I've had this book for years, I still haven't, unfortunately, got to it, so this is a placeholder review to reduce my shelf for my own sanity, but will replace this if I ever get to the book

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Carpenter Road.

Overall I found this to be a great read, both thrilling and fast-paced. Leighton Jones is a traffic cop who ends up embroiled in the murder of a young girl who switched coats with a prostitute named Rochelle. Jones starts digging deeper into the murder especially after two other bodies are found. What drove me crazy about this book was the treatment he received from Capt Gretsch and fellow detective, Slater. Maybe I’m naive but they’re all on the same team right? Gretsch was a huge jerk and I actually found myself shaking my head wanting to punch him in the face at the way he acted. I must say the ending of this book and Jones’s discovery made me chuckle! There are two other books in the Leighton Jones series, neither of which I’ve read and found this to be fine as a stand-alone.

Thanks to netgalley for the review copy of this thrilling read. I enjoyed it very much, and can't wait to read some more by this talented author. Recommended.

An absolutely brilliant read!! Loads of tense moments. Sometimes very sad!! It also makes us realise that we shouldn't judge by appearances. Not everyone is born with a silver spoon!! Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and N. M Brown for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Carpenter Road.
I thought this book was a great read. I thought the storyline was well developed and the central characters were engaging.
Definitely well worth a read for fans of the genre. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Provided with a free ARC for an honest review. Good police procedural but with a few problems that bothered me. Although the scene is California, it is obviously written by a British author. This is evidenced by some odd usages: saloon for sedan and kilometres for miles and European spellings: colour for color, programme for program, and tyre for tire. Maybe this is just nitpicking on my part, but for me it interrupted the flow somewhat. I also felt the extreme prejudice against Leighton went a little overboard. I did enjoy the book however.

Leighten is called out at a car sales place where he encounters a prostitute talking about her coat being stolen. Soon after they find a body with her coat on! This leads this traffic cop and the prosutute to try to figure out what happened. I loved this book and I haven’t read the previous book but I definitely want to. Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

This is a new author to me and I loved this book, read it over two days. I enjoyed reading about the partnership with Leighton (Jonesy) and Danny and hope there will be more about them in the future.

I particularly liked Norman's style of writing and I am looking forward to how his characters develop in future books. This is a good story throughout with a satisfactory ending and I can thoroughly recommend.

This is another name to add to my list of favourite authors.

4☆ A nicely paced Crime Thriller, that kept me turning pages!

Carpenter Road is the second book in the series by NM Brown, it's set before the first book. However this is my first book.
It can easily be read as a standalone.

Leighton is called out to investigate a used car place. Leighton is part of the traffic police so when a potential juicy case came up he jumped to investigate.
Its here he encounters a prostitute. What seems odd is that the prostitute claims her coat has been stolen.
It may sound very trivial.
But not long after a body had been discovered. A young girl. Who seems to be wearing the prostitutes stolen coat.

Leighton finds himself embroiled in the case as he believes there is more to this case. Was it a case of mistaken identity or is there something more sinister going on?

I really liked Leighton. Despite it only being my first encounter with his character, I liked the way he didn't disregard the fact the case involved prostitutes. Some police May of swept the case under the carpet!
But he was determined, very likeable, trustworthy and passionate about his job. Admirable qualities.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Carpenter, it was a nicely paced crime thriller that contained enough suspense to keep me gripped and turning pages.
The Characters were well thought out and likeable.
I am looking forward to reading more from N.M Brown.

I first met Leighton Jones in Carpenter Road, N.M. Brown’s second book featuring this character. I have not read the previous story, The Girl on the Bus, but believe me you don’t need to for this one to make sense, as this easily reads as a standalone and is still a very good read.

When by chance Leighton comes across a prostitute kicking up a fuss about her stolen coat that had some money in, and discovers the girl who was seen last seen wearing it has now gone missing, Jones a traffic cop, decides to take it upon himself to investigate if the two are connected.

So what did I think? Detective Jones is such a caring, lovable character, I instantly found myself drawn to him.

Rochelle, the prostitute, is an unlikely sidekick who gets roped into Leighton’s investigations, and she’s also a fantastic character. I was so invested in her part of the story and the danger she’d been inadvertently thrown into. I too, hoped she’d eventually get out of the prostitution racket to achieve her goals and turn her life around, just how she had wished for.

N.M. Brown’s writing really grabbed my attention from the first page, and kept me up all night reading. I especially liked hearing from the serial killer’s point of view. He was so creepy, it really added a new dimension to the story and kept me hooked throughout.

The ending was a bit of a shock. I honestly, didn’t expect to feel a little choked up by a Bloodhound crime book! But there, I said it, N.M. Brown really took me by surprise with that twist!

This is an unputdownable, well-written crime novel that’s distinctive, compelling and memorable!

