WHAT DID I JUST READ! Just when I was about to lose interest, things kicked into high gear yet again and I’m left look fowrad to the next book. Not gonna lie, I’m still reeling and my heart feels heavy from the explosive events.

#ATruthforaTruth #NetGalley Another humdinger of a roller coaster from Carol Wyer!! This book was so well written that I could feel Kate's anguish and emotion throughout the book as she battled between doing the right/lawful thing and doing the wrong thing for a good reason. The one thing that I didn't enjoy as much was the voice of Dickson. I could cope with the voice of her dead husband, Chris, as I could imagine in times of severe grief, this would be perfectly normal behaviour but Dickson seemed a step too far for my mind to comprehend! However, this did not stop me devouring this book in a couple of sittings. The tension had me on the edge of my seat and just as I had come back down to earth thinking all was well with the world, the cliffhanger ending completely floored me. Carol - what are you doing to us?!!! Needless to say the next book in this series can't come soon enough!. An excellent 5 star read.

This is such a good addition to the series and such a twist hunting the killer that is you the police officer. But wow still lots of twists and turns and lots to keep you glued the whole way though the book. This series just gets better with every book can not wait for book 5.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Detective Kate Young series really takes off at a furious pace, with plenty of emotional angst if you are rooting for Kate. Kate continues her work on investigating her husband's death and department corruption. It takes her over the fine line of the law. She knows the corrupt are stacked against her and it takes all she has to combat them.

Kate still has plenty of grief over losing her husband, and worry over the girls being trafficked who easily will continue to be hurt of killed. She's up for the promotion but really only cares about bringing the killer and the corrupt to justice. She keeps things close to the vest to protect her team from the corrupted officers and to protect the girls. It does cause some doubts from her small team.

Kate is also trying to track down the corrupted through a mobile phone she found and does identify more of them to her shock and disappointment. She provides actual evidence she has against her boss who she knows is corrupt to her husband's journalist friend, and the stories in the papers with documented evidence, adds to people not trusting the police and the media frenzy.

In the end, Kate is somewhat successful in bringing a few of the corrupt to justice and saving some girls. But the story ends in a bit of a cliffhanger as to what will happen for Kate. A Truth for a Truth was suspenseful and exciting; I enjoyed it very much.

Fantastic story as always from Carol Wyer.
Poor Kate, still reeling from the shock of her husband's murder, get deeper into the investigation.
People she loved and trusted are all now implicated in so far as Kate commits murder to try and stop things going any further. Not only is her husband's voice in her head but now her dead boss's voice is taking over.
The story has so many twists and turns which sees Kate turning rogue. Such a shame as she was a great detective. Who knows, now she's sifted out the bad, good maybe restored if there's another instalment.

The plot thickens! Every time it looks as if Kate has figured out just how many senior officers are guilty of police corruption she uncovers more evidence of collusion to the extent that she doesn't know where to turn and who to trust. I enjoyed this book but I have to say that I think this story has run its course and it is time to wrap things up. I'd love to read more of the author's other series.

‘A Truth for a Truth’ is the fourth instalment of the DI Kate Young series and it was certainly worth the wait! From the very first page, you can feel the tension from the get-go and it doesn't stop until the very last sentence. As the reader you are consuming all the fear and tension that Kate is feeling and it makes for an engrossing and gripping read. Normally I would say you could read a book in a crime series as a standalone but in this case I do think you need to have read the first three books as there is a lot of information and background that enhances this book as you read it.

DI Kate Young finally has some proof that her boss Superintendent John Dickson is a dirty cop. But during their showdown, he pulls out a gun and in the ensuing struggle Kate accidentally shoots him. Faced with two choices of reporting his death or concealing it she picks the latter option. Now back at work struggling with her decision and his death Kate’s team is asked to track Dickson. Kate has to lie to people she trusts in order to hide his death. As his corruption becomes public knowledge Kate begins to try and tie up loose ends and aims to get in touch with a sex worker Stanka, who was the brave girl who gave evidence to bring down Dickson. She is continually butting heads with another colleague DI Harriet Khatri and Kate knows that Dickson’s syndicate of bad cops doesn't end with him. Is she part of the syndicate?

