Dark gritty crime fiction does not get any better than Paul Finch and his latest nail-biting thriller Kiss of Death. A chilling, captivating and terrifying page-turner, this is an exceptional crime novel you will struggle to put down.

Life as a modern-day police officer is not a walk in the park and nobody knows this better than DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg. In an age where budgets are being cut, money is scarce, resources are depleted and expectations are sky high, even the police force is feeling the pinch. With pressure mounting from all sides for the police to do the impossible and catch the evil criminals and malicious predators stalking the streets and destroying lives, the latest mission – Operation Sledgehammer – compels Heck and his team to stalk some of the UK’s most wanted men. Heck’s particular task is to find Eddie Greeley, a brutal and masochistic killer who, despite being the mastermind behind some of the country’s most shocking and blood-curling crimes has always managed to evade capture and has gone to ground and vanished off the face of the earth in the last couple of years. What happened to Eddie? Is he dead? Have his many enemies finally caught up with him? Or is he hiding waiting for the right moment to pounce and cause even more damage?

Looking for a needle in a haystack would be easier than looking for Eddie Greeley. Having been forced to partner up with Gail Honeyford, a fellow police officer with whom he has history, Heck knows that this job is going to be anything but easy, however, the maverick copper was never one to shirk from a challenge and he vows to find his man – even if he is forced down some dark and twisting paths to track down one of the country’s most dangerous criminals. However, when a piece of evidence comes to light that proves without any doubt that Eddie is no longer a threat, Heck realises that this assignment is even bigger than he originally thought. There is another player in this cat and mouse game who will do whatever it takes to remain one step ahead of the game…

Will Heck and his team manage to get to the bottom of this impossible mystery? Or will this be the case that will leave them all stumped?

Once you start reading a Paul Finch thriller, you will find yourself unable to put his books down – as I discovered when I started reading Kiss of Death and was still turning the pages at two o’clock in the morning! A chilling, high-octane and tantalizing crime read where the shocks are plenty, the action breakneck, the suspense nerve-shredding and the characters wonderfully vivid and believable, Kiss of Death is a terrific police procedural featuring a fantastic detective who plays by his own rules and who never lets protocol or regulations get in the way of his investigation: DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg, who certainly gives John Rebus and Roy Grace a run for their money!

Paul Finch’s Kiss of Death is high quality crime fiction aficionados of the genre shouldn’t dare miss!

Back of the Book : 

Don’t let them catch you…

A Deadly Hunt
DS ‘Heck’ Heckenburg has been tasked with retrieving one of the UK’s most wanted men. But the trail runs cold when Heck discovers a video tape showing the fugitive in a fight for his life. A fight he has no chance of winning.

A Dangerous Game
Heck realises that there’s another player in this game of cat and mouse, and this time, they’ve not just caught the prize: they’ve made sure no one else ever does.

A Man Who Plays With Fire
How far will Heck and his team go to protect some of the UK’s most brutal killers? And what price is he willing to pay?



What I think : 

This is the first in the series of currently seven books that have been written about 'Heck", Detective Mark Heckenburg, that I've read. 

I don't know if they're all stand alone books or they all interlink. But I quite liked this book, it had plenty of twists and turns and some pretty good characters. 

There is a bit of uncertainty in the main characters life, he seems to be a a bit of a crossroads in his life, should he move to a different squad to be a DI or stay where he is ?

I have read quite a few thrillers with a police officer as the main character and I did think that Paul Finch had written "Heck" pretty well. He seems to be pretty good at his job as well as being human too ! 

And the ending ! well, what can I say ? Go and buy this book if its only for the ending alone ! 

I give this quite gripping police thriller a week-earned 8/10

I don't usually do this, and I one who dislikes reviews with swearing in, but I have to break my rule just this once as I don't think a measly 'oh my goodness!' will cut the mustard this time around.

Fucking hell! I mean....fuuuuuucking hell! What an ending!!!!!! I have never read anything like it, and I am also extremely gutted that the next book in the series is not available right this second (there had better be another book in the series!). There's nothing like leaving your readers hanging is there? Usually I dislike endings where I find myself with multiple questions instead of getting things resolved, yet this just....works. No, wait, it doesn't just work, it's absolutely genius.

I must admit that I haven't read many of the 'Detective Mark Heckenburg' series, nor have I read them in order. However, 'Kiss Of Death' was a belter of a read as a standalone. Of course I must have missed out on the basic background of good ol' Heck and Gemma, but seeing as my knuckles went white as I gripped the kindle whilst I was reading 'Kiss Of Death', I have a slight feeling that I will be going back to book one and binge reading them all. In fact, that is exactly what I am going to do - how can I not?! Paul Finch is a genius!!!!

Heck seems to have his own set of rules where his job is concerned, especially if it means him being smack bang in the firing line despite being told to step away by his superiors. Heck's colleagues all know that they have to follow procedures and do things by the book, however Heck's memo with that on seems to have been mislaid....every time. I found his bulshyness quite arrogant yet it ended up being quite endearing as his passion pushed aside the arrogance like no tomorrow. 

If you're after a story which raises your heart rate, keeps you glued to your seat, makes your jaw hang open like you're pretending to be a fish, as well as gripping hold of things like you're about to fall off, then 'Kiss Of Death' is PERFECT for you. Don't shoot me here, but I wasn't overly keen on the book when I first started reading it. It took me at least 30 odd percent before I was able to lose myself in Heck's powerful persuasion's and Paul Finch's gripping storyline - I felt that the pace was too slow to begin with which ended up making the hook a lot slower to do its job. However, once the book surpassed the 30 odd percent mark, I became gripped by what my eyes were reading. It's gruesome, I won't lie, but yet again Paul Finch makes it work!

The more of 'Kiss Of Death' I read, the faster the pace became and the more intense the situations within the storyline became. There was so much to keep focused on, I couldn't help but feel as though my head was turning in every direction to keep up with Heck and the gang as they attempt to take on another, well, gang. No, I'm not complaining either!

Despite my earlier reservations, 'Kiss Of Death' ended up surpassing all of my expectations, making this one of the best books I have read so far this year! I am so pleased I ignored my earlier thoughts as what a cracking (literally), spine tingling, chilling, and utterly, utterly suspenseful read this turned out to be. I've said it once but I will say it again - that ending!!!!! Paul Finch has certainly got his readers where he wants them, and given the outstanding strength of his latest novel, I will be standing here with bells on waiting for the next book in the series!!!

Out-flipping-standing - give this man an award! Brilliant. Intense. Absolute GENIUS!

Oh Heck! This one was a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

If you love this series, as indeed I do, then Kiss of Death will tick all the boxes and then some, a purely brilliant read, truly edge of the seat stuff with an ending so devilishly clever you may well be stunned into silence for a while.

The writing is sublimely immersive with a darkly edgy feel, the case Heck is on this time takes off in beautifully unexpected directions and did I mention that ending? Yeah that one is going to stick for a while.

Pure entertainment, top notch crime fiction with a strong emotional core. Huge brownie points for this one. Bring on the next!

Highly Recommended.

As I’m sitting here writing this review, my mind keeps flicking back to that ending. I had heard that the ending of this book was going to be quite something and Paul Finch really did deliver. Wow, did he get the adrenaline pumping and now I really want to talk about it with someone, but I definitely can’t say anything about it here. No, you’ll just have to read the book for yourself to find out what happens and if you are a long-time fan of these books and the characters, like me, be prepared to be in for a shock.

