If you ever wondered what Maggie Jamieson would be like when she is angry and under pressure, read Dead Perfect. You will then understand why it's not a good idea to cross her or to threaten the people she cares about either. At the end of book two Kate was hit with a very startling bit of information, the very thing that kicks off the action in this latest offering.

There is a stalker loose on the streets of Staffordshire and they have a very distinct and rather troublesome M.O. Abducting young women and then altering their appearance, before leaving their bodies in what can only be described as a very macabre manner, this is someone that the team need to find an quickly. But the case has a very personal edge for Maggie which makes her very volatile and possibly even a risk to the integrity of the investigation. Why? Because her good friend, Dr Kate Moloney, is just the stalker's type and the signs are all there that she is their next intended victim.

The story is full of tension, the pacing quite quick as the team strive to find any links between the women that might lead them to the suspect. They are all feeling the pressure, particularly as it is one of their own who is clearly being targeted, but that sense of the slow moving cogs of the investigation rang true, as did the many dead ends they encountered as they ruled out suspects one by one. I'm not going to lie, Maggie's behaviour in this book really did grate on me after a while and although I understood the mixture of anxiety and passion she felt for the case, for obvious reasons, her lack of professionalism at times was too much to take and if I'd been in charge of her, I'd have kicked her off the case in a heartbeat. It was fun watching the back and forth between her and journalist, Julie Noble, perhaps the best of frenemies, although Maggie would be loathe to admit to the spark between them. I can definitely see that developing as the series continues. It should keep things lively!

I did peg the right suspect in the book quite early on, but their motivations remained a secret right until the end, quite probably not what most readers will have suspected. The whole truth of the matter is gradually revealed, with surprising links to Kate's past emerging, something which gives us greater insight into her as a character too. It has been clear from the start that she wa concealing something about her past, something that she hid behind a wall of fake confidence and reticence that doesn't quite see her through this ordeal. She is a character I like, and seeing the cracks appearing in her friendship with Maggie as they both struggle to cope with what is happening felt true to character.

It's another exciting, tension filled read but one which is perhaps best read after book two rather than a standalone. And be warned! There is another tense cliffhanger ahead so you're just going to have to tune into book four too, aren't you?

From the second the previous book ended, I knew I had to read Dead Perfect to se what would happen next.

And I was certainly not disappointed, as Maggie Jamieson's new case is unlike anything I've read before.

I had an inkling as to who the murderer may be, but would never have guessed the motivations in a million years

I loved getting to know Maggie and her team just that bit more, as familiar faces from the previous books keep popping up.

I would not have had a clue where to start solving this, so very glad Maggie is a far better detective than I am.

I was drawn into the story, and was gutted when I had to put the book down, and even forgo a bit of time in the sun to finish the last quarter in one go over breakfast!!

This is a superb addition to this simply marvellous series.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I do enjoy a police procedural and Dead Perfect, the third instalment in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, is right up my street. Whilst the book follows on from the previous, the references to the earlier case are subtle and, as such, it could easily be read as a standalone novel.

In a new case, Maggie and her team are investigating the death of a young woman who closely resembles her friend and colleague, Dr Kate Maloney. Knowing that Kate has a stalker, Maggie must consider whether the killer and Kate’s stalker are one and the same? Is Kate in danger? Can Maggie catch the killer before they strike again?

Maggie is a great protagonist – loyal, strong and likeable. She may be a bit hot-tempered and bullish at times, but if I was in trouble I would definitely want her on my side! Kate is also a very likeable character. Police procedurals can be quite male-heavy and I therefore appreciated the author’s use of strong female characters, including the supporting characters of DCI Rutherford and DC Kat Everett. I also found myself intrigued by the development of Maggie’s love-hate relationship with reporter Julie Noble. I hope to read more about this in future books.

The book is well-plotted, suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining, with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me on the edge of my seat. I came up with a number of theories as I ploughed through the book and I must admit that I came close to working out who the perpetrator might be, although their motivation/reasoning caught me by surprise.

The book ends on a cliff-hanger which means that I will, of course, have to get number 4 in the series once it is released!

Fast-paced, tense and totally gripping, Dead Perfect is a great addition to the DC Maggie Jamieson series and I will certainly be recommending this series to anyone who enjoys police procedurals and crime thrillers.

I received a free eARC of Dead Perfect but that has in no way influenced my review.

After being left dangling on a pulse-pounding cliffhanger at the end of Dead Wrong, the second book in this series, I couldn't wait to make a start on this third instalment. DC Maggie Jamieson is back with a bang and hunting down another deranged killer who, best not to mention this to anyone, I actually felt quite sorry for in the end. I'm sure that's just me though.

