I would recommend this story to all thriller lovers. This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well-written characters.

An excellent start to a new detective series. I really enjoyed reading this and the way it was written. Highly recommend,

Wow, what a thrilling read!!! It was a slow start, but I'm very glad I persisted, and it was worth each and every page!
Recommended.

A get detective book, can't wait to read more in this series! Lots of twists and turns, unputdownable!

Thank you NetGalley and Aria Books for this arc.

This started with 3 different stories. Told in alternating and short chapters. While each appeared interesting, I had a tough time getting into the book and kept putting it down.... to do another load of laundry... to go to the grocery store... to walk the dogs... to run the vacuum... yadda, yadda, yadda. I was beginning to think that this would end up on my DNF shelf with me wondering "what was the point?" Then the 1st big "twist" blindsided me and 3 stories turned into 2 stories...within a couple more chapters, the 2 stories twisted again into one and a rope big enough for me to really swing from!

Annie Parker & Nisha Patel are great characters that I really liked. Paula and Sarah were well developed and sympathetic and even admirable characters as were Danny and Martin even though I didn't find them nearly as likeable. Mid way into the book, the action was nonstop and I was no longer wondering whether I'd finish or not... I couldn't put it down. I found the resolution of all the various plot lines especially satisfying. I do hope that D L Michaels has more Annie Parker books coming!

This book is about secrets and lies. I love the first person stories told by each character. Wasn't sure where the stories were all going and if they intertwined or not but that's the best part of the book keeps you interested and reading into the night. Not a twist and turn with a shocking ending kinda book but more just a decent intriguing read!

Durch den gefälligen Sprachstil und mehrere Erzählebenen entsteht eine sehr lebhafte und spannende Geschichte, die das Buch zu einem wahren pageturner werden lässt. Macht süchtig nach mehr.

B A Paris meets Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope in D L Michaels gripping debut novel introducing a terrific new detective crime fiction aficionados are going to love, DI Annie Parker.

DI Annie Parker is a dedicated police officer who loves her job and tries her hardest to be the best cop she can possibly be. But life has not been exactly a walk in the park lately. Her husband and daughter in law had died in a road accident and Annie now has to contend with her grief, as well as having to look after her heartbroken son and her granddaughter. With a demanding job and a family torn apart by anguish and misery, Annie certainly has a lot on her plate, but she is a true professional and she will not let her personal life impact on her work. When she hears about a 20 year old murder that is still shrouded in mystery, Annie, alongside her sergeant Nisha Patel, is determined to track down the killer and bring the perpetrator to justice, even if getting close to the truth brings her up against one of the country’s most dangerous and most bloodthirsty criminal families.

Paula Smith was a woman who had the world at her feet. She could have had it all and happiness could have been within her grasp – if only she hadn’t a millstone around her neck in the shape of her husband Danny. Emotionally and physically abusive, Danny submits Paula to spine-chilling abuse on a daily basis. A man who resents and hates his wife with a passion, Danny does not miss an opportunity to hurt and humiliate his spouse. Paula knows that she should leave him and start afresh. But Danny is a man who knows something about her. Something so shocking and devastating that it could bring her entire world crashing down.

Happiness had always eluded Sarah – until she had met Martin. She had finally thought that she had found the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with. But Martin isn’t all that he seems and he has a secret that threatens everything they share. However, Martin is not the only one with a secret that could jeopardise everything…

What is the link between these three women? Will they manage to find the answers to the questions that are haunting their every waking moment? Or are some things better left dead and buried?

Dead and Gone is an impressive debut novel that deftly juxtaposes chilling domestic noir with a nail-biting police procedural. A gripping read that will keep readers enthralled and eagerly turning the pages, Dead and Gone is packed with explosive twists and turns that will make hearts pound, jaws drop and tensions rise. Skillfully written, wonderfully suspenseful and a winner from beginning to end, Dead and Gone is a first class thriller readers of the genre are going to lap up.

A great second novel in the DI Annie Parker series which focuses on the lives of three women. The book sets off at a cracking pace with short and action filled chapters. A great plot with a huge number of twists and interesting characters. I hope to see another book in this promising series. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy.I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

