(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Detective Lexie Rogers is tough, smart and at the top of her game. She's seen it all, from bikies, blood and betrayal to drugs, deviants and deceptio...and the violent knife attack that almost killed her as a young cop on the beat.
Lexie's sent on the job of a lifetime - to go deep undercover, as beautiful Lara Wild, a drug distributor, to expose a huge dealing ring among Sydney's most treacherous criminals. What she discovers is that being undercover is the safest place to be, especially when you're a cop with target on your head, but one false move means she'll die. And creeping from the shadows is the darkness of her past, something she can never outrun.
Lexie knows she can't trust anyone - but the trouble is, she's not even sure if she can trust herself.

This is the third book in the Lexie Rogers series of police procedural novels, following on from Sinister Intent and Deadly Obsession. Karen M. Davis is a former detective and her knowledge of the police force is obvious in her writing.

There is a lot to like about this book: one of the big problems with picking up a book in a series is that if you haven't read the previous ones, it is easy to get left out of the loop, so to speak. But the author makes it easy for a newcomer to pick up what is going on - and what has gone on previously, without getting bogged down in details.

Another aspect which impressed me the continuing character development of Lexie. This time she goes undercover to help try and bust an underground drug syndicate. This provides the reader a unique perspective of what goes on and how women are treated in these kinds of groups -sleazy seems to be the name of the game for most of the characters in this story.

Finally, the pacing is just about spot on. I liked the ebb and flow of the narrative; one minute Lexie is considering the pending court case against the man who tried to kill her - the next minute we are in a tense chapter with corruption, drugs, hitmen...you name it. I found the constant pacing to be absolutely best suited for this story.

The reason this isn't a 5-star book? The sex/relationship stuff. Sure, have the odd reference to it but, honestly, I came here (to a crime novel) for the action/thriller storyline. I just didn't particularly felt like it fitted or was necessary.

Still, a great story in this series and one that I think makes a great addition to Australian crime writing.


Paul
ARH

I was initially a bit hesitant to pick up Fatal Mistake when I found out it was the third book in a series, but am happy to say that this didn’t affect my reading pleasure or understanding of the characters or the story at all. Whilst there are many established dynamics between the detectives, they were portrayed in a way that I could quickly pick up the necessary background information. The author’s intimate knowledge of police procedures and dynamics within a team really stood out, which made the interactions between colleagues look authentic and believable. I was fascinated by the details concerning the dark seedy underbelly of crime and corruption in the city, and the undercover operation to bust an established drug ring. Scary stuff!

Fatal Mistake is a police procedural that centres around various different colleagues from a branch of the NSW police targeting organised crime, and is heavily character driven, which made for a nice change from other books that focus on one particular case. Lexie Rogers is the type of tough, feisty female character that really drives a storyline, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her. The undercover angle was a great way to showcase the danger Lexie faced in her daily job, and the people she was up against: bikies, drug dealers, hitmen, rapists and murderers. There were some scary characters there! Readers who have read the previous books in the series would have been familiar with Lexie’s colleagues, who all seemed to have a rich history together – whilst I did not have the background knowledge, I soon worked out the different dynamics and enjoyed getting to know details of the various detectives’ lives.

Davis’ approach of showcasing different police operations within the same storyline, and letting several characters tell their tale, worked really well for me and added depth to the story. I loved how all the threads came together at the end, and how the tension mounted before the breath-taking finale. There were a couple of moments in the middle of the book that dragged a little bit for me, and I didn’t care much for the character of Berni , although I realise her POV was necessary to bring the story together in the end. However, the pace really picked up in the last quarter and more than made up for it. It’s great to read a police procedural set in Australia, in a city I have visited and could visualise really well. I also loved the armchair travel to Byron Bay, a place I love, even though this was a side of the town tourists usually don’t get to see.

