Talk about twisty, this certainly was it took me a while to work out that one of the narrators was the dead police officer Amy the book was told in two voices one being Amy, I have read another book where the story was told from the point of view of a dead woman and it is strange but I think very effective, for me anyway it gives her a personality and makes her more real and you care about what happened to her.The other voice was Kate the troubled detective who had never forgiven herself that Amy died on her watch.Kate was the typical troubled over drinking and over self medicating police office with a determination to solve the murders but at odds with her superior officers .What a case it was too, plenty of red herrings and twists.I did manage to guess part of it, but wasn't sure until very close to the end and other parts had me completely flummoxed . I thought it was clever and complex and it kept my interest all through the book, the pace was good and I really enjoyed it.thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

Dying Day Stephen Edger

Before you read any further this is a really good book so bear with me till the end.

The main protagonist in this book is DI Kate Matthews, and what a pain in the arse she is. A more infuriating person it is hard to imagine.

However; most of the problems with Kate are based on her stubborn theory that she is right, about almost everything.

Moving on from events in the past DI Matthews is now part of the Major Investigation Team in Southampton. She moved there from London following the death of a young DC, Amy Spencer, who was killed whilst undercover as Matthews Team investigated a series of murders in London.

Not only does Kate blame herself for the death of the young detective but so does the Met Police, and the move to Southampton is the only way Kate can carry on with her career. To make matters worse the case they were investigating, the death of the 3 women and Amy, is still unsolved; and Kate is the only person that is sure that all 4 deaths are connected.

At the beginning of the book Kate disobeys a direct order form her Superintendent to pull out of a high-speed chase. She doesn’t listen and ends up in hospital following a serious RTC.

The injuries lead to her having to take time off but; as soon as she hears that a body has been found in the boot of a car she tries to go back to work, only to suffer the wrath of her superiors.

Pig headed as she is she manages to convince one of her team to feed her information on the case. In her own mind she starts to see connections between the London deaths and those occurring in Southampton. Becoming target biased she starts to carry out her own investigation.

The story is told with Kate as the main character, but there is also chapters written from the dead Detectives point of view, starting about 6 months before her death and leading upto the night of her death.

Amy is another flawed character, a young officer on the new detective program she is badly affected by the sight of a body at her first murder scene. One of the victims in the series Matthews is investigating. Promising the dead woman she will do all she can to catch the killer, whilst battling her own shyness in the team, she sees Kate as a role model and starts to take risks

With both parts of the story heading for a big reveal at the end of the book I can almost guarantee nobody will see the end coming from very early in the book.

In fact, I changed my mind on who was responsible for the deaths all the way to the last couple of chapters, and there was still a twist at the end that had me surprised.

As much as I found Kate Matthews a pain in the arse, as a person, I really enjoyed her character. The story is so well written that it had me turning page after page, half in the hope that I was right and that Kate was wrong, but mainly because the plot was gripping.

I shall be looking out for the next Stephen Edgar book, and maybe even reluctantly to the return of pain-in-the-arse Kate Matthews.

Pages: 326
Publisher: Bookouture

This is a cracking novel (Book 2 of the series) with a unique format which impressed me enormously.. It starts with a hairy car chase. Kate Matthews is a determined detective and often quite a spitfire. She hasn't recovered from the murder of her colleague DC Amy Spencer in Book One which remained unresolved. The team are dealing with the "Metropolitan serial killer" and trying to piece everything together. Kate does not suffer fools gladly or afraid to challenge convention. Her detective clock-brain never stops ticking. no matter what. The unique touch was in the flashback chapters which gave a countdown on the days prior to Amy's death written in first person. It's quite macabre and certainly makes you realise you should be careful whom you should trust. I was fooled figuring out what had really happened and there is a blistering end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. I shall post this to Amazon and my blog on Publishing Day and comment on Facebook if possible.. Best of all at the end of the book there is a promise of a further book in the series.

This is the second book in the Detective Kate Matthews series.

Exactly one year ago, Amy, a young Detective, was killed when she was working undercover to try and catch a serial killer who was targeting young girls. Amy was part of Detective Kate Matthews team and Kate had never forgiven herself for for letting the killer slip through her fingers. The case is reopened and the chase to find the culprit begins again.

I have not read the 1st book in this series but it can be read as a standalone (though I will get myself a copy). Kate is a strong character and won't let anything stand in her way. She does not always follow procedure and it has often got her into bother with her superiors. This is a well written, fast paced, gripping read. There are a few curve balls thrown in to keep you guessing. I never saw the final curve ball and it was good that we got closure at the end.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Stephen Edger for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A dark thriller, that gets more intense as you get further in. Totally enthralling I was transfixed from the start.

A must read in my view.

Very good easy, but gripping, read. This was my first book in the series but I’m off to buy the previous one now as I enjoyed it the writing and the characters so much. Two plots that are connected-or are they? and an amazingly unexpected ending

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers, Bookouture for this review copy, given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you Kim and Noelle for organising this blog tour!

This is book number 2 in the Detective Kate Matthews series. It can be read as a standalone, but obviously to understand the story it does make sense to read the books in order.

Detective Kate Matthews is still after the person who killed Amy, a young undercover detective, one year ago. She’s also on the pursuit of another killer who is killing women in a similar way. After Kate is told to stay away from the investigations and suspended, there is no one else who believes that the murders are all the work of one person. She carries on investigating behind her superior’s back, with help from fellow detective Laura, and Amy’s brother Finn. Can she find the killer?

This is, ashamedly, my first Stephen Edger book. I have yet to read book number one, but will definitely be going back to read it. Not just to see if it’s as good as this one, but also to understand the story behind Kate Matthews. You either love her or hate her. She gives no thought to rules and regulations, she drinks, is ruthless and stubborn, is obsessed with her previous cases to the point of pinning paperwork up all over the walls of her home, she lets her young daughter down and finds it hard to maintain a relationship. But….she’s also dedicated to the point of doing anything in her power to make sure the bad guys are caught, and she doesn’t listen to anyone who disagrees with her. Right or wrong, she gets the job done, which in my book can’t be all bad!

The story is fast faced, switching between the two different killing sprees just over one year apart. Also added is Amy’s story from one year ago, leading up the day when she was killed, and the reveal as to who murdered her. I honestly didn’t get the twist until it happened and really didn’t see it coming!

A great thriller which kept the pages turning right to the very end!

Five Stars!

I really enjoyed Stephen Edger’s first book with D.I. Kate Matthews( Dead to me) and was eagerly awaiting this book hoping it would be just as good as the first. It was actually better, Kate was being her usual stubborn self, always having the bit between her teeth and never giving in even though she rarely follows the rules. The book is very well written, fast paced and well just great. I can’t wait for book 3 in the series.

It's great being back with Detective Kate Matthews, in this, the second book in the series.
I really enjoyed book one, so was eager to get started with book 2. It's great having another series to follow as I love a good detective series.
Kate is a great character, flaws, problems, ruthless but doesn't give in, if she wants to do something she doesn't always listen to others opinions first.
​I can see this becoming one hell of a great series. But I think Kate needs to start thinking of others around her and what she is doing to them.
​Kate feels responsible for the death of a fellow officer last year. She is determined to try and put things right in where she feels she failed her.
Even though she's kicked off the case, she can't help but get involved. She's certainly determined I'll say that much. But why won't people take her seriously, if only they would listen to her, then she wouldn't have to go behind the bosses back.
​A very well written and well put together book, it will certainly grip you, and it's easy one of those books that you just need to finish this page, then just need to finish the chapter, before you know you're half way through the book.
​This book had a great start and ended just brilliantly. I need more and I want it now. l

2 stars

Detective Kate Matthews has not forgotten young police officer Amy who died at the hands of a vicious killer a year ago. She vows to get vengeance, and to catch every criminal she can.

She is involved in a car chase that ends up putting her in the hospital. She’s supposed to be taking time off while an investigation is going on regarding the car chase. She comes to work anyway on crutches.

