Fantastic read!!!! Highly recommend!!! Not what I expected , but a smart thought out page turner!! Well done! I will look for other. books from this author!

What a great second book by Daniel. This was so much. Water than the Lollipop Man and it was great to catch up with Adrian, Sheila and Jeanette again.

October, 1995. Adrian Brown's second year at Leeds University is a blur of throbbing bass line and neon-lit nights out. However, a violent encounter with a man he met in a basement club has the power to sober him up.

Sheila Hargreaves, who has grown fond of Adrian following their brush with the infamous Lollipop Man, has written a book about the murders and is busy with a new TV show, Yorkshire Crimetime. And then her erratic co-presenter Tony Tranter goes missing, and his body turns up riddled with stab wounds. Could his death be linked to several violent attacks on men?

Moving from dark city corners to the glare of the TV studio lights, Sheila and Adrian find themselves on the trail of another killer.

There were two crimes taking place but the way the story was written made you think it was all connected. Some great twists with a fab ending.

So happy to see Adrian finally sort his head out and to see both him and Sheila heading for better life choices.

Would love to see more from this fab trio !

Thanks to Netgalley, Allison and Busby and Daniel Sellars for the chance to read an early, early ARC for an honest review

I really enjoyed this follow on from The Lollipop Man. it was a slow burner but I didn't mind that. I was kept guessing and i found the tension in the book to be really good

ARC Review on behalf of Daniel Sellers and NetGalley

3.5⭐️
The Devil’s Smile starts out slow set in London about men being attacked and then there are 2 murders.


The premise was that of a true crime series that is popular and now they must investigate crime happening to one of their co-hosts. Because as usual the police are just moving too slow.

It was very easy to get into the characters and follow how everything unfolds. I was able to get close to who the culprit would be pretty early on as well, however the build up to who did it seemed to never come.

It came at chapter 40 and ended in 43 chapters.

Don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. Release date is 8/21/2025.

This is another great read from Daniel Sellers. The author has taken a break from the Lola Harris detective series to write a new series featuring an ‘odd couple’ of protagonists: Adrian Brown, a student exploring his gay sexuality, and Sheila Hargreaves. presenter for Yorkshire CrimeTime Sheila’s co-presenter, Tony Tranter, has disappeared and Sheila with Adrian investigate. We have met Adrian and Sheila before in ‘The Lollipop Man’ and their knowledge is now used in discovering what has happened to Tranter. We’re still back in the 1990s and there is great period detail for example, in revealing how live broadcasts were managed then.

The strength of Sellers' writing stems from never overstretching credulity. He convinces us to read and believe through the credibility of his characters and plots. This has the effect of readers engaging with the novel and never having to step away from it and ask if now we have to suspend disbelief. To take another example of these great characters, the portrayal of DS Nikki Rawnsley as the investigating officer in the case is completely convincing. I would say that the impact and forcefulness of DS Rawnsley is so compelling that she needs a series all to herself.

My only reservation is the last few chapters where issues are dutifully resolved in a rather pedestrian manner.

But overall this is a straightforward read which has enough twists and turns to keep the crime thriller enthusiast engaged but without serving up an overly complex plot which so often has us all scratching our heads about what’s going.

If you’ve read ‘The Lollipop Man’, you will want to read this. If you’ve read neither, then you’ve got two good novels to look forward to.

I’m grateful to the publishers Allison and Busby for making available a pre-publication copy so that I might make an honest review.

This book can be enjoyed as a standalone, but it is the follow-on to "The Lollipop Man". I found this book enjoyable and interesting, with lots to intrigue and hook the reader. I haven't read the previous series by this author but will do so now after enjoying this book,

I loved the beginning of this book but then it felt like it dragged to much. I would've loved the same energy throughout the book instead of slowing the pace down. It's well written and the plot is interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

"The Yorkshire Killings #2"
...

Set in Leeds in 1995, this is the second story to feature Sheila, middle-aged, a onetime journalist and now successful local television crime show presenter and Adrian, her much younger friend, recently come out to identify as gay with his family and friends, now pursuing his dream of a university education. An unlikely pair of amateur sleuths, who have become good friends, and who have so far been front and centre of their cases, having been personally involved in both. Whilst it might be a good idea to have read 'The Lollipop Man', the debut novel in the series, so that the central characters and their relationships are more familiar, enough background detail is provided in just the right places, to make 'The Devil's Smile' work perfectly fine as a stand alone story.

