First time reader of the Jo Masters series and starting on book 3 didn't leave me feeling like I had missed out. Although i have now downloaded the first two because i now want to be part of the journey from the begining.

This book follows DCI Masters when she returns to work 6 months after her maternity leave, this aspect of the story is covered really well looking into the guilt that she faces throughout the book. When Jo returns to work she straight in at the deep end with a trail of murders that appear to have a link but the whole team are struggling to connect. One of the murders is one of Jo's very dear friends, she finds herself more determined than ever to find the killer but also determine the motive behind the killings.

Jo's character is the leading protagonist and her story is told well. The narrative is given in 3rd person but I do not feel this loses any momentum within the story. We also hear James' story which is told in 1st person and starts 7 months before Jo's and yet somehow they are linked. We as the readers do not fund it the link for quite a bit of the story.
The book is well written in terms of description, I often found myself visualising scenes that were described in such good detail but not to much detail. Even the gruesome scenes are easy to visualise. I found this extremly satisfying when reading, sometimes for authors it can be so easy to get into over describi

I really enjoyed this book. Such an easy read had me up all night reading so I could get to the ending in a good way. I found that I had managed to guess the twist quite early on however this doesn't spoil how it all goes down nearer the end of the story which I loved

The book really touches on some interesting issues, womanhood social expectations, alcoholism, drug addiction and so much more the diversity throughout the book is what kept me so intrigued throughout.
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As a lover of crime fiction I can 100 percent recommend this book if you live Katarina Diamond, Micheal Connolly or Chris Mooney this book is right up your street. This book doesn't shy aware from some rather gruesome scenes, scenes that lead to more intrigue than anything else. If you like crime, thrillers or crime thrillers pick up a copy of this book.
My one and only criticism is as this is a ARC there are a lot of typos hopefully by the time it makes release date those will all be sorted.
This book earns itself an very easy 4stars.


Thank you netgalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Really enjoyed this book.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
I have read MJ Ford’s two other books and was therefore looking forward to reading this one, Watch Over You was an excellent read. I enjoyed the storyline, the pace and the main characters.
I thought Jo, the main character played an excellent working mother returning back from maternity leave, after her son Theo’s birth. The guilt, the love and the sheer exasperation at times, was a superb portrayal of a woman who wanted it all and felt herself letting herself, her son and all her working colleagues down. She was also an excellent police officer, doing her best at all times.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review❤️

Also thanks to the author M.J Ford for writing a gripping and interesting book in continuation with the other 2 ❤️

Follows DS Josie Masters who's had a baby and was off on Maternity leave she is now ready to come back.. but she don't want desk duty she wants to be deep into any emergency calls they get..

An address comes through on the radio and merely she recognises it!😱 Twist... When she gets there her old friend and MENTOR Harry Ferman are there dying after an attack!! By a FIRE POKER!! Then a girl who was staying with them but where she was was unknown and then more bodies have fatally been linked to her itself...

Links that she may be linked to gang related shootings also.. as she has been linked to many body counts they need to find her and tie up all loose ends and put the puzzle together..

This was my first M.J Ford book and o was very impressed, it was beautifully wrote and executed, I loved all characters and their portrayals I also loved all the twists and turns in it also had me enthralled from start to finish! Read within few hours also

Definitely recommend ❤️
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This is the third book to feature DS Josie Masters and this time it is personal. First day back after maternity leave and she is called out to a disturbance. When she arrives she is confronted with the body of her friend and former colleague. Josie thought she knew this man she was so wrong. A young girl has gone missing and someone is looking for her and leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. A really good mystery which kept me glued to my seat. Plenty of tension and suspense which kept me reading late into the night. Another gripping addition to this series and highly recommended.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC

D S Jo Masters returns in Watch Over You which is the third book in the series from M J Ford.

Despite starting with the death of a close friend and ex colleague the book took a little while to pick up pace but once it got into stride it was an enjoyable police procedural thriller that kept me entertained.

Watch Over You can be easily read as a stand-alone despite being the third book in the series as it is sufficiently self contained for a new reader to fully enjoy

Overall recommended

This was a gripping read with a compelling storyline. It's gritty and realistic and he story really draws you in. There's lots of different threads and a multi layered mystery that kept me hooked

Told from 2 prospectives: James and Jo. To begin with the 2 have nothing to do with each other and you are interested enough to find out. Eventually everything becomes clear and what a gripping story! One scene nearer the end is particularly tense and well written and no one could disturb me whilst I discover the ending.

