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DCI Morton #2
Cleaver Square
The bleakest winter on record and a gruesome discovery bring DCI David Morton to the Hackney Marshes in search of a clue, any clue, as to the identity of a dead child found near the Old River Lea.
Meanwhile, closer to home, Morton's long suffering wife Sarah comes to the conclusion that her man has been doing more than work during his late nights at the office. As he closes in on the mystery of the boy's identity his life begins to crumble and a terrible wrong is done to someone he loves.
With all of London watching, Morton's impeccable ethics will be tested to their limit as he is forced to choose between doing what is right and what is legal.
Cleaver Square is a stand-alone Police Procedural featuring DCI David Morton.
Meanwhile, closer to home, Morton's long suffering wife Sarah comes to the conclusion that her man has been doing more than work during his late nights at the office. As he closes in on the mystery of the boy's identity his life begins to crumble and a terrible wrong is done to someone he loves.
With all of London watching, Morton's impeccable ethics will be tested to their limit as he is forced to choose between doing what is right and what is legal.
Cleaver Square is a stand-alone Police Procedural featuring DCI David Morton.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 23, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
May 13, 2016
DCI Morton and his team are investigating the murder of a child whose body was found in ice at Hackney Marshes. They can't get a handle on the investigation and for a long time the identity of the body remains a mystery. Meanwhile, some hacker has emptied Morton's bank accounts and his wife, blaming him, has thrown him out. And that's just the start!
I really enjoyed this story in which a number of villains get their comeuppance but a lot of difficult questions are asked. Catch the bad people and lock them up? That can allow even worse people to get away with murder, literally. Sometimes what seems the obvious answer simply throws up more problems. I enjoyed the mystery, the characters and fact that, although it was satisfying, the ending left a few threads. Life isn’t always black and white. I was engrossed in this story all the way through.
I really enjoyed this story in which a number of villains get their comeuppance but a lot of difficult questions are asked. Catch the bad people and lock them up? That can allow even worse people to get away with murder, literally. Sometimes what seems the obvious answer simply throws up more problems. I enjoyed the mystery, the characters and fact that, although it was satisfying, the ending left a few threads. Life isn’t always black and white. I was engrossed in this story all the way through.
February 24, 2018
This book was bleak with a poor plot. Few of the characters were developed. The ending, while anticipated, was divulged in a casual fashion, much like the central character's actions in the book.
September 17, 2014
This is the first book I have read from this author and I have to say I was impressed. I have not a read a good mystery in quite some time as I can usually figure out the bad guy in the first 2 or 3 chapters and it takes the fun out of the read. However in this case I was really not sure who the bad guy was until everything came together in the end. This was a well thought out storyline with several underlying plots that interwove together seamlessly. There are several red herrings to lead you astray and kept you in suspense. I enjoyed learning about the characters from their thoughts and actions and I picked up some things that were simply implied not stated as fact. This story kept me engaged and did not let me go until I had come to the end. I have to thank the author for challenging my mind and making me enjoy reading a good mystery again.
January 31, 2016
Another great book, this one had even more twists and turns than the last and I found myself surprised by the outcome. A gripping suspense that I couldn't put down.
I liked the development of the main characters in this and the way it all tied together, a little at the time until it created the bigger picture.
A few typos and it could probably do with a proof-read but not enough to diminish the enjoyment of the book.
Definitely looking forward to the next one.
I liked the development of the main characters in this and the way it all tied together, a little at the time until it created the bigger picture.
A few typos and it could probably do with a proof-read but not enough to diminish the enjoyment of the book.
Definitely looking forward to the next one.
October 13, 2022
Gonna be honest, I have never read this book, nor do I intend to, just wanted to say that the author of this book (Sean not Daniel) told me (a 15 year old) in a reddit comment section for chronic fatigue syndrome when I said I'd like to become an author that I should not because he doesn't believe I'd be successful and that there's no way I'd ever be one, he also said that with my health issues there was no possibility (I have never once interacted with this man and he knew nothing about me) when I replied to him because what he said was quite frankly rude and upsetting, he deleted his comment. And. Took. No. Accountability.
