Cover Image: Dead Inside

Dead Inside

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Member Reviews

I think this one deserves to start with a little EEEEEKKKK! As one of Noelle's beta readers for this book, when I came to read the final version, it was my third time reading the book but you know what, that prologue reaches out and grabs me by the throat EVERY single time! #KillerHookAlert going on here! It is authentic, it is vivid and it is sickeningly terrifying!
It is hard to believe that Dead Inside is a debut novel; a hard hitting story of domestic abuse and murder, with a cast of completely relatable and engaging characters and a nail-biting plot, this one will keep you turning the pages way after bedtime!
It was impossible not to be moved by Lucy Sherwood's plight, by day she is a respected Probation Officer but at home she is a shadow of herself cowed by her abusive husband, Patrick. It’s a fantastic portrayal of domestic abuse and shatters the myth that abuse only happens to a certain section of society. It also addresses that whole issue of "why doesn't she just leave" underlying the many reasons why people stay in abusive relationships. It had me crying for Lucy but cheering her on at the same time. I loved watching Lucy with her colleagues and her developing relationships with others she meets at work; it was easy to see the woman she could be without Patrick controlling her. The whole time though, "what if Patrick finds out" was running through my head as I bit my nails down to the quick!
Now, Patrick- there are so many words I want to use for him but I'd probably get barred from everywhere! This guy made my skin crawl, he made my hackles rise and hell he made me want to reach into the pages and take him by the scrawny neck and...Ok so you get the picture? That's right I did not like this man! I felt so sorry for his kids and the damage he was doing to them. I really felt as though, I knew this guy, charming and manipulative when he wanted something and more than happy to justify his actions to suit his own twisted mind-set. There are so many Patricks out there in this world!
It's evident that the author has a working knowledge of the probation system and this shines through in her writing. You'd be hard pushed not to feel like you are smack bang in the midst of the criminal justice system such is the authenticity. It was refreshing to read the story from the Probation side of things, this is an area we don't often get to hear about in crime fiction and I'm looking forward to hearing more about the team as the series goes on.
With a whole host of characters it's impossible to talk about them all. There are a few familiar names there that might make you smile! A firm favourite of mine was DC Maggie Jamieson. Still reeling after the investigation into the brutal murders by psychopath, Bill Raven, we soon realise that Maggie's life isn't as clear cut as we might first believe when her brother gets in touch. Maggie has been moved over to the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit and is finding her feet and place within the team. Two of her colleagues, Mark Fielding and Kat Everett also made a huge impact on me. Oh Kat, she made me laugh with her straight talking and colourful language! Mark's view of domestic abuse offenders may not have been professional but they were totally understandable. He kind of warmed my heart a little and I'm dying to know how his friendship with Lucy plays out.
Of course it's not just about the characters, a multi layered plot gives the reader plenty to lap up. While we watch Lucy cope with the split between her private and professional life, Maggie Jamieson is caught up in a spate of murders. It's kind of hard to feel Sorry for the victims though especially when you know what they have been up to! It certainly gives you a little moral dilemma to chew over! There is more than enough here to keep the reader satisfied. Entirely topical in relation to domestic abuse but also relevant in times of multi-agency working and the communication issues faced, I was completely engrossed all the way through. And with an ending that promises and exciting follow up, this series is definitely one on my must read list!
From a gut punching prologue to a nail biting plot, sitting alongside a splendid cast of characters, Dead Inside is an outstanding debut from a writer who is sure to continue to wow us with her work! I don't know about anyone else but I am dying to read book number two already!
My review will be on my blog as part of the blog tour!

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What an amazing book. I was surprised that this was a debut novel.
There was lots of content in the book but it was so well written that it was easy to follow what was happening with each character.
It was not predictable at all and kept me guessing until the end of the book.
I can’t wait for the authors next book.

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Three men are murdered, all with a history of domestic abuse. DC Maggie Jamieson is on the hunt for a serial killer. But who are the real victims? Did the men get what they deserved?

An amazing thriller debut. I’m looking forward to reading book 2! It deals with tough situations and events very well and honestly. You can tell the author has strong experience in this field and it can’t through in her clear and believable writing.

