Another brilliant book from Noelle Holten. This series gets better and better.
A body is found badly burned but there’s signs he was restrained before the fire, so Maggie and the team start their investigation.
Another body is soon found, again badly burned and it’s clear it’s another murder.
Maggie and Kat follow the leads and Kate is back as a consultant so they try and get as much insight into the killer’s mind as they can.
Julie is keen to help and Maggie is still unsure whether to take the leap and give their relationship a chance.
This is a gripping crime thriller that has a few twists and turns which definitely keeps you on your toes.
The story does relate to historic child abuse but is handled very sensitively.
A brilliant book that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to Books on the Brightside and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

So, considering this is my fifth or so Maggie Jamieson novel, it's safe to say I'm a fan of the series, so I'm coming at the review from that POV. Although, as usual with this series, this book can be read as a standalone, though be warned - reading it will make you want to pick the rest of the series!

This book was a great addition to the Maggie Jamieson series, one of the best yet.

What I liked about this book is that while it had that really good mystery and thriller storyline that this series always had, I feel like it was the most personal yet it terms of the characters. I feel like we really got to know the characters even better than ever before and see more of their inner workings and how they tick. It was nice, especially for Maggie, who always is so focused on work.

The mystery itself was also very good and very intense. Obviously, it was a tough subject, dealing with childhood abuse, but the author handled it very well and with sensitivity. It's always interesting in these types of stories to se the duality of things, with the perpetrators and victims being both at the same time. It's an interesting conundrum.

First, I didn't realize at the time of requesting/reading this was a new addition to a series. However, I didn't feel as lost as I thought I would.

Wow, what a story! This one really packs a punch with the story line. It's a tough one for some to read but it marks on the horrors of the world and just what people are capable of. It was well written and gave some insight into police procedures.

Brilliantly we get snippets into the pov of the killer and to me, these moved this story forward with edge. Unable to put the story down until I found all the answers it felt like going down a rabbit hole of true crime articles. (which I do often). Will definitely be going back and reading the books leading to this one, no doubt they are full of twists and turns and anxiety riddled pages.

Thank you to the publisher for approving a review copy.

The press calls him the Staffordshire Scorcher. A handyman is found first, tortured and set on fire. A prosecutor is the next to burn. Who will be next and why?

DC Maggie Jamison must solve these murders before the Scorcher acts again. There is a pattern and the excellent psychological analysis by Dr. Kate Moloney tells them that their killer is a victim of past abuse. Dark, disturbing cases from the past are driving this dangerous and determined killer.

Dead Mercy is the fifth in the excellent DC Maggie Jamison series. Maggie is a unique character. Although she can be impulsive and abrasive, she cares passionately about her work. She tries to keep her private life separate from her professional one but she is attracted to reporter Julie Noble who becomes an integral part of the case. This series keeps getting better. I’m looking forward to Noelle Holten’s next. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Noelle Holten for this ARC.

This series gets better and better! Noelle Holten's writing becomes increasingly confident with each new instalment and the plotting and characterisation are both impressive. Maggie Jamieson is a fascinating character and the insights into her colleagues are always interesting. This novel, the fifth in the series, deals with the delicate subject of child abuse and it is very well handled. A very enjoyable read.

This was a brilliant twisty book. Although it was part of a series it didn’t matter it read as a stand alone book. It started off with a bang and kept you guessing all the way through to the end. The characters were great and I found it interesting how police procedures worked. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is an excellent thriller, gritty and gripping but, ihmo, it's also the best in this series. It struck some chords as I worked with abused children long time ago and I felt for the victims.
There's a lot going on in this book, there's plenty of twists and it's a page turner that keeps turning pages as you discover what's going on and follow the clues.
Maggie's social skills are improving but I already loved her, her no-nonsense approach and the loyalty to her friends.
Excellent storytelling, good character and plot development, a solid mystery.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Noelle Holten writes with growing confidence, pushing the boundaries forward with each new novel. The plot is intensely gripping and covers some very disturbing dark aspects of human nature at its worst. DC Maggie Jamieson and her colleagues continue to grow as engaging characters, all with something worthwhile to say. And Noelle manages to keep one guessing right to the very end to find out who-dun-it.

I never repeat the blurb.
Yet another excellent installment in the series, this time looking at a series of bizarre urders linked by an horrific and tragic series of past events.
Hope there will be more.

I've been a fan of this series and its main character ever since I read the first book back in 2019, and I've been looking forward to meet up with DC Maggie Jamieson and the others again after catching up with the previous book a little while ago. Dead Mercy is already book number five of the series, and while it technically can be read as a stand-alone, I personally would recommend reading the books in order. It will be a lot easier to fully understand the character development and their background this way, and the whole series is well worth your time in the first place.

