I’d like to thank Hera Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Death Rite’ by Kerry Watts in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Rachel McMahon has just been released from prison with a new name and identity after being incarcerated for forty years for the killing of four men. DCI Hazel Todd and her team are investigating the death of gifted medical student Sam Kennedy who’s been found stabbed in his mother’s car. The evidence starts to point in Rachel’s direction but is she responsible or is there a copycat killer carrying on from where she left off?

‘Death Rite’ is the first in the DCI Hazel Todd series and is an police procedural thriller with a dramatic plot, suspense and intrigue. It has a gripping start that catches my attention but unfortunately it slows down and loses my interest half-way through. I like the character of DCI Hazel Todd who’s in her fifties with an ex-husband who’s gone off with her best friend, and DI Tom Newton who works well with Hazel. Although I wasn’t enamoured with this novel the basis of the story is promising and I’m looking forward to seeing how their characters develop in the next in the series.

I almost didnt finish book. It just wasn't for me. Not a bad book or storyline it just didn't fit my type of book selection. I don't regret it I just didn't enjoy it enough

DCI Hazel Todd has a problem on her hands in this twisty procedural set in Perth Scotland. Rachel killed and killed again but she did her time,. Is there a chance she's the one responsible for the new murders. which have all the same characteristics? No spoilers from me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Good characters and atmospherics as well as a plot that kept me guessing made this a good read.

A great start to a new Police Procedural detective series. Introducing DI Hazel Todd and her team. The story grabs your attention from start to finish with no lulls at all throughout. Set in Perth Scotland.

A killer is on the loose murdering men in a pretty gruesome way. But why? What do these men have in common if anything? The first is a young medical student who is found in his car, in an area frequented by sex workers. It seems he liked things a little on the dark side. But what about the other men they don’t seem to know each other? Why have they been murdered?

40 years earlier a woman had been arrested and served a sentence for similar crimes could she have started up again? Or is this some sort of copycat? She is living in the area is that just a coincidence?

I loved the team they all seemed to gel well together, they are believable, three dimensional and it’s interesting finding out some of their stories. DI Todd is still getting over her husband of 25 years betrayal as he left her for her best friend who he went on to marry. So when that friend Cara keeps calling her she isn’t really interested.

There are plenty red herrings to send you off track as to who is committing these crimes. Can you work out who it is?

I look forward to book 2 in the series and getting to know more about the team.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Herabooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

My first reading of Scottish crime thriller.




The bodies of two men have been found at the regular spot for sex workers. They were stabbed and suffocated inside their vehicles. When third victim was found alive, Hazel Todd and her team has listed a person of interest. It seems the killer was being careless or is it just a copycat on the loose?



I enjoyed Death Rite, which is a very readable novel with all the requisite twists and turns. Who love a great police procedural and psychological thriller, this is for you.



The moment when Tom Newton being stabbed by the suspect make a jaw dropped. The plot thicken begin.


Obviously, the truth hurts but lies are worse. Rachel and Craig deserve a second chance. I love both characters.

Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Watch out for the release on this October 14th.

My rating 4 ⭐

Echoes Of The Past….
The first in the Detective Hazel Todd series. When a killer is released following a long stretch, seemingly reformed, so begins a new series of killings which have distinct echoes of the past. Has she struck again or are these killings simply the work of a copycat killer? Can Detective Todd and team get for her bottom of this case? A solid read, nicely written with twists aplenty. A promising start to a new series.

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

Wow, I found this to be a deliciously good read and think this a great start to a new series. The book got off to a good start in the opening chapter with a gory murder. When more deaths follow that have similarities to old cases from 40 years ago Detective Hazel Todd knows she and her colleagues have their work cut out to find the murderer. I thought this was a very well written and chilling read at times and I was drawn in from the first page and the author held my attention right to the end. I really liked the main character and her work colleagues and enjoyed following their investigation. There were a lot of twists here that I loved and as for the ending .... I did not expect that! The little glimpses into Hazel’s personal and home life were lovely additions and I will definitely want to read the next in the series to see how Hazel develops as a character. If I had one gripe it is that I thought there were too many characters in the story and it took me a while for them to slot into place in my mind. Otherwise a great police procedural and one I would recommend.

🗡Good start to a new series set in Scotland🌄

I found this first DCI Hazel Todd murder investigation a good, solid whodunit that overwhelmingly concentrates on the victims and suspects and mostly skates over the details of the detectives' lives. There are just a few brief scenes that bring in Hazel's family and a subplot regarding the bitter end to her marriage. That worked for me in a series introduction. But I would have liked a bit more character development and backstory for some of the protagonists especially ex-con Rachel, her friend and the victims.

Watts gives us lots of suspects and I really liked the twists regarding the timeline for the murders and discovery of the victims. She also kept me guessing by including a good supply of possible suspects with odd behavior and things to hide. The writing is concise and easy to follow and I love a mystery or thriller with a strong female lead character like DCI Todd. This is a series I will be following, not least of which due to the Scottish setting.

Thanks to Hera and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hera Books for an advance copy of Death Rite, the first novel to feature Perth based DCI Hazel Todd.

When Sam Kennedy is found stabbed to death in his car it doesn’t take Hazel and the team long to uncover his secrets. It takes a bit longer to uncover links to the crimes Rachel McMahon committed forty years ago and by then Sam isn’t the only victim.

