Between The Lines

by Freya Wolfe

A murder… a letter… and a killer who will stop at nothing to make sure the truth stays between the lines.

Shortlisted for the Little, Brown UEA Crime Fiction Award 2018

Forensic Linguist, Vida Henrikson, finds her professional life on the line when she’s asked to look into the suicide of the daughter of a high-profile businessman. Delving reluctantly into the case, she uncovers a horrifying truth which leads her straight into the path of a killer.

At the same time, DI Gabriel Slater of South Yorkshire Police is investigating the most complex case he’s come across, that of an up and coming Sheffield musician. As the usual suspects are quickly dismissed, he’s left with very few answers and more questions than before. The only solid lead he has is a series of hate mail that was sent to the victim.

It becomes clear that the two cases are linked and Vida is drawn into the police investigation. As she gets closer to the truth, she finds her life at risk, targeted by a vicious killer who will do whatever is necessary to finish their story.

Will Vida be able to identify the killer before they strike again? Or will the next identification be her body?

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2021

Reviews

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a book. What a story, what an ending. Actually not just the ending, it was gripping all the way through. I'd never heard of Forensic Linguistics before, but as the book developed I began to understand it and the use it could be to the police and families who needed explanations.

Loved it. A very different idea.

I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

[Ana Hantt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great surprise! I was expecting a good thriller, of course, but I didn't imagine it would engaged me this much. From page one, I was hooked not only on the investigation that was going on but also on the intricacies of the main character's life. DI Slater and Dr. Vida are great to follow and the cliffhanger the book leaves us promises so much more to come for them. Since I study foreign languages, the Forensic Linguistic bit of the book was truly fascinating. Freya's book reminded me a lot of Robert Galbraith's series. I'm looking forward to the next book!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book. Vida as a Forensic Linguist is one of the best. But even she is stumped. I was completely hooked. Loved this first book and hoping there will be many more.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I was gripped from the first few pages and could have read on one night if I hadn't had to rest before work the next day. Really looking forward to the next book

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book - really good sense of place, suspense and a great twist at the end plus a novel (no pun intended) crime expert. Looking forward to more.

[Wendy Turbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and fresh take on solving crime via forensic linguistics. Love the character of Vida who grows in confidence as she puts her academic skills to wider use in helping the bereaved. It's not long before she is drawn into a police investigation, crossing swords with DI Slater who finds himself under pressure for a quick result from his boss. An excellent debut. I look forward to more.

[Elvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to the publisher and BookSirens for allowing me to read and review this entertaining police procedural. I loved the idea of a forensic linguist helping the police solve murders and possible suicides. Vida Henrikson is reluctant to get pulled into DI Slater’s investigation almost as much as Slater is reluctant to believe the profiler will be of any help. Getting harassed by his boss doesn’t make Slater’s life any easier. As this is the first book in the series, time is spent giving us background on both Vida and Slater and the challenges each deals with in their private lives.

This was a solid mystery with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Looking forward to seeing where the author takes these two new crime solvers in the future.

[Antony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to the Yorkshire Noir stable: gritty, dark, intelligent and compelling. Certain aspects of it put me strongly in mind of AA Dhand, Wolfe doing for Sheffield what Dhand does for Bradford, showing the raw beauty of the location and the best and worst of its people. The key characters are well-crafted, each being familiar (the cop with a secret, the protagonist with expertise but on the edge of acceptability, the angry superiors) but also each being individual and surprising. Horrific crimes, but the writing remains fast-moving and you're always questioning, which keeps you reading. I read it in less than 24 elapsed hours, it wouldn't let me ignore it. A great debut, and cannot wait for the sequel.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gripping debut. Looking forward to seeing what’s next from the author.

[Candi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a psychological thriller in which a forensic linguist helps a detective solve a murder. She analyzes letters to try to pinpoint it's origin and help catch the suspect. The storyline is well written and will keep you guessing.

Thank you @BookSirens for this ARC.

[Staphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review/Reseña en Español/English

Español

Esta es una nueva autora para mí y debo decir que me gustó mucho la manera que escribe y trata una historia, sin embargo, este libro no fue para mí por diversas razones. La historia se centra en Vida Henrikson una mujer que se encarga de enseñar ciencia de lingüista forense, quien termino siendo involucrada en una serie de asesinatos y, debe ayudar al policía Gabriel Slater a desenmascarar el asesino.

