Tastes Like Fear (D.I. Marnie Rome 3)

The following is a copy of my review as posted.

So, we come to book three of the DI Marnie Rome series and this one does not fail to entertain.

From the blurb we know that there is a character called Harm and that children are going missing. I'm mindful of plot spoilers so won't delve too deeply there, but what follows is an engaging and excellently plotted tale that doesn't need to be devoured. Not in my opinion, anyways! I might be wrong here but having read the previous two novels and now this one, I've come away thinking that each book seems to take on a slightly different approach, which I think is really clever. No two books feels like it's the same writing style. Book one was a terrific debut showcasing the main characters, book two was a punchy, rollercoaster of a ride that was fast and furious, especially the second half. And this book has a different feel again. Here, for me, the absolute strength was the way layer upon layer was laid out for the reader to explore. There were no hard edges, no cliches, just soft, wonderfully indepth character driven storytelling that can be enjoyed at a steady pace without losing any thread or semblance of what's going on. Ms Hilary has a great talent for capturing the ordinary perfectly. Nuances that are taken for granted or rarely observed are brought to the fore and subtly weaved in. Whether it be place descriptiveness or character insight it's all done with a resonance that feels realistic and not gushy or over the top. That in itself is a winner for me.

As always the plot is woven in ways that keep the reader guessing and whilst in previous books I had an idea where things were going ..... here I really didn't. I mean..... I suspected everyone ..... and came away totally kicking myself for not seeing it. I've said before how I love the main players, namely Marnie and Noah and nothing much changes for me here. They're still great characters and following their storyline is compelling. I'm especially keen to find out more about Marnie's relationship with her brother and am hoping that this aspect will be delved into a lot more in future books... well, I can ask!!

Tastes Like Fear is a terrific read from little players to those taking centre stage. It's addictive but moreover one to be enjoyed for the simply engaging and realistically observed storytelling. A well earned 5* read that I highly recommend. I'm just thrilled that I'm lucky enough to receive an ARC to read and review so my thanks go out for that.

If you haven't started reading this series yet.... it's high time you did!

From the very first paragraph I knew I would love this book, as long as the story was good, because the author has a beautiful writing style which pulled me straight into the book. It’s not normally something I take note of, but the writing is so skilfully crafted that I was immediately there, not just seeing but experiencing the rainy London street.

And the story is more than good, it’s great – dark, scary, gripping and written with such emotional depth and tenderness that I found myself rethinking a few personal preconceptions. The plotting is superb and the story unfolds with deliberate precision, and then rips along at an exciting pace.

This is book three of a series and I haven’t read the other two, but it didn’t matter at all as this works perfectly as a standalone book. Having said that, the occasional glimpses of the main character’s past, especially her creepy brother, really makes me want to read the previous novels in this series.

ARC received from: Netgalley
Rating: 5*

One-Sentence Summary: DI Marnie Rome and her team try and track down the man abducting teenage girls from the street.

Review: Sarah Hilary is fast becoming one of my favourite British crime writers. Each Marnie Rome novel gets better and better with each outing.

I loved the setting of this in and around Battersea Power station and you really felt like you were in the gritty part of London. That characters are all so real and British and who hasn't had the misfortune to meet a mouthy teenager like Abi.

The real selling point of this book though? The twists that I didn't see coming. If you read enough crime novels then some of the stories can begin to seem familiar and the "big shocker" isn't actually all that surprising. Not with this book though. I was actually surprised on more than one occasion and I guarantee you will be too if you give this book a go.

Well - so much for MY detection skills, I had almost every character questioned, charged, and put behind bars, but I never did guess who was committing murder most foul, in this excellent third book in the D.I Marnie Rome crime series.

The latest case for DI Rome is the scary world of vulnerable teenage runaways. Someone is giving these runaways shelter - a place of warmth and safety and food. This 'someone' calls himself Harm, but as we are soon to discover, there is a definite 'taste of fear' when the nucleus of Harm's family is threatened in any way. Be warned!

Sarah Hilary doesn't shy away from the darker side of life, and it's easy to see how these teens can so readily fall into the clutches of those with sinister intentions. She takes us into dark and smelly subways, and run-down housing estates where crime is just a normal way of life for it's inhabitants.

