I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Murder in the Village, the fourth novel to feature DI Hillary Greene of Thames Valley Police.

Hillary is pleased to be appointed Senior Investigating Officer in the murder of aspiring politician, Malcolm Dale, found bludgeoned to death in his kitchen but with few clues and several suspects her team will have to work hard to find the killer. She grudges, therefore, having to spend time on newly appointed Superintendent Raleigh's latest initiative to catch local crime boss, Luke Fletcher.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the Village which is the best novel in the series so far. The plot is compulsive with some unexpected twists and turns and a very clever ending and moves the characters' personal lives forward in different ways. The novel works well as a standalone but I'm hooked on the characters and can't wait to see where Ms Martin is taking them next so I would recommend reading the series in order.

While the plot is interesting and absorbing - I had no idea of the killer until the dénouement it is not overly complicated or taxing and the real strength of the novel lies in the ongoing saga of the characters. What will Hillary do with her ex-husband's ill gotten gains stashed in an offshore account she accidently discovered? How will she deal with DS Frank Ross, her ex-husband's best friend, who spends his life trying to do her down? Will DCI Mel Mallow and DS Janine Tyler's relationship last given their career ambitions? It's intriguing.

I also like the writing style. The novel is easy to read and there is some light humour in the dialogue. Hillary is easy to like and I, for one, couldn't help but identify with and root for her when events take a darker turn. It makes for a tense read at times.

Murder in the Village is an easy read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

The DI Hillary Greene is an awesome series of books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, the story was interesting there were plenty of twists that I didn't see coming and as the series progresses and we get to know the characters the more I like it. This book is extremely well written and kept me interested and engaged the whole way through. Loved it, it gets a big fat 5 stars from me.

DI Greene and her team are back and involved in two almost unsolvable cases.

A man running for a political office is found dead in his home with his head battered. No witnesses .. no DNA .. no clues. The wife has a solid alibi .. she was playing cards with several friends. There is no lack of suspects, though and Greene's team is going to have to sift and sort through a lot of lies and secrets.

And then there's the death of a major drug dealer, one that the law has been after for a long time and never had enough to put him away. So who killed him .. especially as he was surrounded by cops?

On the personal side of things, Greene is recovering from a gun shot when she decides to investigate her new supervisor. Going by her gut feelings, something just isn't quite right. Her DS who is having an affair with the boss has created a problem within the team.

The characters are all so finely drawn and full of life. The who-dun-its are well thought out and always leaves me guessing until the very end. Although 4th in the series, each one does well as a stand alone. But I would highly recommend starting at the very beginning.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is an enjoyable and entertaining crime thriller. I liked the central protagonist Hilary and appreciated the location particularly as it is all familiar territory for me. This was an engaging read that is both tense and suspenseful. However, I would prefer a little more depth in characterisation and plot. Otherwise this a great series that is worth reading. Many thanks for the ARC.