Before I began reading this gritty, murder thriller, I had to get straight in my own mind the policing methods and restrictions of the era, when e-fit pictures were in their infancy, mobile phones were relatively still few and far between and many crimes only came to light and were subsequently solved with the help of the public, following the several regular dedicated television series which aired at that time. Also, the gay scene in most cities was still conducted very clandestinely and behind closed doors, so the attitudes of the times were also suitably reflected in the well researched and authentic, narrative and dialogue, which flowed well between some short and well-signposted chapters.

Adrian is picked up by an older man in a local gay bar, who drugs him, then takes him to his own home, where he attacks him at knife-point. A terrified Adrian puts up a fight and is grateful when he realises that his straight flatmate and oldest friend Gav, is at home too! The attacker flees, but Adrian having heard that there has recently been a similar attack on a local young gay man who subsequently died, with the perpetrator still at large, soon discovers that there has been a much more organised series of attacks on young men from the gay community and realises that, in all conscience, he really should report the matter to the police, try and get some of his fellow gays to break cover too, whilst asking for help from his friend Sheila.

Meanwhile, Sheila works with a regular co-host called Tony, with whom she never seems to see eye to eye. However, when heavy drinker Tony suddenly goes missing, leaving Sheila to host the show alone, it becomes obvious that this is no regular 'bender' and that the police need to be involved. Sheila is left to front the show alone and then, when Tony's body is found and the details of his very murky life outside of the marital home and his workplace begin to emerge, it quickly becomes clear that her own life might also be in danger.

When Adrian plucks up the courage to contact Sheila and the police with the details of his attack and even manages to persuade a few of the other victims to come forward also, it looks to all intents and purposes, when certain evidence comes to light, that the two separate cases are in fact linked. However, this wouldn't be such a good mystery if there were not some excellent red herrings and twists and turns, thrown into the mix for good measure, so assume nothing!

The author certainly knows how to cultivate and develop a central core of characters, around which he builds a cracking good storyline, which challenges their relationships and leaves them stronger for the experience. It also calls into question then, as it still does today, the integrity of the police, from the lowest ranking officer right to those at the top of the ladder and how the institution closes ranks to protect the miscreants.

The action takes place in Leeds, in the north of the UK, not an area I am familiar with at all, although the relatively narrow theatre of action is described well enough that I can visualise the seedy underbelly of the 1990s culture. My journey as a confirmed 'armchair traveller' was therefore more than satisfactory.

Author Daniel Sellers also has another successful crime/mystery series under his belt, which I hope to be able to add to my reading list very soon. I have no hesitation in recommending his writing.

I wanted to love this book so much as I absolutely loved the lollipop man however I only enjoyed the beginning and end, the rest just seems to go really slowly.

The characters are lovable and I really liked that we caught up with Adrian and Sheila and how they were doing.

The plot was great, I really enjoyed it because I didn’t see where it was going it had loads of twists and turns but I did really enjoy it

Overall a good book but the pacing was a little off

his was a very enjoyable book with plenty for the reader to get their teeth into. Although I suppose to get the full picture, one needs to read the prequel “Lollipop Man” to understand what’s happening.

I think when time permits I will do just that.

The darker side of Leeds was a bit ominous, but then every city can be like that.

All in all, I enjoyed it but prefer his other series if I’m honest.

This was a very enjoyable book with plenty for the reader to get their teeth into. Although I suppose to get the full picture, one needs to read the prequel "Lollipop Man" to understand what's happening.
I think when time permits I will do just that.
The darker side of Leeds was a bit ominous, but then every city can be like that.
All in all, I enjoyed it but prefer his other series if I'm honest.
My thanks to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the arc.

This is a sequel of The Lollipop Man. Tony Tranter has vanished. Sheila is a journalist at the yorkshire press. Somehow the investigation draws a connection to the past. The two crimes might be connected. Sheila has written a book about murders and she has grown fondness for Adrian. Nothing is as it seems to be. The mystery was connected to the violent attacks on men. The unthinkable happens and turns everyone’s life upside down. The pace was even and twists kept me on the edge.

Thanks to the Publisher

This story is obviously 'Hargeaves and Brown ride again'. I hadn't read the first book but this one stands on its own okay. It was an easy read and the 90s setting was a nice change, a time when there fax machines, etc. Overall, I liked the story but I wouldn't read another.