Okay, here I have to comment. Kate id stubborn, pigheaded and won’t listen to her superiors. How she has lasted this long in the police department is beyond me. I couldn’t stomach her at all. I did not finish this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

Flipping heck I just loved Dying Day it's much darker and than the first book in the series, and do you know what? that's just the way I like a crime thriller to be, make of that what you will! Dying Day is the second book in the Detective Kate Matthews series, personally I think this book could be read as a standalone, but if like me you prefer starting a series at the beginning it's definitely worth reading Dead To Me (add link) first. Stephen Edger draws the reader in with a prologue that leaves you desperate to learn more and keeps you in his clutches until you reach the “OMG I never seen that coming” conclusion.

Dying Day has an extremely spine tingling premise, Young women brutally murdered and left naked, exposed, in public places. As the body count rises Detective Kate Matthews is determined to connect the killer to past crimes which resulted in Amy a young Detective being killed whilst under cover hunting down the killer. If I'm honest, I disliked Kate’s character in Dead To Me but I was surprised to find she's actually growing on me. Burdened by guilt over the death of Amy, she is determined to seek justice for her by hook or by crook. Her feelings of guilt give her a sense of vulnerability that was lacking in the previous book.

I love the way the author has written this book alternating chapters that move between the current investigation and the POV of Amy before her death, the two threads work well and there's a constant sense of unease reading about Amy, and the chapters around the police investigation add a sense of urgency to the plot. Perfectly paced, the author misdirects the reader at every opportunity which I just love in a crime thriller. I don't know about you, but I'm left feeling slightly miffed when I guess the killer early in a book! Crime series are two a penny so for me to continue to invest in a series, each book has to be better than the last, and I'm thrilled to report Dying Day is a worthy addition to this series and I'm excited to see where the author goes from here.
Review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

I absolutely adore Stephen Edger's writing and was eagerly awaiting this book. And wow! It is an absolute masterpiece. Pacy, tense, edgy and thrilling, this is crime writing at its absolute best! Every page gripping, the writing spare and purposeful. I loved this book, I am a great fan of this author and I cannot wait for more from him!

Loved this book. A real page turner. A good solid storyline. This was the first boom I had read of this author and I will definitely read more by him now. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Stephen Edger for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Wow! I did not see that ending coming at all. I loved this book so much. I really enjoyed the first DI Kate Matthews book but this one manged to top it. I loved that we learn about the case from her past that brought her to the team that she is with now. I love that she never gives up and goes with her instinct. I love that she is strong female character and I can't wait to see what Stephen Edger had in store for her in book 3. A big thank you to the author and Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review.

Sorry to say but I was really disappointed with this book and really didn't enjoy it at all, such a shame because the first book was great.
Kate's behaviour is so unrealistic and her attitude is infuriatingly unreasonable throughout. Several other aspects of the plot line are too overblown to be believable too, for example no Dr in the UK would give oxycodone for a sprained ankle, she takes the last two yet Finn uses some from her kitchen...... Thoroughly disappointing

And #Boom what an opening, from the prologue to the first chapter I was left in no doubt that this was going to be a "buckle up and hold on tight" read; the scene was set and we were ready to go! Detective Kate Matthews is determined that she is going to get justice for the death of Amy last year. She holds herself entirely responsible for the young detective's murder but will the pressure prove too much for Kate Matthews? She is sidelined from the investigation but this is one determined woman who will let nobody keep her from doing her job.

Well, Detective Kate Matthews, what a woman she is! I hold my hands up and admit that in the last book I just did not like her at all, I could not warm to this woman. Fast forward to right now and hey I am cheering her on from the sidelines, I've got her back and I am 100% right behind her! So what changed in such a short space of time? This time around, I have more information to work with, I get where she is coming from and I can see what is making her tick, so kudos to Stephen Edger for making use of that character development to turn my opinions right round on their head!

There’s no denying that Kate Matthews is a determined character, despite her superiors being equally determined to keep her away from the investigation Kate still has the loyalty of her team and in Dying Day it is Laura who features heavily working alongside Kate to help her remain involved.

I loved that the narrative was not only from Kate’s POV but also interspersed was Amy’s voice giving the reader an insight into the weeks leading up to her death. This gave the book that added extra that placed me as a reader, firmly in the heart of the plot.

Now talk about twists! Dying Day was so twisty and turney that you would have been hard pushed to disguise it as anything other than a corkscrew! So many OMG WTAF moments! This one is perfect for armchair detectives who love their reading ponds full of red herrings!