Kiss of Death is the seventh book in the DS Mark Heckenburg series. I have been a huge fan of this series since I read Stalkers a couple of years ago and I have read every book since. In the latest book, Heck seems to be at a bit of a loose end in his career and he is tempted to move to a different squad, when the position of a DI arises, particularly as their budget continues to be eaten up by police cuts. This is a theme which runs through the book. You can see that Mark still has strong feelings for his boss, Gemma Piper, otherwise known as The Lioness by her team at Scotland Yard. Over the course of these novels you have been able to see that he has never quite forgiven himself for letting Gemma go after they had a short relationship when they were young police officers. Their relationship has always interested me and Gemma is a character who I find fascinating.

As Heck and the rest of the squad continue to remain uncertain about their future, they are tasked with tracking down some of the UK’s most wanted criminals who have gone on the run. And as their investigation into the missing criminals deepens, it takes a very disturbing path. You don’t realise quite how the investigations are going to pan out at the beginning but Paul really pulls the different strands together well.

If you are new to this series then be prepared for an action packed and tense ride. Kiss of Death can easily be read as stand-alone, but I really would recommend going back and starting this series from the beginning. They are all brilliant stories and you will get a lot more enjoyment out of the plot if you see how Paul’s characters have developed over the course of the series.

Heck is such a brilliant character. It was my work colleague who actually first introduced me to these books as Heck is also one of her favourite characters in crime fiction. Unpredictable is one word to describe Heck. He isn’t a police officer who will keenly follow orders, but as Gemma says, he does get results which is why he is sometimes given free reigns on a case. He is an officer who will fight for justice even if it means putting his own life and the lives of others around him at risk. Heck is also a character who you will root for right from the start.

Once you finish reading this book you really will be desperate to read the next book straight away. I know I’ll be first in the queue to read it and I’ll be thinking about what’s happening to Paul’s characters right up until then. Thank you to Sabah Khan at Avon Books for inviting me to take part into the blog tour and for providing me with a copy of the book to read via Netgalley.

This is an action packed thriller that did grab me from page one. However, it was a little 'action man' for me and I do think it's worthwhile you having read the earlier books in order to fully understand 'Heck'.

It's not a surprise that Paul Finch used to be a police officer as the details that are included in the story lend real authenticity, as do the dilemmas I'm sure are faced by many within the force.

It's definitely action paced and a real crime drama, but, the cliff hanger ending was frustrating for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Five Stars just isn't enough.
Sometimes when you love a series of books there can be a little bit of trepidation when a new one is coming out just in case it’s not quite as good as the previous one. I never have this feeling with Paul Finch. The Heckenberg books just keep getting better and better and this one is no exception. As ever there is no gentle leading you into the first crime, it's straight in there in the first chapter and I was totally hooked from the start. The action didn’t let up and I didn’t want to put it down. I loved that you explored further the dynamic between Gemma and Heck and that in turn helped to understand what drives them both.
The return of Gail Honeyford was welcome, I’d love to see more of Gail, I think she could work well with Heck.
The last chapter left me literally speechless and I didn't see that ending coming! I really can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Kiss Of Death is Paul Finch’s seventh novel about the adventures of Mark ‘Heck’ Hecklenburg, a detective with the Serious Crimes Unit in London. I haven’t read any of the other books, but this one has definitely put Finch on my list as an author I’d like to read more of. The book stands perfectly well as a standalone, though there are references to cases solved and events occurring in earlier books in the series which make me keen to go back and read them.

The story starts with Heck and his team apprehending a gang of anti-Christians who’ve been killing parish priests, interwoven with a couple of apparently unrelated scenes which become integral to the plot later on. The SCU are fighting to stay viable in an age of austerity cuts and combine with the Cold Case unit to undertake Operation Sledgehammer, dedicated to finding some of Britain’s most notorious and wanted criminals.

Assigned to find a nasty piece of work in Hull, Heck pulls on an apparently random thread and soon a much, much bigger case is unfolding, one which leads him in surprising directions. I’m not going to give away too much of the plot, but the author obviously knows his stuff as everything made logical sense as the case wound towards a resolution.

