What can I say about this book. I started reading this series as it was released and wasn't sure what I thought as it wasn't a paranormal style which had made me fall in love with the authors writing style.

This fast became a favourite group of books as you see Ruby grow and you see not just her strengths but also her weaknesses.

This is one of my top reads of 2017.

Murder Game Caroline Mitchell

Everybody loves a good serial killer story, and this one is really good.

Detective Sergeant Ruby Preston, and her team, are back.

Years ago Mason Gately was caught in the act of murdering his 6th Victim. Nicknamed by the press The Lonely Heart Killer, he found his victims through the personal adds in local papers, Gately had a very specific way of killing the women over several days.

When Melissa Phillips, the wife of a high-profile BBC News Journalist, goes missing; and he starts to receive images of her, similar to those sent by Gately of his victims to their families, alarm bells begin to ring.

Ruby’s boss, DI Downes, had worked on the original case and knows that some of the details of the original murders had never been released to the public. So how does the new killer know how to recreate the murders in such detail? Is Gately actually the Lonely Hearts Killer, or is the wrong person in custody.

As more people go missing the similarities between the murders continue and each case is a rush against time to save the victim.

Meanwhile the killer is contacting a confidential telephone help line and talking, in a round-about way, about his crimes. Will the call handler understand who they are talking to?


Ruby is still dating her first love, who she is only recently become reacquainted with, Nathan. Just to add spice to the story Nathan is part of one of the biggest crime families in Shoreditch.

This relationship opens doors for Ruby to interview Gately, and so begins a relationship very similar to that of Starling and Lecter.

What sacrifices will Ruby have to make to get the information she needs, and how many people will suffer before she gets it.

This is another great story in this series by Caroline Mitchell. Each book gets better, and as ever I was left wanting to read the next one straight away.

I suppose I’ll just have to be patient.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Caroline Mitchell, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

A killer is playing a twisted game of life or death with his victims. After he captures them, a countdown begins. He marks the time by sending clues to the whereabouts of the women he has taken in three disturbing images: alive, tortured, dead. In a race against the clock, East London Detective Ruby Preston must play the killer’s terrifying murder game and decipher the clues before more women die. But this isn’t the first time the police have seen such a sickening crime. The notorious Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gatley, was put behind bars ten years ago for murdering six women in exactly the same chilling way. Desperate for more information, Ruby asks her gangster boyfriend, Nathan Crosby, to set up a dangerous meeting to allow her to see into the twisted mind of a murderer. But the closer Ruby grows to the dark and charming Mason Gatley, the more worried her team becomes. Is he really helping her catch the killer? Or is he lining her up to be his next victim?

What a fantastic thriller! I enjoyed MURDER GAME and admired Mitchell's writing. This was my first novel from her, and I'll definitely be back to read more of her books. With that being said, MURDER GAME is the third book in her Detective Ruby Preston series, and to enjoy the books to their fullest, you should read them in order.

The idea of thinking like a killer to catch a killer isn't new, but Mitchell executed it well. I best enjoy novels when they're thrilling, mysterious, developed, fast-paced, and page-turning, and Mitchell succeeded in hitting every one of these marks. As a reader who enjoys reading a new novel every day, I loved this one. It only took a few hours to read the end, but I was hooked from beginning to the very last twist. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys serial killer thrillers.

Another fantastic book by Caroline in the Ruby Preston series. This series just gets better and better. I was totally hooked from the very beginning and couldn't put this down until the early hours. Getting up for work was a struggle but it was worth it!! Plenty of twisst and turns and brilliant game of cat and mouse which will leave you wanting more. If i had one small gripe, it would be that there was not enough of Nathan in this book. We can never have enough Nathan now can we??! But 5 huge starts for the storyline.

