Sheer addictive entertainment - great characters from victims to perpetrators - a comprehensive psychological depth to all - from the scheming mother trying to look out for her child, to the complexities of abuse of women which is a definite sub theme of this book with its outspoken, brave female detective - giving her new second a chance to figure it out in a wholly male world. We are all exploring police ethos these days and this is a good insight with a great story of who did it. It's more than one perpetrator involved here and not all what it seems to be. Jane Casey is someone I'm pleased to be introduced to and will follow up on - terrific reading, top flight police procedural which is far more than the run-of-the-mill genre piece.

Brilliant book cover but i really struggled with it, blurb sounded great but just wasn't for me unfortunately.

Thank you very much to netgalley for sending me an advance copy of let the dead speak in exchange for an honest review.
I have read all of Jane caseys books to date and I love everyone of them her style of writing draws you in straightaway. I love the maeve Kerrigan books and though the wait seemed to take forever for this book it was well worth waiting for. The story revolves around Kate Emery whose daughter is staying at her dads house for a few days but cuts her visit short to go home to her mother but when she gets there there is blood smeared on the walls etc and though her mother couldn't possibly survive such blood loss her body is missing. It turns into a murder investigation with numerous suspects and maeve Kerrigan who's now a sergeant encounters numerous dead ends. This book will keep you gripped until the very end.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

This is the first book that I have read which is written by Jane Casey. I will start by saying that it will not be the last.

I don't like it when I see that I have chosen to read number seven in a series featuring the same detective. It usually means that I've missed something significant from earlier books.

In this case I felt that the story stands out on its own merits.

I liked the way the characters were introduced and developed.
I liked the pace of the story and the way different characters came into the cross-hairs as possible suspects.

Right to the end I was not certain who was responsible for the crime(s).

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for a copy in exchange for this review.

I received a copy of this from net galley - thank you - in return for an honest review.

I came to this book unaware that there were 6 previous titles in the series. I am going to seek these books out now, but not having read them in no way hindered my enjoyment of this book.

Maeve was a terrific character; really down to earth and believable. Some of her dry comments really made me laugh. She seems to have a complex relationship with her partner, Derwent, again, this was so "real" for want of a better word. In crime fiction, I have rarely come across such realistic, likeable characters. The office politics are believable and the dynamic between the investigation team strikes a very genuine tone and Maeve's relationship with the newest recruit in particular added an interesting depth to the novel.

The suspense in the novel builds, as clues are discovered and secrets revealed. It all goes to show that you never know what goes on behind closed doors. There are some great twists and turns, and a really interesting dynamic explored within more than one family.

Very difficult to put the book down and I raced through it.

Loved this book and couldn't put it down, a murder scene with no body, dissappearing girls, many suspect people. Kerrigan has her work cut out getting to the bottom of it with her colleagues, one she doesn't take to one she has great banter with so we get to see there characters as the story unravels. A book that definitely drags you in from page one and keeps you there right until the last page

This is the first book I've read by Jane Casey and I've dropped into the middle of a series featuring a number of regular characters. From that point of view, this story works well as a standalone, but I feel I'd have a better sense of the central police personnel and the nuances of their interactions if I knew more about their back story. That said, I really enjoyed the complexity of this book, a thrilling and well written police procedural.

Chloe, an eighteen year old with some difficulties, returns home early from a few days away with her father. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her mother. A neighbour offers her a lift home from the station and there's an immediate sense of potential danger to a vulnerable young woman. When she goes into her home, she's faced with a bloodbath scene and no mother. Secrets and lies soon start to unfold as the police investigation gets underway and the plotting is tight and often intense.

The potential suspects soon mount up and it seems everyone has something to hide. Set in south London, I felt a strong sense of location. I also enjoyed the banter at scene between the various investigators; dark humour and some lack of political correctness made the dialogue interesting as they worked through the clues. I found the plotting intriguing and it's a story well told. I whizzed through it in a couple of sittings and I certainly enjoyed it well enough to be keen to read the earlier books in the series.

My thanks to the publisher for an advance review copy via Netgalley.

Let the Dead Speak by Jane Casey

This is the latest book in the Maeve Kerrigan series and like all the others it does not fail to please.

Detective Maeve Kerrigan newly promoted and mourning the loss of her relationship with her cheating boyfriend is called upon to lead her team in investigating Chloe Emery’s mother who is missing – her house empty but covered in blood. Has she been murdered; where is the body? The investigation introduces us to the neighbours and their behaviour, who can be trusted, who is honest, and who is lying?

As in most crime novels, the police are under enormous pressure; from the media; from the senior officers; from the general public. Maeve is led by Josh Derwent and theirs is a strange relationship. She is keen to prove worthy of her promotion and at the same time she is irritated by a new member of her team who she does not really trust – is this just paranoia.

