Not going to lie. I am always really keen to read the next in the Luc Callanach and Ava Turner series. Helen Fields has really nailed the art of leaving the reader wanting more, by teasing out those personal moments then dangling a big question at the end of the book.

But the #Perfect books are more than that. Each time I finish one I think to myself that the next one can’t possibly live up to her previous books, and each time Ms Fields proves me wrong. These books are addictive and Perfect Kill, the 6th in this series, is a cracking thriller/police procedural.

Tense, fast-paced, thrilling and suspenseful Perfect Kill is another terrific read. In Perfect Kill the action takes place in both Scotland and France. France because that’s where Luc is – on secondment to Interpol, trying to renew acquaintances with former colleagues after his difficult exit, and currently licking his wounds after making a complete arse of himself with DCI Turner.

In Paris, Luc is part of a team investigating a people smuggling ring and who have discovered the tortured body of a young man on a building site, who may be Scottish. In Edinburgh, Ava has been trying to move on from Luc, though not wildly successfully, and she now finds herself dealing with two murders alongside trying to establish the identity of the body that has been found in France. With an overstretched team, she has a lot on her hands.

The plot of Perfect Kill is strong and her subject matter tackles crimes that make you feel seriously queasy as she shows the dark underbelly of what people trafficking and forced prostitution means for the victims. That’s not the only major evil in this book, either. There’s another, just as horrible crime going on, but this one is covered in the dressing of a rich con trick and is going to be much harder to unmask.

Bart Campbell is a young man with everything to live for. He’s close to his mum, so when he doesn’t come home after finishing his shift in the restaurant where he works she’s not slow to call the Police.  By that time, Bart is waking up to find himself chained up, in the dark and in fear for his life. It’s a race against time to see if Luc and Ava can find him.

Fields vivid and truly scary descriptions take the reader straight into the horrors of what is befalling those characters whose lives are in peril. Even when the threat to life is not acute, the way in which the women, in particular, have to live is brutal and truly shocking. Fields never flinches from showing us the true horror of such lives, drawing us in and inviting us to feel the pain.

Though Callanach and Turner work together very well and have the most professional of relationships, which means that they are well placed to discover the links between the cases they are separately working on and to bring them together in a timely fashion. Though their history means that their personal lives are very much grating on each other, an old friend’s illness will force them to set that aside for the time being.

I enjoyed too the way in which Ava’s team is becoming a greater part of the story as their characters evolve and are fleshed out.

Verdict: Perfect Kill is another must read in this series. Sharp and on-point, this police procedural is a gripping, edge of the seat twisted descent into nail-biting hell.

He had never heard himself scream before. It was terrifying.
Alone, trapped in the darkness and with no way out, Bart Campbell knows that his chances of being found alive are slim.
Drugged and kidnapped, the realisation soon dawns that he’s been locked inside a shipping container far from his Edinburgh home. But what Bart doesn’t yet know is that he’s now heading for France where his unspeakable fate is already sealed…
DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are working on separate cases that soon collide as it becomes clear that the men and women being shipped to France are being traded for women trafficked into Scotland.
With so many lives at stake, they face an impossible task – but there’s no option of failure when Bart and so many others will soon be dead…

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.  This is my own honest voluntary review.

A well structured and excellently written crime novel which links Edinburgh and Paris. It deals with controversial and shocking themes like sex trafficking, missing persons and murder for organ harvesting. With graphic descriptions in places the investigation twists and turns brilliantly leaving the reader on edge and compelled to read on.
Although this works as a stand alone I loved reading this crime drama so much I now want to read the other DI Callanach series. Dark, gruesome but superbly executed writing - an absolutely compelling read.

Edinburgh student Bart Campbell awakes to find himself in a shipping container and tied down. He doesn’t remember how he got there or where he is going but he realises that nothing good can come from his situation.

