I cant believe I have never read a book by Jane Casey I was intrigued to find out what happened in this book after reading the books description.
I was pulled in to the book from page 1. And really did find it hard to put the book down!! Loved the detective characters Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent, I felt they worked well together reinvestigating a case of two murdered women allegedly committed by Leo Stone currently in prison for life, but now it looks like the jury were prejudiced hence the new investigation.
My description is very brief as I don't want to give too much away to other readers. But wow this book is fantastic and had me on the edge of my seat trying to solve the case myself!! Scarey in parts and the suspect is one of your worse nightmares. The final outcome is brilliant and the twists and turns throughout really make it difficult to work out who is guilty which I loved.
A must read book and I look forward to reading more from this author. Amazing.

This is a brilliant series with brilliant characters. Kerrigan and Derwent are 2 characters that I really enjoy reading about. There are interesting believable characters who solve believable cases. I read this story in one sitting. I was gripped from the start. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I hope there are more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

'Cruel Acts' is an excellent police procedural novel, absorbing, chilling and suspenseful, it is meticulously plotted. The characters are complex and realistic, they draw you into their lives and make you want to know what happens next.

The story focuses on a serial killer who is released pending retrial due to a jury irregularity. The police have to make their case again, but this is not as straightforward as it appears. Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent find poorly investigated leads, new victims and then a new missing person, the plot is twisty and keeps you guessing, but like all good crime novels, the clues to solve the mysteries are there, but can you find them?

This isn't a graphic serial killer novel, although this is the catalyst for the story, there is much more to it. It reads well as a standalone, this is the first Maeve Kerrigan novel I've read. but it is so well written I would like to read the rest of the series too.

There are many interesting character dynamics between members of the police team. Kerrigan and Newton's friendship is the most notable, but all of them add depth to this complex story and increase its authenticity.

The beginning and end are particularly menacing, but this is a page-turning read, that's hard to put down.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Although this isn't the first in the series featuring DS Maeve Kerrigan (I think it's the 8th), it's the first I've read. It does work well as a standalone apart from the relationship between Maeve and DI Josh Derwent - there seemed to be a lot going on there that I didn't fully understand.

Despite this, I thought this was a well plotted and engaging police procedural. Maeve is a likeable character and the story was well plotted and pacy. There were some good twists and I didn't manage to guess the outcome even though I'm a seasoned mystery reader!

This book focuses on a retrial of a man who was put into prison for the murder of women who were kidnapped, killed and dumped on a nature reserve. A technicality means that he's released and it's down to Maeve and her team to secure the conviction when the trial goes back to court. Meanwhile, the supposed killer is loose and another woman goes missing.

I'd recommend this to fans of quality police procedural novels. It's certainly added another author to my list of those to look out for - I'm going to be checking out the back catalogue!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, and also Pigeonhole for the ARC, which I really enjoyed reading.
Jane Casey in Cruel Acts is once again writing about D I Maeve Kerrigan and the storyline is excellent and it is an interesting and engrossing read.
Highly recommended.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of Jane Casey’s ‘Cruel Acts’ in exchange for an honest review.

Leo Stone, a convicted murderer of two women, is serving life without parole. When one of the jurors at his trial writes a book it is revealed that the jury had been prejudiced. Stone is released pending a retrial. The police have a short period of time to review the evidence associated with the case before the new trial.

DS Maeve Kerrigan is part of a small team undertaking this task. Despite resistance from her superiors Maeve is also looking into the disappearance of a third woman that may be linked. However, the situation is complicated by Stone claiming he is innocent. Kerrigan begins to wonder if he might be telling the truth.

This is the eighth book in Casey’s series of police procedurals featuring DS Maeve Kerrigan. I had read the first in the series a couple of years ago and enjoyed it very much. Even though I wasn’t up to date with the series this was no barrier to my enjoying this latest outing as Casey provided enough background without spoilers for previous cases.

Not having read the complete series meant that there were some aspects of the relationship between Maeve and her colleague/superior DI Josh Derwent that passed me by as well as details of a romantic break-up that was clearly having an effect on Maeve.

Overall a solid police procedural with some very interesting twists. I am glad that I have more of her titles in the series waiting for me thanks to a Kindle sale last year.

