I've read and really enjoyed past books from Helen Fields. I was very eager to read her latest - One For Sorrow. This is the 7th book in the DI Luc Callanach series. (You could absolutely read this as a stand alone, but you'd be depriving yourself of some great books!)

Fields has done a fantastic job of fleshing out her characters from the first book. They have rich personal lives that change and progress in a realistic manner from book to book. Sitting down with the latest feels like catching up with old friends. The reader can't help but be solidly behind them.

Old friends with dangerous jobs that is! Fields is a master of plotting and this latest is downright frightening. DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach of the Major Investigation team are at the forefront, chasing a killer. A killer who strikes again and again, always one jump ahead of them. Field's plotting is devious and complex, surprising me with each and every turn.

An American profiler is brought in to help. Her thoughts, predictions and exploration of profiling is quite fascinating. But will it help the team?

There are also 'before' chapters that are cut in from the present timeline. They're from a young woman named Quinn. And my skin just crawled when I read her chapters. I wondered how this narrative would tie in to the hunt for the killer. There are some interesting discourses on the state of the 'system' from more than one viewpoint.

The last few pages blindsided me. No. No. No. I will be watching for the next book - and for what Fields has next in store.

One For Sorrow has it all, great characters, a masterful plot, lots of tension and action, guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I never repeat the blurb. Another gripping addition to the series with a great plot twist. However, for me, the overly-lengthy forensic psychology passages - whilst interesting - did slow it down. Still looking forward to the next book and new characters.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘One For Sorrow’ by Helen Fields in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 7 in Field’s series of police procedurals set in Edinburgh and featuring DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach.

I have read and enjoyed a number of the earlier books in the series though Fields always supplies some background for new readers.

I was completely gripped by ‘One for Sorrow’ and felt that with it Helen Fields had pulled out the stops and ramped up the tension to an almost unbearable degree.

Edinburgh is facing the greatest terror it has ever known as a lone bomber begins targeting victims across the city in elaborately staged bombings. It soon becomes clear that no one is safe. No further details to avoid spoilers though I will say that this appears to be the most challenging case that Ava and Luc have ever faced.

Amongst the details of the ongoing investigation into the bombings, there are chapters headed ‘Before’, that recounts the events that led up to the bombing campaign.

I found it a superbly crafted police procedural that excelled itself in shocks, twists, and revelations. I was left quite stunned as I reached its final pages. I am already anticipating where Fields will go next in this excellent series.

Helen Fields DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner series is one of my favourites of recent years. Great characters and edge of the seat crime stories set in Edinburgh. This time someone is setting booby traps, bombs, aimed at those on the front line. But who? And why? Running behind it is the story of stalker boyfriend Liam Cook and his ex Quinn McTavish. How is this story connected? Victims? Killers? As usual, plenty twists and turns and of course the will they/won't they vibe with Luc and Ava. And just when you think it's safe to breathe at the end - don't! A shocker to the last page. #netgalley #oneforsorrow

This is an absolute cracker of a book; totally absorbing, riveting and a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

This is the first one in the series I have read ... I know, I know, where have I been? However, I do feel this can be read quite successfully as a standalone even though I know there is quite a lot of back story that I have missed. This didn't affect my enjoyment of this book one little bit though so don't let it put you off; if anything, it has forced me to put the previous 6 on my wish list it's just a shame my birthday has been an gone ... do you think I can ask for them as a Mother's Day gift foregoing the usual card, flowers and chocolates? I would say so 😀

From start to finish, I literally couldn't put it down ... yes I know this is a bit cliché and is said far too often but in this instance, it is a totally accurate statement. With excellent and believable characters, a fast pace and a tense and thrilling plot that had me guessing to the end, this is definitely going to be one of my books of 2022.

This has got everything you could want from a crime thriller from beginning to end and on that, the ending ... I actually gasped out loud and frantically swiping at my Kindle screen wanting to find out what happens next only to realise that there was no more which has left me waiting very impatiently!

Bravo Helen Fields, bravo ... just wow!

