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DCI Sophie Allen #9
Ruthless Crimes
Two victims with no past.
A man is found stabbed to death on the Southampton morning commuter train.
But why can’t Detective Sophie Allen’s team find out anything about his history? And why was he staying in a house that seems to be owned by a government security unit?
Then there is another stabbing, this time in a refuge for abused women. And again, Sophie can find very little about the victim’s life.
How does all this connect to desperate migrants arriving on the beaches?
The Dorset-based detective team discovers duplicity that reaches to the top echelons of government in this twisting tale of treachery, tragedy and hope.
A man is found stabbed to death on the Southampton morning commuter train.
But why can’t Detective Sophie Allen’s team find out anything about his history? And why was he staying in a house that seems to be owned by a government security unit?
Then there is another stabbing, this time in a refuge for abused women. And again, Sophie can find very little about the victim’s life.
How does all this connect to desperate migrants arriving on the beaches?
The Dorset-based detective team discovers duplicity that reaches to the top echelons of government in this twisting tale of treachery, tragedy and hope.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2020
876 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 13, 2020
I’ve read a few books from this series and they have all been very good. This book is no exception. It starts with the arrival of a boat on a deserted Dorset beach one dark night. The boat is filled, overloaded really, with asylum seekers. But as it struggles through the waves breaking on the shore the overloaded boat tips, spilling its human cargo into the water. Four out of the original 30 refugees drown. The boat skipper (people smuggler) jumps out at the first sign of trouble and disappears swiftly - the refugees are on their own!
Police swoop on the scene and try to organise some of the chaos. Meanwhile a couple of bodies have turned up dead in what police later discover are so-called safe houses. But who runs them, who were the residents hiding from? It’s all very hush hush as the spooks and the home office get involved. Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen and her team struggle to make any headway after after having doors figuratively slammed in their faces, but they persevere. What they uncover is a ruthless organisation mopping up its mistakes. There are many red herrings, dead ends and misdirection though. Can the police prevent more killings and can they catch the culprits?
I can’t say more about the plot without spoilers. What I can tell you is that is was a satisfying and meaty mystery that was a lot of fun to try and solve. It was quite intricately plotted and the characters were credible. I guess it also showed how easy it could be to exploit desperate refugees for profit without caring one iota for their welfare. Sadly this is all too common. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good, plausible police procedural or putting a jigsaw together, because that’s what this puzzle was like. Many thanks to Netgalley, Joffe Books and Michael Hambling for my copy. My opinions are my own.
Police swoop on the scene and try to organise some of the chaos. Meanwhile a couple of bodies have turned up dead in what police later discover are so-called safe houses. But who runs them, who were the residents hiding from? It’s all very hush hush as the spooks and the home office get involved. Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen and her team struggle to make any headway after after having doors figuratively slammed in their faces, but they persevere. What they uncover is a ruthless organisation mopping up its mistakes. There are many red herrings, dead ends and misdirection though. Can the police prevent more killings and can they catch the culprits?
I can’t say more about the plot without spoilers. What I can tell you is that is was a satisfying and meaty mystery that was a lot of fun to try and solve. It was quite intricately plotted and the characters were credible. I guess it also showed how easy it could be to exploit desperate refugees for profit without caring one iota for their welfare. Sadly this is all too common. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good, plausible police procedural or putting a jigsaw together, because that’s what this puzzle was like. Many thanks to Netgalley, Joffe Books and Michael Hambling for my copy. My opinions are my own.
September 4, 2020
DCI Sophie Allen #9
A man has been stabbed to death on a train. A woman has been murdered in similar circumstances in a woman's shelter. DCI Sophie Allen and her team have been tasked with solving the cases. Theres also a capsized boat full of immigrants. Some of them have already died.
This is a really good police procedural series. The pace flows along smoothly. Sophie have yo track down whoever's is behind the two murders. This is a twist filled, well written book. Theres lots going on but it's not confusing.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #MichaelHambling for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A man has been stabbed to death on a train. A woman has been murdered in similar circumstances in a woman's shelter. DCI Sophie Allen and her team have been tasked with solving the cases. Theres also a capsized boat full of immigrants. Some of them have already died.
This is a really good police procedural series. The pace flows along smoothly. Sophie have yo track down whoever's is behind the two murders. This is a twist filled, well written book. Theres lots going on but it's not confusing.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #MichaelHambling for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2020
At different times, two people are found stabbed to death.Detective Sophie Allen and her team are called in to investigate. What they find is ... nothing. These two seemingly unrelated have no pasts that can be found. There are no clues, no DNA, but there were two people who may have witnessed the first killing ... but they also have disappeared.
When migrants arriving on the beach, there is an awful accident. The boat capsizes and several adults and children were killed. One little boy, a survivor, has his camera which he has used to document the trip from his home country. Sophie is surprised to see pictures of the witnesses .... how do they connect from the stabbings to the desperate migrants who were paid to deliver them safely?
As their investigation continues. Sophie and her team find that the government knows more than the top dogs are sharing with anyone. Sophie will need to walk very carefully through the maze that may ultimately cause her to lose her job ... or her life.
RUTHLESS CRIMES features a complex plot, full of twists and turns. There are also many characters to follow, some are easy to follow .. some are more complicated. Sophie and her team are like old friends if you've followed this series. If not, this one can easily be read as a stand alone, but starting at the beginning will give the reader more information as backstories. There's lots of action and it's hard to put down once started.
Many thanks to the author/ Joffe Books / Books 'n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expresses here are unbiased and entirely my own.
When migrants arriving on the beach, there is an awful accident. The boat capsizes and several adults and children were killed. One little boy, a survivor, has his camera which he has used to document the trip from his home country. Sophie is surprised to see pictures of the witnesses .... how do they connect from the stabbings to the desperate migrants who were paid to deliver them safely?
As their investigation continues. Sophie and her team find that the government knows more than the top dogs are sharing with anyone. Sophie will need to walk very carefully through the maze that may ultimately cause her to lose her job ... or her life.
RUTHLESS CRIMES features a complex plot, full of twists and turns. There are also many characters to follow, some are easy to follow .. some are more complicated. Sophie and her team are like old friends if you've followed this series. If not, this one can easily be read as a stand alone, but starting at the beginning will give the reader more information as backstories. There's lots of action and it's hard to put down once started.
