Another winner from Helen Durrant. I have read many of Helens books and this one did not disappoint, I would thoroughly recommend.

This was not my favorite read. I found the writing stilted and repetitive at times. I found Hadley’s pov interesting enough but Chloe’s was confusing and boring.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book by Helen Durrant and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good murder mystery. It involves an investigation by Detective Hedley Sharpe into the shooting in the head of a body found in the cellar of a house. This novel keeps the reader enthralled to the last pages.

I have read and enjoyed more books by this author. This is a new series with a new team. Again set in and around Manchester, this time around Saddleworth and the East of the city. The crimes are mostly involved with gangs of criminals and appear to be revenge killings . The detectives are OK and although Hedley, the main detective's life is documented, his partner Stuart is not as well described and feels a bit flat. Their interaction did not really ring true, perhaps that needs to grow in future episodes of the series. There is plenty of action in the book and a couple of twists in the plot, enough characters to keep the book interesting and enough descriptions to picture the scenes, though as I know Manchester well, I am perhaps projecting my knowledge onto the districts .
Certainly not bad, but with more attention to the interaction between the investigating team, it could be much better
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARc .

This new book is sure to keep you guessing til the end! With lots of twists, and bodies piling up, Sup. Sharpe is depending on his long tuned instincts to tell him is something is off, and it definitely is. The murders seem to be connected, but every time they turn up a link it gets dismissed. With multiple suspects and Todd acting suspicious, his instinct is telling him she's connected, but deciphering HOW is going to take all hands on deck sifting through the past with lots of dead ends. It's a nail biter, seeing if the police will solve this crime! Durrant does it again!

Have read all of Helens books and this one did not disappoint, kept me reading until the early hours thanks so much

new-series, first-in-series, Manchester, law-enforcement, procedural, mental-health-issues, secrets, lies, bullies, crime-thriller, gangsters, psychopath, jewelry-heist, dual-perspectives*****

DS Hedley Sharpe is a long-serving detective working for Manchester’s Major Crime Division and is nearing retirement age but is still messed up since his wife's unsolved murder. He's jaded, aging, perennially grumpy, and pessimistic. His partner, Stuart, is sympathetic to those on the other side of the investigation but I can't believe how well he tolerates His Negativeness. The case is fascinating, and the investigation is relentless with its twists and sidetracks. All characters are well portrayed, but I can't say that I care for the main characters. Still, I'm glad that I read it.
I requested and received an EARC from Jaffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Life got in the way of reading it for free but I love the author's writing, so I bought it and read it before reviewing.

A new crime procedural featuring Detective Hedley Sharpe. I did enjoy the fast pace at which this book moved. I wasn't sure if I could believe Chloe or not. At times, she appeared as a victim, and other times she seemed to be the antagonist.

I enjoyed the fast pace of the story, and the backstory provided on Chloe. That helped us get to know her better. I did find that there was a lack of backstory provided on her husband, Simon. I would've liked to know more about what caused him to lead the life he did. I didn't find myself eagerly turning the pages, but i was interested enough to want to know what was going to happen at the end.

There weren't many twists and turns, but the plot held my interest. I'm sure that was due to the fast pace of the story. I'm not sure why, but I found myself feeling bad for Chloe by the end of the book. I have read a LOT of crime thrillers lately, and this one missed the mark for me. I was not a fan of Hedley and his tone or tactics. The dialogue between him and his partner read juvenile to me. The ending provided the perfect segue for book 2 in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest 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!

A dead body with a bullet in the the head, unidentifiable as it hasn't been found for a year. A fresh corpse in the adjacent room. Is one of them a missing gangster who disappeared after a diamond heist?
Dig Two Graves is the first book in a new series of police procedural/crime thrillers featuring Detective Superintendent Hedley Sharpe.
Chloe is unhappily married to a bully with dealings with Dean Rawlins and together the men stole diamonds. She is devastated after the stillbirth of her daughter and now she has been uprooted to a new house. She is also being threatened by Dean's ex. How much more can she take?
Hedley Sharpe is a great new detective. He is overweight, middle aged, sarcastic, cynical. There is pain in his past due to the murder of his wife. He is tenacious and is determined to bring gangster Dean Rawlins to justice although he won't be too disappointed if someone else disposes of him first.
Hedley barely seems to appear in the first part of the book but, as more bodies are discovered, the police investigation becomes more prominent. The pace of the plot races along and the writing style is quite dialogue driven.
Dig Two Graves is an enjoyable start to a new series and I look forward to catching up with Hedley soon.