A murdered woman is found in a local park, her eyes and mouth sewn shut. DC Maggie Jamieson and Acting DS Nathan Wright are called to the scene to investigate.  Maggie is nervous though. Reports of the deceased sound just like her friend (and secret crush) Dr Kate Moloney. Kate has been receiving odd gifts and messages from an unknown source. Has her stalker taken the next terrifying step? There's no denying the dead woman looks a lot like Kate. Her face, her hair, her clothes...it's like a mirror image. Maggie instinctively knows that Dr Moloney is in grave danger. Can she find the killer before it's too late...?

Dead Perfect is another great addition to the DC Maggie Jamieson series. What puts this book head and shoulders above other police procedurals is the author's knowledge of the probation service. Holten's experience shines through and, as a regular reader of crime fiction, it's really interesting and enjoyable to have a different perspective on things. I'm hoping these insights will continue as there was a great sub-plot with probation officer, Lucy Sherwood, who featured heavily in the first book, Dead Inside, setting up a refuge for domestic abuse survivors.

What I really enjoyed (yes, I'm strange) is the widening gap between Acting DS Nathan Wright and Maggie. At the start of the series they were equals. Now, Nathan is the boss and he's putting Maggie firmly in her place. There's palpable tension there, things are changing, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops. I really missed DI Abigail Rutherford who I had a bit of a soft spot for in the last book. Although she was there, she wasn't very involved in the storyline but I expect that's because DS Wright has stepped up to the mark and taken lead of the team (which I assume is how real life policing works).

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Dead Perfect is a pacey story with a cast of great characters who I'm really warming to. I was able to spot 'whodunnit' from fairly early on but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. I'm looking forward to seeing how several of the relationships develop in the next book, particularly between Maggie and reporter Julie Noble. I think reading this book as a standalone wouldn't cause too many issues but why not treat yourself and pick up all three! Recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Dead Perfect. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Dead Perfect is the third book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. In this instalment, the body of a young woman is found in the park. Her appearance has been changed and she’s been left disfigured, but bizarrely, the woman strongly resembles her close friend Dr Kate Moloney. Maggie needs to find the murderer but also protect her friend whose life she feels is in great danger. This book was really enjoyable and I found it hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

I absolutely loved reading this, it gripped me until the very last page. I loved the main character Maggie, and found the story exciting and tense. Highly recommend.

A slow burner. I felt that Maggie was too opinionated and that wouldn’t have been tolerated in a real police investigation by a D C. Just something lacking for me. Good premise though. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I'd been meaning to read Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten for such a long time, but other books kept creeping into my diary! The struggles of book blogging are real ;) Finally, I said, "no more!" and I jumped straight in. And now I'm kicking myself for having waited so long. 

This was a fabulous, fast-paced read. Admittedly, I haven't read the others in the series, but I'll be putting that right very soon. 

When the body of a woman is found in a local park, Staffordshire police are naturally called in. But, unfortunately for DC Maggie Jamieson, the victim bears an uncanny resemblance to someone she is rather fond of - a colleague and good friend, Dr Kate Moloney. Maggie is attracted to Kate, a fact which often blurs her actions and leads to her overreacting or missing key leads. 

But why would Kate be the next victim? It's a coincidence, surely?

Maybe not. Because Kate has been on the receiving end of some odd gifts and letters. It would appear she has a stalker. 

And this is not the only victim - another woman is found soon after bearing the same resemblance. Yet, after further investigation, the two dead women are nothing like Kate - who has a penchant for black, Goth-style clothing and makeup. Rather, it seems the killer has changed their appearances to look like Kate. Eek! 

On top of that, he has also performed a rudimentary lobotomy on both victims too. 

Concerns are rife that Kate is his likely next victim, and Maggie invites her friend to stay with her until security measures can be taken at Kate's own home. 

From here on, Maggie tries not to leave Kate on her own - anywhere. This becomes untenable for Kate, and causes a rift between the two of them. 

The story is a cat and mouse chase to find the killer, but he has hidden his tracks well. Clues come and go, leads vanish into nothing and it seems they will never find him. The pace in the last few chapters picks up even more as the killer seeks his prey, and the police seek the killer.

It's an exciting read and a real page-turner overall. There are a few inconsistencies towards the end but nothing that prevented me from wanting to know the outcome. 

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for my copy of Dead Perfect.

The 3rd book in the Maggie Jamieson series is another great addition to the series from Noelle Holten.

Maggie and Kates lives and relationship continues to evolve as Kate finds herself the target of a stalker and serial killer.

As ever, Noelle Holten writes with an inviting and welcoming prose that ensures that all readers of any level can pick up and enjoy her books, though laced with evil as usual.

The pacing is good and Maggie is growing all the time. Twists and tension abound, though I guessed th3 killer early doors I still enjoyed this latest thriller.

Dead Perfect is the 3rd book featuring DC Maggie Jamieson and I strongly suggest reading these books in order. I think you would miss too much if you don’t. I really like Maggie’s character and her work ethics and loyalty to those close to her. I would want her in my corner if I was in trouble.

This one picks up exactly where Dead Wrong finished, with a woman being found in a park who beats an uncanny resemblance to Maggie’s friend and colleague Kate. Kate’s stalker is ramping up and Maggie is determined to stop him, while keeping her friend safe. Easier said than done, this killer is clever and sneaky and Kate is a very independent woman. It is a cat and mouse chase til the very end.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.

3.5 stars.

A woman is found dead in a local park. DC Maggie Jamieson is a bit freaked out as the victim bears an uncanny resemblance to her friend and colleague, forensic psychologist Kate Moloney. Another victim is soon found also resembling Kate. The case is very strange as there are no marks on the women except some bruising around the eyes from a crude attempt to lobotomise them. Who would do such a thing? And why?

Meanwhile Kate has been receiving disturbing notes that suggest she has a stalker. When similar notes on identical black paper are found at the victim’s homes Maggie realises that the killer and Kate’s stalker are the same person. Her fear for Kate skyrockets but she can’t talk freely to her about the case so there’s a lot of tip-toeing around as Maggie does what she can to ensure Kate’s safety. But will it be enough?

Naturally things spiral out of control and get very suspenseful and fraught. This is the third book in a series and I think it might have helped if I had read the earlier books. As it was I didn’t feel much connection to the characters. Also, rather unfortunately, I suspected who the killer was quite early which spoiled some of the suspense for me. Nevertheless this was a very good police procedural that ticked a lot of boxes and didn’t have any gruesomeness or other trigger items. Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and Noelle Holten for providing a copy. My opinions are my own.

After how Dead Wrong ended, the second book in the series, I have been desperate to read this one. Am pleased to say it did not disappoint and has been well worth the wait.

Maggie and Kate are both professionals whose career paths meant that they have come into contact of which the two women have formed a good friendship so far in the series. Maggie has good reason to be concerned about her friend and she is determined to catch Kate’s stalker. Sadly finding out just who it is proves to not be that easy. The relationship between Kate and Maggie does throw up some questions which also had me eager to see just what direction the author would take it in.

This is an author who brings her characters to life. I loved the relationships between them all in Maggie’s personal life as well as in her working one. You get to really care about them and I could feel the tension inside of me build as things start to take a very sinister course. With the attention being on Kate, it allows us to get to know her better as well as some of the others in the team. Kat is one in particular I love and she sure knows how to steal the lime light when she appears with her straight talking, no nonsense, personality. I love her!

The story is woven in such a way that you think you have it all solved with those pesky red herrings that are left pointing you in the wrong direction so that when the truth comes out, I was like what the actual ****!

Dead Perfect is a book in a great crime series that just keeps getting better and better. Yet again the author ends the story in such a way that I am counting the days and hours until the next one is released. The crimes and murders make this a book and series that make for a nail-biting yet exhilarating reading experience that keeps me hooked. If you haven’t read any yet, then you really should.

# Dead Perfect #Netgalley
I have been following the Maggie Jameson series with great anticipation and couldn’t wait for the next book to be released. I was about a third of the way through when I realised I had already read this book. I must have read it when it actually came out in hardback. Nevertheless I still continued to read it. Although I remember a lot about the book particularly the Lo........... s sorry almost put a spoiler in just then. It’s one hell of a read with twists coming from everywhere including the acting Di who she thought was actually a friend. It a really tense situation at times. You are almost cringing you want to know but at the same time you do. It’s like one of those scenes on tv you want to look at the same time you don’t because you are scared what you will see. That’s the only way I can describe parts of this book. It’s with sheer uncertainty. I felt my actually toes curing up with tendon until I gave myself cramp. Ok I can have a bit of a laugh about that now but not at the time. It’s certainly a book I would recommend. I know you are going to be sat at the edge of your seat with your teeth clenched in parts. It’s grim but bloody worth every word of reading. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. I am sure you will highly recommend this book

