way you become part and parcel of whats playing out on the pages, namely the victims of the sick depraved criminals praying on the popular escort services, of the best escorts in the business.
The characters are beautifully crafted an diverse in their personalities.
DC Nasreen Maqsood is given the job of finding a missing man only to find she knows him personally, keeping quiet about her past friendship as she'd be taken off the case if it became known to her superiors and she's determined to find him!
Don't want to give the story away, but this is a dark and disturbing story of the underworld sex trade in graphic detail of cruel slavery money laundering reaching up in high society.
Beautifully written to draw you in to play your imagination to the hilt. Heart stopping hold your breath moments seem to be on every page, if you're of a nervous disposition then read with caution especially when you get to the room with the double metal doors!
I loved everything about this book, impossible to put down for a minute without it running through your head and your stomach muscles clenching at the thought of what the author has in store for you on the coming pages!
Loved it and highly recommend it!
Oh my goodness this is seriously disturbing reading and impossible to put down, every chapter seems to finish on a cliffhanger. Written in such a way you become part and parcel of whats playing out on the pages, namely the victims of the sick depraved criminals praying on the popular escort services, of the best escorts in the business.
The characters are beautifully crafted an diverse in their personalities.
DC Nasreen Maqsood is given the job of finding a missing man only to find she knows him personally, keeping quiet about her past friendship as she'd be taken off the case if it became known to her superiors and she's determined to find him!
Don't want to give the story away, but this is a dark and disturbing story of the underworld sex trade in graphic detail of cruel slavery money laundering reaching up in high society.
Beautifully written to draw you in to play your imagination to the hilt. Heart stopping hold your breath moments seem to be on every page, if you're of a nervous disposition then read with caution especially when you get to the room with the double metal doors!
I loved everything about this book, impossible to put down for a minute without it running through your head and your stomach muscles clenching at the thought of what the author has in store for you on the coming pages!
Loved it and highly recommend it!
November 11, 2020
When DC Nasreen Maqsood hears that her ex boyfriend, Danny Rose is missing, she very quickly decides she will stop at nothing to find him - even when that means she ends up suspended from work!
Danny is not the only escort to go missing, others have disappeared over the years alongside prostitutes. Danny and others are being held in a converted bunker under a barn on a farm. They are being held as sex slaves and Beatrice, get husband Alan & Bea’s Dad, William Rothstein are are making a fortune from them.
Who can Nas trust, she’s realising there are corrupt officers involved along the way. She is convinced Danny is alive and will go it alone if necessary.
This is an excellent start to a new series and new author to me. I found the book to be dark, disturbing and graphic, which fortunately are all things I enjoy in a book! The story progressed well and there were plenty of characters to get to grips with.
I cannot wait to read more in this series.
Danny is not the only escort to go missing, others have disappeared over the years alongside prostitutes. Danny and others are being held in a converted bunker under a barn on a farm. They are being held as sex slaves and Beatrice, get husband Alan & Bea’s Dad, William Rothstein are are making a fortune from them.
Who can Nas trust, she’s realising there are corrupt officers involved along the way. She is convinced Danny is alive and will go it alone if necessary.
This is an excellent start to a new series and new author to me. I found the book to be dark, disturbing and graphic, which fortunately are all things I enjoy in a book! The story progressed well and there were plenty of characters to get to grips with.
I cannot wait to read more in this series.
July 14, 2020
Overall 4.5*
This debut crime novel is certainly off to a good start for DC Brockwell. When sex worker Daniel goes missing, it is fortuitous that his ex girlfriend , DC Nas Maqsood and her partner are given the case. When she realises who is missing, she knows she should admit this to her team, but doesn’t and ends up being suspended. That ,however, won’t stop her looking for Daniel and she ends up a lot deeper in trouble than she ever expected. There is quite a lot going on throughout the story and the torture chapters may not be to everyone's taste although they are not too graphic. A story to get you thinking!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
This debut crime novel is certainly off to a good start for DC Brockwell. When sex worker Daniel goes missing, it is fortuitous that his ex girlfriend , DC Nas Maqsood and her partner are given the case. When she realises who is missing, she knows she should admit this to her team, but doesn’t and ends up being suspended. That ,however, won’t stop her looking for Daniel and she ends up a lot deeper in trouble than she ever expected. There is quite a lot going on throughout the story and the torture chapters may not be to everyone's taste although they are not too graphic. A story to get you thinking!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
September 14, 2020
3..75* which makes it a good book. It took me awhile to get into it.
Gore score 🗡🗡🗡🗡
A new author to me.
This was a free kindle download.
It dives straight into the gritty background of the novel. Thankfully the torture scenes were glossed over.
Nasreen is the DC on a mission to find her missing ex boyfriend.
We hear a lot of Danny’s situation, I didn’t find him a very likeable character, but Kimiko is endearing.
The book runs several strands side by side. Danny’s story, the captors story and Nas’s story.
We certainly get the see the very worst side of people and organised crime.
An action movie ending.
Gore score 🗡🗡🗡🗡
A new author to me.
This was a free kindle download.
It dives straight into the gritty background of the novel. Thankfully the torture scenes were glossed over.
