Thank you to NetGalley, Avon books UK, Avon and Helen Fields for the chance to read and review this book.

"Death was a slowly creeping monster, and the terror was almost unbearable."

The body of a young girl is found dumped on the roadside in the outskirts of Edinburgh.  When pathologists examine the remains, they make a gruesome discovery: the outline of a doll carved into the victim's skin.

DCI Ava Turner and DC Luc Callanach are struggling to find leads in the case, until a doll made of skin is found nestled beside an abandoned baby.

After another young woman is found butchered, Luc and Ava realise the babydoll like is playing a horrifyingly game.  And it's only a matter of time before he strikes again. Can they stop another victim from being silenced forever - or is it already too late?

Wow! Helen Fields blew me away with this book. It was her best yet and contained some of the most sickening killings and a serial killer that is among the most sadistic you'll find. After finishing this book I was sat in shock and awe at just how brilliant it was. This was truly the perfect read to help me out of a reading slump.

Perfect Silence is book four in this series and bring back with DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner in Scotland feels like reconnecting with old friends.  By this point you know the Team but for anyone reading this as their first book in the series enough information is given for it to make sense and work as a stand alone book. Though I can't imagine you not wanting to read the previous books after such a fantastic story and I would highly recommended the previous novels.

The horror faced by the first victim, Zoey, as her life ebbs away is a riveting and captivating start to the book. We witness her desperate battle to escape and survive the madman who kidnapped and butchered her, get a glimpse into her tragic life as she reflects on what led her to this moment, and feel her finally accept her cruel fate as she embraces the sweet release of death.

As Ava, Luc and their team hunt for the person who is kidnapping young women, killing them and making macabre skin dolls they find they come up with very few clues. How is he choosing his victims? Why is he killing them? Why make the dolls?

It isn't until victim four is taken that they finally get some answers and as the police are closing in on their suspect the minutes are ticking by, my heart pounds and the switches in narration between the Ava and the woman being held make the wait agonising. Will they get there in time to rescue her or will a final victim be claimed? Will they capture the dollbaby killer or will they elude them? It is almost too much to bear as we race to the finish line with what seems to be the speed of a tortoise.

Right up until the police are about to knock on their door I'd had no idea as to the killer's true identity other than the snippets the writer had teasingly fed us along the way. This made the big reveal satisfying for both the reader and fictional detectives.

The tension from the opening chapter is maintained throughout this book and I couldn't put it down. I love how this author writes: her vivid descriptions, the apprehension that grips you from the first page, the horror mixed in with human empathy and kindness, the awfulness of meeting your fate at the hands of a maniac and knowing you are powerless to change it and the hope you can't quite lose until that final moment death comes. These things blended together and set amongst the mundane details of everyday life create a story that gets it's hooks into you the minute you start reading and doesn't let go until the last sentence. Helen Fields has created one of the best Detective/Crime Series available. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Mystery, Thriller and Crime books.

"Human beings don't have any limits when they're broken. It's the damage you can't see on the surface that's the most dangerous."

DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner with MIT are busy with the Babydoll Killer. A monster who makes dolls from skin cut from the bodies of young women who are kept alive while it happens. With few clues, the investigation keeps stalling out even as the death toll mounts. The killer seems to be a religious nutcase with a peculiar mandate and each victim is selected with care. Can they find this psychopath and get justice for the dead girls?

In addition, Callanach and Turner are running a parallel case involving random attacks on homeless drug users. Because they're high on "spice", they aren't reliable witnesses to their own assaults -- but then one victim dies. When information leads the team to a surprising perpetrator, all hell breaks loose within the police. Will Turner keep her job or has she gone too far this time with her arrogant disregard of orders from higher up?

I absolutely love this series. The setting, the characters, the cases -- it all rings with the authority of an author who knows the business. The story is immediately absorbing, quite chilling and the action interspersed with great dialogue and human interaction. Both police procedural and crime drama, this fourth in the series ticks all the boxes. I love the relationships between the members of the team and enjoy glimpses into their personal lives. I've been quite happy, however, that no romance has come into full bloom and hope it stays that way!

Now, unfortunately, I have come to the end of the available installments in this series. While I wait impatiently for #5 (PERFECT CRIME) to be released, I'll just keep all my new friends in Police Scotland in mind. I think it's best to read them all in order and I highly recommend the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, for the e-book ARC to read and review.