My only negative was the sheer amount of characters - I had to keep going back to remember who was who! Siobhan, Shell, Sarah... it really threw me who was who for a bit, and that’s just the top of the iceberg.

Overall would totally recommend this to anyone looking for a new crime thriller series - a great beginning!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed this debut novel. The story was fast paced and I liked getting to know all the characters. This was such a sensitive subject yet really well done. Look forward to reading the next book in the series.

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This is the first book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, and also the first book by this author. Three domestic abuse offenders are found killed and Probation Officer, Lucy Sherwood is a connection between the three. Lucy though is hiding a dark secret from her friends and colleagues. Not only does she deal with domestic abuse offenders in her job, but she also experiences it first-hand from her husband at home. DC Maggie Jamieson is new to the domestic violence unit, and her first case is to try and find out who has beaten the offenders to death. When she discovers Lucy has dealt with them all she begins to wonder if Lucy is connected to their deaths….

This was a great debut novel and a fantastic start to the series! It was such a refreshing change to have a crime book that wasn’t just based on police procedurals but also seeing it from the other side of the fence with the Probation Service. I have never read a book where the Probation Service featured so prominently and it was completely mesmerising as to how that service worked. It’s obvious it’s not as easy as it seems! You can tell that the author has a background working for the Probation Service as everything to do with it appears so factually correct!

Lucy was an interesting character and my heart broke for her having to experience domestic violence at home and then deal with it at work also. She appeared on one hand to be your typical ‘beaten’ wife, thinking things will change and never quite plucking up the courage to speak up and tell somebody about what she had been experiencing. On the other hand though, you would never have said a professional woman in that job would be on the receiving end of abuse from her own husband. That for me was the scariest thing in that you can never tell just by looking at someone what is really going on behind closed doors. What was obvious though was that this, at some point, was going to have serious repercussions for Lucy, but how it actually all unravelled was shocking!

DC Maggie Jamieson is a great character and I look forward to more from her in future books. She is a clever woman, with good logical thinking and seems a welcome addition to the team. As the book, for me, focussed mainly on Lucy’s storyline, I didn’t feel as connected to Maggie as I wanted to, but hopefully in the next book we get to find out more about Maggie, both personally and professionally!

The book was a shocking look at domestic abuse and I won’t lie and say it’s been sugar coated, because it hasn’t! The language is appropriate to the storyline, but this and the story in general may be upsetting for some. It was really difficult to have any sympathy for the victims who had been killed, as some may say it was justice served! The majority of the other characters were all likeable and added depth to the story. It was most definitely a hard hitting book, but one that kept me turning the pages furiously! Would definitely recommend and I will be keeping my ears open for news of the next one!!

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This is a great debut novel, a real gritty storyline about domestic abuse which is unfortunately all too common in today’s society. I loved the way the story was portrayed and the effects that mental and physical abuse can have on a person. I also liked the way the story was told from different peoples perspectives. A brilliant book and I can’t wait to see what other books Noelle comes up with.

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I found this book quite hard going. It developed really slowly, and there was a lot of chapters dedicated to getting to know new characters. It felt like the first half of the book was just introducing all the main players.
There was also too much going on that the book couldn’t dedicate itself to being one type of book. There wasn’t enough time to completely emerge in the investigative side of the story, so we only see snippets of this. It also felt a little like a psychological thriller with what Lucy was going through. However, this was just a watered-down version of a PT. There wasn’t enough time to really get to know the ‘victims’. Even though we get introduced to all the characters, there wasn’t enough time to really get to know them.
In crime books, we the reader are usually along for the ride in unveiling who the killer or bad guy is. However, the investigation just felt a little bit half-hearted. The book was just spread too thin. It could have done with being either a longer book or cutting out some of the characters and could have been made more focused.
The best thing about the book was the small chapters, often only one or two minutes long. This really helped me move through the book at a decent pace. I could say I will just read another chapter as it is only small and then once finished still have time for another.
The ending was also quite good; I didn’t expect the dual aspect nor who was to blame for the killings. Overall, it wasn’t a terrible book, but it had a good premise and could have been so much better.

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An absolutely fierce debut book. Covering the gritty and often disturbing subject of domestic violence, this book also gives an educated insight into the difficulties faced by probation officers as they work diligently alongside the police. Whilst the overall story is that of a serial killer the multi agency approach adds real meat to the story. Looking forward to the next installment.

