i have enjoyed the sebastian locke series so was looking forward too this i have too admit it took a bit for me too get into it but once i did wow i cpuldnt put it down
Poor stevie its definately interesting too read about a person stalking their ex and their gfs and the impact that can have on th eperson and people around her but you could understqnd why and the way its written its easy too relate too her in a way.
i did not see the killer coming so that threw me.
That end though i am worried about whats going too happen too sebastien in the next book and can't wait too read it.

This is my first read by author N J Mackay and I really enjoyed it. A great page-turner with a gripping plot. I did get a little lost at times but this did not stop me reading The Sweetheart Killer.

Apparently, this is the second novel in the Sebastian Locke series but I have not read the first novel and think you can easily understand it without having read the first novel in the series.

The plot is full of twists and turns and I enjoyed the characters in this novel.

Thanks to Netgalley, N J Mackay and the publishers for allowing me a an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stevie Gordon spends her spare time stalking her ex-boyfriend, James Cowley. After all, nobody knows him as well as Stevie does. Then James' mistress is found murdered, which leads Stevie to question: did she do it? As DI Locke investigates, another murder is discovered. With more murders occurring, Stevie is worried her mind is betraying her. Is she capable of murder? If not her, then who?

The start of this book was really strong but unfortunately, as I read on it felt like it became weaker especially in the middle. I felt my interest begin to dwindle and only finished the book as I wanted to see how it all ended. Although, I'm currently undecided if I want to continue further with this series.

Whilst I like some of the characters like Seb and Lucy, I feel like I don't know them or any of the other characters well. I feel like the character who I learnt most about was Stevie, who was a very complex written character. It's a shame as they definitely have potential to be more than what they are. There was a great opening within this book to learn more about Lucy but it just got forgotten about, which made me question why it was included in the first place as it left more questions than answers. Also, as Madeline had agoraphobia, it left me questioning the validity of how her condition affects her since she left the house multiple times within a short time span and weaned herself from taking as many medications, which felt far-fetched given her condition. This is extremely problematic as it shouldn't leave you questioning the validity of somebody's condition, as how the representation is written in the book, it makes it look like Madeline is lying about having agoraphobia especially as it seemed like her condition was quite severe as she hadn't left her house for years.

Another thing that I found problematic was the way Stevie spoke about her mother who had a history of trauma and mental health conditions as it was disgusting. She would call her mother a "mad woman", when Madeline has agoraphobia and psychosis (a lot of her psychosis episodes are recounted), which are both stigamatised, misunderstood and have a lot of negative bias surrounding them. I know that struggling with mental health doesn't excuse what Madeline did to Stevie but as Stevie was painted within a sympathetic light despite her own mental health struggles, the least Madeline deserved was the same grace awarded to her. Also, the language used to describe Charlie as a "troubled addict" was not it as this language doesn't put the person person, it puts their addiction above them as a person. This adds to the stigma and negative bias which surrounds addiction, which is incredibly harmful.

⚠️ CWs: cursing, murder, alcohol use, vomit, derogatory language, person with alcohol use disorder, misogyny, stalking, car accident, physical assault, spiking; mentions cheating, victim blaming, sexual assault, child abuse, overdose, disordered eating, attempted suicide, incest⚠️

I loved The Quiet Dead, the first in the DI Sebastian Locke series so couldn’t wait to read the follow up, The Sweetheart Killer. We’re back with Locke and his team as they investigate the murder of a young woman that they connect to a previous murder and quickly find a suspect. I loved the police procedural aspect of the novel ; DI Locke is an excellent creation, a young single parent to a teenage daughter and there is just enough of his back story and home life details here to build the characterisation and keep the reader interested without it taking over the plot.
The author also gives us the point of view of Stevie, a school teacher, traumatised by her childhood, who has been stalking the murder victim and whose ex boyfriend James is the police’s main suspect.
I didn’t enjoy these parts of the novel as much as the police procedural sections but the author built up a sympathetic characterisation of Stevie and I had so much empathy for her and her story does help to draw the reader even deeper into the novel.
The novel is so well paced that I raced through it over the course of 24 hours. There are plenty of red herrings and I began to suspect all of the characters. A very satisfying ending with a hint of what’s to come in book 3. I can’t wait! I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend starting with book 1 to get to know DI Locke although this can be easily read as a standalone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was great to catch up with Seb & his family, friends and colleagues again after enjoying the first book, The Quiet Dead, so much. This one was another book, just like the first in this series, which was hard to put down. I found the pages turning quicker and quicker as I was becoming more and more invested in this storyline and the life of Stevie.
The story is told by alternating chapters from Seb and Stevie and when the final twist comes, well, who would have seen that coming, aside from the author who thought it up and planned this book so it would be the perfect shocking but understandable ending!
I cannot wait for book 3 now, especially after the final few lines and the hints of what maybe to come!