Many thanks to the author/ Joffe Books / Books 'n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expresses here are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 1, 2020
This is the 9th book in the DCI Sophie Allen series by author Michael Hambling. I really enjoy police procedural books and although I already have so many series that I already read, I just couldn't resist one more. Starting at book 9 in the series is probably not the best idea but I was able to read it as a stand alone. Although I only gave it a 3 star rating there was enough to make me want to know more about these characters and I have already purchased the other 8 books in the series.
The novels are set in Dorset with the lead character Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Allen. 42 year old Sophie is in charge of Serious and Violent Crime Unit and lives with her husband and daughter in Wareham. There are other members on the team but I will have to read more to discover the history to these characters. Like most series the characters get better with familiarity and hopefully I will find this on reading the other books.
When a man is found on the Southampton morning commuter train little can be found out regarding his history other than he staying in a house owned by a government security unit. This murder is shortly followed by another stabbing in a refuge for abused women. Again little can be discovered about the victim.
A good police procedural story and hopefully the start of another good series for me personally. I am planning to read book 1 shortly.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Joffe books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The novels are set in Dorset with the lead character Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Allen. 42 year old Sophie is in charge of Serious and Violent Crime Unit and lives with her husband and daughter in Wareham. There are other members on the team but I will have to read more to discover the history to these characters. Like most series the characters get better with familiarity and hopefully I will find this on reading the other books.
When a man is found on the Southampton morning commuter train little can be found out regarding his history other than he staying in a house owned by a government security unit. This murder is shortly followed by another stabbing in a refuge for abused women. Again little can be discovered about the victim.
A good police procedural story and hopefully the start of another good series for me personally. I am planning to read book 1 shortly.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Joffe books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2020
Early Saturday morning on the first train out of Weymouth, a dead body is found by a passenger. It’s a man in his early 40’s and it looks as if he was stabbed in the chest somewhere else and run onto the train to hide from his attacker(s). Strange thing is that the man doesn’t have a past or background. His flat looks as if it’s a safe house but no-one knows which agency is in charge; border forces, MI6, counter-terrorism or someone else?
Not much later, a woman posing as a nurse talks her way into a woman’s hostel and stabs a client in her heart. These 2 cases seem to be related, but no-one connected to or in charge of the victims wants to inform the police who’s trying to solve a murder while Special Branch is more worried about a huge security leak within the Home Office’s secret unit. Meanwhile, the politicians have their own agenda. It’s a huge investigation with several police forces involved and Sophie Allen will have to tread lightly.
This book is the 9th I a series and that’s clearly noticeable by a large amount of overlaps and family/love relations between various members of the police force. Luckily there’s a handy list of names and occupations in the front of the book but only of the police people. I had to check it a couple of times because there’s a very large cast of characters. I guess that when you’re familiar with the series, you’re acquainted with most of them and their interactions. This is something that I appreciate in a series; that characters that are picked up in 1 story don’t disappear into the void but that they remain around. The story stands completely on its own, so it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read any of the previous books.
The main character is DSI Sophie Allen who’s been promoted recently to her grade and I think she might have featured more prominently in previous stories, but here’s a lot of attention for the work of her team and that of other forces. This is a nice change from most police mysteries where often it appears that 1 detective solves the whole case on his/her own.
This is as much an espionage thriller as it is a political thriller and a police procedural. The story is told very well and remained suspenseful even though I sussed out the main culprit a bit over halfway.
This story embarks on a controversial theme; political refugees on silly overcrowded tiny plastic boats trying to cross the Mediterranean or the Channel. I do feel sorry for those people who feel that this is their best bet but they must know the risks they take. They all have smartphones and the latest information about to whom and where to go to or avoid. They are not innocently naive as we’re made to believe. As well as paying ridiculous amounts of money to get where they want to be, those people deliberately endanger not only themselves but also their children. If you leave your child alone for 10 minutes while you pop out for bread, you’ll be accused of neglect. So how doesn’t stuffing your child in a ramshackle leaky boat make you a hero? No off course, I do not want those people to drown. I want their relatives and friends who’ve survived the ordeal, to tell the truth about the horrible journey, the criminals, violence, rapes, and the shitty conditions they eventually end up in. But no, those keep a brave face and proudly tell the people back home what paradise full of golden mountains, they’ve found. But they want to keep their head up high and don’t want to admit to the home front that they’re sometimes worse off than before. The worst thing here is that the genuine political and war refugees are invisible amidst the mass of economical runaways. For sure those are the people in dire need of a safe place but they’re given a bad name by those that don’t qualify and seek a life of illegality. This problem doesn’t exist in Britain alone but all over Western and Northern Europe, but here in Belgium, we see a lot of transmigrants (mainly young African men) that put all of their hope in reaching the UK and flat out refuse to apply for asylum here. The main culprits here are off course the smugglers preying on those people and making big bucks out of them. Those people should be sought out and severely punished, but as for now, they seem to catch nothing but the hired help. I can’t understand how their victims still keep falling for it. By now, they should know better for sure?
I thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for the free ARC they provided and this is my honest unbiased review of it.
Not much later, a woman posing as a nurse talks her way into a woman’s hostel and stabs a client in her heart. These 2 cases seem to be related, but no-one connected to or in charge of the victims wants to inform the police who’s trying to solve a murder while Special Branch is more worried about a huge security leak within the Home Office’s secret unit. Meanwhile, the politicians have their own agenda. It’s a huge investigation with several police forces involved and Sophie Allen will have to tread lightly.
This book is the 9th I a series and that’s clearly noticeable by a large amount of overlaps and family/love relations between various members of the police force. Luckily there’s a handy list of names and occupations in the front of the book but only of the police people. I had to check it a couple of times because there’s a very large cast of characters. I guess that when you’re familiar with the series, you’re acquainted with most of them and their interactions. This is something that I appreciate in a series; that characters that are picked up in 1 story don’t disappear into the void but that they remain around. The story stands completely on its own, so it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read any of the previous books.
The main character is DSI Sophie Allen who’s been promoted recently to her grade and I think she might have featured more prominently in previous stories, but here’s a lot of attention for the work of her team and that of other forces. This is a nice change from most police mysteries where often it appears that 1 detective solves the whole case on his/her own.
This is as much an espionage thriller as it is a political thriller and a police procedural. The story is told very well and remained suspenseful even though I sussed out the main culprit a bit over halfway.