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Helen Fields is master of the police procedural. One for Sorrow has it all: a complex, compelling plot, well developed characters, and a conclusion that tears at your heart. Two very different stories are woven through the book. The deranged actions of a mad bomber who seems to be targeting first responders is interrupted by a chilling account of obsession. A beautiful young woman, Quinn McTavish, becomes the obsession of a disturbed young man, Liam Cook. As the bomber continues to terrorize the city of Edinburgh while DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach sift through myriad clues, Quinn tries vainly to distance herself from Liam. The powerful, emotional final chapters are unforgettable. One for Sorrow is dark, disturbing and a must read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Words nearly fail me. One For Sorrow has been an utter rollercoaster of a ride. The book is one brutal shock after another! Helen left nothing off the table. She is brutal, lethal and hard and at the same time gentle, emotional and touching. Her bravest and best book yet. This is a standout book of the year for me. I’m in awe. I was an emotional wreck at the end. Brilliant!

wow this book is like being on a rollercoaster with all the twist and turns this thriller book has its so good and I would highly recommend it, i won't ruin this review with any spoilers
many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this review

Do you love a good police procedural? Have you Read any of the previous books in this series with DCI Ava Gardner and DI Luc Callanach, if you haven’t read any of this series, I would very highly recommend you start from book one. However this is book seven, it can be read as a stand-alone. I guarantee when you have read this one you will want to go back to start the series.

This is one adrenaline fuelled, high octane, emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish. The action never stops. I highly advise you have tissues by your side, I found myself crying at the beginning, several places in the middle and definitely at the end.

Someone has it in for the team at MIT with Detective Superintendent Overbeck in charge. With DCI Ava Gardner running the investigation with the rest of the team working long hours.. Someone is not just attacking MIT they are also going for Paramedics, police, bomb squad. But who wants to injure and kill these people? What is the motive? This is what the team are up against. All they know is they have three bodies which have been used to lure the Detectives and teams in.

Alternating chapters are labelled before, initially you don’t know what it is actually before, but we meet Quinn McTavish who lives at home with her parents and her new baby sister, she is twenty and has a part time job in a small supermarket whilst she is studying to become a book keeper/accountant. She is flattered when she is chatted up one day at work and asked out, Is this the start of a blossoming romance, obviously Quinn’s parents and uncle would like to meet her boyfriend but he says he isn’t ready for that. It’s only later that Quinn realises the relationship isn’t going to work. I don’t want to say too much about this or any of the rest of the plot as I don’t really want to give out any spoilers suffice it to say, this is action packed.

This is one of those books that once you have started you just cannot put down, it will hold you engrossed, I cried out loud at one spot, luckily I was on my own. I did need tissues in the beginning, the middle and the end of the book, which to me is a testament to good writing if you have been pulled in that deeply and you feel for the characters then the author has done a fantastic job. With a set of great characters that you get to love, they are believable, relatable and I feel like I now know them personally.

This book will be in my top 10 for the year for definite it’s one of those that will stay with me, and I desperately need the next book after that ending.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #AvonBooksUK for me eARC of this book in exchange for an honest fair and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Than

This book, #7 in the DI Luc Callanach series, is intense and gruesome from the start although Ava Turner actually plays a more major role than Luc Callanach in this one. Talk about high octane! Incidents occur one after the other resulting in death and injury. In the background another story from "before" is developing with young Quinn McTavish and Liam Cook at its centre. This book had all the feels for me but be aware that more than likely there are also triggers for some readers.

Ava Turner and her team, including Luc Callanach, are overwhelmed by the number of deaths and injuries caused by random bombings with seemingly no connection to each other. Many first responders are included in the casualties. The characters in this series are vividly portrayed and the Edinburgh locale is very realistic as far as I can tell. The writing flows smoothly and the book is very well written. This one could probably be read as a stand-alone but I recommend the whole series. All the other books in this series have the word "Perfect" in their title so I'm wondering if the author intends for the series to branch out. I've read all the books in this series and they're just extraordinary. The version of the book that I read also contains an excerpt from the author's new stand-alone "The Last Girl to Die" which I'll definitely be on the look-out for. [ I'm not a fan of cliffhangers at the end of a book and that's how this one ends. Having said that, there's no doubt that I'll read the next book no matter what so I guess it doesn't really matter! (hide spoiler)]

My deepest appreciation to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

Publication Date: March 3, 2022

Mindblown. Flabbergasted. Unable to render a proper sentence. What on earth did I just finish reading?! Oh yes, the holy guacamole is most definitely back and I have just found myself a new favorite detective thriller series! I’ve been meaning to start reading the DI Callanach books for years now, and I actually didn’t realize that One For Sorrow was part of this series when I requested it… Mistake or not, I’m not complaining as it means that I got that kick in my behind that I apparently needed to finally start this series. And what a wild ride that first experience has been! I’m still bowled over by the intensity and utter destruction of this sequel.