It didn't seem professional, it was just sad, a grown man telling a 15 year old that she can't have her dream job even though he has no prior knowledge on me or my life except for the fact that I have cfs. I don't believe anyone will see this but I had to say it somewhere, his actions were gross.
It didn't seem professional, it was just sad, a grown man telling a 15 year old that she can't have her dream job even though he has no prior knowledge on me or my life except for the fact that I have cfs. I don't believe anyone will see this but I had to say it somewhere, his actions were gross.
June 9, 2018
Really enjoyed this one!
July 22, 2014
A suspicious death investigation soon turns into something very much more complex as DCI David Morton struggles to unravel the increasing threads of a case which becomes ever more daunting.
He and his team have to find the truth behind the discovery of a child’s body buried in Hackney Marshes. There are no apparent clues, apart from a very expensive watch found with the body, or evidence as to how the child died. The deeper the police team dig the more confusing the case seems as they chase each lead and reach seemingly dead ends.
While the investigation is ongoing DCI Morton is also dealing with intense personal problems which turn his life upside down, resulting in an interesting sub plot depicting the frustrations of dealing with unaccommodating banks and legal systems.
The forensic, legal details and police procedures are very well researched and the plot is tight and realistic with unexpected twists and a shock departure. It’s gritty and the main characters are well executed and believable. All the strands of the story are woven together well making this an enjoyable read.
Could do with a little more precise editing, there are a few grammatical and punctuation errors.
I think this works as a stand alone but if, like me, you haven’t read the first book, Dead on Demand, it’s available for a free download in the Amazon UK and US Kindle shops at the moment. Not sure for how long though.
He and his team have to find the truth behind the discovery of a child’s body buried in Hackney Marshes. There are no apparent clues, apart from a very expensive watch found with the body, or evidence as to how the child died. The deeper the police team dig the more confusing the case seems as they chase each lead and reach seemingly dead ends.
While the investigation is ongoing DCI Morton is also dealing with intense personal problems which turn his life upside down, resulting in an interesting sub plot depicting the frustrations of dealing with unaccommodating banks and legal systems.
The forensic, legal details and police procedures are very well researched and the plot is tight and realistic with unexpected twists and a shock departure. It’s gritty and the main characters are well executed and believable. All the strands of the story are woven together well making this an enjoyable read.
Could do with a little more precise editing, there are a few grammatical and punctuation errors.
I think this works as a stand alone but if, like me, you haven’t read the first book, Dead on Demand, it’s available for a free download in the Amazon UK and US Kindle shops at the moment. Not sure for how long though.
October 4, 2016
I can only describe this book as mediocre.
The only thing that kept me reading was solving the puzzle of the boy. Unfortunately, I felt the resolution was disappointingly shallow and not worthy of the lead-up. Whatever was going on between DCI Morton and DC (? I think) Vaughn was uncomfortable. Then again, so was Morton's relationship with his wife. The entire identity theft scenario felt like a put-up from the beginning, mostly because I had a difficult time believing a police officer of Morton's alleged repute could be so naive about it when it was happening to him. He doesn't come off as the sharpest tool in the box.
The book is also in serious need of an edit. There's a lot of telling and repetition, as well as annoying inconsistencies. When DCI Morton states in the first chapter "...women are rarely victims of murder," I was so gobsmacked, I had to look up the stats. In the U.K. last year, over 1/3 of homicide victims were women. I don't consider that "rare." And when I think about it, why mention it at all? It has no bearing on the story and doesn't tell us anything about any of the characters. I was pulled out of the story for no good reason.
**sigh** In short, I'm not going to be looking to read more of these.
The only thing that kept me reading was solving the puzzle of the boy. Unfortunately, I felt the resolution was disappointingly shallow and not worthy of the lead-up. Whatever was going on between DCI Morton and DC (? I think) Vaughn was uncomfortable. Then again, so was Morton's relationship with his wife. The entire identity theft scenario felt like a put-up from the beginning, mostly because I had a difficult time believing a police officer of Morton's alleged repute could be so naive about it when it was happening to him. He doesn't come off as the sharpest tool in the box.