There is some really intelligent writing here, and an all pervading air of menace throughout. Add to that, the fact that there are enough red herrings to supply a fish market, and you've got yourself a gem of a read. It's a true page turner that will have you waiting with bated breath for what's coming next - and you just know that there WILL be plenty coming next!

* Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Publishing for my free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Tastes Like Fear - Sarah Hillary

The young girl who causes the fatal car crash disappears from the scene.

A runaway who doesn't want to be found, she only wants to go home.

To the one man who understands her.

Gives her shelter.

Just as he gives shelter to the other lost girls who live in his house.

He's the head of her new family.

He's Harm.

D.I. Marnie Rome has faced many dangerous criminals but she has never come up against a man like Harm. She thinks that she knows families, their secrets and their fault lines. But as she begins investigating the girl's disappearance nothing can prepare her for what she's about to face.

Because when Harm's family is threatened, everything tastes like fear...

I have been given an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is my first encounter with D.I Marnie Rome and we are three stories into her existence. Marnie is an acquired taste. I have to confess, I love a strong female protagonist in great crime novels. At the start of this book, I'm sad to say that Marnie was no Kim Stone or Helen Grace. Yet as the story progressed and I got to know more about her character, I found myself liking her a lot more. She has a lot of layers.

Her working partnership with D.S Noah Jake is a cleverly written one and I'm thrilled to see that a gay character is given such prominence in this story. He is really likeable as a character and he gives the story a really excellent supporting lead.

The story itself? Loved it. It started out very slowly and built gradually, with the last ten chapters or so providing some real nail-biting tension. By the end of the story, I couldn't read fast enough to find out what was happening.

I definitely want to read the first two books in Marnie's legacy and hopefully there will be more from this talented author.

A four out of five star read.

I'm profoundly grateful to Netgalley and Headline for my copy.

I have read and enjoyed the previous two books in this series and Tastes Like Fear did not disappoint. It was equally well-written and gripping, and I enjoyed learning more about Marnie and Noah. I also found the back stories of some other characters quite interesting. Really looking forward to the next one.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for the honest review.

Having read the previous two D.I Marnie Rome books I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one, it did not disappoint, I loved it.

It is a story about teenage runaways and follows the investigation to find a killer when one is discovered dead. This is not your average crime story though, it is very unique and not like anything I have read before. I did not have a clue who it was that was taking the teenagers.

I love the way Sarah Hilary writes it always flows really well.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The Marnie Rome series really is fab! I loved this - like I loved the first two - primarily for the strong characterisation, the great tension and plotting. I admire Hilary's style in being able to effectively show us the criminal's/victim's angles in quite some depth and STILL mislead me as to who the culprit is (although I was confident I knew for a while...)! Usually you either get the kind of thriller where you know whodunnit but you get the 'thrill of the chase' tension, or you don't know so there's that tension - here it's the best of both as you see into all scenes, but don't have all the answers. Very clever and highly effective. Bit more info on Marnie's and Noah's private lives too - brilliant stuff. Keep it coming, please.

This a truely remarkable book that works on a number of levels. It is a story about misplaced childhood and the struggle to be understood and loved by someone especially when parental love is not expressed. It is about missing children and the effect that has on families especially siblings.
It has a real sense of place, set in London, where new developments fail to impact on large council estates. Both looking onto the former power station and symbol of the old and the renewed.
I loved the sense of safety and security, that was missing for homeless young people and ex-servicemen alike but could be found in relationships, order and routine.
At the heart of this book is what motivates someone to kill. How secrets are kept and people can hide in plain sight. But the driving factor of this book is how young people could be taken from the streets and be offered a sense of home by someone they can grow to respect and love but whose motives are unclear.
This is especially so when we learn that one leaves the group and others are seemingly killed when their usefulness is passed or they have breached some hidden rule or their purpose fulfilled.
Another terrific novel from Sarah Hilary who writes with the insight into human characteristics while being able to understand what makes for tense and thrilling writing.
The book is not a crusading account for better social care but it has sufficient depth to point that a little give on both sides would improve teenagers and their parents; communication can not be put off as barriers will be established and made secure. The homeless are sometimes the lost and the lonely, who need support from a society that believes in their value and worth.
The premise of this novel is that when others step in for different reasons whose motives can become warped the homeless and young people are the most vulnerable.
I was pleased this book was not about sexual exploitation but within the research undertaken by the author is an insight into how minds and emotions can be manipulated. It is a dark tale where no-one is quite who they appear, and as a police procedural is a balanced book on the issues modern policing encounters.
I loved the reality of the voices given to the younger characters especially but Hilary's gift is the wider portrayal of established characters whose lives we care about and learn are as frail as we often feel.
An author rapidly making a name for herself; this latest novel will only enhance her reputation further.

