Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was a gripping thriller that left me guessing throughout, I loved the plot twists and the reveal at the end which I did not see coming! Would definitely recommend!

“Death Rite” (A Detective Hazel Todd Novel, #1)
By Kerry Watts

Forty Years, Yet Not Forgotten

Scottish serial killer Rachel McMahon, back in Perth after serving a 40-year sentence for aggravated multiple murders, is suspected when a young doctor’s mutilated body is found inside his car near the tenderloin district in “Death Rite” by Kerry Watts.

Upon release, Rachel works in a soup kitchen that assists ‘working girls.’ She professes to have made amends for her past sins while pursuing a quiet life of anonymity. However, can a serial killer’s urges stop—even after a 40-year hiatus?

Detective Inspector Hazel Todd and her team face a crisis as men's deaths increase, and all clues point to Rachel. Could Rachel be the killer? Or is an exceptionally skilled copycat seeking vengeance and retribution by casting blame on Rachel?

Kerry Watts does a terrific job weaving intersecting plot twists to keep avid mystery sleuths off-kilter. The final reveal at the police station is my favorite aspect of the novel. I found it unexpected and a brilliant ending to an intriguing psychological thriller.

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The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word Connoisseurs
STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: “Death Rite”
Author: Kerry Watts
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers |
Publication Date: 14 October 2021
Publisher: Hera Books

Sincere thanks and appreciation go to NetGalley, Author Kerry Watts, and Publisher Hera Books for this Advance Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.

I'm a huge fan of Kerry Watts, having read her other books, this one did not disappoint. Highly gripping from start to end! Highly recommended

Loved Rachel from the start. This was a super fast-paced mystery that I finished practically in one sitting!

The first in the series of the DI Hazel Todd series. A good read with twist and turns that had you thinking the book was going in a certain direction only for the ending not to be what was expecting

This is the first in the new series by Kerry Watts set in Scotland, and I enjoyed it very much. Hazel is a sympathetically written and successful main protagonist, showing a compassion which made her approachable and likeable but as the story progressed her strength of will definitely took centre stage. Her relationship with her team does still need to come together a little more, especially with her second in command, DI Tom Newton, which seemed just a little less convincing than with the others.

This was a dark and intense read. There were lots of different strands to the story and it was unpredictable and absorbing.

A new series of police procedural crime thrillers from Kerry Watts featuring a new cast of characters headed up by DI Heather Todd set in Perth, Scotland is refreshing and full of twists.
The novel was focused on a series of gruesome murders and the many characters that could have been persons of interest and its up to Todd and her small but able team to whittle it down and catch their serial killer.
Not much personal details yet of the lives of the main characters but just enough to make you look forward to learning more from the little snippets that were given.
I enjoyed Death Rite and recommend it to my fellow crime lovers.

When a young medical student is found murdered, DCI Hazel Todd is brought in to investigate, and quickly uncovers a link between the new murder and a series solved forty years before. That murderer, Rachel McMahon, has served her time, and now is residing in quiet anonymity in the local area. But she swears she's innocent of the newest crime. Is Rachel truly as innocent as she claims, or is she picking up where she left off?

I enjoyed this well written and fast paced police procedural. It's not always my favourite genre as I feel like it's difficult to strike the right balance between sometimes between the crime element of the story and the lives of the recurring characters, but when it's done well, it makes me as a reader even more invested. I liked the multiple angles in this, and the different layers of the story. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher who provided me with a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant book
It will have you gripped from the start
Read in one sitting
Can’t wait for her next book
Thanks NetGalley

This isn't going to be one of those gushing reviews.
If you want a brilliant police procedural that will keep you awake until silly o clock and make you reread sections as you were gobsmacked by the tension in the story, and speed read it, then this is the book!
Just go get it! You'll not be sorry!

A fantastic read, the story had me gripped with lots of twists throughout. I look forward to reading more

I loved loved loved this book. I cannot wait to read more about Hazel and her team. This is an exceptional crime/thriller really appropriate for now and just gives you chills running up your spine. If you love Vera you will love this latest new detective series.

This is a deliciously dark and wonderful novel by an author I haven’t read previously. I need to read more after this gem.

This is a book that has pulled me in quickly and been impossible to put down. I have devoured this book in just one sitting.

I really hope there is more to come. This is addictive, unpredictable and will completely capture your attention and make you need to know what is going to happen next.

This is well-written with a cast of great characters. I do love a dark read and this hasn’t disappointed. I have been desperate to know how this was going to play out and I have not been disappointed.

This is a fantastic read and an author who I definitely recommend getting on the TBR.

First in a new series by this talented author and it did not disappoint. Detective Hazel Todd is already by the end of this novel a well developed and interesting character who I can’t wait to hear more about in the future series.

This novel is very gritty and set in Scotland where we as readers are spared no detail of the crimes committed and the lives that some of the residents of the city are surviving, as opposed to living. As more men are brutally murdered Hazel and her team fight to discover the connection between them before more men die. How do these crimes link to those of 40 years ago and who is the mysterious guardian angel Rachel?

Looking forward to reading the next in this series and recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well written, fast paced and gritty police procedural novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a new detective series so I jumped at the chance to be part of the tour for Kerry watts’ new series featuring Detective Hazel Todd and it as such a fantastic start. Kerry Watts is a new author to me and I definitely need to go and track down some of her other work now.
I was hooked by the end of the first chapter and really enjoyed how the case and clues were revealed throughout the book; fast enough to keep the reader hooked and not lose pace whilst creating intensity and tension. I couldn’t stop reading!
It has a great balance of police procedural and character development, laying the foundations and backstory for future novels. I enjoyed how events from the past and present came together and how the different leads were investigated. There is lots of insight into a variety of social class issues and how they are perceived which was quite thought provoking.
Hazel is a great lead character, and I am hoping we continue to learn more about her in future instalments. I’m looking forward to reading more.

A great book to start a brand new series. Well rounded characters each with an interesting back story.

The plot was fast flowing with plenty of action to keep the pages turning. It had a few twists to keep you guessing so it wasn't obvious who it was and why.

I loved this book and can't wait to read more about DCI Hazel Todd and her team.

Death rite by Kerry Watts.
Their next breath will be their last
Forty years ago, the name Rachel McMahon was synonymous with evil. After killing four men in the most brutal of ways, the world rejoiced as she was locked up.
Now Rachel has done her time, repented for her crimes, and is ready to live a quiet life back in Scotland under a new name.
But then the killings start again. As the bodies of fathers and sons appear on the streets of Perth, their deaths echoing those from Rachel’s murder spree four decades ago, DCI Hazel Todd and her squad are called in to track down a murderer taunting them at every step.
Could Rachel really have reformed – or is a copycat killer trying to finish what she started? And as the murders get closer to Hazel, it’s a race against time to stop a psychopath with their own twisted agenda…
A really good read with good characters. Likeable story. I wasn't sure about Kelly. 4*.