Nasreen is the DC on a mission to find her missing ex boyfriend.
We hear a lot of Danny’s situation, I didn’t find him a very likeable character, but Kimiko is endearing.
The book runs several strands side by side. Danny’s story, the captors story and Nas’s story.
We certainly get the see the very worst side of people and organised crime.
An action movie ending.
July 8, 2020
I thought that the premise of this book was interesting although the story did not quite play out as I had anticipated.
The story mainly focuses on DC Nasreen Maqsood and her quest to find her missing friend and ex, Daniel (Danny) Rose. Danny is abducted and wakes up strapped to a bed in an underground bunker. To his horror he’s not the only one in this seemingly sick and frightening situation. Can Nasreen find Danny before he meets his demise from his beautiful yet twisted captor?
The story mainly focuses on DC Nasreen Maqsood and her quest to find her missing friend and ex, Daniel (Danny) Rose. Danny is abducted and wakes up strapped to a bed in an underground bunker. To his horror he’s not the only one in this seemingly sick and frightening situation. Can Nasreen find Danny before he meets his demise from his beautiful yet twisted captor?
July 12, 2020
I enjoyed this mystery-thriller. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites by him. This is a well written story that has characters that make the story engaging and feel real. I had no problems connecting to them. They made the story pop for me. The twists and turns left me sitting on the edge of my seat and turning pages fast. I found this book to be fast paced and really easy to read. I highly recommend this book.
May 3, 2021
Thrilling read!
This book really kept me gripped and wanting to know what happened next and how the perpetrators would be caught. Who survives and who doesn’t, does Detective Nasreen Masqood find her ex Danny and bring down the warehouse secrets? Police corruption, drug dealing empire, a sex warehouse for rich clients with torture chambers and an NCA undercover operation all in one book! Definitely worth a read!
This book really kept me gripped and wanting to know what happened next and how the perpetrators would be caught. Who survives and who doesn’t, does Detective Nasreen Masqood find her ex Danny and bring down the warehouse secrets? Police corruption, drug dealing empire, a sex warehouse for rich clients with torture chambers and an NCA undercover operation all in one book! Definitely worth a read!
December 3, 2023
This book could of been a lot shorter. There was a lot of unnecessary description on peoples clothing, repeated phrases and back stories that weren't related to the story. The premise was great but it wasn't executed properly. There was so many different character point of views, it was hard to keep up with who was who. Over all it was ok, ok enough to finish, but I won't be continuing with this series.
January 1, 2024
A raging thriller!
A good introduction to Nasreen, a very feisty DC in the Met Police. Have to be careful what I write now so as not to spoil the plot. Her male friend disappears, senior bent policemen combined with an underground brothel, an above the law businessman and drugs. All of these combine to make a very taut thriller. A damn good read and now I need to know what happens next!!
A good introduction to Nasreen, a very feisty DC in the Met Police. Have to be careful what I write now so as not to spoil the plot. Her male friend disappears, senior bent policemen combined with an underground brothel, an above the law businessman and drugs. All of these combine to make a very taut thriller. A damn good read and now I need to know what happens next!!
October 21, 2020
Very good read with a far fetched but enjoyable storyline. Violent at times, (torture), and swearing a plenty, so be warned. Nice change from the usual police procedural books, especially the ‘anti’ to the powers that be. Now read both books in this series and well impressed. Note the four stars should be four and a half.
March 15, 2022
Very Tense!
This book was riveting! I was so tense, I couldn't stop reading. I guess there really are such evil people in the world. Thank God, I have never come across them.
The book is hard to read sometimes, because some people are so awful. The story is tight and never lets up. I think this story will be hard to forget.
I found this book by browsing on Amazon.
This book was riveting! I was so tense, I couldn't stop reading. I guess there really are such evil people in the world. Thank God, I have never come across them.
The book is hard to read sometimes, because some people are so awful. The story is tight and never lets up. I think this story will be hard to forget.
I found this book by browsing on Amazon.
August 2, 2020
A great thriller read totally had me hooked had me on the edge of my seat a few times . I remember thinking what the f**k am I reading it’s great it’s dark I’ll definitely be reading more from the author
September 15, 2020
A little lengthy but good read
I enjoyed the plot but not so much detail of torture and thought it was a little lengthy to come to resolution. But loved the female detective loyalty to a friend
I enjoyed the plot but not so much detail of torture and thought it was a little lengthy to come to resolution. But loved the female detective loyalty to a friend
September 22, 2020
Really enjoyed this book once I dedicated time to reading it. (I’m in the process of decorating and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out)
A real page turner and I love the main female character Nasreen, who is feisty, loyal and that I will enjoy getting to know further.
A real page turner and I love the main female character Nasreen, who is feisty, loyal and that I will enjoy getting to know further.
October 11, 2020
Gripping
Wow this was such an amazing book, I had to constantly bread.
What an amazing twisted storyline with such a strong female character and so many other depraved characters
This has got to be my favourite book of the year and now on to Bird of Prey.
Wow this was such an amazing book, I had to constantly bread.
What an amazing twisted storyline with such a strong female character and so many other depraved characters
This has got to be my favourite book of the year and now on to Bird of Prey.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews