Jo Masters has been on maternity leave.  She comes back to the police department and right away one of her friends gets  murdered.  Then other murders happen and a teen girl has something to do with the cases.  Jo keeps trying to solve the case.
I really enjoyed this book.  Look forward to other books with the same character.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up.  With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

Really enjoyed this latest in the Jo Masters series of police procedurals. In this one she’s tasked with investigating a series of interconnected murders that have a very personal link to her. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a good read,.

I really enjoyed this book, I have read the others in this series and this one did not disappoint. The story kept me hooked until the last page. Highly recommended. 

Many thanks to netgalley and M.J. Ford for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Josie Masters is now returning to work after the birth of her son.  Life as a single mother isn't easy and being the senior officer on a murder case means that she is wracked with guilt every time she is late picking her son up, the fact that the murder victim was a friend of hers is even worse.  However as the murder count stacks up and all the clues lead to a teenage girl, Josie feels that it doesn't fit and she is in a race to solve the case.
Ford writes strong police procedurals that never fail to entertain.  Masters is a credible character and the maternal guilt angle is played carefully yet parenting is a theme that is explored throughout the book relating to many of the characters.  It is this lightness of touch that makes Ford's writing stand out, it is only when thinking about this review that I realised the connection and how this was considered from a lot of perspectives - neglect, loss, separation, ignorance, rebellion etc. Of course the plot is tight and rattles along at a good pace, the twists were well-signposted but credible and the knowledge of Oxford and its surrounding very clear.  All in all a good few hours escapism!

Third in the series about Oxford murder squad detective Josie Masters, this is a twisty, complex police procedural with a lot of disparate threads. You don’t want to be reading this while distracted, or put it down for a long time between reading sessions, because I think it would be easy to lose the threads and find it all very confusing. With that said, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it, because the author ties some apparently totally different cases together really cleverly and nothing is as it appears on the surface.

I’m going to address the elephant in the room by saying that now is a tough time to be writing stories with ‘good cops’ as the protagonists, but I think even the most fervent ‘abolish the police’ protestors would agree that the murder squad are police we will still need. However, the fact is that in a world with better resourced social services, lower or zero rates of homelessness and people who actually ask the hard questions and listen to answers when twelve-year-old girls turn up pregnant, Josie wouldn’t have had any murders to investigate. And that’s recognised in the text, if in a subtle way.

It’s easy to empathise with Josie as a single mother trying to get back into the swing of things at work just weeks after giving birth, only to find herself thrown in at the deep end when a friend is murdered. Josie’s not a rule-bender, just a proponent of solid investigative work and intelligent questioning when she gets a witness or a suspect to talk to. I think going forward we’ll see a lot more ‘smart cops’ portrayed in fiction and a lot less of the short-cutters who are inclined to beat up a suspect to get answers. Anyone who wants to write a sympathetic police protagonist could learn a lot from M.J. Ford. I enjoyed this engrossing read and am happy to give it five stars.

I’ve really enjoyed the previous books in this series and so was excited to read this latest instalment, it did not disappoint. A great story, with many shocking twists and turns, was on the edge of my sit waiting to see what would happen next! Definitely worth a read.

This was definitely my least favourite in the series and was a bit of a slow burner but I did enjoy it all the same. It was interesting to see Jo trying to juggle motherhood with going back to work into such a dangerous environment. I’m hoping we get to see her explore her relationship with Lucas in relation to Theo in the next instalment. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Avon for an honest review in exchange for an advanced copy.

A contemporary, gritty police procedural with a relatable female detective, and a complex investigation. DS Josie Masters is now a single mum returning to work for the first time since the birth of her son.  She's conflicted, but her driven personality and diligence to her role keeps her on active duty.

Her first murder is personal and violent, and old friend and everything is not as it first appears. The pacing is commensurate with the investigation, which is hampered by further seemingly unrelated deaths.  I read this as a standalone enjoyably, but if you can read all of the books in the series to understand the character development and relationships at play.

This has a noir-crime ethos emphasised by the occasional chapters from a disturbed individual.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/HarperCollins Publishers for a copy of Watch Over You in exchange for my honest review. 

This is the 3rd is the DS Jo Masters series. Compared to the first two books, this one started very slowly and was difficult to grab the reader's attention. It's a very good police procedural but a bit all over the place as DS Masters returns to work after her 6 month maternity leave to investigate her friend Harry Ferman's death. 