DI Luc Callanach is working with Interpol in Paris, France looking into an illegal organ transplant operation when he comes across an emptied body. The body belongs to Edinburgh resident Malcolm Reilly who was recently reported missing by his family. He asks DCI Ava Turner who works for Major Investigation Team (MIT) in Edinburgh to speak to the family and to let them know what has happened to him.

DCI Turner is also working on the case of a man shot dead in his home in a shady part of Edinburgh. The body has been left but someone has tried to clean the area around it, why?

Could the three cases be linked somehow?

Perfect Kill is the sixth book in the ‘Perfect’ series by Helen Fields but the first book in the series that I have read. To be honest I didn’t even realise that it was the sixth in the series until I read it on Goodreads. I can confirm it can be read as a standalone as I never felt like I had missed out or didn’t understand any sections.

The plot is quite sinister in places and as well as the illegal organ operation there is also a prostitution ring in Edinburgh going on right under the detective’s noses and some of the scenes within in this subplot can get a little full-on, so be warned if women being attacked and killed for sport is a trigger for you.

The writing is superb and had me invested in the story from the very beginning. I was eager to know would Bart make it home ever again or would Elenuta, one of the prostitutes ever get away from the criminals keeping her and forcing her to have entertain men daily.

This is one of those books that had me on the edge of my seat. It was horrific at times to read but that was mainly down to how realistic it was and how believable the situations were. I loved how eventually the cases worked their way together and also the moments of lightheartedness throughout which always came at a welcome moment.

The characters were plausible and likeable. I enjoyed both DI Callanach and DCI Turner’s working styles, even if they were completely different from one another. I also appreciated the setting and scenery of both Edinburgh and Paris.

If you are a fan of police procedural novels that have a more gritty, gory side to them then this is the book to read. I am now off to check the others in the series out.

What a brilliant read. It was engaging, it was engrossing and it was very well written. My first read by Fields and it certainly will not be my last. Despite starting at the end of a series, I have not been deterred – I need to get my hands on the rest of the books!

Fields has gone into so much detail in this story. She creates a criminal world that simply pulls you in. Initially I was uncertain where the story would be headed but, as the plot progressed, I was increasingly keen to find out more. At first I was a little put off by the subjects of human trafficking and prostitution. However, Fields’ depiction creates a chilling sequence of crimes that you want to see solved.

Whilst this is a series that follows Callanach, my favourite character was undoubtedly Ava. She is strong, brave and determined. I liked her witticisms and dedication – both to her best friend, Natasha, and her work. As the plot intensifies, I felt like Fields developed her character more and more – she has more of a presence than the dishy Callanach. I found myself desperate to see Ava succeed and solve the crimes – believing in her character and strength added to my enjoyment of the novel.

Set in both France and Scotland, I liked how the plot shifted between the two countries. Whilst it was clear how the missing persons was linked to the prostitution rings, I was more engrossed in witnessing the crimes being solved. Indeed, the undercover element from Callanach and Lively in particular, had me tense with fear of discovery.

From my perspective, it is evident how much time has gone into crafting this story. I cannot be more specific than this, but I felt like a lot of time has gone into making sure every element of the plot is “just so”. I think it based on the fact that there characterisation is developed, the different plot strands carefully considered and the crimes themselves so elaborate. This book seems like a labour of love that resounded from the pages. I guess what I am trying to say is this author devotion made me enjoy the story even more.

I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed reading this novel. The characters are convincing and the crimes are believable. It was equally chilling and thrilling, and I am excited to read more stories about Ava and Callanach.

With thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 6th book in the series and I think this one is definitely the darkest of the six books. There are some very disturbing scenes involving a sex trafficking storyline which were at times quite difficult to read. Despite the very dark subject matter I did really enjoy the rest of the book, as I have with all of this series. I find the writing to be very engaging and I’m always hooked on the storyline right from the first couple of pages. The characters are well developed and despite their flaws, very likeable. By book six I’m now very invested in these characters but I am starting to find the storyline with Ava and Luc a little frustrating now and I hope that they either get together in the next book or that this will they/won’t they storyline gets dropped. Another dark and twisty police procedural in a great series which I thoroughly enjoyed! Thanks to @netgalley for the copy of this book.