I was so happy to read this book and welcomed my reintroduction to Maeve and Derwent. Casey’s characterisations are a joy. How could you not love Maeve who is struggling with lack of sleep and concerns about her ‘new’ tidier image and whether further crimes will be committed on her watch. How could you not fail to admire Derwent, a maverick (don’t do as I do…)? Her portrayal of the different neighbours illustrates Casey’s manipulation of the readers’ expectations. How can you not find the Norrises a bit weird; how can you not worry and ache for Chloe?

I cannot recommend this highly enough. The worst bit of the book? The end – I just wanted to carry on reading it. A very satisfying tale with a well-structured plot and incredible characterisation. If you have not met Maeve Kerrigan before I urge you to remedy this as soon as possible, you will not regret it.

NetGalley supplied this book via Kindle in return for an honest review.

Let the Dead Speak sounded like a book I would really enjoy in the blurb' but sadly it didn't quite live up to premise.
A good murder mystery to me needs good twists and turns and needs to be unpredictable - sadly not the case here as I guessed a lot of the story. Also it helps to like the investigating team - I didn't, I don't know if it's because I haven't read any previous books but I couldn't connect with Kerrigan. I have read many a detective novel without this being an issue but sadly it was with this one. Even more disappointedly I didn't much care for the 'victim' for the first two thirds either.

I hate to leave a negative review and I've given it three stars as it it was entertaining read and I did read through til the end.

Having read all of Jane Caseys books I was looking forward to this and it did not disappoint. This is an absolute stormer- intelligent, sharp, suspenseful writing that meant I devoured the whole thing in one sitting. I love Maeve, I love Derwent and in this installment I started to love Una as well. More please!

Oh dear me where to start with this one!
I am a parent of a child with ADHD and this is possibly one of the most inaccurate & possibly worst portrayals of the condition I have ever seen in a novel.
It is also insensitive that in 2017 the author couldn't research the condition and meet some parents. it could have made the novel amazing!

Chloe Emery is the character in question. The daughter of the alleged murder victim Kate Emery.
1) straight into the other characters becoming aware of the diagnoses. We are given everyone's negative opinions on the condition. 'doesn't do as she's told' 'has limitation' 'is like a child and not all there'
these are never countered with positive acceptance or understanding. The police officers involved don't even realise that as she has a condition she is classed as a vulnerable person until 25 and entitled to support from organisations or medical staff etc. My best friend is a Met police officer on murder squad and when she recently dealt with an autistic teenager who had committed a murder support was organised as soon as they realised he had a mental health problem.
2) secondly the police leave her with borderline creepy neighbours who openly admit that she is not really known to them. They make no attempt to contact the father, as she is alone and unable to re-enter the property. Also knowing she has anxiety issues it is highly unlikely she would agree to stay in this environment at all. ADHD's need lots of support around new people and places.
3) We have been told she suffers from ADHD and anxiety and she's 'not all there' she has 'limitations' yet somehow she can navigate London's public transport system. coming from her dads to her mums? highly unlikely without a carer or supporting person. even at 18! Also nobody questions this in the novel?
4) The mention of the usage of Ritalin, is also incorrect. Ritalin is no longer given in 2017, we have better adapted meds now. Ritalin is a brand name not a medication name. The medication itself exists as doe's Ritalin. But the only people still on Ritalin in 2017 would be those who were given it in the 1990's and for whom it has worked. That would make them approximately my age now (in their 30s). Ritalin has been phased out due to its addictive nature and that it goes in and dissolves rapidly. Nowadays medication like Concerta is given as within it, it has a slow releasing agent. this making it more effective for longer and better for the user. Equasym or medikinet are other examples. But Ritalin has been massively phased out and I found it's mention in the novel shows that it has been poorly researched.
5) I felt the above 4 issues could have been easily adapted to sound plausible but so many errors at just 27% in reflects to me that this novel is not for me.
The storyline itself was gripping and the neighbour Mr Norris with his odd behaviours kept me trying to figure out his agenda. But I can't continue to read a novel where ADHD is described so poorly. I also worry it may cause people to believe this is reflective of true ADHD.
I wish the author every success with her release. but due to the above reasons, I will not be promoting it on my blog or social media feeds.

I would like to thank HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Let The Dead Speak by Jane Casey in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Teenager Chloe Emery has been staying with her divorced father and leaves for home unexpectedly. She receives a lift from the station from her neighbour, Oliver Norris, and on opening her front door they find the place covered in blood.
DS Maeve Kerrigan arrives to investigate accompanied by DI Josh Derwent and DC Georgia Shaw and their initial problem is that although there’s a lot of blood from Chloe’s mother Kate, there’s no body.
‘Let The Dead Speak’ is the seventh in the Maeve Kerrigan series and although it would have helped if I’d read the earlier books in the series to be able to work out the relationship between Maeve and Josh Derwent, nevertheless I found the book to have sufficient detail to be read alone.
I thought this crime thriller was entertaining with a good storyline and believable characters. There were a lot of twists and turns especially in the final pages, and the ending surprised me as it was not what I was expecting.

