Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
Senior Investigator Jo Stuart is tasked with looking into the death of drug lord Ronnie O'Neill. The manner of his killing is a strange one: he was shot with a pellet gun, the pellet was filled with ricin and in a matter of a few days he was dead. Shortly thereafter the 12-year old daughter of another drug kingpin is kidnapped. Ronnie's son is suspected of the crime in retaliation for his father's murder, but vehemently denied it. More murders follow, all with same MO. It's a tough case to crack and there's a lot of pressure on Jo and her team to deliver the perpetrator(s). On top of that, she's split up with her partner, is selling their home and has met a new love interest.
It's a good police procedural, well written with quite an interesting mystery, but somehow I found it a bit of a dry read and didn't really feel connected to the characters. I'm in the minority here judging by the excellent reviews and therefore recommend this book to fans of British police procedural featuring a very present way of killing.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of The Blow Out, the fourth novel to feature SI Joanne Stuart of the NCA.

When gangster Ronnie O’Neill is killed Jo is seconded back to Greater Manchester Police to lead the investigation while their officers try to contain the potential for war. This is not helped when a rival’s twelve year old daughter is kidnapped. With no clues and a looming crisis it takes more killings to set Jo on the right path.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Blow Out which is a very good police procedural. I really enjoy a procedural with its mix of excitement and procedure. It is always said that stranger murders are the most difficult to solve and this is a very good example of it. The team start with a body, a most unusual cause of death and an endless list of potential suspects, given the victim’s background. I found the detail of how they approach this mammoth task/nightmare utterly fascinating as it appealed to my inner geek. It is not all procedure with action scenes and Jo’s domestic situation leavening the read. I like the discipline of starting out with everyone as a suspect and anything as a motive and gradually honing in on a prime suspect. It is mostly logical and methodical as Jo has to justify every decision (sounds really tedious to me). If I had to quibble at all about the plot then it could be that the discovery of the prime suspect fell rather serendipitously into their laps once they found a motive but, by that time, they deserved a bit of luck so it in no way detracts from the read.

Jo Stuart is an interesting protagonist, a bit of a superwoman really. She’s juggling the end of her civil partnership and selling her flat with a difficult investigation and the chance of a new relationship. She hardly seems to blink and just gets on with things. What I like about her most, though, is her sense of fairness when dealing with her staff. She’s not particularly kind but she’s nurturing and it shines through in the novel.

The Blow Out is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

4 stars

Senior Investigator Jo Stuart is asked to visit the Manchester Royal Infirmary to look into the death of one Ronnie O’Neill who was a gang leader who was recently paroled from Belmarsh. He specialized in running drugs, extortion, robbery and kidnapping. These were just a few of his sins. The doctor and nurses at the hospital say that O’Neill was poisoned by means of a pellet-like wound on his neck while he was golfing a few days earlier. DS Nick Carter is to be Jo’s partner for this investigation.

When a young girl (the daughter of another gang leader), is kidnapped, it is strongly suspected that the O’Neill’s did it out of revenge. But, did they? Who took the girl?

This is a great book. Bill Rogers is a very good writer and I really enjoy reading his novels. This is a police procedural with a slightly different twist to it. Not your usual straightforward murder, but a surprise and very sneaky method of killing someone. SI Stuart is a good, solid character. She is flexible and able to work with almost anyone. This book is both well written and plotted. It reads in a straightforward manner; one event follows another in a logical progression. Now, I’m waiting for the next Bill Rogers book!

I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book to read, enjoy and review.

Bill Rodgers, has written one of the best books I have read this year. It’s a thriller/ murder that really captures your imagination so much so, I actually felt I was involved. It just drags you in also felt the heart pumping faster at some parts. How I ever managed to put this book down, I don’t know. I was so so absorbed I lost track of time. I know on one occasion I was so tired that I actually fell asleep reading it, read this novel you definitely will not be disappointed

This book ticked all the boxes for me! An author I have not read before. The characters were well developed so I really had a sense of who they were and what made them tick. The plot was straightforward in the sense that the reader had a sense of what was happening but there were enough twists and turns to make it surprising in places.. For me the geographic setting of the novel was ideal as I was able to relate to many of the places the author wrote about. He also portrayed a clear view of how a big city ticks. A welcome change from 'chocolate box' villages where many crime novels are set.

The way the plot reflects what has been happening on our streets and in the wider world added authenticity to the story. A strong sense of reality was there all the time.. In fact some of that reality has now happened and we know first hand how deadly the effect has been..

Overall I thought this was a great read and I will be looking for more from this author!

A good alround crime thriller, featuring Senior Investigator Joanne Stuart. Appears to cover all divisions in the modern police force taking part in all the investigations. A thoroughly good read, well recommended.