‘Dead & Gone’ is billed as being ideal for fans of Angela Marsons and Tess Gerritsen. I just love both authors and so I had high hopes for this book. I was not to be disappointed as I absolutely, totally and utterly flipping well loved this book but more about that in a bit.
This book focuses on the stories of three women. DI Annie Parker is a mother and grandmother, who is also a dedicated police officer. She has recently experienced tragedy with the loss of her husband and her daughter-in-law in a road traffic collision. Annie lives with her son and his daughter, Annie’s granddaughter. Annie is being pulled in all directions because her son is not the person he was before the accident and Annie finds herself having to take on more of her grandchild’s case because her son is unable to. Her grandchild is suffering too because of course she is missing her grandfather and her mother and it isn’t surprising that she clings to her grandmother so much. At the same time Annie is dedicated to her work and often the two worlds collide. The start of this book illustrates this perfectly. Annie goes to the chemist to get some medicine for her grandchild but is involved in an altercation with another driver. Something about the driver and his passenger rings an alarm bell with Annie and her police training kicks in. It isn’t long until she is involved in a pursuit with the aforementioned car driver and passenger and ends up staring down the wrong end of a gun. Annie is feisty, she is determined, she is hard working and she is one of those women who people immediately take to and look up to. Paula Smith is another of the ladies. She is married to a man called Danny, who is an alcoholic and prone to alcoholic rages. He regularly puts Paula through the emotional wringer with his emotional and physical abuse, his alcoholic rages, his wetting of the bed and so on and so forth. I thought that she deserved a medal for putting up with him. Paula is a highly successful business woman but the business was originally Danny’s business and he resents the fact that he is not in charge anymore. Paula prepares to leave Danny and divorce him. Unsurprisingly Danny is not amused. Paula should be afraid because Danny knows one of her deepest secrets and if she pushes him too far, then the secret will be revealed. Sarah is the third of the women. She meets a man called Michael and the couple seem to be made for each other. Appearances can be deceptive and it soon becomes apparent that the pair of them are hiding their own little secrets but what could they be?
The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn in from the first word on the first page and before you know it you are hooked on the story. I became seriously addicted to reading ‘Dead & Gone’ and just couldn’t put the book down. The book wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because my Kindle came everywhere with me. I even begrudged taking my two loopy Labradors out because it would interrupt my reading time, which didn’t go down well as you can imagine. The page numbers and time flew past and before I knew it over three hours had passed but because I was so into the story and enjoying the book so much I hadn’t noticed. Before I knew what was happening I had finished the book which I had mixed feelings about. I was pleased to finish because I knew how the story ended but I was disappointed because I was enjoying the book so much that I just wanted the book to continue. The book hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. Reading ‘Dead & Gone’ was like being on a rollercoaster ride with lots of twists, turns and stomach churning moments. The chapters are written from the points of view of the different characters but this way of telling the story works really well and the story flows seamlessly.
In conclusion I have to be honest and say that there was not one thing that I disliked about this book. I loved the first book in the series featuring DI Annie Parker and I can’t wait to see what fate has in store for her, her family and her team. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long a wait in store. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

If you're a crime thriller reader, it's always exciting to find a new detective you like, and DI Annie Parker is such a character. Reminiscent of ITV's 'Vera', but more conventional, she has a family albeit one fractured with grief but she has the same tenacity, kind heart and innate skill of finding the truth.

The plot is deliciously sophisticated but easy to read. The main characters tell their stories in headed chapters. There are many connections and just as many twists as the plot weaves and intertwines seemingly separate characters and events. Historic and real-time stories make this absorbing, and the final court case chapters are authentic and suspenseful.

DI Annie Parker's personal life gives essential insight into the woman who gives herself tirelessly to her career, the final scenes are beautifully poignant and provide an extra dimension to this fast-paced crime thriller.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

When DI Annie Parker visits the supermarket, little does she realise that a disagreement with a fellow customer will see her becoming embroiled in a case that will pit her against one of the country's leading crime families as she investigates a 20-year-old murder. Meanwhile, the life of successful businesswoman Paula Smith should be a happy one. Indeed it would be, if it wasn't for her alcoholic husband, Danny, who she knows she should leave. What is the secret that keeps her there? In contrast, Sarah Johnson's life appears idyllic. Married to a man she loves, all is not, however, what it seems. What secret is he harbouring?

Dead and Gone is a police procedural with a twist. After losing her husband and daughter-in-law in an accident, work has become somewhat of an escape from Annie's home life. Her son has come to depend on her more and more as he attempts to deal with his own grief, often leaving her in charge of her young granddaughter. Now with the added complications her sister brings, the magnitude of this case threatens to overwhelm her. Never one to be deterred, though, Annie comes across as a feisty, no-nonsense officer and one that I would love to read about again.

At first, I did find the format of the book slightly confusing. The story is told from the points of view of the three main characters and, until I got to know them all, I found myself getting confused between Paula and Sarah. Once the story took hold, however, I soon became engrossed in their back stories although I still looked forward to Annie's chapters the most.

It was inevitable that, at some point, the three story lines would converge and so I was constantly looking for ways in which I thought it would happen. When it did, the twist was not something I saw coming and was definitely a great surprise. It was probably at this point that I started to read a lot faster, desperate to know the outcome of the huge revelation!

Dead and Gone is a great start to a series and I look forward to reading what follows.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is hopefully the first in a series of DI Annie Parker. Annie is struggling to balance her police career and helping her son and grand-daughter in the aftermath of the deaths of her husband and daughter-in-law. She works alongside her Sergeant Nisha Patel in the historic crimes unit.

In their investigation into a 20 year old murder we are introduced to Paula a successful business woman married to Danny an alcoholic, and Sarah married to Martin an artist. Everyone has secrets but some peoples are much bigger that others.