However, at the end of the book there is a massive, shocking scene which flips everything on its head for Heck. It’s a major cliffhanger and will obviously have huge repercussions moving forward. Ordinarily I’m not a fan of cliffhangers in books, but in cases like this, well into a long-running series with an established fan following, I think you can occasionally get away with it. I definitely want to read the next in the series to find out how things unfold, anyway!

Five stars for a fascinating read, excellent police procedure and a well-paced story.

The seventh Mark "Heck" Heckenburg thriller from Paul Finch. Having read all the books which precede Kiss of Death I was more than a little excited at the prospect of reuniting with Heck - I love these stories and Paul Finch always delivers on thrills.

Suffice to say that I was not disappointed.

Kiss of Death is another corker and, if anything, the action is bigger, louder and more shocking than ever before. Heck is still working under Gemma Piper his current boss but his former lover. Although the pair work well together there is always an undercurrent of tension between the two and it is clear that Heck would love the chance to rekindle the relationship the pair shared at the start of their careers. Unfortunately for Heck his cavalier attitude clashes with Gemma's "by the book" approach and she has kept him at arms length. Making things worse is the addition to their team of a new blue-eyed-boy who Gemma seems to favour and who is very much a "by the rules" player.

Trying to ignore the frustrations of seeing Gemma's head being turned by another cop Heck throws himself into the latest investigation. There is a push to track down missing criminals but some shocking evidence will come to the police which throws their investigation into a new direction. Heck is not adverse to cutting corners to get a result but such is his desire to succeed that he will find himself exposed and taking too many risks. It makes for terrific reading.

Paul Finch always makes excellent use of shock tactics to keep me gripped when reading his books and Kiss of Death was no exception. The story builds and builds and the stakes creep ever higher. By the time the endgame had been reached I was lost to the outside world - the book was my sole focus and I was oblivious to everything else. Just when I thought it was done...a sucker punch. Oh my days what a finale - no spoilers but WOW.

If you have not had the thrill of reading a Paul Finch "Heck" novel you have missed a treat (well 7 treats now). These books are brilliant examples of top class crime fiction and I urge you to hunt them down. Kiss of Death nets Paul Finch and Heck another five star review from me - I cannot get enough of these books.

Omg this book this book finished strong . The first half is mainly about DC Heck trying to find Britain's most wanted .What happened to them will stun you.

'Kiss of Death' is the seventh book in the DS Mark 'Heck' Heckenburg series by The Sunday Times bestselling author Paul Finch, and after taking a break in 2016 to be replaced by the DC Lucy Clayburn series of which there are now two bestselling books, Heck is back with a bang in 'Kiss of Death' but could this be the end for him in this new and compelling tale? Flaming Nora everybody, protect yourself because this is one rough ride!

As with all of the previous books, the story itself is self-contained meaning the books can be read as standalones or in any order. That said, Heck is (forgive me) a heck of a character and to understand his behaviour, complex personality and motivations fully you need to follow his evolution from the first novel in the series right the way through. Reflecting the current austerity situation here in the UK, there are rumours that the Serial Crime Unit (SCU), the specialist team who look into niche crimes, is to be disbanded to save police money. They are viewed as an unnecessary extravagance and most believe that the money would be better placed elsewhere. So, in a bid to save their jobs the team have reassigned themselves to Operation Sledgehammer and the dangerous job of tracking down and apprehending the UK's most wanted, with Heck tasked with finding a particularly nasty armed robber named Eddie Creeley who stands accused of disposing of his robbery victims in disturbing fashion. Unfortunately, noone knows where Creeley is until his sister receives a video and the whole search criteria changes - Heck is now searching for a violent psychopathic killer who has fallen in the clutches of someone who could be even more dangerous than himself, not only is Creeley in grave danger but Heck may be too. Let the games begin!