I've previously read Perfect Remains by the same author and found it extremely gripping. I had very high hopes for this one too and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. I tend to ehjoy police procedurals and don't mind them being a bit gruesome. This was one of those and the crimes being committed aren't for the faint hearted! Even more so because we follow the victims as they are attacked rather than just coming to the aftermath when their bodies are found. I haven't read books 2 and 3 in the series but this one focused more on DCI Ava Turner rather than DI Luc Callanach. I didn't mind this and enjoyed Ava as a character even more than before. A great read and highly recommended!

Loved this - these get better and better.
Great criminal, great plot and 2 great characters.
Excited about where this goes next

If you follow my blog you will know that Helen Fields first novel in this series Perfect Remains, ignited my new found love of crime fiction. I have followed the journey of Luc and Ave from book one onwards.

Set in Edinburgh this police procedural bring something extra to the table. The descriptions of Edinburgh and the surrounding areas are spot on. I love that I can visualise everything as it happens as I know the places. Well, not all of them, some are very dodgy areas indeed.

In book three Perfect Death I wrote in my review that it was a variation from the previous two books. For me, it was more of a psychological read. There wasn’t much gore and it was really more about the characters emotions and bonds with each other. You can read that review here – click here to read.

So diving into book four Perfect Silence, I didn’t know what I was going to get. I really enjoyed that it was the full-on gorefest that the first two books were. Helen’s writing gives my goosebumps, goosebumps. I loved reconnecting with Luc and Ava. My favourite character in this book was Jonty.

The plot revolves around murders in the capital that are a little unusual in nature. Plus an interesting side story which for me was a little too neatly tied up at the end. But that was my only niggle for the book. Everything else I loved, the pace and emotional content were on point.

I saw Helen Fields at Bloody Scotland and was able to say thank you for the gore!

I cannot wait for book five, omg FIVE I can’t believe I am saying that.

Another fab book by Helen Fields, once I started I could not put it down. I can't wait for the next one!

This is the fourth book in the DI luv Callanch series I had not read any of the other books. When a body of a young girl is dumped on the road side the detectives discover an outline of a fall carved into the victims skin! The detectives are having difficulty any clues until a doll made of human skin beside abandoned baby. The detectives start to realize the killer is playing a game with them and will soon be on the hunt for another victim. I loved all the characters and the story kept me busy turning each page!

This, the fourth DI Luc Callanach book, follows a familiar pattern - two crimes committed early on and parallel investigations into those cause conflict and tension, one being a more typical serial killer hunt, the other a more politically charged investigation.

Over the previous books it feels like Fields has grown bored of her French detective and has put a lot more focus into DCI Ava Turner. This is in no way a bad thing as she feels more real and likeable (less clichéd), but an odd progression for "The DI Callanach" series to have.

The action and cases in this book are quite compelling - young women being kidnapped and their mutilated bodies dumped a week later and a gruesome memento left in the locale of the next victim, with religious overtones; and a spate of drugged homeless people being branded in public places. As usual the killer leaves virtually no trace behind and it is quite some time before the detectives have any idea of who they are looking for.

I still have a few issues with the dialogue in these books, but the plot was solid here, with twists and turns along the way, with a very gripping, proper unputdownable final few chapters.

This hooked me from start to finish, and what a treat to discover there were other books. I wasn't surprised to see that Fields was a barrister by profession.

Not an easy or relaxing read, but had me drawn into the world of Callanach and Turner (a match made in heaven?). Some lovely characters....Lively, is particularly good.

My first book by Helen Fields and I can’t wait to read her previous ones.

This had me hooked from the beginning. Dark, gritty and just a little gruesome.

Loved finding out more about the characters, the teamwork, old fashioned police work with a twist.

Thoroughly recommended. 5 stars

After reading this, I immediately sought out the other books in the series and devoured them back to back. A super crime thriller series and I can't wait for the next one!

Someone is targeting the vulnerable in Edinburgh. It is up to Ava Turner and Luc Callanach to find the culprit before it is too late. The homeless are being targeted by having their face brandished whilst on Spice. Then vulnerable women go missing before turning up dead with the most horrific injuries. The crimes need to be stopped and fast.

This is finally pure perfection from Fields. I have always really enjoyed them but felt there was something missing. Not with this book. Everything is fast-paced, exhilarating perfection. I should start with a warning that this is VERY grotesque and gruesome. I am not fazed by crime reads, having read a lot, but this turned my stomach. Be warned and only read this if you can hack it. The brutal nature of the plot aside and we have two equally as thrilling and equally intoxicating cases to follow. I was completely absorbed in the book, intrigued and fascinated by what was happening, compelled by the plot and I could not put this down until I had finished. I know it is a cliche and I say it a lot but trust me, I REALLY did not want to put this down.

Plot wise this has everything; tension, danger, heartache and heart-stopping thrills, but the characters are incredible too. The police really come alive in this book and there is a lot of character development for all of them, not just Ava and Luc. It has taken awhile but the team really do feel like family and I experienced every high and low with them.

'Perfect Silence' is my favourite in the Luc Callanach series and I am so excited to have read this and will be unable to stop myself from recommending it. The plot is harsh but thrilling, and the characters involved only add to the perfect mix. This is perfection from a crime read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

This is the fourth book in the series starring DC Luc Cavanagh and DCI Ava Turner and their police colleagues.
A young woman is found dead at the roadside with a gruesome cut-out of a doll shape taken from her skin. Soon, the doll itself appears at the sight where a second victim has been taken. And so starts a chain of killings and torture. Can Luc and Ava find the perpetrator against all the odds? How many young women will be lost before they catch up with the killers?

For me, there were two particular strengths to the story-telling..
The first is we get to know the victims. Yes, this is pretty gruesome but it’s also very human. The girls that are taken will tell us their own story. Warning - some of this is dark because we are with them when they are captured and killed. But for me, it was one of the strengths of the book because the victims are real. You’ll see this in the very first chapter which is brilliant yet horrible – terrific thriller content.

The second thing I liked were the strong main characters and supporting cast. Of the supporting characters, Chief Superintendent Daisy Overbeck was my favourite. She’s so nasty and authoritarian and she and Ava will almost come to blows. I liked the way this shows DCI Ava’s spirit. As Overbeck says, it also shows Ava’s naivety when it comes to dealing with the higher echelons of the police hierarchy.

DI Luc was less of a strong character but he was still likeable. I’ve not read others in this series so I don’t know his backstory. Maybe this made me less sympathetic to him. Still, Luc and Ava have a real feel to them and they each have their own failings and strengths. (The only part of this that started to annoy me a tad was Ava’s plight as a single woman which is heavy emphasised in contrast to Luc’s new relationship with the glamorous Sabrina.)

There's a thread left dangling at the end, which I suppose will lead to a follow-up book. I thought it was a shame it wasn't all tied up. that said, it’s still a great story.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. This is my honest review.

PERFECT SILENCE by Helen Fields is is a great suspense novel. I had never read any of Field's novels before but I will be on the hunt to read more from this great author.

A new Helen Fields book is always a cause for excitement for me. I just love this series. Whilst each book can be read as a standalone, I do think reading them as a series would work much better so that the stories of the police officers can be followed. Also, why on earth would you want to miss out on any of these amazing books?

Perfect Silence reunites the reader with DI Luc Callanach (be still my beating heart, as this is one dishy French man!) and DCI Ava Turner. It also reunites us with Helen Fields' ability to write about a twisted serial killer. I'm not sure where her ideas come from but they are undoubtedly macabre. This time there's somebody going round taking young women from the street, cutting the shape of a doll from their skin and then leaving the women to die. Not only that, but the doll shapes are being made into actual dolls and used as a way of showing who the next victim will be.

Shocking, eh? But this is where this author excels. She plots her books perfectly, brings in a sick killer, and has Turner and Callanach save the day along with their fabulous colleagues.

Callanach is definitely a major part of this story but whereas he has taken centre stage in previous books, this time it's Ava's turn to step forward. Newly promoted and struggling against her superior, Detective Superintendent Overbeck (aka the evil overlord!), she's at her feisty best in trying to get to the bottom of not only the babydoll killer case but also a series of attacks on homeless people in Edinburgh. I do love Ava (almost as much as Luc) so it was nice to have the focus on her this time. There's also some great supporting characters in the police force - Christie Salter, Max Tripp, the fabulous DS Lively and the inimitable Overbeck. They all play their part in trying to solve the terrible crimes that the Major Investigations Team have to deal with and the story wouldn't be the same without them.

Perfect Silence is a fast paced, exciting, dark, disturbing and gripping story. I was thoroughly engrossed in it from start to finish.

I'm very excited to see book five is coming next year. Long may this series continue. I don't seem to be very good at keeping up with series but this is one that I always make sure I read.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am hooked! I will definitely be going back to read the first three books in this series. This is edge of your seat suspense. It's a police procedural done right. High tension and compelling characters will have you flipping pages. Highly recommend!