This is a fast-paced and tense book that really grips the reader. It is full of twists and turns, and plenty of reveals you won't see coming. I flew through this in one day and honestly I couldn't put it down until I knew what happened to Kate and her team. But Kate is a changed person, she is now the person she hates. Someone who is covering up her crimes, a killer and she has to wrestle with this in her mind. Kate is fragile and her state mind reflects this as she returns to mumbling, having conversation in her head and talking about loud to her ‘lodgers’! But at her core she is the same strong woman determined to find out the truth and take down those in the force who are dirty. She is having to hide what has happened, whilst still managing to root out the evil. But has she crossed a personal moral line that she can't come back from? Is she as bad as those she is hunting?

Loved this one! Let me know if you pick this one up!

After the shocking (and terrific) ending of A Life For A Life, Carol Wyer’s back with the fourth installment in the DI Kate Young series, picking up exactly where the previous one ended and proving, once again, why she’s one of the queens of the crime genre.

DI Kate Young faces the hardest case of her life when she and her team are tasked with catching a killer but, how to act when the killer is you? With such an appealing starting point, Wyer delivers not your typical whodunnit, as the guilty party is known right from the start, but an insightful dive into the minds of characters we’ve already known for a while and that have shown a fantastic growth throughout the series.

Could this be read as a stand alone? Definitely not, as the whole plot is tied to events that have been developing since book one, in Kate’s quest to uncover the corruption inside the police force.

Kate is such a complex character. The way her emotions and her mental health are portrayed here is really interesting. Her grief over her husband’s death has evolved into a hot boiling rage against those responsible for his death. She’s always had a strong sense of justice, but now even she’s starting to question her own morals. I like how she’s not the typical prim and proper lead, but has lots of flaws that make her more relatable. The voices inside her head are sending her on a downward spiral, making her doubt her actions and her own sanity. At the same time Kate doubts everyone, the reader will have no idea either who can really be trusted. It was really compelling seeing Kate cross to the dark side and struggle with her own guilt.

It may not be as fast paced as some of the other installments in the series, but the tension was present cover to cover, with some startling surprises towards the end (Carol has already proved, here and in her other series, she’s not afraid to do whatever’s necessary to move the series forward) and a cliffhanger ending that opens up a whole room of possibilities for book 5.

Is Kate getting away with murder? You’ll have to read it to find out. You will not regret it!

A Truth for a Truth is the 4th book in the Detective Kate Young series and it is another great instalment. I sped through this one at lightning speed and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC.

It never ceases to amaze me that Carol Wyer can go from writing comedy to writing the darkest of dark books and A Truth for a Truth is, in my opinion, her darkest to date. Can Kate be saved? She has finally killed her nemesis, John Dickson, but will she get away with it and more importantly can she live with herself?

Kate is in charge of finding John Dickson when of course she knows that he is dead and well and truly buried. In addition to her stress trying to make sure she has covered anything that could possibly lead back to her, she is picking her way through a minefield, not knowing who to trust, who has her back and who would like to see her gone. She is also trying to save the life of the sex worker, Stanka, whilst bringing the people traffickers who brought Stanka to the UK to justice. It’s hardly surprising that Kate hears voices in her head, mainly Dickson’s, mocking and undermining her at every turn.

I could not see how Carol Wyer was going to beat the cliff hanger that finished A Life for a Life but trust me, she succeeded.

Thanks to netgalley for my ARC

I really enjoyed this one, definitely my favourite book of the series! I felt it really got into things that had been explored in the previous 3 books. Its one that has to be read in order. It had me on the edge of my seat!! I really like the characters and seeing them develop more throughout the series, everything made sense and was tied up, I can't wait for the next book after the ending!