I thoroughly enjoyed some of the moral dilemmas explored in this book and the fact that the police still have to protect the life of psychopath Creeley despite him not valuing the life of his victims would be a tough one for anyone to stomach but in reality the police have to deal with these complexities everyday. This is a story that plays with your mind but never fails to make you consider the bigger picture. Finch's stories tend to have an authentic feel about them and that is no surprise, being a former cop and a scriptwriter for television police drama's. There is always action aplenty and I have found every one of his books to be extremely exciting and wholly gripping, sometimes the pages can't turn fast enough! 'Kiss of Death' begins at quite a steady pace for a Finch novel but it soon picks up to the usual breakneck speed I have come to both love and expect from his books. The story contained in each particular book is always unique and original and this one was no exception. And boy! That ending was certainly explosive, really explosive. I am pleased to report that Mr. Finch has the cliffhanger down to a fine art!

All in all, if you can suspend your disbelief for some aspects of the plot you will be well rewarded. Another episode of Heck fun and frolics comes to an end... until the next time y'all. Recommended for fans of Simon Kernick, Mark Billingham, M. J. Arlidge and Stuart McBride and crime buffs who like pacy, action-packed adventures.

Many thanks to Avon for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Kiss of Death. Paul Finch

When I reviewed Ashes to Ashes, a previous book in this series, I declared it to be my guilty secret. I like my books to be as realistic as possible but I found DS Mark “Heck” Heckenburg to be a little bit too gung-ho. However I did like him.

In this book Heck is back, and is just as gung-ho.

The SCU is under threat. The austerity measures are taking effect and as a specialist team, looking a niche crimes, they are seen as an extravagance that the Police can’t afford.

To try to raise their profile they have taken on an almost impossible task. Split into teams of two they are tasked to hunt down and arrest England and Wales’s 20 most wanted criminals.

Heck is teamed with new DC Gail Honeyford and sent to track a vicious armed robber who is thought to be responsible for a number a robberies where people were killed in the most horrific manner.

Eddie Creeley is a psychopath. Even his one-time associates want nothing to do with him. But what Heck doesn’t know is Eddie has gone missing. That is until his sister gets a video showing what has happened to him.

Heck is now on the hunt for a psychopath who is in danger.

The story concentrates on Hecks investigations, and in typical Paul Finch style this is a real high speed rollercoaster of a story.

These books are more Mission Impossible than Morse on a scale of reality. But for some reason I love them.

If you like your fiction adrenaline fuelled, and on the edge of reality then you will love these books as much as me.

I recommended the Heck series to a friend who is into the Jack Reacher books by Lee Childs, and who would wouldn’t usually read UK Crime fiction. He enjoyed them as much as me.

Paul Finch is managing something most authors don’t. He is crossing two genres, action and crime, and actually coming out well in both camps.

Pages: 464
Publisher: Avon
Publishing Date: 9th August 2018.

This is my first book by this author and although it was slow to start, it picked up and once the action kicked in, it didn't let go. It's a crime thriller that packs a punch but leaves you hanging at the end with a big cliffhanger. I'm not a fan of cliffhangers and prefer to have the complete story told in one book then you will be a little disappointed. Other than the cliffhanger, the book is fast paced and Heck is a fantastic character who never shys away from danger. There are dramatic scenes, high tension, and the pacing is excellent.

The start of the book has a few different stories but do bear with it because it all becomes clear as you read. I really enjoyed the book but I'm not overly fond of having to wait for the next book to come out to complete the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this gripping crime thriller.

When this author releases a new book I know that I will not be disappointed.
D S ' Heck ' Heckenburg is a gritty no nonsense cop who always gets his man. In this book D S Heck who is part of the SCU is now part of Operation Sledgehammer. The twenty most wanted criminals in England need to be taken off the streets. Unfortunately someone else has the same idea.
This book is a bit of a slow starter but stick with it as once the action starts it is full throttle right to the end.
This is one rollercoaster, hard core crime thriller. I loved it.
Can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next.
I would like to thank the author Paul Finch, Avon Books UK and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Gah. How on earth do I start? If you even remotely a fan of the Heck series, then you are absolutely going to love this book. And, if you are like me, you are going to bloody well curse author Paul Finch for how he sets us up and leaves us hanging, as without a doubt he does just that. If you like your cases wrapped up all nice and neat with a clear line over the end of the book, this is going to bug the hell out of you and no mistake as it ends on an almighty cliffhanger - just putting it out there.