There are many recurring characters from the previous two books so it's best to read the series in order.

I’ve never read the author before, though I have false memories of reading his work. Weird! Anyway, this is a great introduction to his work and more books have been added to my TBR list. This has everything I expect from a good thriller; fast pace, twists and turns, misdirection, realistic police investigation and great characters. Josie is a great character. You get to see her as a new mother and a great police officer in Watch over You. The book is quite dark at times as more and more bodies pile up and Josie and her team discover who the killer is and just why he’s pursuing the young woman. I enjoyed everything about this book.

Third in a series but easily read as a stand alone. It is a very good police procedural but I had a hard time with it holding my interest and connecting with this book.. It may have timeline shifts from James to the present day events. It took a long time for him to be brought forth into the present so it seemed his activities didn't make a lot of sense or capture interest until late. The characters other than the police were strange and none very likeable. At some point, Megan becomes both the victim and the perpetrator and she has so much baggage and mental issues you're not sure if you're supposed to feel sorry for her or understand that she played a big part in her own destruction. 
Overall a good read, just not my favorite of this series.
I was provided an advanced reader copy of the book. I was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author,publisher, and NetGalley for he opportunity to read this book.

This is the third book in the Det Josie Masters series.

Josie is just back from maternity leave and is launched straight into a murder investigation but this time it is personal as it’s the death of her friend and old colleague, Harry who has been found bludgeoned in his home…. during the investigation it is discovered that Harry had a young girl living with him and some insinuations are made which Josie does not like, Harry wasn’t like that, but is this girl the cause of his death or the murderer?

Josie is struggling at the moment with her work, life, balance and juggling motherhood and an intense job! 

An intriguing plot line with twists along the way, another good police procedural story and more character development made for a great book.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my netgalley read and having me on the tour. I loved his last 2 books so was looking forward to this .

For me personally it wasnt quite as gripping as the other 2 books in the series.

Though i could personally relate to Josie who was now a single mum .o felt we got to connect with her as a person in this book and not just a police officer.

Still packed with the thrill of mysterious killings. 

Great plotting and pacing to the storyline. 

Do check out the other blogs taking part in the tour. 

Published 9th july.

A gritty police drama!

I really enjoy an exciting, gritty police drama and ‘Watch Over You’ fits the bill. It features Jo Masters, a single mum back on the front line, after maternity leave. It is the third book in the series by M. J. Ford.

Jo is certainly tested in this trial, both physically and mentally, because the subject of her investigation is Harry ... a retired policeman and close friend, who is murdered in the most gruesome and senseless way.

From the outset, Jo was obviously shocked and distraught because it raised the questions... Who and why would anyone want to kill Harry? Plus there was evidence that a young girl was living in Harry’s house. Why? It just didn’t make sense!

At each step along the way, Jo came up against a brick wall. With so many puzzles to decipher, twists and turns in abundance, with even more murders to untangle.

Jo had so many personal issues to face, on top of her professional responsibilities, showing her to be a great feisty personality. I enjoyed following the rocky road all along the way, to finally arrive at a perfect conclusion!

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

This is the third book following DS Josie Masters and it’s a series that I’m thoroughly enjoying. I definitely think you’d get more from Watch Over You if you read books 1 and 2 first as Jo is a character who has been through a great deal of trauma and this has shaped the woman we meet here. Hold My Hand especially sets up the backstory perfectly and is a brilliant read so make sure you add it to your wish list too.

Jo is struggling to balance her personal and working life as all working single mums do. The guilt is spoiling her love of both parts of her life and something has to give but what? But when a case comes along that has a personal connection for Jo she knows she has to devote herself to it. Called to the Murder scene of a good friend of hers, Jo is determined to find the culprit who did this. Her friend Harry lived alone but there is evidence of a young girl having been there. Who is this girl and what is her connection to Harry? A complex and twisty investigation follows that puts everyone close to the girl in danger and a rising body count leads Jo to make some shocking choices…

Watch Over You had a slow start but the last third really increased the pace so that the tension became almost unbearable. Once all the threads started to come together, it became a race against time to find the perpetrator of the trail of devastation and prevent more deaths from happening. The plot was complex but clever with flashbacks for clarity. There was a very sad backstory at one point that was the starting point for most of the crimes that took place and it was often hard for me to feel anger at the perpetrator. I just felt such an injustice that some people are pushed down a path that shouldn’t be theirs but due to circumstances beyond their control it’s the one they are set off on. That’s not to say that there aren’t branches off that path to change the direction of their journey but it’s never that easy is it?