Number 3 in the series and another great read. I’m really enjoying this series and the subplots
This book opens exactly where the last finished and I felt like I’d benefited from having read the first two back to back. That being said this works well as a stand-alone but to get the best out of it I’d advise you to read them in order. Maggie is faced with the prospect of the possible brutal death of one of her close friends. The relief encountered when it’s not her is quickly replaced by a rollercoaster ride, as the bodies mount up and the perpetrator is definitely putting her friend and colleague at risk. I did actually spot the villain only to discount him! Lovely to see the characters from the other two books cross over here and the gentle way Maggie’s sexuality and family history get alluded to, I suspect we’ve more to enjoy on that front too

This review will go live on 21 September:

Hi and welcome to my review of Dead Perfect, the third instalment in the DC Maggie Jamieson series.

I read Dead Inside last year and its successor, Dead Wrong, was one of my 20 books of summer. I KNEW I wouldn’t be able to wait until October to read Dead Perfect, and I was right: as I write this it’s early September, I took a wee reviewing break, and as soon as I felt ready to read a book up for review I picked up Dead Perfect.

As mentioned, Dead Perfect is the third book in a series. Although the story can be read as a standalone, I really do believe it helped me that I’d read the previous books, not so much for the story but for the characters, especially Maggie and where she’s coming from. With her friend Kate’s life in danger, Maggie’s anguish about Kate’s well-being positively leapt from the pages and I totally got that, because I was there to watch her feelings for Kate grow in Dead Wrong. Had I not witnessed that, I might have felt like she was overreacting, like she should get a grip? As it stands, I just wanted to hug her and tell her that everything would be fine. Although I sincerely had my doubts about that, as I’ve noticed that this is an author who has few qualms about putting her characters through the ringer!

Having read Dead Inside, it was so nice to see Lucy again, find out what she’s been up to in the meantime, and having read Dead Wrong, it was great to reassess my hopes and expectations. The thing I was hoping for did not come to fruition, and with the new information I gathered it looks as though it never will, but on the other hand, the thing I was afraid of happening also did not happen, so there’s that.

Like its predecessors, Dead Perfect has short chapters that propel the story forwards, and never failed to lure me into the oh-just-one-more-chapter trap, as a consequence I raced through it. This is easily the most suspenseful instalment of the three so far, I was invested throughout, and those last 100 pages or so had me on tenterhooks. After a loooooong day at work, curling up on the sofa with Dead Perfect was such a treat and I had to fight myself to put it down and get some sleep, instead of racing through the last chapters in search of the reveal. I was DYING to know whodunnit, but I also wanted to savour that last part, not rush it while fighting off sleep.

Well I’ve finished it and that big reveal came as quite a surprise, which is really rather astonishing because I’d actually had that particular person in my crosshairs, I was SO SURE at one point, but I let them go because I got carried away by other events and people and deftly positioned red herrings, making me lose sight of my suspect, well done Noelle!

Dead Perfect is erm… well… a dead perfect police procedural, really. I thoroughly enjoyed it, start to finish, it has heart, it has suspense, and whenever the fourth instalment is due to be published it’s too late cos this little Belgian book lover needs it NOW! Recommended!

Dead Perfect is out in eBook format on 16 October and in paperback on 24 December. Pre-order your copy now!

Thanks to HarperCollins UK (One More Chapter) and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Another great instalment to the series which resolved the end of the last book.

I love the characters in this series. All relatable in their own ways. They are progressing personally as well as professionally in their lives. The duel storylines that encompass this adds to the suspense and created a sense of familiarity to them.

I loved the concept of this book too The storyline as always was great and had a few surprises and ends in another cliffhanger which Noelle Holten executed perfectly and I e come to love.

I’m just sad I have to wait a few more months to read the next.

Dead Perfect
by Noelle Holten
HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
One More Chapter
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 16 Oct 2020 | Archive Date Not set

This is an absolutely gripping crime thriller with dark and jaw-dropping twists. I have not read the other two books in this series so I will definitely plan to do that.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

4 star

Just so you know, right after I’ve finished this review I’m going to make myself sit in the corner & think about what I’ve done. Yup, I’m throwing in the towel & marking this one as LTS….life’s too short. Unfortunately, we’re parting ways & I don’t feel it’s fair to give a star rating if I don’t finish the book (had to one-star on NG due to site rules).

