One for Sorrow by Helen Fields is the 7th in the Detective Luc Callanach series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DI Luc Callanach is half French and half Scottish, living most of his life in France, and working for Interpol. A false rape allegation made by co-worker Astrid Borde, had him leave France, his job, his friends, his mother. He headed to Edinburgh to take command of a homicide team.  He has adjusted to the change, making friends with a colleague, newly appointed DCI Ava Taylor, her friend Natasha, and he finds an unlikely friend in a journalist.  He may never be close with DS Lively. Other team members are DS Max Tripp, DC Janet Monroe and DI Pax Graham.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A bomber is targeting the city, and seems to be concentrating his attacks so that most of the victims are law enforcement or first responders.  Each time a bomb is detonated, there are more deaths.

Ava feels that she is responsible for all the lives lost.  Between Natasha's cancer, and the death of another dear friend, Ava is struggling.  Then a member of her team is struck down.

It becomes evident that every time they are called out, they are putting their lives on the line.

In a side story, a young woman named Quinn meets an abusive man.


My Opinions:
These books are amazing.  These books must be read in order,  so you can truly appreciate the backstory of each character.   Speaking of characters...I love the banter between Ava and Natasha...true friends!

The plots are great, and this one just grabbed me from the beginning, and did not let go.  It is definitely the best of the series!   As always, it has graphic details, and is a little gruesome, and Helen Fields does gruesome really well.

The book is about stalking, and about revenge.  It is also about love, and loss, and the grieving process.  In some ways the book is rather depressing.  The fact that stalking is such a hard crime to prove, and the results can be devastating to many people.  (Okay, this particular case of stalking may have been blown up just a little in this book -- pun intended).  So, yes, depressing, and I ended up feeling compassion for so many.  I was surprised at the characters we lost in this book.   It was an emotional ride!

The story is told from two angles.  One is the bombings, and one is about a young woman who falls for an abusive man.  It takes a long time for the two story lines to mesh....and then not quite as I expected.  Great twist!

Interesting that profiler Dr. Connie Woolwine from The Shadow Man makes an appearance in this book.  I like when authors throw in a character from another book/series.

On a side note, I still haven't figured out why these are "Luc's" books, when Ava is often more involved than he is.

Again, I think this was the best so far, and of course, I highly recommend this series!

All I can say is that this book really packed a wallop, something I wasn't expecting! I have heard a lot about Helen Fields and decided to give her a chance and she has gained a huge fan! The storyline, the characters (although there were many) gave the story the necessary suspense, thrills and chills to grab the readers' attention. For Ava, trying to find the bomber who was targeting innocent people was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But she was relentless in her pursuit and running on empty most of the time.

I read this in one day...I couldn't put it down! Thank you #NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing AC!

What a brilliant writer Helen Fields is!

Another outstanding book by this author, the second for me, and I love them. Although this particular one is number 7 (I previously read number 6), you can easily read it as a stand alone. You immediately connect with the main characters Ava and Luc and their best friend Natasha.

Its a masterful plot, a lone bomber in Edinburgh, targeting the servicing people of the city. Full of twists and turns, its fast paced, very emotional, heart stopping in places and the ending.....sheer brilliance!

I can´t recommend this book and this author enough. Off to get her other books to read now!

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I love suspense and mysteries, but usually figure out who-did-what and why fairly quickly. In this book, I had absolutely no idea who the villain was or their motivation until the end of it. The crimes were horrible, more so because the killer played a game of cat and mouse with the police, feeding them clues to find the next victim - before he or she dies. This book has it all - it is a superbly plotted mashup of horror, suspense, family, police procedure and romance.

I was really surprised to see that this was book 7 in a series. I had no trouble at all in distinguishing the characters and following the story. Thanks to the publisher Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was my pleasure to read and review it.

It's one of those cases when you realise that it's the nth book in the series and you are happy because you have a lot more to read as you loved the story.
Grippping, well written, a cast of interesting character.
A page turner I couldn't put down and thoroughly enjoyed.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a great read and really enjoyed it.I have read the other book in this series and was excited to see the story carry on. One not to be missed.

Oh my!!! What a book this is. I didn't realise it was part of a series but I read it quite easily as a stand alone and didn't feel I was missing anything. Only now I've got to go back and read the rest of the series!
This was a fantastic fantastic book. It had everything I love - a gripping storyline, well developed and intriguing characters and twists I really didn't see coming.
I don't want to say too much about the plot as don't want to give away any spoilers but it was so clever and well thought out. I loved Ava and Luc as a partnership and thought they were a match made in heaven (if heaven is a police station!) The ending just floored me and devastated me and I can't quite get over it.
Massively recommend this one.