This story embarks on a controversial theme; political refugees on silly overcrowded tiny plastic boats trying to cross the Mediterranean or the Channel. I do feel sorry for those people who feel that this is their best bet but they must know the risks they take. They all have smartphones and the latest information about to whom and where to go to or avoid. They are not innocently naive as we’re made to believe. As well as paying ridiculous amounts of money to get where they want to be, those people deliberately endanger not only themselves but also their children. If you leave your child alone for 10 minutes while you pop out for bread, you’ll be accused of neglect. So how doesn’t stuffing your child in a ramshackle leaky boat make you a hero? No off course, I do not want those people to drown. I want their relatives and friends who’ve survived the ordeal, to tell the truth about the horrible journey, the criminals, violence, rapes, and the shitty conditions they eventually end up in. But no, those keep a brave face and proudly tell the people back home what paradise full of golden mountains, they’ve found. But they want to keep their head up high and don’t want to admit to the home front that they’re sometimes worse off than before. The worst thing here is that the genuine political and war refugees are invisible amidst the mass of economical runaways. For sure those are the people in dire need of a safe place but they’re given a bad name by those that don’t qualify and seek a life of illegality. This problem doesn’t exist in Britain alone but all over Western and Northern Europe, but here in Belgium, we see a lot of transmigrants (mainly young African men) that put all of their hope in reaching the UK and flat out refuse to apply for asylum here. The main culprits here are off course the smugglers preying on those people and making big bucks out of them. Those people should be sought out and severely punished, but as for now, they seem to catch nothing but the hired help. I can’t understand how their victims still keep falling for it. By now, they should know better for sure?
I thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for the free ARC they provided and this is my honest unbiased review of it.
September 7, 2020
Detective Sophie Allen is called to investigate a murder on a commuter train. The victim appears to have no past, his home no personal touch and his murder no motive. Further investigation reveals links to a Government security unit. Then there is another murder.
This is a very complex story involving trafficking of immigrants, tragedy and secrets. Can Sophie and her team work their way through the cover ups and lies to uncover the truth?
A very gripping story which not only gets the adrenaline running but also plays with the emotions. I couldn't put this down it is a very realistic story one that could be playing out as we are reading and that makes it all the more gripping.
Sophie and her team have developed over the course of the series but apparently they have a lot more to give and I felt I got to know them a lot more during this book.
An excellent read and well worth the 5 stars.
Thank you to the author and Joffe Books for the advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not biased in any way.
This is a very complex story involving trafficking of immigrants, tragedy and secrets. Can Sophie and her team work their way through the cover ups and lies to uncover the truth?
A very gripping story which not only gets the adrenaline running but also plays with the emotions. I couldn't put this down it is a very realistic story one that could be playing out as we are reading and that makes it all the more gripping.
Sophie and her team have developed over the course of the series but apparently they have a lot more to give and I felt I got to know them a lot more during this book.
An excellent read and well worth the 5 stars.
Thank you to the author and Joffe Books for the advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not biased in any way.
September 14, 2020
‘Ruthless Crimes’ is the ninth book in the bestselling series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Allen. I haven’t quite caught up with all of the books in the series but I have read a few and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I read the synopsis for ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and it certainly sounded like a read and a half. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn into the story from the synopsis alone and starting to read the story just sealed the deal as it were. I found it nigh on impossible to put this book down for any length of time. There was that much going on in the story that I feared I might miss something if I put the book down. To say that reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would read way more than a couple of chapters. I was intrigued by the story and I had to keep reading to see how the story concluded. I soon got to the end of the book and I had to say farewell to DCI Sophie Allen and her team.
‘Ruthless Crimes’ is well written but then I have thought that to be true of all of the Sophie Allen books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. In Sophie, Michael has created a strong female lead character who is impossible to dislike. In fact I took to Sophie Allen so well that she began to feel like a friend. He grabs your attention from fairly early on and he entices you into the story. ‘Ruthless Crimes’ has a few different strands to the story but the strands tie up and feed into the main story. I thought that I might get confused with who is who and which bit of the story they fitted into, but I needn’t have worried because the different strands interlinked well and the story flowed seamlessly. This was one of those books that gripped me from start to finish and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Michael certainly knows how to keep the readers guessing. At times, reading this book felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Michael’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I was drawn into the story from the synopsis alone and starting to read the story just sealed the deal as it were. I found it nigh on impossible to put this book down for any length of time. There was that much going on in the story that I feared I might miss something if I put the book down. To say that reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would read way more than a couple of chapters. I was intrigued by the story and I had to keep reading to see how the story concluded. I soon got to the end of the book and I had to say farewell to DCI Sophie Allen and her team.
‘Ruthless Crimes’ is well written but then I have thought that to be true of all of the Sophie Allen books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. In Sophie, Michael has created a strong female lead character who is impossible to dislike. In fact I took to Sophie Allen so well that she began to feel like a friend. He grabs your attention from fairly early on and he entices you into the story. ‘Ruthless Crimes’ has a few different strands to the story but the strands tie up and feed into the main story. I thought that I might get confused with who is who and which bit of the story they fitted into, but I needn’t have worried because the different strands interlinked well and the story flowed seamlessly. This was one of those books that gripped me from start to finish and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Michael certainly knows how to keep the readers guessing. At times, reading this book felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Michael’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
September 8, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Ruthless Crimes, the ninth novel to feature DCI Sophie Allen of the Dorset Police.
When a man is found stabbed to death in a train carriage Sophie and her team start to investigate but find out little about the man except he was renting his house from the government. Then a second victim is found and the trail leads to the same circumstances. What links these deaths to a capsized boat of immigrants?
I thoroughly enjoyed Ruthless Crimes which is an engrossing plot with a topical theme, illegal immigration and the traffickers who profit from it. Add in a little high level government corruption and you get a very believable scenario. The novel is mostly told from the investigative point of view but there are contributions from the killer’s which give the reader a good idea of motive without identifying them and a young immigrant boy who expanded my understanding of his plight.
The plot is fairly complicated with different strands and several locations to keep up with. It’s not particularly confusing in its direction but the deliberate misdirection of naming some characters the same took a bit of mental sorting out. I like the way it is written with an initial puzzlement about what they’re dealing with and gradually drawing a clearer picture through smart investigation.
I like the warm atmosphere in the novel. The team are close friends as well as colleagues and they get on well with the neighbouring forces so there is little internal strife or territoriality. Their jokes and collegiality make them easy people to spend time with.
Ruthless Crimes is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
When a man is found stabbed to death in a train carriage Sophie and her team start to investigate but find out little about the man except he was renting his house from the government. Then a second victim is found and the trail leads to the same circumstances. What links these deaths to a capsized boat of immigrants?