Stevie is trying to heal from her past and move on with her life...or is she? When women connected with the ex that she is stalking keep turning up dead, Stevie questions whether her episodes of blackout drunkenness are no longer innocent.

I love a good thriller book. However, they don't usually stick with me for very long and have me excited. Normally, I would give a book like this a 3 ⭐ review. But this one hit a little bit different for me. I was writing down clues and suspects and marking and annotating. There was enough information to make you want to Sherlock Holmes this thing but not so much that it completely gave it away. I did kinda figure it out. I will say that it went way deeper than I expected. But, you know, all in all I had a great time and would definitely read more from this author.

The Sweetheart Killer
NJ Mackay

“Almost every aspect of my life is built on lies or omissions of some kind. I’m so mired in twisted truth and dishonesty, even I struggle to keep up.”

This is a fast paced crime thriller with a great twist. Has a quick moving plot, twists, suspicious characters and false leads to confuse. All the usual devices are here, red herrings, unreliable narrator and misdirection. With interesting personal relationships and twisted family dynamics thrown into the mix.

“Lies will fester, dishonesty will shape you, irritate your mind and make you sorry you ever started.”

I found the conclusion satisfying and didn’t realise when I started that this is book two. So I will be doubling back to book one soon.

“No,” I lie. I often come home through the park. Often walk dark alleys at night. I often, I suppose, tempt fate.”

Stevie Gordon is lonely and stalks her ex boyfriend, James Crowley. James is married but nobody knows him or his secrets better than Stevie does. When James’s mistress turned up brutally murdered, Stevie is stocked. Stevie had a difficult childhood and subsequently is a heavy drinker which leads to blackouts.
DI Sebastian Locke is tasked with catching the culprit. As they dig deeper into this crime they make a connection to a previously murdered woman.
Can Stevie trust her mind and does she trust James’s innocence?

“Looking back at periods of your life through rose - tinted glasses will make living in the present almost impossible.”

The Sweetheart Killer is the second book in the DI Sebastian Locke Mysteries series. It can absolutely be read as a standalone; I haven't read The Quiet Dead, but I will absolutely be adding it to my TBR list!

For me, the most intriguing character in this book was Stevie. Everything she did made no sense, yet made perfect sense. Another example of how none of us truly knows someone and we can only ever see what we are shown. I also found her relationship with her mother utterly fascinating. I can't say too much for fear of spoiling the story for people who have not yet read it, but it's an area I would love to read more about.

I'll be honest, I did guess at Whodunnit about halfway through, but I did not get even close to guessing the why. There were also other reveals that, despite having read hundreds of mystery books, I would never have thought of in a million years. Kudos to NJ Mackay and her writing for keeping me guessing until the very end!

A great thriller. Lots of small details that contribute to the overall story and suspense. This is a quick read that will get you from the start!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for access to this e-ARC.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this book.
The Sweetheart killer was an intriguing book, the beginning was very strong. I was so invested I couldn’t put it down. I was clueless, couldn’t even form theories as to who did it. I was thoroughly enjoying this book. But then like all good stories, the middle mark hit and the story started getting slower and slower in pace. I felt like I was a hamster running round and round in a vicious circle and there was no end in sight. I kept reading thinking it’ll get better, the story will pick up, it’ll stop being repetitive but no such luck. I skipped 10 whole chapters and I kid you not I picked up right where I left off 10 chapters earlier. The author tried making one of the main characters an unreliable narrator but that desperate attempt at trying to spice things up failed miserably. I won’t even mention the characters because they were all dull and irritating. The detectives were a bit too cheery on the job and I found that a bit disturbing, the male detective ( i am bad with names so don’t remember what he was called) Seb maybe was constantly trying to hide a smile and Lucy with her coffee, I mean that was all very annoying. And the fact that the detectives were doing nothing but looking busy *shakes head*, authors need to stop trying to fill up pages just for the sake of it.
So the plot thickened and the detectives finally found something worthwhile, the unreliable narrator finally stopped being unreliable and was in the clear and the real killer was about to be revealed. I have to be honest, I didn’t expect the killer to be well I can’t spoil that but let’s just say I didn’t expect the killer to be X. So that was surprising and I enjoyed that.
Overall the book was okay, it could’ve been better, it had potential but it fell short.