This is a really depressing book! How policiemen do their jobs and keep their humanity is beyond me. A scary serial killer is on the loose, and he will murder anyone who gets in his way! This guy like most physcpaths started early, killing animals, if you can be cruel to an animal, then you see nothing else as defenseless. After all, these were prostitutes, who cared? One man cares , a traffic officer named Leighton! He is having trouble with his Captain, and his teenage daughter, his partner's father is dying! When it rains, it pours. I will have to read something light now, because this, is true darkness.
Thank you!

Great read...kept my attention through the entire book! For the most part, I guessed where the book was headed (although the story still kept my interest), then there was a twist towards the end that I didn’t see coming.

Detective Jones and Rochelle (a prostitute) become friends, even though they are very different, while “working together” to find some missing prostitutes. This is actually an unofficial case, since Jones is only a traffic cop. Both are very likable and devoted characters.

This is the first book I’ve read from N.M. Brown, but I plan on checking out others!

Thank you NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and N.M. Brown for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review!
#CarpenterRoad #NetGalley #Amazon

It starts with a young woman swapping coats with a lady of the streets. The young woman is later found brutally murdered. And she's not the only prostitute that goes missing.

Office Leighton Jones, a traffic cop, comes across a prostitute who is rambling about her missing friends. He doesn't think much of it .. until it hits the news that another body has been found. This one matched the description that the woman had described.

Following his hunches and gut feelings, he starts an investigation of his own. He tries to share what he finds with the lead homicide detective and his boss, who clearly has no love of Jones.

Jonesy, to his friends, is an all around good guy, trying to do what he can to make the world a better place. This investigation is going to cost him a lot ... his job, his relationship with his daughter... maybe his very life.

This is an exceptional story with outstanding characters. I was hooked from the very first page and stayed hooked until the very emotional and surprising ending.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I loved this author’s first novel, The Girl on the Bus and so I was delighted to find out that Leighton Jones was back in action. In fact way back by ten years to the time when he was a traffic cop and still employed by the police department. So I thought can this possibly live up to the first book, which was a belter and well it definitely did that. This one made me cry!
Jones is one of the real good guys who just digs a little more deeper and cares a little too much. So when a hooker, that most cops wouldn’t give the time of day to, really kicks up a fuss about a young woman from a restaurant that she believes stole her coat, he listens. This leads to a murdered Jane Doe where a serial killer is already leaving his stamp of ownership on other girls that ‘decent people’ wouldn’t notice or care about going missing.
What a cracking fast paced story this is but what I also like is the everyday life stuff that is still running in the background for these characters. Oh boy if I could give Oscars out for the most unlikable pair of detectives going I know where the award would go. A couple of them just get under your skin. I also loved that the story centred round a small group of people, when a story is so bloody good you just don’t need the fluffed up extras. This is pure entertainment from the start to the end page. A super finale which totally got to me! Sheer brilliance.

There is a lot to like about this book. The leading character Leighton is very likeable, he is warm, well rounded and it is clear from the beginning that he has become a cop to make a difference and do the right thing. I also liked the character Rochelle, she is a prostitute who becomes increasingly involved in the case. Yes, she has her troubles but I found her character warm and strong, willing to stand up for her friends and trying to carve out a better life for herself.
I immensely disliked Detective Slater and Leighton’s chief but that makes you route for the ‘good’ guys all the more, Leighton plays a clever game where they are concerned.
I found the start a little contrived, but bare with it as the book quickly picks up pace. The descriptions of Oceanside are well written and gave you a great sense of the stifling heat and the sights and sounds of the city. The book is written in very short, sharp chapters, I personally enjoy this as it makes me want to keep reading (just one more chapter!), in fact, I read this book in two sittings.
The killers story is told quite early on and I found this gave an interesting depth to the book as you realise his motivations and his justifications for doing what he did.
I must admit I was slightly unsatisfied with the ending, but overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I hope that Brown will write some more books featuring Leighton Jones, I feel his story hasn’t been fully told. Many thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bloodhound books and Netgalley for letting me have a copy to review.

Carpenter Road by N.M. Brown

Leighton Jones is a policeman working in Oceanside, California. He does not get along with one of the the police captains who seems to have it in for him. His personal life seems a bit lonely and his partner away as he is busy with a dying father. As he works on the street driving his police car, checking for drunk drivers, and settling disputes he doesn’t see a lot of the seamier side of life or work on murder cases…not usually anyway.

On one of his calls to a dispute at a used car lot he runs into a woman who ends up being one of the last people to see a woman who ends up murdered. Leighton picks up tidbits here and there as he unearths what the homicide detective on the case is letting slide. With a teenage daughter upset with him, a boss that is on a power trip, women disappearing at the hands of a serial killer and his curiosity engaged in trying to find the murderer this proved to be a great police procedural that eventually unearths the bad guy and puts him away for good. I believe this could be an entertaining series if the author chooses to continue writing about this character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book.

When I first read N.M.Brown I had never read the authors work before. but not I am hooked.
This book is the second book I've read and is so good this one takes place Ten years before The Girl On The Bus. and is about a serial killer going around killing prostitutes. Leighton a traffic cop finds himself getting involved in the search for the killer. So much goes on if you have read this author's first book then give this one a go I recommend it. Very well written and will have you turning the pages to see how it ends.
Looking forward to seeing what this author brings us next!

My review is written with thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bloodhound Books for inviting me to take part, and for my copy of the book through Netgalley.
A young woman and a prostitute swap coats outside a cafe. When the prostitute returns to retrieve her coat, she finds that the young woman has vanished. She is involved in an altercation the following day, and finds her coat in the back of a car in a car lot. Leighton Jones is called to deal with the situation, and realises that the prostitute's description of the woman with whom she swapped coats matches that of a recently reported missing person. This case is much deeper than Leighton first realised, and not part of his jurisdiction as a traffic officer, but he's determined to find out what happened to the missing woman. Can he find her killer before he is in danger himself?
​Carpenter Road is the second book to feature Leighton Jones, although it takes place ten years before the events of The Girl On The Bus. I haven't read The Girl On The Bus, but this didn't hinder my enjoyment of Carpenter Road in any way. Brown goes so deeply into the psyche of his characters that I felt I knew them all really well, and this helped me to connect with them throughout the novel, especially Rochelle whose lifestyle is not one with which I am familiar. There are even chapters narrated by the killer, and I was intrigued by what made him tick. As a central character, I like Leighton Jones, and admire his compassion and determination as he tries to crack the case with little support from his colleagues.
I found Carpenter Road to be a slow burner, but it is very cleverly constructed. I did not guess who killer was, so I enjoyed the slight twist. The tension gradually builds as the novel progresses, and I found the ending so nail biting, as Leighton Jones is involved in a race against time. I could not tear my eyes from the page.
I was very saddened by the ending, and its thought provoking nature means Carpenter Road will stay with me for some time.

If you read N.M. Brown’s previous book, The Girl on the Bus, then you will no doubt remember Leighton Jones. In this story, the reader is taken ten years back into the past so it really doesn’t matter if you’ve not read the previous book. Leighton is working in the Traffic department, a job which quite frankly sounds incredibly boring to me.

Leighton is called out to a used car lot where he is confronted by a prostitute who’s making a big deal about her coat being stolen by a girl outside a diner. Leighton doesn’t make much of it until a girl, who matches the description of the “thief” perfectly, is found dead. Is there a connection?

Technically, it’s not at all up to Leighton to figure this out but his colleagues in the murder division don’t seem to take many things seriously. The investigation moves at a snail’s place. These are “only” working girls after all. The captain is far more interested in giving Leighton a hard time.

But Leighton just can’t help himself. This says so much about him. It’s not about taking the credit, getting his face in the papers for solving a big case. Leighton genuinely cares about people, wants to help them in any way he can, even if it means putting himself in danger. He is just such a wonderful and likeable character with a heart of gold.

Meanwhile he’s also dealing with an increasingly declining relationship with his seventeen year old daughter. Again, if you read the previous book, you’ll know more about this but to be able to have a look back and be witness to how things developed is really intriguing.

Carpenter Road is a gripping and compelling serial killer mystery. It has a well-executed plot with great characters to root for and sympathise with. At times, the story even pulled at my heartstrings when the author delved into the background of some of the working girls. There was a surprise or two for me, which is always a bonus and the investigation into the murder spree was captivating,

There was a bit of a wait between the previous book and this one but it was well worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Leighton Jones and I hope there’s more to come from him and N.M. Brown.

4/5 stars - Highly recommended!

First things first, this is the second book starring Leighton Jones, but it absolutely can be read as a standalone; it takes place 10 years before the events of the previous book, "The Girl on the Bus." But warning: you will want to read the "The Girl on the Bus" after finishing this book!

"Carpenter Road" is the perfect, quick summer read to take with you to the pool or the beach. You'll be hooked in no time.

This was a great police procedural, with a really intense mystery at its center: Who is killing these girls and why? Plus, there's some really interesting subplots involving the politics of the police station, since Leighton is a "lowly" traffic cop, and he is dealing with prostitutes, who aren't necessarily high-priority citizens in the eyes of many. I enjoyed that angle and it had me rooting for Leighton throughout the book.

I really liked Leighton, he is just an average guy trying to right by people, while juggling some personal demons. It's very relatable. The villains in the book are also "perfect" bad guys who you just love seeing Leighton battle against.

I will definitely be reading more from NM Brown in the future and am excited to see where he takes this series.