Dr Ailsa Lambert was in the middle of performing a normal autopsy when something went extremely wrong: The body she was examining had a bomb hidden inside it, and before anyone knew better, Dr Lambert was dead.

When news of the tragedy breaks, DI Ava Turner is in shock. Ailsa was one of her closest friends at work, and she can’t imagine why anybody would have felt the need to harm her. Struggling with grief, Ava has to try and investigate the death of her friend, all the while being watched carefully by Detective Superintendent Overbeck and her friend and partner, DI Luc Callanach. When a second bomb goes off in Edinburgh, Ava realizes that there may be something more sinister at play, and when a message comes in warning the police that this is not the last one, it becomes a race against time to find the Edinburgh Bomber before even more people are killed.

“One for Sorrow” is the seventh book in a series by Helen Fields featuring DI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach, but I can safely say that it can be read on its own. There are aspects of the story, and some of the relationships that would benefit from reading other books in the series, I am sure (I have not, you see), but I don’t feel like the book suffers from being read out of order. In fact, I think it is testament to the great character building and careful writing that I felt immediately invested in the characters’ lives and that I felt drawn to, and as if I needed to root for, them.

The mystery at the heart of the book is a cleverly crafted one carefully interweaves two stories that are told simultaneously throughout the book. The use of the dual timeline kept me wanting to read more of the storyline I had just finished a chapter of, which tells me that it was well crafted and put together. I enjoyed the way the stories finally came together, and there were a couple of unexpected twists that I had not expected. Even though I had guessed the final twist in the book fairly early on, I was so unsure of myself until it actually happened, I felt satisfied that Helen Fields had struck the right balance of foreshadowing the conclusion of the book and planting red herrings to make you second-guess yourself. All in all, I was extremely satisfied with the mystery.

I felt that this book was extremely readable and was definitely of an exceptionally high quality. Something that I was rather surprised by was how harrowing the book was – I suppose a book called “One for Sorrow” was bound to include a lot of fairly emotionally distressing scenes, but I was completely unprepared for the depth that some parts of this book took. That being said, I think the ability of the author to drum up the emotions and the cold feeling of dread that I felt every time the characters approached the scene of a bombing was testament to her talent and her ability to write a real, textured and believable world. I was extremely impressed by this book, and felt that it delivered on all fronts, not just on the fast-paced cat-and-mouse chase of police hunting down a bomber through the city of Edinburgh.

Overall, I was extremely impressed by this book and even if the book hadn’t ended on a cliffhanger, I would feel compelled to buy the next one in this series. I think Helen Fields’ books are going to find their way into my regular reading schedule, and I cannot wait to read more of what she has to offer.

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

What a fabulous series…… As the book opens, Ava is devastated by the cruel death of her close friend and highly respected pathologist, Ailsa Lambert. Worse, she has to watch Ailsa’s horrendous death on video. The amazing first chapter of this book perfectly depicts grief, as well as the very essence of Ava.
Of course, being a book by Fields, Ailsa’s is certainly not the only death, and the murders get more and more gruesome as the book goes on. One for Sorrow is awash with mass killings, stalking, tragedy and heartbreak.

Another great book in this series
This book will have you hooked from the first page and you won’t want to put it down
Can’t wait for the next book
Thanks NetGalley

I’ve read none of the previous books in this series, but author Helen Fields gave me sufficient information to read this book without issues.

A serial bomber is killing people in Edinburgh, seemingly without care for who he hurts. His first victim is DCI Ava Turner’s lifelong friend and the chief coroner, whose death is followed by a low level drug dealer, then a courier, then a prosecuting lawyer.

Using flashbacks to sometime in the past, Fields tells us also of a young woman who gets involved with a young man, who, once she breaks it off, begins stalking her. After a particularly horrible incident, she goes to police and even to court to deal with him, but gets only grief and frustration from the judicial system.

The tension is high during the current events, with Ava and DI Luc Callanach fruitlessly following leads. Ava went into the investigation already emotionally wrung out with her friend’s death, and Ava wears herself out trying to find something that will lead to the identity of the bomber. She also questions her willingness to continue with the job, as she recognizes the huge cost to her psyche of her years investigating killers and the like.

