Five Stars Plus!
Wow! Ed James has surely surpassed himself with this latest DI Fenchurch novel, What Doesn’t Kill You. I don’t want to put any spoilers, so all I will say is that the tension running through this book, along with the twists and turns makes it a compulsive read. The emotion is wrung out of you, and you feel Simon Fenchurch’s desperation. Desperately need the follow-up Ed!!

This is the third book of the series and in my opinion the best! It reintroduces old characters And ties everything up. This book is much more gripping than the previous two and so much more action. The twists and turns in regards to Chloe, the missing daughter of 11 years is fab and kept me hooked. I couldn't put this down. Right the way through I could not wait to find out what was going to happen and some of the twists i was literally saying 'oh my god ' aloud! Fab read- fab series!!! Cannot recommend enough !

What a great read! Thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved the characters and the story line. It was very well written and kept me turning the pages long after I would normally stop reading. This one is a winner!

Firstly, I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for the usual honest opinion. I have read and enjoyed the DC Cullen series by Ed James, although the use of the f-word by some of the characters is over the top for me. Therefore I thought that I would experiment with his new character, DI Fenchurch. Boy does the book head off at the gallop; it seemed like 20 new characters on the first five pages. The book starts with an apparently routine assistance with security control at a meeting of black cab drivers and the CEO of a rival company. of "Travis taxis". Whilst dealing with various events resulting from this meeting, Fenchurch and team are called to the murder of a young woman and it rapidly becomes clear she was using one of the Travis taxis at the time of her murder. Naturally she is not the first victim although it takes time for that to become apparent. In the meantime, a suspect is poisoned whilst in police custody, some City lawyers are called sociopaths, forensics have a field day, police departments squabble with each other and it becomes clear that there is 'history' involved too. It took some time for me to work out who Chloe was, and her story (Fenchurch's missing daughter). I should have read the first two books in the series. Another murder but this time the driver of one of the taxis, female again. Then Fenchurch's father is arrested on suspicion of the murder of another suspect and the roller coaster goes on. I was extremely grateful that Fenchurch had his wife, Abi (newly pregnant) to support him. Makes a pleasant change from most police characters.and their marriage travails. The story turned much darker when links between bent coppers and abductions of young girls were made. The latter were taken for sexual abuse and, when they had been totally traumatised beyond their "use" were "rehomed", ie put up for sale and/or adoption. Most were too thoroughly drugged to be aware of their situation. After various twists and turns involving Abi's abduction and attempted murder, Chloe was discovered alive, adopted but with a distinct twist in the tale - book 4 perhaps? At least the main perpetrators were uncovered in the end. The characters are well formed and described as are places although, being in London, I have no real idea where they are. It doesn't matter. There is humour amongst the dark side and the interplay between the main police characters works for me. The whole book takes place over only a few days, the pace is fast and retains its momentum throughout. I would recommend reading the first two books before this one - I shall head off to my Kindle to do so - as I feel that they should help understand the characters better. I shall also re-read this, in sequence this time, as I am sure that I have missed some little, or maybe not so little, nuances.

There was just so much going on in this story that I often found it a bit hard to follow. Unfortunately, I can't attribute that to this being the third in an established series, but more to the fact that there are so many characters that it becomes hard to keep them straight after awhile. There is also the blatant disregard for procedure DI Fenchurch often engages in (such as brutality in some cases), that would never be allowed to stand.

I am sure that this book brought a sense of closure to the longtime fans of this series as you do get to discover what finally happened to Simon's daughter Chloe.

Overall, I am sure this story may still appeal to those who enjoy a strongly written thriller novel. I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is book 3 in the D I Fenchurch series and it is best to start with book 1. Fenchurch is still seeking his missing daughter and there are more developments in this book. This has moved from a police procedural to more of a thriller but events move along at a good pace. Set in London, plenty bodies and lots of action. Another really good read from Ed James Thank you Net Galley for my copy..I reviewed on Goodreads.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of What Doesn't Kill You, the third novel in the DI Simon Fenchurch.

The novel opens with Fenchurch and his sidekick DS Kay Reed attending, in an advisory capacity, a debate about a new web based taxi service called Travis and saving one of the debaters, Lord Gilbert Ingham, from a knife attack. They do not have time to hang about as they have to go and investigate a murder where a young professional woman has been stabbed and dumped on a building site. That's the first two chapters and the action and intrigue don't let up until the last page.

What a read. I started and couldn't put it down until I'd finished and now I'm in withdrawal. It is difficult to discuss the plot without spoilers but Fenchurch takes a major step forward in his hunt for his daughter Chloe who was kidnapped 11 years previously and along the way there is a high body count, plenty of action and a storyline filled with twists and turns. If you are looking for a high octane read this is the book for you.

Simon Fenchurch is a driven man. He is desperate to find Chloe but he no longer broods over it as he did in previous novels. I think he is well drawn because Mr James does a sterling job of conveying his desperation, panic and sense of helplessness when things don't go his way and his determination to get the information he needs. He is a bit unhinged and violent in this novel but it makes him all the more human.

What Doesn't Kill You is an excellent thriller - I won't say procedural because Fenchurch has ripped up the rule book - and I have no hesitation in recommending it as such.

3 stars

This is Ed James’ third DI Simon Fenchurch and DS Kay Reed novel.

When the body of a young barrister is found it is discovered that he used a new cab company called “Travis” that is app-based. Soon another murder is committed. This time it is a driver for the aforementioned company Travis.

As Fenchurch and his colleagues follow the clues, a conspiracy is discovered; some people will do anything to keep their involvement hidden.

For my taste, this novel delves into DI Fenchurch and his problems too much. For three books I’ve listened to his obsessing about his missing daughter. I realize that it is a tragedy, but I for one am more than a little tired of hearing about it.

In this novel DI Fenchurch gets clues as to what might have really happened when his daughter Chloe disappeared years earlier. And more importantly, where she is now.

I want to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me this book to read.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

Having read the earlier books In this series, I was keen to read this.

The setting remains in East London.

I would strongly recommend reading the earlier stories, before this. As the back-story behind DI Simon Fenchurch grows to form a big part of this novel.

The subject matter ends up being very dark indeed.

For pace and drama this is an excellent book. I arrived at a 4* rating as some aspects of the police procedures are really pushing the bounds of believability. None-the-less, this is a very good story.

My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for this honest review.

Possibly James's most twisted plot to date. Dark, fast paced and with an unexpected conclusion, where can Fenchurch go from here?

I received this book yesterday as an advance copy direct from the author via Netgalley and have read it in more or less one sitting. This is the third of Ed's books about Ian Fenchurch who is a London based detective.
The story begins with an investigation into a shooting and quickly things get complicated and we are reminded that Ian and his wife Abi are victims themselves after their daughter was kidnapped 11 years ago. That crime was never solved and Ian and his father (who was also a policemen) are constantly trying to find information on what happened. Ian's wife Abi is newly pregnant and there are tender moments when the two discuss their lost daughter Chloe, and the way they have tried to deal with it, as well as the emotions involved in preparing to have another child.
The action is fast and swoops around London which the author appears to have researched very well. As well as London police, there is involvement from national and serious crime agencies too. The body toll spirals, almost out of control at times, and soon it becomes apparent that Chloe's disappearance is also connected. There is good characterisation and development of characters from previous books I won't give away the ending, but suffice to say you won't be disappointed and hopefully the door is still open to take us on into the next chapter in Ian's life.