I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the last page. Gripped throughout. Never guessed the ending which is a great plus point. Look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This book was a little like the curate's egg, what was good was very good but there was something familiar about the main premise of the serial killer and his reasoning but not his identity, which was a surprise even though, with hindsight, the clues were there. That said the book was a first class read, and take away the aforementioned familiarity and it works on all levels.

Tom Ridpath' s reason for being out of the loop due to ill health was original and either very well researched or experienced first hand. The feelings of both Ridpath and those around him were detailed and emotive but didn't overwhelm any part of the rest of the storyline.

The details of the crimes pulled no punches and if you are a fan of quiet, cosy crime this may not be for you. These details however, didn't feel gratuitous but did show how ruthless, manipulative and obviously deranged the killer was. In some ways the denouement was the quietest part of the story but it had to be in order for it to work. The drama and excitement had already occurred and again worked very well.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this novel thanks to Netgalley and at first was going to award it 3 stars. As I began thinking about this review however, I started to realise that although I had felt a sense of deja vu  on one part the rest of the story was original and very well written. The politics of the workplace was laid bare and appeared up to date with the problems local and regional police forces face on a daily basis.

I would recommend this book and look forward to a sequel.

It's a well thought out book with plenty of action and a certain amount of horror.
However, I could not warm to the central figure, Tom Ridpath, who on return from a serious illness finds his detective's job demoted to being a Coroner's assistant. He is involved in office politics but also in healthissues which impinge on his private life.
There seemed to be little humour or lightness in the story and I have to admit that I struggled to get involved.
Thanks to Net Galley for a review copy.

The first in a series l hope of very successful police crime drama set in Manchester like the coroner slant read the book over the course of two days and did not loose interest once

The ‘blurb’ says nail-biting and it’s nit wrong! Great book, riveting from the first chapter to the last.

This is a solid police procedural drama, set in Manchester where a DI returns to work following sick leave to find he's been demoted as part of his return. Ten years ago he was on the up and up, but, no longer.

His new temporary post leads him to missing bodies, missing records and murder and he gets caught up in the politics and tension between the police and his new role in the coroners office.

This is the first in a series and I thought it was an OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to preview.