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Detective Inspector Temple #3
Left For Dead
Detective Inspector Temple’s first day with the Major Crime Unit — and the last case he should be mixed up in.
A double shooting. An unreliable witness. A vengeful family.
It’s elderly Vera Drake out walking her Jack Russell terrier who finds them. Two young men, in a car in the woods, their bodies slumped in the front seat as if sleeping.
DI Temple is first on the scene. Each victim has a single gunshot wound to the head. One of them is still alive — just.
The pair are quickly identified as Liam and Aaron Fortune, members of a local organized crime family. Temple’s had dealings with them before. It didn’t end well.
It’s a difficult case. There’s no public sympathy. The victims were nasty pieces of work. And the family are seeking their own rough justice — without the help of the police.
Then a suspect a local man in possession of an illegal firearm. Evidence puts him at the scene of the crime. The team reckon they’ve got their killer. Temple’s not convinced. He’s in a race against time to uncover the truth before the violence escalates.
At the same time, a figure from Temple’s past emerges. The man he’s been hunting for almost his entire life. The man who killed his mother.
A double shooting. An unreliable witness. A vengeful family.
It’s elderly Vera Drake out walking her Jack Russell terrier who finds them. Two young men, in a car in the woods, their bodies slumped in the front seat as if sleeping.
DI Temple is first on the scene. Each victim has a single gunshot wound to the head. One of them is still alive — just.
The pair are quickly identified as Liam and Aaron Fortune, members of a local organized crime family. Temple’s had dealings with them before. It didn’t end well.
It’s a difficult case. There’s no public sympathy. The victims were nasty pieces of work. And the family are seeking their own rough justice — without the help of the police.
Then a suspect a local man in possession of an illegal firearm. Evidence puts him at the scene of the crime. The team reckon they’ve got their killer. Temple’s not convinced. He’s in a race against time to uncover the truth before the violence escalates.
At the same time, a figure from Temple’s past emerges. The man he’s been hunting for almost his entire life. The man who killed his mother.
- GenresFiction
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2022
111 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 22, 2022
Detective Inspector Temple #3
Detective Inspector temple's first day with the Major Crime Unit - and the last case he should be mixed up in.
It's elderly Vera Drake out walking her Jack Russel terrier who finds them. Two young men, in a car in the woods, their bodies slumped in the front seat as if sleeping. DI Temple is first at the scene. Each victim has a gunshot wound to the head. One of them is still alive - just. The pair are quickly identified. They are members of a local organised crime family. Temple's had dealings with them before, It didn't end well.
Book three in the series and it's filled with surprises. DI Temple has joined a new team, but not everyone in the team is happy to see him. His first case with them is two young men who had been shot in their car. Temple has a complicated personal life. There's lots of twists and the characters are well developed. I do think you have to read the two previous books before reading this one as there are references to them in this book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #DeborahLucy for my ARC of #LeftForDead in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Inspector temple's first day with the Major Crime Unit - and the last case he should be mixed up in.
It's elderly Vera Drake out walking her Jack Russel terrier who finds them. Two young men, in a car in the woods, their bodies slumped in the front seat as if sleeping. DI Temple is first at the scene. Each victim has a gunshot wound to the head. One of them is still alive - just. The pair are quickly identified. They are members of a local organised crime family. Temple's had dealings with them before, It didn't end well.
Book three in the series and it's filled with surprises. DI Temple has joined a new team, but not everyone in the team is happy to see him. His first case with them is two young men who had been shot in their car. Temple has a complicated personal life. There's lots of twists and the characters are well developed. I do think you have to read the two previous books before reading this one as there are references to them in this book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #DeborahLucy for my ARC of #LeftForDead in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2022
The third and latest in the Detective Inspector Temple Mystery series is Left For Dead by Deborah Lucy. A woman out walking her dog discovers the murdered bodies of two sons of the local crime family. DI Temple is first on the scene and has had previous dealing with the family who are determined to avenge their deaths. With few clues, little public sympathy, his murder team highly sceptical of him and a boss who doesn’t want him makes for a truly difficult investigation. A classic police procedural with a climactic finale, that was lessened somewhat by the inkling of the murderer halfway through the story. So overall, an enjoyable read with a three and a half star rating. With thanks to BHC Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
June 7, 2022
A murder mystery that was anything but run of the mill. I was gripped. So many twists and turns and quite a few surprises. This book was definitely not what I was expecting it was so much more. My only niggle was at times it too busy and became confusing. All in all a good read and four stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
July 7, 2022
Left for Dead is the third in the Inspector Temple series by Deborah Lucy. I hadn't read the first 2 book in the series, but was impressed with this book. Inspector Temple has a complicated past and his first day with the Major Crimes Unit lands him in the middle of a case he should not be involved with. An elderly woman stumbles upon a crime scene while out walking her dog. She comes across a parked car with 2 men that have been shot in the head. One is dead, and the other very nearly dead. She is so overwhelmed that her dog gets away from her. She goes home to call the police and the story begins. The two men are sons of an organized crime family, The Fortune's. Inspector Temple has had to deal with them in the past and the Fortune's can't stand him. Unfortunately, Inspector Temple's boss sends him to the Fortune home to pass on the news of the 2 boys being shot and 1 killed. This is where things start to get ugly. The team of police that Inspector Temple is in charge of don't trust him because of things that happened in his past and the Fortune's would like to see him taken down.