I enjoyed Death Rite, which is a very readable novel with all the requisite twists and turns. I admit to being baffled by the switching timeline at the beginning of the novel, but that’s my fault because, wanting no preconceptions, I didn’t read the blurb before starting the novel. Everything soon becomes clear as the novel settles in to a more regular police procedural.

I further admit to guessing the perpetrator’s identity early in the novel, mostly because they don’t fit. This did not spoil my enjoyment of the novel as it is told in a lively and inviting manner and throws in enough mystery about the various characters to make the reader want to find out more and the there are plenty of twists to further tease the reader. If I have one niggle it’s the number of threads that start and go nowhere. I understand that this is a touch of realism in an otherwise fictional tale, but as a reader I found it a bit pointless.

I like DCI Hazel Todd already. She’s not young and has recently suffered major heartache, but she’s down to earth, dedicated and very normal. She’s refreshingly uncynical and not jaded by the job.

Death Rite is a good read that I can recommend.

This Book has had me on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns trying to confuse the reader. DCI Hazel Todd is called to a gruesome crime scene a young man sitting in his car dead. As the team are given their jobs to do DCI Todd has to inform the next of kin When a second body is found matching the first the team believe their deaths are connected the where the bodies are found. This is a BRILLIANT book and i look forward to the next DCI Hazel Todd story well done to Kerry Watts 5*

I was gripped by this book from the start right until the end, I couldnt stop reading and i found it atmospheric and suspenseful, a good read.

I really wanted to enjoy Death Rite but it just wasn’t for me. I really loved the premise of the book but the writing was a bit too slow for me and I would’ve enjoyed more on-depth characters.

I hope the author tries again because I think her ideas are fantastic- I just didn’t enjoy the execution as much.

DCI Hazel Todd is not your typical crime fiction lead cop. Fifty two years old, recently separated, her husband left her for her best friend.

Set in Perth, someone is killing men who use prostitutes. It's quite a gritty setting, drug addicted young woman, living in squats or shelters and selling themselves to support their habits.

I found it fast, easy reading, with a good flow, especially in the first half. The cops work well as a team, free from the backbiting frequently found in Police procedurals. There are some interesting characters in a refreshingly original setup.

I found my interest drifted in the second half, and I felt that the handling of the subject matter could have been a bit grittier and darker, but it was ok overall.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books

Eagerly awaited new book/series by this author and it didn’t disappoint
Introducing Detective Hazel Todd to readers, it is the start of a gritty Scottish crime series set in Perth

Men are being murdered, in a very gruesome and specific way, the same way men were murdered decades before by a notorious killer, the killer is now ‘reformed’ and out of prison…so is it just coincidence these killings have started or is there a copycat on the loose

Intriguing and whodunitish with good and unformal ( ie not boring ) police procedural this book starts with a massive bang and carries on with the momentum all the way through until the killer is eventually found
I enjoyed the writing, the story ( although gruesome at times ) and the sub stories throughout of the victims, the Police and those under suspicion
It is a really good book to start a new series with and I liked Hazell and look forward to reading more about her, her life and her career as the series progresses

9/10
5 Stars

What an excellent read. It took me a little bit to start to like Hazel, but now I'm hoping there will be more from her in the future. The story was brilliant, someone is killing men who are using prostitutes! Loads of twists and turns, I didn't work out what was going until the writer wanted me to! I'd highly recommend this book.

I think that the premise of this book was really interesting, the story was complex and well-written. Death Rite is a really compelling thriller that sends chills down your spine.

Gritty Scottish crime thriller based on prostitution and drugs. Interesting but long winded as I veered towards the middle and unfortunately the ending was slightly predictable .

Great crime thriller novel with an ending I never saw coming!


I enjoyed the layout of the novel incorporating Rachel’s past life and how her estranged son and granddaughter dictated so much of her present. The copycat murders were an excellent way to tie everything together, keeping the reader on our toes! My only critique would be the amount of characters there are; at times it was hard for me to remember who was who and because I am reading an ebook and not a physical copy I couldn’t easily flip through to refresh my memory.

Overall I truly enjoyed this story and as an American I enjoyed the references and humor regarding drinking tea with or without sugar. Looking forward to reading more from you! I will prepare a more formal review to be featured on Goodreads Amazon and Barnes and Nobel and any other sites you prefer. I can be reached at Kelsi.pilcher@gmail.com. Thank you!

Rachel was sentenced to four life sentences for the cruel murders of four men now she is out of prison and living in Perth, under a new name, and the murders have started again.
DCI Hazel Todd and her team investigate the new murders, focusing on local prostitution and drug addicts.
Hazel has her own struggles, her ex husband left her and set up home with her best friend. She is a sympathetic and caring person who looks out for her team but the main characters need more development .
The plot was generally good but a bit slow in some places and the perpetrator was obvious early on.
Good ending with a surprising twist.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
3 Stars ⭐️

This was my first book by Kerry Watts and it certainly won’t be my last.

This book was brilliant!

A fast paced thriller set in Scotland where DC Hazel Todd has her work cut out for her to uncover the truths.

This book is full of twists, suspense and intrigue.

I can’t wait for the next in the series.

A HUGE thank you to Hera Books, Kerry Watts and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.