DEAD SILENT a gripping detective thriller full of suspense

Product Information

In DEAD LOST, Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss face one of their toughest challenges yet. A group of homeless people have set up camp in the grounds of a disused cotton mill belonging to local businessman Damien Chase. But one of the men is not what he seems. He has a secret he will do anything to cover up. And once Calladine and Bayliss investigate, they find the crimes go much further than they could have ever imagined. Will Ruth be able to juggle her personal and professional lives, and can Calladine deal with their new boss, a woman he neither trusts nor likes? Willing to do anything to bring terrible suffering to an end, Calladine make an astonishing move . . .

I do like the players in these books: Ruth, Imogen, Rocco. I don’t like Lydia or DCI Jones. Lydia is just slutty and Jones is a cheap-skate, too concerned with saving money than solving crimes.Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss battle a murderer who is working their way through a list of victims. Each murder is meticulously planned and unique, and a tarot card is left at the scene of the crime. The series is set in Leesdon, a fictional village, which is on the outskirts of an industrial northern English city. There is a ton of crime, but little work. The bane of Calladine’s existence is the Hobfield housing estate, which is the breeding ground for everything that is wrong about this area which he calls his home. This book delivers in just about every way possible. Excellent police work, personal nuances that allow the characters a chance to come alive, and a good mystery.

Second, the characters. This is weakest element of the book. Unfortunately, they are 2 dimensional at best & prone to actions that had me scratching my head, thinking "huh?" The surprises found in the story adds to the story’s suspense quite a bit. The dialogue and characters are well done, with Calladine and his team feeling like old friends already. D I Calladine believes it is nothing to do with the drug war, that the answers lie buried firmly in the past, but his boss disagrees. So not only does he have a boss who can't see the wood for the trees to contend with, but there is the problem of Monika, his on-again/off again girlfriend, and friend of his DS Ruth Bayliss who seems determined to keep them together. Longer isn't always better but in an extended format a book tends to have more than a passing interest.

Publication Order of DI Matt Brindle Books

The start of a fabulous new series from Helen H. Durrant . . . Brilliant book — I loved it!’ Charlotte M. Stephen Greco has yet another case on his hands when a woman’s body is discovered. She was found near a canal and her eyes were poked out in what appears to be a brutal murder. Greco just started his new job and he is suddenly facing down a variety of new cases, all of them murders. It’s going to be a challenging start, but he’s up to the task. But one of the men is not what he seems. He has a secret he will do anything to cover up. And once Calladine and Bayliss investigate, they find the crimes go much further than they could have ever imagined.

Then there is the missing child. Are the cases related? Some reviewers have said not, which puzzles me, because there is definitely a connection, but it’s not what you’d expect. That’s all I’ll say about that, except, among other things, it reveals something about Bayliss and Calladine’s relationship. Ruth is not afraid to speak her mind and say where she thinks their priorities should lie. In this novel, we get to appreciate the rapport between the two detectives Ballantine and Bayliss, one of dedication and respect for one another. Their work is their life. We also learn more about their personal lives. It becomes a game of cat & mouse as police scramble for clues before the madman grabs another victim. I figured out who the killer was early on but the motivation for his spree wasn't clear 'til the end. This book opens with a 'grab you by the throat and pulls you in' kind of start, which I absolutely loved, that being said, I had to sit and read it in one sitting with hardly leaving my seat until I finished it. Other characters don't fare much better as stereotypes prevail. You have Ruth, the single 30-ish cop (who would be so pretty if she just lost weight, according to Tom). And the DCI they report to comes across as an unreasonable & pompous buffoon without a clue. As a whole, the gangsters were better developed & more believable than those on the police force.

The story follows an investigation into what is perceived to be a serial murder. Both victims are young thugs/criminals who spend their time on a low income housing estate selling drugs and worse. The Hobfield estate holds out little optimism for the youth who live there. They all seem sullen and antagonistic towards police.

The series is set in the fictional village of Leesdon on the outskirts of an industrial northern English city. There is little work and a lot of crime. The bane of Calladine’s life is the Hobfield housing estate, breeding ground to all that is wrong with the area that he calls home.

Publication Order of Detective Alice Rossi Books

This is the fourth book in the Calladine and Bayliss series. I've read and enjoyed the previous three, and this one was equally good. Day 2. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Hewson is reported missing. She never came home from school, and her father is beside himself.