Of course I noticed that I was missing background information; that is 200% my own fault and I will hopefully remedy that very soon with a series binge-read in April. Thankfully, it was still very easy to pick up the thread and the case in One For Sorrow left you without time to breathe let alone think about possibly missing character background. This story literally starts with a bang, and those bangs just keep coming. Death, destruction, heartbreak, nailbitingly suspense, shock, disbelief… Book number seven is basically your emotional rollercoaster ride from hell, and you will not believe the journey this plot will take you on.

Even though the characters were new to me, I was somehow able to connect to them immediately and it’s made me want to return to the previous books ASAP to learn more about their past. This instant connection also ment that the things that happened in the plot still struck me HARD. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but definitely make sure to brace yourself for this one and keep a stock of tissues and chocolate at hand to console yourself afterwards… I’m honestly afraid to find out what book eight will bring after this.

I read a lot of thrillers and it’s hard for a series to stand out above the rest, but One For Sorrow has turned the DI Callanach books into an instant favorite. The writing, the suspense, the characters, the plot, the plot twists… There is just so much to love and I’m ready to return for more. Helen Fields is quickly turning into a favorite author!

Having read all of the DI Turner-Callanach books I was suitably excited for this one. I was also worried as some of the comments gave me a strong sense of foreboding. I knew at least one character was going to die.

However, foolishly I almost forgot about it. The story was so intense, so quickly, that despite my misgivings I couldn’t stop reading.

One for Sorrow is horrific, shocking and gruesome… I almost cried. Not just once, but multiple times. As well as the traumatic events that occur as a result of the serial killer, there are other poignant stories about characters you care about.

It’s a lot to take in, but it’s wonderfully bleak. Yet somehow there remains a flicker of hope throughout the book; despite everything we feel a sense of loss and love. This is excellent writing. It’s not glorified violence and trauma, but well-constructed events, wonderful characters and even empathy with the killer.

And I was not even close to guessing. My initial suspicion fell on someone who died. Their death was utterly heartbreaking and one of the most shocking Fields has written. I thought that would be the thing to break me. And yet, with just pages to go, when I was feeling relief and satisfaction at the ending, it happened.

And it broke me.

Helen Fields is one class act. Creating characters that can be sustained over a series is not always successfully achieved but this author consistently delivers. So many books are described as page turners but this one really is, as a bomber lurks in the streets of Edinburgh. we follow the twists and turns and as the number of bodies mounts will everything be solved in time?

Not read any books by Helen Fields? What are you waiting for a real gem!

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 7th in a series, and after reading the 6th I was excited for this book - it definitely did not disappoint! The author does an excellent job of bringing the characters and the setting to life, and the read is gripping and gut-wrenching. The circumstances are dark and desperate, and the interchange between the "before" chapters and the chapters set in the present work very well. As a reader, this catches you off-balance, you know the one has something to do with the other - even as the horrific events unfold and your mind can't quite grasp how this can be. CW for extreme violence, and sexual abuse and manipulation (although not explicit, this may be a problem for some).

This book has got to be the best so far from this series, I was feeling a 101 different emotions all through it. Ava and Luc are some of the best characters I have ever read about. The plot was fast paced and twisty, Helen Field writing style is brilliant and really keeps the reader engaged. I have been left with the WOW feeling and now cant wait for the next book

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Helen Fields, and Avon Books UK for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Helen Fields returns with another great police procedural that pulls the reader into the middle of a chilling investigation with horrible outcomes. No one is safe and many characters in the series find themselves inadvertently in the crosshairs. After a tragic crime leaves DCI Ava Turner gutted, she has a hard time moving on. However, Turner forced to keep working as she tries to locate a bomber who appears keen to kill as many as possible with highly devastating weaponry. DCI Turner and her right-hand man, DI Luc Callanach, will have to crack the code before it’s too late, or face more bodies. Fields does a masterful job at pulling the reader into this fast paced thriller.

DCI Ava Turner has always considered herself one who can separate work from personal life, no matter how closely run. However, when a bomb explodes in the morgue and the chief pathologist is killed, DCI Turner has second thoughts. A life-long friend is dead and the bomb used was embedded inside a corpse ready for autopsy. When the call comes in to Police Scotland about another bomb set to go off, it’s a race to the scene.

While Turner and DI Luc Callanach prepare to handle the situation, a bomb inside a pregnant woman explodes, killing many of the emergency attendants in the area, including one of Turner’s team. This only spirals her deeper into despair with no leads to work the case and superiors ready to send her packing.