An intelligently plotted, noir, crime thriller. set in Scotland and France, two cases, one in France, one in Scotland has DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach working separately, which given the recent strain in their relationship is probably best. As the killing escalates,  and the connections between the cases multiply, the two detectives are drawn together professionally, even while they try to maintain their distance.

I love the team dynamics in the Scottish police team, so many different personalities, but all prepared to put their differences aside, to get the job done. An overly enthusiastic new team member threatens the team status quo, but everyone has to learn and Ava is prepared to give him a chance. 

Luc reacquaints with his former partner in France, there is much to forgive, but neither seems willing to compromise. Only, when they face danger, does the bad blood between them get some perspective.

The crimes are heinous and are hard to read about, there is a pervading sense of evil in this story, which is chilling. The investigation is authentic and painstaking, and the suspense builds to not one, but two adrenaline-inducing conclusions.

The detectives' personal life is not without its drama and sadness, but at the end out of the despair, a positive way forward beckons.

An addictive, police procedural style crime thriller, with clever suspense building and vibrant, relatable characters. 

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK in return for an honest review.

This was such a messed up book, I enjoyed it though, if you could enjoy it...

I've read some dark books before but this one is definitely up there in one of the most messed up books I've ever read. 

It was really difficult to read at times. The subject matter is incredibly dark and there really are a couple of scenes that were even getting a bit difficult for me to read. 

If you can handle the subject matter of this book, I would definitely pick it up. It's the 6th in the series but you don't have to read it in order. I've only read the first book in the series and it made perfect sense to me

The writing is engaging and there was a lot of action all the way through. 

The characters are interesting also. I thought that DI callanach was unlikeable in the first book but I think hes more likeable now, so it's nice to see character development across a series 

My only minor criticism of this book was the length. It did feel a bit too long and there were points where I wasn't fully engaged with the story but there was plenty of action towards the end which hooked me right back into the story 

Overall, this is a very interesting, well written book but incredibly dark and intense. Major trigger warnings 

TW: human trafficking, organ harvesting, sex trafficking, rape, torture, murder and imprisonment

I finished this yesterday, and as I thought, it’s pretty forgettable. (Some possible spoilers). 

I struggled with the awful scenes - rape, sexual violence - combined with flippant, lighthearted, unrealistic prose. Some examples:

‘Things had been bad under Finlay - she hated how literal that was - but it was even worse with Scalp in charge.’ 

Her clothes were ripped whilst being raped: ‘Now there was both screwing and sewing on the agenda before she could sleep’. Jesus. Just been raped and this reads like she has a wry smile on her face saying ‘men, what they like, huh!’ 

And what’s going on with the names?!! Again!! (It was ‘Knuckles’ in a previous book). 

Bart & Maggie?? I thought this would be, at least badly, explained at some point like ‘oh, he was born David, but given his spiky hair & yellow skin (?) and my name, we call him Bart’. 

Scalp. Spiky. Barney Wheeler. Digger. 

Really?! 

The part of the story set in France - I found dull & the ending was flat. I didn’t much care by that point. But I will admit, I was completely engaged when it was Ava’s ‘finale’ 70% of the way in. 

The thing is, these books are an easy read... And I feel committed now! So as much the naming conventions are RIDICULOUS and the dialogue is unrealistic and Callanach is a complete wet lettuce... I’ll probably still read the next one.