A new series by Helen and it does not disappoint. A great storyline which flows easily and I'm looking forward to reading more on the new DI Sharpe an interesting character

Missed the mark for me which surprised me from this author. It is the first in what I expect will be a series so things might improve particularly if the villains in the next book are more believable.

Detectives Hedley Sharpe and Stuart Vasey are furious when Rawlings doesn't appear in court accused of a large diamond robbery. Nearly a year later they are called out to investigate two bodies found in wasteland- one of which could well be the elusive Rawlings.
A young mother finds her baby's pram empty her screams alert the neighbours who call the police. Chloe & Simon have only just moved into the house. Brenda, the neighbour tries to calm Chloe. When Hedley and Stuart arrive they find out that the baby dies at birth but they also discover that Simon Todd was an associate of Rawlins- this was his house. Sharpe is convinced Chloe is not the innocent the tries to project. They might be able to solve the diamond robbery as well as the murders.

The characters were mainly dislikeable, particularly Hedley (I know he had a tragedy to cope with but..) He epitomised all the bad news going around about the police. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. This is the start of a new series. I won't be staying for the next I'm afraid

Yes!!! A new series written by an excellent author!! 💃 🥰

Dig Two Graves by Helen H. Durrant is the first book in the new DS Hedley Sharpe Mysteries series..........what a brilliant start this was. Every book I have read by Helen, they've been a joy to read and this one was no different - So turn your mobile off, re-schedule your plans for your day, find a comfy spot and open your kindle or book.
This book will not disappoint. I did not want it to end and I am looking forward reading more about DS Hedley Sharpe in the future. I loved it!!! Thanks Helen!

I highly recommend this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe books for my ARC.

We first meet Det Supt Hedley Sharpe and his DI, Stuart Vasey from the Major Crime Division in Ardwick, Manchester, at court where the defendant Dean Rawlins, facing a double murder charge, has done a runner. He’s also believed to be involved in a 2 million pound diamond theft and Hedley himself believes Rawlins was behind the death of his wife Emily. Now a year on, Rawlins’ body is discovered in the cellar of one of his own properties, drugged and shot about a year since. Unfortunately a very fresh corpse is also discovered next door. When a baby is reported missing at Rawlins’ former home, Hedley and Stuart take an immediate interest but soon discover the mother, Chloe Todd, has never got over the still birth of the baby and is confused. The detectives have very different views of the woman, whose husband Simon worked with Rawlins. Hedley thinks she is a clever little liar but Stuart believes she’s an innocent victim of a coercive and very strange marriage. Throw into the mix Rawlins’ vicious ex-wife Selina, the woman who bullied Chloe at school and who is determined to get her hands on both the house and the diamonds, and we have the baffling start to a great new series. Just what is the clearly manipulative Chloe plotting and what secrets from the past is she desperate to hide? What will happen when the very unlikable Chloe goes head-to-head with a great, if somewhat cliched, lead detective? And where does their prime suspect fit into all of this?
Hedley and Stuart remind me very much of a latter-day Dalziel and Pascoe, the older gruff no-nonsense senior detective with a softer sided junior sidekick, and the pair work well together, despite having conflicting views on the case. The first part of the story is quite confusing as the reader sees very different sides to Chloe’s character and it’s hard to work out exactly what is going on. However the suspense really racks up as the investigation unfolds in a story featuring a great team of detectives full of twists and surprises. It’s well written and highly engrossing, and held my attention throughout as the pages flew past. I’m looking forward to more as the series develops.