After everything that happened in book four, I was more than curious to find out how everything continues. We have a whole new investigation in play, and this time around it's all about revenge and child abuse. Disturbing, twisted, uncomfortable, suspenseful... DC Maggie Jamieson and the rest of the team once again have their hands full, and it's a race against the clock to stop the killer in time. The story is told with the help of a multiple POV structure, which is used to not only follow Maggie but also other relevant characters including the killer. I do have to say that there was something about the writing style of the killer's POV that bothered me a little; it probably had to do with the constant repeat of he this, he that, which started to annoy me especially in the beginning. That said, the rest of the POVs read just as easily as always, and I really enjoyed diving into this case in general.

As always, I love that we don't just have your usual detective investigation, but that Dead Mercy also shows us the probation side. And of course, we have the psychological angle too where Kate comes in... This combination gives the story more dept and definitely helps the series stand out in the genre. The suspense and plot twists are both well handled, and while I was looking in the right direction, I didn't guess the full truth before the final reveals and that is always a bonus. There are some developments on a personal level too, which make me even more curious to see how things continue in the next book. In short, Dead Mercy turned out to be another successful detective thriller sequel and I definitely can't wait to see what book six has in store for us.

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

oh my word it was great to be back in maggie jamieson world and catch up with her colleagues...

an historical abuse case that was never investigated

childrens home closed down but none of the accused were ever investigated or charged....

and now bodies are piling up which have been tortured and burnt with teeth removed, the only hint that its all related is that once identified they all worked in the childrens home

could the abuse case from years ago have any bearing on the murders of today

maggie and her team have their worked cut out for them before anymore people are murdered...

wow hooked and couldnt put this book down....read it in a day...its that good....

Book 5 but you can definitely read this on its own, and chances are you want to read the other 4, just saying. This was my first-time reading Noelle Holton book and I am hooked.
Just a trigger warning, “do unto others as they have done to you”, child abuse in group home settings, … but all done in sensitive manner (as much as that is possible), and I really like the strong female character Maggie, and how is learning to change.
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an early read in exchange for my opinion

I did enjoy this book it took me a while to get into it but once I did it was really good. This was most likely my fault as I didn't realise it was part of a series. I quite like the fact that the author alluded to the previous books rather than re-summarised. Now I am going to go back and read the other books.

The subject matter was intense and quite disturbing - you do have to feel for the children who were in that situation years ago and only hope it has moved on since then.

You could really tell there was a lot of knowledge re the system.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

After an explosive start with a brutal murder, Dead Mercy certainly maintains the pace throughout as DC Maggie Jamieson and her team uncover a dark history. With an increasing body count they’re desperately trying to work out how the victims are connected and are led to a historical case. As they uncover grisly secrets of the past they attempt to catch the killer before it’s too late. This book has me hooked from page one. It’s gripping, thrilling and will entertain to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author for the advance review copy.

Dead Mercy is the 5th and another brilliant addition to the D.C. Maggie Jamieson series which just gets better and better.

Maggie and the team are investigating the brutal and horrific murder of a man found burnt and mutilated and the hunt for the perpetrator begins. But, as the body count rises there is no obvious connection between any of the victims.

This tense, gritty and gripping read will keep you page turning from the very start to the final outcome.

All in all a super read. Emotional, emotive and hard hitting at times but with plenty of action, a brilliantly plotted storyline and a fabulous cast of characters.

Loved it and comes highly recommended as does the whole series.

Many thanks to Netgalley and OneMoreChapter for an ARC for my honest review.

Maggie Jamieson is back in this the 5th book in the well established series and she is as determined and focused as ever as she battles in a race against time to stop a serial killer who seems to be targetting a specific set of people
An interesting case when Maggie and indeed the reader have an understanding/some sympathies with why the killer is doing what they are doing, even so they have to be stopped and as always Maggie once has got the bit between her teeth wont stop until she succeeds
I think, again as in Book 4 Maggie although aggressive in her work has calmed slightly in her general dealings with people and is more likeable and was pleased with this
The story is action packed, easy to follow and once again shows the authors experience in past careers and explains various Departments clearly
Another good read in this explosive series

8/10
4 Stars

Dead Mercy is book five in the Maggie Jamieson crime series by Noelle Holten. If you have read any of the other books you will know that the author doesn't shy away from the shocks or surprises and this book is no exception. Book four, Dead Secret, ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger and a shocking revelation for one of the extended multi-agency team, but that's not to say that the book can't be read as a standalone. It is a case in it's own right, wrapped up very neatly within the book, but we've certainly been kept on tenterhooks waiting for the latest instalment to land.