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Three men were murdered, and they all had two things in common: a history of domestic violence and Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood. DC Maggie Jamieson and her team are in the midst of their investigation when Lucy's husband becomes the fourth victim. Is it all a terrible coincidence, or is Lucy a killer? The team needs to solve these crimes, and soon... before someone else turns up dead.

I've had the pleasure of reading several unputdownable crime thrillers since I started book blogging, and I've come to have high expectations for novels in this genre. I want several characters who seem shady enough to be a viable suspect. I want to be shocked when something unexpected happens. Most importantly, I want to be surprised when the killer is revealed.

Holten's spectacular debut easily met all those expectations.

Dead Inside is a well written story told from multiple points of view, which I enjoyed because I like to get into the head of several characters. Getting into the heads of the abusive men in the story was disturbing at times, but the realistic portrayal of them was necessary to the story, in this reader's opinion.

I was somewhat taken aback to find myself feeling a momentary glimmer of sympathy after reading one of the victims final thoughts. That is something I wouldn't have thought possible as he had done something pretty awful in a previous chapter. I rarely feel anything other than disgust for such an unlikable character. For an author to make me feel compassion, instead, is quite impressive. Well done. Very well done!

The ending blew me away, knocked me off my feet, and now I'm dying to read book two of the series. I can't wait to see what comes next for DC Jamieson!

If you love crime thrillers and you're looking for a new author to read, I highly recommend this book... and I hope you love it as much as I did!

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Killer Reads via Netgalley.

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I can't believe that this is a debut!! I was totally hooked from the start and couldn't put it down. She has the ability to write such believable characters and story line that could have been a true story. It's difficult in places as it centres around domestic abuse but it's great that she has raised awareness about it too.
It was very important that she acknowledges everyone's experience will be different too. I think this book will be great as a crime thriller but it has the potential to turn someone's life around who maybe experiencing domestic abuse as it's the crippling shame and guilt that keeps women quiet and prevents them from getting support. Look forward to book No. 2!!

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I found the style of this book flowed and although there were many characters they each had their place in the story.

The author tackles the difficult subject of domestic abuse, both physical and mental, very truthfully and gives an insight into the reverberations it has to family and friends of the abused.

DC Maggie Jamieson is the head of the new department set up specifically for investigations into domestic abuse DAHU (Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit). Although Maggie is the lead character in this first book in this series, Lucy Sherwood, the Probation Officer, played a major role in this story and this side of the system was particularly of interest to me.

I highly recommend this book and I am very much looking forward to reading more in this series.

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It was a fast-paced read, that's for sure. The short, sharp chapters and slick POV changes kept me reading on. There was plenty of tension; I could feel the frustration among the investigating officers as more deaths occurred but without any leads.

Given that all of the murdered men were domestic violence abusers, it wasn't hard to feel that they had deserved their horrific deaths - in fact, whoever the killer was, they seemed to be doing the police's job in ridding society of these vile creatures.

The scenes of abuse - when these men displayed their tempers to the women in their lives - were intense and tense, showing how quick these men were to anger and react with their fists at the slightest opportunity. I winced on several occasions at their violence. Similarly, the killer's own methods were not for the faint-hearted.

Talking of killers, my suspicions as to their identity were raised quite early on, in fact after less than a third of the story, I was ready to stake my bet. And while I don't want to brag (well, not much anyway) I was pleased to be correct in my summation. (Am I guilty of watching and reading too many crime dramas? Maybe ;) but I couldn't possibly comment further for fear of incriminating myself)

All in all, a good story, delivered with great timing and pace, and with some interesting characters who - hopefully - will feature in more books in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this book.

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Dead Inside Noelle Holten

A few months ago I heard that one of the staff at a publishers I follow had written a book. In fact I began to hear a few mentions of DEAD INSIDE by Noelle Holten.

I had to read it, but I was worried, what if I didn’t like it. I talk to this woman a lot and do book reviews for some of the authors she’s responsible for. This could have been nasty.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I should have known better. If you represent the authors Noelle represents, and write the reviews she puts on line of other books she reads, I should have known she loves the same type of fiction as I do.