For the first novel in a brand new series, this one really missed the mark for me (and I am a big fan of this author and most of her other books). Don't get me wrong, the premise was a solid one, it was the characters that I felt were sorely lacking.

First we have Hedley, an overweight DS who trusts his gut and comes across as brash to those around him (including his own work colleagues). He also keeps a bottle of whiskey in his desk drawer and has been known on occasion to indulge in a "little splash" in his coffee now and then; in the middle of the workday.

By contrast, his partner Stuart is the complete opposite. This one comes across as very naive and at times, downright gullible. We not only see him repeatedly duped by other characters, but he even tries to admonish Hedley on more than one occasion, either for his "treatment" of potential victims, or for continuing to investigate even though "everything is cut and dry."

Considering these two will, I assume, be the leading characters in future novels I am hoping there is some deeper character development to come because right now, I find very little to recommend either of them. The fact that Hedley has a tragic background (his wife was murdered) is something that I strongly feel needs to be explored in the future. Even if his gut instinct was right, and the person responsible for her murder is now dead, I still want to know what exactly led up to her murder since it wasn't mentioned in this story. I would also like to see Hedley in the immediate aftermath of this loss as maybe that would better explain some of his behaviors now.

Now that I've discussed our two prominent leads and what I perceive as their shortcomings, let me talk about the other characters featured in this novel. The major villains just either didn't seem like villains or were so over the top that you had to roll your eyes. Let's begin with Rawlins, Simon and Murray. All three are supposed to be "major players" in the criminal syndicate, yet (unless you count Simon bullying his wife) we never see them actually doing anything that would earn them that sort of heavy reputation. And for all that Murray is supposed to be a crime lord, his solicitor sure gives up pretty fast.

And then there are the women of this novel. Selina comes across by far as being the most blood-thirsty of the bunch, while Chloe comes across as just... off .... throughout the entire book. We know she's suffered a loss. We know her home life is not as she presents it. But there is still something missing about her character that makes me even want to sympathize with her, much less root for her. We know from the jump she's hiding something, we just don't know what that something is. And don't get me started on Brenda, who I am sure was meant to mean well, but just came across as one of those nosy neighbors that no one wants to deal with.

All of that said, it is because I enjoy this author more often than not, I will be giving book number two in this series a shot before I decide whether or not to continue on with it or wait for her to come up with something new.

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 that review are 100% my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.
This is a solid police procedural by Helen Durrant. I really like the main character Hedley and can't wait to see how this series develops. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Chloe Todd discovers her three month old baby is missing from her carriage, she runs screaming from the house and her neighbor calls the police. Her husband Simon, a controlling bully, says there is no baby, the baby had died and Chloe, shocked by the death was on medication. Case closed, perhaps? Then a body is found in a cellar, lying there since he was killed a year earlier. A day later, the body of a homeless man was found in that same cellar. How are these three cases related?

DS Hedley Sharpe and DI Stuart Vasey realize that these crimes may be linked to a major diamond theft a year earlier. After another killing, Sharpe is sure that he knows who the murderer(s) are but can’t yet prove it. Nothing is as it seems is this complicated criminal enterprise.

Helen Durrant is a master of the police procedural. DIG TWO GRAVES is the first in a new series featuring DS Hedley Sharpe. He’s an anti-hero with a stubborn attitude, a foul mouth, and an unhealthy appetite paired with an unhealthy body. I cant wait to see what comes next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Helen H. Durrant for this ARC.

A very suspenseful mystery in this new series by Helen Durrant. Lots of twists and turns as Superintendent Hedley Sharpe is tasked in tracking down a murderer after two bodies are found two days apart in similar circumstances. And Superintendent Sharpe must determine how Chloe Todd fits into his investigation. A great start to this new series!

I have to agree with other reviewers that this is not the author’s best book. I didn’t really get a feel for the main character and the other characters had no depth to them. I struggled to finish tbh as I really wasn’t invested. Hadley could be a fantastic main character, but needs fleshing out in further novels.