Personajes principales

Vida, es un personaje interesante, me gusta la manera que ve las cosas y sus ideales pero sinceramente no me gustó mucho su personaje, es una mujer inteligente y sensible. Siendo su compasión lo que la involucro en los diferentes casos que se manejan.

Mientras que Slater, es un hombre fuerte y decidido, vive para resolver casos y por desgracia se encuentra involucrado en uno que le hace cuestionarse su cordura y sobretodo pone en peligro su trabajo.

Trama

La historia fue interesante dado que se siguen dos casos de acuerdo a la perspectiva de los protagonistas de diferentes formas, me encantó y se me hizo entretenido. A su vez, los capítulos son cortos, por lo que, es bastante fácil y rápido leer el libro.

Sin embargo, no puedo evitar sentirme decepcionada, el ritmo y la historia se iban desarrollando de una increíble manera, especialmente el misterio pero el final, o más bien los últimos capítulos fueron horribles. Todo fue muy anticlimático y sinceramente esperaba algo mejor dado que el libro hasta el momento había sido increíble.

Personajes secundarios

Los personajes secundarios fueron varios pero ninguno se le puede considerar de gran importancia, a muchos les falto personalidad y desde mi punto de vista no aportaban nada interesante a la historia.

Pensamientos finales

Para finalizar, me pareció una muy buena historia, bastante entretenida y lo único que lo arruino para mí fue el final, pero puedo ver a muchas personas gustándoles, especialmente la temática.

¿Es este libro para ti?
Perfecto para: Amantes de thriller e historias policiacas.
¿Lo recomiendo? Si.

TW: violencia, asesinato, abuso sexual, secuestros, tráfico de personas, violación, suicidio.
Heroína: 6/10
Héroe: 5/10
Violencia/ escenas turbias: 6/10
Trama: 7/10
Tipo: standalone
Portada: 4.5/10

English

This is a new author for me and I must say that I really liked the way she writes and treats a story, however, this book was not for me for various reasons. The story centers on Vida Henrikson, a woman in charge of teaching forensic linguists, who ended up being involved in a series of murders and must help the police officer Gabriel Slater unmask the murderer.

Main characters

Vida is an interesting character, I like the way she sees things and her ideals but I honestly didn't like her character very much, she's an intelligent and sensitive woman. Being her compassion what involved her in the different cases that are handled.

While Slater is a strong and determined man, he lives to solve cases and unfortunately finds himself involved in one that makes him question his sanity and above all endangers his work.

Plot

The story was interesting since two cases are followed according to the perspective of the protagonists in different ways, I loved that and it made it entertaining. In turn, the chapters are short, so it's quite easy and fast to read.

However, I can't help but feel disappointed, the pace and the story were developing incredibly, especially the mystery but the ending, or rather the last chapters were horrible. It was all over the place and very anticlimactic, I sincerely hoped for better given that the book so far had been amazing but it didn't live up to that.

Side characters

The side characters were a lot but none can be considered of great importance, some lacked personality and from my point of view they didn't contribute anything interesting to the story.

Final thoughts

To finish, it was a very good story, quite entertaining and the only thing that spoiled it for me was the ending, but I can see many people liking it, especially the theme.

Is this book for you?
Perfect for: Lovers of thriller and detective stories.
Do I recommend it? Yes.

TW: violence, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, human trafficking, rape, suicide.
Heroine: 6/10
Hero: 5/10
Violence/dark scenes: 6/10
Plot: 7/10
Type: standalone
Cover: 4.5/10

My thanks to the author Freya Wolfe and BookSirens for the opportunity to get this ARC for an unbiased review.

[Nicole Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review of Between the Lines by Nicole Harmon
Title: Between the Lines: A Vida Henrikson Investigation
Author: Freya Wolfe
Publish Date: 2021
Publisher: Freya Wolfe, UK

Book Blurb: “She’d read enough self-help guides to recognize herself as a victim of permanent, self-imposed imposter syndrome: just not enough to know how to overcome it.” Chapter 1