The development of this story is very cleverly told and there are some great characters and relationships in it. I couldn't take to Danny though with his childish manipulative attitude and his preening peacock behaviour but he was well written.

I really liked Annie and her family dynamics with her sister and son. I would definitely be interested in reading a sequel.

I like a good old-fashioned crime story - a police procedural if you will. This fits the bill, but it also has elements of a darn good psychological thriller.

Annie Parker is an old school copper, the kind who rely on gut instinct and knowing when something's not right. As the Detective Inspector in Historic Crimes, she puts in the hours required to get to the nitty gritty of a case. Her right hand is Nisha Patel, a Detective Sergeant who knows to be thorough and leave no stone unturned. Annie also has plenty going on in her home life, all adding to her daily workload. I really hope this turns into a prolific series - that's now much I revelled in this book.

I'm not going to give much away; the story begins by following three women, one of whom is Annie. This sets the scene for several mysteries to be solved, all wrapped up in one great big rubik's cube type mystery, twisting one way and then the other whilst all the time your head is going round in circles whilst occasionally something 'clicks'. The story is very realistic, you can imagine it all happening in real life terms. The writing is terrific, the plotting skilful, creative and exciting with very little happening which the reader could predict. This is an intricate tale, with none of the details beyond the realms of possibility. It's the kind of novel where you find yourself reading 'just a few more pages' (several times over) with great reluctance to set it aside and yet when the end is obviously near, you wish you had rationed yourself! D. L. Michaels is an author I shall be keenly watching out for in future. Dead and Gone is a very gripping read, and one which I'm happy to endorse and recommend.

My thanks to publishers Aria for pre-approving my requested copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Are people really who they say they are?

This is the debut novel featuring DI Annie Parker. Paula Smith has everything; a career, husband and money. Her husband is the only blight on her almost perfect life, however, they hold a secret that ties them together.

Sarah has found her soul mate in Martin - caring, sensitive and loving, yet he has a secret and so does Sarah.

DI Parker and her sergeant hear about a 20-year-old murder, that nobody knew about. They decide to track down the murderer even if they must confront the most dangerous crime family in the country.

I loved this book. It had me hooked from the beginning and I never guessed the twists until they happened! There are many twists and turns and it has you dizzy with excitement.

The book is well written and the characters are plausible as is the story. I have not read a book like this for a long time and the storyline, to me, is totally original.

I am looking forward to reading and reviewing some more of this author’s books.

Shesat

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Great book but wasn't so keen on the way it was told. Felt the book was rather long and the chapters so short. The writing style just asn;t to my choice but the plot etc was all great

All the lies/secrets of Annie, Paula, Danny, Sarah & Martin, loved the way they came together and the twists and turns along the way which I didn't see coming, I really felt for Paula/Sarah, all that guilt she had to deal with and a conniving husband to let her feel that way to keep his hold, this book kept me reading well into the night, will definitely be watching out the second instalment of the Annie Parker series, hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

Many thanks to Aria and Netgalley for affording me a preview in exchange for my honest opinion.

I would like to thank Aria and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Dead And Gone’ by D L Michaels in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
DI Annie Parker and her sergeant Nisha Patel work in the Historic Crimes Unit in Derbyshire and when they hear of a murder that happened twenty years ago they have no choice but to search for the truth. During their investigations they come in contact with Paula Smith, successful businesswoman and wife of alcohol-addicted Danny, and artistic Martin Johnson who has his own secret to hide.
‘Dead And Gone’ is a thoroughly enjoyable police thriller with all the makings of an excellent series. It has interesting and likeable characters, a clever plot, lots of criminals and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. It’s been well-written and is totally absorbing with lots of excitement and a satisfying ending. I’m hoping there’ll be another DI Annie Parker novel in the near future.

I struggled a bit with this book. The story was good, the main character was interesting and it was definitely the sort of book that I usually enjoy.

This is a long book, with lots of short chapters told from the different characters point of view. There is a lot going on and a lot of stories to keep straight. DI Annie Parker was a complex character, a mother, a grandmother, a widow and a DI.

I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. In saying that I will read this author again.

Thanks to Aria and Netgalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions

Annie Parker. Paula and Danny Smith. Sarah. Martin. They are all dealing with secrets. At first, they all seem unconnected. But as the story wears on, and we learn about each individual, the dots slowly become connected. Each character is told in first person as their stories unfold.

For Annie, a DI from the Historic Crimes Unit, she is investigating a murder from over twenty years ago. Paula, a successful businesswoman, is unhappily married to alcoholic husband Danny. She badly wants a divorce, but he won’t grant it. Then there is Sarah. She meets Martin Johnson and they quickly fall in love and marry. Everyone, as it seems, is hiding secrets.

Although a slow read at first, the stories begin to intertwine. I was eager to see how all of these secrets were to unravel. There were some surprise plot turns. Nothing earth-shattering per se, but enough to keep me reading deep into the night. Dead and Gone is the first in a new series. I look forward to D.L. Michaels next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria for this ARC to review.