Dead Inside by Noelle Holten is available 5/31

"3 men are found murdered. All have previous arrests for spousal abuse. DC Maggie Jamieson is part of a new team tasked with finding the killer. The common thread is a Probation Officer - Lucy. And when Lucy's husband is killed, the team focuses on her. Did Lucy strike back at the abusers?"

What I liked about this book - The premise is interesting. Lucy is a probation officer tasked with supervising domestic abusers. The book spends a lot of time with her story. The cross functional team of DC Maggie Jamieson, that includes civilian contractors, is a nice mix. I was not familiar with the British probation system, but there's the possibility of an interesting murder story.

What I didn't like - Way to many characters - Shouldn't need 75 characters to tell a story.
There is more thinking about solving the crimes than actually doing things to solve the crimes. Imagine a thought balloon over a character's head - "The evidence might point us at the killer" instead of "Here's the evidence and this is what we see." A frustrating moment at the end where a reader might shrug and think "Really? You didn't do that already?"
DC Maggie Jamieson was not a major part of the story even though it is supposed to be a series about her.

This book did not work for me, but if you're a fan of British crime fiction, you may want to give this a try

This was a deeply dark and disturbing police procedural about domestic abuse, by first time author Noelle Holten. She has 18 years of experience as a probation officer and more recently has worked for Bookouture, as well as being a well-known Crime book blogger. After reading her bubbly enthusiastic reviews and emails I was slightly shocked at how bleak this was. To say I enjoyed it would be wrong, as the gut-churning violence and psychological torment dished out by the so-called men in this story were absolutely horrifying, but I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t stop until the end.

This is the first book in a planned series about DC Maggie Jamieson, newly transferred to Staffordshire’s Domestic Abuse & Homicide Unit. While Maggie is certainly the main detective, the book is mostly about Lucy Sherwood, a probation officer working with men convicted of partner assault, who is herself the victim of relentless physical, sexual and emotional abuse by her controlling husband Patrick. When her clients start being brutally murdered, Maggie and her team don’t feel too sorry for them, but then it seems that Lucy is the common thread: has the brutality finally caused her to snap?

I knew going in that this would be an emotionally challenging read - I had actually put Domestic Abuse onto my Avoid Reading About list, having read too many books about this in the last year - but the early ARC reviews were so positive that I requested it anyway - red coat cover and all! I have never been involved with an abuser - is that luck, size or personality, I don’t know, and find it hard to imagine how an intelligent woman can allow it to happen to her, but obviously it does, and the author does a chilling job of showing exactly how. What happens to Lucy, both from her husband and then from the system that should’ve protected her, was just awful.

The mystery part was also well done - there were plenty of red herrings and suspects on offer and I didn’t guess who the killer was at all. There is also an intriguing cast of characters on the police team, especially the gothy psychologist, although I was surprised at how uninvolved DI Calleja was, and the epilogue hinted that the next book will take Maggie back to her old team, so I don’t know whether they will be more developed next time.
I liked the writing and the short chapters, and look forward more from Noelle.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review. Dead Inside is published on 31.05.19.

Holten made extremely good use of her background in social work and her love of procedural mysteries when crafting this twisty, well plotted thriller. Well, procedural but it's really very much a thriller as well. First off- no spoilers! Told from multiple perspectives, this is all about the hunt for the person murdering domestic abusers. DC Maggie Jamieson is newly assigned to the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit. Lucy Sherwood is a probation officer and, unbeknownst to her colleagues, a victim of her husband Patrick, who is now also a victim. Maggie is settling into her new job, getting to know her team and now she's got this one on her plate. You might think there are a lot of characters (there are) but remember this is a set up novel for what will hopefully be a long running series- there's certainly enough material out there for one and Maggie makes a great protagonist. You will find yourself rooting for some people and not so much for others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A terrific debut!

Genuinely super, with a killer finale. Pacey, authentic, compelling and so frighteningly real - I'm still hooked now and I've finished it!

