I was immediately hooked on this one, as the area in which it’s set is very well-known to me. The author’s knowledge of, or research into, the area is excellent.

A young, engaged woman is brutally murdered on her way home from work in Kew, and DI Rob Miller is assigned to it as senior investigating officer, his first case in charge. He’s determined to catch the killer but, before he and his team have much of a chance, there’s another murder. Meanwhile, Rob’s home life with his fiancée Yvette is not going very well.

Because the team hasn’t been successful yet, the boss sends in an MIT from another London station, and nobody’s very happy about that. The DCI, Jo, is actually really nice and very good at her job, so it’s not so bad for Rob after all. Are two heads better than one?

This book was, genuinely, very hard to put down and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

*Please note this book is a completely revised version of The Surrey Stalker.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

When DI Rob Miller is given his first big case he is determined to solve it. His personal life isn't going as planned but he needs to bring this killer to justice. No clues are found on the body of a young woman but then another young woman is found murdered in the same manner and DI Rob Miller realizes this case isn't a single murder but a serial killing.
A story that kept me reading past my bedtime. I wanted to know all the details and it had me turning pages. I would love to read more by this author and look forward to many new books.

This is the first in a debut crime series by author, Biba Pearce, set in London and featuring ambitious London Met DI Rob Miller who finds himself as SIO for the first time, and therefore keen to prove himself, when the body of a young woman is discovered on a path by the River Thames, sexually assaulted and strangled. The victim turns out to be a woman, Julie, engaged to be married to Justin. Oddly enough, Miller himself is engaged to be married to his girlfriend, Yvette, not the most sympathetic of characters, manipulative and not happy with the hours he is putting in on the case. It takes a while to get to grips to with what turns out to be a dark,, chilling and disturbing case that has other murders to take into account, involving the Surrey Stalker, a serial killer. Miller finds himself working with a DCI, Jo, from Lewisham MIT. This is a okay crime read, reasonably engaging that many other crime readers might enjoy. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I think a better title for this book would have been “The Bridal Path Killer”, as it is about a serial killer who preys on brides to be. The story opens with a young woman brutally raped and murdered on the Thames Path of the title. This is a police procedural novel, the lead detective is DI Rob Miller, in his late 20s and this is his first big case. He is getting grief at home from his fiancé, who happens to be an underwear model, and who doesn’t appreciate the long hours he works. The book is told mostly through the perspective of DI Miller with some parts being told from the killer's point of view. The killer’s viewpoint is the usual narcissistic misogynistic revenge perspective common in this genre. The pacing is good building to a climax at the end, but the characters are not strongly developed. The character of Rob Miller is not engaging enough to care about following him to future books. The story was competent but lacking in surprises to make it stand out from the field of police procedural novels. There are many of the standard tropes.


I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Thames Path Killer in return for an honest review.

The Thames Path Killer was a fast paced, almost cozy, read that I couldn't put down once I started. Rob Miller is a hard working London Detective Inspector with a fairly demanding fiance. When a young woman is murdered in West London, he's given his first chance to head his own investigative team. After being a DI, with his department for two years this is the perfect chance for him to prove himself. Unfortunately, his fiance is not as pleased. When another young woman is murdered, in the same manner, the powers that be insist that his team works with one of the local Major Investigative Teams. The pace picks up from this point on as they race to find the Surrey Stalker.

I was gripped from the very opening paragraphs of this debut novel and new crime series by Biba Pearce!
The opening pages are an intriguing, but dark insight told through the eyes of the killer. It plays like a film on screen, like a crash you know is going to happen, but you can’t do anything to prevent it. His perspective is sprinkled throughout the main narrative, and this works really well. It gives small clues to motive and method, gives an additional perspective and adds a malevolence to the whole novel.
Most of the narrative is told from the perspective of the police investigation, led by DCI Rob Miller who is in lead officer for the very first time. Initially it looks as though the killer is someone with a grudge or a random attack however as evidence builds, it becomes clear something more sinister is happening.
The police procedural aspect is fast paced and fascinating. I love the inclusion of profiling and the post-mortems to gain evidence and clues. The tension felt through the characters as they struggle to solve the crime is intense and I imagine reflects how fraught and frustrating solving a murder must be. There is a good balance of Rob’s personal life thrown in too which helps to bring his character to life and sets out a path for further novels in the series.
I really enjoyed the character of Rob Miller and I cannot wait to read more about him and his team in future novels.
An excellent crime novel and introduction to a new series.