‘Murder Game’ is the third novel in the Detective Ruby Preston Crime Thriller Series, following on from ‘Death Note’ and ‘Sleep Tight’. I love these types of series because you gradually build up a relationship with the investigating officers, their friends and families. Each new novel sees their stories further developed. That’s not to say that you would not be able to read this novel as a standalone, you certainly could, because each novel has a new setting, a different theme and even new characters.
There is a copycat serial killer stalking rich and lonely society women in East London. He even does it from the comfort of his home. His business cards are distributed to wealthy wives who are lonely in their marriage and are attending high class gatherings. The card directs them to an up-marked dating website called Debauchery, where they can choose a male escort for a night of wicked, no-strings-attached fun. They are promised ‘the night of their lives’; a night to remember, a onetime date never to be repeated. No questions asked, total anonymity. It reels them in and then the game begins, only it is not the game they had paid a small fortune to play. It’s not a game for them at all, but only for their killer.
Their husband knows nothing about these arrangements. Secrecy is certain. His first notion of his wife’s activities is when he receives a photograph of her held captive the first day she is missing from home. From there on the action becomes more sinister and deadly. The second communication comes the next day when a second photograph is delivered of his wife being tortured. In the third photograph his wife is dead. It’s a race against time and this novel is fast paced and frantic.
Detective Ruby Preston has her work cut out to apprehend this killer who seems to know the details of the crimes ‘The Lonely Hearts Killer’, Mason Gatley, carried out ten years earlier, even though they were not in the public domain. He is locked up and doesn’t receive visitors, so how can it be? It’s a baffling case and the investigators are under severe pressure to piece together the clues and apprehend the crazed killer before the death count mounts up. They work under a cloak of secrecy, trying to avoid the public becoming aware of what is going on. The last thing they want is wholesale panic or alerting the killer to their investigation.
This is a dark and disturbing case for Ruby. Clues are few and far between and the tension amongst both her bosses and her team is palpable. She is determined to solve the case but the killer is devious and driven as well. The story is full of false leads, twists and turns and blind alleyways. Outright lies are told and information withheld. The frustration of Ruby and her team is like a time bomb and as the pace escalates so the action accelerates. This novel is sure to keep you on the very edge of your seat and turning the pages furiously, right until the very last few pages.
I would like to thank NetGalley and published Bookouture for my copy of this novel, sent out to me in return for an honest review. This is a really good read and one not to be missed. I really liked it. It’s a 4.5* review from me

Once again Caroline Mitchell manages to make her words jump out the page and capture my attention right from page one! That prologue just promised me a twisted rollercoaster read as soon as I started. It was clear there was going to be no let up until I turned the last page!

There is a race against time in The Murder Game as each victim is subjected to a terrifying ordeal resulting in their death. DI Ruby Preston and the team are up against the clock if they are to catch this most sick and twisted killer.  The hunt takes Ruby inside the prison to question Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gately as the crimes appear to be carbon copies of his. Just how much influence does this psychopathic killer have over what's happening outside of the prison walls and will Ruby Preston be able to resist the lure of the Lonely Hearts Killer as his dark charms seem to be drawing her closer?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, DS Ruby Preston is one of my all-time favourite female detectives; over the series her character continues to grow on me, she has a kick-ass attitude, she is feisty and determined but she also has a softer side to her character and I really feel the connection she has with her team members. Ruby's internal conflict over her desire to rise up in the ranks and her relationship with Nathan Crosby is further explored in this book and I felt her pain at the choices she has to make to protect both her career and her family. Talking about family, her relationship with her daughter Cathy and Nathan's mother, Frances is further explored in this book and there's a softening in the chill that existed between them all. Cathy really begins to open up to Ruby and it's clear that things haven't been a bed of roses for the young woman. I love Ruby's relationship with her DI, Downes, it is brilliant! These two had a brief dalliance but this hasn't affected the very deep friendship and respect they have for each other. Downes is the only person who is aware of her relationship with Nathan Crosby and while he definitely disapproves and worries for her, it doesn't stop him having her back all the way through. In the Murder Game, there is clearly something weighing heavy on DI Downes mind and Ruby is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Nathan Crosby, well that #CharacterCrush I have on him isn't slowing down any at all! This man oozes sex appeal but he isn't just a bit of fictional eye candy for readers, there is a real depth about Nathan that Caroline Mitchell continues to build upon in each book. Although Nathan doesn't feature that much in this book, his influence and presence is still felt throughout.

