Another fantastic book . This had me hooked from the start . Leo was found guilty of the murder of two women a year ago but now he’s out and saying he’s innocent .Was it a mistrial or is he guilty. His son is on his side has he got something to do with the murders . Plenty of twists and turns

HUZZAH! The tremendulant (copyright @BookishChat) Maeve Kerrigan returns in this, her 8th outing as if she has never been away!

She and Derwent are bickering like an old married couple as they try to determine Leo's innocence or guilt in the cases of 3 murders-2 bodies found and the third tied to Leo with evidence which at best is cicrumstantial. Is Leo guilty of these crimes? Was he working with someone else or is he guilty of entirely different crimes?

This book twists and turns as it plays with your perceptions of right and wrong, the concept of trial by media and what an authetnically 'bad guy' looks like.Leo Stone is an odious criminal prescence who you want to bat away from Maeve and yell 'Leave her alone' as he sets his sights on getting to know her better after his release from prison.

Due to a 'tell all' juror writing a memoir of the case, all evidence was considered and a retrail with a new trial granted. The families of the 2 women who were found have little faith that the police did a good job first time around and Jane Casey does a fantastic job putting you in the room with the victims of the crime. Her light touch and small nuances really bring home the human elements behind the public story-the beautiful victims, the hunt for them, the nasty killer with criminal written through him like a stick of rock.

Or is he?

Are we too quick to condemn a person due to their class, their background and past behaviour?

When Leo is finally out, and another woman goes missing, is it to throw the police off the scent and away from him? Is it an accomplice or a copycat? Is Leo guilty of anything more than being a reprehensible dickhead or is he capable of more?

The examination of the justice system is seen from so many sides that the reader has a fully rounded idea of the practicalities of a murder investigation and reopening of case files. You see it from, the detecting side, the public side, the forensics aspect and the legal one too.

As a police procedural, it is intensely gripping. The sheer talent that Jane has to keep these characters moving and developing after 8 books and short stories whilst juggling plotlines as gripping and relevant as this is a mark of sheer talent. 

The prospect and application of justice is a concept we all juggle with as pedestrians so how must it feel for those behind the wheek, the ones who do not pass go and drive their passengers straight to jail?

It's no surprise to say I was gripped to the very last word after which I am going to re-read the whole series (again). It's a book to lose yourself in, a great and recommended read.

A serial killer released due to potentially botched post mortem. A son who seems the complete opposite of his father and bodies, lots of bodies.

DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are put onto the reopened case and whilst Derwent seems to want to make Kerrigans life hell at work she is focused on the task at hand. But her enthusiasm in wanting to see Leo Stone back in jail and misjudged opportunity taking brings her closer to the danger than she ever could have imagined. However, her passion and hard work pays off as she starts figuring out the clues and finds more bodies.

But then the evidence starts pointing away from Leo Stone and towards his son, is his persona all an act? Did he help his father?

This is a great book, the characters are believable although they didn’t seem developed enough. You need a strong stomach for some of the book and the twist is a great part of the final story. It is a fantastic read and a struggle to put down.

This author is guilty of continually misleading the reader! As soon as you think you know the outcome,another discovery or new character arrives to change your mind. The plot is unusual in concept which is very welcome in murder mysteries. The characters are well drawn and even the detectives are characters the reader can like. Overall, a very,very good read which I recommend.

Cruel Acts is number eight in this tense chilling series but can be read as a stand alone.I was drawn in from the first pages so well written multi layered involving.Another edge of your seat thriller from Jane Casey. #netgalley #harpercollinsuk

cruel acts

BOOK BLURB

From award-winning author Jane Casey comes a powerful Maeve Kerrigan crime thriller which will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page! How can you spot a murderer?


Leo Stone is a ruthless killer – or the victim of a miscarriage of justice. A year ago, he was convicted of the murder of two women and sentenced to life in prison. But now he’s free, and according to him, he's innocent.

DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are determined to put Stone back behind bars where he belongs, but the more Maeve finds out, the less convinced she is of his guilt.

Then another woman disappears in similar circumstances. Is there a copycat killer, or have they been wrong about Stone from the start?

