Daryl Brackstone enlists the expertise of private investigators Sebastian Clifford and Lucinda ‘Birdie’ Bird to unravel the circumstances surrounding her mother's murder, a case that has remained unresolved for over three decades. Daryl's father, wrongfully convicted of the crime, passed away in prison, yet she maintains his innocence. As Seb and Birdie probe into the case, they uncover that Helen Brackstone, Daryl's mother, was affiliated with a clandestine activist group investigating high-level corruption, further complicating their inquiry.

This novel had engaging characters with a dynamic partnership between Seb and Birdie, who effectively balance professionalism with relatable personas. The investigation is supported by a well-paced plot that maintains suspense. Although part of a series, the novel functions effectively as a standalone work, enabling a new reader to connect with the characters and their histories seamlessly. I found the novel to be
compelling and emotionally impactful. It has suspense, good character development and would be a good read for anyone that loves a good mystery.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

I studiously follow the Cornwall mystery of this author. Knowing its potential, I decided to read 'Question of Guilt', a completely different series. Well, I found it to be a good comfortable read.

A 35 year old cold case comes up for the pair Seb and Birdie and as they dig in, they unearth a grave of corruption and intimidation. I found both characters quite pleasing and the interactions were fun. Although the case was quite basic, I liked that its simplicity was well written keeping the intrigue of the plot. Maybe the ease with which it was solved made it a bit unbelievable.

Overall this was pleasant vacation read. I give this book 3.5 stars. I thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoy this authors writing and have read some of her previous novels.
I did not know this book was part of a series, and I hadn't read any others in the series but this definitely worked as a standalone.

Sebastian Clifford and his partner Lucinda 'Birdie" Bird run a private investigation company. They are hired by a woman to investigate a crime that took place 36 yrs ago. The woman's mother was murdered and her father was charged with the crime and imprisoned for life. Her father passed away in prison. The woman believes that her father is innocent and wants Sebastian and Birdie to expose the corruption that took place during the investigation all those years ago.

Question of Guilt kept me turning the pages with its emotional tale of a daughter desperate to clear her father’s name and uncover the truth behind her mother’s decades-old murder. I found myself fully invested. And I love the name "Birdie" :) .

Thank you to @Netgalley @Stormpublishing & Sally Rigby for the opportunity to read and give my honest opinion.
Pub Date: June 12, 2025

Another case for private investigators Sebastian Clifford and ‘Birdie’ Bird. Decades ago Daryl Brackstone’s father was convicted of murdering her mother, but has now died in prison. She is convinced that he was innocent and asks that Sebastian and Birdie investigate the evidence. As they dig deeper they discover that the police had not been as thorough as they should have been in their investigation and that Helen Brackstone had been involved in a secret activist group.
It’s another excellent book in the series, lots of twists and turns and it kept me guessing until the end.

This was an really good read. It is book number 7 in a series. I had no previously read the other books and was able to read this as a stand alone book with no issues.

In this book Sebastian Clifford and his partner Lucinda 'Birdie" Bird run a private investigation company. They are hired by a woman to investigate an old crime that took place thirty-six years ago. The woman's mother was murdered and her father was charged with the crime and imprisoned for life. He had died prior to this. The woman believes that her father is innocent and wants Sebastian and Birdie to expose the corruption that took place during the investigation. This was a great read and really kept my attention.

I have not read this series before, but will be looking out for more. Well defined and memorable characters and a great plot n

Question of Guilt hooked me right away with its emotional core—a daughter desperate to clear her father’s name and uncover the truth behind her mother’s decades-old murder. The stakes felt real from the first page, and as Seb and Birdie unraveled the mystery, I found myself fully invested in the twists and turns of the investigation.

I really liked the dynamic between Seb and Birdie. Their partnership has just the right mix of professionalism and personality, and I enjoyed watching them piece together a puzzle that led far beyond a typical cold case. The deeper they dug, the more disturbing the picture became—and the more I couldn’t stop turning pages. The tension ramps up nicely, especially once it becomes clear that someone very powerful doesn’t want the past unearthed.

The political corruption angle added depth, and I appreciated how Helen Brackstone’s story slowly evolved from "suburban housewife" to something far more complex and courageous. It made the stakes feel even higher and gave the mystery emotional weight.

My one critique—and the reason for four stars instead of five—is that a few of the plot threads felt a little rushed toward the end. I would’ve liked a bit more time with the resolution and consequences for some of the secondary characters.

Still, this was a highly satisfying read with strong pacing, engaging leads, and a mystery that kept me guessing. Question of Guilt is a great choice for fans of character-driven thrillers with just the right dose of danger.

