This is a very good plot with nicely drawn characters, but it lacks a little in tension. I also had the right
ideas as to the ‘bad guys’ as soon as they appeared in the text, which is not a good thing. Red flags should maybe not be shown this early. I have enjoyed other books in this series, so maybe I’m just being picky, but it does tend to draw things out and have a tendency towards repetitive recapping. Upping the tension would really make this a stand out police procedural; all the elements are her but I feel it was let down in the edit.

An absolute pleasure to read. Whilst I’ve read and enjoyed all the books in this series this latest instalment, in my opinion, is the best.

Maggie Jamieson is not only dealing with a rising body count of victims being tortured and burned with no obvious clue as to why or if they are connected to each other but also the advances of journalist, Julie noble which provides light relief to a sad storyline.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a gripping story, that I'm really glad I don't work for the police for, as i had no clue who was the killer in this instance, nor was I was sure how on earth it would all come together.

For me the strength of this series and my fascination with it, is seeing just how various aspects of the police, social care, probation, and other units all work, and how tricky it is to necessarily share information between them all despite ultimately they all working towards making the area a safe place.

And what a web is weaved with this tale, you just can't predict what will happen next which I loved. And i was completely absorbed in this case, while having a degree of sympathy for the villain, it is understandable but still utterly wrong.

The details about the old historical case, were trickier to read due to the subject matter, and even Maggie and her team weren't happy with the direction this new case appeared to be pulling them into.

I loved as always Maggie's interactions with Julie the journalist, and I'm enjoying seeing her partnership with Kat in action.

Another excellent addition to this series.

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

Read this as a standalone as wasn't aware was book 5. But didn't really matter as the writing and storyline is so superb you don't feel like you are missing previous pieces of the story
Pulls you right in. I love police procedures and I think this one tops my list of ones I've read.
Looking forward to move to come.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten
I give this book 4.5 stars

A dark history…
As the body count rises, the team becomes increasingly baffled by how the victims could possibly be connected.
A terrible secret…
In order to catch the killer, Maggie must piece together what happened all those years ago before it’s too late.

This is book 5 but could be read as a standalone.
l love DC Maggie Jamieson as a character,she and all her team feel so real and authentic.The author uses her background knowledge and experience which brings a depth to all the books and sets them apart.Each instalment starts with a bang,the murders are brutal, the tension rises, the suspense kicks in and the reading experience and pace are fast,furious and totally satisfying!
I can’t recommend this series or this author highly enough!
With thanks to Netgalley,Noelle Holten and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for my chance to read and review this book.

This review will go live at the link below on 19 November:

DC Maggie Jamieson is back, yay! Dead Mercy picks up a few weeks after Dead Secret left off and but the case Maggie is tackling this time around is a brand-new one so if you want to dip your toe into this series with Dead Mercy, go right ahead, I’m sure you’ll be able to follow just fine. However, this is such a great series with great character development so you’d only be doing yourself a favour if you were to start it right at the beginning, just saying.

Dead Mercy is essentially a tale of revenge. When an abuse victim comes face to face with one of their abusers, they decide the time has come to get retaliation for what happened many years ago. They don’t, however, stop there…

I have to say, I gobbled it up! I just love the kinds of stories where people commit crimes you are well aware are wrong but still a part of you can get behind the criminal’s actions cos the people getting offed are essentially criminals themselves and deserve their just deserts. Is murdering them and setting them on fire the way to go? Perhaps not but oh well 😏😂

With Dead Mercy, author Noelle Holten builds upon the successful formula that has worked like a charm on me for five books in a row now. Drawing upon her own experience as probation officer, she never fails to add a human interest element to her stories, and I love that she shows how many other agencies and institutions may help the police in their investigations. Her writing never fails to draw me into the story right off the bat and the short and snappy chapters always keep the momentum going.

Following the events through Maggie’s eyes, I always find myself thinking along with her, trying to crack the case. This time around I did not have the right person in my crosshairs, I was looking in the right direction but my money was on the wrong person. Better luck next time, cos wherever Maggie’s going next, I’m coming with!

Dead Mercy is out today in digital formats, happy e-publication day to Noelle Holten! The paperback will follow in January 2022.