A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH is the fourth book in the Detective Kate Young Series by award-winning author of mystery and romance novels, Carol Wyer. Having enjoyed reading some of her other series; Detective Robyn Carter and Detective Natalie Ward, I was looking forward to continuing with this new detective series. This book can be read as a standalone, but these books are better read in order for clarity in the storyline of the continuing personal investigation by Kate into her investigative journalist husband, Chris’ murder.

The novels in the Detective Kate Young Series Include:
Book 1-An Eye For An Eye (2021)
Book 2-A Cut For A Cut (2021)
Book 3-A Life For A Life (2022)
Book 4-A Truth For A Truth (Publication Apr 4th 2023)

This is my review of A Truth For A Truth.

In Book 1 DI Kate Young had been on leave after suffering a traumatic experience. She’s the force’s best detective, but suffered from nightmares and her bosses knew she was under pressure, on medication and booze to overcome the trauma. Kate was still grieving the loss of her husband, Chris, who was murdered by a hitman. Her boss, Superintendent John Dickson placed her on mandatory sick leave, after a breakdown on a train.

A few months later, Kate’s friend and friend of her late father, DCI William Chase comes to tell her that her boss wants her back at work, to hunt down a serial killer. Kate accepted the offer and chose two of her fellow officers from her old team, DS Morgan Meredith (dedicated worker that had worked closely on several tough cases in the past) and DS Emma Donaldson (an expert in marital arts).

Then in Book 2, A Cut For A Cut, DI Kate Young and her team are called to a crime scene where a woman had been brutally raped, and dumped. There are few clues and no suspects.
Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.

Then in Book 3, A Life For A Life, DI Kate Young is still grieving the death of her husband and running the major crimes department. All the while she is trying to finish the work that her husband was doing to take down corruption in the force. Kate believes that her corrupt boss, superintendent John Dickson, was behind the murder of her husband, Chris, and is gathering evidence to bring down her boss.

Now in Book 4, A Truth For A Truth DI Kate Young. Kate confronts her evil boss Superintendent John Dickson, and accidentally shoots and kills him. Now she must cover her tracks to avoid arrest. Dickson is reported missing and Kate is assigned to the case to investigate possible corruption.

A sex worker named Stanka supplied evidence against Dickson that leads to another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her involvement with sex traffickers.

Kate is in a very tricky dilemma, trying to investigate the corruption as well as hiding her involvement in Superintendent Dickson’s death. She does not know who she can trust within the force.

This was a fast paced, well-written police procedural novel, full of action, mystery and suspense.

Many thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for my digital copy.

This is the first book I read by this author and I appreciated the style of writing and the storytelling.
The plot didn't worked for me but I think it's a good one and a lot of people will like it.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I have enjoyed this series so far and looked forward to this book. It follows on from previous book and it was good to see familiar characters and get to know them in more detail and their uniqueness. The storyline was varied and set at a good pace. As a whole I enjoyed the pace of the story, characters and story line but the voices in Kates head, for me, took away a lot of the enjoyment. At the beginning of the series it was her dead husband Chris voice which was ok as she was mourning the lost. I didn't like the voice of John Dickson and I really didn't like his character. The voices in her head did drive me to distraction and I wanted to skim over those parts.
I am looking forward to another book. It was a good read with great characters and storyline but I feel the "other" voices are too much. I would recommend it to others

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me an arc in exchange for an honest opinion

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

For years, DI Kate Young has known that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is not only dodgy, but cruel and violent. Finally armed with the evidence she needs to expose him, she decides to confront him. But things don’t go to plan and she accidentally kills him in self defence, leaving Kate covering her tracks with a trail of evidence designed to make her colleagues think he’s vanished after allegations of his crimes are printed by the press.

But avoiding capture for murder isn’t Kate’s only worry. Dickson wasn’t working alone and there is a whole team of corrupt officers she must track down before they discover what she did. With no idea who she can trust and feeling increasingly desperate to share her secrets with someone, things increasingly spiral out of control. Will Kate be able to bring the corrupt officers to justice and get away with murder?