DC Maggie Jamieson has been seconded to the newly formed Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit (DAHU) after successfully closing a serial murder case with the murder team out of Staffordshire. She finds that the police team of her new unit is fully integrated with different agencies, including probation and domestic violence advocates. Almost immediately, the colleagues become involved in the search for a killer -- one who is murdering men who are domestic abusers.

Lucy Sherwood from Markston Probation has her hands full as she oversees the supervision of several different men who've been released after serving prison time for some sort of domestic violence offense. Lucy enjoys her job even though interacting with these abusers reminds her of her own personal situation and the issues with her husband, Patrick. When some of her probationers end up dead in particularly gruesome ways, everyone wonders if this is some sort of revenge or act of vigilantism.

As Maggie and Lucy, as well as the rest of the interdisciplinary team, look into the lives of the victims, survivors and perpetrators, they become convinced that the killer has an agenda. NO SPOILERS

This was a fast-paced debut that highlighted a department that I don't know much about -- probation officers. I would definitely have liked to learn more about different aspects of the job and more about Lucy in that role. But, as she's a secondary character in this crime novel, most of the book focused about her personal dilemma as a woman subjected to domestic assault. It seems that Maggie's stint with the DAHU is over and she's going back to her previous job in homicide. Not sure what will happen with the many different characters that were introduced in this story but they had not really been fully developed or become relatable yet anyway. For awhile it seemed that Lucy was the main character and the reader learns more about her than about Maggie Jamieson! I would be interested in reading the second book in this series to see the direction it goes and who goes along!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for the e-book ARC to read and review. Domestic violence/abuse is everywhere and much too little help is given to those affected by it. Those who are subjected to it can't be safeguarded to any degree and those who perpetrate it can't seem to be cured of their anger and controlling tendencies. And those who witness it need help as well. This is a particularly difficult subject as there is such an inclination for people to judge and blame, excuse or condemn. I think most people don't believe it could happen to them and I surely hope it doesn't.

Dead Inside is the debut novel by Noelle Holten and it definitely kept me hooked throughout as I read the book in one sitting.

The author uses a difficult subject, domestic abuse, as the main theme of the storyline and uses her knowledge of the subject to handle what is a serious topic very well.

The pace of the story never stops until the final twist at the end.

This is a book that I thoroughly recommend and I look forward to reading further books by this author in the future

Wow, this is a very graphic first novel by Noelle Holten and I absolutely loved it. DC Maggie Jamieson is assigned to the domestic and abuse unit and in her first case 3 men have been killed. These are no ordinary men, they are wife beaters. Domestic abuse features very heavily in this debut novel and is very harrowing at times. Also in the in the story is Lucy, a probation officer who works closely with the DAHU and abusers. But Lucy is married to a wife beater and struggles to keep her private life under wraps away from her work. The two storylines come to a head with devastating consequences. A fantastic novel, brilliantly written and you will empathise with the characters. Noelle Holten herself is a former probation officee withexperience in this field and it adds to the authenicity of the story. Cannot wait for book 2 by Noelle. Read Now!!!!!!

5 Stars from me

This is a stonking debut from Noelle Holten!

Focusing on a difficult subject - domestic abuse - without trivialising or sensationalising is a hard line and Holten walks it well. I really enjoyed Lucy's character and found her a very engaging lead to follow. For me, DC Maggie Jamieson didn't come across as clearly as Lucy which I hope will be put right in book 2.

Lucy's imperfect relationship with Patrick was artfully described, a professional woman who 'should have known better' is portrayed here with complete honesty and shines a light on the complexity of domestic abuse / domestic violence situations.

I found the probation officer role to be a fascinating one and I hope Noelle will bring us more from her experience in future books.

Great debut - can't wait to read more from this author.

Synopsis: When three domestic abuse offenders are found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered. And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the finger of suspicion points at Lucy and the police are running out of time. Can Maggie and her team solve the murders before another person dies? And is Lucy really a cold-blooded killer?