But she’s gone one step further than me, she’s written a book, and what a book!

Dead Inside is going to be up there with this year’s top releases.

Noelle has written this book in a way that not many, if any, other books I’ve read have been written before. Although it is billed as “Maggie Jamieson Crime Thriller Book 1” there is no real lead character. Everybody seems to get equal billing and the story is brilliant for it.

I was trying to find a way of explaining this and eventually came up with the analogy that the books characters are like those from a TV soap, everybody is important to the story, when it’s their turn they are front and centre, but it’s the story that takes precedent. The plot is lead chronologically by the character that means the most at that time. So although Maggie is a thread throughout, she gets no more or less page time than anybody else. I really like this style.

So who is Maggie, well she’s a DC who has been moved from a Murder Investigation Team in Staffordshire Police to a new unit. Why has she been moved? Her back story indicates that she was heavily involved in a serial killer investigation, and that maybe she suffered a bit during that investigation.

The newly formed team is the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit, and is a multi-agency team set up to quell the growing problem of Domestic Violence, and the deaths associated with it, across Staffordshire.

When the team was set up I would imagine that they thought the Homicides would be mainly women who had suffered abuse at the hands of their partners. So on Maggie’s first day it’s a bit of a shock when the body of a man who was an abuser turns up.

The team start an investigation as the man was known to them and involve the Probation Service in their inquiry, as he was also known to them.

A big part of this story is a group of people that represent a section of society we all know exists but hopefully never have an involvement with.

Women, a lot with drink or drugs problems, gravitating to men with the same problems, or men who will exploit those women when they are at their lowest ebb. Women who get abused physically and mentally, and when they find the courage to move on, nearly always end up in another abusive relationship.

In this story one woman should not be in that category, she should know better, she works with women that suffer abuse, then she goes home and behind closed doors she becomes one of the abused. At times the sections of the story that looks at Lucy and her Husband are hard to read but compelling at the same time.

As the bodies start to pile up another character is introduced to the team. Dr Kate Maloney is a Criminal Psychiatrist, a young Irish woman who dresses in full Goth clothing and has a tongue as sharp as a knife. What a character.

Maggie works the case and introduces the rest of the team as the investigation continues. All of the team have their opinions, and as the book moves on their individual characters are laid open for the reader. Each of them is realistic and everybody who has ever worked in a team will recognise the dynamics, there are some we will love, and there are others who will infuriate.

The story continues with more violence in the almost incestuous community of abusers and victims.

The Police battle against the closed nature of the group and the absolute denial of some of the victims.

But somebody out there is doing something about it, and the way they’re doing it is murderous. Spine-tingly murderous.

So now the abusers are becoming victims will anybody have any sympathy for them. How will the investigating team deal with looking out for peoples safety, when they have been trying to take them off the streets for years.

This book had me hooked from start to finish. It had me holding my breath and making out-loud exclamations. It had me reading way past my usual bedtime and then waking up early to carry on and find out who was safe and who wasn’t.

I had sympathy for the victims of abuse, and at the same time I was frustrated by their lack of helping themselves, and their constant denial of there actually being a problem. Yes, it is very real.

Like all good books it ends on a cliff hanger. One that I really didn’t see coming, but which opens the door for Maggie Jamieson Book 2.

In a strange way I would love to have come across this book after 3 or 4 had been published so that I could have binge read them.

But I am really chuffed to have been in from the start. I hope I’m about to ride a wave that includes many a venture for Maggie and her team.

Noelle Hurry up and write the next one please.

Pages: 293
Publisher: Killer Reads
Publishing Date: 31st May 2019….Just in time to buy for a the summer holiday books.

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I enjoyed reading Noelle's debut and am already looking forward to the next book in the series. I had 3 different endings in my head as I got closer to the end and am glad to say I was completely wrong. I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the book to review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views and are completely unbiased.

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Gosh !!! At first I wasn’t keen on the style of writing I felt it was a little detached however once you get used to it, this becomes less of an issue. Lots of characters most of whom are well developed and described in detail. A couple of them I felt were superfluous and perhaps they feature more in forthcoming books.