"There is a way out of this.
But if she takes it, she will never be the same person again."

Wow! The stakes are higher than ever in this fourth instalment of Carol Wyer’s Kate Young series, and you feel it from the first page. Fast-paced, tense and twist-filled, this is a crazy thrill-ride full of foreboding that I flew through in under a day. Wyer succinctly catches you up on the events of book three, allowing you to understand how Kate found herself in this shocking position. I was on tenterhooks from beginning to end, the menacing suspense leaping from the pages and into my bloodstream so that my heart was literally racing. Wyer’s ability to create such tension is one of the reasons I love her books. They are always brilliantly written, fast paced, filled with gritty storylines, and full of compelling characters.

DI Kate Young is a very different woman in this book than the one we are used to. She is still determined and feisty, but she is also a woman grappling with having become the very thing she detests and you can feel her heart-pounding anxiety, stress and strain radiating from the pages. Her mental state is also more shaky than ever, now haunted by the taunting voice of Dickson in her head instead of being comforted by the supporting voice of her late husband, Chris. Kate is having to put on the performance of her life and the cost of failure is unimaginable. Despite being wracked with guilt over what she’s done and the lies she must tell, she still burns with the need to unmask Dickson and his cohorts for the vile, evil people they are and find justice for their victims. I was rooting for her, but found myself torn because she’s covering up her crime. Was our moral protagonist now the villain? I wrestled with this but couldn’t deny I wanted her to succeed.

Intense, riveting and addictive, Ms. Wyer has once again delivered a first-rate thriller that isn’t to be missed. And that ending! I was not ready. I need book five ASAP!

3.5 stars

A Truth for a Truth  by Carol Wyer  is the fourth in the Detective Kate Young series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DI Kate Young witnessed the aftermath of a massive shooting on a train.  She saw her husband’s body. He was a journalist, hot on the trail of corruption.  Her boss is DCI William Case, and his boss is Superintendent John Dickson.  She is sure that Dickson is corrupt,  responsible for the death of her husband.  She also no longer fully trusts Case.  She is fairly certain that Jamie was placed on her team to spy on her.  Kate's other team members are DS Morgan Meredith and DS Emma Donaldson.  She hears the voice of her dead husband Chris.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Kate may have made a mistake.  She finally confronted her boss John Dickson for killing her husband Chris.  Although he confessed, she accidently killed him when he attacked her.  Knowing that no one would believe it was self-defense, and knowing there are more corrupt officials out there, Kate decides to cover up his death, and make it look like he vanished because his deeds were about to come to light.

Up to this point, Kate's dead husband Chris has been the voice of reason in her mind, but now she is hearing Dickson's voice.

Kate and the team find themselves at the forefront in trying to find Dickson.  This is making things a little difficult for Kate, who knows he won't be found.  Meanwhile, she is trying to get more information on the trafficker's who are bringing girls into the area for prostitution, and she knows Dickson was involved in that.

Kate is also following up on other suspicious officers, including DI Harriet Khatri, who was a big fan on Dickson's.  But she fears there are others closer to home.

Meanwhile, she fears someone knows what she has done.


My Opinions:
I am still disappointed in some of the things that Kate does, but she is a very good detective whose strength and compassion shines through, even when she's hearing voices.  I continue to like Emma and Morgan - often more than I like Kate.

Unfortunately, this book was once again centered on police corruption.  It looks like the whole series will be.  I really wish it would end.   If I didn't really like this author, and that some of the side-plots are so good, I may have given up on this series.

So many secrets, so many lies, so much death.  Those seem to be the main topics of the books.  Knowing who to trust, and then still not sure.   Again, it ended in a cliff-hanger - another no-no in my opinion.  You shouldn't be forced to read the next book, you should be made to want to.