Fantastic book, fast paced and well written. I definitely want more of this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow. What a fantastic novel. I haven’t read any of jane’s books before but I’ll definitely be searching them out now. Great characterisation throughout and full of twists.

A thriller, a chiller and a serial killer... 5 stars

Leo Stone was convicted of killing two women and sentenced to life imprisonment. But now one of the jurors has revealed that the jury broke the rules and as a result his conviction is certain to be overturned when it comes before the Appeals Court. There will be a retrial, but Superintendent Godley wants to make certain that he’s convicted again, so Detective Sergeant Maeve Kerrigan and Detective Inspector Josh Derwent are assigned to reinvestigate the case and to find more evidence if they can. Maeve quickly discovers in the files that there was a third woman who may have been a victim of Stone’s too, but he was never charged with her murder for lack of evidence. Maeve’s sense of empathy for this victim makes her determined to find out the truth of what happened to her too. In the midst of the investigation, after Stone has been released, another woman goes missing...

Well, it’s been a long wait for this latest instalment in Jane Casey’s excellent Maeve Kerrigan series, but this is well worth waiting for. As always, it’s told in the first person (past tense) by Maeve, so that we get her often humorous take on the people around her, especially Derwent. Their relationship has settled into a rather more equal friendship now that Maeve is more experienced, but that doesn’t stop Derwent from lecturing her about her personal life, being over-protective, embarrassing her at every opportunity and generally winding her up. For all that, she knows there’s no-one she’d rather have beside her when things get dangerous.

The other regulars are back too. Una Burt, Maeve’s boss, still doesn’t much like her and the feeling is mutual. Liv appears a bit more in this one – another colleague and Maeve’s best friend. Godley is back, though he plays only a small role. Maeve still looks up to him, but in a more mature way than the hero-worship she felt for him in the early days. And the new girl on the team, Georgia, is back too, just as obnoxious, and just as jealous of Maeve’s success. Followers of the series are doubtless thinking, yes, but what about Maeve’s love life? Is Rob back? Or is there a new man on the scene? Or are Maeve and Josh...? You don’t really expect me to tell you though, do you? ;)

In general, I’m not wild about serial killer stories and helpless females being tortured and killed, but I was right to trust Casey to handle it with her usual sensitivity and good taste. Although women are killed, the reader is not put in the room with them as it’s happening – there’s nothing prurient or gratuitous in the writing; no lengthy descriptions of torture scenes designed to titillate. That doesn’t stop it from being heart-in-mouth thrilling and chilling at points, though. The prologue is wonderfully scary and the thriller ending is tense and dramatic, with several scenes dotted throughout that also had my anxiety levels rocketing.

When it turns out that Leo Stone has an alibi for the time of the latest disappearance, Maeve and Derwent have to consider whether he was innocent of the earlier murders or if there’s a copycat out there. I thoroughly enjoyed the plotting in this one. I didn’t work it out – I rarely do – but all the clues are there. I always think that Casey plots like a Golden Age author, giving the reader a fair chance to do a bit of armchair detecting, although in every other respect her stories and characters are entirely modern.

I also love that Maeve tries hard to stay within the rules. While her personal life might be a bit complicated, she’s no angst-ridden maverick. The same goes for her colleagues, in fact – they’re probably the most realistic police team I can think of, and while there are petty jealousies and squabbles, they behave overall like the kind of professional force I’d like to think we actually have. The women are not always struggling to be taken seriously by sexist bosses, which delights me since I think it’s such an out-dated image in most of our public services now, and completely overused in crime fiction. Casey simply has men and women working together as a team as if... gasp... it’s normal! But she still allows room for a bit of banter and the occasional flirtation, and she doesn’t feel the need to make the women superheroes or the men weaklings.

While this could easily be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading this series in order to get the full nuances of all the various relationships within the team, and especially to understand Maeve and Josh’s complicated friendship. For existing fans, you’re in for a treat with this one – isn’t it great to have Maeve back? Highly recommended, and I sincerely hope Ms Casey is hard at work on the next one...

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.