I thoroughly enjoyed Ruthless Crimes which is an engrossing plot with a topical theme, illegal immigration and the traffickers who profit from it. Add in a little high level government corruption and you get a very believable scenario. The novel is mostly told from the investigative point of view but there are contributions from the killer’s which give the reader a good idea of motive without identifying them and a young immigrant boy who expanded my understanding of his plight.
The plot is fairly complicated with different strands and several locations to keep up with. It’s not particularly confusing in its direction but the deliberate misdirection of naming some characters the same took a bit of mental sorting out. I like the way it is written with an initial puzzlement about what they’re dealing with and gradually drawing a clearer picture through smart investigation.
I like the warm atmosphere in the novel. The team are close friends as well as colleagues and they get on well with the neighbouring forces so there is little internal strife or territoriality. Their jokes and collegiality make them easy people to spend time with.
Ruthless Crimes is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
September 21, 2020
"A continuing high standard"
I've read the Sophie Allen series from the beginning and the story lines are always true-to-life and thrilling. This one is topical, full of twists, and the full cast of characters that the author has introduced to support Sophie Allen are given full rein.
That's what makes readers keep coming back. No detective could run the case on their own, they need a strong support team, Sophie has that team and each book gives the other team members their moment in the spotlight. Watching them grow is the fascination. I can't wait for the next one.
I've read the Sophie Allen series from the beginning and the story lines are always true-to-life and thrilling. This one is topical, full of twists, and the full cast of characters that the author has introduced to support Sophie Allen are given full rein.
That's what makes readers keep coming back. No detective could run the case on their own, they need a strong support team, Sophie has that team and each book gives the other team members their moment in the spotlight. Watching them grow is the fascination. I can't wait for the next one.
October 9, 2020
Ruthless Crimes is the ninth book in the Sophie Allen series. As usual, I'm coming into the series at this book having not read the previous books.
A man hurrying to catch a train for work finds a body in one of the carriages. The authorities are called and the dead man identified. problem: he doesn't seem to exist. The team begins digging around. I was a bit confused, because while this is tagged with Sophie Allen as the presumed lead of the series, she doesn't show up until chapter four.
As they trace the dead man, with Allen talking to the higher-ups as it seems the dead man may have been an undercover operative, a woman in a secure facility in another jurisdiction is killed by someone acting as a nurse. As with the dead man, the dead woman seems to also be a ghost. The teams intersect and there is more talking with intelligence types, who think this was some kind of off the books operation dealing with immigrants landing in the country.
During all this, an overloaded boat of immigrants is making its way to shore, capsizing as it gets into the breaks at the shore. Several people die, including a couple of children. The rest are taken to the hospital.
The authorities continue to investigate. The head of the off the books op is apparently kidnapped, held for several days, and manages to escape. She can't think of any leaks, etc., via which anyone would know about the op or who is running it, and seems a tad sketchy.
More dead bodies show up - they seem to be part of the smuggling crew rather than random murders.
Eventually, it all comes to a head and the perps are caught.
I did not like this book at all. Not because of the content. That was fine, even with the author throwing his politics into things via long monologues by characters. There are more nuanced ways to do this that don't involve the book pausing so a character can preach a the reader. It simply was not captivating in a way a book should be: too much politicking, as noted, too much characters telling one another the story and telling each other things they already know, just so the reader will. There were also some odd moments where the cops didn't seem to be terribly smart: in one very striking instance, one of them wonders how criminals could have obtained falsified passports. Seriously? An officer offers to resign because a woman she had interviewed during the course of the investigation turns out to have been one of the bad guys. Not a happening thing. A house they've taped off for forensics is described as deserted, almost neglected, yet one officer has his service weapon out. Why, if the place is deserted and only other cops are present?
Speaking of -ly, I have never been one for the hard and fast rule of going through a manuscript and ejecting all adverbs. At the 80% point in this book, I was ready to embrace it fully. for this book, though, because by that time I was supremely annoyed by this book.
There was far too much telling versus showing in this book. Don't tell me "(Name) could see something was wrong as (Other Name) came toward him." How? Were they frowning? Brows furrowed? Walking briskly? Running? Scanning the surroundings for a threat? Just ending a phone call? Who knows? This happens A LOT. Like the deserted, almost neglected house above. A couple of paragraphs after that, the author does give some details as to how the place looks. Dump the tell-y "looked deserted" line and just go with the description, as that will show the reader the same thing, instead of telling the reader and then showing it.
The author gets points for diversity, and for having a mystery involving current events like immigration and systemic racism. I just think the story could have used another developmental editing pass.
Two and a half stars out of five, rounded down to two.
Thanks to Joffee Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
A man hurrying to catch a train for work finds a body in one of the carriages. The authorities are called and the dead man identified. problem: he doesn't seem to exist. The team begins digging around. I was a bit confused, because while this is tagged with Sophie Allen as the presumed lead of the series, she doesn't show up until chapter four.
As they trace the dead man, with Allen talking to the higher-ups as it seems the dead man may have been an undercover operative, a woman in a secure facility in another jurisdiction is killed by someone acting as a nurse. As with the dead man, the dead woman seems to also be a ghost. The teams intersect and there is more talking with intelligence types, who think this was some kind of off the books operation dealing with immigrants landing in the country.
During all this, an overloaded boat of immigrants is making its way to shore, capsizing as it gets into the breaks at the shore. Several people die, including a couple of children. The rest are taken to the hospital.
The authorities continue to investigate. The head of the off the books op is apparently kidnapped, held for several days, and manages to escape. She can't think of any leaks, etc., via which anyone would know about the op or who is running it, and seems a tad sketchy.
More dead bodies show up - they seem to be part of the smuggling crew rather than random murders.
Eventually, it all comes to a head and the perps are caught.
I did not like this book at all. Not because of the content. That was fine, even with the author throwing his politics into things via long monologues by characters. There are more nuanced ways to do this that don't involve the book pausing so a character can preach a the reader. It simply was not captivating in a way a book should be: too much politicking, as noted, too much characters telling one another the story and telling each other things they already know, just so the reader will. There were also some odd moments where the cops didn't seem to be terribly smart: in one very striking instance, one of them wonders how criminals could have obtained falsified passports. Seriously? An officer offers to resign because a woman she had interviewed during the course of the investigation turns out to have been one of the bad guys. Not a happening thing. A house they've taped off for forensics is described as deserted, almost neglected, yet one officer has his service weapon out. Why, if the place is deserted and only other cops are present?
