Come a Little Closer is the 7th book in the DCI Tom Douglas series. It gives enough background where this can be read as a stand-alone.

The story has multiple narratives so it can get confusing. A woman is alone in a parking lot at night when a car silently drives in with no lights on. Two woman sit silently at a table. Another woman breaks up with her boyfriend and goes on a cruise.

DCI Tom Douglas is called to a scene where a woman looks like she died peacefully. But who is she?

This was another great book in the series. Complex with lots of lies and deceit and a surprise ending. It was well written with great character development. I highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Dot Publishing for supplying me a copy of Rachel Abbott's "Come A Little Closer" in exchange for an honest review.

WoW.........Come A Little Closer by Rachel Abbott is the 7th instalment of DCI Tom Douglas and what a brilliant book. I was hooked for page one.
A young woman takes her last breath in a secluded spot as the snow gently falls around her.
A young woman Sharon, is out celebrating with her friends who is soon to be married, catches the eye of a handsome young man and agrees to meet him at a secluded spot. She is drunk but drives to the place they agreed to meet. She knows its wrong but she is getting married soon and just wants the last bit of fun before her big day. She gets there before him and waits.....She knows its wrong. Does the man turn up? But someone else drives up in a car with a woman. They both get out of the car but only the man returns to his car. Where is the woman? She is terrified and hides, hoping he will not find her. What has she seen? Does the man know she is there?
The main character is called Callie and she is in a abusive relationship with Ian. Callie has finished the relationship, and books a holiday to get away from everything and hoping that he would move out of "her house" before she gets back. She meets a lovely sweet older couple - a doctor and his wife called Thea, but are they? They take her under their wings. She feels secure and safe around them. But, Who are they? She feels she can talk etc to them. They are very protective with her! But Why? Have they got a motive?
The young woman is found dead in the secluded area and DI Tom Douglas and his team has been put on the case. This death is a strange one. She has no ID on her and no one has reported her missing. So who is she? How did she get there? are these her shoes?
When Callie returns home her Home is a mess. Ian hasn't moved out. Callie then looses her Job and doesn't know where to turn. The lovely lady Thea she met on holiday turns up and offers Callie a place to stay until she gets herself sorted. Callie takes this offer up. Thea informs Callie of the rules of living with them and wonders why she has to hide from visitors who may visit Thea and the Doctor. Thea makes wonderful Tea's for Callie to drink. Every time she drinks one she doesn't remember anything but they are so nice.
What are Thea and the Doctor hiding? Who is Judith? they keep on calling Callie.
My name is Callie not Judith.....So who is Judith?
WoW, what a book........Does Rachel ever write a bad book. I just loved this book.
OMG 😱 what a ending! This book will have you hooked from page 1. Well Done Rachel
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Review from me. Thank you for letting me read and review it. x

This is Rachel Abbott at her best! What an amazing book it was creepy, dark and downright scary. I had a hard job putting this down it was a real page Turner. The plot was full of clever twists that I didn't see coming. This was a really great read well deserving of 5 stars.

I’ve loved all of Abbott’s novels so far, so leapt at the chance to read this one. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold up as well as the previous ones.

The pace of the novel was very slow - almost meandering - it certainly wasn’t “tense”. Whilst I still cared about the storylines of Tom and Becky, the actual plot itself just didn’t grab me or hold me in the slightest, and became an effort to read eventually.

Lies and deceit lead to a woman being unable to decide if she is being kept safe or being held prisoner. Looks can be deceiving.

Another fast paced, keeps-you-guessing novel by Rachel Abbott. This is, by far, one of my favorite detective series.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an early copy. Buy this book, and then buy every book in the series. You will not regret it!!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Come a Little Closer by Rachel Abbott.
A young, soon to be married, woman is out celebrating with her friends. She is having a great time, and even though she is getting married soon, she is ready for an exciting night out. She catches the eye of a man and they agree to meet at a secluded spot. As she waits, she realizes she is drunk and this is a very bad idea. But a car rolls into the the area and she knows something is wrong - a man and woman leave the car, but when the man returns, he is alone. She is terrified but she gets out of there alive, but does the man know she was there - he might - he looked at her registration number.
Another young woman, Callie, embarks on a trip to get away from her abusive boyfriend. She meets an older couple and soon she is feeling safe and secure. She confides in them and they listen to her empathetically. But she must return home, and she doesn't want to be with her boyfriend, she needs an escape, and maybe this older couple can help her...
DI Tom Douglas is put on the case when a young woman is found dead in a remote area. Her death is strange, and he and the other detectives must unravel the mystery of this unidentified young woman. This woman has no identification and Tom and his team are stumped to find the cause of death, how she got there, and how no one has reported her missing.
The story lines converge and the plot goes back and forth from the murder to Callie who flees home and goes to live with the older couple she met on her trip. But something is strange in their home - she must hide from visitors and she is given strange teas that make her feel better, even though she can't remember anything after she drinks it. The older couple, a doctor and his wife, are hiding something, but what...and why do they keep calling her Judith.
This is a series book, but it stands alone well. I have not followed this series and had no issue getting into the storyline.
I found this book hard to put down, well written, and great character profiles. It did come together at the end a bit tidy, but still all in all, very good. Recommend.

Come A Little Closer by Rachel Abbott is a psychological thriller that is dark and disturbing about lies, control and murder. A woman on holiday trying to get away from her abusive boyfriend meets a kind elderly lady who is willing to give her the support she needs and she said that she has helped many girls before. I enjoyed this book although I had not read any of the previous books in DCI Tom Douglas series, this book can be read as a stand alone. I would like to thank NetGalley and Black Dot Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great book. Brilliant storyline and excellent main characters. I would not hesitate to recommend this book.

I have read and enjoyed all of Rachel Abbott's books and I am always excited when a new one comes out, so I was especially happy when I was sent an advanced reading copy of this one out of the blue. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher.

As usual, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was fast paced and it held my interest throughout. I thought that it was fairly easy to see what was going on as the book progressed, but by the end I don't think I totally understood what the motive was and for that reason I gave it a 4 rather than a 5. Regardless, I like the characters Tom Douglas and Becky, and following their crime solving process and can't wait to read the next book from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Black Dot Publishing and Rachel Abbott for this ARC of Come a Little Closer in return for my honest review.

This is the seventh novel I have read by this author in the DCI Tom Douglas and wonderful DI Becky Robinson series and they have all been thoroughly enjoyable so I was hoping this would be the same and it did not disappoint. It can be read as a stand-alone, although having read the other books I do think it enhanced my enjoyment by understanding the characters and their backgrounds.

It is cleverly plotted and although I wasn’t sure where it was going with Callie’s relationship with her verbally abusive partner, Ian, the twists and turns left me wanting to read more. The novel begins with Judith saying she has killed a man.

When Callie goes on a trip to Myanmar, she wants Ian to be gone when she returns to her house. Thanks to a Facebook post, which she didn’t place she loses her job, Ian is still in her house and an elderly couple offer to help. She is desperate and takes them up on their offer moving into a beautiful house. This is where things continue to deteriorate, although the gradual decline leaves Callie confused and scared.

Meanwhile a woman’s unidentified body is found and the unusual method of death is both intriguing and frightening for the Tom and Becky. This is deemed not to be a priority case initially although it soon changes.

I love unexpected endings and this delivered. Highly recommended.

One woman is fleeing an abusive boyfriend...at least temporarily until she decides what to do. Who is the man who seems to be following her .. and whispering in her ear that he's watching her? Who are the elderly couple who can't seem to do enough for her?

Two women sit silently in a kitchen waiting for the buzzer that tells them they need to go to their rooms.

One young woman is found dead. Although the middle of a cold winter, she is found without shoes. Who is she? How did she get here? Who wanted her dead?