A police storyline with complex characters that do not show their true selves until the end. I enjoyed this book and would like to think it is the first of a series involving DS Maeve Kerrigan and team. Murder, emotions and all other reasons people use to commit crimes are in the storyline of this book together with characters good and bad.. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read.

There is no body, but Detective Maeve Kerrigan is sure a murder has taken place. Chloe Emery returns home to find her mother, Kate, missing and blood all over the house, too much blood for a simple accident. Because there is no body, Maeve and fellow detective Josh Derwent look at the people closest to Kate, beginning with her neighbors. They’re a strange lot, the Norrises act holier than thou, but their teenage daughter is obviously hiding something, could it be murder? Then there’s neighborhood criminal William Turner, who was once accused of stabbing a school friend and who now is the go to person any time something bad happens in the neighborhood. Maeve will have to tease through many layers of lies, secrets and neighborhood gossip to discover what really happened to Kate. Casey is one of my favorite British crime writers, her stories are always exciting without being gory, with intricate mysteries and well drawn characters

A really enthralling read, such realistic characters, and I could never have guessed the ending.
Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an advance copy of Let The Dead Speak, the seventh police procedural to feature Maeve Kerrigan.

18 year old Chloe Emery returns home to find blood all over the house and her mother, Kate, missing. Chloe is a bit slow so it is her neighbour, Oliver Norris, who calls the police and takes Chloe in. Although there is no body the amount of blood suggests foul play and the police launch a murder enquiry. Who would believe a suburban street in Putney could hide so many secrets?

It has been a few years since I read a novel in this series so it was like starting fresh and I can assure new readers that it works well as a stand alone with a clever plot and some interesting characters.

The plot has plenty of twists and turns with 2 very big twists, one of which I guessed almost immediately and then spent chapters wondering why the police were so slow to pick up on it, the second I didn't guess at all. Otherwise the team spend their time picking apart the lives of Kate and her neighbours, none of whom turn out to be pleasant individuals.

I like Maeve and the team. Her love/hate relationship with her immediate boss, Josh Derwent, is prickly and adds a bit of spice to the narrative. It is unusual to see a working relationship where home truths are the order of the day. I also liked newly promoted to sergeant Maeve's ambivalent attitude to newest team member DC Georgia Shaw, a shiny with an attitude problem. I think I'd have done a bit more than tell her that respect has to earned!

Let The Dead Speak with its fairly intricate plotting and sparky inter-personal dialogue is a good read and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Chloe is arriving home earlier than planned from a visit to her dads. When she gets home she doesn't find her mom Kate but an awful lot of blood.

May contain mild spoilers.

This is book seven to feature Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent. I have to say that they are my favourite crime solving duo. As always I'd say to read the series from the beginning. This is so that the reader can get to know both Maeve and Josh and see how their relationship is. They come across as if they really don't like each other but there are undercurrents there. For me I would like to see perhaps a kiss or even a bit more. Would this work out. Only Jane Casey, Maeve and Josh know the answers.

The plot was quite engaging. As always there is plenty going on with lots of twists turns and then twists again. I always the books this series as it progresses I think it gets better.

There isn't really anything I didn't like about this book as I always enjoy them which I do think is down to the two brilliant main characters.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the chance to read and review the book.

This is another good instalment in a fine series. I find Casey's writing compulsive; her prose is unflashy and very readable, but she can create a fine sense of suspense and her plotting is extremely skilful. Maeve and the other characters Casey creates are generally very believable, too and the whole adds up to a gripping narrative.

This time the team are confronted with a bloodstained house and a young woman whose mother is missing, so it's not even clear whether a murder has been committed. The plot develops well, with surprises but no ridiculously implausible "twists," and it's a very engrossing and satisfying read.

This can be read as a stand-alone book, but it's probably best if you have read at least some of the previous Maeve Kerrigan novels. Either way, I can recommend this to both newcomers and old fans. You won't be disappointed.

I enjoyed the book, it was well written and got into the characters immediately.

An 18-year-old arrives home to find blood everywhere and her mum is missing. Is it murder? Maeve and Derwent - great name - have as conundrum on their hands. The subject matter isn't nice of course but with humour and sarcasm thrown in this becomes a lively tale of whodunit and how. What with a twist here and there and the odd controversial comment I found Let the dead speak thoroughly absorbing. Well done, Jane.