I was given an ARC of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Teenage runaways, 2 dead girls, 1 fatal car accident and a missing girl. The race is on to find the missing girl and the murderer. What is the connection? Why the disparity in the placement of the dead girls?

A book that covers the emotive subject of teenage runaways and how easily they can be psychologically manipulated.

A well written, tension building, book with many threads cleverly interwoven together to produce a web of surprising twists, brilliant plot, well defined characters and a perpetrator I didn't see coming.

Tastes like fear by Sarah Hilary

This is a really good series but the badly formatted ARC spoilt the pleasure of THIS book. The author deserves the praise for her writing and this line will be omitted elsewhere. My perseverance is a testament to the quality of her work.

As usual with this author, the topic is challenging. Few choose to consider the plight of young runaways and even fewer see them as 'victims' of our society. The author does nothing in anyway sentimental to challenge perceptions but in her realism of the brutality of homelessness and its impact, even the most cynical might choose to rethink their understanding.

A complex tale with many characters, it was sometimes hard to maintain sight of the core plot. Characters who initially appear to be victims of life in 'sink estates' turn out to be villains and visa versa. The challenge of investigating crime in an area where ANY face of 'authority' is seen as The Enemy (particularly the Police) is well portrayed and sadly realistic.

Ms Hilary has a gift for realism and her writing is skilful. The central characters continue to develop well and this reader is not overwhelmed by any misery in their own lives - a refreshing change. This and previous books are made more real by the quality of the research that underpins each story.
If you have never seen this face of modern Britain, count yourself lucky - it's there.

I have become a committed fans of this author. Written in a similar blunt, 'true to life' style as Happy Valley, I would love to see this series on TV. It would make uncomfortable and compulsive viewing

DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake are back with a bang in this fantastic third novel in the Marnie Rome series. A distraught young girl walks into the road and causes a fatal car crash - only to then disappear from the scene. What starts out as a simple case to locate the missing girl turns into a disturbing and sinister case for Marnie Rome as she is faced with a new type of criminal - someone who collects runaway young girls like they're sweets who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

I was so pleased when I picked up this book as I loved Sarah Hilary's previous book Someone Else's Skin. Tastes Like Fear was breath-taking from the very first moment I started reading.

I especially loved the characters of Marnie and Noah even more in this novel as it has a lot more depth of character in this story by drip feeding both characters' backstory and flaws but still managing to keep it relevant to the main plot of the story. I particularly found the villain very creepy in this novel, putting me on edge as a reader which made me keep pick up this book as I was desperate to find out who it was and what motivated them.

The setting of Battersea Power Station was very vivid and descriptive which really brought this area of London to life for me and added another dimension to the story.

The novel also has a fantastic twist in it that I didn't see coming which literally made me gasp out loud and turned the whole story on its head. This novel is packed full of pace and suspense with a tightly weaved plot which kept me on the very edge of my seat.

This is a fantastic read for anyone who loves a thrilling, high stakes police procedural with a twist.

With thanks to Net Galley and Headline Publishing for my copy of Tastes like Fear.

To find out more about Sarah Hilary follow her on Twitter @sarah_hilary.

This is an excellent, fast paced thriller in the series. Marnie seems to improve her characterisation and attention to detail as she goes on and I found I struggled to put it down, literally grabbing every minute I could to read again.

The Marnie Rome series keeps getting better in my view. Beautifully written, both in terms of plot and characters, with a few twists you don't see coming.

I was looking forward to book 3 in this new series and thankfully wasn't too disappointed. For some reason I seem to be way off the mark in terms of what I thought. It seems to have accumulated a number of 5 star reviews already, however for me it was lacking something. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but there seemed to be something missing for me. I think because of that I didn't feel it was the full 5 stars but almost. The story itself was plotted well and layers appeared making the story all the more intriguing. However this time around it was the characters that didn't quite feel right.

I have read the other 2 books in this series and really enjoyed them. When I started reading this latest installment I felt a little confused at times. It seemed like Marnie took somewhat of a back seat, and Noah seemed to take charge more often than not. Something about that set up just didn't ring true for me. I actually really like Noah and think he is a strong character who certainly belongs in this series alongside Marnie. The story itself was a little slow in the beginning and then picked up pace considerably and the last half was absolutely brilliant.