This was a taut, tense book. I really liked how the story in the past kept me guessing as to when the police would catch a break that connected the current incidents to the events and people of the past. Ava and Luc worked well together, and I loved the relationship they had with their friend/roommate and cancer survivor. The warmth and love in the scenes amongst the three was a needed break from the awfulness of the case. I would dearly like to know if there is a following instalment, considering the shocking end to this book. If there is, I’m reading it!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The latest in the DCI Ava Turner series is another belter, roller-coaster of a book that grabs you by the short and curlies and doesn't let go.
The previous books have all followed something of a pattern - one detective on one case, one on another, there being a potential link between the two, both being wrapped up around the same time. This book eschews that pattern and its all hands on this one case.
And what a case it is, a large scale man-hunt for a bomber in Edinburgh who seems to be targeting the police and other first-responders or other associated professions.
I the background we see the blossoming relationship between a shy young student and her somewhat controlling boyfriend which hints at some involvement in the case.
There is so much more suspense in this book than before, as at times you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see how a scene will play out, with inevitable but unforeseen twists and turns along the way.
The case takes a toll on the members of the team, as they struggle to find any clue about the bomber's identity. The frustration and dead-ends are taken up a notch here as the team find themselves not only struggling to solve a case, but also the potential targets for the next attack.
I quite simply loved this book.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publishers and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DI Ava Turner attends the funeral of her close friend. She is devastated, but she is also furious & what happened to her friend However she doesn't have much time to grieve as before long she is in pursuit of a bomber- who seems determined to cause as much damage to those attempting to minimise damage. A bomber who has first responders in their sights. Alongside this storyline there are segments titled 'Before' about a young girl called Quinn-what do these have to do with the bombs?

This is a great series. This is the seventh book. Sadly I'd only managed to read Book 5 previously (which was excellent!) However this can definitely be read as a 'stand alone'. This was a real roller coaster of a read. Helen Field does not spare the reader in describing the bombings! The characters are engaging & the least I say about the ending the better- just please don't leave it too long till the next one! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This story was a wonderfully twisted one. I could not imagine for ages that there was a corkscrew effect in who the perpetrator of the crime was. We are led by the nose as it were in one direction which is obvious as the young man was cocky, a psychopath and one with no regard for women at all. It was the end which was the denunciation and then like a domino effect the whole story was open to one's understanding. Brilliant writing.

Very unconnected victims, but in the course of those victims dying they also took with them many others from the medical, the police and the emergency services. The total death toll was frightening and one that Edinburgh had not seen before. It was also a crime scene which the detectives had not dealt with before.

Masterful story telling.

I had first picked up this series with book number four, and after reading that one as well as book number five, had decided to take a break from this series. While I found them enjoyable, they just weren't entirely my cup of tea.

But then I saw the synopsis for this one, and I just KNEW that I had to give this author and this series another chance.

AND HOLY HECK I AM GLAD I DID.

This book was everything that I felt the others had been missing. It was fast-paced, it was gritty and it held absolutely nothing back, oftentimes coming very close to crossing the line of what people might be comfortable with.

Told through alternating points of view, it takes a while for the reader to realize that the people involved in the "before" are integral to what is going on in the "now". I enjoyed the way the two storylines were woven together, because, at the end of the day, you were still able to empathize with the killer and what led them to make the choices that they did, all while still being able to condemn them for their heinous crimes.

However, I will say that my one major complaint with this one is the cliff-hanger that it ended on. I was NOT prepared for the way things went down, and I will definitely be picking up the next in the series to see how it plays out in the long run.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Wow what a read!
An excellent police procedural,strong story line,grisly deaths,dangerous mistakes made by the people in charge a great city setting what's not to like!
I throughly enjoyed this book and was totally gripped from start to finish.

So I’ve read a few in the series so far and I was trying very hard to figure out why I couldn’t remember exactly which series this was. The problem is that this is a common format and a common story. It is told well enough. There are some horribly abusive people horribly abusing people. There are a lot of different police officers who all kind of blend together, not just within the story but amongst all of the police in all of the series that are coming out right now. The story itself was OK. We have to connect a present bomber with a rapist from the past. Those characters are easy enough to keep straight. The police were pretty interchangeable. The narrator in the audio version did the different accents so well that I occasionally could not understand what was being said. I’d have to pull up the digital version just to figure out what was going on.

Overall, an average police procedural with some truly terrible crimes.

One For Sorrow is the 7th book in this incredible series. The crime drama kept me on my toes and wanting to know more and more. Gripping and emotion ladened characters made for a fast thrilling read. And, the ending, omg I can.t wait to see what happens in the next book. Keep up the good work Helen Fields!

I haven’t read the previous books in the series and wish that I did. Would have made this more enjoyable and I might have appreciated it more. It was still a really good book that I’d recommend. Loved the plot.

I have read and enjoyed previous books by the author and some in the same series, so when I found out a new book comes out; I knew I’ll be in for a treat with these wonderfully crafted characters.

It’s more scary and suspenseful. The twist won’t stop coming after each chapter and it felt like my pulse was skyrocketing because all those “before” chapters just made me feel goosebumps and I was waiting for a bigger shoe to drop. And it did. Big time. Just as I was expecting from the author.

So yes, if you’re looking for a pulse racing story with interesting characters and some crimes and detective procedures that will keep you glued to your chair, read this book!