The Evidence

Detective Helen Carter #2

by Jodie Lawrance

SHE’S OUT OF UNIFORM BUT SHE’S STILL IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

Discover a thrilling new Scottish crime series starring Detective Helen Carter.

Detective Helen Carter is called to a crime scene: a barmaid, Tina French, has been strangled. Murdered on her way home from work to look after her sick son.

Meanwhile, Moira McKenzie leaves her lover’s townhouse and gets home to find her abusive husband, Reggie, washing blood from his hands. Later, in their garden shed, she finds incriminating photos, keepsakes and newspaper cuttings about old murder cases.

When the police are called to their home, they find a pool of blood and a shattered glass table, but no sign of Moira . . .

Helen knows what it’s like to be victimized. She’s still recovering from her last case and avoiding her fiancé’s calls. Now she needs to stop the person terrorizing the women of Edinburgh.

Fans of Ashes to Ashes, Caro Ramsay, Helen H. Durrant, J.D. Kirk, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Val McDermid and Alex Gray will love this retro Scottish crime series set in the 1970s.

Genres: Crime, Audiobook, Mystery, Scotland

282 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2021

Reviews

["Avonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

THE EVIDENCE (Detective Helen Carter Book #2) by Jodie Lawrance is the second Scottish police procedural crime story featuring female detective, Helen Carter in the mid 1970’s. This book starts closely after the story in the first book ends. This second book can be read as a standalone, but having read the first book, the characters are becoming more three dimensional.

Detective Helen Carter is called to the scene of the grisly murder of barmaid Tina French on her way home from work. While she and her colleagues begin working this case, an abused woman, Moira McKenzie is reported missing by her husband. Helen finds the signs of a terrible struggle in Moira’s home with a lot of blood, but no victim.

Helen is still physically recovering from her last CID case as she looks for a killer terrorizing the women of Edinburgh.

I really enjoy reading crime books set in the 1970’s. Helen has to be smarter and more tenacious than any of her male contemporaries being the first female detective in her CID unit. The books are character driven with intricate red herrings and clues due to the lack of so many scientific advancements that police rely on today. It made me cringe, knowing what we know today about investigations, when a fellow detective smoked a cigarette at a crime scene. All the characters are realistically portrayed and their personal lives are quite messy which only makes me want to learn more.

I recommend this throw back Scottish police procedural crime series.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Helen Carter, although still recovering from injuries during her last case, is called to the scene of a homicide. A barmaid has been strangled as she walked home after work. No witnesses, no clues.

Meanwhile, police are called to the home of Reggie McKenzie who is reporting his wife missing. Helen and her partner find a pool of blood and broken furniture, but no sign of Moira.

Upon investigating, they discover several issues with this man and wife. He's known as being fond of the ladies. She has been having an affair for month. He is physically and mentally abusive. She knows something that no one else knows.

Has she been victimized in some way? Perhaps for her knowledge of something that she's holding tight .... has she seen or heard something that would make her a target? Or is she a run-away, bound and determined that her husband wasn't going to ever hit her again? Or was she killed by her husband ...maybe the abuse went a little too far? And how does this connect the strangling death of another woman?

It's the 1970s in Edinburgh and few women have been accepted in the male dominated CID. Helen has to work twice as hard as her male colleagues to prove her worth. Most of her teammates figure she was only hired because she's a woman and because her father was a DI. Her supervisor seems to go out of his way to demean her at every opportunity.

But Helen is as tenacious as they come. She has a good record and will do whatever it takes to solve a case and bring justice/closure to victims' families.

This is well-written with an intriguing plot, fully fleshed out characters and a few twists and turns that will hold the reader riveted to the pages. It's a police procedural of the 70s .... no cell phones, no internet data bases, no DNA testing. A lot of old-fashioned door-knocking is involved.