But enough about the end, what about the story? Well this time around Heck is thrown somewhat of a curveball. After the thrill of the capture outlined in the extract, the team are given what appears to be a much more sedate assignment - tracking down some of the worst criminals on the UK's unofficial 'most wanted' list. Chasing down cold cases was now what you'd expect Heck and co to be doing but, as with any of this fabulous series, nothing is ever quite as straight forward as it seems. Chasing down his own particular felon launches Heck into the middle of a case which is much darker than he could have imagined and one which puts his life in grave danger.

So far, so Heck. Would you want it any other way?

I think what really makes this series is the way in which Paul Finch has created such likeable, if somewhat maverick characters. You root for them all the time, even those you may not yet have a strong feeling for, such as newcomer to the team, Gail Honeyford. She has a history with Heck which makes their partnership a little awkward, at least for him, but I liked her straight away. No nonsense, yet not quite straight enough to stop Heck at his most maverick, she is a fighter and someone I'm looking forward to seeing more of. There is also another new face, DI Jack Reed, who has Heck all of a bluster, mainly because of jealousy over his close relationship with Gemma Piper. It really is quite a using to see the mighty Heck reduced to almost school boy levels of sulking and petulance whenever he sees the pair of them.

But it is Heck who is really and truly the star of the show and he excels himself in this story. Never one to shy away from danger he is right in the thick of it with many high action, high drama and high tension scenes. You can really feel Paul Finch's skill in screenwriting being transferred to the page with scenes that have you completely hooked, perched on the edge of your chair and even holding your breath. The pacing in these chapters is spot on and the way in which the writing gets your heart pumping is excellent, giving me everything I want in an action based story. And Heck was at the centre of it all. Funny, determined and, for once, completely open and honest, he provided the thrills and some more heart warming moments as well.

Now this book actually pulls together a few separate stories which seem unconnected at the start. Bear with it as, when you start to make your way through the book, all will become clear and you can start to see a very distinct and unexpected picture forming. Paul Finch has done a brilliant job of hiding the wood amongst the trees but as you carve your way through you will understand how things really appear. But you will still have that one nagging, unresolved question. One you may not be certain you want the answer to ...

Argh. .. There is so much I want to say about this book but I really can't. The author said he wanted the ending to be explosive - well he managed that and then some. Just when you think things are going one way, he throws in a ruddy great big grenade and shakes it all up. I was absolutely floored by it. Gobsmacked. And I cannot believe I have to wait for the next book as I need it right now. My only regret is that I came so late to this series. What was I thinking?

Dagnabbit. It has been a while since a book as left me as happily frustrated as this one. Well done, Sir. Nice job.

The bosses of the National Crime squads hit upon the brilliant idea of compiling a list of the 20 Most Wanted criminals, and task their teams with bringing them in - all to stop their units from being closed down.

DS Heck Heckenburg is one of the team rounding up the villains. There's only one problem - most of them have vanished off the face of the earth.....

This is Book 7 in the series, and the first that I have read.

Utterly brilliant, with a most unexpected end....