I certainly had no clue where the story would go and felt so relieved that the ending and plot line that was revealed was a complete surprise. There are also two additional plot threads which are slowly building interest in the background. Marnie's family tie to Stephen and Noah's brother Sol, both which I think will make amazing future books. By the end I realised that I had thoroughly enjoyed the book, however there were a few times when the characters just felt different. Whether that is part of future planning I have no idea, but it kind of put me off my stride a little bit. That small thing aside it was once again a great read, and a series that I think I will be waiting impatiently each time I have finished one.

Continuing the Marnie Rome series, the reader is drawn into a story of missing teenagers which progresses to murder. Marnie and her team investigate these disappearances and race against time to save those who are still alive.but being held captive.The story alternates between what is going on in the investigation and what is happening from the point of view of the captured teens..
One of the themes of the book is sibling relationships including May and Loz, and Noah and Sol. . This permeates the whole story right until the end .Tastes Like Fear is a compelling read which keeps the reader guessing until the final pages.It is an excellent continuation of the series although it could also be read as a stand alone.novel if you have not read the earlier books.

One London night, a girl staggering across a road causes a car crash – but she promptly disappears. DI Marnie Rome’s hopes that she is the missing girl that she is looking for are quickly dashed but the question remains – who was she? But soon Marnie has a dead body on her hands – and this girl has been strangled.
Meanwhile, in a strange home somewhere, a perfect family – a family of daughters that have no choice but to be perfect – are beginning to fall apart. The girls are in the care of a man who simply wants to look after them – provided they behave themselves. A man of the like Marnie has never met before. A man known only as Harm…
I reviewed Sarah’s first Marnie Rome book, Someone Else’s Skin, a few weeks ago, and I still haven’t quite decided whether I enjoyed it – or even if I was supposed to enjoy it – as there was a realness to the events in the book that unsettled me. But either way, it was an impressive read and I took the opportunity to get a review copy of this one, the third book in the series, via NetGalley.
There are differences in the general format of this one. The first dwelt heavily on Marnie’s background, as it was the first book in the series, but here that takes a backseat to the main plot. There is still movement on the story of her parents’ murder, and a certain character has an important role to play, but the primary emphasis here is on the story of Harm and his family and the investigation that is inevitably going to lead to them.
It’s very hard to talk about the plot as you really want to go into the book knowing as little as possible, but it certainly doesn’t fall prey to one of my issues with Someone Else’s Skin, where the tale was hinged around one major twist, one that occurred too early in the narrative, causing the second half of the book to drag a little. Here, the twists keep coming and as the book approaches the end, you still aren’t quite sure which way to look and where things are going to go.
Even better, the twists are clued – although you probably still won’t see them coming. They’re the sort of things where the reader will be kicking themselves about certain things – exactly how a thriller ought to be.
The strengths of Someone Else’s Skin – the quality of the writing, the vividness of the characters – is still in place, so combined with the clever plot (which, by the way, doesn’t quite have the same sense of reality as in Book One, making it more enjoyable for me), and you get a first rate thriller – one of the best that I’ve read recently. Highly Recommended.
Oh, and don’t worry about reading Books 1 and 2 – there are no spoilers for those that I noticed.

WOW, what a pleasure it is to discover a brilliant new author like Sarah Hilary. This was my first book by this author and I was advised to read the first two books in this series first, but as it was a NetGalley read I wanted to have it finished by publication date and it worked beautifully as a standalone book and pieces of the main characters were filled in as I went along. Although I definitely will be buying the previous two books in the series now.
This was such a well written book that was fast paced with loads of twists along the way.
I loved DI Marnie Rome and especially DS Noah Jake, they make such a great team and loved getting to know about their personal life as well.
I can highly recommend this 5*+ book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read this brilliant ARC.

I've read each one in the series and loved the way in which the author takes a topical subject and then turns it on its head, shows that there are much deeper issues underneath the obvious ones. This time it's the topic of runaway teenagers and homelessness and it's perhaps the best to date of an already outstanding series.

This is a brilliant thriller that kept me guessing right to the end .There were a few twists and turns and some excellent characters .This is the first book I have read by this Author and it won't be the last and I loved it .