I absolutely loved this book. It gripped me from the very first page and had me hooked on to the very last. I was able to guess a lot of the things in the book, but it didn't make the book any less interesting. And kudos to Noelle Holten for the wonderful style of writing. This certainly didn't feel like a debut novel but it felt like the work of a well seasoned author with already books in the double digits. I'm certainly now looking forward to the next book in the series. A big thank you to NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for giving me this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

An alarming read that delves into the secretive world of domestic abuse and the appalling lack of support available to the women and men who suffer at the hands of a loved one.
This aspect of the book is so well written that you are drawn into the lives of the various women whose abusers are still at large, including Lucy, the probation officer charged with dealing with the men full of hate and righteous indignation at being accused of any crime whatsoever.
As the bodies began to pile up so did my suspicions of several of the characters, each of whom seemed to have a good reason to seek revenge against these men. Maggie solved the case before I did though, with an interesting twist that, with afterthought, should have been obvious but at the time of reading was not (to me at least!).
Although a work of fiction the book certainly makes you think about the circumstances these victims find themselves in and how true it is that abused people find it very hard to leave the abuser.
Well written and well paced!

Insightful, moving and dramatic!
Lucy is a probation officer, dealing often with men who have beaten their wives and are still a threat to them....but Lucy also has her own terrible hidden secret from colleagues and friends...
3 of these men are found murdered, Maggie Jamieson is on the case, but is anyone really that bothered about these evil men being murdered, and who could have actually done what many had threatened.....Lucy seems to be the ideal suspect, but is she a bit too ideal...
The book is a fascinating, often harrowing and a very real to life story of domestic abuse, abusers, victims and the Police and Probation work and workers and how they all fits together when the above mentioned murders happen
The detail and obvious knowledge of the Probation Service makes the book flawless in that respect and gives a very clear understanding of what it is like to work in the service, this was intriguing to me as a reader with little knowledge of it
Sadly the abuse side of the story, how it affects victims and how their lives are is also very close to the author and I found this very moving and powerful
The story is in quick easy to read chapters and once you get to know all the characters flows well and moves quickly
A book that you can read and say ‘this author knows 100% what she is talking about’ via her experiences, well written and a great start to a series
10/10 5 Stars

A debut author and a real page turner!!!!!
Domestic violence is never an easy thing to read about. OMG this author really knows her subject. Having been a victim myself my heart went out to Lucy. I had my list of suspects which were all wrong. This book had me holding my breath, in places sat on the edge of my seat and tapping my kindle faster and faster. I HAD TO KNOW!!!! As for the ending WHAM I was shocked.
As I said before a new author, the start of a new series and this author has just made MY MUST READ list and eagerly await reading more of her work. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and Net.galley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

When three domestic abuse offenders are found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered. And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the finger of suspicion points at Lucy and the police are running out of time. Can Maggie and her team solve the murders before another person dies? And is Lucy really a cold-blooded killer? 

Even though this series is about Maggie Jamieson, the story is largely about Lucy Sherwood, a probation officer, who, as well as helping other abused women, is also one herself. I really liked Lucy, she was the ultimate professional on the outside, but behind closed doors she was a broken woman, regularly abused, physically and emotionally, convinced that she was a nobody, because that's what Patrick had done to her and she saw no way out. This is the author's debut novel and she has dealt with this very difficult subject perfectly, showing she's had first hand experience with situations like this from her previous work as a probation officer. There are a lot of characters in this book which crammed my head in the beginning but didn't alter my enjoyment of the book as I continued to read. It's a great start to a new series and an author with a natural talent for writing. A difficult, emotionally charged subject, which made it a compelling read.

I'd like to thank Killer Reads, Harper Impulse and Netgalley for sending me this book, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Impulse Killer Reads for this arc.

I have to admit to being somewhat daunted when I first started to read. It had 95 chapters!. I figured I'd be reading until cross-eyed for a week (I have a somewhat short attention span). But it had gotten so many good reviews that I started reading anyways.

