This is part of a series. The characters are well developed and it was great to be back with them. It is full of twists and turns. The writing is good.

A good read but I feel I would have appreciated it more if I had read the previous instalments of this series.

I didn;t realise this was part of an ongoing series but it didn't matter much. I feel it reads fine as a standalone. It's quite a compulsive read with good characters.

I enjoyed this novel, for me I like a little more depth and grit to my crime novels and this didn’t quite manage that. A good read all the same and a series that I will be continuing in between others

This is the eleventh book in the series featuring DCS Sophie Allen. I haven’t read all the books in the series but found this read fine as a stand-alone. Sophie is newly promoted and now leading the newly formed Wessex Serious Crime Unit. A body of a woman with her head bashed in is found by a farm worker when he is out repairing fences. She is identified as Bridget Kirkbride, a single mother who lives with Grant, her teenage son, in a remote part of the village. When Grant’s body is found at the edge of the River Severn where he was at college, Sophie and her team find that they are dealing with a complex case. On investigation they find that Grant was murdered a few days before his mother. Sophie realises that there are some similarities with a case she worked on two years previously in the West Midlands. As the local villagers are questioned it soon becomes clear that a lot of them are keeping secrets. This is a gripping read with a twist at the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A simply riveting and compulsive page-turner of a read from cover to cover. A deftly scripted mystery with more twists and turns than a roller coaster.

When walkers are on a hike a heavy fog descends that obstructs their views in all directions. Then they hear a scream in the distance. A few days later a body is found nearby. Can Sophie and her team find out what happened?

This is my eleventh Sophie Allen book and definitely won’t be my last, this is a great series and although they can be read as standalones I really recommend reading them in order.

This book sees the new team set up across the southwest counties so a few extra characters to keep track of in this one but not too confusing. I really enjoy the characters and we still have our core team that we’ve followed from day one and we see some good character development in this one.

The plot is always good, fast paced and definitely page turners, I always end up reading most of these books in one sitting as I don’t want to put them down.

This is a great series to start with some good LGBT rep in it aswell.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for gifting me a copy of this book for review.

I liked this book tho it seemed to be a bit long winded in getting to the resolution. I knew who the suspect was fairly early. It is part of a series which I didn’t realize at first but it didn’t take away too much from the case.

This is the 11th in the series featuring the life and crimes of Detective Sophie Allen. She has now reached the rank of Detective Chief Superintendent, and is heading up a new regional crime squad based in the ancient kingdom of Wessex. Their stamping ground is not dissimilar to the area portrayed in the lovely map which used to be the frontispiece in editions of Thomas Hardy's novels. Equally helpful is Michael Hambling's list of police characters at the front of his book.

A consultant surgeon and her husband are out walking on the hills above the village of Millhead St Leonard, when they get caught in a rapidly descending mist. While there is no danger from stumbling into a ravine - this is gentle countryside - it is unsettling, and even more so when Miriam Boateng hears a scream, and then catches sight of two figures in the murk just ahead of her. One is definitely being pursued by the other. She reports this to the police, but it is not until a few days later, when a young farm worker out repairing fences finds a dead body, that it becomes obvious that what Boateng saw was the prelude to a savage crime. WeSCU springs into action, and moves in to the Millhead village hall to begin a major investigation. They soon identify the  corpse as that of Bridget Kirkbride, a single woman living with Grant, her college-age son in a remote part of the village.

Michael Hambling ( has already given us a little teaser in the first couple of pages, when we meet  as she is preparing to set out on what was to become her last journey. When Grant's body is found caught up in reeds on the edge of the River Severn in Gloucester, the case becomes more complex, particularly so when the post mortem reveals that he died some days before his mother was killed. Hambling sets out the building blocks of a classic whodunnit, and challenges us to put them together in the correct sequence.

The residents of Millhead are, of course, unlike real life villagers, but this is why we suspend disbelief and buy crime novels. Amongst others, we have a pair of Mrs and Mrs lesbians who hold rather unconventional soirées for their close friends, a rather starchy vicar who is abducted half way through the book, and a 'lovable rogue' character who is a poacher and a party gate-crasher. I hope I'm not giving the impression that Hidden Crimes is some sort of Sunday evening TV comfy crime caper. It certainly is not, and parts of it are sombre and unsettling. The whodunnit aspect of the book ends well before the end (75% through on my Kindle), so the sense of mystery does rather evaporate, and the police pursuit ends in the less-than-idyllic streets of Wolverhampton when Sophie Allen is reunited with a criminal from one of her earlier cases.