Speaking of -ly, I have never been one for the hard and fast rule of going through a manuscript and ejecting all adverbs. At the 80% point in this book, I was ready to embrace it fully. for this book, though, because by that time I was supremely annoyed by this book.
There was far too much telling versus showing in this book. Don't tell me "(Name) could see something was wrong as (Other Name) came toward him." How? Were they frowning? Brows furrowed? Walking briskly? Running? Scanning the surroundings for a threat? Just ending a phone call? Who knows? This happens A LOT. Like the deserted, almost neglected house above. A couple of paragraphs after that, the author does give some details as to how the place looks. Dump the tell-y "looked deserted" line and just go with the description, as that will show the reader the same thing, instead of telling the reader and then showing it.
The author gets points for diversity, and for having a mystery involving current events like immigration and systemic racism. I just think the story could have used another developmental editing pass.
Two and a half stars out of five, rounded down to two.
Thanks to Joffee Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
September 9, 2020
This is number nine in the series of books featuring DCI Sophie Allen and her team working in the Dorset Police Violent Crime Unit. This time they are joined by detectives from Hampshire CID and the Metropolitan Police in a case that spans counties and even crosses the English Channel involving a large number of personnel. I was extremely grateful that a list of these characters features at the front of the book so I could keep track of who’s who. The story begins with the discovery of a man’s body on the early morning Weymouth to London train. Stabbed to death, it seems he came into the station on the previous evening and has been there all night. An elusive couple were spotted in the vicinity. Sophie’s close knit team of DI Barry Marsh, newly promoted DS Rae Gregson, recent addition DC Tommy Carter, Dorset uniforms Sergeant Rose Simons and Constable George Warrander and Weymouth CID’s DS Stu Blackman are all involved in the investigation into the murder, but even once the man has been named and an address found, very little else comes to light about him at all. When his rented house shows up on a list of Government owned properties they start to wonder whether he could have been living there for his own safety. They discover a number of these similar houses but no one in special branch seems to know exactly what they were being used for. The theory is that, all being on the coast, they may have something to do with the war against gangs smuggling migrants across from France. A second murder occurs in Hampshire where DCI Jack Dunning and Barry’s partner DS Gwen Davies attend the murder of a woman living in a supposedly safe women’s refuge. Again recently moved for her own safety by someone involved with the Home Office, she has been killed by a woman impersonating a nurse who clearly had inside knowledge. Connections are made between the two murders and the teams join forces. The situation soon becomes more complicated when a packed boat of illegal migrants overturns on a beach and many are killed or injured. A third murder victim with connections to the smugglers soon lands on Sophie’s books and the mysterious couple appear again. The story escalates to include government departments and ministers, refuge charities and intelligence services, with the problem that some can’t or won’t divulge exactly what has been happening and who all seem to have very differing agendas. Despite not knowing who can be trusted in all this, the detectives slowly piece together what little evidence they do have to track down the ruthless killers. All the main detectives featured were pretty straightforward and likeable, and it was nice to see the cases being solved as a joint effort amongst a number of officers and teams as would happen in real life. As the initial case opened up, the various strands of the story became quite involved and there is a lot of content to take in. The plot is complex and with lots of turns in the story it was hard to decide which of the many characters was guilty and who was innocent. Add in a government group shrouded in mystery and official secrets and it was no wonder the detectives were baffled when so much was being kept under the radar. I very much enjoyed this story. It highlights the current problem of people trafficking and illegal entry into the UK of migrants and asylum seekers, and very much sympathises with the people fleeing their own lands in fear of their lives, although it does raise the valid question of whether they should seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive at. I did however find the ending rather abrupt and would have liked a fuller and more rounded explanation for some parts of the story. 4.5*
September 14, 2020
A man waiting for the doors to open for the early train finally gets in the car. When he gets to the seat in the back, he finds a dead man on the floor. Detectives from the Violent Crime Unit, Rae and Stu. Sophie Allen is the boss of the unit. They interview the few others in the station, and find that there was a couple with wheelie suitcases on the platform for about five minutes who were no longer there. They search the grounds of the station, and find there is a bike in the car park near where the stabbing must have taken place. The dead man had lived in a rather sparse apartment. He had kept to himself, and had no passport. Finding more about him or who owns the apartment is quite difficult.
Soon, a woman who has been placed in a hostel for abused women is found killed by someone dressed as a nurse who had come to dress her wounds. The police have trouble finding out about her as well.
Then there is a boat overloaded with refugees which tries to land on a Dorset beach and flips in the high waves. The parents of an Iranian family try to help rescue those who were still in the boat after they get their son Kamal and daughter Arshi almost to shore. Several of the refugees die, including the children's father. Their mother is badly injured. They are taken to a hospital. The police are anxious to find out who is running these trips for refugees. Kamal has taken many pictures with his camera, and he gives the camera to the police who befriend the children. Fortunately, they were coming to join relatives who help them.
Sophie's team soon realizes there is a connection of the first to deaths to migrants coming to England, and there may be a political connection to the criminal activity. Sophie and her team have a lot of work to figure everything out and catch culprits before they get away.
This is a very readable book with likeable police who you want to win. There is surprise and suspense. Now I can't wait to go back and read the first 8 books in the series.
Soon, a woman who has been placed in a hostel for abused women is found killed by someone dressed as a nurse who had come to dress her wounds. The police have trouble finding out about her as well.
Then there is a boat overloaded with refugees which tries to land on a Dorset beach and flips in the high waves. The parents of an Iranian family try to help rescue those who were still in the boat after they get their son Kamal and daughter Arshi almost to shore. Several of the refugees die, including the children's father. Their mother is badly injured. They are taken to a hospital. The police are anxious to find out who is running these trips for refugees. Kamal has taken many pictures with his camera, and he gives the camera to the police who befriend the children. Fortunately, they were coming to join relatives who help them.
Sophie's team soon realizes there is a connection of the first to deaths to migrants coming to England, and there may be a political connection to the criminal activity. Sophie and her team have a lot of work to figure everything out and catch culprits before they get away.
This is a very readable book with likeable police who you want to win. There is surprise and suspense. Now I can't wait to go back and read the first 8 books in the series.
September 17, 2020
This is the fifth book in the Sophie Allen series that I have read. Although this is the ninth book in the series it is a standalone story so you don’t need to have read the previous books to be able to enjoy this one.
