A great addition to the series. I say this as I believe you may not follow along unless you've read the previous book. I like the repartee of Kate's team. The underlining mystery is riveting. A really good police procedural, especially with limited resources.

Cut for a Cut by Carol Wyer is the second in the likeable Detective Kate Young series and although I happily read it as a standalone there is obviously a back story which is mentioned when needed to.
In short, Kate has been recently widowed and suspects that her journalist husband was murdered by corrupt officers in her force, particularly by her Superintendent John Dickson so she’s on a personal mission to expose the dirty cops. Whilst trying to prove corruption she and her team are working on an investigation involving a serial murderer and rapist with a particular M O. This case becomes personal to Kate and she desperately needs to find the killer soon before it’s too late!
It’s a great crime story with plenty of likely characters in the frame making it a fast paced and interesting plot which cleverly connects both of her missions and although one of the crimes is solved, the other will no doubt follow on into the next book which I will definitely look forward to reading.
Big thanks to Carol Wyer, Thomas and Mercer Publisher and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

A Cut for a Cut is the second book in the new series about Kate Young. It is mostly a stand alone, but makes more sense if the first book was read. As always, Carol Wyer gives the reader a mystery to solve and characters that you feel are friends. I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon UK for an early copy to review.

Carol Wyer surely must be one of the best crime authors we have.

This is the second in the DI Kate Young series, where Kate is investigating a murder, alongside partaking in her own investigation into corruption in the force and the death of her journalist husband Chris some months before.

This feels like quite a complex story with a lot going on. Kate is also clearly struggling with some mental health issues following Chris’s death and is using some questionable coping strategies.

I look forward to reading the next book and hoping that Kate gets some answers!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Omg where do I begin?
This is the second in the DI Kate Young series and is the most hard hitting book so far. Kate has so many problems to deal with both in her personal and professional life. She has to come to terms with the loss of her husband as well as solve the murders of innocent young women and try to expose a corrupt officer. Carole Wyer could certainly give Jed Mercurio a run for his money as the plot thickens and Kate finds out exactly who she can trust and who she can’t.

The theme is a very sensitive one as the murderer is also a rapist and the thought of that is very upsetting but there are no graphic details to that apart from a couple of comments.

The tension is quick to build and continues throughout until it reaches a crescendo. Carole Wyer is a master in the art of suspense building and weaves twists and turns into the story brilliantly.

I already can’t wait to read the next book in the series as Kate Young is a brilliant detective but also very vulnerable and I have welcomed her into my heart.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of A Cut for a Cut, the second novel to feature DI Kate Young of the Staffordshire Police.

Kate and her small team are on the hunt for a serial rapist and killer, but clues and suspects are thin on the ground, especially when her mind is as much on her unofficial investigation into police corruption as it is on her official investigation.

I have enjoyed Ms Wyer’s previous series but A Cut for a Cut is not to my taste, perhaps because this is my first dip into the series and I felt a little lost, but probably because I like contained novels rather than those with a thread that spans the series and I never find modern day corruption interesting or particularly believable, despite the current allegations against The Met. I struggled to get through it, not least because it doesn’t have much little forward momentum with the gains being small in terms of propulsion and development and I had guessed the perpetrator’s identity almost from the start.

The narrative is mostly from Kate’s point of view with the unnamed perpetrator chiming in with his obsessive thoughts from time to time and there’s not much new there, just a reinforcement of who he is. I didn’t take to Kate. I understand that she’s recently widowed but talking out loud to her dead husband isn’t a good look for an experienced detective and calls her mental health into question.

This novel is obviously part of a series, so, while the murder/rapist plot is self contained, the corruption part is ongoing, therefore the novels must be read in order. I joined midway through and never had the feeling of mastery or total understanding of these events. It all seems a bit disjointed with Kate gathering evidence against Superintendent John Dickson (and there are major steps forward) but no plan of what to do with it. The novel also ends with a cliffhanger in this thread with hints of more people being involved. If I had read the first novel first I would probably have felt more invested, but, as it stands, I found it hard to work up any enthusiasm or interest in it.

A Cut for a Cut is not for me.

Book 2 in the DI Kate Young series.

This time kate and her team investigate the brutal attacks on young women.

I'm really enjoying the background plot that is carried on from book 1 but, for me, the main plot in this was far too predictable. It was obvious who the main target was.

I look forward to reading book 3 which will hopefully recapture some of the dark and gritty feeling of the first book.

If you enjoy a good police procedural thriller, Carol Wyer is up there with the best.
Another pearler of a novel and one which kept me entertained the whole way through.

A Cut for a Cut is Book 2 in the DI Kate Young series from Carol Wyer

"Kate is still reeling from the murder of her husband, Chris.His investigation into the corruption of the police led to his murder and Kate is desperate to bring those responsible to justice,
A serial rapist is attacking women and carving the word "Mine" into their back. Kate and her team are under tremendous pressure especially after one of their own is attacked and killed. Can Kate catch the killer before she is pulled off the case?"

This is more than a police procedural. Wyer's characters are dealing with grief - political pressure - family pressure - and a killer that's closer than you realize.
Kate is a complicated character with many layers. She's having conversations with her dead husband in her head. And she seems willing to bend some rules to get her evidence which leads to some internal conflict

Wyer keeps you on your toes because no character is safe. She is willing to kill any character if it advances the story. I had hoped for some resolution with the secondary story but hopefully in the next book.

Another great crime fiction novel from Wyers.
'

Brilliant book loved it the characters go so well with the story and i will highly recommend it to friends.Shame we can only give 5* as i feel its worth more.

The second instalment of the Detective Kate Young series is back with a bang, grabbing your attention from start to finish.

Great to pick up with Kate and her team and see the brilliance in the series and writing has continue, can't wait for number three!

A gripping intense crime thriller full of tension and suspense that builds throughout from a highly talented author.

Loved this book even more than the first which I didn't think was possible. Kate is trying to track down a man who is attacking women at a very fast paced, they seem to be getting no leads until Kate realises just how close the danger is.
At the same time she's still trying to find justice for her husband but it's a dangerous task as she believes her boss is involved.
Can't wait for the next one especially given the ending about her team!!!

Having read and loved the first book in this series, An Eye For An Eye I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second Detective Kate Young book. And Wow! what a story!

The author does fill in details about Kate and her life from the first book, but in all honesty, I would recommend reading the first book to get a proper idea of what Kate has been and is currently dealing with.

It is often the case that the lead detectives in fiction do have some trouble or scarring from their pasts. With Kate, however, this is something that she is not over dealing with, she is constantly reminded of her loss. I am not going to delve into this too much, but what the author did with this thread at the end of the book left me with goosebumps and also worried about Kate! Such a subtle sentence!

The case itself is brutal. A woman found dead with the word MINE carved into her skin is only the start of the investigation. Having only a small team at her disposal keeps Kate on the back foot to a certain extent. Lacking the resources but still having the pressure from those above doesn't help her but her tenacity is something that keeps her going.

As the case intensifies the intrigue is built upon. Occasional italicised chapters add a very tense edge giving a more brutal, chilling psychological side to the story.

There is so much I want to say about the case, Kate's personal life and the story in general. It is a brilliantly woven story and I am only just touching the edge of what happens. Fear of leaving spoilers and ruining it for those who have not yet read this is keeping this review vague.

With a personal story, a family reunion, pressure from the hierarchy it is a wonder Kate holds everything together. Is she holding it together or is she just hanging on? This is where the author has worked some magic, keeping Kate juggling so many things.

This is a brilliantly worked second book in the series and one that had me gripped. It is brutal, chilling, carefully worked and just amazing reading. One for those who like a gritty, crime, thriller and one I would very definitely recommend.

A Cut for a Cut is a fast paced , edge of your seat finish and leaves you wanting the next book in the series.

Kate trusts no one at work as she knows there is corruption at some level in the police force and as she strives to find proof she and her team are now facing a serial rapist/killer.

The clock is ticking very fast.

I loved Book 1 and Book 2 is even better.

I cant wait for Book 3 , I will be first in line.

Do yourself a favour and don't miss the Detective Kate Young series. (Or any book by Carol Wyer).

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK , Thomas & #38; Mercer for a fast paced , hold your breath ride.

Absolutely loved this book! It kept me on tenterhooks wondering what was going to happen next. Carol Wyer has written another cracker and I can’t recommend reading it enough!

Thankyou NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author, Carol Wyer , for the opportunity to read A Cut For A Cut in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Such a good, cracking read. I couldn't put it down.
The storyline was well written with compelling characters. Plenty of action sees you turning the pages to discover how it all ends.
Worth a read.

My thoughts 📚📚📚

Whohoo Detective Kate Young is back in the second book in this not to be missed crime series. If you haven’t already read the first book in the series, I would highly recommend you do 1: because it’s so darn good and 2: there’s a thread that’s ongoing from An Eye For An Eye the first book in the series. Carol Wyer certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention with a riveting opening, and a plot that grips the reader from the off. 

Kate and the team have their hands full with the murder of several women who have been raped and strangled. Alongside the investigation into the murders, Kate pursues her own investigation into her husband’s murder, believing there is a conspiracy within the force. Although there is a modicum of normality returning to her life, that comes in the shape of her estranged sister Tilly and nephew Daniel. 

Kate has an extraordinary trait, but it’s also one that causes concern, you can’t help but question her mental health, but I couldn’t help thinking ‘here’s a woman who needs closure’, until then she finds herself trapped by her past. The crimes that Kate and her team are investigating are heinous, but at no point did I feel the descriptions were gratuitous.

With intermittent chapters told from the POV of the unidentified killer the readers gets an insight ‘why’ they kill, it’s these chapters heighten the tension tenfold, but they also give the plot an ominous edge. The authors masterful use of two threads running alongside each other means there’s always something going on, leaving the reader no time to catch their breath as the plots gather momentum. 

Once again the Carol Wyer has written a crime thriller that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, taut with tension and bursting with suspense, it’s a book that crime thriller lovers will race through. With an influx of crime thrillers to choose from, crime readers are spoilt for choice, so why read this book? It’s a riveting read, with an engaging plot, and the author has a style of writing that immerses the reader from the start. Highly recommended.

A Cut For A Cut - Carol Wyer

DI Kate Young is back and is hell bent on revenge. She is convinced that her husband Chris’ death has something do do with her Boss Superintendent Dickson. She has Chris’ journalist files suggesting he is corrupt and involved in a paedophile ring- the information which cost him his life at the hands of a hitman hired by one of the ring.
Dickson claims no knowledge of what transpired and Kate doesn’t believe him, he is her primary focus.

In the meantime she has a murder case to solve, a young woman brutally raped and murdered and cut with the letters MINE.
There is a serial rapist on the loose and we see this through flashbacks from his POV. And the tension mounts as more women are murdered, can Kate and her team solve the case or is someone trying to stop her?

We are back with Kate with a bang and straight back in it, it was like revisiting old friends. I loved this book even more than the first, An Eye For An Eye, probably because I knew the characters and their backstory but I would say you can read this as a standalone.

I did spot the clues fairly early on as to what may happen but I have to say I enjoyed this book, it steamrollers along at a pace, I love ballsy Kate as a character and we are beginning to learn more about the team too. There is just a hint of the Line of Duty’s here with the secondary corruption storyline running through as well from book to book.
There are lots of threads cleverly woven in to guide you this way and that, plenty of suspects to hold your attention, I felt tense reading this one and was vindicated in my choice of killer but I was led up the garden path on the way I can tell you!

This is a gripping rollercoaster of a book, tense right until the end, I would really recommend this series!

✩✩✩✩✩

‘A Cut For A Cut 🔪🩸’ by Carol Wyer
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5
.
Another incredibly exciting read from @carolwyer! This was book two in the DI Kate Young series and it did not disappoint. To be able to understand the background it is best that read ‘An Eye For An Eye’ first, otherwise you might get a bit confused!

The book starts off strong and it is fast paced. I liked finding out more about Kate’s personal life which really brings the character to life and makes you feel like she is real. Again, like the first book everything is believable which in some way makes the book even more creepy & disturbing!

For me, this book was better than first which is hard to do & I often find that the other books in the series don’t live up to the first. I was gripped from the start and cannot wait for the next one ☺️
.
Thanks to @netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and @carolwyer for the advanced copy! Publication date 29th June 2021 📖

I really enjoyed A Cut For A Cut which sees Di Kate Young on the hunt for a serial rapist and killer.

Although this is the second book in the Detective Kate Young series this can be read as a standalone book and still enjoyed.

Kate is grieving and determined to find out who was behind her husband's murder and why but this latest case consumes most of her energy.

Because she is convinced there are bad apples within the force she begins to question her colleagues and their motives.

Can Kate trust those she works with?

Although I had my suspicions as to who the killer was the final twist still kept me turning the pages to see if I was right.

I am keen to read the next book to see what happens next!

And I really hope Kate is able to get justice for her husband's murder.