As much as this book was a fast read (even with over 400 pages),  I was glad to be finished.  It was a little overly-descriptive.  I think the non-stop tension that Kate is under, and her lies and actions, which resulted in a promotion....just didn't sit well with me.  I understand some of the reasons for her deceptions, but not trusting anyone is a little much.  She says she trusts most of her team, but keeps them in the dark most of the time, and just expects them to be  happy about it.

Anyway, despite my dislike of police corruption books, I tried to rate this one on the author's writing style and ability...which are really good.  I loved her Natalie Ward series, but this one...not so much.

As an avid reader of Carol Wyer's Detective Kate Young series, I was eager to dive into “A Truth for a Truth." It is not a standalone novel and follows directly on from the end of the previous book. I found it hard to remember all the details from the previous instalment as it had been over a year since I read it. However, a lot is recapped for you, but it still relies on prior knowledge of the series to fully grasp all of the characters and what is transporting between them.
This time around, the story focuses solely on Kate and her journey towards the truth. There is no separate investigation happening, which makes for an interesting change of pace. However, I found that a few parts of the plot were somewhat predictable.
One aspect that did surprise me was that the book wasn't as gruesome as I would have expected from this author. While there were some tense moments, it wasn't as nail-bitingly scary as some of her previous works.
I wish I didn't have to wait so long for the next instalment in the series. Despite the predictability, I found myself enjoying the book and engrossed in Kate's story. Overall, I would recommend “A Truth for a Truth" to fans of the series and those who want a good detective novel. While it may not be as gruesome as some of Wyer's previous works, it still delivers an engaging storyline that leaves readers wanting more.

I don’t know how she does it but I found myself immensely excited about this story and series every time I see it around social media.
I loved all the previous books and I can’t wait to see where the next ones will takes us.
The characters are so much more interesting now that I got to know more about what drives them and how they think when solving a crime and also team work plays a big part in here.
It’s addictive and suspenseful, a must read story for all thrillers junkies

A Truth For A Truth by Carol Wyer
I give this book 4.5 stars


DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man.
But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end there. As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all, can she trust anyone around her?

Kate Young book 4
Oh wow….. the benefits of reading a series from the start and getting totally caught up in what happens!
This starts with a bang exactly where book 3 finishes.A tense paced read full of hard hitting action and suspense…… Corruption,death and trafficking along with Kates own inner battle. Such a well written police series that doesn’t shy away from being morally grey or shocking Carol Wyer always leaves me impatient for the next instalment and hinting at more revelations to come!
With thanks to Netgalley,Carol Wyer and Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer for my chance to read and review this book

★★★★ 4.5 stars

An eye for a cut for a life and now the truth...

After an edge-of-your-seat nail-biting end to book three, A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH begins with one hell of a bang...or the aftershocks of one, at least. It literally picks up exactly from where the previous left off...and I mean "literally". No pause, no breaks, no scene changes. We are thrust right back to where we were a year ago when "A Life for a Life" ended so abruptly on such a cliffhanger. In the same place at the same time directly in the aftermath. What follows is one hell of a cat-and-mouse game that will keep readers guessing as to how it will all unfold.

Kate Young has been struggling, both personally and professionally, since the untimely death of her husband Chris, which she has channelled into bringing down her corrupt boss, Superintendent John Dickson. But now she is going to be challenged even further in light of what she has done. And instead of Chris' voice guiding her conscience, she now has Dickson's sinister rumbles resounding in her head. What has she done? How can she get away with it?

Kate had gone to the reservoir to confront Dickson into admitting that he ordered the hit on her husband but, as smart and as quick witted as she is, Dickson is adept at corruption and keeping one step ahead of her. She may have gotten what she wanted but circumstances unfolded that saw her unwittingly shoot him in self defence. But who would believe her? There's no CCTV and nothing to back her up. The only piece of evidence that could have been of use lay in pieces beneath her feet.

