I didn't make it far in this book unfortunately as the genre was completely out of my comfort zone. I find crime novels storylines predictable and repetitive and this one was no different.

I haven't read the other books in this series but I certainly will now. This is a fast-paced thriller and I loved it. You can feel the tension rising with every page. I felt like you got to know the characters well in this book and they are very likeable. This is a great read for anyone who likes crime thrillers.

A Deathly Silence is a fantastic mystery that is well written and can be read as a standalone. I need to go back and read the other books. The characters are well developed and interesting.

This is the third book in the series featuring DCI Helen Lavery and I can’t believe that I have missed reading the first two. Luckily this book was fine as a stand-alone but I must go back and read the previous books to learn more about Helen. This book opens with the discovery of a badly mutilated body of a young woman. It is found by two teenage boys breaking into a derelict factory building. The woman is identified as a police officer, PC Sinead O’Donnell. Helen is called in to investigate the case as she has been on sick leave for a couple of months as she was injured whilst on duty. Helen soon realises that Sinead has been keeping secrets from everyone including her husband Blaine who is also a police officer. I found the tension building as the book progresses. Helen Lavery is a strong character, as we discover, as she investigates the background of Sinead and Blane as well as battling her own particular demons. There were certainly some twists and turns in this book which culminated in a great ending. A definite five stars for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

With memorable characters and a beautifully crafted storyline, what's not to love about a Jane Isaac novel? Gripping, twisty and a real page-turner. I'll definitely be recommending this one. Just loved it.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

An excellent story that keeps you hooked from the beginning right through the book up to the end. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

This is the first book I’d read in this series, but it didn’t matter as I was able to pick up the essentials of what has gone on previously.

The mutilated body of a police officer is found in a derelict factory and Helen is drafted back in from sick leave to take the case.

The victim, Sinead, has a husband also in the police force as well as young children, the force are devastated as a whole.

The story unfolds and it seems Sinead has been keeping some secrets from everyone and people close to her are beginning to get hurt. Will Helen be able to figure it out, or could it be related to her previous case?

A great read and I’ll be looking out for the next one in the series!

I really enjoyed

Having read a few of Jane Isaac's books and thoroughly enjoyed them, I had no hesitation in picking this despite not having read the previous 2 in the series and I wasn't disappointed.

This is an excellent police procedural/crime thriller with believable and, mostly, likeable characters and a completely absorbing story line. Unlike some police procedural stories which, I feel, try to include different threads and mini-plots within the central story which can cause confusion, this one had a main theme and stuck to it which made the story unravel and develop naturally; this made is seem more authentic, plausible and engaging.

There is plenty of action and twists to keep any reader engaged and I definitely recommend to anyone ... in fact, I am happy to recommend any of Jane's books; you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Legend Press and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

I have to start by saying that although this is book three in the Helen Lavery series, it is the first one I have read. It works perfectly well as a standalone, and whilst it does give away a few things that would be spoilers for the first books in the series, which you'd expect reading out of sync, the only real disadvantage I found myself at is that I've missed some flipping good reads so far. I will correct that!

The book opens in very dramatic style, with the discovery of a murdered woman by two young boys. Now it is pure chance, and perhaps a touch of bad luck on their part, that they even find her, given that she has been left in an abandoned factory, one which no-one would be expected to visit any time soon. Her murder is brutal, the violence inflicted extreme, but it is more than just the nature of her injuries that gives the Police cause to want justice. the victim is one of their own, and as her first case back after injury and losing someone close to her, becomes personal, emotional and all too consuming for Helen.

What I loved about this book is the way in which Jane Isaac really brought the characters to life for me. Although it was my first time with the team, I got the measure of them very quickly and they became characters I was very invested in. The author has a great way of making the characters feel real, and really capturing their emotions, be it the kids who are up to no good and get far more than they bargained for, or the family who are torn apart and broken by Sinead's murder. Even the way in which the Police Officer assigned to the case are affected is emotionally sensitive and authentic. It really drew me into the story and made me care about what was happening.

Aside from great characters, we are treated to a really intriguing story and a complete mystery as to why Sinead would be murdered in such a grotesque way. And while the method of murder is quite dark, it is never too graphic, always just enough to enrage you as a reader but not push you away. The author takes readers down a number of roads before we finally find out who the killer is, and in quite dramatic fashion. In spite of her occupation, Sinead has no clear enemies and the reasons for her murder, which seems almost gangland in design, are baffling. I loved that uncertainty, the question mark that hung over Sinead's life and that of those around her. It kept the tension high and made we want to read more.

The pacing was spot on, slow and reflective at times, but full of frantic action when needed, especially towards the end in a high stakes showdown with Sinead's murderer. It really got the adrenalin pumping and took me a little by surprise when the killer was finally revealed.