So here’s the thing. Each of us has preferences or pet peeves that make us either grab a book or refuse to touch it with a barge pole. It can be a genre, writing style or character trope. I get hung up on credibility. Doesn’t matter if it’s sci-fi or historical fiction, I have to believe the character would do & say what’s ascribed to them. And in this case, I’m afraid I just couldn’t get there.

The MC is DC Maggie Jamieson (this is book #3 but the first I’ve read which may have been part of the problem so that’s on me), a 10+ year veteran at the Stafford police station. If that statistic had not been included, I would have guessed she was a young & green DC.

Discrepancies in the narrative began early in the story. Briefly, Maggie’s colleague & “close friend” Dr. Kate Moloney has a stalker which was established in the previous book. In the first few pages here, Maggie’s boss DS Nathan Wright leaves her a message that a body has been found & “Sounds just like your friend, Dr. Moloney. I’m so sorry, Maggie”. Um…what? At that point all they knew was the body was female, lying face down. Don’t police wait until they have ID? Nathan may want to work on his grasp of procedure as well as his communication skills. Also, it made me wonder if Maggie would have been allowed to participate in the investigation.

I made it to 35% & by then there were just too many gaps in continuity & procedure for me to move forward. Maggie freely admits her personal feelings can cloud her judgement (although she’s furious when a colleague suggests this is the case) & this is borne out by emotional outbursts & obsessive thinking, especially where the good doctor is concerned. Kate is described as a close friend but I felt no connection between the 2 characters & their dialogue is somewhat stilted in places. The killer is easily spotted early on & when I checked the ending to make sure, I found out the book ends on a cliffhanger. And don’t get me started on having a character, repeatedly described as intelligent, make TDTL decisions.

There are other examples but I don’t want to risk spoilers. I read a lot of books in this particular genre & there was nothing particularly new here for me. But if the many glowing reviews on Goodreads are any indication, I’m happy to say it’s ending up in the right hands. If you’ve liked the previous books, obviously you & Maggie have bonded & no doubt you’ll love this as well. Also, I think those who don’t read a lot of police procedurals would enjoy these characters & their dramatic interactions.

So this was simply a mismatch & I’m truly grateful for the chance to try a new series. But as a friend of mine says, if you’re reading for pleasure & it starts to feel like homework, it’s time to move on. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a chair in the corner with my name on it 😔

I finished this book on Thursday and I wanted to have a couple of days before writing my feedback,

I read the first 2 books from this series and I was delighted by the world of Inspector Maggie Jamieson. I had one big issue with this book and I will write about that in this review.

But first the great things about this book is that the perfectly described details of police work and their collaboration with different agencies are still great and well written.
Noelle Holten gives you just enough info so you can emerge in the story without feeling too overwhelmed. You learn how to procedural work is done, what needs to be done in order to question someone and how it all gets an ending. It is a tiring work with much gratification.

In this installment Maggie is trying to find the serial killer before something happens to someone close to her because that person is connected to the murders in one way or another. The twists and the mind of the serial killer are reported very well and at point you even find yourself feeling some kind of weird sympathy even though he is doing horrendous things.

That is the power of Noelle's writing - everything in the book, the thoughts of the main character and victims are given just enough space so you can put yourself into their shoes and forget that you are reading the book and find yourself inside of it somehow.

Little snippets of Maggie's life, personal choices, some conflicts with those close to her are a great introduction to her personal life and I could see her in a whole different light.

And that one issue - so I haven't read a lot of crime/procedural/thriller books this last couple of years and when I want to read one I want to guess until the end who did it. For me that is what these kind of books should do - get your mind running and thinking and asking you to think about who the culprit might be.And that's the problem - I figured out the killer in the first 15 ˛percent of the book and the feeling of deflation occupied me and I couldn't believe it was so obvious. I thought that maybe that was some kind of trick and that's why I read the book but not - the killer was exactly who I thought it was after one of his first appearances in the book. Again - I don't usually read this kind of books lately and it was really easy even for me. No other viable suspects made the book a little boring and that's why I am a little bit disappointed. This doesn't mean that it maybe will not be more interesting for someone that doesn't mind figuring it out immediately.

Overall if there were other serious people that I would suspect in a book this would be a 5 star novel for sure!


That said I really, really like Noelle's writing and I will definitely want to pick up the next book and find what's going to happen because this one ended on a serious cliffhanger.

This series is just getting better with each book. After the cliffhanger of the last book, Dead Wrong, I was desperate for answers. DC Maggie Jamieson is part of the team  investigating the murders of young women. An intriguing plot, which certainly has the intense, edge of the seat factor. Looking forward to the next book in this great series.