I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Perfect Murder, the second novel to feature DC Harriet Taylor of the Cornish police.

It's extremely quiet at Trotterdown station but even so the team are not happy to be sent out to investigate two dead cats until they realise the cats have had their ears, noses and paws cut off. Still, there are grumbles about time wasting until one of the owners is found electrocuted by the spade she was going to bury the cat with.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfect Murder which has a suitably twisted plot, pleasant characters and a very readable style which held my interest throughout.

The plot is unusual and not your run of the mill serial killer narrative. It is inventive and interesting and while I guessed the perpetrator early on it did not detract from my enjoyment. It is a straightforward, 3 person narrative, hunt the killer novel so the reader is not subjected to the killer's thoughts and all the cod psychology that usually accompanies them so it's refreshingly old fashioned in this respect. I thought the solution and the reasoning behind it a bit tame and it did stretch my credulity somewhat but the journey to that point is absorbing.

I like the characters and the mix of work banter, solid investigation and snippets of their domestic problems. As the protagonist it is mostly about Harriet who is a smart and dedicated detective with a troubled past. It makes for a pleasant read to see her try and take steps to shrug off the past and embrace the present.

The Perfect Murder is a good, easy read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Not as outlandish as the first book from this author but still somewhat unrealistic. Definitely not an in-depth police procedural, more of a crime caper.

Detective Harriet Taylor left her policing job in Edinburgh for a mush less stressful position in a small Cornish village. Not much happens there, and it’s an ugly surprise when two cats are found brutally mutilated. Nasty, but still, not really police type work is it? Then one of the cat’s owners is found dead, in what is clearly not a natural death. Words have been written on her neck, and it’s not long before another victim is found with the same cryptic message. It’s clear a serial killer is on the loose in this little town and Harriet is left wondering whether a creative writing club in town, that has been working on writing the perfect murder, may be involved. Giles’ characters and police work are spot on and the location adds an extra dimension to this fast paced thriller