DCI Tom Douglas is lead detective. His investigation will lead him along a path of lies, secrets, and murder.

This is a story of multiple components. It is well written, at times a little predictable. The characters are strongly developed. What really grabbed me was the ending ... what a shocker!

Many thanks to the author / Black Dot Publishing / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I've enjoyed quite a few of Rachel Abbot's book, but this one did not work for me.

I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I would definitely recomend

Callie and Ian live together but their relationship is deteriorating rapidly. He has no job, it is her house, she pays for everything and his slobbish habits are beginning to really irritate Callie. She’s booked a trip to Myanmar in honour of her Grandfather who has recently died and with the legacy he left her, but Ian doesn’t want her to go. He is bossy and officious, always complaining and really quite a bully. Callie decides it’s time to draw a line and end their relationship. She no longer loves him so, just before she leaves for Manchester airport, she tells him he must leave her home before she returns from her holiday. She does not want him in the house when she returns.
Meanwhile Sharon Carter meets a handsome stranger in a club when she is out with her friends celebrating her forthcoming marriage to Jez. They arrange to meet secretly at Pennington Flash and leave the club separately to avoid any suspicion. They will meet in the car park. Immediately Sharon realises how rashly she has acted and decides to leave before the handsome stranger arrives. A plush car arrives into the car park with its lights turned off, so Sharon hides when the man starts to leave his car. He is not who she was expecting, she’s sure and she is instantly terrified. She watches him unload a heavy item from the boot of the car and walk away with another person. She dare not move. Just what is happening? Heavy snow begins to fall and she is trapped.
Callie soon makes friends of other travellers on the same trip as her. The Doctor and his wife Thea, an elderly couple also enjoying their leisurely, scenic holiday, ‘adopt’ her and look out for her. Ian has not taken the news well and she dreads returning home to find he is still there. She confides in Thea. Her prophecy is correct and the arguments start from the minute she returns. To make matters worse someone has hacked her social media account, criticising her boss, so when she returns to work she is immediately fired. She cannot bear the thought of being stuck with Ian day in day out. She can barely stand the thought of what her life has become. Thea visits her and offers her a place to stay while she works out what to do. Their home is magnificent and all Thea asks is for a little housework in exchange for looking after Callie. Callie is pleased to have somewhere to go and gentle, quiet Thea to help her get her thoughts together.
DCI Tom Douglas is allocated a suspicious death in a bird hide at Pennington Flash. The body could have been there for a while, as the city had been gripped by a very cold snap. The body is of a young lady and soon the news is all over the city. There are no clues and the circumstances of the death are highly worrying. Sharon thinks she is being followed, but she can’t go to the police station and admit she was there. Her wedding could be in jeopardy.

Callie settles in. She knows she must sort things out with Ian because without work she cannot pay the mortgage. When she returns to the house they have a ferocious argument.

This is the setting for ‘Come a Little Closer’ and what happens next is truly shocking. I was totally absorbed by this complex, thrilling mystery story. Each character was superbly created with interesting stories to tell. The fast paced storytelling was engrossing and as the police investigation gathered momentum and new information came to light, I felt chilled to the bone, especially when similar deaths seemed to be linked, and more people were found to be missing. I really liked the intelligently plotted storyline. It was original and very frightening. This is the first time I have read a novel written by Rachel Abbott but I was pleased to find she has a good back catalogue for me to explore.

I requested this novel from NetGalley, who were offering it for review from Black Dot Publishing Ltd. It was sent to me in return for an honest review. This is a good story and if you enjoy this genre, it’s certainly one for you to read and enjoy.

What a brilliant seventh instalment of the crime series featuring DCI Tom Douglas & DI Becky Robinson..
I have read from cover to cover this weekend and now I’m annoyed I read it so quickly as I’ll have to wait that bit longer for book 8!
I have no idea how the author comes up with these plots; but please don’t ever stop!
I recommend this author to everyone I talk to about books, but new readers need to start at the beginning of the series
4.5 stars