Fatal Mistake is a fast-paced character driven Australian police procedural with a feisty female lead protagonist, which gives a unique insight into undercover operations fighting organised crime. Skilfully weaving together several different threads, the tension ramps up to cumulate in a breath-taking finale that left me stunned and slightly exhausted. Seeing that this is the third book in the series, I will definitely need to pick up the other two and find out what I have missed out on!

A very enjoyable read with an intriguing and intricate plot with interweaving threads. A fast moving crime story with many captivating characters whose complex relationships gave an added dimension and depth to this thriller. Loved the location of mainly Sydney and New South Wales, Australia. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Simon & Schuster (Australia) for the opportunity to read and review.

I've read both Karen M. Davis's previous 'Lexie Rogers' novels and really enjoyed them. While these can be read as stand alone novels, there is history with previous characters and I liked having an understanding of the dynamics.

I think this book has an even darker and more dangerous tone as Lexie goes undercover in a bikie drug ring. Corruption, hitmen, drugs, rivalries and sex.....it's all here and I often found myself quite tense while reading. If your looking for a fast paced thriller, with lots of twists and turns and double dealings give this one a go.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.

When Detective Rex Donaldson had Detective Lexie Rogers pose as his niece so she could go undercover among the criminals Rex had been working in and around, Lexie was both scared and exhilarated. The chance of a lifetime – she knew the dangers; they all did, but the opportunity to take down one of the biggest drug dealing syndicates to grace Sydney’s streets was too great. She would become Lara Wild in every way possible – but was she putting herself in worse danger than she’d ever been in?

Some months previously, Lexie had been instrumental in taking a vicious criminal off the streets – she had almost lost her life at the time. Now the trial was coming up and she was to testify – was her safety guaranteed now that she, Lexie, was no longer around? Her alter ego would make it so…

With the bombing of the Assassins clubhouse consuming the force, the Undercover Department restricted themselves to a limited few “need to know” police. Lexie felt isolated and alone; even her detective boyfriend was on another job in Byron Bay – but her determination to succeed in this job was foremost in her mind whatever the dangers. Her senses were on full alert; her mind clear – but would it be enough? These criminals felt no compunction at killing anyone who was in their way…

Fatal Mistake is the 3rd in the Lexie Rogers series by Aussie author Karen M. Davis (an ex-Detective herself) and it’s another fast paced thriller. There were a number of different incidents going at the one time and it was a challenge to keep up with them all on occasion. But they came together in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed Fatal Mistake - a police procedural crime/thriller which I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

Book blurb...
Thrilling new crime from Karen M. Davis
Detective Lexie Rogers is tough, smart and at the top of her game. She's seen it all, from bikies, blood and betrayal to drugs, deviants and deception ... and the violent knife attack that almost killed her as a young cop on the beat.
Lexie's sent on the job of a lifetime -- to go deep undercover, as beautiful Lara Wild, a drug distributor, to expose a huge dealing ring among Sydney's most treacherous criminals. What she discovers is that being undercover is the safest place to be, especially when you're a cop with target on your head, but one false move means she'll die. And creeping from the shadows is the darkness of her past, something she can never outrun.
Lexie knows she can't trust anyone -- but the trouble is, she's not even sure if she can trust herself.
My thoughts…
For the third time, Karen Davis has written a story that I loved. I particulalry enjoyed catching up with the characters. (NB: the Lexie Roger’s series can still be read as stand alone reads. Don’t put off buying this book because you think you need to read books 1 and 2 first.)
This story, like the previous two in the series, has you side-by-side with Detective Lexie Rogers and her colleagues as they delve into the seedy side of Sydney to bring the bad guys to justice. I often find myself second-guessing crime plots, but not this time. Karen Davis writes her stories so well. I couldn't guess who the person was who would ultimately put Lexie in the most danger, or if she would find her way out to live another day (and maybe in another novel!)
If you like crime thrillers, make sure this one goes on your reading list.
Well done. Karen. Looking forward to more great and realistic stories in the future.