Summary:
Headlines of the beloved singer Kitty Wakelin (Morton) death in a back alley made the headlines causing a stir in the neighbourhood. Maggie Donaldson had committed suicide one year prior to her murder. No one thought they would have ever been connected. Soon the death of her manager, Rashid Khan began to cast suspicions that the three deaths were connected.
DCI Zahra Hussain was DI Gabriel Slater’s boss. She felt it was important to not screw up the case involving the murder of the singer but to get it done correctly and quickly. No one expected the involvement of Vida Henrikson in the investigation would literally open up a huge case of rapes that were videotaped going back years involving both Kitty Wakelin and Rashid Khan. Nor would anyone suspect that DCI Zahra Hussain’s sister was a victim of such a rape, just like Maggie Donaldson.
And all started because the parents of Maggie Donaldson wanted to really understand that their daughter committed suicide. Investigating into the linguistics of the note to verify that Maggie truly did write those notes led Vida to three of her friends who were aware of the rape. One sent a video actually filmed during the rape to Vida and explained this was why she committed suicide. Vida handed that over to the police and also wanted to inform her parents.
Meanwhile, the murder of Rashid Khan verified that the rape of Maggie was indeed real and that he was involved. Was he murdered for that? The death of his nephew, Raheeq Khan, while in police custody led to the conclusion that someone within the actual police station engaged in the crime. Was it in retaliation or to protect another party?
Following the lead, DI Slater determined that it was his superior, DCI Zahra Hussain who was responsible. Why? You will have to read to find out.
Analysis:
I gave this book a five-star rating. It was excellent. You had to really follow this storyline to find out who did it. Who would have actually placed the actual murders of three people on the head of the homicide unit? And yes, it happens but she also was a Muslim woman. Talk about throwing the woman’s lib movement back decades. Understanding that she wanted revenge for her sister’s suicide which would not have happened had she not been raped, is also understood that seeing Kitty Wakelin being beloved by many would have stuck in Zahra Hussain’s mind as a real problem. What actually turned her and how long was it that she planned the crime?
The author does an excellent job of describing the crime and laying out the investigation. She includes enough information to get you wondering why? How? And really?
I also like the underlying stories of both Vida Henrikson and DI Slater. It makes you wonder about people’s relationships too. Both are a product of their upbringing and so is Zahra Hussain. I think this is what makes the book so compelling a read.
By the end of the novel, you are thinking it makes sense now. And it is sad that a tragedy had to happen, and another woman sent to prison due to some man’s actions.
I recommend this book for all to read not just women. But keep in mind this has a lot of triggers: rape, abuse, cheating and drugs.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between the Lines is an excellent crime thriller set in South Yorkshire where we are introduced to a forensic linguistic specialist and university lecturer in the shape of Dr. Vida Hendrickson. Vida is brilliant in her field, but undervalued both in her professional and personal life where people seem to take her for granted. So when her boss insists that Vida get involved in helping the high-profile family of a young girl understand why she recently took her own life by analysing the suicide note she left behind, she has no real say in the matter. Her initial investigations lead her to a piece of upsetting and revealing evidence, which she shares with DI Slater, the police officer who headed up this case, ultimately determined to be suicide, with no foul play. He's not at all happy that this case is resurfacing and that this linguist has been able to very quickly unearth information that he was not aware of during his investigation. He's torn between wanting to find out what really happened and being gutted that he missed it the first time around.

Vida's involvement is also begrudged by Slater's boss, DCI Hussain. She thinks involving a linguistic specialist is a joke, and is incredulous when she discovers that Slater has asked Vida to get involved on his latest murder case, the victim being a young up and coming singer called Kitty Morton. Kitty seems to be squeaky clean and no matter how deep they dig, they can't seem to work out why she would have been targeted, especially as the limited CCTV they have access to seems to suggest she might have been quite comfortable walking and talking with her killer. As Vida is investigating she also happens to stumble across another murder, and things then start hotting up. DI Slater is convinced the two murders are linked and despite his initial misgivings, thinks Vida could be his key to solving the puzzle, however his boss and Vida's boss are determined to freeze her out of the investigation. Will she get enough time to figure it out before she is forced to drop her analysis or there are more murders?

Between the Lines is a really excellent debut from Freya Wolfe. The focus on forensic linguistics was something that I found interesting and it gives the novel a unique angle but didn't take over the narrative. As a character, Vida is insecure, both physically and emotionally and she allows people to treat her in such a way that as a reader who has become fond of her, you find annoying. You really want her to stand up for herself more, and I hope that is something that we see grow along with her self-belief in future additions to this series. DI Gabriel Slater is an interesting character, but with a love/hate relationship with his DCI and an interesting background (including the unhealthy involvement with his dodgy brother's partner) he's got his plate full too. As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series when it's released next year.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Charlotte Baddeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so much praise for this book. It is one of the best police procedure thrillers I have ever read, which is praise indeed. Freya Wolfe's depth of knowledge in her two main subjects, police work and forensic linguistics is amazing and certainly added to my enjoyment of this book. I was absolutely fascinated and definitely would like to find out more about this little known science.

If I am reviewing a book I normally make notes as I read but I was far too enthralled by this plot to stop reading long enough to make notes. I loved the added depth of a black policeman, with all the complications of racism that brings. Wolfe handled that perfectly. It wasn't ignored, neither did it become a focus. Slater's private life is far from perfect. Again, not a focus but another layer to this brilliantly crafted book. Our heroine, Vida, is fragile and lacks confidence in herself. I'm sure many people can identify with Vida but she is strong and confident when it comes to her science. I'm not sure whether to love or hate her hapless, hopeless but slightly endearing husband Simon.

Gosh, all that and I haven't even started on the plot. Wolfe has bravely tackled the subject of grooming and rape of young girls and it is not easy reading but I couldn't put this book down. I had my suspicions about the killer fairly early on but that actually added to my enjoyment. Would they get away with it and why couldn't anyone else see it? The suspense was there right up until the last thrilling page.

I cannot believe we have to wait until Spring 2022 for the next book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great debut novel. The subject matter involving a forensics linguist Vida Henrikson is a totally new concept to me and it was that which drew me to to the book.

Vida is a lecturer in forensic linguistics and is asked to look into the suicide note of a young girl by her parents who are desperate for answers. At the same time, DI Slater is investigating the murder of an up and coming young singer Kitty. The 2 cases are linked but Vida's help is dismissed as forensic linguistics is deemed by the police to be pseudo-science and not real policing.

The whole premise of the story is fascinating and kept me captivated throughout. I enjoyed the character of Vida, someone who is confident in her professional capacity but quite unsure of herself on a personal level. Vida's involvement in the investigation is also threatening her career at the university. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and made me want to read more. Unfortunately we have to wait until next year for the next book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m giving this book three stars because I liked the story and the characters, but I couldn’t recommend it to anyone in its current state. It’s full of errors – typos, incorrect tense mixing, distracting syntactic ambiguities. All of this could be fixed by a good editor and, like I said, the story is good, the characters are relatable, and the mystery keeps you guessing. It actually reminded me somewhat of Nicci French’s Frieda Klein series.

As regards the ending, I knew going in there would be a cliffhanger but I still think it’s a pity the author decided to do this when what was left of the story could have been neatly tied up in one or two more chapters. In any case, despite liking it enough to give the three stars, if I’d bought this I’d have been annoyed as it really needs to be edited.

I received a copy from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen Inkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping read!

Firstly, hats off to this tallented author for the concept of bringing linguistics into a criminal thriller, it works so well. The story of the two main characters build separately and merge when a lecturer becomes involved in a crime then, through sheer determination, persistentce and the belief in her work, she convinces the DCI of the importance of her findings. Love Vida's character in this book and how it develops with the story, building from her day to day job as a lecturer to using her skills to finding crutial evidence to convict the right murderer. Each chapter ends leaving you wanting to continue to see if your guess as to 'who dunnit' is right... It won't be! Surprises, twists and turns makes this book captivating till the end.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between the Lines by Freya Wolfe is a great British crime debut introducing Dr Vida Henrikson, a forensic linguistic and DI Gabriel Slater of South Yorkshire Police who come together to solve a particular disturbing case.
I found it rather interesting reading about how much evidence can be found by using forensic linguistics, certainly a valuable tool for solving hate mail crime.
‘Between the Lines’ perfect title for a well written, modern day, crime novel...I particularly liked the clever way the ‘Dear You’ letter revealed itself just a bit at a time as the story unravelled.
Great storytelling by Freya Wolfe, looking forward to catching up with Vida and Slater sometime in 2022.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Vita Hendrickson is a linguistic specialist and although crime solving wasn’t her forte she does help from time to time. So when our superiors force her in a polite way to help the Donaldson‘s although she has a busy schedule she agrees and this brings her into contact with detectives later who wants to hurry up and solve it and this is where the adventure begins. I found myself not wanting to put this book down and I certainly didn’t know there was so much the linguistics. I could’ve read this book nonstop but I kept falling asleep and dropping my candle lol! I loved it and highly recommend it if you love crime fiction this book is awesome you’ll love it. I received this book from Books sirens and I am leaving this review balance voluntarily Do

[Anne Secher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This thriller's rating would change a lot depending on the purpose of the writer as to when readers should realise who the killer was. It was clear to me since she responded so quickly to a call, I believe to Vida's house, and confirmed my suspicions when she was at Anna's flat. Also had a hunch who it was because of the way she expressed herself and her insistence of keeping Vida out of the way, but I feel the author meant to build much more tension and show the reader she was the killer when it was made obvious later on in the story. If this is the case, my rating is correct. If it isn't, and the author wants us to root for them to realise who it was as in a film, then I'd increase the rating to 4.25, but I have no way of knowing.
Full review in my blog and YouTube channel soon.
3.5

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a PDF copy of this for free.