So, Stephen Edgar, you won me over with Kate Matthews this time around, she’s grown on me and I’m loving how your twisted mind is working! Roll on the next instalment of Kate Matthews.

Thank you. I enjoyed this book.
A good serial killer thriller with some good twists and a good finale.
This is the first Stephen Edger book I've read but I'll certainly look out for others in future.

The first book in the DI Kate Matthews series Dead to Me was totally fantastic so I was super excited to read Dying Day. Thanks to Stephen Edger, NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.

The first words which spring to mind are bloody awesome! You can tell when a book is really well written, you get totally sucked in and you can’t put it down. I was flying through the pages as I just had to know what was going to happen next in this gritty, captivating and totally thrilling book. It was a case of “just one more chapter” and before I knew it I was half way through the book.

I really like Kate Matthews, she is dedicated, hardworking and isn’t scared to put herself into the firing line to get results. She has a good team working with her but occasionally she goes rogue and gets herself in hot water. There is an honesty about her which makes her very real and appealing as a female role model to her junior detectives.

Stephen Edger has done an amazing job with book 2 in the series. Dying Day could be read as a stand-alone but I recommend that you read Dead to Me first so that you get the background on the characters and storyline. I am really looking forward to book 3 and Stephen edger has leapt into my top 5 favourite author list.

Seriously guys this book is really good, I highly recommend it and give it a big fat 5 stars.

Here is the publishers blurb:

Her dark skin looks almost grey; the effect of the elements and death’s touch. Her limp body left pressed against a wire fence like trash. I make a silent promise that I will do everything I can to catch the person who did this to her…

Exactly a year ago, Amy, a young detective on Detective Kate Matthews’ team, was killed when she was sent undercover to catch a serial killer targeting young girls.

Kate never forgave herself for letting the killer slip through her fingers…

As the case is reopened and the campaign to find the culprit begins again, Kate is told to stay well away, and for good reason: another girl’s body has been found.

Kate is determined to connect new evidence to the old to catch this monster before more innocent lives are taken. The trail runs cold when her prime suspect is found dead. But then why is the body count still rising?

The answer is more terrible than Kate could possibly have imagined, and the killer so much closer than she thinks…

When the trail grows cold and the killer might never be found...

DI Kate Matthews is driven. She has a serial murderer on the loose and no one believes her. After she's put on suspension, she's the only one still convinced that there are links between the murders in London and in Southhampton. Young women, brutally murdered and left naked, exposed, in public places. Kate has ideas, but is running out of time and people who want to help her. Thank heavens that the brother of one of the dead girls, Finn, is willing to get involved.

This is fast paced, intriguing and a suspenseful police procedural. I missed the first in the series but could easily identify the character of Kate as she is a protagonist very common in the genre. She doesn't play by the rules and is often on the outs with her superiors. She's reckless and pretty much a hot mess, but her intentions are genuine. Kate has good instincts, but in this case, she's thrown for a loop with a surprise twist that some will see coming. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review. This publishing company has become my "go to" for new books in this category!

Dying Day heralds the welcome return of Kate Matthews, a dogged, unconventional Detective Inspector whose maverick ways leave her superiors and some colleagues frustrated and champing at the bit because she is willing to break rules and leave no stone unturned to get a positive outcome and secure a conviction.

A car accident had left Kate on crutches and she was ordered by her Supe to stay home but when she finds out a young girls body has been found she is determined to be part of the investigation but when a second body is discovered and on the Anniversary of the death of her colleague D.C. Amy Spencer, a death Kate is still haunted by and the killer still free, she wondered if it was possible they were somehow connected and the killer was back.

Told from two points of view, present day where we follow Kate and the investigation and a year before when Amy is the main protagonist and where we see the count down to her death getting even closer ( I so wanted to stop the clock and save her ) the excellent writing and clever twists and turns kept me totally absorbed in the plot from the beginning to its surprising and unexpected ending.

A great second meeting with Kate Matthews - an unputdownable read- loved it- and I look forward to many more in the future. No pressure then Stephen !!!!
I received a copy from Netgalley and Bookouture for my honest review.