To be honest, I was disappointed in this book. Not a page turner for me - progress was too slow and I was not really hooked by the plot.

What a fantastic read!!!!

Firstly I did not know this book was part of a series, but it’s still a fab stand alone book. It was very easy to get stuck in to this book, you got to know the characters and what they do and what their job is. The flow of the book is great, I was eager to continue reading the next chapter. I felt like I was also a private investigators, thinking of who done it all the way through.
Thoroughly good read and I will be recommending to my friends and family to read this.

Lastly thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for accepting my request to read Question of Guilt

I wanted to love this book... but friends... I had a tough time getting into this book!
I just couldn't stay engaged and felt a bit bored. It was hard not to DNF the book.
Sebastian and Birdie - PIs and former detectives.
Cold case. Man accused of killing spouse, but there is much more to the story, according to the daughter, Daryl.
I felt like I had read this before - not once, but maybe a few times.
I didn't get the suspense that I wanted.
Felt a little like the writing possibly had a "nudge" that the two MCs might have some relationship that was not platonic? But it was hard to say.
The pace of the book was too slow for me.
I felt like I knew what was going to happen from the beginning of the book.
I did not like the structure of the plot.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Happy Reading!

Gripping Cold-Case Thriller with Strong Characters
Sally Rigby’s Question of Guilt delivers a compelling cold-case mystery with sharp writing and well-paced suspense. Private investigators Sebastian Clifford and Birdie Bird navigate buried secrets and dangerous truths as they reexamine a decades-old murder. With engaging characters and a gripping plot, this seventh entry in the series was a satisfying and suspenseful read. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When Daryl comes into the Detective Agency that Seb and Birdie, she is desperate to find out the truth behind her mothers murder, and positive that her father had really been innocent. But this is over 30 years later, will the two really be able to solve such a cold case.

A well thought out, nicely written and a bit of a slow burner page turner. The pace did feel a bit slow at first but picked up really nicely as it went on. Particularly interesting to me is knowing the areas it takes place in, always a nice little extra. I’d have liked a bit more from Keira,Sebs’ recently found daughter but I’m sure in the next book we’ll hear a bit more about her life, especially where her career sights are set. Ideal beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoy the Cornwall Murder Mystery books by this author, always a good 4* read. I was not aware of the Sebastian Clifford series until offered this arc, so looked forward to reading this, the seventh book in the collection.

Although the latest in the series, it works fine as a standalone, with any references to past books fleeting and covered quickly.

This case for Seb and his partner Birdie is brought to them by Daryl, a woman with a troubled history. In 1989, Daryl’s mother was murdered and Daryl’s father convicted of the crime. As a teenager at the time, Daryl was in shock, and its only all these years later that circumstances have brought her to the conclusion that her father may have taken the fall for the murder, as he always protested his innocence, and the act was completely out of character. With due diligence and tenacity, the duo soon discover that the police procedure during the investigation was not all it was cracked up to be. Heads will roll!

Other reviewers were surprised by the twist - my surprise was that there wasn’t one!

An interesting read, though a little too twee and cosy for my taste, missing some suspense and humph. This book lacked the guts of the Cornwall Murder Mystery books, and I much prefer those. The nicknames (Birdie, Twiggy, really?) are quite annoying, a little too juvenile and add nothing to the story.

An ok read, but just missing the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

2.5*

Seemed like an interesting idea that someone would hire private investigators to look in to who killed her mother over 30 years ago, thus hoping to clear her father's name who had been jailed for the crime and had died in prison. I usually like the pairing of Sebastian and Bird, but for some reason, this book just didn't excite me. It seemed very flat with new revelations seeming obvious and predictable. Maybe it's because the answers always seem to come so easily to them and even those trying to interrupt the investigation give in easily.

Daryl Brackstone's mother was murdered in 1989. Her father was convicted and later died in prison, but she's always known he was innocent. After being approached by the presenter of a true crime podcast, Daryl wants private investigators and ex-detectives, Sebastian Clifford and Lucinda 'Birdie' Bird, to find out what really happened twenty-five years earlier. Finding evidence of secrets groups, dithering witnesses, and unscrupulous police officers is only the start of the problems for the duo. A lot can happen in a quarter of a century, and memories fade. Was Daryl's father to blame, or did someone else get away with murder?

Book seven in this series was my first, and I didn't want it to end! The storyline was compelling from the start, and I was completely hooked. There were no spoilers from previous books, and the two main protagonists were immediately likeable, and their back stories gave just enough information throughout to keep everything relevant.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Storm Publishing, but the opinions expressed are my own. I absolutely loved this and can't wait to read more.