I've just finished the third book in the series (Perfect death) and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one.
Honestly, I was not disappointed! The dynamics between Ava and Callanach are even more intense than the previous book, but it doesn't distract from the riveting story line that Perfect Silence provides.
In this book Ava and her team have to investigate the weird deaths of some young girls. Everything screams serial killer, but with a twist....
Highly recommended, and if possible, even more than the previous novel!

When silence falls, who will hear their cries?
The body of a young girl is found dumped on the roadside on the outskirts of Edinburgh. When pathologists examine the remains, they make a gruesome discovery: the outline of a doll carved into the victim’s skin.
DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are struggling to find leads in the case, until a doll made of skin is found nestled beside an abandoned baby.
After another young woman is found butchered, Luc and Ava realise the babydoll killer is playing a horrifying game. And it’s only a matter of time before he strikes again. Can they stop another victim from being silenced forever – or is it already too late?






I have read these books pretty much back to back, only now realising I missed book 2 out. It hasn't really taken to much away from the reading experience for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed each one, and this is no exception. Here we are with book 4 in what I can see becoming a huge series.
I love the character of Luc Callanach, he's just so very different. I think there is a real good balance in this series between the seriousness of the work that needs to be done and the general camaraderie and humour between the team.
We see a lot more of Ava Turner in this book, a character that really is growing on me, a likeable character with the need and hunger to get on with the job in hand.

Searching for what appears to be a serial killer is never an easy task, The MIT have certainly got their work cut out. This case certainly had me playing detective, but I was wrong each time the book took another turn it was just brilliant.


This really is a gruesome case, and not for the faint hearted. It is dark and twisted, just how I like a good crime thriller to be. This will certainly keep you devouring those words, turning those pages until you reach the end and can finally breathe.

A nail-biting chiller that grips tighter than a vice, Perfect Silence is a heart-pounding thriller from a writer who is well on her way to becoming one of the new queens of crime: Helen Fields.

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach have had years of experience as police officers and are used to encountering sights in their line of work that are not for the faint-hearted, but even they are shocked to their very core when the body of a young girl is discovered dumped on the outskirts of Edinburgh. This is no ordinary murder but a complete and utter butchering of a young girl’s body. A young girl who is soon discovered to have fled her parents’s home and was lying low in a women’s shelter. The sight of her dead and butchered body had been bad enough, but the shocks keep on coming when the pathologists make a further gruesome discovery: the silhouette of a doll had been carved into the victim’s skin.

Finding the perpetrator of this hideous crime soon becomes a priority, but with no leads and clues being very thin on the ground, Turner and Callanach find themselves stumped. Who committed such a despicable act? Who is responsible for the young girl’s murder? The detectives find themselves chasing dead end after dead end, however, when a doll made of skin is found next to an abandoned baby and another young woman is murdered in the same way, Turner and Callanach realise that they are on the hunt of a dangerous serial killer who might just strike again. But can they stop him before another life is tortured and claimed in the same way?

With time not on their side, the two detectives soon find themselves jumping through hoops and rising above impossible challenges to catch a killer. But will they catch him in time? Or is this is a mystery Turner and Callanach simply cannot solve?

You know you are reading a good book when you start it at ten o’clock at night and are still turning the pages at three in the morning! Sleep is simply not an option when reading a Helen Fields novel and Perfect Silence had me so completely and utterly captivated that I almost devoured the whole book in a single sitting. An outstanding crime thriller that will enthrall readers everywhere, Perfect Silence is a well-plotted, brilliantly written and spectacularly told novel where the action never flags, the suspense will have you biting your nails to the elbow and the twists and turns are so shocking that your jaw will drop.

Turner and Callanach are fantastic detectives who are intelligent, methodical, meticulous and human. A wonderful double act who make this book stand out, Perfect Silence is dark, gritty and intense crime fiction at its unputdownable best!

Why haven’t I read Helen Fields previous books in this series? I will certainly be doing that now as I have already downloaded the previous three, but it was still a brilliant read as a standalone book. It is not for the faint hearted as the plto is very gruesome and disturbing. DI Luc Callanach and the newly promoted DCI Ava Turner are following the hunt for a potential serial killer who has been kidnapping women before leaving them to die by the roadside after severely mutilating their bodies and is using their skin to shape rag dolls which are then left for the police to find. Luc, Ava and their team are also trying to find clues to solve the mystery of why homeless drug users who are high on ‘spice’ are being found with a Z slashed into their faces. Are both these cases linked?
I think Helen Fields has created a fabulous series with brilliant characters and a plot which makes this a creepy and well paced read. I am definitely hooked on this series, do not miss reading them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.