In a flashback sequence, a young woman begins a relationship with an elusive man, one who has been able to sweep her off her feet. When a video emerges to show that she was raped, an event she does not remember, things take a turn and the suspect goes on the defensive. With little hard evidence to tie him to the assault, he walks free, but there is a great deal of animosity towards Liam Cook.

As the bombings continue, DI Callanach tries to get inside the murderer’s head to see what they might use as motivation to commit these acts. It’s a dark and sinister pathway, one that is filled with twists. However, the truth is out there, with an explosive (pardon the pun) ending that ties it all together. Helen Fields has done so well with this series, keeping fans on the edge of their seat!

Helen Fields created this series with a great spin on it, using DI Luc Callanach to offset the typical Scottish flavour of the police procedural. She’s been able to effectively work through a number of issues, using the Scottish Frenchman effectively while pairing him alongside DCI Ava Turner, a one-time equal who has risen the ranks. The story turns more towards Turner and her personal angst with what is going on, while layering two time periods and crimes that are seemingly unrelated. With great plot building and decent characters that series fans have come to enjoy, Fields keeps the reader enthused and entertained without hesitation.

While much of the series has worked through the relationship, professional and personal, that DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach have forged, it takes a backburner to some of the inner struggles that these murders have created. DCI Turner has been personally impacted by the bombings and is trying to piece her lifer together because of it, making little headway. Her issues are compounded when she has to function and lead, as well as keep her personal life in balance,. DI Callanach does play a role in this one, though it appears to be more secondary, at least for most of the novel. Still, there is something series fans will enjoy, should they pay close attention to what Fields is offering.

While police procedurals are plentiful, the genre is always looking for a unique take or interpretation. Fields has used Luc Callanach as her niche, embedding his French upbringing into every situation. Fields has tackled many topics within the book, using her narrative to push the story along effectively. The plots, while seemingly independent, have some threads left hanging for the reader to tie off, though it may take some attentive reading to do so. The two timelines work well in this piece, allowing the reader to appear as though there are two sets of crimes taking place throughout. While Fields has presented some great standalone thrillers, this series is where she blossoms and I cannot wait to see what’s next and how it will work with a broken and troubled DCI Turner!

Kudos, Madam Fields, for another series success! I hope others find it as exciting as I have.

I mean wow! This was brilliant! The complexity and all the little details right from the start made this an excellent edge-of-your seat, gripping thriller/crime novel. I loved that there was a Criminal Minds feel to one of the chapters where they were providing a profile to try and figure out who could be responsible. And then towards the end, as a reader I was so sure, as were the detectives, that we’d figured it out until that last twist, which for me made the whole thing better because it was almost unexpected

The pace of this novel is unrelenting. It grips you from the very beginning before spitting you out at the other end completely breathless!

A race is on to find a deadly bomber who is terrorising Edinburgh. They aren't just bombs, they are cruel, unusual and brutal. On the face of it nothing makes sense about the crimes. DCI Ava Turner and her partner DI Luc Callenach are leading the investigation.

A rollercoaster plot, great characters and unbearable tension make for a great read. This is the first novel I have read by this author. I'm looking forward to catching up with the others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first ever book from the DI Callanach series but I enjoyed this one as a standalone novel nevertheless.

There are two story lines developing in parallel: the serial bomber story is fast-paced, smart and engaging, while the other one I found slow and upsetting because of the coercive and toxic relationship it follows. I wished there had been more opportunities to peep into the private lives of Ava, Luc and Natasha.

The book ends with a big twist, which is somewhat expected, and on a cliffhanger which left me wanting more of this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for this Advance Reading Copy.

🚨Bloody but fantastic murder mystery💥

This is such a well-written story, told on two timelines, about a bloody, deadly rampage set in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, and affecting so many innocent lives. The DCI leading the investigation soon finds herself and a wide swath of public servants under attack, including some individuals she's quite close to. The scenes from a young woman's past life slowly come together with the present and reveal the who and why behind such cruel disrespect for life striking repeatedly. It's gripping, page-turner drama that kept me engrossed to the very last page.

Helen Fields is an author new to me but now on my "to follow" list. I now intend to go back and read more of the series. I was initially drawn to this book when I noted its setting since I love police procedurals, romances, just about any well-written content, really, set in Scotland. And, I must admit, the carnage that ensues here made me pause early on. But I was right there with the team as they clutched for any straws that could bring them to the killer and stop the deaths and mutilation. Plus, young Quinn's story pulled me in. Her family such a haven of warm safety and love and then, it's all upended by a chance encounter. I had such sympathy for their dilemma when justice really did seem blind!

Strongly recommended with a caution that the violence gets quite graphic.

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