Now this plot! I just look at Caroline, her face a picture of sweetness and innocence and I think to myself just how does someone like that come up with such sick and twisted storylines! With dark religious undertones, this plot had me reeling and you I'd be thinking twice before arranging any online hookups! The pace just doesn't let up, the twists just keep tightening those knots until I was completely entangled in them. Pick this one up at your peril! Just make sure you don't have anything to do for the next few hours as you won't want to put it down!

Every book keeps getting better and better I loved this it was fantastic. Ruby's relationships with her family are growing and developing which is nice to see her happy. The twists and turns in this book were awesome at no point did I guess the bad guy, the tension kept building and I had to keep reading until I had finished. I devoured this book in one sitting. A really great read worthy of 5 stars.

I am the author of this book, I'm just sending this through so I can keep my reviewer percentage high as I use Netgalley to read and review other books. :-)

I will say one thing for Caroline Mitchell her books always open wth an prologue that immediately draws you in with a promise of a dark and deviously plotted tale and Murder Games is no different. Hells bells once I read the epilogue for this one I knew it was going to be a read “in one sitting” kind of book and I wasn't wrong! This is the third book in the Detective Ruby Preston and although you could probably read it as a standalone I would urge you to read the series in order, just because it's such a well written crime thriller series.

The author has used her very vivid imagination to come up with a deliciously dark and brutal plot, and what a disturbing killer the author has created,
especially when you consider the fact once the victims are captured, the killer sends clues to the whereabouts of the women he has taken in three disturbing images: alive, tortured, and dead. As the investigation intensifies Detective Ruby Preston can't help but think the killer is following in the footsteps of notorious Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gatley, who murdered six women in exactly the same gruesome way? Ruby certainly has her work cut out in Murder Games as she tries to bring one killer to justice and not get caught up in mind games with psychopath Mason Gatley.


It must be difficult when writing a crime thriller to device a Detective that stands out from the norm, more often than not they end up being your typical stereotype. Fortunately the author manages to add an original slant to her character by putting her in a relationship with gangster boyfriend, Nathan Crosby. At some point you know her relationship with Nathan will go spectacularly wrong and put her career in jeopardy.

The author's background in the police force adds authenticity to Murder Games, Caroline Mitchell very much brings the brutal crime scenes, the investigation and police procedures to life, which at times make for a disconcerting read. The plot is fast paced very much like the investigation, and I'm sure my heart was pounding as Murder Games reached its dramatic conclusion. I think this is the most gruesome book in the series, shocking and gristly in parts and never a dull moment that's for sure, for me personally, they make the perfect crime thriller read, and I shall be waiting for the next book in the series with baited breath

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Thanks to netgalley, bookouture and the publisher for letting me read this book. Once again Caroline Mitchell delivers an amazing book. With twists and turns throughout. Right to the end I was kept on the edge of my seat. I can't recommend it highly enough.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Phillip Sherman returns to his luxurious home to find his wife missing, her cell phone in her bedroom. He receives a package in the mail. It is his wife’s ring finger – minus her wedding ring. He calls the police. DI Jack Downes and DS Ruby Preston respond to his call. This is a high profile call, for Sherman is a broadcaster with much prestige and clout. Sherman receives photographs in the mail. The hotel room where the crime occurred is quickly found and the body of Melissa Sherman is there.

DI Downes recalls a case ten years earlier where the convicted Mason Gatley killed women in the exact same manner. He was nicknamed the Lonely Hearts Killer. A copycat is on the loose. Ruby, talks her boyfriend Nathan Crosby into arranging an interview with the now incarcerated Gatley. Nathan is a member of a notorious crime family. Although trying to go straight, Ruby has no illusions that Nathan is completely straight. He is very close to his brother and the rest of his family.

Cheryl goes missing. Her husband, Gordon Barber is another wealthy man, has received a photograph in the mail. He reports it to the police, and Ruby takes the interview. She phones Hannah, Cheryl’s best friend to get more information. When another photograph is received with a severed finger, Ruby and her team know the worst.

One of Cheryl’s friends gives Ruby a business card from the website called Debauchery. This gives the police a valuable clue as their computer technician connects the dead women’s bank statement to this website. The purchases are cleverly concealed as stationary.

Then Thomas disappears. His wife Lisa has received a picture in the mail. Ruby tricks Mason Gatley into telling her where the latest victim is located. They get to him in time.

Abby disappears. She is the wife of an ex-police officer named Steve. She is also pregnant. Her husband found her date with “Matthew” on her laptop. Ruby and the team are feeling the pressure of having two lives at stake this time. So far their investigation has brought them nothing.

Suddenly in an interview with Mason Gatley, Ruby gets the answer. It’s not the suspect that they have in custody! In an exciting denouement, the identity of the killer is revealed. Not too much of a surprise, but there is an additional surprise coming…

This novel is very well written and plotted. The suspense started out immediately and carried on throughout the story. I liked the way that Ruby and Downes got along with one another. I also appreciated the relationship between Ruby, Nathan and their daughter Cathy. It was well done and so very human. The team worked well together and they acted like real people. I truly enjoyed the book and will certainly look into more of Caroline Mitchell’s novels.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book to read and enjoy.

DI RUby Preston, her mobster boyfriend Nathan, and thier newly found grown daughter are all back in another chilling mystery. This time, Ruby needs to beat the clock on a serial copy cat murderer before another woman dies. I was given an arc of this book by netgalley for an honest opinion. A good addition to the Ruby Preston series.

Murder Games is almost a straight up serial killer police procedural. Read that line with my hint of sadness as I subtract a star. I will get back to my reasoning.
D.S. Ruby Preston and her staff are assigned the case of a killer who is kidnapping women and keeping them alive in a London hotel for three days as he sends clues to where they are. He sends photos, then ring fingers, then a death photo to the cuckolded husband. Because you see, the killer has met these women through a web-site, Debauchery that promises them a night to remember; and he don't like a cheatin'heart.(sic)
An unfortunate aspect of these killings is they mirror, to most details, the killings of Mason Gatly who was dubbed The Lonely Heart killer. Sad isn’t it how these killers acquire nicknames that will stay with them forever, or even just their given names will be famous forever. But who can remember a victim’s name?
Ruby is on top of her game, she seems to be the only one keeping her cools as the bosses above her fall apart with the pressure. Stability in her personal life suits her.
Ruby’s gangsta’s connections allow her access to Gatly in prison where they play games to manipulate each other.
As usual Mitchell’s books proceed in a logical, mostly realistic fashion. They should, she was former CID. For some reason the writing, mostly dialogue, occasionally seemed stilted. I also think she misused a few words. I’m just going to blame the editor; it’s their job to catch these things.
Break-neck pace as the detectives really are on the clock to prevent more killings. This book is dark and exciting as Ruby proves she has the chops for it all.
Now, for the missing star, there is very little of Ruby’s gangsta boyfriend Nathan and his horror of a family. The stability Ruby is starting to find with Nathan, their daughter, and his monstrous family detracted from the story. I really missed the "sturm und drang" they added to the previous books. Or maybe I just wanted more Nathan in the story.
This is not to say Murder Games can’t be read as a standalone, it certainly can because Mitchell is very good as the summing up. This is a terrific series, if you get the chance, read them all.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mitchell writes with an authenticity that few other authors can. Combining complex characters, twisted plot lines and just the right amount of humour with a breakneck pace Murder Game is another gripping instalment in the Ruby Preston series that I had to read in a single sitting.