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.

This is the follow-up to The Lollipop Man, a novel which I enjoy. It’s October 1995 and the location is Leeds where we follow the progress and investigations of renowned TV host of Yorkshire. CrimeTime and journalist at the Yorkshire Press, Sheila Hargreaves and university student Adrian Brown. Sheila‘s co- host Tony Tranter, with whom she has a rocky relationship, has gone missing. Meanwhile, Adrian is struggling with the events of the Lollipop Man investigation and is also finding navigating the gay scene a difficult experience. A violent encounter following a night out understandably totally shakes him up. Could there be a link to the murder of 21 year old Craig Salter and other attacks on gay men?

A bit like my experience with the start of the previous novel, I’m a bit bamboozled and confused at the start as there’s so much to take in. However, once the scenes are set, it becomes easier to follow the dark storyline. There are shocks in store, not just for Sheila, but for Adrian too. There are a few lulls in the storytelling, there’s a lot of dialogue but the storyline is gritty and chilling and I like how the darker side of the city of Leeds is used in the plot. The 90s timeline is a good one too and you get a real sense of the period of time. The central characters are likeable as are some of the secondary ones but there are a lot of characters to get your head around and some are undeveloped as a consequence.

Overall, it’s a decent thriller but I’m not sure I’ll wish to continue with the series.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Allison and Busby for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the eARC.
After the first book in the series, The Lollipop Man, I was excited for the second one, It was great to be back in Adrian's and Sheila's world, they are such likeable characters.
Sheila is co-hosting a real-life tv show with Tony, who she dislikes.: he's frequently late, full.of himself and probably an alcoholic.
Adrian, still anxious after his ordeal in The Lollipop Man, has another setback after he's attacked by a stranger; he's even afraid to leave the house.
When Tony goes missing and is subsequently found murdered, a lot of salacious rumours come out about his private life, but the police are strangely reluctant to delve into that, not willing to consider it relevant.
This is another great read, I loved it and couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next one!

The Devil's Smile is the second in a series set in mid nineties Leeds. It involves the same lead characters, local tv presenter Sheila Hargreaves and student Adrian Brown. For the second time, the pair are drawn into the hunt for a killer.

Adrian is drugged and assaulted by a man who he meets in a gay club, but survives. He finds out he is not the first victim and eventually goes to the police. Meanwhile Sheila's colleague Tony Tranter goes missing, and his body is found in a deserted area. The two cases, of course, become linked. Both Sheila and Adrian investigate, working with, and occasionally around, the police.

Overall, this is a decent thriller, although the core plot relies on too many coincidences. The sense of place is good, and the retro setting gives it a little of a different feel. The links between the two main characters established in the first novel give them a relationship, but both again being involved in a series of murders is a little hard to believe.

I dived right into this as soon as I finished reading the first in this series, The Lollipop Man. I was curious as to where Adrian and Sheila were in their lives and how they had developed and I wasn't disappointed. This is the second in the series and I do think you need to have read the first to understand the back story of Adrian in particular but you might just get away with it as the author does provide some history.

The book takes place in Yorkshire in the 1990's and has a real eclectic set of characters which works really well. There a two story lines, each of which were equally as intriguing as each other and kept me guessing as to whether they were related or not. It is well paced and kept me reading to the end.

A good psychological thriller that I would recommend and thanks to the author, Allison and Busby and NetGalley for enabling me to read this, the second in a developing series.

After the attack from the Lollipop Man, Adrian and Sheila have both moved on with their lives - Adrian is now at university in Leeds, while Sheila is co-hosting a crime reconstruction programme. But when Adrian is drugged and almost attacked in his own home, and Sheila's co-host disappears - their lives intertwine once more. Both of them will need to use all of their investigative talents to ensure that they aren't the next body found.

This is a very confident second book in the series - the characters who return from the first book feel much more fleshed-out and the story is a lot more engaging. 5*.

The Devil's Smile is the second novel in the Yorkshire Killings series by Daniel Sellers. Just like the previous novel, (The Lollipop Man), The Devil's Smile is a dark and disturbing but brilliant story, set in the mid-1990s. And concerns a a number of violent attacks on gay men and also the high profile murder of a TV presenter.
Adrian and Sheila both return and once again are thrust into the middle of the mysteries.
I really enjoyed this novel, and, there are several intersecting storylines that add to the overall intrigue and elevate this novel above the usual murder mystery. The characters are believable and written to be compelling and sympathetic. And is a great addition to this strong series.