Many thanks to the author / Books n All Book Promotions for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Carter book two, Edinburgh Scotland.
D.S. Helen carter with D.I. Jack Craven from Fettes police station are sent to an old derelict hospital building the body of Tina French is found after she had been heading home from her job at The Weary Traveller to tend to her son and this wasn't the only murder that on their plate. A disturbance at a flat and Moira McKenzie is missing evidence in the home and her husband Reggie is arrested she suffers schizophrenia and needs to be found and lots of things just don't add up as Helen and Jack start their investigation.
What a story this unfolds into, that you just keep guessing, its gripping in some chapters and you read not knowing what is coming next. I enjoyed book one but this book two is brilliant keeping you on the edge of your seat.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is still 1977, November now, and a couple of weeks after the shocking and painful events of book 1. DS Helen Carter is starting back at work in CID in Edinburgh and is plunged straight into the case of a woman who has been discovered murdered and dumped in the grounds of an abandoned hospital just outside the city. Tina French had been hit on the head and strangled, and the reader has already heard how she met a man walking home from her job in a pub one night. We also hear about Moira McKenzie, a woman battered and bullied by her husband Reggie. While it’s fine for him to run around with other women, he threatens her when he spies the man she is having an affair with. The detectives are making slow progress with the murder of Tina when they receive a call out to Moira and Reggie’s flat. He claims to have come home and found heavy bloodstains and his wife missing. Helen is working with DC Terry McKinley and DC Randall under DI Jack Craven, and a link is finally made to a cold case as they realize their killer may have been around honing his craft for quite a while. As the detectives delve further into Moira and Reggie’s lives, more suspects appear and they wonder exactly what they are dealing with here. Are the murder and disappearance even linked? Just what has happened to Moira, is Reggie as bad as some people say and can anyone involved actually be believed?
With an awful new DCI to contend with and personal upheaval for some of the team, little does Helen realize that soon her late father will also present her with more shocks and surprises, as she battles to find the truth in a baffling case that is giving out more questions than answers. It’s a great story with a very atmospheric and engrossing plot which paints an accurate picture of the lives and attitudes of the people there. I love the feel of the 1970s that the author creates in this story, from the run down dwellings and rapid housing expansion in some areas to the cars and products around at the time. Who else remembers the vinyl car roof and Blue Nun? As a female detective in a very male dominated environment, life is not always easy for Helen but she’s a tough cookie and determined to succeed, and seems to be gradually more accepted by at least some of her colleagues now. I am really enjoying this series so far and looking forward to seeing Helen again in book 3, The Suspects, out very soon. 5*

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and loved the first book in the series featuring Detective Helen Carter, which is called ‘The Uniform’. So when I heard that Jodie was due to release the second book in the series, I knew that I had to get a copy as soon as possible and squirrel myself away until I had finished reading it. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because the second book in the series is called ‘The Evidence’ and it was released on 5th August 2021. It is another corker of a read, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I read the synopsis for ‘The Evidence’ that was it for me. I was back in the zone as it were and back on the beat with Detective Helen Carter. To say that reading ‘The Evidence’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two to fill in half an hour or so but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would end up reading for more than an hour and several chapters later. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I just couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as I made my way through the story. I found ‘The Evidence’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The Evidence’ is superbly written but then I thought that about ‘The Uniform’ too. Jodie certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story. In Detective Helen Carter, Jodie has created one hell of a likeable character and I couldn’t help but feel as though Helen had become a friend. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘The Evidence’ felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and at the heart of the action, which is all thanks to Jodie’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Evidence’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Jodie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Detective Helen Carter series but they do work well as stand alone.

This series is set in the 1970s when female Police Officers were underrated and had to work extra hard to make their views heard. The time period is important when reading this book as you have to think back to what life was like back then in terms of forensic evidence, technology etc.

Helen is still recovering from the previous case and is fragile emotionally and physically and her relationship with Ted is over. However, she is determined to continue to do her job to the best of her ability and deal with the demons in her head another time.

Other members of the team also have relationship problems and having this personal side brought into the story humanises the characters and adds depth to them.

Women are being killed for no apparent reason and there are few clues they are battered so badly and violently that even identifying the weapon is difficult. The team have their work cut out trying to make progress and this becomes even more difficult when work and personal lives become entangled.

