Another great book from Matt Brolly. Fans will not be disappointed!

DCI Lambert is back and this time it's personal. A body has been found electrocuted in a bath, and whilst everything points to suicide, an index card with two words, DCI Lambert, printed on it starts the police on a gripping adventure and murder hunt.

I would absolutely recommend this book. It's fast paced, with a well developed plot that brings you into the life of Lambert, his fellow police officers and family. A definite must read!

Thanks Netgalley for a copy to read and review and give my honest opinion. Nice cover and blurb. This is the fourth book in the series and the series should be read in order for best entertainment value since the author lightly describes characters in this book. All the characters seem to play a previous part in a prior book since the criminals in the case are from an already closed case.


Detective Chief Inspector Lambert is called to a crime scene of what looks to be a death by electrocution in the bathtub. The killer has left his name on a handwritten note at the scene. A subtle taunt from the killer to make sure DCI Lambert is alerted to the case. DCI Lambert has recently gained notoriety because of the high profile case he has just worked on putting away several pedophiles. While Lambert's career seems to be taking off his personal life is a mess. He has recently reconciled with his ex wife and they are currently taking things slow. The case heats up though when the killer leaves Lamberts name at several more murders, and Lambert is eventually suspended.

I enjoyed the book but I think my reading pleasure was stunted because I hadn't any of the previous books. I found it really peculiar though that the police itself had multiple burner phones, and was consistently downgrading other officers to not touch this investigation. I don't have much experience with British Police but some major trust issues going on. Still it was a great book, and entertainment was four stars. I would read from this author again.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the fourth in a series, which I would definitely recommend you read in order. Here, our protagonist, DCI Lambert, is supposed to be investigating the murders of two men, who are each discovered with his name on a card near their bodies. However, he is instead obsessed with the escape during a prison transfer of a paedophile he was responsible for investigating and prosecuting in the last book. Having been explicitly forbidden from getting involved in the investigation into the escape, Lambert more or less abandons his cases to his team and hooks up with his former girlfriend to look into the escape which he assumes (on very little evidence, although he is of course proved right) to be linked to his own neglected murder cases.

In the meantime he ignores his wife with whom he has (see earlier instalments I presume) recently reconciled, avails himself vigilante-style of a Glock hidden in a secret lock up with his "go bag", and generally struck me as an unpleasant human being.

On the other hand, this flowed well, and I would probably have been more sympathetic if I had read earlier books in this series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of Dead Time, the fourth novel to feature DCI Michael Lambert of the Met.

Lambert is settling back into an uneasy home life with his wife Sophie and adopted daughter Jane when he gets a call to go to a flat in Hampstead where a man has been electrocuted in his bath. It all points to suicide except for the index card with two words printed on it, DCI Lambert. Despite the brass's misgivings Lambert's boss, Glenn Tillman assigns him the case, arguing that the killer wants him involved. Separately, DCI Sarah May, Lambert's ex girlfriend, is investigating the daring escape from custody of Peter Saunders, a member of The Manor paedophile ring whom Lambert imprisoned a year earlier.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Time which is an action packed, high octane thriller which carries on with the same theme as the previous novel, Dead Embers, so while the Dead Time works as a stand alone the reader will get more from it having read Dead Embers first.

The Manor is a nebulous association of depraved paedophiles with members in high places and a strong desire to protect its members. Fortunately for the reader the novel is not interested in the paedophilia, only the protection which involves harming Lambert. The plot is well conceived and an exciting read as Lambert suffers blow after blow but always manages to rally and push the case forward. Most of the twists are real surprises so the novel held my attention throughout.

As the novel is a thriller, rather than a procedural characterisation is not its strongpoint. Sarah May does a lot of running and otherwise follows Lambert's suggestions. Glenn Tillman is an enigmatic man of uncertain temper and mysterious sources of both information and manpower. The most developed character is the protagonist, Michael Lambert, a smart man burdened with guilt over the death of his daughter, Chloe. It makes his relationship with Sophie problematic and dysfunctional and not very convincing.

Dead Time is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.