The good thing about this series is that the books are fairly short (between 250 and 300 pages) but a lot of story is in those pages which means that the book is fast paced and a very quick read. The plot is never too dense so you don’t have to think too hard while reading this.
Also this series focuses on more of a team of police detectives rather than the standard one detective going it alone, which is interesting and makes for a good dynamic to read. All the characters are extremely likeable and there is good LGBT representation in this book with one of the detectives being transgender.
My only negative about this book is that there does seem to be a lot of characters in this book and it can be quite confusing at times to remember who is who (there is a glossary at the front to help but it does then take you out of the story). This also wasn’t helped by the fact that two of the main characters changed last name twice in the book which was also extremely confusing.
I definitely plan on continuing with this series and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police detective stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy this book to review.
The good thing about this series is that the books are fairly short (between 250 and 300 pages) but a lot of story is in those pages which means that the book is fast paced and a very quick read. The plot is never too dense so you don’t have to think too hard while reading this.
Also this series focuses on more of a team of police detectives rather than the standard one detective going it alone, which is interesting and makes for a good dynamic to read. All the characters are extremely likeable and there is good LGBT representation in this book with one of the detectives being transgender.
My only negative about this book is that there does seem to be a lot of characters in this book and it can be quite confusing at times to remember who is who (there is a glossary at the front to help but it does then take you out of the story). This also wasn’t helped by the fact that two of the main characters changed last name twice in the book which was also extremely confusing.
I definitely plan on continuing with this series and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police detective stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy this book to review.
November 26, 2020
SPOILER ALERT
This story is made more complex by the multiple characters with the same name: Charmaine Cookson. Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen and her team are joined by other jurisdictions teams as they seek the leaders of the gang bringing immigrants across the Channel. One of those trips ends in tragedy as the boat is overloaded, with one boatman only, and off course from one of the easier beaches to come into. Instead the surf is high, cold and the thirty plus migrants are thrown from the boat. Zaan, Roya, Arshi and Kamal Bahrami are on the boat fleeing Iran. As the refugees are flung out Zaan and Roya go back to rescue children floundering in the water. The boat hits them and Zaan is killed and Roya badly hurt. Kamal has taken pictures of members of the gang, so they are at risk from the gang. Then a number of people end up murdered and the case becomes more complicated as two of them are killed in safe houses.
While the story is convoluted, overall it is simple. A member of the clandestine Home Office Investigative team is also a leader of the gang: Corinne Lanston, assisted by her partner Phillip. She proceeds to kill others involved in order to cover up her part, including Dorry O'Brian, the boatman who flees the tragedy. The story also is confusing as one or another of black or blue BMW SUVs are used to ferry back and forth between England and France and from one scene to another, the occupants disguised or covered up. Good read.
This story is made more complex by the multiple characters with the same name: Charmaine Cookson. Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen and her team are joined by other jurisdictions teams as they seek the leaders of the gang bringing immigrants across the Channel. One of those trips ends in tragedy as the boat is overloaded, with one boatman only, and off course from one of the easier beaches to come into. Instead the surf is high, cold and the thirty plus migrants are thrown from the boat. Zaan, Roya, Arshi and Kamal Bahrami are on the boat fleeing Iran. As the refugees are flung out Zaan and Roya go back to rescue children floundering in the water. The boat hits them and Zaan is killed and Roya badly hurt. Kamal has taken pictures of members of the gang, so they are at risk from the gang. Then a number of people end up murdered and the case becomes more complicated as two of them are killed in safe houses.
While the story is convoluted, overall it is simple. A member of the clandestine Home Office Investigative team is also a leader of the gang: Corinne Lanston, assisted by her partner Phillip. She proceeds to kill others involved in order to cover up her part, including Dorry O'Brian, the boatman who flees the tragedy. The story also is confusing as one or another of black or blue BMW SUVs are used to ferry back and forth between England and France and from one scene to another, the occupants disguised or covered up. Good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2021
I’ve loved the previous eight books in the series. The characters in the team and their relationships are the backbone of the stories as they investigate some pretty horrific crimes. Sometimes there’s a personal element to the crimes, which only raises the stakes and tension.
In this ninth outing, it takes the team a while to piece together some apparently random killings. First a man stabbed on a train. No past, no information, plenty to interest Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen. Another body with no history is found in a refuge. Then a group of refugees wash up on a beach. With an overcrowded boat and a wicked tide, some end up dead.
And suddenly the team get some traction with their investigations. Rae in particular shines in this story, while Sophie goes across country to London and Oxford as the investigation gathers momentum.
The people trafficking aspect is well portrayed. It’s shown through the eyes of a young refugee and shows the predicament, dangers and difficult choices people on the run face. There’s also the criminal side, where criminals make a fortune from misery.
However, the investigation seems to be scattered all over the place, and I found it difficult to keep track of events and people at times. The climax when it came was a little lacking in tension and action, which meant the story didn’t quite give me the buzz and excitement of previous novels.
In this ninth outing, it takes the team a while to piece together some apparently random killings. First a man stabbed on a train. No past, no information, plenty to interest Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen. Another body with no history is found in a refuge. Then a group of refugees wash up on a beach. With an overcrowded boat and a wicked tide, some end up dead.
And suddenly the team get some traction with their investigations. Rae in particular shines in this story, while Sophie goes across country to London and Oxford as the investigation gathers momentum.
The people trafficking aspect is well portrayed. It’s shown through the eyes of a young refugee and shows the predicament, dangers and difficult choices people on the run face. There’s also the criminal side, where criminals make a fortune from misery.
However, the investigation seems to be scattered all over the place, and I found it difficult to keep track of events and people at times. The climax when it came was a little lacking in tension and action, which meant the story didn’t quite give me the buzz and excitement of previous novels.
August 29, 2020
256 pages
4 stars
Robert Bunting was stabbed and after he made his way onto a train collapsed and died there. The only clue the detectives have is that there were two people with small suitcases at the train station that no one can locate now. They proceed to Robert's home. There is nothing of Robert there: no passport, hardly any personal items, just a few clothes.
Some astute detective work shows that Robert's house was owned by the Home Office. It is a safe house. The boss needs to talk to Special Branch about Robert.
Another stabbing, this time one Louise Bennett at a hostel, a women's refuge called Beechwood. This time there is a witness. A woman masquerading as a nurse visited the house. The same information is available about Louise as was Robert – exactly nothing.