This was a gripping and interesting read with many twists and turns. If you like detective stories you will love this series.

[Christine Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Evidence by Jodie Lawrance

The Evidence by Jodie Lawrance is book 2 in the Detective Helen Carter series, and is a good read. The storyline is interesting and the characters are all typical of the 1970’s Britain. Most of her colleagues are typical men of that time believing a woman’s place is in the home or bedroom. Women are being murdered and Helen is once again in the middle of the action to find the Killer.
Recommended

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio version of this book 📕- Book 2 in the DS Helen Carter. A refreshing police procedural based in the 1970’s Scotland, a great addition to the series.

[wendi wigham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A one session read

DS.Carter is now a permanent member of CID. Her boss, Craven seems to have amended his original sexist opinion of her and they work well together.
Helen makes a final decision regarding her relationship with Ted and gets stuck into the latest case.
Women are found murdered, heads smashed in with a mallet. Two so far, but the clues seem to go round in circles. Suspects include a respectable doctor, a wife beating thug and Craven's ex wife's husband.
A chance remark by one of the older constables sends them searching the archives for a similar case about fifteen years previously. Attacked with a mallet and a chunk of hair cut off as a trophy is the common pattern to these cases. They find another case, Craven and Carter believe this is the work of a serial killer, who has been active and undetected for many years. But which of their suspects is guilty.
On a personal note Helen Carter received a legacy from her late father, a pleasant surprise, but what she finds out relating to this bequest is a huge shock.
Well worth reading, did it in one session without noticing the time, but 3am is later than I thought!

[Donna Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the series. It’s good to have distinctive voices to separate the various characters.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing thriller.

An interesting book with a good plot which has twists and turns that keeps up the suspense. The characters were complicated and get believable. Helen is a woman with determination and sense of duty. This story is a good read.

[Hal Astell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago, I reviewed the first novel in a series about Helen Carter, a police detective in seventies Edinburgh. That was 'The Forgotten' by J. V. Baptie and it was published by Crooked Cat Books. I didn't grab the second book in the series, 'The Departed', when it was available, but am happy to dive into the series now that it's been shifted over to a new publisher with all the details changed. 'The Forgotten' is now 'The Uniform', J. V. Baptie is now Jodie Lawrance and the publisher is now Joffe Books, who made a massive difference to the book's availability.

I read 'The Uniform', or re-read it, given that it's a slightly tweaked version of 'The Forgotten', and felt that it retained all the component parts that I either enjoyed or appreciated in that novel but flowed a little smoother to boot. It was a good book to begin with, but it's a better one now, a solid introduction to the central character in this series and, hey, the cover is much more appropriate too. 'The Evidence' is not 'The Departed', as far as I can tell, but it is the second book in this series and it's a better one again, albeit one that carries fewer surprises.

I would recommend starting with 'The Uniform' but it isn't essential. All you really need to know is that we're in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, but in the 1970s, when the highly laddish culture of the police force was opening up to women for the first time. This is fantastic news for Helen Carter, who has studied criminology, including nascent techniques like profiling, and has the appropriate heritage, her father having served as a chief inspector. As you might imagine, the rank and file don't see it as a good move, though, because the fairer sex clearly isn't capable of doing such a tough job.

With a successful murder case behind her, Helen is starting to receive a little respect from her various colleagues, all of whom were introduced in the first book, but it's fair to say that it is just a start, as the culture they've learned over lifetimes does not change overnight. It's just enough that the misogyny on display is a little less overwhelming than what she suffered throughout the first novel. Her partner, DI Jack Craven, was a little more open-minded than the rest of the Fettes police station from the outset, but even he has a long way to go.

In fact, one major reason for the grudging respect on offer isn't due to her mental acuity, her training or her ability to do her job as a detective sergeant, but because she was injured in the line of duty, thus proving that she, and by extension, women, can get as down and dirty as the men and still finish the job that's needed. She's still recovering from those injuries here, when she's called out to a new murder. A barmaid was strangled to death as she walked home from work and there's no obvious evidence to work with, except that Tina French is not the first young lady to be strangled like this in their records.