Will Inspector Temple be able to solve the crime with some behind the scenes wanting him to fail? Will the Fortune's succeed in taking him down? These are questions you'll have to read the book to get answers to. The book takes some twists and turns, especially towards the end. I enjoyed the book and it is now available to buy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Left For Dead.
Will Inspector Temple be able to solve the crime with some behind the scenes wanting him to fail? Will the Fortune's succeed in taking him down? These are questions you'll have to read the book to get answers to. The book takes some twists and turns, especially towards the end. I enjoyed the book and it is now available to buy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Left For Dead.
October 9, 2025
Very interesting!!!!!
This is a great read, but read the series in order. The problem I had was figuring out all the characters. Very hard to keep organized. Ms. Lucy is very adept at storytelling and I was hooked like a child listening to an adult tell a spooky or mysterious story! I was instantly in love with Called and developed a liking for Temple. Did not want to put it down.
This is a great read, but read the series in order. The problem I had was figuring out all the characters. Very hard to keep organized. Ms. Lucy is very adept at storytelling and I was hooked like a child listening to an adult tell a spooky or mysterious story! I was instantly in love with Called and developed a liking for Temple. Did not want to put it down.
July 10, 2022
Great. Really enjoyed these books
Temple is flawed. The death of his mother at an early age. His quest to find the killer. He thought had been found but the revelation at end of the third book is a cliff hanger.could hear the thump thump of the Eastender theme tune. I really hope there is more and looking forward to them. Deborah Lucy is talented writer. Great page turner.
Temple is flawed. The death of his mother at an early age. His quest to find the killer. He thought had been found but the revelation at end of the third book is a cliff hanger.could hear the thump thump of the Eastender theme tune. I really hope there is more and looking forward to them. Deborah Lucy is talented writer. Great page turner.
March 17, 2023
Left for dead
I liked all the police officers and their way of investing in this story temple is a good guy hope that things go his way.police work is not the glamorous job we think it is
I liked all the police officers and their way of investing in this story temple is a good guy hope that things go his way.police work is not the glamorous job we think it is
July 3, 2024
I couldn't put this down. Every chapter ended and wanted to keep reading. It was the best one of the trilogy. I really hope author planning in writing another as the story is unfinished and actually that part was what i was hoping we would actually find out!
June 19, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Left for Dead, the third novel to feature DI Temple of the Wiltshire Police.
Two young men are found shot through the head in their car. They are quickly identified as Aaron and Liam Fortune, members of a local crime family. Liam is dead, Aaron is clinging to life and nobody seems interested in helping the police with their enquiries. They were nasty men so the public has shrugged its shoulders and the family are determined to mete out their own justice.
This is the first novel in the series that I have read and it seems to work as a stand-alone with all Temple’s past difficulties that have a bearing on the present succinctly recapped. What I didn’t expect or like is that the novel is as much about a general prejudice against Temple at all levels of the force as it is about a murder investigation. The intrigue and scheming don’t interest me and I find it difficult to believe that so many people would rush to judge him harshly based on rumour and innuendo, but then, paranoia seems to be the predominant emotion in the Wiltshire Police.
The novel has all the usual attributes, tension, danger twists, blind alleys and a strong interest in Temple’s personal life. He is not as squeaky clean as he initially leads the reader to believe, but he is also not guilty of the many things his coworkers think he is. His unease and the threat posed to him by the Fortune family are the source of much of the tension. There is also the subplot about his mother’s murder, which seems a bit convoluted and obviously has more to offer in future novels.