Seb and Birdie run a detective business together. Birdie is an outgoing former police officer whereas Seb is more of an introvert. In this, their seventh book they are investigating a miscarriage of justice. A client Daryl has asked them to reinvestigate her mother’s death and exonerate her father. This is a series I always enjoy. The mysteries are deftly plotted. I particularly like Birdie as a character so I was thrilled to sense a glimmer of romance on her horizon!

This was a great read. It was pacey and kept the tempo high. The chapter titles made it clear that time was passing and helped show the frenetic pace of the action. The two lead investigators are fun and real. They have lives and dating problems and questions about how to raise their children which feed in nicely to the underlying investigation into an old murder. The plot is simple enough to follow with a few twists that shape the book and keep it entertaining. This isn't a deep dramatic story but it is a well told investigation with appealing characters.

Title: The Question of Guilt: A Midlands Crime Thriller
Author: Sally Rigby
Series: Book #7 Detective Sebastian Clifford
Publisher: Storm Publishers
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Pub Date: June 12, 2025
My Rating: 4.2 Stars
Pages: 233

Daryl Brackstone approaches private investigators Sebastian Clifford and Lucinda ‘Birdie’ Bird (Seb and Birdie) about her mother's decades-old murder. She's hoping to finally uncover the truth. Her father died in prison for the crime, but Daryl has never believed he was guilty.
Daryl tells them that she was contacted by Ali Simmons a podcaster in Laeicester.
Of Course, Seb and Birdie are not pleased about a true crime podcast- aka amateur –true crime detective. However Ms. Simmons discovered that Daryl’s mother Helen Brackstone –wasn't an ordinary suburban housewife – she was also part of a secretive activist group investigating high-level corruption.
Which now has Seb and Birdie wanted to do some deeper investigation.

They do find out a lot more which definitely kept me curious.
I have read and loved several Sally Rigby’s thrillers most were in the Cornwell Murder series however, this my first Seb and Birdie; different from the Cornwell Murder but still great.
In Sally Rigby's “A Letter From the Author”, She tells us that she hopes readers are hooked on Detective Sebastian Clifford.
I can answer with a big Yes! I am certainly looking for more adventures from these two. Additionally I love their personal lives. Birdie is much young than Seb so the team is a fun balance.
Seb now has a college age daughter who interested in becoming a lawyer. Have a feeling we are going to hear more about her college experiences.

BTW: I also like that the real Daryl Blackstone got her name in this story as she won a charity contest to have a character named after her.

Thank you NetGalley and, of course, the amazing team at Storm Publishing for granting me this great read.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 12, 2025.

This is the first book that I’ve read in this series, and it was pleasantly enjoyable. Sebastian and Birdie (that nickname always grinds my gears) are private investigators and former detectives taking on a new case that’s ice cold. A woman named Daryl has never believed her father was guilty of killing her mother, Helen, and she hires them to see if there’s any chance he was innocent. The reader’s clued in from the start that he was, which doesn’t leave much of a mystery, except figuring out who was actually behind his death.

Her mother was part of an activist group that wasn’t even looked at when she died, so Seb and Birdie start there. They uncover obvious corruption that Helen was gathering info on, not to mention crooked cops who made sure her husband was the only suspect. You can guess where this leads – they are threatened and intimidated just like Helen and worry that the bad guys will get away with it again.

It’s one of those books where you feel like you’ve read it before because it’s such a common plot. And there was a clear lack of suspense because you know the lead characters will make it through without being in any real danger. Not having read any of the previous books in this series, I wasn’t sure about the relationship between the two leads – are they and have they always been strictly platonic? Was it ever hinted that it could be more? It wasn’t alluded to at any point, so I wasn’t sure about the complete lack of romantic tension.

I had a hard time staying invested in the story, and it just didn’t appeal to me enough that I would read more of this series.

An intriguing read

Book seven, I'd not read the previous books and had no problem reading this as a stand-alone. I didn't even feel that I'd missed out by not reading the earlier books.

Sebastian Clifford and his partner Lucinda 'Birdie' Bird run a private investigation service and are approached by a woman requesting their help to investigate an old crime. Thirty-six years ago the woman's mother was murdered and her father charged, found guilty and imprisoned for life, however she's always believed her father to be innocent. Seb and Birdie's inquiries flush into the open corrupt police officers and retired crooks who all thought they were beyond the arm of the law.

Question of Guilt was complex enough to require my total attention yet still be believable and enjoyable.

With thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.