Book 6 in the Luc/Ava series and each one just gets better and better. After Luc and Ava's falling out from book 5, Luc returns to France to liaise with Interpol on human trafficking cases. I find myself getting a little frustrated with the love story arc between the 2 of them, but not so much that I want to quit reading. They're a dynamic couple and the push and pull and poor timing just adds more depth and nuance to any story they're in together. While Ava is dealing with the Scotland end of the human trafficking issues, including women literally being run to death in a maze by men who pay for the right to get to do whatever they want to them if they're caught, Luc is trying to chase down a sick cash for organs scheme that's ripping off wealthy people with terminal illnesses, the result of the murders of people who have been trafficked from Scotland to France. It's a layered story, with bits of the investigation seemingly tying together out of nowhere, and the investigation and capture is all seamlessly tied together by Fields. I can't wait to get the next installment of this series.

DCS Ava Turner of the Edinburgh Major Investigation Team is working on the case of a missing young man who turns out to be kidnapped.
Meanwhile DCI Luc Callanach is back in his native country of France, working with Interpol and his old partner Jean-Paul in an illegal organ transplant  investigation.
When the cases turn out to be linked, Luc and Ava must collaborate to find the sinister killers involved in human trafficking and organ harvesting.
This compelling story has graphic violence and brutality.
A fast paced police procedural with lots of action and really great characters. There is strong chemistry between Luc and Ava that keeps a dynamic tension in their relationship.
Though the sixth of the series it can be easily read as a stand alone. But believe me, you'll want to go back and read from the beginning!
Thank you to Avon Books UK for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Remarkably, this is the my first book in this series, which I have intended to begin reading for eons, but have now made inroads with it. I had absolutely no problems diving in at book six, though I imagine, in common with many series, it is recommended to read the instalments in chronological order to gain the full reading experience. 

In Perfect Kill by Helen Sarah Fields, I was introduced to the star of the show, DI Luc Callanach. Bart Campbell has been drugged and kidnapped, then locked inside a shipping container far from his Edinburgh home. He knows that his chances of being found alive are slim, but he is unaware that he’s now heading for France where his unspeakable fate is already sealed…

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are working on separate investigations that soon converge as it becomes clear that the men and women being shipped to France are being traded for women trafficked into Scotland. With so many lives at stake, they face an impossible task – but there’s no room for failure when Bart and so many others will soon be dead…

With a captivating opening scenario, I was engrossed and addicted within the first few pages. Perfect Kill has plenty of violence, gore and action to keep the staunchest of crime readers entertained and has an abundance of subject matters ensure the content is compelling and original. This is a very gritty thriller with graphic themes of sex trafficking that would not suit those who prefer their crime cosy.

I liked the equilibrium between the professional and personal lives of Ava and Luc and their relationship, which came across as pretty complex, along with a checkered history. With its fascinating characters, fabulous plots, and interesting settings, I read Perfect Kill in its entirety in one sitting. Helen Fields' writing is first-class and the satisfying and fulfilling conclusion left me eager for the 7th instalment. Perfect Kill was a five star read for me, and without a doubt I will be looking out for a copy of Perfect Remains, the first book in this superbly written police procedural series. 

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Avon Books via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is the 6th in the series and I had read non of the prior books but that did not take away from my enjoy,ent of the book. I like both police characters Ava and Luc. Though I was not a fan of the direction of their connection with the trite everyone knows they both love each other but it is not meant to be storyline,

Howver, they are working on parallel cases which were both compelling and horrifying. Some of the violence against women maybe triggering. I also found myself trying to convince myself such things could not really happen. It I suspecT they can and do.

Engaging and enjoyable. I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I haven't read previous books in the series but soon got into the story. It was  a very dark storyline and I must admit people trafficking is not my favourite subject. The story moved rapidly forwards with some good characters. Lots of tension and fear.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. I’ve been reading the Luc Callenach books from the start of the series and I think this is the best yet. This novel is a real page turner and I was gripped reading it in two days. 

The novel has a dual location of France and Edinburgh and this works really well. We get to see Luc in his Interpol role and it gives him the distance he needs from Ava so the narrative can initially focus on the investigation rather than their relationship. 

