Rough Justice

Knight & Culverhouse #4

by Adam Croft

Who hunts the hunters? When a man is found dead, mutilated in his house, DS Wendy Knight and DCI Jack Culverhouse soon realise that Jeff Brelsford was killed for one he was a paedophile.As Wendy does her job and tries to find the killer, Culverhouse is less keen. As far as he's concerned, this is justice.With Culverhouse's attitude and stubbornness leaving him on the sidelines, Wendy delves deeper into the dark and murky world of Jeff Brelsford, and what she discovers is enough to shock her to her core.Could it be that the killer was someone very close to home... a police officer?Rough Justice is a gripping, fast-paced serial killer thriller which will captivate fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Mark Billingham.What readers are saying about the Knight & Culverhouse series ‘Adam Croft has to be one of the best authors in crime.’‘I couldn't put this down, especially towards the end.’‘I have to admit, I'm hooked on Knight & Culverhouse ... brilliantly written.’ Lucy Hayward‘Extremely well-written ... a great, page-turning whodunit.’ Jessica Grace Coleman‘Once the story starts to unfold, you really won't want to put it down until the climax.’ Gary Alce‘Once again, Adam manages to captivate the reader within moments of opening the book ... Highly recommended.’

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Collections, Procedural

Paperback

First published October 29, 2015

About the author

With more than half a million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world, and one of the biggest selling authors of the past year.

Following his 2015 worldwide bestseller Her Last Tomorrow, his psychological thrillers were bought by Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing. Prior to the Amazon deal, Her Last Tomorrow sold more than 150,000 copies across all platforms and became one of the bestselling books of the year, reaching the top 10 in the overall Amazon Kindle chart and peaking at number 12 in the combined paperback fiction and non-fiction chart.

His Knight & Culverhouse crime thriller series has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, with his Kempston Hardwick mystery books being adapted as audio plays starring some of the biggest names in British TV.

In 2016, the Knight & Culverhouse Box Set reached number 1 in Canada, knocking J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child off the top spot only weeks after Her Last Tomorrow was also number 1 in Canada.

During the summer of 2016, two of Adam’s books hit the USA Today bestseller list only weeks apart, making them two of the most-purchased books in the United States over the summer.

Before writing full time, Adam had previously worked as an internet marketing consultant, delivery driver and professional actor.

Adam has been featured on BBC Radio, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Bookseller and a number of other news and media outl

Reviews

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm..

I’m not sure about this book. I don’t know if I liked it or not. Jack Culverhouse was given some time off by Charles Hawes because Jack was acting a little crazy over Luke’s death, and his wife, and God knows what else, and he’s drinking and not showering or shaving, and Knight starts to look into his goings-on because Culverhouse doesn’t care that someone is killing paedophiles (British spelling.) I’m not crazy about this lack of trust at all. After 3 books on the faith and trust she has in Jack and suddenly she was seeing him as a killer? Yeah, this won’t be one of my favorite Knight and Culverhouse books.

This was just okay for me but Culverhouse was back at the end and helped capture the killer, which I was glad of. With Pope sitting in his office that idiot would have surely taken the credit for “his” team ending the case. But Culverhouse would have none of that. Malcolm Pope was perfectly written to be an absolute jerk.

No sex, no nothing, but the F-bomb was used 45 times.

As to the narrator: Holy crap! Why was Nigel Patterson replaced with the author Adam Croft? When you listen to three books and get used to Culverhouse being loud and gruff and suddenly his tone is soft and without all the emotion it used to have it ruins the book. WTH? So disappointed.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW from the first page this author grabs your attention to the last with his gripping tale of mutilation that will make all men and most women cringe I know I sure did. The author left me with my mouth hung open as the killer starts is act and all he does to kill his victims. One serial killer down the author takes us off to the next one who has it in for pedophiles as he takes them down one at a time. This is the second book I have listened to by this author and it is just as good as the first one. The author took me in from the first page making me hold my breath with the chilling tales of a serial killer who knows just how to make these criminals pay for their crimes in a way that most of us would love to.