‘I couldn’t put it down’ Erin Kelly‘The story is captivating’ Patricia Gibney



BOOK REVIEW

A race against time for Maeve and her team as not only are they looking for a missing person but trying to make the case for a released killer to be rearrested.As this book races you along you find yourself glued to the action. The writing flows along without letting up the pace. The author has created a great crime novel that delivers everything you need from a good book. Pace, impulsiveness, grit, tension and a believable range of characters. The relationships between the characters are explored and brought to life within the pages. In some parts the jealousy that flows out of one character Georgia bleeds between the pages touching your core. It's this believability that helps make this book stand out from run of the mill crime books. That and the fact you just cant put it down. If you don't believe me then go buy it and see what i was talking about.

As always these are my own views and opinions and i thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read and review it.

STAR RATING 4

Absolutely superb police procedural - this author goes from strength to strength with her characters and plots. Can't wait for more.

A really good detective novel with a splash of office romance,maybe! I liked this and when I am going to read the rest of the series that’s a good sign. Highly recommended #NetGalley#CruelActs

Bestselling crime writer Jane Casey is back with the eighth instalment in the gripping DS Maeve Kerrigan series, and once again it is packed with the gritty realism we have come to expect from Ms Casey. Although part of a popular and long-running series these books work perfectly as standalones as each plot is contained to that particular episode. If you appreciate your crime fiction to be authentic and based in fact then this is not to be missed; every tale the author tells is infused with believable detail, fully rounded characters and unpredictability aplenty.

This is by far her best procedural to date and that really is saying something given all of her books make it impossible for you to read them in anything but a single sitting. This is a series for those who enjoy intelligent plotting, compassionate characters and exploration of prevalent real-world issues which provides much food for thought throughout. All of this and a stunningly unexpected climax to boot. Jane Casey is one of the master storytellers of our time. I urge crime connoisseurs who haven't indulged in her novels yet to pick, this. up. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

This was an OK read. A solid police procedural with some strong characters. For me, it was too slow and plodding in parts to warrant more than an ok. However, for those hooked on this series, I’m confident it will have a good audience. Just, not one for me.
I appreciate the opportunity to preview.

Although this book is 8th in the series I didn't really feel like I couldn't it as a standalone though now I want to go backwards and start from the beginning and find out about the team.
A little bit slow first few chapters but I guess this is needed esp if reading as a standalone.
Can't wait now to start from book 1.

For the first few chapters this semed like a bit of a slow burner but then as the pace picked up it felt exactly like I was part of the investigative team and that I was in the midst of the investigation, slowly gathering information and leads to begin and then as things become more and more convoluted and the body count rises, picking up to breakneck speed.
An extremely clever novel with a real "is it him or is it not" ending.

For someone, who in the past, has always said that they don’t like thrillers, police procedurals or anything vaguely in those styles, I’m not doing too badly at reading exactly those type of books lately. And I’m really enjoying them - this book in particular.

Considering that this is the eighth book in the series and I haven’t read the other seven (soon to be e was no confusion, and I didn’t feel as though I was missing out at all.

The lead character, Maeve Kerrigan, is a detective sergeant, and she has been put on the case of the retrial of Leo Stone. He had been found guilty of the gruesome murders of two women. However, a juror from the original trial has now made it known that THAT trial was prejudiced. Maeve and her partner, Josh Derwent, are in charge of re-examining the evidence. Another woman goes missing whilst Sone is in custody, though, throwing the whole investigation into doubt.

This is a seriously exciting book - there are cliff hangers all over the place (I had to stop reading from time to time to work, eat, sleep, parent, so the multiple cliffhangers may have been of my own making), and I loved how new evidence revealed. The main characters are immensely likeable, and those who are less so are so well described that you end up disliking them as well. The last chapters of the book also tense and exceedingly fast paced, that I felt as though I couldn’t breathe until the end! I was well and truly sucked in to the action.

I will be going back to the first seven books of this series to fill in my Kerrigan knowledge, and I’m looking forward to any future books in this series! This one comes highly recommended!

Review
Thank you to netgalley, HarperCollins UK for the arc of Jane Casey's Cruel Acts.
This was my first Jane Casey book, It took me a while to get into this book but I did enjoy it as the story built. I like the character Meave, she is strong and gutsy.

Oh my! Maeve Kerrigan gets herself into some scrapes but never seems to learn to let others know where she is going! This is another fantastic outing for Maeve and I loved reading this book, it had everything you could wish for and was unputdownabble.

Leo Stone has been convicted of murder but a lawyer is lodging an appeal as it comes out that the some of juror's looked up his past crimes and judged him on those so not what he was actually being tried for. That was grounds for miscarriage of justice.

As Leo Stone is released, a woman goes missing in similar circumstances to the crimes Leo was charged with. Is this Leo offending or a copycat out to muddy the waters?

This book is really well written, very descriptive and keeps you hooked so you don't want to put the book down. This series just keeps getting better!

Another absolute corker from Jane Casey. Maeve Kerrigan gets sidelined from a reopened case when she oversteps the mark but Maeve being Maeve keeps on digging....

I love this series - a believable detective with a relatably normal messed- up life. Fantastic.

Danger! To anyone fresh to the books of Jane Casey - it may cost you to read her others (7 apparently!). For me, new to her books this was an absolute joy,

The story is told by the lead character detective Maeve Kerrigan who is a young detective investigating a serial killer's possible guilt - he having been released from custody on a technicality but awaiting a retrial.

Maeve ends up looking at his case from a new perspective, and finds more than she bargained for. It is quite difficult to say more without spoiling the story, but suffice it to say that there are a few twists and a great ending.

However, the book rolls along at a good pace, with none of the usual stereotyping of young female officers and indeed her colleagues. This is a quality book with believable characters and scenarios.

The plot for this book really pulled me in particularly because of the miscarriage of justice element to the story. The idea that someone may have been convicted for a murder they didn’t commit and not knowing if they actually did or not… well it seemed to me that this would have all the makings of a great book.

Despite the fact that Leo Stone has been released from prison on a technicality the police seem determined to find any evidence they can to ensure he goes back behind bars and this time for good. It’s interesting because the families of the two women who were murdered have very differing opinions of whether Leo Stone actually did commit the crimes he is accused of. One family is convinced he did and one family is convinced the police are wasting their time and should be using their resources to try and catch the real killer. This all helped to add to the uncertainty as to whether or not Leo Stone is the right person to be convicted for these crimes.

The story is told from Maeve Kerrigan’s point of view, a police officer investigating the case. She seems a lot more impartial than some of the other police officers and although she thinks Leo Stone is guilty as they come she is still willing to follow the evidence, even if this leads her away from him as the prime suspect.

Maeve is partnered with DI Derwent and they live and work together but are not in a romantic relationship. Derwent seems to care for Maeve deeply and looks out for her whilst sometimes getting too involved in her personal affairs. I feel like there is a bit more going on between Maeve and Derwent, especially from Derwent’s side so it will be interesting to see how their relationship progresses as the series continues.

This is the eighth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series and I haven’t read the previous books but I will definitely be adding this backlist to my reading pile as the author has shown me in this book that she writes a crime thriller just like it should be: a plot with a big question mark over it, multiple suspects and theories, a lead character you can root for and a criminal baddy that we love to hate.

Ok so full disclosure here-I've read all of Jane Casey's books and I'm a big fan. So with that in mind I was a tiny bit apprehensive coming to Cruel Acts because I so wanted it to be good.
I was NOT disappointed!
It's a cracking story which is as always, really well paced with just the right amount of twists to keep you guessing till the end. But for me (and I suspect for a lot of other people) the real star of the show is the relationship between Maeve and Derwent. For me it's like watching an early episode of "Moonlighting" (remember that?) with that quick fire dialogue and that undercurrent of tension that Maeve seems determinedly oblivious to. You can't fight it forever Maeve!
In all seriousness, this is a cracking outing by Jane Casey again and I have no hesitation whatsoever in hugely recommending it.

This is the 8th full length novel in the Maeve Kerrigan series by the excellent author Jane Casey.
I have been looking forward to this book for sometime and it was well worth the wait.
Maeve Kerrigan is an ambitious young detective constable based in London. When convicted murderer Leo Stone is released DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are determined to put Stone back behind bars. Leo Stone states he is a victim of a miscarriage of justice, but Kerrigan is convinced he was rightfully convicted of the murder of two women and sentenced to life in prison. Now Stone is free, pleading his innocence and the more Maeve Kerrigan finds out, the less convinced she is of his guilt. Then another woman disappears in similar circumstances. Is there a copycat killer, or have they been wrong about Stone from the start?
This series is well worth reading, excellent plots, interesting believable characters and so well paced. The biggest problem you will have with this series is once you start reading it you will struggle to put the books down.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Harper Collins for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.