This is a good British police procedure novel. It has a relatively good balance of investigative technique and character development. DI Rob Miller makes a good debut appearance as a lead investigator. He is a little unsure of himself but is ambitious. He doesn't seem to make any mistakes in his first case as lead which was a bit surprising. One rape and murder turns in to two and the pressure is on for Miller. A more experienced team is brought in to help with the investigation and it was a bit surprising that Miller got on well with them.

There was perhaps a bit more personal life of DI Miller in this novel than I would have liked. Miller spends so much time on the case his fiancé becomes frustrated. Her place in the novel becomes more important later on but I did not appreciate the sexual tension and expression between the two.

Potential readers should know that the book opens with a violent rape and murder scene. This might be a trigger situation to some readers. Also, this book is a revised edition of The Surrey Stalker released a few years ago.

I like Pearce's writing style and the way the investigation is plotted. She is a new author to me and I will be looking for more from her.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and 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. It drew me in from the first page and I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down, it had great characters and a great story line, I look forward reading more from this author.

If there’s one thing that I like doing it’s discovering new authors and Biba Pearce is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis for ‘The Thames Path Killer’ and it certainly sounded like the fast paced, gritty crime story that I particularly enjoy at the moment. Well I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Thames Path Killer’ but more about that in a bit.
I did warm to Detective Inspector Rob Miller. He is an ambitious young detective, who is keen to make a good impression on his superiors. He hasn’t been at the rank of Detective Inspector for very long so he hasn’t much experience of being the Senior Investigating Officer in a major case. The case of ‘The Thames Path Killer’ is Miller’s opportunity to show just what he is capable of and a chance to impress his superiors. Miller certainly puts the hours in at work but this often comes at a cost- usually his personal life which doesn’t go down all too well with his significant other. Will Miller be able to apprehend ‘The Thames Path Killer’ before any more lives are lost? Well for the answer to that question and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It took me approximately 30 seconds to get into this story. The synopsis was enough to grab my attention and I was drawn into the story from the very first word on the very first page. It was as if the book had developed a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. I made the fatal mistake of starting to read the book shortly before I went to bed. Let’s just say that I became so wrapped up in the story that I read into the wee small hours and I had a distinct ‘lack of sleep’ hangover. If I had to put the book down for any reason then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick the book up again. I just couldn’t put this book down. For me ‘The Thames Path Killer’ the perfect example of an unputdownable, page turner of a read. I found it to be a gripping story, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The Thames Path Killer’ is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘The Thames Path Killer’ was a bit like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that you could take a minute to catch your breath and gather your thoughts, then off the action would go again. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and another member of Miller’s team, which is thanks to Biba’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of ‘The Thames Path Killer’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Biba’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I received a free copy of this book but would not hesitate to buy it.

This book is a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end and the characters are easy to picture without having too extensive a description. Most of them I liked, even the perpetrator, but Yvette was the annoying one, she’s the girlfriend of the SIO and sound like a right waste of breathing space and narcissistic person that annoys me in real life as well. If there’s sequel to that book, I hope that Yvette will take a very long walk along a very short pier and that Jo, the CID coming to the rescue will pop back.

Rob Miller and his team have a serial killer on their hands. A deranged person who is targetting young brides to be, raping and murdering them. This is a first major case Rob is handling on his own and which can be a shot at his promotion. While trying to piece together the murders and similar unsolved cases from the past, Rob is facing issues with his fiancee Yvette.
A good detective novel with a well paced story that ties up all loose ends.

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe books for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

For a debut novel, I thought this was a good, fast paced read and a very promising start to a new series. DI Rob Miller becomes SIO for the first time after a young, recently engaged woman is found sexually assaulted and strangled. When two more murders follow, DI Miller and his team look for similarities between them and when other officers are bought in to help the investigation they find historic cases they believe their killer can be linked to. The book is told mostly through the perspective of DI Miller who I really liked, and some parts being told from the killers point of view. I enjoyed reading of the ongoing police investigation and getting to know a little bit about DI Millers life outside work, although I didn’t like his fiancée. Overall I thought this was a well written, engaging book which grabbed my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. It is a relatively short book in my opinion although it has a lot of action packed into it. I’m looking forward to the next book and would like to read more of DI Miller and DCI Moore working together, and would recommend this one, although the rape scenes may not be for everyone. (less)

An engaging , fast paced thriller, that won't disappoint you. I found it easy to read and not too complicated.

This was truly a compulsive read for me. Several murders for Inspector Rob Miller to serve in his first big case as SIO. This strains his relationship with newly minted fiancee but help is at hand from an unwanted source. As the case becomes even more personal it grows to a an exciting race against time.
What a thriller!