And what a case this is. Maggie and the team are called in to investigate a rather grizzly murder, some of which we, as readers are privy to. It's not overly graphic or gory, but it doesn't leave much to the imagination either and, while I'm not sure there is a nice way to be murdered, this particular method of dispatch would not be high on my list. But was this really the killer's target or were they a victim of mistaken identity. Well ... we'll know, but for Maggie, things aren't quite so clear and when a second victim is discovered, things are even more uncertain.

I've really enjoyed getting to know Maggie, Kate, Nathan, Kat and the team over the course of the series. They gel well and the use of the multi-agency teams to support the investigation, and the series, really gives an insight to the other areas of policing, probation, social work etc, that don't always get put in the spotlight. Probation is very much front and centre this time around and the author uses her personal knowledge of the job to great effect, not overloading with detail, but making clear that not everything is as black and white as Joe Public might like it to be.

Maggie is a really intriguing character. I can't lie - I don't always like her approach - she is very determined and passionate about the justice side and sometimes that can tip over into the impetuous, leading both her and her partner, Kat, into danger. Her frustrations come to the fore quite easily and I feel like I just want to yell 'chill' at her which, coming from a highly strung (argumentative) person such as I am, is quite the statement. But her heart is in the right place, and for every one character trait that drives me nuts, there are many more that make her endearing and often fun to spend an investigation with. Seeing her reluctant chemistry with reporter Julie Noble explored further this book was really interesting. They are chalk and cheese but there is no denying the spark. Whether their opposing methods of getting to the truth can ever lead to an amicable friendship - or more - well ... you'll have to read the book for yourself.

Noelle Holten has once again tackled a very difficult subject in a careful manner. All of the stories link back to human behaviour, with a psychology thread provided by Dr Kate Moloney, and explore some very emotive topics. This book does exactly that, creating a range of emotions both in the characters and me as the reader. It's one of those tales where you can feel a touch of sympathy for the perpetrator of the heinous crimes, even if their methods of gaining restitution leave a lot to be desired. But with a whole host of possible suspects to hand, the story is laced with misdirection, keeping the killer pretty well hidden until the end of the book.

The ending - high stakes as always - and the energy, pace and tension ramps up as we charge towards a startling conclusion that sees Maggie in her greatest peril yet. Fans of Maggie, and of the series, won't be disappointed. This is one hot to trot novel that will keep you powering to the final page.

Number 5 in the series and with each instalment it gets better and better
The book opens with a brutal killing, in fact the subject matter behind the killing is in itself brutal and horrific. That said it’s handled very well, so much so that even the police can empathise with the villain’s actions to a degree. Despite the fact I did spot the culprit early on, I can say that it didn’t take from my enjoyment of the read, which is full of tension and will keep you turning those pages.
The subplot and characters are developing nicely and I’m looking forward to catching up with them again in the next instalment

Dead Mercy written by Noelle Holten is a crime procedural drama. In the fifth instalment of the Dead series, DC Maggie Jamieson is joined by her ever faithful, strong female team of DC Kat Everett and Dr Kate Moloney within the Major organised crime department to solve a gruesome murder. Battered, tortured and burnt alive there is not much evidence left at the crime scene, however, a second murder scene with a striking resemblance initiates the fear of a serial killer loose within the team. A multi-partnership approach with cold case teams, profilers and the probation team helps lead Maggie to the culprit, she just has to stop them in time.
The characters in this book are very believable and likable. I think Kat the cool, down to earth cop balances Maggie’s more determined no nonsense approach. I really envy Kate’s job, the criminal profiler, gets in on all the juicy details but doesn’t have to run about with a gun! The attitude of the collaboration rings true as well. They have the Journalist link and the link with other departments within local government. Everyone is very protective of their data, even when they may know something to save a life. The excessive data protection and the use of warrants between these departments to me, seems like a catastrophic waste of public money! Maggie finds this a little frustrating too.
The plot is cleverly weaved and although gruesome in parts, it’s well balanced with the storyline and more delicate references. The relationship link between Maggie and Julie didn’t really add anything for me, although it was useful for some plot points, I was a bit disappointed this wasn’t developed more. There are some difficult themes raised and you can tell the author has this well researched.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be going back to read the others in the series. A well plotted crime procedural with strong female characters. 4*
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC.

DC Maggie James is back. From the start I was drawn into the story., with the discovery of a murder and arson . A harrowing investigation as certain clues come into play. The procedural aspects of police, probation service and the chiild services shows the authors knowledge of these departments. An edge of the seat read !