Thankfully, the chapters are very short ones and it was a fairly fast read for me in spite of having 95 chapters.

But it wasn't a particularly easy read for me. Having so many different departments involved on the law enforcement side.... the police, social services, victims advocacy, civilian consultants (psychiatrist & profiler) parole and probation... not to mention all the various characters! I needed a spreadsheet to keep them all straight. Then there were the abuse victims and the abusers/parolees. Throw in an assortment of family members to everyone mentioned above... it was difficult keeping all the various plot lines straight in my mind.

I had a tough time connecting to any of the characters as well. Maybe because of the sheer volume of the characters, maybe the very short chapters, I'm not sure, but they all felt rather flat to me. Even Lucy. There were also a lot of hints and innuendoes about their various backgrounds and experiences but not enough to explain or understand their current actions and attitudes. Seemed like a lot of undeveloped plot lines leading to nowhere or maybe they were meant to be the proverbial "red herrings" required by the genre.

I also found the very vague timeline of the book to be distracting. Sometimes days were mentioned, sometimes hours, a couple of places seemed like months. But just judging on the number of week-ends mentioned, I suspect this took place over a period of two to seven months. It was hard for me to tell, there was so much to-ing and fro-ing instead of a more chronological presentation. Overall it made the various agencies involved in the story seem more like the Keystone Kops to me rather than experienced professionals.

Wow! What a fantastic first book.
I loved this and am so glad there’s more to come in this series.
Maggie is on secondment and is soon involved in a murder case.
We also get to know Lucy who works for the Probation service with abusive/violent people and their victims.
Lucy is living her own nightmare as her husband is abusing her and she feels trapped.
Soon another body is found of a known domestic violence criminal and Maggie and the team try to tie the two deaths together.
We also get an insight into the local pub and one girl’s struggle with alcohol and men. Vicki unfortunately comes across the wrong man and whilst she thinks she knows the signs, she’s not prepared for what happens.
Another body is discovered and the pressure is really on for the Police to find the killer, until another death provides them with the identity of the killer - or does it?
The story races to a conclusion and will have you on the edge of your seat.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series.
Thanks to Killer Reads and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

In this debut novel by Noelle Holten we are taken into the lives of women suffering domestic abuse and also the agencies that help victims and deal with offenders. It is a well written, intense, emotional and fast paced read. It is sometimes quite graphic, which I sometimes found hard to read. The author is an ex probation officer so the book comes across as being very realistic in its portrayal of the probation service.

Although this book is the first in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, I didn't feel that Maggie had a very prominent role, and to be honest I didn't really warm to her, much preferring the goth Dr Maloney. I did warm to the character of Lucy even though I was screaming at my Kindle for her to leave her abusive husband, and would like to meet her again in future books.

This is a great debut novel and I look forward to the next in the series. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A debut novel that grips pretty much from the get go. Domestic abusers are being beaten to death and DC Maggie Jamieson is on the case. These men are despicable creatures and trying to uncover why they may be a target isn't hard, figuring out who would want to is! The investigation is on, in between this we have the main character, Lucy Sherwood, probation officer and link to them all. When the fourth victim turns up Lucy is very much a figure of interest with her own secrets and issues can Lucy prove her innocence? Is she innocent?

There is a lot of focus on Lucy, her personal circumstance, her job and what she has to endure, these men are vile "human beings" and we see two sides of Lucy. Lucy the probation officer who takes no snash and faces these men, their intimidation/threats. Then we see Lucy Sherwood, abused wife living with a controlling, aggressive, violent always ready to trigger husband.

I do like a book where yes we have crime/action/murder etc but you very much get the human aspect with deeper insight into the characters. What they endure, survive and how they manage to put their face on to mask it to the world, their colleagues and those closest, very accurate of how some people live in the real word. Whilst we are getting better at talking about domestic abuse and admitting it exists we still have so much more we need to do. I think if you have experienced this in your lifetime this book will hit more than one emotive tone with you, memories, emotions may well be evoked. It is a book that deals with very disturbing scenarios, characteristics and hard hitting themes, it is hard to believe it is a debut. I very much look forward to more by Holten, a star is on the rise, 4.5/5 for me!