Fields invests more in the characters of the victims than she usually does. They feel a bit less dispensable than they have in other novels and I liked the way the loose ends in their stories were tied up. The surgeon Luc visits in prison is a fantastic character. I hope we get to see more of her in future novels!

Overall this was a great novel. Just the right side of far fetched and full of suspense with familiar characters developing their stories.

You know you’ve read a good book when you open your kindle and get disappointed when you remember that you finished it! The DI callanach series is one of my favourites so I was delighted to get this via @netgalley. I love the characters in this series and after some cliffhangers in the last book it was great to see how these story lines develop. Perfect Kill is pretty dark but it’s one of those books you just need to keep reading to find out what’s happening! Thanks Helen fields - this series just keeps getting better!

Goodness gracious me. Where do I even begin?

In Perfect Kill, the reader gets a double dose of depravity as DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach work separate cases. Ava and her team are up in Scotland, while Luc has joined up with a former colleague at Interpol in France. Soon these cases will collide, with lives at stake on both sides of the Channel.

Few people manage to come up with the most evil and disturbing characters quite the way Helen Fields does. Characters that get under your skin, characters that make you want to take a really long shower, characters that have you glaring at the pages of the book, wishing you could hurt them somehow. They are truly vile and utterly despicable.

The reading experience is elevated by putting the reader right there, in the middle with the potential victims. We meet Bart, who wakes up one morning and realises he isn’t in his cosy bed at his mother’s home. Instead he finds himself chained in a dark and windowless place, location unknown. And then there’s Elenuta from Romania, who came to Scotland with the promise of a better life. Need I say more?

Some of these chapters are immensely uncomfortable to read. I winced, I felt sad and angry, I feared for these characters’ lives. These chapters are upsetting, powerful, raw and brutal. I often needed a moment to recover from the horror and brutality, the absolutely horrendous ways some people treat other people for sheer pleasure and entertainment, for money, and all the while it unfortunately all felt so incredibly realistic and believable. It’s sadly easy to imagine that these things do actually happen and these thoughts will linger on your mind long after you’ve finished the book.

So, not exactly for the faint-hearted, I suppose, but that’s something I’ve become used to from Helen Fields. Perfect Kill has many themes that haunt modern society, which lift this book to a whole other level in the crime fiction genre. The “Perfect” series has always been able to stand out from the crowd but this latest addition is really something else altogether. Gritty and raw, I perversely loved every minute of it. I’m not entirely sure what that says about me.

Due to lack of time, I often need to make the tough decision to drop a series because I can no longer keep up but I feel quite confident that this series right here will never be one of them. It is just that good and all that’s left for me to say is : bring on book seven!

Thank you Avon Books and Netgalley for a copy of Perfect Kill by Helen Fields for an honest review. 

Perfect Kill is book 6 in a series I absolutely love! The characters are really focused on in this one and this is probably the first one you couldn’t read as a stand-alone. I loved how after 6 books, I could mostly guess how the characters would react but Helen Fields is still shocking me with the crimes she chooses for these characters to investigate. For a police procedural series, the mystery is always so interesting and complex.

No secret at this point that I am obsessed with this series and hope to be raving about it for years to come!

European thriller pursuing criminals in Scotland and France - murder, kidnap, prostitution and killing women for sport.
This is a high octane chase from one crisis to another - which certainly keeps the reader hooked, then throw into the mix a love story between two of the main protagonists Ava and Luc - both high ranking police officers.
Characters are well written and some really gritty scenes which depicted cruelty and evil in the extreme.
I enjoyed this book however I really didn’t get the science/ medicine behind the body parts - this was unrealistic and not  a great  business model - as none of the recipients would survive the treatment - why bother with all of the kidnappings, etc when this could never work. 
Ending was a little contrived .

Finished Reading Add a date (Kindle Edition)
Review	I have not read the previous books in this series. That has made little difference. This has been a great read which has gripped my attention and kept me interested from the start.
The author pulled me in quite quickly and I struggled to put this one down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️