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

Great book in this series, they just get better and better. Not only do you get to follow the characters through there lives and wonder what will happen and who to trust and ones you start to dislike, but this case was a biggy and tbh i wanted the perpartrator to get away with it. but im sure lot people will feel the same excellent read and leaving you wanting more, roll on the next one!!

Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten is a marvellous contemporary crime suspense. It is the fifth book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Wow! – this was a nail-biting, thrilling read that I just could not put down.
The action is told from the point of view of both the perpetrator and the police. The reader ‘hears’ the voice of the criminal so we know why the crimes are being committed. We now have to work out the ‘who’.
The whole novel was well planned and executed. It would make a fabulous Netflix series. The reader becomes completely embroiled in the plot. We witness the police trying to piece the crimes together as they look for motive. We also ‘see’ the perpetrator planning and executing crimes on a countdown. As the clock is ticking, our heart rates are rising.
Law enforcement agencies work together as they bounce ideas off each other.
The characters were well drawn and realistic. The leading lady is likable and tenacious in her pursuit of the truth.
Dead Mercy was a roller coaster read as I clung on to the very end. Did I guess the way things would unfold and the perpetrator? Afraid not. See if you can do better than me in predicting the outcome.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but I am sure once you have read one, you are going to want to read them all. So why not just start with book 1? ;)

That’s one thing that is also great with series. You get to know the main characters in the first story and you see their evolution during the rest of the books professionally as well as personally. They start as strangers, become acquaintances, friends and finally even feel like family.

Maggie is still fierce and she still sometimes is a bit (ahum) inpatient, but that’s the way she is. It shows her determination to do her job well. Sometimes though it needs a little shaking of the tree in order to crack that tough nut of a case wide open.

I know this is fiction, but I am sure things like this happen in every day life too. You only have to open the papers to see in what kind of cruel world we live. I am glad there are real life Maggie’s out there too. 😊

Anyway this is a wonderful book where I, once again, felt sympathy for the culprit. I understood where they were coming from. I know it was not the right way to deal with it, but I can see their point.

I was sucked in so deeply that I jumped almost a mile high when my dog stretched in his sleep and accidently pushed against his bowl. I thought it was my last hour on earth. LOL.

 5 stars.

Thank you

*Thank you to Noelle Holton, NetGalley, and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/dead-mercy/

“Revenge proves its own executioner.”

― John Ford, The Broken Heart

DC Maggie Jamieson is back in one of her most gruesome cases yet. A vengeful killer who shows no mercy to his victims, re-enacting crimes that have been committed against him. As more murders occur, Maggie and her team are in a race to stop this man. Can they stop the brutal killer before the body count continues to rise?

As Maggie works day and night to solve this case, her boss brings Julie Noble, Maggie’s love interest into the mix, to try and bring the murderer out. It is both uncomfortable and exciting to have her working by her side. From the reader’s point of view, it seems she doesn’t like Julie Noble’s personality very much, which makes it interesting that they are considering a relationship. In parts of Dead Mercy, it can make for uncomfortable reading. Maggie’s indecision regarding Julie goes back to book four.

Maggie is also concerned about her brother. He has been living with her for a while so he can recover from his gambling habit. But suddenly he has money and is ready to move out. When she confronts him, he is evasive. Despite her distractions with her brother and Julie, she is determined to solve this case and stop these murders from happening again. It becomes a race against time once they learn who the victims are.

Dead Mercy is book five in the series but can be read as a standalone. Some of the themes such as Maggie’s relationship with her brother are continuing, but the books seem to be like a Law and Order procedural, with each book being an episode. The reader can also see Maggie’s personal growth throughout the series; an example would be her coming out to her mother in Dead Mercy—with mixed results, I should add. Another thing I love about this series is Maggie’s personal relationships with her coworkers, that also grow throughout the series of the books. Noelle Holton does an excellent job imparting inside knowledge of how the criminal justice system works. She also demonstrates excellent technical detail. A well-paced, fast read, and solid police procedural, it delves into the horrible world of institutional child abuse.