1995 Leeds. Sheila Hargreaves is a joint TV host of Yorkshire CrimeTime with Tony Tranter and journalist at the Yorkshire Press. University student Adrian Brown is exploring the world of gay bars and is still traumatized by their experience with the Lollipop Man. Then Tony winds up murdered against the backdrop of violence against gays. Together they get involved in the investigation as things get more and more complex.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Allison & Busby via NetGalley.
Avail Aug 21, 2025
#TheDevilsSmile by @danielsellersauthor #TheYorkshireKillingsBk2 @AllisonandBusby #NetGalley #CrimeFiction #Yorkshire #NewsMedia #rainbowcrimes #violence #psychologicalthriller #knifecrime

I'm so glad I got to read the follow-up to "The Lollipop Man!" This novel delivers a gripping psychological thriller with a well-crafted sense of place and a unique retro setting. The relationships between the characters are fantastic, and I loved seeing them navigate another complex case. The only critique, if I look for one is the sheer amount of coincidences that pile up, but that's a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent read. Highly recommend!
Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher, for providing a free ARC. I'm happy to share my honest feedback.

4* Decent, if not the most nailbiting. Took me a while to get into it because of when it's set, 30 years ago.

I'm not sure if this is a standalone or the 2nd in a series, as the female lead and male character have history, but there's no backstory to be concerned with, just a not-bad tale where I didn't foresee the baddie that got revealed. Were they plausible? Yes. Did the tale have a feeling if danger? No, despite the opening that did pack a punch. That part of the tale wasn't the main arc of the storyline, and sadly, once the bad guy got caught, not enough got explained.

The other part of the tale was a bit slow amd steady, with a Miss Whiplash type of reveal that should've taken down more individuals than it did, and with a certain upstanding-but-too-uptight character deserving more page-time. It lacked excitement for me, perhaps because it wasn't a police procedural in the true sense. Still, it was very readable.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Allison amd Busby Limited for my reading pleasure.

1995.

Adrian's second year at Leeds University is the non-stop party you'd expect. But he's sobered up pretty quickly...

Meanwhile, following their encounter with the Lollipop Man, Sheila has written a book about it and has a new crim TV show to keep her occupied.

But when her co-presenter goes missing, and his body turns up with mulktiple stab wounds, the pair find themselves hunting another killer.

Another gread adventure - I hope this pair have many more

This is my second novel by this author and I was interested in the follow up to the previous novel, The Lollipop Man.

The plot is set from Thursday 12 October till Wednesday 8 November 1995. I enjoyed the descriptions in the book and had a sense of being back in 1995. The protagonist, Sheila Hargreaves, journalist and TV host with Yorkshire CrimeTime in Leeds, (like CrimeWatch). Sheila is an interesting character, likeable, eager and dogged in pursuit of the truth. Adrian Brown, 19 years old, gay, a student in his 2nd year at Leeds University. Adrian is damaged, naive and vulnerable. As the story continues, Adrian is getting more confident and I enjoyed his character’s development. I found myself rooting for Adrian throughout the plot.

Sheila’s co-host, Tony Tranter, a womanizer and alcoholic but despite this, he is liked by his media audience. Sheila does not like Tony but ‘puts up with him’ while doing her job. Tony does not turn up for the start of the programme, which is a usual occurrence, but no-one knows where he is, including his wife. The plot centres around attacks of gay men in Leeds and disappearance of Tony Tranter. Are the two connected?

When Tony turns up dead, murdered, Sheila and her friend, Jeanette Dinsdale, a journalist, set on finding the killer. Jeanette is a great character, funny, in your face and likeable. The writing style has lots of dialogue which is not a favourite for me. I had the same issue with the author’s last novel, The Lollipop Man but, again, did not stop me enjoying the books.

I would recommend. I give a 4 star rating.


THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND ALLISON & BUSBY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED READING COPY OF THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

I read this book as a standalone (haven't read book one), and on the whole I thought it held up well. I suspect I'd have cared more about the main characters if I'd read book one, though. As it was, I never fully clicked with either of them. It was also hard to tell how/why they related to one another.

The mystery plots were enjoyable, though as another reviewer noted, the level of coincidence was a bit high for suspension of disbelief. Overall, I enjoyed this and would be interested in reading book one if my library got it, but it wasn't something I'll be raving about.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I received a free copy of, The Devil's Smile, by Daniel Sellers, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book two in the Yorkshire Killings series. Adrian Brown is in his second year of university and he has another murder to solve, when his friend Sheila when her coworker goes missing. This was an intriguing read, fast paced.