I have been a fan of Rebecca’s work for a while now. In fact I have read and loved the bestselling series featuring Detective Inspector Hannah Robbins. So when I heard that she was due to release the first book in a new series, featuring Detective Inspector Claudia Nunn, I knew that I just had to read it as soon as possible. I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down for what I hoped would be an entertaining afternoon of reading. I was spot on. I absolutely loved reading ‘Blood Stained’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn into this book from the moment I read the synopsis, let alone the story itself. As soon as I started reading ‘Blood Stained’ that was it- I knew that I wouldn’t be moving far from the sofa for the rest of the afternoon as I couldn’t put the book down. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story for fear of missing out on some vital clue or a nugget of gossip. I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough as I worked my way through the story. I soon reached the end of the book and I had to say farewell to DI Claudia Nunn. For me, ‘Blood Stained’ is the true definition of an unputdownable page turner of a read. The story kept my interest throughout, it kept me guessing and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Blood Stained’ is superbly written but then I wouldn’t expect anything less from Rebecca Bradley. Rebecca has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. The fact that Rebecca was herself a police officer, only serves to make the story seem that bit more authentic. I loved the fact that the story was set in Sheffield, as I have family in that area and I love reading about places with which I am familiar. For me, ‘Blood Stained’ started with a bang, hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Blood Stained’ felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, I flipping loved reading ‘Blood Stained’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Rebecca’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board can only be 5* out of 5*.

This was quite hard for me to review and rate, and I’ll explain why at the end.
The story starts with Ruth finding a man in her home standing behind her. As he strikes, she tries to defend herself and then it all goes black.
During the past six months, police in Sheffield have been hunting a serial killer dubbed The Sheffield Strangler who has been targeting women aged in their forties. He starts to strangle them, then slits their throats and dumps their bodies in shallow graves after smearing their faces with a particular shade of lipstick. After several deaths, the detectives, led by DS Dominic Harrison and DI Adyant Kapoor, are making little progress and have received taunting letters from the killer. It transpires each of the women has recently met a man on a dating website, and with this in mind, a trap is set by using Dominic’s wife Ruth, an undercover officer. One night Dominic arrives home late to find Ruth is missing and out of contact. DI Claudia Nunn, based at Snig Hill police station in Sheffield, is ordered by her boss DCI Maddison Sharpe to interview prime suspect Dominic about Ruth’s disappearance. But why is Claudia so opposed to arresting and interviewing Dominic? Surely it's not just the fact she and Ruth were friends? The story switches between the present day as Claudia, together with her trusty DS Russ Kane, continues to grill Dominic whilst her team delve into Ruth’s disappearance and suspected murder, and with Dominic’s description of his six month investigation into the serial killer. He insists that, with the strong prospect of a new witness, the Strangler is worried they are getting too close and has targeted Ruth either as a distraction or a direct attack on the very detectives who are chasing him. So can Claudia discover what happened to Ruth and will her split inquiry take them any nearer to identifying The Strangler?
Without giving away any spoilers, the whole premise of Claudia being chosen to head the inquiry was unbelievable and unrealistic on a number of levels. The rest of the story of the Strangler investigation was excellent, with well drawn characters, an engrossing exciting plot and a clever final twist, but the truth about Claudia lost it that all important fifth star. 4*

This is book is set in Sheffield which appealed to me as I live in the city.
The story is set around an investigation into a serial killer named the Sheffield Strangler, one of the officers involved with finding the perpetrator is Dominic Harrison . We then learn that Dominic’s wife Ruth is missing , is she another victim of the Sheffield strangler ? Harrison is arrested for the disappearance/ murder of Ruth , is he being framed?

DI Claudia Nunn is in charge of interviewing Dominic Harrison, we learn why she does this under duress due to her realationship both with the arrested officer and the missing officer.
This is an easy read with plenty of twists and turns and the conclusion was an intriguing one. I found the book compelling with some interesting threads within the story , both in regards to the character relationships and also the depths of the narrative.
I found the characters genuine and look forward to the next book in the series.
Overall a solid read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this copy.

A missing undercover policewoman and a large pool of blood in her garage suggests that she is dead. A serial killer in Sheffield - murdering women and leaving a tell-tale lipstick signature. The missing policewoman is the wife of the detective seeking the serial killer. He is also a suspect. Detective Nunn is tasked with interviewing the husband and it gets more and more complex the further one goes. It's hard to say a lot without spoiling the story but suffice to say that the serial killer was blooming obvious although the twist in the tail was, equally, blooming not. Nunn's behaviour is certainly at odds with police procedure especially near the end and whilst it looks as if there will be more in the series I think it's asking for trouble down the line with just that police procedure - but we'll see. The writer kept up the tension even through the "for goodness' sake they wouldn't do that" moments. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

A murder investigation turns intensely personal for several detectives involved. This book is very well written and paced, with an MC I cared much for.