The other case that takes up much police attention here is even less straightforward. Reggie McKenzie is a thug of a man, but he's not being visited as a suspect, more as a victim, given that he's calling in the polis to investigate the disappearance of his wife, Moira. However, important questions quickly arise, as the more that the police learn about Moira, the more they learn about Reggie. And the more that they learn about Reggie, the more they wonder if Moira is dead rather than just missing. And, if Reggie did murder his wife, could he have murdered Tina French too?

These aren't long books, running somewhere around two hundred and fifty pages, so we can generally expect that each novel will feature a single case with a single criminal and a single solution. One of the successes of this book is that Lawrance isn't content with that simple approach and she weaves multiple cases together, all while deepening her characters admirably. It became clear during the first book that Helen started to suspect that her father may not have been the paragon of virtue she saw him as, and it would be fair to say that she has more questions than ever after what goes down in this one.

Even though I figured some of this out sooner than I tend to, I enjoyed this second Helen Carter novel a little more than I did the first, partly because the things that annoyed me aren't as overt. I should add that the things that annoyed me weren't faults in the writing. It's just that Lawrance is writing about a particular time and place and it simply wasn't all sunshine and daisies for a woman joining the force as a detective. Part of me shouted that I got it, I didn't need to be battered around the head with it, but a bigger part of me acknowledged that that's exactly what it was like.

Similarly, Helen struggled in that first book with her alcoholic boyfriend. It's easy for me to shout that she should just dump him, but it really isn't that simple and Lawrance knows it. That story arc is written how it should have been written and I'm well-aware that I'm not the one having to make that decision. Just because it's an easy one for me, sitting half a century and a continent away, doesn't mean that it's an easy one for her. Because she got there in the end, however, that boyfriend is a milder annoyance in this book and the fact that she's proving herself in the field tones down the misogynism a little. Both those things remain in place as the background noise they should be, but she's a little freer to move on and the series can happily follow suit.

On the flipside, the things I thoroughly enjoyed in that first book are here too and more so. This is the seventies so it's old school detection. Having read a romantic suspense thriller this month that seemed just like a TV show with its shiny IT and happy plot conveniences, I can appreciate books like this one all the more, because they don't have those easy shortcuts. Helen and Jack have to pound the streets for their answers, which don't all conveniently co-exist in the same town. When they look up records, they don't receive the key data at the press of a button. It's hard work at the best of times and brutal work at the worst. The biggest success these books have is their honesty. I read other books and think, "Hey, that's not so bad. I could do that!" I read these books and think, "I'm happy I don't have to do that, but I'm also happy that she can."

Next up: the third book in the series, 'The Suspects', which is already out, with more volumes promised. Now, why hasn't the BBC adapted this yet? These books ought to translate really well into mini-series. I have BritBox. I want to see how well they do.

Originally posted at the Nameless Zine in July 2022:
https://www.thenamelesszine.org/Odds-...

Index of all my Nameless Zine reviews:
https://books.apocalypselaterempire.com/

[loopyloulaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A barmaid is found dead, her jewellery stolen. An abused wife with mental health issues goes missing, leaving behind only a pool of blood. DS Helen Carter, a tenacious cop in an era when women were treated as inferior, is determined to find the missing woman and solve the murder.
The Evidence is the second book by Jodie Lawrance to feature Helen Carter (I have reviewed The Uniform previously). There are some mentions of events in the previous book as well as character relationship developments.
Helen remains a determined cop despite the continued misogyny amongst her colleagues. Again I was strongly reminded of Life on Mars TV series due to the attitudes of the police and public towards female officers.
In her personal life, Helen's ex Ted is still on the scene hoping for a reconciliation whilst her colleague Terry also seems interested but his ex keeps turning up. Helen doens't really want either of them! Her superior officer Jack Craven has a personal health issue as well as angst with his ex wife.
The murder investigation plays second fiddle to the missing woman case as they fear for her safety and have more clues to work on. There were plenty of suspects acting suspiciously including one connected to Craven which further exacerbates his personal situation.
Once again Edinburgh and the 1970s were brought to life through the writing style. The use of accents in the dialogue brought the characters to life and the setting gave the novel a realism that readers can relate to.
The Evidence is an enjoyable police and crime drama novel.