The author is also the narrator which had me a little nervous because most authors cannot narrate very well. However I thought that Mr. Croft did a pretty good job not as good as his past narrator but a pretty good job. I thought his voice was very pleasant with a delightful accent that pulls you in. I do think his female voices do need a little work to sound more female. I thought he did put emotion into the listen I always knew who was talking and what they were feeling. The tones for each character are pretty good that you have no trouble feeling the emotions the characters are feeling. There are no places where there are a repeat of words or any place where the volume is higher or lower than anywhere else in the audio. There are no background noises just a clear audio that is very enjoyable. If any breaks were taken I could not tell it was a very crisp clean audio that did hold my attention and at times making my heart speed up and leaving me holding my breath. I am looking forward to listening to more of his narration and feel he will become a wonderful delightful narrator as he goes along narrating more.


Poor Jack has so much on his plate from his wife coming back, not being able to see his daughter, his wife leaving again and is friend dying that it is hard for him to puy his heart into his work. He feeling the new serial killer is doing a wonderful job not saying he won’t do his job but when his mouth overruns his mind he gets into a lot of trouble. With a new boss coming on the scene he over steps his self lands him on leave. Wendy has her hands full trying to work out who the killer is and keeping poor Jack in line.

This was a very entertaining listen that really grabs you and keeps its as you try to work out who the killer is as well as trying to get over the shock of how he kills. It is very well written in a style that isn’t overwhelming even through the things the killer does is shocking. There is no romance or anything new on Jacks wife. What you get is how hard Jack is finding life when his whole world starts falling apart. He takes the death of his friend very hard and has trouble dealing with it. Not working is very hard for him as he starts drinking more and caring less. Wendy does her best to pull him back in but leaving her asking some tough question not only about Jack but other officers. This is a very suspenseful story as always it has its chills. Wendy and Jack work well together but this might be the last time they do if Jack can’t get his act together. The author gives you a surprising ending that really is wonderful. This is the second book I have listened to from this author and find his writing style a delight that really gets to your heart with characters that really pulls you in making them a part of their life. I just love these characters and what they bring to the story. The buildup of the plot is great with a few heart stopping moments that shock you. I can’t wait for the next one. This has turned out to be a wonderful series.

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - really enjoying these books. Great characters & great storylines

[Julie Storey · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are just getting better and better, straight onto the next one

[Mary Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is equally as good as the previous 3 Knight & Culverhouse stories. Culverhouse's character really came through and led an interesting twist to the plot.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Adam Croft’s Knight & Culverhouse series are always great reads and this one was no exception. This time we see Jack Culverhouse hit rock bottom when he lets past professional and current personal events get to him, which means that DS Wendy Knight has to lead the current investigation into the killing of sex offenders by an apparent vigilante. It turns out that the culprit is certainly known to the police but it takes Jack’s pride to prevent another murder. Sadly these are fairly short reads, ending far too quickly but as always leaving me wanting more.

[Gina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone book. When a serial killer targeting child predators is on the loose, how hard will the police try to find and stop them? And how will they navigate the internet's dark side to locate how the victims have been selected and trace it back to the murderer? This was the first book I have read from this author and I found it fascinating. The characters were well developed and interesting. I enjoyed the conflict between them. The plot moves fast and the book is very hard to put down. I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good job.

Wendy and Jack are a good team. I love this book and have loved the ones I have read. Keep them coming to me!

[Teresa Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rough Justice is the story of a vigilante who is taking out pedophiles because he/she doesn't think the police are doing their job. It is a tough subject matter and Mr Croft handles it fairly well. As one would expect there is a fair amount of violence, profanity, and action. It is a well-written police procedural and as such, I enjoyed it. I had a few difficulties with the British slang but luckily my Kindle dictionary cleared most of that up for me. My main issue was the ending. The blurb says "...a twist you won't see coming." I wish that had been true. Unfortunately I figured it out about 65% of the way through the book. I kept hoping that I was wrong and Mr. Croft would throw me a curve and surprise me. He didn't. Still a good book.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man is found dead, mutilated in his house. DS Wendy Knight and DCI Jack Culverhouse realize that Jeff Brelsford was killed for one reason: he was a pedophile. Culverhouse feels this is justice. Wendy delves deeper into the dark world of Jeff Brelsford. She discovers enough to shock her to her core. A police officer?