The book is also in serious need of an edit. There's a lot of telling and repetition, as well as annoying inconsistencies. When DCI Morton states in the first chapter "...women are rarely victims of murder," I was so gobsmacked, I had to look up the stats. In the U.K. last year, over 1/3 of homicide victims were women. I don't consider that "rare." And when I think about it, why mention it at all? It has no bearing on the story and doesn't tell us anything about any of the characters. I was pulled out of the story for no good reason.
**sigh** In short, I'm not going to be looking to read more of these.
May 16, 2017
This was a very good, stand-alone Mystery novel. Filled with interesting characters, and all manner of crime being committed, from murder to child/human trafficking, and even Identity theft against the leading investigator, Detective Chief Inspector David Morton.
The story begins when a 12-year-old Foster child is found dead and frozen in the marshes very close to the village. And at the same time, our DCI Morton is planning a "second" honeymoon surprise for his wife, but when he attempts to pay for it, discovers all of his credit cards are being refused. And thus the tale begins.
This was a straightforward mystery done very well. The story was quite believable and interesting to follow the unfolding of events, evidence and seeing how one thing leads to the next. I can't say it was so intense that I could not put it down, but I looked forward to picking it up, following the "case" and seeing how it all would work out in the end. I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy a well-written story.
The story begins when a 12-year-old Foster child is found dead and frozen in the marshes very close to the village. And at the same time, our DCI Morton is planning a "second" honeymoon surprise for his wife, but when he attempts to pay for it, discovers all of his credit cards are being refused. And thus the tale begins.
This was a straightforward mystery done very well. The story was quite believable and interesting to follow the unfolding of events, evidence and seeing how one thing leads to the next. I can't say it was so intense that I could not put it down, but I looked forward to picking it up, following the "case" and seeing how it all would work out in the end. I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy a well-written story.
January 1, 2019
I enjoyed this second book in the DCI Morton series more than book 1. Lots of twists and turns and plenty of red herrings.
The plot was clever if a little unbelievable as were some of the players. Putting such a scheme into action would be a lot more problematic in reality. I did zone in on the culprit for one of the crimes but I didn't connect them for the other.
DCI Morton is a bit of a curmudgeon but I don't get a good picture of him from the books. I'm onto book #3 "Ten Guilty Men" so I'm hopeful I will learn more about DCI Morton
The plot was clever if a little unbelievable as were some of the players. Putting such a scheme into action would be a lot more problematic in reality. I did zone in on the culprit for one of the crimes but I didn't connect them for the other.
DCI Morton is a bit of a curmudgeon but I don't get a good picture of him from the books. I'm onto book #3 "Ten Guilty Men" so I'm hopeful I will learn more about DCI Morton
April 15, 2018
Cleaver Square by Daniel and Sean Campbell has been on my Kindle for a little while, so I decided to pick it up. Loved the story and the idea behind the crime. Very modern feel dealing with trafficking and the care system; children being lost within the system is all very current news. I think that it needed a little fleshing out. It just felt a little thin to me in character development and details. It was a quick read and fast paced. I would read another in the series.
October 4, 2022
I read the first book in this series, Dead On Demand, and enjoyed it. This book starts with the discovery of a child's body is a frozen field. As the team attempts to identify the body other crimes which may or may not be related crop up.
One thing I generally like about this series is that we don't get dragged into the police officers personal lives.
However in this book DCI Morton's wife comes off like a psycho nut job. When his identity is stolen she reacts like a harpie I would have kicked her butt to the kerb
One thing I generally like about this series is that we don't get dragged into the police officers personal lives.