This is a very dark book, perhaps the darkest in the series. There are some themes that may be uncomfortable for readers including torture, graphic child abuse, murder scenes and gruesome descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Maggie is back!! In this instalment Maggie attends a crime scene where a body is found at the scene of a fire. Maggie and her colleagues begin to investigate the death and things take a turn to make it more difficult to work out who would want to harm the victim. And what occurs is a case much bigger than the team could imagine with Maggie at the forefront determined to bring all those who deserve it to justice.

I loved this story. The author has yet to bring a story that’s unlikable. Maggie is such a well crafted and versatile character. She is a brave and strong copper, but then we also see other sides to her that emanate vulnerability and a slight shyness. She likes to keep her private life separate from her work life, but sometimes it isn’t always possible. I enjoy all the other characters, Kat especially has a real element of fun about her, and I love her no nonsense attitude.
The writing flows really well, and the story keeps up the twists and turns. This was a solid crime thriller, although for me, it’s also about continuing the story with the whole team. The first page always makes me feel like I’m reconnecting with old friends. I can’t wait for the next instalment, and to see what Maggie and friends get up to next.

The fifth installment in the Maggie Jamieson series. I have loved all of the series so far and this one is added to the list.
When a body is found in a burning building, Maggie and her team are on the hunt of the killer. As more bodies are found with the same MO they wonder what the connection could be. They will soon find out. Can they stop the killer before more bodies pile up? Time will tell.
A great cast of characters that we get to know a little better with each book in the series. I hope the series keeps going and going.
An added bonus is that I didn't guess the killer right away!

Many thanks to netgalley and One More Chapter for the advance copy.

This is the 5th book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series by author Noelle Holten.

A brutal serial killer is on the loose and DC Maggie Jamieson is making it her business to hunt him down. The murders are piling up as the killer appears to be following a plan and Maggie thinks it maybe revenge killings. The race is on to stop the killer before the next murder is committed.

Although this is the fifth book in the Maggie Jamieson series, it can easily be read as a stand alone. it's a good solid police procedural, fast paced and with an interesting plot. I love the character development and the team dynamics as well as the insight into Maggie's personal life. The subject matter of historical child abuse is handled with sensitivity and empathy. Another winner for the author which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

DC Maggie Jamieson is back at work on the next case, a body has been found mutilated and burnt. Working the case has opened a whole can of worms leading to abuse and more bodies turning up.
As always Noelle’s books suck me in and I adore the characters. Maggie is flawed but written so well. I hope this series keeps going! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have really grown to love this series of books. I enjoyed the first book but the writing was a bit unpolished. Five books on, the writing has matured and the stories even better.

Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten is the fifth book of the series. But, like her others in this series you can read it as a standalone.
DC Maggie Jamieson is called to a brutal murder where the body is burned, and few teeth are missing and the body maybe the husband of a probation officer. When more bodies turn up, DC Maggie Jamieson is stumped. Wondering what the connection is between the victims. She is desperate to find the killer before more bodies turn up.
At the same time. Kat decides to come back to work after re cooperating from the last case. The team doesn’t think she is up to it. But she proves them wrong and get on with trying to find the killer.
This is another exceptional episode in the series. Miss Holten has outdone herself with this gripping, gritty thriller. This also had a realistic look of old social service system. How children fell through the cracks of the system and the physical and verbal abuse that the kids endured. Very well and sensitively written. 5 stars from me.

Book number 5 of the DC Maggie Jamieson sees Maggie and the team facing a particularly sadistic revengeful killer.

Dead Mercy starts at a rapid pace which is unrelenting until the last one and definitely keeps the pages turning.

The author, Noelle Holten, has created an excellent collection of main characters and whilst the focus is on Maggie the others contribute to the story in their own way.

So another very enjoyable thriller and one definitely worth reading

The 5th in this fabulous series is back as DC Maggie Jamieson is on the trail of a sadistic and brutal killer.

As ever Noelle Holtena inviting and pleasing writing style drew me in as she creates another crazed killer. Full of action. As tense as you want any thriller ,

Holten and her Protagonist are growing with each and every book, and this is probably her best yet and that’s not easy to say as the series to date have been excellent.

Suspenseful and with great pacing, this is a cracking police procedural and you won’t read many better thrillers all year

🔥🔥🔥🔥

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S DEAD MERCY ABOUT?
The closing chapter of Dead Secret set this up (as Holten is so good about doing): a business has gone up in fire and a body has been found inside—possibly the body of someone Maggie's worked with in Probation. From the start, this case has its hooks in Maggie.

