I really wanted to like Let the Dead Speak as it's one of my favourite genres. But in truth I found the book quite hard going. It didn't seem to grab my attention as much as other authors do. Maybe I needed to read the earlier books in the series but this was the first one I'd read in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series and didn't overly enjoy it.

I've seen other reviewers give this four and five stars so it definitely appeals to people just sadly not me. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and the author for the chance to review.

This was the first Maeve Kerrigan crime novel that I had read, and I was impressed. In a crowded genre, it is difficult to find a new story line, but Jane Casey has achieved it. Of course, many of the traditional tropes do appear: the irascible, old school cop, Derwent, who has a surprising soft side when no-one is looking; the heroine cop, Kerrigan, putting herself in danger and nearly dying (twice!); newbie cop, Georgina, trying desperately to impress the old hands; suspicions falling on everybody in turn (neighbours, local bad boy, ex-husband, religious nutters …). But then come the differences. Firstly, Derwent seems to be the token male cop. Several other male cops get minor mentions, but are really just wallpaper. ALL the other cops – the ones in charge, the ones doing all the work, the ones making the breakthroughs – are strong female characters. Very refreshing! Secondly, there appears to have been a murder – but no body. No-one could lose so much blood and still be alive – so where did the body go? And whose body is it? Then there is Chloe, the daughter, who comes home to the blood-spattered house. Is she as mentally challenged as her mother has maintained, or is that just a ploy to get extra funding – at school, from her father, from relations – and extra sympathy from everyone, while keeping Chloe cloistered as a naïve child of eighteen. Conversely, could Chloe be the wily, manipulative perpetrator of the murder? Or are there two murderers? You do expect in a crime novel that appearances will be deceiving, but in this book, it is taken to new levels of deception and intrigue. At many stages, you think you have the mystery solved, you “know” who deserves sympathy and who doesn’t – and then another twist comes along. Few come out of this story guiltless – but, not until the end is the full extent of their guilt, and of their crimes, apparent. The crimes are not always those that could be tried in a court of law. Sometimes a lie, hypocrisy, denial, betrayal, or over-zealous religious fervour can have as devastating an effect as a stabbing. And yes, the body is eventually found – as well as some others for good measure. But not in the ways you might have guessed.
This is a fast-paced tale of ever-changing perceptions, with some excellently drawn characters, motives and scenarios. I can highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more novels in this series.

Let The Dead Speak proves that Jane Casey is at the top of her game. Recently I have added her to my list of top favourite crime writers, I always look forward to her books and I know with confidence that each one I read will be excellent. Before I even started reading, I knew that Let The Dead Speak was going to be a five star read.

In Let The Dead Speak, a young girl, Chloe Emery, has returned home to find a disturbing scene. Her mother is missing but there is a hell of a lot of blood and the detectives investigating this case believe that her mother has been murdered. Maeve is now a DS and is taking her promotion very much in her stride. There is also a new member to the team DC Georgia Shaw, I think she’ll be a good addition to the series and I always like it when writers introduce new characters, particularly in a crime series. I never get tired of reading Maeve and DI Josh Derewent’s conversations; this is where Jane Casey really excels in her dialogue skills.

The first thing I have to say is that I for one would not like to live on this street, there are some crazy neighbours and there is the one person that everyone points the finger at when everything goes wrong. Jane Casey has created a pool of suspects and I love the way how she intricately moves between their lives and picks them apart as the detectives strive to get to the truth.

Although I have read all of Jane Casey’s previous Maeve Kerrigan novels, her books can be read as standalones, so if you are new to the series, you won’t need to have read the previous books to catch up. But once you finish Let The Dead Speak, you’ll definitely want to know more about Maeve and catch up on her previous outings. Jane Casey grips the reader from page one and doesn’t let you go until you have turned the final page. Her writing is seriously addictive and it doesn’t take me long to finish her books.

An intelligently plotted and gripping crime thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to read.

I've never read anything by this author before, I absolutely loved this book and will be catching up on the other books in this series. I was gripped and there were lots of twists and turns along the way. It started off as a mystery was there a dead body or a murder if yes where was the body if no why so much blood. What do the neighbours know are they keeping secrets Maeve Kerrigan and her colleagues need to find out. I've since found out this is book 7 in the series I look forward to reading the other 6 and will be recommending this book to my book loving friends

I really devoured this book.. the characters all believable and the plot very interesting.

First of all I didn't realise the was the 7th book in a series 😱.. however in saying that it never stopped me thoroughly enjoying this book . Full of twists and turns to keep you guessing and only a half star knocked off because i haven't read the others . Fab 4.5 star read . Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my arc which I have chosen to review

This is my first book by Jane Casey and I will definitely be reading more .Let the Dead Speak was very gripping with plenty of twists and turns .I liked the good strong characters and the very clever plot .I also loved the twist at the end .

Let the Dead Speak is the seventh novel in the Detective Maeve Kerrigan series, however it can be read as a standalone book and is a competent, interesting crime mystery. A daughter returns to her West London home to find her mother missing and the house saturated with blood. The murder squad treat the scene as a murder but are confronted by multiple secrets that they must uncover. A fast paced read with believable characters and compelling story.

The seventh book in the Maeve Kerrigan detective series is another winner,although this is the seventh book in the series in my opinion it can be read as a stand alone novel.A superb thriller that starts with Chloe Emery returning home from her dads to find her mum Kate Emery missing and the house covered in blood.Newly promoted to sergeant, Kerrigan and her partner DI Derwent are brought onto the case.Suspicion soon falls on the family over the road the Norris's. whose daughter Bethany is best friends with Chloe,with Kate's body still missing more suspects come to light and more secrets and lies come tumbling out.A superb thriller with an ending i never saw coming and once again Jane Casey has come up with another winner in the Maeve Kerrigan series.Let the Dead Speak is a 5 star read.

This is the first Jane Casey and Maeve Kerrigan book which I have read and I am sure it will not be the last. I usually like to read a series in order, and in an ideal world I would, but starting with number 7 in the series did not diminish my enjoyment.
A blood splattered house without a body. Neighbours who seem to be one thing but are they for real? Broken and twisted family relationships. Police members whose relationship with each other have destructive undertones. What more can be said except to say that this is a finely plotted story with so many twists that I suspected everyone and discarded no-one.

This is the 7th Maeve Kerrigan book, (though it reads perfectly well as a stand-alone novel) and the newly promoted Detective Sergeant is still finding her feet in the new role. Added to which, D.C. Georgia Shaw, a rookie, has been assigned to her team and the two are not finding it easy to work together, not least because Kerrigan isn’t overly impressed with Shaw’s lack of skill in the job.

Adding the irrepressible and irascible D.I. Derwent to the mix creates a great set of characters to whom the reader can really relate. I love the Kerrigan/Derwent team – they sizzle and spar off each other like a pair of sausages on a barbecue , and the addition of Georgia Shaw just adds a slice of pepper to the fire.

Eighteen year old Chloe Emery has returned early from her father’s house to her home in Putney. The house is covered in blood and there’s no sign of Chloe’s mother, Kate, yet her passport, keys, handbag and other daily use items are still in the house. Her neighbour, Oliver Norris has given Chloe a lift from the station and calls the police as soon as he sees the state of the house.

For D.S. Kerrigan, this is a case that screams out to be treated as murder. Casey very much keeps the crimes in this book close to home. It is a story of love and lovers, faith and infidelity, family and the lengths they will go to in order to protect each other.

Chloe is looked after by the Norris family; she and the Norris’s daughter, Bethany are best friends. Chloe will hardly speak to Kerrigan and Bethany is very protective of Chloe.

Oliver and Eleanor Norris are Bethany’s parents and they also have Oliver’s brother, Morgan staying with them. None of these people are attractive characters and they set about pointing the finger of blame at another neighbour who lives just down the street.

So we have a murder investigation with no body and a cast of characters who are suspicious from the outset. But no-one is saying anything; these are people who have way too many secrets to hide.

And yet, the joy of this book is that it has a completely believable plot, realistically drawn characters, and a sense of ironic humour which gives the characters a great deal of depth and strength.

As the body count rises Kerrigan and Derwent seem to be no closer to the truth and Kerrigan is prepared to put herself in harm’s way to get the answers she so desperately seeks.

Casey excels at building her characterisation and her plot fairly hums with the sounds of twists and turns that are rich and ultimately very satisfying. Her writing is sharp and focussed and she plots really well.

Let the Dead Speak is not only a terrific police procedural, it is also a highly enjoyable, gripping and sometimes emotional read.