[elizabeth mcguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely improving

Helen Carter finds herself embroiled in a perplexing murder/ missing person case.
She received an envelope from her ex, who had been given it by her Mother. Inside was the details of a property, in the Borders, that her Father left to her. It comes with its own surprises.
Still recovering from injuries received in her last case, she finds them added to in the search for the murder suspect. Can they get to the house in time to stop another murder?
The characters in these stories are starting to fill in and make them seem more real. Let's hope that Helen can avoid another pasting in her next case. Not sure the lass can survive much more.
Then there is the surprise of a house from Dad, along with a 2nd family. She certainly doesn't have an easy time of it.
Looking forward to seeing her next case and how her relationships progress with her colleagues.

[Lou Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is worth a 4…..

But the editing is only a 3. Helen is just coming off her medical leave from the first book. She’s not sure she wants to return to work but she knows she has no choice. The story line makes sense and so does the character development. But the editing left too many unnecessary words in sentences and I don’t appreciate having to reread a paragraph to see what it is that’s got my reading hackles up.

[Bonita Soley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder mystery at it's best

Complex whodunit with a strong cast of characters - a series worth following. Never a dull moment! Strong female lead who has trials and baggage but is not broken, she handles it all in stride and unlike some other female leads is not broken or relying on men to save the day.

[Bob Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carter gets her man

Scottish Detective series with DS Helen Carter the main character. Helen's background story is heavily woven into this tale. So not only do you discover Helen's policing skills but also a little more of her background. An enjoyable story but not an out and out Criminal Thriller. Hence my 3 stars.

[Julian Tremayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, if somewhat contrived and improbable goings on at the station, but rather spoilt for me by a number of errors in the text, both in poor English and also misnaming the characters. I will move on to no. 3 as Helen Carter is an interesting person.
Julian Tremayne, Pocklington, East Yorkshire

[Virginia McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jodie Lawrance

Excellent read -I found this book one of the best books I’ve read. My interest never let up. and before I knew it I was done and now I am looking for another book of
Jodie Lawrence’s books to read.

[Andrea Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1970s police procedural with a new female detective Helen investigating murders and disappearances in Scotland. This is good writing with a great insight into a time just 50 years ago when life was so very different but seems to some like yesterday.

[Jill Bristow · Rating 4 out of 5]

so so

🤔 not sure about this, second of the series I’ve read. They’re ok, but it feels as if something’s missing. And there’s some sloppy writing. But you can’t complain too much for free!

[Joan Imms · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast moving tale

A real paper turner, it was filled with characters that were believable. I never managed to work out who was the killer as the story wound around the characters so seamlessly . Finished in 2 sittings., an excellent read.

[SANDY WARDROPE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dull

I enjoyed the story very much but wasn't too impressed by the endless wet weather, everybody's always damp, Helen's constant tiredness and her on off love life. Apart from that it was pretty good looking forward to number three. Cheers.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is an interesting series with a woman police detective in 1977 Edinburgh. And maybe the author is just setting up a scene where Helen will emerge positively as we move further along in the series, but for right now, it was all pretty bleak.

[Margaret Barbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Evidence by Jodie Lawrance.

Mostly an easy read, though at times, you could get a bit waylaid on who did what. Will be interested in reading the next in the series. Would recommend .

[Allan Tapscott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seemed to be more about emotionally unstable detectives than actual detecting

[christine arlott-clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A killer on the loose, who will be next

Gripping detective thrilerr, lots of drama, a battered wife, a possible affair. Who is the murderer, . What are the connections

[Bev Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent story

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one more than the first one. Good excuse to read the third one.

[John Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start but a cracking ending! Can't wait for Book 3 and hopefully more beyond that!