[What I liked:]

•The writing is really good, with striking turns of phrase, and not cliché. I highlighted several lines just because I liked the way a description was worded.

•The timeline isn’t totally chronological, but it’s done in a way that enhances the story instead of being that way for no reason or getting convoluted. It actually increased a lot of narrative tension & definitely raised the stakes.

•I like Dom a whole lot. He’s a flawed yet very sympathetic character. I was very engaged with the outcome of his interrogation & the crime’s solution.

•Interesting plot! I enjoyed the details about interviewing family members, inter-departmental politics among the police, the forensics work, etc. The level of professional detail made the story seem very real, without getting bogged down in jargon or technical facts.

•I kinda figured out who the strangler was halfway in, but watching the rest of the details unfold & confirm it was delicious.

•Ohhh man! That ending! I can’t wait for the series to continue!


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•With the connection between Dom & Claudia, it’s really unbelievable she would have any involvement in the case. I found that hard to overlook.

•Plus, the risk Claudia takes towards the end seemed unrealistic. She knew way better.

CW: on page physical assault (non-sexual), murder

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

*I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I struggled a little with my rating of this book - there were points in reading where I would have given it two stars and others where it would be closer to three and a half stars. It's one of those books that with a few tiny tweaks I think it would have been a solid good read, and with a really thorough re-edit it could have been great.

The novel is fast paced from the get go, beginning with the attack of Ruth in the prologue. Following this we meet Claudia, who is interviewing fellow police officer Domonic - Ruth's husband and the police officer involved in another investigation that he insists is connected to Ruth's disappearance.

It's very obvious from the beginning that the first Big Twist will be the nature of the relationship between Claudia, Domonic, and Ruth. The problem is that in trying to keep the twist under wraps the reader is given nothing about their relationship at all and it makes it incredibly difficult to bond with these characters. The dropping of the twist is a big WHAT moment, but so much more could have been done in the story telling previously to really build up this moment. It's genuinely a brilliant premise and what kept me reading even when I wasn't necessarily enjoying the writing itself.

The actual who-dunnit of it all felt really obvious - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you read a lot of this genre and are a worker-outer of plots you'll see it coming, but in this instance I didn't particularly mind. Mostly because I very much enjoyed the way the end of this book sets itself up with a really interesting premise for future novels. If this hadn't been the case I think I would have written this book off a lot more easily.

The writing is.. okay. I think most of us don't expect literary genius in the crime/mystery/thriller genre but for me as long as there is a seamlessness to the writing I'm good to go. I found in the reading of this book that there were a lot of clunky sentences that really jarred where it should have flowed. Really basic editing should eliminate this issue so it kind of just irks me.

I also found the constant undercurrant of "woe are the police/the police are so hard done by" grating af. You're already publishing a police procedural type mystery, it's already cop propaganda at heart you don't need to lay it on. This is a hard enough genre to enjoy in this regard don't make it harder.

There is also a hyper-concerning moment in the opening chapters where a character's sympathies with a murderer who went down for a one punch kill of his wife are super gross and there is no distinction made between the author's opinion and the character's. This moment might be an attempt to give a bigger insight into who this character is, rather than being what the actual author thinks, but if you're going to attempt this then you need to have the skill and finesse to let your reader know which it is.

All in all I think if you aren't a constant thinker in your mystery/suspense/thriller type reading then I think this is a good read. If you're a nitpicker like me then maybe a little less so. I do look forward to future instalments though given the way the ending of this book prepared for the next and will read them.

DS Dominic Harrison has been pursuing a vicious serial killer, one who finds and hunts his victims through a dating app.

But then Dominic's wife goes missing and there's a large pool of blood in his garage. He is the prime suspect.

Detective Claudia Nunn is tapped to investigate Dominic, even though they have worked closely together. The powers that are think she will be the best person to question him and the person he will be most open to up and confess.

But Dominick can't be more adamant that he had nothing to do with his wife missing. In fact, he begs Claudia and everyone else that they should be out there looking for her. He insists that the serial killer he's been searching for has framed him.

Is he telling the truth? Will Claudia be able to investigate without prejudice? Will she find the serial killer? Find his missing wife?

A tightly woven plot with non-stop action and intrigue from the very start make this a true page turner. Suspenseful twists and turns lead to a very unexpected conclusion. Watch for the huge twist!

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

It is always good to be introduced to a new author so I was looking forward to reading this book by Rebecca Bradley.

The story is set in Sheffield, an area I am very familiar with having lived in South Yorkshire for most of my life so I really enjoyed reading about the different places.