I'm looking forward to catching up on the rest of the Helen Lavery series. If this book is anything to go by, I'm in for a real treat.

I love reading books by this author and this book did not disappoint. It had me gripped from the start and I read it in one sitting as o could not put it down.
FANTASTIC

Detective Helen Lavery is back for the third time and I’m thrilled to also see her work her brilliant skills and learn more about her as a person. This is a really, really gripping and fast paced story you lose yourself in as you suddenly care so much about the victims, the crimes and the outcome. Clever and smart writing blends with gruesome crimes. Will make a great tv series, hint, hint,

Another gripping crime story from Jane Isaac.
This is the third in the DCI Helen Lavery series however can also easily be read as a stand alone without any confusion of who’s who. I would still read all 3 as they are all great books.
As always from Jane a very well researched book which shows in the fine details of the story.
A brilliant police procedural that gets you gripped from page one lots of action and twists and turns that makes you always wonder what’s going to happen next.
Great characters and a brilliant plot.
5 stars

A Deathly Silence is a perfect detective crime book with a great leading character in working mum, DCI Helen Lavery. This is the third in the series but is a great standalone story if you haven't read the previous two titles.

One of Lavery's colleagues is found brutally murdered and she and her team determine to find the killer. While two young boys are seen on CTV running from the scene of the crime, the murderer lies closer to home. Plenty of twists and turns to keep any fan of police procedurals enraptured but, in addition, Lavery is portrayed as a real human being who wants to shield her children from the reality of her job. This makes for a great read as we can relate to her.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for the opportunity to read and review A Deathly Silence.

I haven’t read any of the other novels in this series, but I certainly will now. This was a great read and despite the fact that I’d worked out the murderer’s identity early on it was still enjoyable. The central character is instantly relatable with just a hint of a personal life in the shape of two teenage sons and a mother trying to help out. There was also the death of her husband hovering in the background. Yet none of it overshadowed the case in hand.
The case starts when two teenage boys stumble across a dead woman in a disused industrial unit. The boys flee but are seen by a man walking his dog. Little do they know that this is the body of a police officer. Helen now finds herself investigating the death of one of her own and fears the involvement of organised crime. It doesn’t take long for the for the evidence to point towards something much closer to home.
The book is well plotted and paced, giving the sense of the pressures on the police force in large investigations like these. I enjoyed the depiction of obstacles the police might face such as trying to interview someone with dementia. It wasn’t too overblown like some crime novels. There was a real sense of conflicted characters here which I loved . Even the murderer has more than one side to them instead of becoming an evil bogeymen:. I would recommend this novel to friends and I’m going straight to Amazon to buy the other two in the series.

I enjoyed reading this book. This is the third book in the series, and I haven't read the first two. This book is stand alone.
I enjoyed the pace of the book and felt the story and characters were well built. I look forward to reading more books by Jane Isaac

4-4.5*
A police officer is murdered, the body mutilated, who committed this appalling crime?

DCI Helen Lavery is preparing to return to duty after an injury when she is called back to head up the investigation.

It is the various characters and actions expertly utilised to weave this tale that will immediately grab your attention and hold it until you reach the final page. You won’t want to put this one down.

This is a gripping, superbly written police procedural. It is well plotted and has terrific, well drawn characters.

I’m not sure why it has taken me until now to read a Jane Isaac book, I have three of her books waiting TBR, but I am so glad I did. Although this is the third in the series it is easy to read as a stand-alone. Still, as I always say, it’s good to read books in order of the series they belong to. I should take my own advice and catch up on the other two books!

Thanks

With thanks to Legend Press via NetGalley for an eCopy of A Deathly Silence by Jane Isaac

I have not read the previous novels in this series but that did not detract from this book. I enjoyed the storyline and it was well written with good characters. Would definitely read the next one in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

Nothing better than a good police procedural, and a British one is icing on the cake! Plus, I've now discovered a new author who provides me with a huge backlog of books to read! I thoroughly enjoyed "A Deathly Silence." Helen is a wonderful, classy character. My only nit MIGHT be that I did feel I was missing out, just a bit, having not read the first two books, and now I'm not sure I can, since things were discussed in #3 that will no longer be a surprise for me in #1 and #2. But rest assured, Silence can be read as a standalone. While not as hard hitting as Jane Tennyson, Helen and her story is definitely along the same lines, and maybe just a little better. I must admit to being surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing. Well done. Highly recommend.

P.S. Thank you, #NetGalley, for the ARC.

Brilliant. I was gripped the whole way through. Loved the characters and the plot. This is a really well written book which kept me guessing right up until the end. I hope there are more books to come in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.