As she stands beside the darkened reservoir, Kate watches the lone swan pass by oblivious to the scene around her. She feels like that swan. Drifting about without a mooring, without a mate. And whilst she may appear calm on the outside, beneath the surface she is paddling like crazy to keep herself afloat. Think, Kate, think! She makes a quick call and events are set in motion to eliminate any and all evidence. The plan she has is for the greater good. Kate vows to bring down the syndicate of which Dickson was not only a member but was also its head. And how to kill a snake? Cut off its head. But Kate knows that will not be enough to stop the syndicate. And if they knew that she had eliminated their head, they would be baying for her blood.

The following morning at the station, she is greeted with the front page news highlighting Dickson's corruption - just a part of the plan she set in motion before she met him the previous night. Her boss and mentor DCI William Chase, who is on the cusp of retirement, tasks her with investigating Dickson's disappearance working on the assumption that the superintendent got wind of today's paper and hightailed it to safety...until the dust settled perhaps. Of course Kate knew differently but she must remain poker-faced. Kate's investigation leads her to lock horns with DI Harriet Khatri whom Dickson had tasked with taking over her old team after Chris was murdered. The woman is not called "the ice queen" for nothing. Khatri is heading up a case involving people trafficking which is closely related to that of the Maddox Club murders, which Kate investigated and lead her to Dickson's corruption. Coincidence?

Throughout it all, Kate must maintain a level of professional propriety drawing on all her reserves to keep her mask from slipping. How can she do this and keep herself sane? Chris' guiding voice has been her conscience which she heard out of grief. Now Dickson's sneering voice has taken over speaks to her guilt but above all, she must not crumble. But is she strong enough to see this case through without falling apart? And how can she bring a killer to justice...when that killer is her?

This installment of the exciting Kate Young series took a dark and sinister turn as Kate found herself stepping over the line into the dark side. She wanted to bring Dickson to justice and have him answer for his crimes, not to kill him. And so Kate finds herself on the wrong side of the law whilst investigating the very crime she herself committed! This is not a spoiler. It's in the book description and the entirety of the story focus on it.

I have to say, I hated hearing Dickson's sneering voice at every turn. He features more here than he does in any other book just by haunting Kate with his snide comments. Admittedly, it does get very wearing listening to him go on an on at her all the time that I ended up just skimming his voice much of the time. I can't imagine how Kate must feel! It must seriously do her head in. But the purpose of this voice is to create provocation, leading to further situations. At the core of the story though is trust...or a lack thereof. Kate doesn't know who to trust and quite frankly, I don't blame her. Even at the end when one of the syndicate is revealed (to Kate), I still have some trouble believing their reasoning. And through events that subsequently unfolded, I wonder will we ever know for sure. Given that it's fiction, I'm sure Ms Wyer can orchestrate further events to reveal the truth in good time.

A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH is somewhat different in content and context. We know from the start who it is and why, while the rest is red herring for others to give Kate time to find what she's looking for. She hasn't yet gotten to the bottom of it but no doubt she will. Though I still found myself not quite trusting the events in the epilogue. While the whole time I was screaming at Kate to just jump on a plane and come to Sydney!!! Tilly has been begging her to visit...and now is the perfect time. She says she is...but does she really? Or will something come up in book 5 to stop her boarding the plane at the eleventh hour?

I must say, this whole book felt a little AC-12 and I kept waiting for Steve Arnott to turn up with Superintendent Hastings (and the wee donkey).

The plot is not the usual fast pace of Wyer's previous books but I guess that is because we know everything that's happening...or just about. But that's not to say it's without tension because oh my gosh the tension is so tight in places I thought I would snap! I did find it a little long and drawn out but that could also be because I've been sick and found it hard to concentrate so I've had to pace myself with the book over a couple of days. The ending is a little anti-climatic but that's OK...we've had some tense cliffhangers throughout this series, a nice sedate ending makes a change.

Overall, a very different but still exciting installment to the Kate Young series. I can't wait to see what happens next for Kate in book 5 "A Soul for a Soul" to be published February 2024.

I would like to thank >b>#CarolWyer, #Netgalley, #AmazonPublishingUK and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #ATruthForATruth in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.