It's soon decided that the body was the source of the fire—and before the victim had been set ablaze, he'd been restrained and had teeth pulled. The killer had wanted to punish him, not just kill him.

Soon another victim is discovered—and the team has to race to find a connection so they can prevent anyone else from suffering this fate.

When the link is finally discovered, it suggests potential new victims as well as several suspects. It also shines a bright light on a striking failure of the criminal justice system.

BETHANY AND KAT
Back when I talked about Book 3, Dead Perfect , I wrote that they were overworking PC Bethany Lambert, "Miscellaneous errands, thankless tasks, things requiring technological expertise, and more fall to her. I lost track of how many things Maggie threw her way to do—on top of her own assignments. I have multiple notes about how they're working this woman to death." They've yet to let up on her—however, it's talked about both as the way she likes to work and as something other people are concerned about. This is efficiently done—the characters around her get to be observant and sympathetic, and they can continue to throw too much work at her so Holten doesn't have to create 2-3 more characters to keep the stories moving at that pace.

Dead Perfect was also where DC Kat Everett was added to the team—she's better integrated into the action over the last couple of books now and I really enjoy her. I'm ready to read a spin-off series focusing on her now, either in her same assignment or transferred somewhere. Her brashness would make for a fun protagonist (not that Maggie isn't brash, but hers is a side-effect of her impetuousness).

A REFRESHING APPROACH
With most police procedurals you get the maverick, lone-wolf detective—maybe with a couple of people they trust. Or (particularly with UK-based procedurals), you get a focus on a detective squad. With the Maggie Jamieson books, we get a good look at her squad, probation services, and other social services.

Not just as a drop-in for a convenient bit of information, either. But characters that matter, there's interconnectedness between the groups and it's good to see the flow of information (formally, informally, unauthorized) informing the investigations. I like seeing that approach, and I like to think it reflects reality far more than any lone-wolf thumbing their nose at regulations.

Although, the pathologist still seeming to hold a grudge over one of her staff being (justifiably) questioned a while back seems to be petty. Which, so it's not all super-professional and mutually helpful.

LET'S HOPE THIS IS FICTION
Not every author spends too much time on the motivation behind the killings, but an author that gives a believable motivation separates their work from the pack. This is another of those areas that Holten excels in.

Yes, this is a work of fiction. Yes, things are heightened. But when you read this, there's going to be a voice in the back of your head saying, "I could see that happening."

Not only that, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to be a little conflicted about the crimes. Odds are, you're not going to be hoping that Maggie and her team fail, or that the killer (killers?) gets away with it. Buuuut...once you understand the motive pushing the killer(s), you may not feel that bad about what happens to the victims.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT DEAD MERCY?
Holten's got this down now—the characters and world are well established, as are the relationships in them. Despite the relatively brief chronology between books 1-5, there's been some decent character growth on several points, too. So a new Maggie Jamieson thriller is a chance to spend some time catching up with new acquaintances while getting to go for a pretty intense ride as those acquaintances try to stop a brutal killer.

Okay, maybe that's not the ideal way to catch up and check in on anyone, but it's a pretty exciting read.

Crime Reads had that piece a couple of weeks ago discussing "all crime is cyber crime," which was ringing in my ears as I read this. This very visceral series of murders is evidence to support that thesis—cyber-policing wasn't enough to stop the series, either, but it played its part. Holten's always been good at balancing the computer-work and the boots-on-the-ground policing but might have outdone herself here.

The accent does fall on the physical world, of course, given the nature of the crimes. If your stomach doesn't church a little at the description of the murders (likely both as they're happening and as the pathologist breaks them down), you're made of pretty stern stuff. Thankfully, Holten's narration doesn't ever seem to relish in the disturbing details as too many do.

Basically, this is a top-notch thriller with a lot for the reader to chew on as they're burning through the pages.

It does appear that this is going to be the last Maggie Jamieson book--at least for a while. I'm hoping it's just a break, and we get back to Maggie and the rest of the Major and Organised Crime Department soon. If not? These five books are a great set and I (again) strongly recommend them to you.