DS Maeve Kerrigan (bit of a Maveric character quick to pick up on clues and apt to follow them without back up) and her boss DI Josh Derwent (brusque, off hand, opinionated but ready with a kind word when needed) run the investigation with an undercurrent of love/hate that we never know if it will blossom or explode. Great characters.
Leo Stone ( career criminal and all round nasty piece of work) having a conviction for murder of 2 young women overturned on a technicality.
The team are reviewing the case ahead of a retrial.
But is he guilty?
Did he work alone?
Are there more bodies to find?

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an advanced reading copy of Cruel Acts in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I requested a copy of Cruel Acts after hearing rave reviews from a lot of people on the Rick O Shea book club. A lot of people have already given it 5 stars and I was keen to read a new author. Unfortunately this just didn't hit the mark for me. It was your average crime serial that I found myself skimming through towards the end. Maybe I would have appreciated it more if I had read the others in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy for a true and unbiased review.

I hadn't realised this Is part the 8th book of a series. I wish I had read the previous books before. Only because I so enjoyed it! Police procedural at its best. A page turner from first to last page. I quickly invested in the main characters and their strengths and, yes, their weaknesses.

Although I hadn't read the earlier books it didn't spoil my enjoyment at all.

I will now have to start at book 1 immediately to find out more about DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent.

I love crime thrillers so I was keen to read Jane Casey's 'Cruel Acts' as I saw she was an award-winning author but I hadn't read any of her other books. I was gripped from the start and couldn't put it down. I was intrigued by Maeve Kerrigan, her history and relationship with Derwant. But the horrifying historic murders and present crimes kept me gripped and I wasn't sure who the real killer(s?) were until the end. I see this is book 8 in a series (but it was fine to read as a stand-alone), however I have now downloaded the first book and plan to read the rest! Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for the opportunity to review this and to Jane Casey for a great book which I thoroughly recommend to all crime lovers!

Congratulations to Jane Casey, a brilliant story! This kept me riveted to the very end, did not have a clue who actually committed the crime. Guaranteed page turner, look forward to more from this author.

I quite enjoyed this book, the first in a new series but did find it became bogged down in police procedure and a bit complicated
There are good twists and turns though and the characters are written well

I have been a huge fan of the Maeve Kerrigan series, ever since I started reading them.

Jane Casey once again delivers a great thriller with lots of exciting characters. Maeve is a very flawed human being, still struggling with things that happened to her in the past.
Her relationship with Derwant is probably one of my favorite things in the novels, their dynamic is sizzling and fun to read.

I do not want to give away anything about the main story, you will just have to read it for yourself!

I really enjoyed this book, great characters, interesting story with twists and turns.

Leo Stone is a convicted murderer but is let out on on bail awaiting a retrial after a juror admitted researching him online before the trial ended.

I have read one of the books previously and thought it was well-written and although the books can be read as a stand alone, I think some previous knowledge is helpful as some names do crop up again.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the chance to review the book in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced book that I didn’t want to put down.
This is the eighth book in this series with DS Maeve Kerrigan. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series but I still enjoyed it.
Leo Stone, a convicted murderer is serving life but when one of the jurors at his trial writes a book it is revealed that the jury may have been prejudiced.
As a result, Stone is released pending a re-trial.
The police then only have a short period of time to review the evidence of the case.
DS Maeve Kerrigan is part of a small team undertaking this task. Despite reluctance from her superiors, Maeve is also looking into the disappearance of a third woman that may be linked. Stone claims he is innocent and Kerrigan begins to wonder if he might be telling the truth.
This book is full of twists and turns and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

#Cruel Acts # Netgalley

Gosh, still trying to absorb the ending. A fast paced book one you will definitely not want to put down, with unexpected twist and turns here there and everywhere, with saying that, it’s rasy to follow it’s some things you genuinely don’t expect. My heart was pounding and well, it’s just a fantastic book. I love the character mauve. I also like it because it’s different. A definite must read.

This book is the latest in the Maeve Kerrigan detective series, but could equally be read as a stand alone. It had me gripped from start to finish. The main charactersare likeable and very realistic, with a good 'hate' woman thrown in for good measure. Maeve herself is very sharp and witty, made me laugh a few times. The twists and turns keep coming, including just 2 or 3 unrealistic or annoying ones, where you want to say ''dont do that"! But on the whole this book is excellent.