More murders and kidnapping occur. The investigation grows in size. More detectives from different districts join the search for the killer(s).
This is a well written and plotted police procedural. I liked DS Rae Gregson. She was competent and dedicated. She ferreted out the truth no matter where it led.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
4 stars
Robert Bunting was stabbed and after he made his way onto a train collapsed and died there. The only clue the detectives have is that there were two people with small suitcases at the train station that no one can locate now. They proceed to Robert's home. There is nothing of Robert there: no passport, hardly any personal items, just a few clothes.
Some astute detective work shows that Robert's house was owned by the Home Office. It is a safe house. The boss needs to talk to Special Branch about Robert.
Another stabbing, this time one Louise Bennett at a hostel, a women's refuge called Beechwood. This time there is a witness. A woman masquerading as a nurse visited the house. The same information is available about Louise as was Robert – exactly nothing.
More murders and kidnapping occur. The investigation grows in size. More detectives from different districts join the search for the killer(s).
This is a well written and plotted police procedural. I liked DS Rae Gregson. She was competent and dedicated. She ferreted out the truth no matter where it led.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
September 1, 2020
Early morning in Weymouth and the first passenger to board the first train to Southampton finds a body. Robert Bunting must have crawled back on to the train after being stabbed in the station car park. Detective Sophie Allen and the VCU team struggle to find anything out about him, his house is rented and it appears that he paid the rent in cash and neighbors no nothing useful about him. Newly promoted Detective Sergeant Rae discovers that the house is owned by the Home Office. When a woman, Louise Bennett, is killed in the same way in a women’s refuge it is discovered that her house was also owned by the Home Office. Enquiries lead to a former policeman who was asked to place the victim there as a favour for a former Special Branch colleague. When a small boat capsizes on Chesil Beach leading to four migrants dying the team start to make connections between their two victims and a secret task force set up in Whitehall to tackle illegal migration across the Channel.
Another great installment in the Sophie Allen series by Michael Hambling. A really good read with plenty to keep you guessing as to the outcome of the case.
Thanks to Joffe Books and Michael Hambling for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Another great installment in the Sophie Allen series by Michael Hambling. A really good read with plenty to keep you guessing as to the outcome of the case.
Thanks to Joffe Books and Michael Hambling for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
September 13, 2020
This 9th book in the Detective Sophie Allen series opens with Sophie called to the discovery of a mans body in a commuter train.He was stabbed and died of his injuries..
Having identified the man they have been unable to gather more information about him or his life.
Enquiries reveal he has no past and his home holds no clues. It is rented and seems to have been owned by a government department, possibly a safe house?
A call comes in from a womans refuge, a woman Louise Bennett is killed in the same way, connections to the same government department are uncovered.
Add to this a boat full of migrants capsizing on a local beach leading to the death of 4 of them and the team have their work cut out.
Slowly they begin to make links between the two stabbing victims and a secret government task force that was set up in Whitehall to tackle the illegal importation of migrants across the Channel.
This is a complex story, a realistic story that could actually be happening now, this makes it even more gripping.
Another excellent read and I can definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Joffe books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC in return for my honest review.
Having identified the man they have been unable to gather more information about him or his life.
Enquiries reveal he has no past and his home holds no clues. It is rented and seems to have been owned by a government department, possibly a safe house?
A call comes in from a womans refuge, a woman Louise Bennett is killed in the same way, connections to the same government department are uncovered.
Add to this a boat full of migrants capsizing on a local beach leading to the death of 4 of them and the team have their work cut out.
Slowly they begin to make links between the two stabbing victims and a secret government task force that was set up in Whitehall to tackle the illegal importation of migrants across the Channel.
This is a complex story, a realistic story that could actually be happening now, this makes it even more gripping.
Another excellent read and I can definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Joffe books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC in return for my honest review.
September 27, 2020
Sophie snores!
An overcrowded boat in the English Channel, double the amount of immigrants than was safe, not surprising it capsizes as it approaches Chesil Beach on the Dorset coast.
Some make it to shore safely, others are struggling in the strong current.
A few brave souls go to help children washed into the sea and lives are lost.
Sophie Allen is tasked with finding those behind the people smuggling racket. This leads to a joint operation with Hampshire, Sussex police, the Met and the Home Office.
Main characters are women with strong personalities - Rose, Rae & Gwen, all police officers, Corinne from the Home Office and the elusive Charmaine, a ruthless killer whose bank balance is very healthy thanks to all the money paid by those anxious to flee their own countries and get to the UK.
An intricate plot, well laid out. You don't know who is actually is a criminal by name or nature, the end result is a good twist which you may have suspected a couple of chapters before the end, but the uncertainty keeps you going til the last page.
Worth reading, as are all in this series.
An overcrowded boat in the English Channel, double the amount of immigrants than was safe, not surprising it capsizes as it approaches Chesil Beach on the Dorset coast.
Some make it to shore safely, others are struggling in the strong current.
A few brave souls go to help children washed into the sea and lives are lost.
Sophie Allen is tasked with finding those behind the people smuggling racket. This leads to a joint operation with Hampshire, Sussex police, the Met and the Home Office.
Main characters are women with strong personalities - Rose, Rae & Gwen, all police officers, Corinne from the Home Office and the elusive Charmaine, a ruthless killer whose bank balance is very healthy thanks to all the money paid by those anxious to flee their own countries and get to the UK.
An intricate plot, well laid out. You don't know who is actually is a criminal by name or nature, the end result is a good twist which you may have suspected a couple of chapters before the end, but the uncertainty keeps you going til the last page.
Worth reading, as are all in this series.
December 4, 2021
I started this book not long after 27 refugees had died in the English Channel when their overloaded boat had sunk, so it almost felt like non-fiction. The beginning of the book really grabbed me and then later there was the ‘leak’ about Sophie’s personal life that has been hinted at in many previous books.
My problems with the story began to mount when it became clear what was going on, but even though there were numerous clues, nobody did anything about it until it was nearly too late. I found the second half of the book a bit frustrating, the author wanted to make the plot complex, but he seemed to do this by making the police stupid. At the end the author has Sophie say, she had already guessed but didn’t have enough evidence, but she never gave any indication of this to any of her team.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
My problems with the story began to mount when it became clear what was going on, but even though there were numerous clues, nobody did anything about it until it was nearly too late. I found the second half of the book a bit frustrating, the author wanted to make the plot complex, but he seemed to do this by making the police stupid. At the end the author has Sophie say, she had already guessed but didn’t have enough evidence, but she never gave any indication of this to any of her team.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
August 29, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Detective Sophie Allen is back and embroiled in a case so convoluted she doesn't know if she and her team will ever solve the 2 murders they're investigating. They're on the hunt for a ruthless, experienced killer female with a possible male accomplice. When an overloaded boat full of fleeing refugees arrives and several drownings occur, they figure out The British Home Office is involved and it's all about people trafficking. It's a nasty, deadly business, but very lucrative...