A decent debut novel. Quick and fast paced so didn't take long to read. The murders took a back seat to the characters and their development so when they were solved it all felt a little rushed. Definitely worth a read though.

Domestic abuse turned this once vibrant, confident, and intelligent woman into an empty shell of sadness, insecurity, and fear.
Domestic abuse and substance misuse was a growing concern in Staffordshire. Lucy’s a probation officer whose caseload included victims of domestic abuse. DC Maggie Jamieson worked the murder cases involving three abusers linked to Lucy.

A debut crime novel and the first book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. While I appreciate the time and effort put into creating a story about domestic abuse. I wasn’t bouncing in my seat with excitement over this book. Being that this was a character driven story I felt this hindered the growth of the story taking away from the investigation. Too much time was spent on following the lives of each of these spousal abuse cases.

Characters:
DC Maggie Jamieson
Drew Talbot domestic abuse
Lucy Sherwood Probation Officer
Robert Millard and Louise Millard domestic abuse case
Mick O’Dowd and Moira domestic abuse case

Overall:
There’s nothing thrilling or exciting about violent abuse cases. The murder investigation isn’t the main focus, it’s the lives of each of these characters who have suffered some form of abuse.

I think there was missed opportunity with Lucy’s character as a Probation Officer. Her sessions with these three men were too brief.
Maggie’s character took a backseat to the three men and the lives of the other characters. Not much was being done to solve these cases other than some conversations.

I don’t doubt Noelle’s expertise on the job requirements of a Probation Officer working with domestic abuse and violence considering she was one herself. As far as this being her debut novel it needs to be darker and edgier in order for it to be a page turner. I thought it was drab in areas. The characters were lacking pizzazz. There was too much going on. Simplifying the story would help clean it up.

Wow!

Wow!

WOW!!!

Where to start!

When I see a book written by someone that has worked or works in the area that the book is set in, my interest twitches up an extra notch. This means that I kind of expect some extra details or the author will try to impart some of that experience onto the page of the story.

When you read Noelle’s career resume I think you will agree it is impressive. As I started to read the story I became aware immediately that she had very successfully transferred her experiences into an extremely gripping read.

Lucy is a deliberate dual personality character. By this, I mean that she has her career persona and then her at home as a wife persona. The contrasts, or the reasons behind having these two faces soon becomes apparent as the story emerges. As a Probation Officer, Lucy needs to be strong, she cannot afford to get caught up with her clients. She is aware that while this works very well at work, she knows it will not work at home. Knowing this, she reacts and responds accordingly!

Maggie is one of the investigators who has been brought in as a murder has been reported. She is apprehensive as she starts to work with a new team and she soon begins to find her feet and settle into her role. Now I have to say that there is something else about this character that has intrigued me. I am beside myself to see what is revealed in the next book!

The thing I liked about this book, well actually there was lots of things I loved, not just liked. Hang on! Scrap that!!! I loved everything about this book! The story is set out in very quick chapters that flitted back and forth between the main characters. It meant that the pace was good and had me eager to read what would happen to each character, I wanted to know about everyone all at the same time!

This was a read that had two main storylines that were intermingled in an absolutely brilliant way. There is that of the investigation into the murders. Then that of Lucy with her job and home life. Along the course of the reading, I found these gradually merged and meandered into each other. It left me with such a feeling of suspense, trepidation and also fear. Yes fear for one of the characters, what would happen, would it happen… I know I’m not being helpful, but I am petrified of giving spoilers!

I have to mention other characters in this book they are colleagues, friends and if you are a Book Blogger you will discover they are somewhat familiar!

I am just going to stop here and get to the very basics! If you want a hard-hitting crime thriller then you seriously need to get this book. A fabulous story that is the beginning of what I feel will be an amazing writing career.

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten gets an Absolutely and Highly Recommended from Me!