The murder investigation is fairly standard in some ways, but the author manages to introduce enough kinks to make it interesting and enough procedural detail to make it realistic. It seems to get a bit tangled up in itself in the middle of the novel, with Temple’s past run ins with the Fortunes clouding the present.
Left for Dead is not for me, but readers who like a more character driven novel will find it entertaining.
Two young men are found shot through the head in their car. They are quickly identified as Aaron and Liam Fortune, members of a local crime family. Liam is dead, Aaron is clinging to life and nobody seems interested in helping the police with their enquiries. They were nasty men so the public has shrugged its shoulders and the family are determined to mete out their own justice.
This is the first novel in the series that I have read and it seems to work as a stand-alone with all Temple’s past difficulties that have a bearing on the present succinctly recapped. What I didn’t expect or like is that the novel is as much about a general prejudice against Temple at all levels of the force as it is about a murder investigation. The intrigue and scheming don’t interest me and I find it difficult to believe that so many people would rush to judge him harshly based on rumour and innuendo, but then, paranoia seems to be the predominant emotion in the Wiltshire Police.
The novel has all the usual attributes, tension, danger twists, blind alleys and a strong interest in Temple’s personal life. He is not as squeaky clean as he initially leads the reader to believe, but he is also not guilty of the many things his coworkers think he is. His unease and the threat posed to him by the Fortune family are the source of much of the tension. There is also the subplot about his mother’s murder, which seems a bit convoluted and obviously has more to offer in future novels.
The murder investigation is fairly standard in some ways, but the author manages to introduce enough kinks to make it interesting and enough procedural detail to make it realistic. It seems to get a bit tangled up in itself in the middle of the novel, with Temple’s past run ins with the Fortunes clouding the present.
Left for Dead is not for me, but readers who like a more character driven novel will find it entertaining.
June 29, 2022
Left For Dead is the third book in the series. This is my first time reading this writer, I am not sure whether you should read the prior books or not.
The book begins in England, July 2018, with a man having been beaten and left for dead but he appears to fight to live as the prologue ends. Chapter 1 picks up in Egypt, October 2019, with a man having woken suddenly from a dream, or maybe a nightmare reliving a memory of not killing someone and wishing he had followed through. Nearly noon he takes a taxi outside a small security station for a hotel where he meets a man. The man is informed he will be going back to England with a new back story and new documents. Next up we are back in England and it is February 2020 with a woman who is fighting being sick after having seen two men dead in a car.
I found the story difficult to follow. Too many characters and no apparent connection in the first several chapters. It's an interesting mystery if you like this particular writing style. It's very unpredictable and will keep you on the edge of your seat if you can get past the first few chapters.
As far as Temple, he is interesting and likeable character. There is a lot going that causes tension and lack of trust from his supervisors. With a new team get to know and learn their strengths he has a lot getting in the way of solving the crime.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
The book begins in England, July 2018, with a man having been beaten and left for dead but he appears to fight to live as the prologue ends. Chapter 1 picks up in Egypt, October 2019, with a man having woken suddenly from a dream, or maybe a nightmare reliving a memory of not killing someone and wishing he had followed through. Nearly noon he takes a taxi outside a small security station for a hotel where he meets a man. The man is informed he will be going back to England with a new back story and new documents. Next up we are back in England and it is February 2020 with a woman who is fighting being sick after having seen two men dead in a car.
I found the story difficult to follow. Too many characters and no apparent connection in the first several chapters. It's an interesting mystery if you like this particular writing style. It's very unpredictable and will keep you on the edge of your seat if you can get past the first few chapters.
As far as Temple, he is interesting and likeable character. There is a lot going that causes tension and lack of trust from his supervisors. With a new team get to know and learn their strengths he has a lot getting in the way of solving the crime.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
June 26, 2022
This is the third in the series but the first I have read. I didn't think it made much of a difference as you were told enough background to follow things.
As far as the story goes, I like Temple. He seems like a normal man, with the same fears and desire for revenge as the rest of us. There is plenty of tension about, between the lack of trust from his immediate superiors and more importantly, within his new team which makes the investigation much tougher.
There weren't many suspects so it was easy to figure out who the culprit was but I quite enjoyed the procedural process in getting there in the investigation. There was probably a bit too much of the personal side of things here for my liking but that is just my preference. That being said, I would definitely read the next one as there is still another unfinished thread that I am curious to get to the bottom of.
My thanks to Joffe Books for an advance copy and this is my honest review.
As far as the story goes, I like Temple. He seems like a normal man, with the same fears and desire for revenge as the rest of us. There is plenty of tension about, between the lack of trust from his immediate superiors and more importantly, within his new team which makes the investigation much tougher.
There weren't many suspects so it was easy to figure out who the culprit was but I quite enjoyed the procedural process in getting there in the investigation. There was probably a bit too much of the personal side of things here for my liking but that is just my preference. That being said, I would definitely read the next one as there is still another unfinished thread that I am curious to get to the bottom of.
My thanks to Joffe Books for an advance copy and this is my honest review.
June 7, 2022
This is the third instalment in the Detective Temple mystery series and a first for me, although i enjoyed the book I did feel that reading the two previous novels in the series would have enhanced my experience of what was going on as there was some follow up to previous cases.
However this instalment sees DI Temple joining a new team who are less than impressed by his arrival and it appears he's got a lot to prove.
Hes thrown feet first into a double murder case, whilst juggling the demands of his complicated personal life.
A gripping police procedural that was full of suspense and tensions a great read.
However this instalment sees DI Temple joining a new team who are less than impressed by his arrival and it appears he's got a lot to prove.
Hes thrown feet first into a double murder case, whilst juggling the demands of his complicated personal life.
A gripping police procedural that was full of suspense and tensions a great read.
June 28, 2022
Another great book in the DI Temple series. It had been a while since I’d read the previous two so I refreshed myself and I was glad I had as some aspects of this story are linked to the previous ones and some of the back story about the general level of mistrust around Temple makes much more sense
It was a twisty tale and fast moving and it didn’t take me long to read as I couldn’t put it down.
I wasn’t sure who the culprit was though I was with Temple on who it wasn’t.
I’m looking forward to the next in the series as just as you think the loose ends are tied up, somebody starts to unravel them again!
Thanks to Joffe books for an ARC of this book.
It was a twisty tale and fast moving and it didn’t take me long to read as I couldn’t put it down.
I wasn’t sure who the culprit was though I was with Temple on who it wasn’t.
I’m looking forward to the next in the series as just as you think the loose ends are tied up, somebody starts to unravel them again!
Thanks to Joffe books for an ARC of this book.
June 7, 2022
Left for Dead by Deborah Lucy
I was very sad when the dog, Toby, ran off. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, and I liked the storyline. It probably would have helped to read the prior books for some of the backstories. The story had me guessing about what was going to happen and who was involved. Such good twists and turns and very good drama and writing.
When I was done reading, the sentence I thought of was that "I don't think this story is over!" I would definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.
#LEFTFORDEAD #NetGalley @JoffeBooks
I was very sad when the dog, Toby, ran off. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, and I liked the storyline. It probably would have helped to read the prior books for some of the backstories. The story had me guessing about what was going to happen and who was involved. Such good twists and turns and very good drama and writing.
When I was done reading, the sentence I thought of was that "I don't think this story is over!" I would definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.
#LEFTFORDEAD #NetGalley @JoffeBooks
June 27, 2022
D I Temple is an intriguing character and there is much more to him than meets the eye. His tragic back story will mean you want to forgive a lot, though. This is a great mystery in a wonderfully well drawn setting, reminding me of Joy Ellis’s ability to bring the Fens to life. Plenty of twists and surprises, so not the sort of mystery you can skim through. I liked that it kept me focused and thinking.
June 28, 2022
When 2 men are found dead by a dog walker the police are very quickly able to identify them as the sons of the local crime family, seeking to avenge their deaths means a race for Detective inspector Temple on his first day in the major crime unit to locate the killers before the family deal out their own justice
July 13, 2022
A lot of messy murders, a new DI with a history of undercover work and some haunting regrets who also faces distrust by his new team are the crux of this twisty dark tale of the kinds of stresses and horror that police everywhere are faced with. Riveting.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
June 22, 2022
A gripping read that was twisty, unpredictable and dark. I couldn't put this down it was a riveting storyline that had me on the edge of my seat.
June 28, 2022
I found the story hard to follow at times but overall it is a good murder mystery. It's twisty and unpredictable and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews