new-series, first-in-series, crime-thriller, England, small-town, abduction, multiple-murder, investigations, law-enforcement, grisly, grim, grieving, grief, suspense, mutilation, working-partners, unputdownable, revenge, tense, triggers*****

The first victim didn't see it coming, and I didn't see the ending coming.
The story is a real fast paced thrill ride from beginning to end filled with devious twists and awful red herrings. The murder squad if led by a great and relatable team of DIs who have to incorporate The Job into their own somewhat turbulent personal lives. Great read.
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Yup, definitely a series I will continue! I love the main characters Tanzy and Byrd. Their interactions and work ethic, as well as how they juggle their home life, make them so real and interesting. There are actually 2 concurrent criminals at work, and the investigative force is dividing their attention. This is a super fast-paced mystery with a lot of moving parts and a complex backstory. The victims indeed do not see it coming. However, their significant others should. Even so, hubris and denial allow a killer to escalate as the revenge plot is executed to such exacting and gruesome detail. The backstory made me sympathize with the killer, though I would have chosen different targets. The planning to these crimes was so intricate that the one behind it is well insulated, not to mention that suspicion is successfully funneled to someone else. The end is like a slap to the face - you, too, will not see it coming! A most excellent series starter!

Excellent book had me hooked i couldnt put it down even when i needed to.The story and characters blend so well together.5*

I found this book to be well written and enjoyable. There were a few typos which didn't really bother me, knowing it was an early copy, but they should be addressed before release.

I found the main characters Tanzy and Byrd to be complex yet likable. They each have personal issues going on, which gives the reader more insight into who they are.

I loved the placement of the back in time bits, to slowly bring the reader in to why all of the current events are happening. I felt these "before" chapters were place perfectly and gave just the right amount of background to keep us hooked.

I am not a fan of gore, so I appreciated that the horrific nature of the crimes was handled without gratuitous gore.

I think the main reason I'm not elevating to a 5 star is that the ending felt rushed to me. It was sort of a surprise. I saw a "The end" and it felt a bit unresolved. I suppose I'm used to a "2 months" later type wrap-up. Also, I'm betting the personal issues of the main characters will continue in the next book. Since the main case was wrapped up, that's not such a big deal, but I'm not a fan of cliffhangers.

Overall, it was a very good book. I'm new to being a netgalley reviewer, so it was awesome to be able to enjoy this book and give it a positive review.

Darlington is a small Northern town where everyone knows everyone. And Detectives Tanzy and Byrd know there’s a twisted serial killer in their midst . . .

They find Julia Porter’s body tied to a chair in her quiet family home in the outskirts of Darlington. She’s covered in blood, and someone has cut out her eyes.

Next to her is a message written in red She didn’t see it coming.

Detectives Tanzy and Byrd have never seen the like of this in their town before. Then a few days later a woman is handed a package on the high street.

It contains Julia Porter’s eyes.

Darlington used to be a quiet town. A nice town. Not any more.

This is the first book I've read from this author but it won't be the last. It's dark and gruesome and I was hooked from start to finish

Interesting and detai.Ed read that didn’t grab me at first but the.n sucked me in. Many plot twists and turns, so keep reading, you won’t be disappointed. Can’t wait to read more of this series and this author.

Really excited about this book. It was an Absolutely phenomenal read. High will recommend to others to pick up as soon as it is released.

I want to start by saying that this is not my usual genre of book! However I was intrigued as the book and author are both based in Darlington.

Despite not being my usual read I really enjoyed this book and found myself gripped wanting to know the outcome. The ending was slightly predictable but with a few twists and turns to keep me guessing. There were a few loose ends left which confused me somewhat, but perhaps these storylines come to a fruition in the next book?!

The two main characters are likeable and well developed; you can see this as a TV drama quite easily. It has definitely left me wanting to read the next instalment. And I hope to meet the author in or around Darlington - I’m sure he’ll be a great success.

Wow, this is a thrilling read which I thoroughly enjoyed. It got off to the best start - the author knows how to grab his readers attention and interest and hold it from the first page to the last. I think the writing style is very good, the story flowed really well and I liked that it moved from past to present times easily. The author certainly knows how to set the scene, then ramp up the tension and suspense which makes this such an absorbing read. I liked and was rooting for the two main detectives and enjoyed the small glimpses into their home and personal lives. Here they investigate a horrific murder where the case quickly escalates. I think the plot line is well thought out and executed, there is a hell of a lot going on in the story - which for me made this a very moreish read where I was picking my kindle up to carry on reading whenever I could. Overall I think this is a very good, fast paced and thrilling read, and one which I would highly recommend.

5 stars

This is a new author to me, so I was unsure of what to expect, and oh, my goodness, there is so much going on in this book! First of all, there are a plethora of characters to get to know – so many that I found myself having to re-read a few chapters to remind myself who’s who. We also have a subplot: a missing seven-year-old girl. I really couldn’t work out why this was incorporated, as it felt as though the case had been forgotten about and only included to provide a dramatic showdown between the perpetrator and the police. And not forgetting that the lead detectives have turbulent homelives, oh, and one of them is a martial arts expert. Phew – such a lot to take in!