The story line itself is hard and gritty and leaves little to the imagination in terms of describing domestic abuse (physical and emotional) and makes for a difficult read at times. Not for the faint hearted but worth the effort

I’m looking forward to the next instalment

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When I first heard that Noelle Holten was bringing out her debut crime novel, I was more than excited, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Needless to say, it went straight to the top of my TBR pile, and after the chilling and powerful opening, I was hooked.

Dead Inside is a well-crafted debut; I just know that I’m going to be reading every book that follows on in this series. Noelle draws on her own experience of working as a probation officer, and this adds a ring of authenticity to her book.

This is Lucy Sherwood’s story, a probation officer who is currently handling cases of domestic abuse. Lucy speaks to men daily who abuse their partners, and for her, this begins to hit far too close to home. Then we have DC Maggie Jamieson who has just been handed the toughest case of her career when the body of a man connected to a case of domestic abuse is discovered. Then two more bodies are found. And soon the case draws back to Lucy.

Dead Inside can be quite a tough read; you can see where Noelle’s own personal experience from her line of work has fed into her novel, and the emotion in her writing comes through so strongly. The emotions of the team working on the cases of the murdered victims come through very well, particularly as none of the victims are likeable, and many of the police officers feel they have got their just deserves. It must be so hard working on cases similar to this and to try and not let your mind be clouded by judgement. I’m sure there are many who will think that the person carrying out these crimes is doing the public a favour.

The pace in this novel never drops, and Noelle kept me on my toes as I tried to work out what was going on and who was behind the murders that were taking place. When everything started to come together towards the end, I thought I could see everything coming together clearly, but Noelle still had one clever twist up her sleeve which completely threw me and it was one that I didn’t expect.

Noelle sets the scene perfectly for book two in the series, and I for one can’t wait to find out what happens next. If you’re a crime fiction lover, you have to give this a try. Dead Inside wins a very easy five stars from me.

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Dead Inside is the story of domestic abuse and the repercussions in the form of murder for the abusers. Lucy Sherwood is a probation officer and has a number of clients that are domestic abusers. She knows a thing or two about abuse because she also lives as an abuse victim at the hands of her husband Patrick. Abusers start to die by being beaten and slashed to death. When her abusive husband is murdered, Lucy is the common tie that binds all the dead abusers together. Did she finally have enough of them and take mattes into her own hand? Or is she a further victim of circumstance?
Thank you netgalley for an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion.

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An absolutely fantastic start to a new detective series . I devoured this book and loved every chapter . A brilliant storyline and some good strong characters . This is Ms Holtens debut novel and it’s a cracker of a read. Highly recommend.

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I enjoyed this book. It is well written and the pacing is quite wonderful! I will read more from this author.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads, and Noelle Holten for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone has a motive and you can’t help but think the victims got what they deserve in this dark, gruesome and hard hitting debut novel. Beginning with a prologue that details a woman’s dread as her husband arrives home drunk, how that night something even worse than usual happens as he rapes her for the first time, I knew instantly this would be hard to read in places.

Though this book was filled with lots of characters and is written from more points of view than any other I’ve read, it was never confusing which was a testament to the skill of this author. Some of these were obvious stereotypes while others, like Lucy weren’t. She isn’t what you think of when you imagine an abused spouse and this helped to highlight that anyone has the potential to find themselves in that kind of relationship. Reading her chapters was often difficult but for me the ones I found most sickening were those told from the point of view of the perpetrators. The ones who first come to mind are Patrick and Robert. The insight into their twisted minds, the sheer enormity of their rage over the slightest perceived wrong, and how they recognised and enjoyed their behaviour made my stomach crawl.

Probation isn’t a side of crime usually included in crime fiction so it was interesting and refreshing to read about it in this book. It’s a side of the law I have never really thought about and I was sad but not surprised to read how so many of those convicted of domestic abuse re-offend, as it was to read how many victims are almost complicit in the cycle as they struggle to break free of their abusive partner or spouse.

The unsettling subject matter made this an emotive read. I’d veer from empathy for the victims of abuse to anger and disgust at the perpetrators, to feeling quite glad the men had been killed and thinking the murderer was actually doing society a favour by administering their own version of justice. Though at times predictable, this was a compelling and provocative novel and I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

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