The ending is not predictable (always a plus) and I really enjoyed it.

I would definitely recommend this book. It was a great page turner from the getgo until the end. Got you involved very easily and was a great read. The twist at the end I did not see coming and I usually can guess endings.

When Chloe Emery returns home unexpected from her fathers house she finds home is disarray and her mother nowhere to be found. On close inspection the 'mud' she thought was smeared everywhere was in fact blood, Chloe can't find her mother and when the police arrive she insists she doesn't want to go to her fathers to stay and is sent to stay at a neighbours. The police arrive in the form of DI Josh Derwent and DS Maeve Kerrigan who seem to have a good working relationship that is peppered with the occasional antagonism. This is a really good and complex plot and I loved the dynamics between the officers,I found myself thinking I had worked out the ending only to be sent in another direction several times. I really enjoyed the book hence the 5* rating
Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of the book.

Fantastic installment of the maeve Kerrigan series. Read in one sitting. Intricate twisting plots.
Maeve has been promoted but is back working with Josh Derwent. She stumbles across a web of lies and deceit and is under pressure to work it all out.
Fab characters and a highly recommended read.

This is the first time I've come across Jane Casey - and what a pleasant surprise it was. There are too many poor quality novels woven around a dodgy police procedural plotline with, inevitably, police officers drawn from a disappointingly narrow range of character cliches. DS Kerrigan could easily have fallen into this trap, but Jane rescues her with some interesting flashes that provide teasing glimpses of a much more rounded character - vulnerable, for sure, but with some of the necessary inner strength needed to survive in what is always a tough environment. There is scope for considerable character development here and I hope to see more cases involving Kerrigan and some of the other well-drawn police officers. Some readers may be offended by the inclusion of sexual activities involving central and minor characters, but this always stays on the right side of sex for sex's sake plot teasers. A good read, with a gentle twist in the tail...

I really enjoyed this, though it turns out it's a series with the same female police detective lead, so I can go back and catch up. That being said, I didn't feel I was missing essential information; the book stands alone but does refer to past events, so it will be interesting to find out what went on before I met the central characters.
The plotting was tight and I liked the writing style; the author knows how to spin a yarn and I didn't see the twist coming. Lots of nicely dislikeable villains here and interesting police dynamics too. If you like crime fiction, especially with strong female protagonists, this is well worth a try.

Let the Dead Speak is actually the seventh Maeve Kerrigan book, and true to form the first I have read. Thankfully it mostly works well as a stand alone book but I did feel I would have benefitted from knowing more about the history of Maeve and her fellow officers, particularly Josh Derwent, so if possible I would recommend reading the books in order if you can. However, this is still a fantastically gripping novel and has persuaded me to read the rest of the series.
The mystery itself rests on the copious amount of blood discovered by Chloe Emery in her home. The police quickly determine that this much blood loss has to mean a murder, and yet there is no body. Chloe's mum, Kate is missing so is she the victim and how are the police going to investigate when it seems that everybody they speak to is holding something back? Let the Dead Speak is a terrific police procedural for anybody who enjoys a thriller with a compelling mystery. It combines a strong plot with complex and well-drawn characters - the investigators and those under suspicion. Although the story has an intriguing premise it is this sharp characterisation that for me really made the story. The intricacies of the various relationships in the book give it a real heart. Some of the characters are immensely unlikeable but nevertheless still interesting, and even those who are more sympathetic are still flawed and multidimensional. Some of my suspicions were realised but part of the fun of reading a thriller is being proven right and there were still plenty of twists I was surprised by. I'm delighted to have been introduced to Maeve Kerrigan and knowing I now have six more books featuring her is an extra treat.
Many thanks to the publishers, Harper Collins UK for my advance copy received from Netgalley in return for this review.

An interesting twist on the usual murder novels. The plot moves along at a pace and although I have not read any other books in this series it did not detract from the book itself.

This a fast paced and gripping crime thriller. I was hooked from page one. It held my attention right to the end. The characters are very well drawn and believable and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I strongly recommend it.

Even though this is the seventh novel in the series, it is my first Jane Casey book – which I enjoyed thoroughly. In fact I went back to download, one by one, the other six books!

The story grabs you immediately and the twists and secrets keep you engaged, going at a good pace, whilst feeling plausible and believable throughout.
I would definitely recommend.