When her ex-boyfriend's latest mistress is found brutally murdered and posed in a calculated killing, Stevie Gordon is horrified.

Not just about the murder, mind you. But about the fact that she has been stalking James for so long that she knows FAR more about his life than she should. Given that she has blackout tendencies, and memories missing as a result, could she possibly be involved in what has happened?

Or is there more to James's lovelife than meets the eye, as a cold case seems to indicate? DI Sebastian Locke plans to find out...

This is a twisty and engrossing psychological thriller with a terrific protagonist in the form of DI Locke. It gets 3.5 stars.

Was first from the author and didnt disappoint and hope to read more from the author.

I loved the plot of the book and was easy to follow what was going on. the ending was very much a surprise. This was a multiple POV when it first started it was hard to follow but as you read it was easier to follow.

I didnt realize this was a series and will find first book to read that might be why i was confused at first but it can be read as standalone.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review. .

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

James breaks off his relationship with Stevie, but she's obsessed with him. She stalks him and those connected to him.

Stevie, raised in the care system due to her mother being unfit, has a substance abuse problem and is prone to blackouts. When James' mistress is found dead, further investigation shows she's not first person connected to James to die.

This was a page turner. It was well written, had great characters and exciting twists. It was my first NJ Mackay book and I'd happily read more.

I gave it 3.5 stars because I predicted a few of the twists.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book, it was a gripping and anxiety induced wild ride.. Could not put the book down, Never thought it would be the best friend involved. Cannot wait for the rest of the series.

The premise is great. I feel like I would have a different response to the book had I read Book #1. I didn’t realize this was a sequel as the synopsis nor Goodreads mentioned it.

Since it was easy for me to follow, it works as a standalone aside from not understanding the relation/backstory of a few characters to the main detective.

I enjoyed the writer’s style as I was able to picture it as an episode of L&O SVU - great procedural process.

The story is engaging. For who I thought was responsible bounced between two possibilities. The outcome was a wee bit outlandish, but in regards to human behavior/societal norms, to commit murders isn’t normal behavior to begin with right?! ;)

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Great book! Short chapters and it was super easy to get lost in and just keep reading and reading! The ending was great and definitely surprised me.

"I learnt years ago that whilst people always say they want the truth, few really do, because the truth can be an ugly thing."

I absolutely loved this second book in DI Sebastian Locke series.
From the very beginning the author did not fail to capture my attention and keep me engrossed in this thrilling police procedural read.
The pacing of this one was even better than the first and did not have any fluff whatsoever. I enjoyed the snippets of Seb's home life and his developing relationship with Faye. The chemistry between him and his team was dynamic and held little pieces of humor that lightened the mood of the book.
I also think the author did an exceptional job with Stevie's character. Although some of her choices were questionable to say the least, you really felt for her character and could tell that she was just a broken woman trying to overcome her trauma.
Her character added a dramatic element to the book, however, it was skillfully done, adding to the plot and not distracting from it.
The ending was mind-blowing and unexpected, I did suspect it; but was still completely blown away by who the killer was.
It also looks like the third book is going to have an unexpected twist for Seb and his family, I can't wait for it!
I cannot say enough good things about this book, and I highly recommend it.
A solid police procedural thriller.
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Thank you Netgalley, Hera Books and NJ Mackay for my eArc of this book. All opinions are 100% my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Pub date: April 18th, 2024

Dark and engaging!

After James Cowley breaks things off with girlfriend Stevie Gordon, she's unable to quiet her obsessive need to stalk him, and some of those connected to him.

A local teacher, raised in care due to her mother's determination to be unfit, Stevie has many internal battles. Her wobbly mental health (and self-medicating tendencies) lead her to question if she could be responsible for the growing number of young women brutally murdered.

DI Locke and his team were likeable characters, as were all the others. Well written and captivating!

A multitude of red herrings had me guessing (incorrectly) who the murderer was the entire time!

Thanks to NetGally, Hera Publishing and N J Mackay for the ARC.

Plagued by blackouts and a drinker, Stevie Gordon isn't reliable and her obsession with ex-boyfriend James is far from healthy, especially when she ends up dead.

This was an easy read. I liked the characters, it was well plotted and its short, sharp chapters made it difficult to resist reading just one more. The second in the DI Seb Locke series I had no problems reading it as a standalone novel but having finished it I'll definitely be adding the previous one to my reading list.

My thanks to Hera books and NetGalley for the advance review copy, all opionions expressed are my own.