OH MY GOD…. Paul Finch does it again in the 7th instalment of the Heck series! Absolutely loved it, had me gripped from page 1 so much so I read it well into the night as I just had to know and NOW…. Can’t get over the ending, my heart went out to Heck when he shares a spine tingling kiss with his one true love which ends up saving his life! Shocked to the core, what a twist and a rollercoaster of a ride through this book. Where does it go from here….. hoping I haven’t got too long to wait to find out!!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion

I was lucky to be allowed to review this book, and am I pleased I was.. I have read all the books in the Mark Heckenberg series. Each one seems to be better than the last, and this latest offering is no exception..
The story starts where The Serial Crime Units future could be in doubt unless they produce results to justify their existance.. While DS. Heck Heckenberg is investigating the killer he is charged with bringing to justice he comes across a piece of film showing his target fighting for his life like a modern day gladiator in some dim lit squalid arena. It then shows what appears to be the mans death.. the question is, is this real or is it staged ?
He then goes on to discover that the other killers being sought by other teams in the unit have also gone missing.. Then more films turn up. Could it be that someone is forcing wanted killers to fight against impossible odds to try a and save their lives.
This trail takes Heck into extreme danger as he gets closer to the organisation. The story takes you through twists and turns and along many paths, leaving bodies along the way. It all culminates in an explosive ending you will never see coming. Leaving the reader exhausted and mentally drained.
It leaves you wondering what the future holds for Mark heckenberg and how this case will affect him.. I can't wait for the next one..

What a fast paced book. Action from the start to the end. Good to see another Heck book out. Interesting and scary storyline and the ending was unexpected!

Oh my goodness! I've only just finished this book and I am done. Spent. Still reeling from that ending! Before I go on though, I will just mention that, although the main story is self contained, please do take some time to really get to know Heck et al and go back and start from book one and play catch-up. He is a bit of a complex character and some of what motivates and drives him, although touched on briefly here, does maybe need a bit more explanation to really get to know the real Detective Mark Heckenburg of the NCA SCU.
Reflecting what is going on in the real world, there are rumours of cuts to the Force and, as our story begins, it becomes apparent that the future of the SCU is threatened. To try and ride the tide, the SCU teams up with the Cold Case squad choosing 20 of the most evil fugitives to track down and bring to justice in the very aptly named Operation Sledgehammer. As they are to be working in twos, Heck is paired up with old "friend" Gail Honeyford. The two of them tasked with finding Eddie Creeley, a nasty man indeed, his crimes having escalated so much that he was even rejected by his own criminal peers, going to ground for several years already. But it soon becomes apparent that this new combined task force aren't the only ones searching for both Creeley and the others on the hit list and things start to go a bit south for all involved.
Once I started this book, once I reconnected with Heck, it soon became apparent that I was going nowhere, doing nothing, until I got to the end of the book. All the things I know and love about Heck were present in this latest episode. His complicated relationship with Gemma now has an additional facet with the addition of a new DI, threatening not only their on-off personal dalliance but also Heck's professional standing in her eyes. But, aside from that, Heck is the same maverick, gut following, corner taking, oblivious to risk, Heck that I have grown to really admire since book one and throughout this series. Bulldozing his way into things without really thinking through all the consequences, his ends being the only ones that matter and hang the rest of them. Whether he really would survive in real life work doing what he does, well, I'm not sure about that but, for the purpose of fiction, why not!? He continues to see things that others fail to notice, holds on to ideas that others dismiss, a bit like a dog with a bone at times but, and this is important, his heart is in the right place even if his lines are a bit blurred at times.
The plot contained within the book is a bit complex at times; there's a lot going on throughout. Most of which is very hard hitting and at times quite hard to read about as there are some very dark themes that run throughout the book. There are scenes and characters that, on introduction, don't appear to fit in with the rest of what is happening but, knowing this author as I do, I know they will eventually so the key for me was to just sit with them, remember them, and know that eventually the bigger picture will all come together. And it does, with explosive consequences!
I need to talk about the ending but, at the same time, I don't want to. If I don't talk about it I can pretend it didn't happen, right? Obviously I can't talk about it here even if I wanted to (spoilers) but suffice to say, even though I am not a fan of that kind of ending at all, it didn't annoy me in the slightest. Leaving things as the author did doesn't make me yearn for the next book any more that I was always going to, this being a series I already love.
The way things were left at the end does however pose the question of what next for Heck? How does he move on from this? Well, hopefully I won't have to wait too long to find out. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.