There are some really creative murders, all of which are violent, even the motive is violent. The book also deals with gang-rape, although I did feel that section was handled with sensitivity. The tale moves swiftly from one murder to the next, and in the second part of the book, the reader gets the full story, which is told via flashbacks intermingled with the present-day investigation – this worked well for me, and I enjoyed these sections. Sadly, I found the twist at the end just a bit too much. I think this book has real promise, but for me, it needs condensing and polishing.

I was excited to read the first in a new detective series and it didn’t disappoint. Set in the small town of Darlington, Detective Inspectors Max Byrd and Orion Tanzy mostly work together. Someone is murdering women, removing a different body part from each of them, and leaving a note each time, “She didn’t see it coming”. In amongst the murders, a little girl goes missing so there are two cases going on.

There were quite a lot of characters being introduced, and without names until further into the story, so I had to concentrate and re-read in a couple of places. Added to the confusion was the book being an unedited ARC so there were some errant name changes here and there. But that’s just me, other readers may not find this an issue at all.

Lots of twists and turns kept me gripped, and although I felt that the ending was slightly rushed, I will definitely read more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

The Tees Valley Killing by C J Grayson.

I have to admit this publisher has some awesome crime thriller series at the moment, so when I saw this one was a new series I couldn't wait to give it a read.

Grayson is a new author to me, so I'm always eager to see what is on offer.

Based in Darlington featuring Detectives Tanzy and Byrd. New characters that I can see will become a hit.
A twisted serial killer is at work and seems to be leaving messages.

She didn’t see it coming.

What links the murders that are happening, what is making the case difficult for the team.

I love getting to know new characters and their lives not just on the force but their home lives. I think this alwasy adds to building the image of a character.

This book is a great read and will you entertained the whole way through.

For once two DIs working together with a helpful female boss. Darlington is only a small town and doesn't get a lot of the more horrific crimes. Yet someone is killing women - and posing them in horrible ways. A seven year old child has been abducted and is still missing a week later and a bug is found in a police station. The tow DIs are also having family problems, and their boss is getting pressure from above for them to get the cases sorted yesterday. Just another week in a small town police station.

Wonderful book - with a devilishly good twist at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Tees Valley Killings, the first novel to feature DIs Orion Tanzy and Max Byrd, set in Darlington.

Julia Porter is found tied to a chair in her dining room, covered in blood and her eyes removed, the words “she didn’t see it coming” written in crayon beside her body. Tanzy and Byrd have never seen anything like it and it’s only the start.

I enjoyed The Tees Valley Killings, which is a fast paced read with some imaginative twists and turns, notably in the execution of the killings. I should point out that this is violent novel, be it Tanzy using his martial arts skills or the way the victims are killed, even the motive behind the murders is violent.

The plot moves swiftly from one murder to the next. There is a hint of secrets so Byrd in particular is sure that they aren’t getting the full story. In the second half the reader gets the full story in flashback form that alternates with the present day investigation. It’s not pleasant reading, but is very plausible. I didn’t overly enjoy the initial caginess with information as I found it a bit frustrating, but I kept reading and it all became clear. There is a subplot with a missing seven year old girl that I thought was a waste of time as Tanzy and Byrd don’t actually investigate anything until the showdown and that has to be read to be believed, or more likely not. I did, however, really enjoy the solution to the murder enquiry. No, it’s hardly more credible than the missing child solution, but it’s fun and full of surprises, so what’s not to like?

I think that I will come to like Tanzy and Byrd as the series progresses, but I don’t feel that I got to know them over much in this first meeting. There are hints of turbulence in their personal lives, but not enough to draw firm conclusions about how it will pan out. It’s a good start to a new series.

The Tees Valley Killings is a good read that I can recommend.

Gritty and thrilling read, fast paced and action packed.
I did have to concentrate on who was who as there was rather a lot of characters to keep on top off.
Having said that i really enjoyed it with only one negative and that was that i felt the ending was rather rushed.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
I need to find more by this author.

A nasty murder, out of the blue, that makes you wonder why would anyone do this to another human being… It’s a really disgusting beginning to the story, and there seems to be no real reason behind the murder, even though it feels very personal. Then another victim is found, and soon a connection between the surviving spouses is slowly revealed.

A good read, surprisingly fast and easy to finish even though it is a nasty business. It’s one of those things that you kind of understand the culprit, but you just don’t understand the execution of it all. It was nice to get to know the team, and I’d like to get to know them better. I see a lot of character growth in the future.

Wow! This was a bit of a thrill with Tanzy and Byrd, right from the very first page to the neatly wrapped up ending, which left me feeling slightly bereft. Clever plotting, if a bit far fetched, good characterisation and a fast pace makes this an easy 5* from me. Everything you look for in a crime thriller/police procedural. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The first book I have read from this author.
A solid four star read. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing but I felt the ending a bit rushed. I definitely would read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Thank you NetGalley and Notre Books for the eARC.
I must be getting soft in my old age, but I found this a bit depressing: horrific murder, traumatized family, alcoholism, missing girl, death by hanging. It's a tense story which I think will appeal to many readers, but it was all a bit much for me. It's well written and hard to put down, but I was happy it was over.

A great read. A wonderful debut book. I can't wait to get to read any more in this series
5**** from me