After drawn in from the first scene, I found myself glued to the story. Curse words took away from the story. It wasn't needed. (Four-Stars if the curse words weren't included.)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

DS Wendy Knight and DCI Jack Culverhouse investigate when a male is found dead, mutilated in his own home. But they soon realise that he, Jeff Brelsford, was murdered because he was a paedophile.
Culverhouses' attitude to the killer and victim leave him sidelined in the investigation.
But Knight begins to wonder if the murderer is a member of the police.
An entertaining and well-written crime story

[Donna Ann Sutcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a set of three giveaways by the author through the corona virus. So thankful Adam Croft. It's been a while since I read book three but it all came flooding back. Luke's death still have such an impact on the team. It's especially hitting Culverhouse badly. Sad to see this up beat chap struggling. Wendy also for a bit thought the murderer was Culverhouse, which was crazy after all they have been through. Glad to get the chance to continue this series.

[Black Butterfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS STORY LINE WITH CULVERHOUSE IS GETTING ON MY NERVES HE IS ONE OFF THE RAILS COP. I THINK THERE’S TOO MUCH BACK STORIES GOING ON INTWINED WITH THE MAIN STORY. I DON’T MIND A LITTLE BACK STORY BUT I’M SICK OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THE OTHER CHARACTERS ARE HAVING. ESPECIALLY JACK HE SEEMS TOTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD HIS JOB AND ONE STEP FROM A STRAIGHT JACKET. DIDN’T LIKE THE STORY LINE AT ALL TOO MUCH PERSONAL SHIT GOING ON.;<

[Mark Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not a bad read but not as good as the previous books in this series and felt very rushed in the end. I'm not sure how we are supposed to feel about the characters either. Knight is a likeable person but Culverhouse is just awful; a relic of the 70s. If we are supposed to empathise with him at all, I'm afraid the author has failed miserably. I shall still read the next book in the series, though, just to see how the characters develop.

[Kev · Rating 5 out of 5]

With each book in this series the story gets better, the crime aspect improves and is filled with interesting angles. My only niggle was Wendy starting to question whenever Jack was behind the killings. It didn’t feel a natural direction for Wendy to take and I could not buy into to her theories because she would have known Jack much better than the book implied. Yes, Jack has some strong opinions against peodophiles, but that doesn’t make him a killer.

[Virginia Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put it down until I finished it. I love mysteries and if a story does not capture my attention in the first chapter I am unlikely to finish it.

This one had me hooked right away and I read it in a day. I like to think that I know who the killer is, but I was way off this time. I never suspected the outcome.

I’m looking forward tO reading the next books in the series.

[Michael Nethery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Croft! He write so very well and puts his heart, soul, and mind into it. He has strong skills for developing his characters and background. His writing and English scenes are surely a draw to visit England. His last minute revelations are an absolute masterpiece!
Really enjoy his books!
Michael

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed with this one. Enjoyed the previous three but this one just was full of police politics, and was continuously referring to events from book 3. Very weak story and unfortunately quite boring throughout. What happened to make book 4 read like book 3.5? Books 1 to 3 were great.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not read any in this series before so I was thrown in the deep end about the character of Jack Culverhouse. There was enough information about events from the past that I could get an idea of why he was at rockbottom. Not too much of a plot but I'll probably move on to the next #5

[Mrs T J Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knight and Culverhouse book 4, Rough Justice, by Adam Croft, a murder a convicted paedophile, is there a vigilante serving justice. Who is the killer, the killer knows too much. Great characters great relationship Jack C and Wendy K , gripping page turner, 4* kindle - straight onto book 5.

[Susan Zoch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an exciting mystery. Although I figured it out early on. If the twist was better I would have given it 4 stars. Some of the phrases take me a minute to figure out but I usually can figure it out.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Croft always writes about a subject that that we feel passionately about; in this case pedophilia. Have enjoyed all his books so far.

[s norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

It took me a while to get into this book but whe n I did i couldn't put it down.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time I have read and listened by this author. I really like that the author is the voice on audible. This seems to make it more personable.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another case for the do of DS Wendy Knight and DCI Jack Culverhouse in this British series.

[Lesley Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Nice twist at the end

[Marco Morissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took some time before reading this one but really happy to find them back! Nice plot and thanks to the author for sharing his talent!

[Sandra Hooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Old copper doing business the old fashioned way and thinking they are right ably enabled by sheep like subordinates - not my cup of tea or even my type of book.

[georgia elderkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book I just couldn’t put down!

[Govno Nichevo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a reasonably good read. The pace was good and the story engaging.