However in this book DCI Morton's wife comes off like a psycho nut job. When his identity is stolen she reacts like a harpie I would have kicked her butt to the kerb
June 5, 2018
An exciting book but a very guresome subject. DCI Morton finds a young child's body and begins the investigation into the child's identity. He uncovers a underworld gang involved in child trafficking. The twists and turns in the investigation leaves the DCI down a lot of dead ends and even results in the death of one of his officers seeming to be investigating an entirely different matter.
The book is well written and for mystery fans out there, an excellent novel with characters that seem to jump out of the pages at you.
The book is well written and for mystery fans out there, an excellent novel with characters that seem to jump out of the pages at you.
May 6, 2017
A small boy is found dead in the marshes, a police woman goes missing and DCI David Morton and his wife Sarah's bank accounts have been cleared out. Surely there can't be a connection? There's plenty going on in this, the second book in the series, and although it takes a while for everything to fall into place it all comes together nicely. A brilliant read and I'm looking forward to the next one
August 10, 2017
On a bleak winter day, the body of a child is found near the Old River Lea. As DCI David Morton struggles to identify the dead child, he finds himself torn between doing what’s right and what’s legal.
Cleaver Square by Daniel Campbell and Sean Campbell is the second book in the DCI Morton series, and it continues the great storytelling that was the hallmark of the first book. Intense drama and thought-provoking situations will keep you reading, and will make you think.
Cleaver Square by Daniel Campbell and Sean Campbell is the second book in the DCI Morton series, and it continues the great storytelling that was the hallmark of the first book. Intense drama and thought-provoking situations will keep you reading, and will make you think.
November 6, 2020
I found this story kind of frustrating and draggy. This is book 2 and I haven't read book 1 so perhaps if I had read book 1, I'd have been more involved with the characters. The ending sounded like it belonged in a different book with a different plot. It was rather stupid. I'm glad things worked out as well as they did. This wasn't so much of a "We need to figure out who did it" as it was, "we know who did it, come on guys, figure it out."
June 24, 2016
Well drawn characters, nicely paced action, highly believable interactions among the players - what's not to like? The two nits I have to pick is the unreasonableness of the artifact that is the fulcrum for unraveling the case, and of the likelihood that its owner would have found himself in the circumstances leading to his being a victim. Setting those aside, the book is an easy read.
November 25, 2017
3.5 Stars. I read this book for the second time since I downloaded it without at first realizing that I had read it before. The writing seems to be just a bit on the amateurish side.
August 31, 2018
Satisfied
The Campbell brothers does it again with Cleaver Square. A thrilling mystery that leads you into an adventure with enough suspense to keep you up and awake all night.
The Campbell brothers does it again with Cleaver Square. A thrilling mystery that leads you into an adventure with enough suspense to keep you up and awake all night.
April 16, 2019
Hackney Marshes (Kingfisher Wood, Lea River). DI Bertram Ayala (Metropolitan PD) met DCI David Morton (52, Metropolitan PD) at the crime scene.
The frozen body was partially uncovered.
Robert Lyons (North London Diggers Ass.) had found the male corpse.
Hank Williams (Social worker) had taken Charlie Anthony Matthews (12) to his next foster family.
Kennington, England. #36B Cleaver Square. Mrs. Ingrid Lattimer & Mr. Roger Lattimer greeted him.
The rules of the household were quickly set in stone to Charlie.
Dr. Larry Chiswick (ME) was examining the corpse of aka Joe Bloggs (teen).
Bournemouth, England. West Overcliff Dr. DI Ayala & DI Tina Vaughn were sent to the Lyons household.
I'm DCI David Morton (Metropolitan PD) went to interview Mr. Houton (day trader) & Mrs. Houton (house wife) about their missing son Rick Houton.
Stuart Purcell (Forensics) came up negative on the DNA test of the Houton’s.
Dr. Wagner (psychologist), diagnosed Charlie with dyslexia, & he will now receive Special Educational needs.
More scientific tests were done. The other Charles Matthews (corpse #0113/103) is deceased.
Elliot Morgan-Bryant (solicitor) was at the station while they were interrogating Craig Linden (husband).
Shelly Linden (wife) was next.
DI Vaughn arrived at the crime scene.
Both the Linden’s had been murdered.
Why did Hank go see Dimitri “Tiny” Bakowski (brother)?
Charlie’s former foster parents: Adrian Lovejoy (husband, psychotherapist), & Prudence Lovejoy wife) were being interrogated with Ms. Federica Boseli (Huntingdon Fox & Ass. solicitor) present.
Detective Alfie McNamara was assigned to help out with the cases.
Will the murder mysteries be solved & someone be brought to justice?
Warning: This book contains adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (child verbal/mental/physical/sexual abuse, human sex slavery, prostitution, & trafficking) which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who dunnit crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; De Minimis; 2 edition; EBookStage; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
The frozen body was partially uncovered.
Robert Lyons (North London Diggers Ass.) had found the male corpse.
Hank Williams (Social worker) had taken Charlie Anthony Matthews (12) to his next foster family.
Kennington, England. #36B Cleaver Square. Mrs. Ingrid Lattimer & Mr. Roger Lattimer greeted him.
The rules of the household were quickly set in stone to Charlie.
Dr. Larry Chiswick (ME) was examining the corpse of aka Joe Bloggs (teen).
Bournemouth, England. West Overcliff Dr. DI Ayala & DI Tina Vaughn were sent to the Lyons household.
I'm DCI David Morton (Metropolitan PD) went to interview Mr. Houton (day trader) & Mrs. Houton (house wife) about their missing son Rick Houton.
Stuart Purcell (Forensics) came up negative on the DNA test of the Houton’s.
Dr. Wagner (psychologist), diagnosed Charlie with dyslexia, & he will now receive Special Educational needs.
More scientific tests were done. The other Charles Matthews (corpse #0113/103) is deceased.
Elliot Morgan-Bryant (solicitor) was at the station while they were interrogating Craig Linden (husband).
Shelly Linden (wife) was next.
DI Vaughn arrived at the crime scene.
Both the Linden’s had been murdered.
Why did Hank go see Dimitri “Tiny” Bakowski (brother)?
Charlie’s former foster parents: Adrian Lovejoy (husband, psychotherapist), & Prudence Lovejoy wife) were being interrogated with Ms. Federica Boseli (Huntingdon Fox & Ass. solicitor) present.
Detective Alfie McNamara was assigned to help out with the cases.
Will the murder mysteries be solved & someone be brought to justice?
Warning: This book contains adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (child verbal/mental/physical/sexual abuse, human sex slavery, prostitution, & trafficking) which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who dunnit crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; De Minimis; 2 edition; EBookStage; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
April 3, 2023
Not only was I shocked to discover this was the second in the series, but flabbergasted to learn there were five more after this.
The characters are a complete mess. Morton has major anger issues and is just a jerk. He relishes giving the crap work to his subordinates, and repeatedly says he knows one of them hates being called by his first name, but continues to do it anyway. One particularly awful thought was when he was interviewing homeless people. It starts with them mentioning they have cell phones, and he says “‘A mobile?’ Morton was incredulous.” Okay, so I thought he was surprised they were able to afford one. Nope, he follows that thought with “Evidently, even homeless people need to keep in touch.” Uhh, excuse me?? Homeless people have lives and loved ones too.
The wife needs major therapy and is hella paranoid and insecure. She sees some random charges on their credit cards and IMMEDIATELY freaks out that her husband is cheating, because he’s cheated before….twenty years ago. If you still don’t trust him after all this time, get therapy (individual and couple’s) or leave him.
Tina shamelessly throws herself at her married boss and tries to get him to leave her, which is wrong on so many levels.
And then there’s the cops as a whole. They are completely inept. The investigation lasted weeks longer than it needed to because none of them decided to verify information that the social worker gave them. One of their own cops goes missing, and boss man didn’t report it because he was afraid what people would think about him crashing at her house, and decided to wait the 24 hours to report her missing. Are you kidding me??
There were also points that dragged on and hyperfocused on random things. I don’t need to know what his exact email is.
There was one line I really loved and wish more of that humor made it into the book. It was “her feet were bound tighter than a nun’s vagina.” That cracked me up. I have a feeling they heard that from someone else and decided to add it in, because nothing else in the book hinted at that kind of humor.
Needless to say, I will not be reading anything else in this series.
The characters are a complete mess. Morton has major anger issues and is just a jerk. He relishes giving the crap work to his subordinates, and repeatedly says he knows one of them hates being called by his first name, but continues to do it anyway. One particularly awful thought was when he was interviewing homeless people. It starts with them mentioning they have cell phones, and he says “‘A mobile?’ Morton was incredulous.” Okay, so I thought he was surprised they were able to afford one. Nope, he follows that thought with “Evidently, even homeless people need to keep in touch.” Uhh, excuse me?? Homeless people have lives and loved ones too.
The wife needs major therapy and is hella paranoid and insecure. She sees some random charges on their credit cards and IMMEDIATELY freaks out that her husband is cheating, because he’s cheated before….twenty years ago. If you still don’t trust him after all this time, get therapy (individual and couple’s) or leave him.
Tina shamelessly throws herself at her married boss and tries to get him to leave her, which is wrong on so many levels.
And then there’s the cops as a whole. They are completely inept. The investigation lasted weeks longer than it needed to because none of them decided to verify information that the social worker gave them. One of their own cops goes missing, and boss man didn’t report it because he was afraid what people would think about him crashing at her house, and decided to wait the 24 hours to report her missing. Are you kidding me??
There were also points that dragged on and hyperfocused on random things. I don’t need to know what his exact email is.
There was one line I really loved and wish more of that humor made it into the book. It was “her feet were bound tighter than a nun’s vagina.” That cracked me up. I have a feeling they heard that from someone else and decided to add it in, because nothing else in the book hinted at that kind of humor.
Needless to say, I will not be reading anything else in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2024
DCI David Morton leads a complex life. The body of a child has been discovered in Hackney Marshes. By the decomposition it's evident the corpse was dumped some time ago. The state of the body and the site make identification a major challenge, despite a highly valuable watch being discovered on the bones. However, Morton is not a man to give up and off he ploughs into an investigation which leads him down an ever darker hole with antagonists of increasing depravity.
But Campbell doesn't just torture his lead character with a highly challenging case, oh no. In parallel, Morton is hit by an identity fraud. Someone has stolen his details and is using his credit card to buy stuff. Then the fraudster informs Morton's bank that Morton is actually dead (spoiler alert: he isn't). Morton's wife becomes incredibly suspicious, believing Morton is having an affair...
There are lots of statements that could be made about the plot of Cleaver Square - bleak, disturbing and dark immediately leap to mind. However, the plot deals with intensely difficult subjects, so the author could not be lighthearted. Ultimately, however, Campbell deals with these challenges in a sensitive fashion that brings a powerful conclusion without delving too much into the extremely unpleasant side of the crime (I'm not a fan of gory serial killer stories, for example).
Campbell also betrays a depth of understanding into police procedures (the genre which this novel falls squarely into) that illustrates a highly detailed level of research. That the reviews average 4.3 (Amazon UK) after well over 8,500 reviews says a lot about the strength of the story.
To my surprise it's been well over a decade since I read the first book in the Morton series, Dead on Demand, way back in 2013. I gave that one a top rating and Cleaver Square follows suit. Why the time gap? No idea, but it's one I regret somewhat and will not be repeating.
Onto Morton 3.
But Campbell doesn't just torture his lead character with a highly challenging case, oh no. In parallel, Morton is hit by an identity fraud. Someone has stolen his details and is using his credit card to buy stuff. Then the fraudster informs Morton's bank that Morton is actually dead (spoiler alert: he isn't). Morton's wife becomes incredibly suspicious, believing Morton is having an affair...
There are lots of statements that could be made about the plot of Cleaver Square - bleak, disturbing and dark immediately leap to mind. However, the plot deals with intensely difficult subjects, so the author could not be lighthearted. Ultimately, however, Campbell deals with these challenges in a sensitive fashion that brings a powerful conclusion without delving too much into the extremely unpleasant side of the crime (I'm not a fan of gory serial killer stories, for example).
Campbell also betrays a depth of understanding into police procedures (the genre which this novel falls squarely into) that illustrates a highly detailed level of research. That the reviews average 4.3 (Amazon UK) after well over 8,500 reviews says a lot about the strength of the story.
To my surprise it's been well over a decade since I read the first book in the Morton series, Dead on Demand, way back in 2013. I gave that one a top rating and Cleaver Square follows suit. Why the time gap? No idea, but it's one I regret somewhat and will not be repeating.
Onto Morton 3.
May 6, 2025
When reading Cleaver Square, I found myself so engaged I felt physically cold reading a story set in a brutally cold winter in and around East London, and so emotionally involved as DCI Morton’s personally world unravels in parallel to his pursuit of a most chilling crime.
But with Sean Campbell at the helm steering Morton’s journey to discovery, no wonder the prose triggered such real-life senses. After all, he is a writer at the very top of his profession.
And that journey reveals a world full of secrets, deceptions, and unsettling truths. It’s very definitely not an easy read given the book opens with the discovery of a body which, only further to the autopsy, reveals it to be a young boy. And the pursuit of who is the victim and who was the murderer unravels an even darker of reality of a most malicious world.
The tension as Morton faces an ever-growing mountain of seeming unrelated incidents, all of which are major crimes requiring investigation, and at the same time sees his personal world crumble, puts the DCI under increasing pressure – and the reader because my word was I rooting for the guy.
This is a definite one to read if you like to be emotionally invested in a crime thriller and just know there is a great author leading the charge. Sean Campbell, thanks for such a rewarding page turner.
But with Sean Campbell at the helm steering Morton’s journey to discovery, no wonder the prose triggered such real-life senses. After all, he is a writer at the very top of his profession.
And that journey reveals a world full of secrets, deceptions, and unsettling truths. It’s very definitely not an easy read given the book opens with the discovery of a body which, only further to the autopsy, reveals it to be a young boy. And the pursuit of who is the victim and who was the murderer unravels an even darker of reality of a most malicious world.
The tension as Morton faces an ever-growing mountain of seeming unrelated incidents, all of which are major crimes requiring investigation, and at the same time sees his personal world crumble, puts the DCI under increasing pressure – and the reader because my word was I rooting for the guy.
This is a definite one to read if you like to be emotionally invested in a crime thriller and just know there is a great author leading the charge. Sean Campbell, thanks for such a rewarding page turner.
May 8, 2018
David Morton is planning to surprise his wife Sarah for their real anniversary with a trip but she finds out and she thinks that he is having an affair. The bank thinks that he used all their savings all because he downloaded a sports game. But how can he prove to Sarah that it wasn't him? A new case has come in a young boy has been found dumped and they have no idea who he is, the only thing he has is a old watch. They start digging on it leads them into the trade of child trafficking and what they find will give them chills. Who is the this boy and why is someone pretending to be him? The more Morton digs the bigger the case becomes and it will end in the death of one of his officers. Will Morton be able to get justice for the child and find out the truth about all the other children? Will he ever be able to clear his name and be able to get back together with his wife? Another great read.
June 29, 2018
DCI Morton isn't perfect, but that is partly what makes him likeable. Another thing is his amazing memory. He doesn't have photographic memory but can easily recall important facts and bits of data that he comes across. This will surely help him figure out the case he's currently assigned ... a dead preteen body found in the woods. Distractions from other sources interfere with his ability to see things clearly but once he does, he discovers a case that is larger than previously considered. As the book goes along, things happen that I wish hadn't but are part of the fabric of this fascinatingly woven tale. Having no experience with the law or legal system I thought it sad that deals are cut that ignore some crimes while focusing on catching the "bigger fish" but can understand this from their perspective. Taking the bigger player/s out will hopefully cause a break in the overall chain ... or so they think. Time will tell if that is the case in regards to this particular case/s.
June 15, 2018
Cleaver Square is a great example of why you shouldn't read other reviews before you've finished the book. During reading, I glanced at a number of reviews (mainly negative) and found myself waiting for the negative points to appear. Which they never did. The only thing I found quite frustrating was that names were spelt inconsistently. Shelley was spelt both Shelley and Shelly for the same character and Dimitri both Dimitri and Dmitri for the same character. There were 2 authors so this really should have been picked up on.
Cleaver Square is the second book in a series, I haven't read the first but this didn't hinder my reading of Cleaver Square. A couple of things were alluded to early on in the book, but this didn't affect the plot of Cleaver Square.
Overall, a relatively good quick read. Slightly predictable in places but enjoyable all the same.
Cleaver Square is the second book in a series, I haven't read the first but this didn't hinder my reading of Cleaver Square. A couple of things were alluded to early on in the book, but this didn't affect the plot of Cleaver Square.
Overall, a relatively good quick read. Slightly predictable in places but enjoyable all the same.
June 10, 2018
Not a bad read
This is my second book in the series and I enjoyed it. I am liking the detectives DCI Morton & Ayala and the good story lines.
As has been said in previous book reviews for these authors the number of characters is confusing and in this book in my mind I had two different character's which at the end was the same person so I missed a clue.
The use of occasional unusual words that I have never heard of before frustrated me as I then have to use the dictionary which frustrates me. I can't even remember the words by the end of the book. Even by page 2 of Book 3 they have used the word "schadenfreude" which means pleasure from some one elses misfortune why can't it just say that ?
This is my second book in the series and I enjoyed it. I am liking the detectives DCI Morton & Ayala and the good story lines.
As has been said in previous book reviews for these authors the number of characters is confusing and in this book in my mind I had two different character's which at the end was the same person so I missed a clue.
The use of occasional unusual words that I have never heard of before frustrated me as I then have to use the dictionary which frustrates me. I can't even remember the words by the end of the book. Even by page 2 of Book 3 they have used the word "schadenfreude" which means pleasure from some one elses misfortune why can't it just say that ?
May 21, 2018
Amazingly good book
I though this was going to be a historical fiction but it is so far from that. You can feel the frustrations of the main characters as the work to solve a death that turns into so much more. Well written, and that is not something i say lightly. If I had to stop reading for some reason, I rushed back as soon as possible. I have already purchased another book by these writers and look forward to enjoying it as well.
I didn't give the book a five stars rating because I've read too many that have five stars that I couldn't finish so I just don't give out five. This one would deserve this honestly.
I though this was going to be a historical fiction but it is so far from that. You can feel the frustrations of the main characters as the work to solve a death that turns into so much more. Well written, and that is not something i say lightly. If I had to stop reading for some reason, I rushed back as soon as possible. I have already purchased another book by these writers and look forward to enjoying it as well.
I didn't give the book a five stars rating because I've read too many that have five stars that I couldn't finish so I just don't give out five. This one would deserve this honestly.
December 4, 2020
A young boy was found murdered, he had no identity on him. Later seems his name was Charles. The guy who found him had a expensive watch on him that he got off the victim. So the police kept it in hopes of finding out the boys identity. In their searches seem The Charlie they found may not be the boy. They search into some foster parents home that take children in. Is this the right Charlie ? After all they found who the watch belonged to and was very valuable, but he was deceased. Some times foster parents take in kids just for the extra income. So they look into some of them in search of who was Charlie for real.
January 14, 2019
For all fans of the British Police murder mystery we have another DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) David Morton story to relish. From the initial call out to the finale the reader will be engrossed in this diabolic and fiendish murder in which DCI Morton has one of his DI's (Detective Inspector) murdered. This book has all of the boxes ticked as to what elevates a mystery from being good to being excellent.
I have rated this book 4.5 stars.
I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format. Thank you Frank for the Review.
I have rated this book 4.5 stars.
I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format. Thank you Frank for the Review.
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