Another excellent read in the DCI Murrain series, with a few interesting characters added into the mix. It's a fast paced story, with the body count rising and a hint of the supernatural. I liked the slight twist, the fast pace and the build up to the finale. Everything you could want in a solid police procedural. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Stolen Lives is a smart, unsettling addition to Alex Walters’ crime series—one that leans into atmosphere, precision, and psychological unease rather than spectacle. The result is a police procedural that feels both intimate and razor‑sharp.

DCI Kenny Murrain remains a wonderfully grounded lead: capable, weary, and carrying the bruises of his last case. Walters uses that vulnerability to great effect here, threading personal strain through an investigation that is anything but straightforward. The deaths are deceptively peaceful—no struggle, no panic, just lives quietly extinguished—and that eerie calm becomes one of the book’s most compelling hooks.

As Murrain’s team digs deeper, the pattern that emerges is chilling in its logic. Walters excels at building tension through small details, letting the dread accumulate until the truth becomes impossible to ignore. The internal fractures within the team add another layer of suspense, making the investigation feel fragile at the very moment it needs clarity most.

The shift to hospital deaths raises the stakes beautifully. Suddenly the killer’s reach feels broader, more intimate, and far more dangerous. Walters handles this escalation with confidence, crafting a villain who is terrifying precisely because they hide in plain sight.

This is a tightly written, atmospheric thriller with a protagonist you genuinely root for. Fans of thoughtful, character‑driven crime fiction—especially those who enjoy Michael Connelly or Jack Cartwright—will find Stolen Lives a deeply satisfying read.

With thanks to Alex Walters, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

Not having read the previous books in this series, I found the supernatural aspect rather unsettling but over all I enjoyed this novel. The characters of Kenny and Bert were strong and the team was cohesive





































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Stolen Lives is a brilliant to Alex Walters’ crime series and probably the best one so far. In this book we meet DCI Kenny Murrain. He is portrayed as a competent and skilled detective and still dealing with the remnants of his last case's aftermath.
This was an expertly written, compelling read that you just HAVE to finish. Thrilling read, can't wait for some more!