The book cover is an artist's impression of the celebrated view down Gold Hill, Shaftsbury, but the tone of the book is neither comfortable nor romantic, as befits a story which reveals the evils - and consequences - of child abuse. Hidden Crimes is a classic police procedural novel and it is played out on the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the Wessex landscape. It is published by Joffe Books and is available now.

Glorious dark and intrinsically well-plotted. Hiareenteed to keep uou guessing throughout this wonderful dark, gritty crime read. Highly recommend.

This is a good solid police procedural with some great characters. I find it refreshing to read about detectives who do not have their personal lives intrude when they have a major case. For example Sophie's husband and daughters are referred to but she does not have to disappear halfway through the day to deal with some crisis at home. This book was really enjoyable but lost a star as I thought it was a bit predictable. Incidentally I think this would make a really good tv series.

Another gripping instalment in this well established series with the return of several characters and a complex case for the team in their new, regional roles

This is Book 11 of the Series Detective Sophie Allen. A woman is killed on a walking trail and hidden in a ditch. Detective Sophie has a new group and she is the chief superintendent and they want to make a good impression.
I love this series, the stories are so good and interesting.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Joffe Books.

EXCERPT: Billy didn't know what to do. He was fifteen and had spent his whole life living in the rooms above the shop. He'd gone to the local primary school, followed by a secondary education at the state school in Shaftesbury. He was hoping to stay for a few more years there, in the sixth form, to study for a technology based qualification. Agricultural engineering - that was the future in an area like this. He had always been fairly contented with his life. School, football, occasional parties with a few friends. And then odd things had started to happen. Unexpected things. Really nasty things. He'd quietly withdrawn from some of the organisations that had formed a part of his childhood, but no one had really noticed or made any comments, not even his parents. And now this. Could Grant somehow have become a victim? And had his mum found out? Is that why she was dead and he was missing? Grant would be dead too, of course. It was only a matter of time before his body turned up somewhere.

Billy wasn't just scared. He was terrified. He realised just what a sheltered life he'd led. And now this. It was like looking down from the top of a sheer cliff, staring into the raging sea below. And knowing that one false step could be fatal. He needed to back away gently and keep his head down.

ABOUT 'HIDDEN CRIMES': Exploring a foggy Wiltshire hill path, a walker hears a distant scream and calls the police, but the attending officers find nothing.

Two days later, a farmworker comes across a woman’s body, her head bashed in. The victim is quickly identified as Bridget Kirkbride, who lived alone in a small cottage in a pretty nearby village.

Detective Sophie Allen is called in. It’s her first major case as head of the newly-formed Wessex Serious Crime Unit — and she’s under pressure to get a quick result.

Bridget was a mainstay of village life, always ready to help out her neighbours. No one has a bad word to say about her.

So who killed her?

Her supposedly devoted son, Grant, has disappeared without trace.

Then a body is pulled out of a reed bed in the River Severn.

Sophie and her team are in a race against time to uncover the truth before anyone else pays the ultimate price.

MY THOUGHTS: DCI Sophie Allen is Dorset’s acknowledged expert on murder and violent crime. Sophie has just been promoted to Chief Superintendent of the Wessex Serious Crimes Unit, overseeing investigations across Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset. She is in her late forties, and lives with her husband in Wareham. She has two grown-up daughters. Sophie has a law degree and a master’s in criminal psychology, but her brilliant mind conceals some dark secrets from her past.

Set on the Dorset/Wiltshire border joining two beautiful English rural counties, the stunning countryside belies the darkness beneath the surface.

And in Hidden Crimes, darkness certainly lurks in this picture perfect, chocolate box setting. Someone has a secret, and they are prepared to kill to keep it.

Although I guessed the perpetrator early on - something they said rang warning bells and then more and more evidence accumulated - it didn't impact on my enjoyment of this, the 11th installment of the series, at all. If you are new to this series, I don't suggest that you start with this book as many of the relationships are longstanding and a certain amount of background knowledge is required.

Michael Hambling has written a good, solid police procedural/murder mystery with a dash of intrigue and suspense encompassing the topics of grooming and abuse.

