I really liked this book! It was full of tense moments and the story seemed to flow very naturally! The characters were believable and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Choc Lit for an advance copy of Who Cares if They Die, a stand alone procedural set in the town of Maple Valley, New Hampshire.

When the body of a Jane Doe is found hanging in the woods suicide is the accepted verdict but Officer Dean Mathieson is worried by some inconsistencies, like the fact that she is barefoot in the middle of winter. When other deaths occur he is quick to link them but a new relationship and grief over his brother's death three months previously cloud his judgement.

I enjoyed Who Cares if They Die which has some good twists and turns and a few humorous lines. It is, however, one of those novels where the killer's identity is revealed early on and while the motive remains hidden for slightly longer it too is not a secret. This means that the novel is more about how Dean investigates the crimes and the killer's tricks. As his head is not in the right place he is easily fooled and as the killer has plenty of tricks the novel is a roller coaster of anticipation about what will happen next.

It is an entertaining novel with regards the plot but I found the tone rather simplistic for my tastes. I thought the characters rather one dimensional despite the intriguing situations they find themselves in, as if the author had stock reactions to each set of circumstances.

Dean Mathieson is not a very appealing protagonist. Despite other characters saying how nice he is he comes across as self indulgent and not very smart at working out the ramifications of his actions.

Who Cares if They Die is an easy way to pass a few hours.

Who Cares if They Die is a suspenseful debut novel by Wendy Dranfield, and I really enjoyed it! This is a mystery/thriller that follows Officer Dean Matheson, a small town New Hampshire cop who has hopes of becoming a detective. One night he is called out to the scene of a supposed suicide- an unidentified barefoot woman hanging from a tree, dead. This discovery is shocking for the small town of Maple Valley, and there seem to be no leads.

Dean Matheson is a compassionate but complicated guy with no shortage of issues in his life, but he is relatable and honorable at the core. He is dedicated to his job even though his personal life is in shambles. I couldn't help but root for him, even if some of his actions were mind boggling and frustrating at times!

Right around the same time, a English psychologist named Beth Smith shows up in town as the new local Women's Corrections Facility therapist. Right away I was suspicious of her, but enjoyed the build-up and twists and turns of her story in particular. It was definitely suspenseful, though I figured things out less than halfway though the book. What was interesting to me was figuring out the motives and background of the villain.. It was a slow build up, but I was satisfied that all loose ends were tied up at the end.

One thing that was a bit jarring for me was that this book is set in the U.S. with all but one residents being American, but the way they spoke was very British (mum, queuing rather than lining up, whilst, just to name a few). The author is British so this isn't a critic of the fact, just an amusing observation.

All in all, I did enjoy the book. Lots of twists and turns, suspenseful moments, and complicated characters. I look forward to Dranfield's sequel and more of Dean Matheson.

3 out of 5 stars for Who Cares if They Die by Wendy Dranfield.

I'd like to give a big thank you to NetGalley as well as the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased, honest review. All opinions and comments are expressly my own.