DI Rob Miller is on the hunt for a serial killer who targets engaged women.This is a great police/detective book. Recommend a read. Giving this one a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the electronic copy.

I found this mystery/thriller really absorbing. It has a psychological and suspenseful dimension as the narrative of the story unfolds with killings and the police investigation, it is interspersed with the views from the killer's perspective.

DI Rob Miller is young and ambitious and living with his fiancée Yvette after a whirlwind romance. When his boss, DCI Lawrence head of the South West London Major Investigation Team, makes him SIO on the case of a young woman found murdered on the towpath of the Thames at Kew, he sees it at his chance of promotion and is determined not to mess it up. The victim, Julie, was a young woman, engaged, and planning her wedding to Justin when she was callously killed - but where is her engagement ring?. She'd complained of having a stalker over the previous few weeks. Just one day later Rob's informed that a new DCI from Manchester, now of Lewisham MIT, Jo Maguire, and her team, were being brought in to assist his investigation.

As further victims succumb to whom now the press call the Surrey Stalker, they have a serial killer on their hands; and when the investigation turns up unsolved murders which could be related to theirs, the team also focus further afield. How long has this killer been operating?

Will Rob get the recognition he deserves or will the new DCI claim it all? Will Yvette be able to understand the demands of his job?

This is well-written and easy-reading. I really enjoyed the way the team-work evolved; the dialogue in this police procedural is believable if not, in some instances, harrowing, especially as things become very personal to Rob.

Thoroughly good read.

Please note this book is a completely revised version of THE SURREY STALKER.

DI Rob Miller and his team have been assigned to investigate when a young woman's body is found along the Thames River path. At first glance they thought this was a personal attack, but as they keep on investigating. they find more women victims .. some going back many years.

The only things connecting the victims are the fact they all all young woman, all were recently engaged to be married at the time of their deaths, and all of them had reported having a stalker in the weeks before.

As Rob and his team get closer to the killer, his own fiancee disappears and Rob knows it's just a matter of time before this case becomes extremely personal.

The cleverly crafted plot, suspense from start to finish, is a real page-turner, filled with outstanding characters. I really liked hows Rob's personal life blended so well with the professional side. There are twists and turns that keep the story moving at a fast pace that lead to an unexpected, explosive conclusion.

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

A deranged serial killer. An ambitious young detective. A case that could destroy everything he holds dear. When a young woman is found raped and strangled along the Thames River path, it looks like a personal vendetta by an enraged ex-lover. Then, two more women die in the same manner, and it becomes clear that a deranged serial killer is on the loose. All three women were engaged to be married. Could this be the link between them? The case is assigned to DI Rob Miller, a young, ambitious detective employed by the Murder Investigation Team out of Putney in southwest London, whose job it is to catch the killer before any more women are murdered. Rob throws himself into his first investigation acting as the Senior Investigating Officer to the detriment of his own fiancée, Yvette, who is trying to plan their wedding, but who is also adept at manipulating her man, which he appears blind to.

When Rob begins to close in on the killer, his fiancée disappears, and Rob knows it's only a matter of time before the killer makes this personal. This is an enthralling and compulsively readable serial killer thriller, although it's really a police procedural and has all the elements that come with that. The perspective is divided between Rob and the unidentified killer, a format I love as we see how the investigation is progressing and take a look into the killer's warped mindset too. The plot is well woven and has all the hallmarks of a page-turning crime novel: a ruthless killer with plenty of premeditative thoughts, forensic evidence, fraught relationships with senior colleagues, exceptional teamwork and a personal life with difficulties to navigate. It closes in an adrenaline-pumping manner with a satisfying, palpably tense and action-packed chase and capture. All in all, a fast-paced, disturbing and twisty novella with interesting and credible characters.

The Thames Path Killer is a classic British police detective novel. For me these are the mac and cheese of mystery novels - you know what you are getting and you know that you love it.

DI Rob Miller is out to prove himself, being assigned as SIO (Senior Investigating Officer) for the first time on what is shaping up to look like a case of serial rape and murder crimes. Will he come through and earn that promotion? How many women will become victims before he figures it out? Can he reconcile his demanding professional life with his needy lover, Yvette?

I cannot say that this novel broke any new ground in detective fiction. It follows a well-trodden path and story arc in the genre. But that isn't necessarily a criticism. As I said, I enjoy this type of story; curling up with it and a cup of tea, like an old friend. The characters are interesting, the pace is quick and the ending satisfying. I enjoyed this one and will follow up to see what happens next with DI Rob Miller.

DI Rob Miller is on the hunt for a serial killer who targets engaged women.This is a great police procedural book with a great story.5*