Dominic is investigating the Sheffield Strangler. He has killed several women horrifically leaving their children motherless but nobody living seems to know what he looks like and he is clever leaving no clues and no forensic evidence only a lipstick left with each body. Then Dominic's wife goes missing and he is arrested on suspicion of murder and finds himself being interviewed by Claudia, who knows him and his wife very well.

This is a very intriguing story that switches between the present day and the Sheffield Strangler investigation. If you like to get into the nitty gritty of detective work then this is definitely a book for you it follows the investigation into Ruth's disappearance in detail making for a very interesting read.

The twists and turns are many causing me to change my mind about what happened many times throughout the book and the identity of the Sheffield Strangler was a complete shock I certainly didn't see coming.

Personally I was disappointed with the ending but hopefully there is more to come in this story.

Thank you to the author, Joffe Books and Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

Blood Stained is the first of a new series featuring Detective Claudia Nunn. Claudia is a strong, likeable character, tasked with a difficult case that couldn't get more personal, yet she handles it professionally, even at times when she feels like she's going to crack.
To date, I've read every single book Rebecca Bradley has written and really enjoyed them all. In Blood Stained, her style of writing seems to have changed a little, maybe, less police procedural, more thrillerish, if that's a word? Whatever it is, it certainly works. Even after the first couple of pages, I knew this was going to be one hell of a book, but that didn't cut it. I honestly think this is her best book so far and I really hope book 2 is ready soon!

Blood Stained is the first instalment in the Detective Inspector Claudia Nunn series, set in and around the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The prologue begins with a woman called Ruth washing dishes at her kitchen sink when she knows someone is behind her. She's frozen, paralysed by fear but promises herself she won't go down without a fight. She tries to use a glass as a weapon against him giving her time to run, but he catches her by the hair dragging her back and dropping her at his feet. She struggles under his weight, kicking and punching the best she can when he reigns a blow down on the side of her head. 9 hours later and DI Dunn is at Snig Hill Police Station where her superior DCI Maddison Sharpe has requested her to carry out the unenviable task of interviewing 52-year-old DS Dominic Harrison, the shaken husband to missing person, Ruth. Claudia and Dominic have a close bond but the nature of it is not known until much later on. She reluctantly agrees. For the past 6 months, the police have been trying to apprehend The Sheffield Strangler, a serial killer seemingly targeting women over the age of 40. They had all been killed then buried in shallow graves in woodland areas and discovered only by chance. Each body showed signs of the same MO and at each dump site, red lipstick was found. Ruth, a police officer herself in the undercover unit, had gone undercover to try to catch the vicious perpetrator in the act as the bodies piled up and the local police became more and more desperate to stop his spree before any more women lost their lives. On the night Ruth went missing, DS Harrison had gotten home late after team meetings at the station and she wasn't home.

After ringing around colleagues and friends and walking her route from home to work he reported her missing and though he was now under suspicion he was adamant that the Strangler had abducted her. When Claudia attends Dom's address at Green Lane, Wharncliffe Side, to execute a search warrant she finds a large bloodstain on the garage floor but still no sign of a body. Dom is now their prime suspect but maintains he is innocent and is being framed by the crafty Strangler. Did he really kill his wife? Rewind 6 months and DI Adyant Kapoor had informed Dom that the body of a woman had been found in Ecclesall Woods by dog walker, Derek Fearns, who had literally tripped and fell onto her, and that she had been subjected to horrendous brutality. Dom is sent to secure the scene until the Crime Scene Unit can arrive. The victim had blonde hair, was aged in her forties and there were ligature marks around her throat and yet it had also been cut. Her name was Julie Carver and it is found that she had used an online dating site recently; when more women are murdered in the same manner by a guy known as "Christian" in his online dating profile the police have found the connection. Can Claudia get to the bottom of whether Ruth is alive or dead while also putting a stop to the serial killer's antics? This is a compulsive and enthralling procedural and a brilliant start to a new series. There were a plethora of wicked twists, turns and red herrings to keep you turning the pages, and it's an incredibly tightly plotted thrill ride with intricate detail and a ring of authenticity to many of the events as the author is a retired police officer herself. A riveting and thoroughly addictive mystery thriller and a dark, addictive and intensely woven page-turner. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Detective Claudia Nunn #1

DS Dominic Harrison has been leadin a case against a dangerous serial killer who haunts his victims using a dating app. But now his wife has gone missing. When a large pool of blood is found in their garage, Dominic becomes the prime suspect. Is Dominic being framed or will Detective Claudia Nunn expose an even uglier truth

Set in Sheffield, this is a new series to feature DC Claudia Nunn. A serial killer is meeting women through a dating app. A Detective Sergeant's wife has gone missing. Mix then together and you end up with a good plot for a book. I did have a couple of issues with the story though: Detective Claudia Nunn wouldn't investigate or interview a case involving a collegue. It would be someone from a different police force. The story is told from Dominic and Claudia's perspective and told in the past and present day. I did guess where the story was going but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. I quite enjoyed this book and i'll be looking out for the next book in this new series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #RebeccaBradley for my ARC of #BloodStained in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This was a brilliant book it had a great story and characters, many twists and an unexpected ending, I can't wait for more from this author.