Although a detective series, you can read this as a stand alone. You may want to to read the previous 2 books in the series to find out about the "Clown" case in book 1 and to find more about some of the characters mentioned and nothing is given away about them in this book.

Can't wait to see what Ford has in store for Jo masters in the next instalment.

This is an intricately woven story and it is important early on to sort out who is who. Returning from maternity leave,the lead detective Jo shares the dysfunctional personal life typical of so many fictional detectives. The challenge of being overwhelmed by a demanding workload of murders when also wanting to be with baby Theo is part of the interest in the story. The first murder is of a former colleague and friend of Jo. He seems to have been sheltering a young girl with whom he has no obvious connection. Then the same girl,who turns out to be adopted,loses her parents to murder in the family home. Parallel to this increasing toll of murders,the reader follows the life of a man whose role in the story is revealed gradually. The eventual tracking down of the murderer is tortuous as he evades every police tactic. The book will keep you reading. It is a traditional murder story with some unexpected twists to the plot.

Another excellent book in this series - I've read them all and I have to say they just get better and better. I loved the conflict that Jo was experiencing between doing a good job and being a good mother and that brought a new angle to the series. I would recommend all this series - very enjoyable and well written.

Watch Over You is the 3rd book featuring DI Josie Masters. It is probably my least favourite of the series, it just felt a bit long and slow to start with. Didn’t really get my attention until further in. In saying that once it got going it was a good story

Josie returns to work when her son is 6 months old, trying to juggle being a working mum. Her first case is a familiar address, and when she arrives she find that her former colleague and friend Harry has been brutally murdered in his home. There is evidence of a lodger that she knew nothing about and the investigation begins. And then the bodies start to pile up with no obvious connection.

Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

another great book from MJ Ford , I love this authors work. This is as twisty as you can ever want in a novel with plenty to engage the reader. Characters are crisp and believable and I really love the domestic details that help give depth to the police characters. An enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

oh my bodies are staking up with no real connection to them

jo is back from maternity leave and goes to a disturbance which is also where her friends lives to find him dead....
and it looks like he was broken into and also has a female lodger

but things dont add up and as more bodies keep piling up they need to find this lodger and tie up all the ends....

yes totally gripped by this one...and the outcome well doesnt disappoint...

Watch over you is the first Josie.Masters story that I have encountered. Despite the fact that she is a single parent mother of a young child, she manages to continue to navigate her way through the seemingly unconnected murders. A great modern storyline which keeps the reader enthralled. Look forward to catching up with more from M J Ford.

I love this series from M J Ford, and this, the third in the series featuring Josie does not disappoint one iota. With all the elements we have I e to expect from this series. An excellent outing for Josie

Thoroughly enjoyable police novel with lots of twists and turns and will they won't they catch the bad guy or girl

Complex thriller with lots of twists and turns. Fast paced and exciting with two narratives which draw together to reach a conclusion. An engrossing read.

Watch Over You is the third book in the series and reintroduces us to Jo Masters who returns early from maternity leave to take her place as DS in Oxford. Like most mothers returning to work she experiences all the doubts and guilt of leaving her baby son at the nursery on one hand and worrying about not given her all to the job on the other hand. On her first day back she is called upon to attend a crime which turns out to be the murder of her elderly friend, Harry a former police officer.

In this police procedural the bodies start piling up quite quickly as the police try to figure out the motivation behind the deaths and just who is responsible.

As with the two earlier novels, I enjoyed catching up with Jo again, she is an interesting character and the author has once again given us plenty of action, puzzles and an interesting plot balancing Jo’s official life and her domestic life. Just like catching up with a friend you have not seen in a while. Sad to say goodbye to our hold friend Harry though.

If police procedurals are your bag, grab this one, you will not regret it.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

This book is basically about some arrogant punk kid who goes on a killing spree, along with police officer Josie and her team as they slowly solve the case of who is doing it. She holds a personal grudge as her close friend Harry is one of the many which James murders. She is also juggling going back to work as a single mother and dealing with her drunk ex who cannot seem to leave her alone.
I finished this book, but grudgingly. It lacked the heart stopping suspense which usually keeps me intrigued. It's just several sordid attempts to catch the killer. I wish I had liked this book more, but I don't. Thanks NetGalley for another book, these opinions are strictly my own.

I really enjoyed this Jo Masters series, Jo not only returns to work early from maternity leave she is thrown straight into a case where the murders keep stacking up, one of the people murdered is an ex colleague and friend so it hits her hard, trying to get justice for him, trying to juggle being a single parent and DS, trying to piece together the pieces of how all these murders are connected leads to a great read