A twisty thriller that's another good addition to the series, I definitely recommend this book.
Detective Sophie Allen is back and embroiled in a case so convoluted she doesn't know if she and her team will ever solve the 2 murders they're investigating. They're on the hunt for a ruthless, experienced killer female with a possible male accomplice. When an overloaded boat full of fleeing refugees arrives and several drownings occur, they figure out The British Home Office is involved and it's all about people trafficking. It's a nasty, deadly business, but very lucrative...
A twisty thriller that's another good addition to the series, I definitely recommend this book.
August 31, 2020
Recently promoted detective Sophia Allen just cannot align herself to the idea of a desk job, and so when not only one stabbing/murder at a local train station falls on her desk but then a second one, she cannot help but become involved especially as both victims do not appear to even exist! Then we have a capsized boat full of migrants , some of whom have died, and slowly but surely Sophie begins to draw together all the fine threads until she gets answers.
A very enjoyable and informative read from Michael Hambling set at a good pace which also raises a few interesting questions especially regarding migrants.
Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review.
A very enjoyable and informative read from Michael Hambling set at a good pace which also raises a few interesting questions especially regarding migrants.
Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review.
August 27, 2020
RUTHLESS CRIMES Opens with an early morning disturbing, perplexing discovery. Everything uncovered creates a mysterious conundrum. After another shocker, disclosures lead to the revelation of international intrigue.
Deplorable actions lead to tragedy of monumental proportions giving further focus to the investigation. Tension and suspense build as bodies pile up leaving the uneasy feeling that there's more to come. The multi-directional twisted mystery is akin to tying up a giant octopus in the dark.
RUTHLESS CRIMES SHOULD NOT BE MISSED!
Deplorable actions lead to tragedy of monumental proportions giving further focus to the investigation. Tension and suspense build as bodies pile up leaving the uneasy feeling that there's more to come. The multi-directional twisted mystery is akin to tying up a giant octopus in the dark.
RUTHLESS CRIMES SHOULD NOT BE MISSED!
September 2, 2020
Sophie Allen is back in her ninth book as a police detective trying to solve two strange murders. A man is stabbed to death and found on a train and later a murder almost the same is done on a woman staying in a women's shelter. Sophie and her team have a lot of difficulty trying to find out who owned the house the man was staying in (it seems to be a government safe house) and why was the woman staying at the shelter and who killed her?
Government secrecy and conspiracies abound as her team tries to solve the murders before anyone else is killed.
Government secrecy and conspiracies abound as her team tries to solve the murders before anyone else is killed.
August 29, 2020
A brilliant if complex return for Sophie and her team, I read this book in one sitting.
With several police teams and additional characters the list at the start of the book was particularly useful.
This is a very timely read with the recent death of a young guy attempting to cross the channel, the increasing hostile environment, lack of humanity and overt racism being currently shown throughout society.
I particularly liked Rose's interaction with the kids.
With several police teams and additional characters the list at the start of the book was particularly useful.
This is a very timely read with the recent death of a young guy attempting to cross the channel, the increasing hostile environment, lack of humanity and overt racism being currently shown throughout society.
I particularly liked Rose's interaction with the kids.
September 11, 2020
Another good read from Michael Hambling. This one takes on politicians, refugees and people traffikers. A very good story - that makes you think about the values of the powers that be in this country.
Loved it - I even tried to stay up late reading it last night - until my husband told me to turn my phone off.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
Loved it - I even tried to stay up late reading it last night - until my husband told me to turn my phone off.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
September 16, 2020
Lots of little plots in the Dci Sophie Allen series and number 9 already. A man stabbed to death on a train,a woman murdered in a refuge and a boat full of immigrants has capsized on a deserted beach
Tasked with solving all these cases they are soon at a loss trying to gain background knowledge on their victims,why do they have no history,who really are they and who would want them dead ?
Another fantastic instalment
Tasked with solving all these cases they are soon at a loss trying to gain background knowledge on their victims,why do they have no history,who really are they and who would want them dead ?
Another fantastic instalment
September 29, 2020
I just finished the Sophie Allen series. Now I will have to wait and hope for another book in the series.
This is a bit like Joy Ellis books. I am always thrilled when another one appears, but sad when it has ended.
I highly recommend this book and all the others in this series. The storyline is always well thought out. The crimes seem complex. If you like police procedurals, you will enjoy these.
This is a bit like Joy Ellis books. I am always thrilled when another one appears, but sad when it has ended.
I highly recommend this book and all the others in this series. The storyline is always well thought out. The crimes seem complex. If you like police procedurals, you will enjoy these.
September 29, 2020
Too woke for me
I have read other books about Sophie Allen and had enjoyed them. I was enjoying this one too until I got the first woke preaching about religion. I skimmed a bit more of the book to see if there was any more left wing tripe.
Since there was I didn't bother to finish the story. It is not worth it to wade through all that stuff to find out who did it.
I read a mystery to be entertained and not to be indoctrinated by the far right or left.
I have read other books about Sophie Allen and had enjoyed them. I was enjoying this one too until I got the first woke preaching about religion. I skimmed a bit more of the book to see if there was any more left wing tripe.
Since there was I didn't bother to finish the story. It is not worth it to wade through all that stuff to find out who did it.
I read a mystery to be entertained and not to be indoctrinated by the far right or left.
November 2, 2021
Captivating
I just happened to be reading this book when immigration is a very political and racist issue here in the states, just like as described in this book. The people who make money off of these poor innocents just trying to live are despicable to say the least, just like in this book. I had a hard time putting it down at any given time, I was so involved with it. Good plot, great subject, and I love that the good guys win again!
I just happened to be reading this book when immigration is a very political and racist issue here in the states, just like as described in this book. The people who make money off of these poor innocents just trying to live are despicable to say the least, just like in this book. I had a hard time putting it down at any given time, I was so involved with it. Good plot, great subject, and I love that the good guys win again!
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