Watch Over You was a gripping read once I got into it. Jo is a fascinating character and I find her more interesting and relatable the further we travel into this series. And although I also love the setting of Oxford and the surrounding areas, it really is Josie Masters that keeps me coming back to this author. Definitely a series you need to check out crime fans!

Josie is back after six months maternity leave & is straight into a murder investigation. This time it is the death of her friend & one time colleague Harry. It seems that Harry had a young girl staying with him. Although there are some sly comments Josie is sure that Harry was trying to help. When other bodies begin to appear Josie finds herself hunting a serial killer & wondering if she has come back to work too soon. Can she really do her job properly whilst being a good Mum?

I had read the previous books in the series & really enjoyed them. This one was a bit of disappointment- bit too much maternal angst & not too much story. Fortunately it did pick up & after about halfway through I was engrossed. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.I'm looking forward to what happens next.

This book is the third in a series featuring Jo Masters. I hadn’t read the previous two, and this is perfect as a standalone, but I’d love to go back and read the other two.

This is such a gripping book. It had me reading late into the night, it’s very hard to put down.

It starts with a prologue that it is intriguing, as it’s hard to see where it links into the rest of the story. There is, in fact, a dual storyline and timeline, and eventually it begins to make sense. This really ramps up the tension.

I wasn’t sure about Jo at the beginning, but as I got to know her better I really liked her. She’s trying to balance new motherhood with her return to work, and when one of the victims is her friend, Harry, she’s determined to track down the killer.

This book is real edge of your seat stuff. The plot is complex and compelling, and as the pace increases towards the end, it’s impossible to stop reading.

A superb police procedural, thrilling and at times shocking, but with really authentic characters. Absolutely recommend it very highly.

4.5 stars

This is a really good police procedural/detective fiction story. I wonder if it is the beginning of a series since it does feel like the cast would easily move into recurring characters verses main characters.

I wasn’t really a fan of having James as a main POV character. I would have left his POV at just the prologue and then pushed him back to background status until he showed up in the story. 

To me, Jo (DS Josie Masters) was the main character here. Her conflict between leaving her young son and then having to work the case of her old boss was compelling.

I would have loved to see a partner come into the picture at some point but most of the people working with her really seemed more of the recurring variety than the sidekick variety.

Definitely want to continue on with this author. Definitely loved her style.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I have been back into police procedural reading this week with the entertaining Watch Over You. It sees lead character Josie Masters returning to work after her maternity leave and finding herself thrust directly into a murder investigation.

Thrust may not be the best word to use in this instance. Josie is determined she will not be stuck behind a desk on her return to duty so she takes the opportunity to get involved in active cases as soon as she gets into the squadroom.  Unfortunately for Josie the first incident she attends turns out to be the death of a friend and former colleague. His body is found in his home, a nasty head injury appears the cause of death. Josie had bonded with Harry (the deceased) during her maternity leave and the pair often met for a chat in Harry’s local pub. Josie cannot let someone else handle this case.

While inspecting Harry’s house for signs of an intruder Josie and the Scene of Crime team find evidence to suggest Harry had a house guest. He never mentioned this to Josie and there is no sign of anyone else in the house now, yet the evidence is clear – Harry hadn’t been living alone. So where was this mystery (female) guest?

When questioned neighbours indicated they had seen a young girl in Harry’s house. There is also the suggestion that the girl had been angry and was spotted running away from Harry’s house on the day of the murder. Josie had a suspect but very little to go on other than knowing she was looking foe a young girl with long blonde hair.

Fate was to throw Josie a helping hand – but at a steep price.  A double murder elsewhere in Oxford shows a link to Harry’s death. The link being the blonde girl. The police now know her name and it seems she may be connected to another case Josie’s colleagues have been working on, the death of a young drug dealer.

The body count is mounting up and Josie is no closer to finding the blonde girl. However there is a new added complication – the blonde may also be in danger. Can Josie find her to get the truth about Harry’s death before it is too late?

Watch Over You is a perfect pick for readers that want to be in the thick of an investigation. The story does have a few cut-away moments which set up some key background events, however it is very much Josie’s story. The death of her friend. Juggling baby and a busy return to work. Dealing with a difficult ex and reintegration with her colleagues. Plenty going on and the author balances the story well.