The Devil’s Smile is the second book in the Yorkshire Killings series by Daniel Sellers and whilst it built on the promise of the first one I felt that it was just a little bit too obvious in places which slightly reduced my enjoyment.

Overall though it was a good read.

The Devil’s Smile is the follow up novel to The Lollipop Man and is also set in 1990’s Leeds, featuring the sleuthing efforts of local legend TV presenter Sheila Hargreaves and Adrian Brown, a second year university student that got caught up with a serial killer in the previous book and who looks like he may have struck unlucky again.

The characters are great, the evocation of the 1990s is great and the plot line is also brilliant. I couldn’t wait to find out what had happened to the sleazy TV host Tony Tranter and to find out whether he was an innocent victim or if he had it coming.

A recommended read for lovers of crime fiction.

The Devil’s Smile is a moody, immersive crime thriller that captures the dark side of 1990s Leeds with raw energy and a clever dual narrative. The story reconnects readers with Adrian Brown, now in his second year at university and still reeling from past trauma. His nightlife is all neon and noise until a violent encounter forces him to face a much darker reality.

At the same time, Sheila Hargreaves—true crime writer and reluctant celebrity after her success with the Lollipop Man case—is back in the spotlight with her new TV show, Yorkshire Crimetime. But her co-host Tony Tranter’s sudden disappearance, followed by his grisly murder, throws her straight into another chilling mystery.

Sellers weaves together the threads of Adrian’s vulnerability and Sheila’s determination with impressive tension. Their bond, born of earlier horrors, deepens here in a way that feels authentic. The contrast between grim back alleys and the bright, performative world of television creates a compelling backdrop for the unfolding investigation.

The book doesn't shy away from difficult themes, particularly gender-based violence and exploitation, but handles them with sensitivity. The atmosphere is perfectly gritty, the pacing brisk without ever feeling rushed, and the mystery keeps you guessing with every turn.

The Devil’s Smile is a strong, character-driven thriller with an emotional core. Daniel Sellers continues to prove himself as a confident voice in British crime fiction. A gripping and thoughtful read, especially for fans of dark psychological crime with a sense of place and purpose.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Adrian and Shiela are reunited in the 90s in this second installment by Daniel Sellers.

A greaty follow up to the first book which I raced through.

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc.

4 stars

Thanks to Daniel and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Devil’s Smile prior to the publication date.
This is a follow on from The Lollipop Man but it can be read as a standalone book.
It is an easy read about the difficult subject of abuse of power, but it is worthwhile remembering that this takes place in 1995.

Sheila Hargreaves is co-host with Tony Tranter on the Yorkshire CrimeTime program.
Whilst Tony is adored by the audiences, he is a nightmare to work with. His close friendship with Frank Crossland, the Station Controller and Executive Producer, means that any complaints about Tony’s behaviour are brushed over.
When Tony goes missing, information about his alleged activities starts to surface.
Meanwhile Adrian Brown’s experience of first love and the gay scene leads to unexpected violence.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was excited to read the new book and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. An absolute thrill of a ride, just like the previous book. A great collection of characters that are so very different but gel extremely well together. A thrilling story that never let me stop to catch my breath, it was so fast paced and I love that about a book. You will definitely need to read the first book in the series in order to enjoy this story to its fullest potential. I really hope that there will be another book in this series as it is so good. Highly recommend. 5 stars

Adrian Brown is a broken man who visits nightclubs frequented by other gay men. One night, he is drugged, driven home and nearly murdered by an assailant who preys on vulnerable men. TV personality Sheila Hargreaves is cohost of a popular true crime series. Her co-presenter Tony Tranter, a womanizing alcoholic, is unreliable and misses an evening broadcast. Later his body is found. He’s been stabbed to death. Now Adam and Sheila’s lives collide. Both are waiting to be a crucial witnesses in the trial of a notorious killer. Both know men who have been viciously attacked and murdered. Could the same person be responsible for the attacks? With Adrian’s help, Sheila, a reporter and a police detective work to unravel a complicated case involving corruption, assault and deception.

The Devil’s Smile, an excellent police procedural by Daniel Sellers, has well described characters, especially Adam, Sheila, Jeanette and Nikki. This thriller offers a compelling contrast between the gritty world of dark nightclubs and the polished, high-pressure environment of TV broadcasting. I look forward to the next in this series!. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison & Busby and Daniel Sellers for this ARC.