This was really good! Never would have thought this was the author's debut novel.
Having the lead being a forensic linguist is a really unique and cool idea! Kind of reminds me of Bones, one of my favorite shows (only read one of the books so far, so can't say much there). It even reads kind of like a investigation show at times. I really liked how diverse the cast of characters were.

Warning though; this does describe rape pretty graphically, so that'll be a trigger for some.
Also, how could the author end the book like that?! I'm SO glad there was a preview of the next book at the end, I don't think I could have lived without it.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC free from BookSirens and this is my voluntary honest review.
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Well written. So, well written! A gritty, dark Noir! An intelligent, compelling, intreging book with well crafted characters, some likeable, and one crazy, killer you want caught! There were a few unnessary (cuss) words included. I wasn't to happy with, but I chose to overlook them.
Wow, this was one bumpy ride. You will not want to put it down. Suspense and surprises galore and a cliff hanger ending. You will be disappointed because you don't have any more to read. I'm ready for the next installment now! Great writing! You really don't want to miss this one. Read and enjoy!

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great plot! Between the lines got me hooked from the beginning, as the story grows, so grows the mystery and the crimes. One insecure university teacher and a Detective Inspector who had to deal with race bias seem to forge an unforeseen bond and start to work together. Their discoveries are horrifying and their confidence will suffer but the culprit will be brought to light and imprisoned. Vida and Slater were correct in their assumptions and they almost paid too high a price for them. Really entertaining!!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Juliana Cotrin Sobreiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a story about a forensic linguist whose help is asked to find more about the death of a teenage girl. As Vida, the forensic linguistic, does the research to help get closure to the girl's parents, she ends up finding clues to other deaths, investigated by DI Slater who asks for her help to solve those mysteries once his team seems to be stuck in them.

It's full of action, plot twists and suspense, with some funny moments! It made me want to know what would happen in the next chapters!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of a forensic linguist attracted me to this thriller as I am a linguist and psycholinguist myself. Even though the plot is good, I would have liked a bit deeper challenging forensic linguistics. I did enjoy the story but got annoyed with some cliché characters (angry bosses -both police and university). The other two main characters need a bit refining as well in my opinion. I did guess about the killer, but only towards the end of the book which is good! A second book is coming out in 2022. I will read it and see how/if the characters develop.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between the Lines is a Vida Henrikson crime novel by Freya Wolfe. Vida Henrikson is a Doctor of Forensics Linguist that works for both a University and the Police. When a donor’s daughter has supposedly committed suicide, Vida must begin to investigate her note. In the meantime, DI Gabriel Slater has a young girls murder. These two investigations merge into one huge problem and a surprising ending. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Roxanne Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between the Lines introduces the subject of forensics linguistics as Vida Henrikson is asked to look into a possible suicide note as a "favor" for her department head. I enjoyed the book--though I thought the ending was a little too neat. Vida is an interesting character with a unique profession and I look forward to reading more about her adventures.

Thanks to the author and BookSirens for access to a digital ARC.

[Witch-at-Heart]

I found this to be a fresh twist in thrillers. I loved that one of the MC's is a linguistic specialist and it added great layers to this story-arc. I loved Vita and although crime solving is not her forte she is smart and brings a great deal to the table in this adventure. I never knew linguistics could be so fasinating or that it could even relate to crime solving. Very original and well done. I highly recommend it.

[Kevin Veness · Rating 4 out of 5]

What ever happened to book 2? The fact that book 1 includes the first couple of chapters of book 2, clarifies the cliffhanger ending of book 1. If book 2 is never to see the light of day then the book would be better without the said chapters. In addition, whoever proof read this book did a poor job with several errors overlooked.
Having said all that, the book is an enjoyable read, with a couple of major twists to keep you reading.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was some read - quite complex without going too far. I was hooked about as early as I usually am with Jack Reacher, and stayed that way till the end. So plenty of twists & turns, some surprises & some romantic hints. I learned a couple of fact along the journey and am already looking forward to when the next one is available "Blood Lines". Thank you Freya.