DS Dominic Harrison has been investigating a serial murder and then his wife Ruth, also a police officer working the case, goes missing. Di Claudia Nunn is brought in, setting up a complicated dance for both of them. It's told in the past- from the beginning of the investigation 6 months previously- by Dominic and in the present by Claudia. There will be a collision, especially once some secrets they share are revealed. Some of this seems implausible (the large body count for example) but it's also typical of the genre. Claudia isn't an especially likable character and her involvement the investigation is not something I can imagine happening. That said. I did keep reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm curious to see where Bradley takes her next.

This is the first book in a new series set in sheffield with DC claudia nunn. A colleagues wife has gone missing and claudia is made to interview him regarding the dissappearance can she solve it ......... this is dark. Twisty and an utter page turner its also a I DIDNT SEE THAT COMING....... If you havnt read a book by rebecca bradley yet, what are you waiting for............

D.I. Claudia Nunn book one
A gripping tense read from this new author to me, set in Sheffield we join the team at Snig Hill police station. Claudia is assigned to interview witness D.S. Dominic Harrison her father, she didn't want to take this case but Maddison Sharpe requests it, Ruth his wife has gone missing and the Sheffield strangler is still on the loose after six months and they were working round the clock to get her found. Her father is convinced he has her to get him back.
This is one very emotional case for the team to deal with and I must say it left a lump in my throat, the house of maven velvet berry lipstick holds a key to all the other murders and after a house search blood is found and the lipstick, It's definitely a full on book to read and I just couldn't put this down, a real page turner all I can say is Wow!! pick it up and read.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the Nottingham-set Hannah Robbins series by Rebecca Bradley, I was interested to see where she would go with this new strand, based in Sheffield. The initial signs are very promising as this is a fine novel, clever and intriguing. When a policewoman goes missing and her partner, also in the police, is under suspicion, Claudia Nunn has the tough job of unveiling the truth. There are plenty of surprising revelations and an unexpected, if somewhat sudden, conclusion. I look forward to future instalments.

A well written and tightly plotted crime thriller.
Some elements were obvious; who the killer was but others turned out to be totally unexpected.
I hope this is the first of a new series

Great book! A real thriller!! Lots of twists and turns! This book was filled with intrigue, suspense, action and slot of who done it!! I did figure out who one person was but not right away! The only bad part was one of the suspects was left open?! I wish the author would have said at the end , something like " if you want to know who did this stay tuned for the next book in thus series! " or something like that?! I don't know?! Will we ever know?! Will the guy get away with it?? But besides that the book was awesome!! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Blood Stained, the first novel to feature DI Claudia Nunn of the Sheffield Police.

DS Dominic Harrison has been hunting the serial killer known as The Sheffield Strangler for six months and now his wife, Ruth, has gone missing. Is he guilty of murder or is The Sheffield Strangler framing him? It’s DI Nunn’s job to find out.

Blood Stained is very much a mixed bag with some outstanding parts full of tension and mystery and other parts that ask the reader to believe some unlikely and unrealistic scenarios. It is told from Claudia’s perspective as she evaluates what she is being told and from Dominic’s when the narrative slips into the past to describe the hunt for the killer. There is tension throughout the novel from Dom’s inability to catch the killer and the resulting pressure and from Claudia’s nerves, because she has some link to him that isn’t initially disclosed. This is good and makes the novel a page turner with the author ratcheting up the tension and suspense by running these two themes in tandem.

I don’t want to issue spoilers so all I will say is that Claudia should never have been in the same office as Dominic, never mind interviewing him as a potential murderer. Unbelievable is my mildest comment on the subject. Then there is one particular action she takes that for a supposed by the book officer beggars belief. She tried to inform her boss, I hear you cry, sorry, but why her boss didn’t find out is akin to the dog eating my homework. The final twist in the novel is clever, but again rather unbelievable.

I swithered between three stars, given what the reader is asked to believe, and four stars for the tension and interesting serial killer hunt plot. I have settled for four as it is quite absorbing on the whole. I’m unsure if I would read another novel in the series as I didn’t like the ending and what it promises, especially as it offers another unlikely premise.

The first chapter had me intrigued, the second had me hooked. A serial killer and an abducted female police officer. The first suspect in a case of a missing person is their partner or family. So that's who the police arrest, but the evidence points to her being another victim of the Sheffield Strangler who has been killing women for the last 6 months . Find the Strangler and get the answer - but can DI Claudia Nunn manage it.

Loved it. Read it in a single sitting. Can't wait for the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.