Kiss of Death, the seventh book in the Detective Mark Heckenburg series. Mark "Heck" Heckenburg is part of the NCA's Serial Crimes Unit. This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to say WHY?. I really enjoyed this drama pact story, and will definitely be going back to read more of this series.

Thanks to Avon Books UK for an early copy.

I am a fan of Paul Finch's book. His devotion to crime thrillers is inevitable.

Honestly, I was expecting a fast-paced, action-packed binge read. But instead, this book is pretty slow for a thriller coming from such an experienced author.

Kiss of Death is a police/crime drama type book with plenty of gruesome details and horrible crimes. The main guy is called Heck and this is the seventh in the series. I haven't yet read the others, but I think I will look them out now.

It was a good read, suspenseful, detailed. The characters were good, well rounded and I enjoyed having a police force to get into.

Unfortunately, I couldn't read this in big goes, (due to a certain sporting event which we are now not mentioning), so read it in little bursts. I think, had I had the time, I would have flown through this in a couple of sittings. You kind of get hooked into it quite early on, and I very grudgingly had to set it aside to watch our boys.

Fast paced, gritty, action-packed. I would recommend.

I’ve read Paul Finch’s earlier Detective Mark Heckenberg books so I was excited to receive this one from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Heck is part of a team, tasked with investigating some very high profile criminals who need to be found and convicted. Known as Operation Sledgehamme, each member of SCU has a major criminal to find and Heck’s is a murderous and cruel bank robber, Eddie Creeley, who has been at large for many years.
Heck’s feelings for Gemma, his boss continue to be a major part of his life. He cannot get over them, yet he is not sure if she feels the same way as she she is very interested in a new and rather good looking copper on her team.
This is an adrenaline fuelled, fast moving story. Wherever there is danger, Heck is in the thick of it. He does not think before he acts and this leads him into a great deal of trouble.
The best bit of the book is the end, not because I was pleased to have finished it but because it was so exciting and it was set in the area of Hertfordshire where I live so I recognised all the roads! The closing scene was a real cliffhanger and I cannot wait to get my hands on Book 8 to find out what happens next! Pity I’ll have to wait a while for this treat!
If you enjoy thrillers you will definitely love this series.

DS "Heck" Heckenburg is back in Kiss of Death by Paul Finch and it is an adrenalin fuelled, action packed, page turning thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is the first book in the series that I have read but there was sufficient backstory to allow me to fully follow and understand the plot.

The action comes at you thick and fast and is unrelenting from the first page to the last. There are numerous twists and turns which keep you hooked.

So if you like fast moving thrillers then this is the book for you.

Absolutely fast paced read. Gritty, very descriptive and everything we expect from Heck. Must say the ending is .........

Looking forward to the next one. My thanks to the author, the publishers and netgalley for the ARC.

This was going to be a 3 star read due to the laboriously long descriptions of everything! However that ending redeemed it enough to raise it to 4 stars. I need book 8 now!

A taster for those not read Paul Finch as yet just enough to hook you into his world and get you seeking more

As always Finch writes a fantastical, twisted storyline with the return of several central characters. Drama filled and with a plot unfolding at breakneck speed this series is always difficult to put down. Heck really is the bulletproof, rogue hero of every hour. While Finch writes with a certain authenticity, the character of Heck is beyond believable but that clever style is what makes him such a brilliant author.

Gripped from page one until the end and now I want more! This is the 7th in the series featuring DS Mark Heckenburg. He works for serious crimes unit under his boss and ex girlfriend DSU Gemma Piper.
Operation Sledghammer is set up to track down the UK’s most wanted but the most wanted are disappearing, is it foul play? I loved how the story unfolded and the characters. The continuing interplay between Gemma and Mark just add to the story.
You could read this without having read the previous books but I would definately recommend reading it. I will be waiting for the next Book!

DS mark Heckenburg most certainly investigates crimes in his own way. A modern day Jack Reagan who goes his own way to solve what seems to be a most unusual case. Well worth a read. Looking forward to reading his other books.

A lovely and gripping thriller. I started this book around 9 in the evening and I did not put it down until I finished it. I loved the pacing and characters!
I can highly recommend this.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Kiss of Death, the seventh novel to feature DS Mark "Heck" Heckenburg of NCA's Serial Crimes Unit.

With the most recent wave of cuts threatening its existence the SCU is in trouble so DSU Gemma Piper has found a solution in Operation Sledgehammer where, in conjunction with the equally threatened Cold Case Unit, they will hunt down the worst unapprehended suspects and bring them to justice. Heck and newbie DC Gail Honeyford are sent to Hull to apprehend Eddie Creeley but what they discover there sends the case in a new direction.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kiss of Death which is a high octane, action packed read with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. It should be noted that while the premise of the plot is highly improbable it doesn't get in the way of an exciting read which starts with action, finishes with action and has some kind of action in almost every chapter. It is a fairly violent novel which might not appeal to the faint hearted but fairly reflects the world Heck moves in. It makes me think of the blockbuster action films from the 80s. The novel ends in a cliffhanger that no one will see coming and already has me desperate for the next one in the series as it will be very interesting to see what Mr Finch does with the sad scenario he has created.

Heck is the character who drives the novel. He is smart, maverick and seemingly unafraid of anything. He is the one who makes the connections, seeing patterns and relationships other can't and is often the one to collect the information that informs his thinking, often by unorthodox means as he has never seen a rule book he didn't want to tear up. He is always at the thick of the action and no matter how many times he is hit he always gets up to have another go. In some unexpected, candid moments in the novel he explains his attitude for the first time. He has an interesting perspective.

Kiss of Death is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.