Perfect Remains is basically a totally addictive utterly gripping one sitting read. It is brutal though, be warned, some of the descriptions made me peek out suspiciously from behind a cushion, a bit like when I pretend I'm brave enough to fully embrace those horror movies...

One thing I really liked about this one is that its not a traditional whodunnit or even really whydunnit its more about the psychology of the crime, in its investigative elements that trend continues, those out to solve the case are put under the microscope just as much. As the start to a new series it was done very well, I was intrigued and engaged by both Luc and Ava, especially in relation to their growing relationship, it is obvious that Helen Fields is not going to pull any punches and I shall certainly be reading on when the next one is out.

The writing is riveting and clever, drawing you in, the level of suspense is brilliantly done, ramping things up as we go, keeping that sharp, knifes edge feeling about proceedings throughout then throwing us into a heart stopping and ruthless conclusion.

Overall I really enjoyed it - if you like your crime fiction vicious yet human, razor sharp and captivating, then Perfect Remains is probably for you.

Recommended.

The outline blurb of this book looked interesting. Police from Edinburgh are investigating the discovery of a burnt body in the Cairngorms. This may relate to a missing person enquiry in the city. Luc Callanach is in charge. He is part Scottish and part French and has only just started working in Edinburgh. He is a Detective Inspector. It's one of those stories where we know who the murderer is very early on. The question is how many murders has he committed and how many more will there be.

Initially I found the story slightly unappealing. The way Luc deals with his team (and they with him) felt awkward and wrong to some degree. There is fairly extreme violence in this book too - beyond what I would probably like. It was tagged as "fans of M J Arlidge will be gripped". I am one, I wasn't and this didn't not feel anything like Arlidge's writing to start with. However the story did draw me in fairly quickly and quite easily.

As I read more the writing felt better and the characters started to develop quite nicely. As we gradually find out more about Luc - he has a "past" - I grew to like him. I also liked his fellow DI, Ava Turner, almost from the start. Indeed I found the case she was working on a better story that the one about the murders initially.

Warming to the story I realised that, although violent, the murderer, Dr King, was a very well drawn character. His planning most of the time is meticulous and makes for a good story. By the time I was halfway through I really was reluctant to put this book down. The tension mounts and I certainly found the ending satisfactory.

In the end I did enjoy reading this even though it was a bit violent. It was well paced and populated with good characters. I'd certainly like to read the next Luc Callanach story.

I loved the story. It was brutal and exciting. I hated Callanach. He just irritated me from the very beginning. So if he was supposed to be a pain in the arse then he was brilliantly written, if not then whoops. But Callanach aside the story had me hooked and I loved the chapters that were written from the killers point of view.

A brilliant debut novel from a very talented author. Well developed, complex characters combine perfectly with a dark, fast paced plot line to create a seriously good read.
Already looking forward to book two.

My first read of 2017 Perfect Remains has set the Bar high! From page 1 there was so much going on. Never a dull moment with 2 cases featured throughout the Book will leave you breathless. The main Characters were strong and have become firm favourites for me. The twists....I never saw coming! The turns came at me out of the blue! The outcome just left me wanting more! This was one of those books that I never wanted to finish as I was so stuck into it. Callanach is a,sometimes too direct but very likeable Character who blends in well with everyone else. This is one of those.....Draw the blinds, take the phone off the hook Books! Miss Perfect Remains at your Peril! A Huge hit for 2017 without a doubt!

I am absolutely delighted to say that Perfect Remains is the start of a brand new series of books featuring Detectives Ava Turner and Luc Callanach.

Lucky, lucky us.

This is terrific, the central characters are great and the plot is fabulous. Callanach is introduced with a backstory that explains his sudden mysterious move to Edinburgh from working with Interpol in France. And it's enough of a backstory that it brings out that inner need to make him better! He is, in my mind's eye, as devilishly handsome as he's given credit for in the book and this, coupled with his determination and desperation to seek justice, makes him a winning combination. This is even before I mention the blossoming relationship with Ava Turner, who is as badass and feisty a character as you could ever wish her to be. I'm convinced that this is going to be as great a literary partnership as my utter favourite thriller/crime writers bless me with. I am so excited to have another author to add to my NEED TO READ list.

I was thrilled that Helen Fields chose to let us see who the murderer was from the beginning. It made such a pleasant change from the whodunit element that obviously and naturally features so heavily in crime fiction. I did do a bit of a double-take at first though as I wondered just how successfully it was going to play out. Very, is the answer.

The fact that I knew who it was made the events all the more chilling. He (and yes it is a he) is utterly psychotic in his justification and execution of his crimes. And the fact that we see him carrying on his usual daily routine whilst committing all these atrocities add to the sense of unease in the pit of the stomach. I was desperately rooting for the victims; willing them to somehow survive the fate they were destined for. I grew very fond of all of them in truthfulness, even those of whom we knew very little, so brilliantly were they written.

I love, love, LOVE Perfect Remains - I honestly couldn't bear to put it down such was my attachment to it. It's going to have you hooked from the first page right through to the gruesome end. I cannot recommend it highly enough; long may Callanach and Turner reign! Terrific.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Perfect Remains, a police procedural set in Edinburgh featuring DI Luc Callenach.

Luc Callanach, recently transferred from Interpol in Lyon to Edinburgh, is called out to a burned body in Braemar. This is well off his "patch" but the body is believed to be Elaine Buxton, a successful lawyer who was last seen in Edinburgh so he and his team go to investigate. With the body identified as Elaine the hunt is on. The reader, however, knows right from the start that it isn't her as she is imprisoned in a secret room in Reginald King's home.

I should state from the start that I'm not fond of novels which run parallel narratives from the police and perpetrator's points of view as I prefer a straightforward hunt. Sometimes it works but in this case I don't think Reginald Hill is interesting enough to carry the narrative. He is a violent, narcissist who wants attention from strong, capable women and is devious enough to get it by force but his motives are not explored deeply.

Luc Callanach, on the other hand, is an interesting character and I would be interested to see where the author takes him. Half French, half Scottish he left Interpol under a cloud and is trying to make a fresh start. What that cloud is is revealed in the course of the novel but the backlash from it (no spoilers) is, frankly, unbelievable. Initially boorish and rude, he develops into a likeable character through his friendship with DI Ava Turner. They are both smart and intuitive.

The plot has a clever premise - throwaway (to the mind of Reginald King) bodies substituted for his worthy companions in such a way as to fool the police - but I'm not sure how realistic it is. There are also a few unlikely coincidences. I could forgive all this, it is fiction after all, but somehow the first half of the book dragged and seemed to take ages to get through. It picked up in the second half with a few tense passages.

I think Perfect Remains is an interesting start to a potential series. It has a few teething problems like most debut novels, but I will read any sequel to see how both the author and the characters develop. I think 3.5* is a fair assessment.

4.5 stars. Totally loved this book. Quite gruesome in places but a really fascinating story especially knowing the villain from the beginning. Loved Luc and Availability and looking forward to learning more about them in Perfect Prey.

Deep in the mountains of the highlands Elaine Buxton’s body is on fire. She will only be able to be identified by her teeth and the clothing that she wore. Otherwise the successful lawyer has literally disappeared. DI Luc Callanach has recently left a successful career in INTERPOL to start a new job in Scotland. He’s eager to prove himself but finds little information about Elaine or her killer. Then another successful woman is taken and Luc is fighting against the clock to save her life. There is a bizarre twist in this book that will absolutely shock readers. Highly recommendedEdit