I like Sophie's character and the fact that she has a good supportive relationship with both her team members, her superiors, and her family. It makes a welcome change from everyone trying to stab one another in the back.

A wedding provides a bit of light relief.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#HIDDENCRIMES #JoffeBooks

I: @joffebooks

T: @JoffeBooks

www.michaelhambling.co.uk

THE AUTHOR: Like many writers, I have been a keen reader all of my life. I remember one particular day as a nine-year-old during the long summer holiday, when I visited my local library in Bristol four times in one day because a child’s ticket only allowed one book out at a time!

I now live in the west-country, in the beautiful cathedral city of Salisbury, although I set my novels in the neighbouring county of Dorset. We own a lovely flat in the small Dorset coastal town of Swanage, and spend a lot of time there, walking the famous Jurassic Coast world heritage site. The early novels in the series are based there, on the Isle of Purbeck, one of the UK’s most beautiful coastal regions. But the rest of the county of Dorset does get a look in, and there are scenes set in other locations in the central south of England.

I write because I constantly create scenes, people, imaginary conversations and unusual situations in my head. I have always done so, ever since I was a child. I take great pride in my writing, constantly reshaping and polishing until it’s as good as I can make it, though the editorial team at Joffe Books always manage to improve it further.


DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Joffe Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Hidden Crimes (DCI Sophie Allen #11) by Michael Hambling for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Another good book in the series by Michael Hambling set in Wiltshire starring Detective Sophie Allen. A body is discovered in the hills and begins a mystery in the village.

Having missed the previous ten installments in the series, I felt lost about the backstories and character development I clearly missed. That's on me but it did ultimately affect my enjoyment of the book. Well written, well paced, and well plotted I enjoyed it despite missing out on the backstory details and nuance. I am seeking out the back catalogue.

mystery, thriller, law-enforcement, procedural, cooperation, multiple-murder, murder-investigation, abduction, small-town, unputdownable, friendship, due-diligence, predators, England*****

Riveting!
DCI Sophie Allen has been promoted and heads up a combined group of varied Crime specialties in the Western Counties. The first body is found in a shallow grave a few days after being murdered. That investigation is ongoing while they try to locate the victim's son at university. But then he turns up dead as well. Sophie works with several people she has worked with before and the tension keeps ratcheting up until a new and horrible aspect to the cases is uncovered. Extremely well done. This is the first in series that I've read but that made absolutely no difference except that now I want to binge read the previous ones!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

While on a foggy walk in the Wiltshire hills, a doctor hears a cry and sees two eeire figures traversing the hill. It's unsettling enough that she decides to report it to the police. The attending officers can't find anything suspicious. Two days later a farm worker finds the body of Bridget Kirkbride, a resident of a pretty little village at the foot of the hill. DCI Sophie Allen and her newly formed team, the Wessex Serious Crime Unit are called in to investigate. No one has a bad word to say about Bridget, and then Bridget's son is found drowned in the River Severn. It appears there are secrets in the village and Sophie and her team must uncover them before more people are hurt.
This is the 11th outing of DCI Allen and the first I've read. There was enough backstory with the recurring characters tha I wasn't left wondering who and what they were about. Eventhough I figured out the plot early on the writing is very good, the characters interesting and likeable that I finished the book in one go. 5 stars for this one.

DCI Sophie Allen #11

Exploring a foggy Wiltshire hill path, a walker hears a distant scream and calls the police, but the attending officers find nothing. Two days later a farmworker comes across a woman's body, her head was mashed in. The victim is quickly identified as Bridget Kirkbride, who lived alone in a small cottage in a pretty nearby village. Detective Sophie Allen is called in. It's her first major case as head of the newly formed Wessex Serious Crimes Unit she's under pressure to get a quick result.

The perpetrator was guessed correctly by me quite early in the book, maybe that was the authors plan? This is a fast paced and quick book to read, but I did feel the ending kind of dragged out. The characters were well rounded, and we get some character development. I haven't read all the books in this series, but I have enjoyed the ones that I have. This book can be easily read as a standalone. This is an eerie and atmospheric read.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #JoffeBooks and the author #MichaelHambling for my ARC of #HiddenGames in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable read in the Sophie Allen series and this time with an eerie, ominous atmosphere

Although this can be read as a standalone it is advisable to have read at least one of the previous books to have an idea of the backstory of the characters

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc