I'm no stranger to this author's work although I haven't read her Allie Shenton series which this, new series, appears to be a continuation of as main character Grace Allendale has taken the position vacated by Allie, a decision that doesn't sit too well with some of her new colleagues. To add fuel to the fire, Grace is forced to withhold certain information about her past, and indeed her present connection from them. In taking up her new position, she has actually moved home. Back to the place she and her mother once fled from, leaving an abusive father/husband. Now dead, his murder still unsolved, but with estranged family still living there, she is horrified that her first investigation centres on them when there is a rather gruesome death just outside the local gym that they run. Forced to keep her ties to the suspects from her colleagues proves to be impossible as the investigation proceeds and, inevitably, her integrity is called into question. Whose side is she really on? Will her past come back to bite her? Or, as more deaths occur, will she manage to keep her head below the parapet long enough to cut through the noise and work out what is really going on?
This book hit the ground running for me and didn't let up until the very end. Not normally the biggest fan of main characters' lives spilling over into the crimes they are investigating, I have to admit that here it really worked. As a reason for Grace's return, to explain the friction with her colleagues and a pretty nifty, well planned out motive for the crimes. The whole shebang really. I was especially excited with the cop / crime family connection which made for an exciting opener and has great potential to rear its ugly head throughout the series periodically.
I was also pretty much clueless through the majority of the book as to who and why, even with some of the added extra narrative interspersed throughout, adding colour to the already exciting story being told. I did manage to work it all out just ahead of the reveal, but not too early which, considering the sheer volume of this genre book I devour, is a pretty impressive feat!
All in all, an explosive series opener which has not only left me hankering after more but has also led me to queue up the previous series on my tbr. Hopefully I will have time to sneak this in ahead of book two of this one.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A gripping crime thriller that sees newly promoted DS Grace Allendale return to her home city of Stoke-On-Trent after the death of her estranged father George Steele. Grace and her mother had luckily gotten away from her abusive father while Grace was still young, but George's subsequent family weren't so fortunate. The Steele family have now set themselves up in their father's stead as local crime bosses, and the return of their half-sister, a policewoman to boot, causes more friction amongst the family. Then murders start happening, the victims all linked to the Steele family, and Grace has her work cut out for her to track the killer, especially as many people, on both sides of the law don't trust her.
I found this book hard to put down, racing through it in a day to find out who the killer was. Mel Sherratt has written a wonderful book, the characters are all too real, and I found myself cheering on Grace as she was faced with pressure from all angles. This was my first Mel Sherratt book, but it won't be my last. I'll be waiting impatiently for the next installment of Grace and her team. Recommended to all lovers of crime fiction.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt is the first book in a new detective series of DS Grace Allendale. It was a Brilliant read and I just loved it. I was hooked from the first few pages. It was gritting and the pages just kept on turning over I didn't want this book to finish.

DS Grace Allendale returns back to work and live in Stoke, where she grew up with her late mother and violent father. After working in Manchester for years. However, Grace has a big secret who her father and half siblings are and immediately comes into contact with her estranged family, When a body is discovered outside "Steele's Gym".
There are more murders and her secret has to come out to her Team she is working with - Her siblings are the Steele's and their father was murdered last year and the killer has never been caught.

Are all these Killings related?

Are there going to be more murders?

Is her team going to accept her? as she is a Steele? Can she fit in?

The new DS Grace Allendale I loved her character

Can't wait for the next book DS Grace Allendale.

So a Big Fat 5 Stars for this Excellent Book........

Big Thank you to Avon Books UK, NetGalley and Mel Sherratt for my advanced copy of this e-book to read.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Mel Sherratt and thought it was an excellent introduction to a new police officer. I would read others in a series if there are more in the future.
Highly recommended.

I have read and enjoyed previous Mel Sherratt books and was excited to see a new series with a new character – welcome DS Grace Allendale.

Mel Sherratt has brought us another excellent British crime thriller which had me gripped so much so that I sat and read it in one sitting. I did find it to be very descriptive, brutal and chilling which may not be for everyone but the story is more than worth reading – just skim over the horrible bits!

A great police procedural. There is a strong family element to this story as DS Grace Allendale is related to the local crime family, the Steeles. This increases the tension throughout the book. I knew from the start it would be a good read - it was so much more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Mel Sherratt for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and my friend Mel Sherratt, who has been a loyal member of my group for years.

A gripping new series from million-copy bestseller Mel Sherratt

An absolute masterpiece. Twisty, turny and full of surprises!’ ANGELA MARSONS, with Angela Marsons being a favourite author of mine as well, and I agree with heron this book !

A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.

All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.

To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?

A very clever, gripping, tense thriller, with a story that keeps you guessing all the way.
Will Grace fit in with her new team, the team that had worked with Allie Shenton, will the new team trust their new boss, is Grace's family involved, with nasty past memories in her head can she discover who is the killer.

I had no idea, and still guessing to very near the end, and still not know what was happening.

A great new series from Mel Sherratt. A five star book.

Good to start a new series and character so strongly, and Mel Sherratt is one of the great British authors at the moment alongside, Angela Marsons, Robert Bryndza, Carol Dwyer.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the plot. I liked how Grace was linked to the family that was being investigated. The identity of the murderer was a total shock to me. The plot has been very cleverly thought out. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. It will be interesting to see how the characters develop.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

DS Grace Allendale returns to her hometown after the death of her husband to work on the police force. Her abusive father was murdered there and the case has gone cold. She meets her 2 half-brothers and a half-sister who run a gym in town along with questionable other business ventures. Murders begin occurring with the victims having ties to the gym and Grace is assigned to the case. There are lots of twists and turns in this story line and it is a really good read. I would have liked to see the romantic story line developed more between Grace and Simon, a newspaper reporter. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I’ve read a number of Mel’s books and loved them all so was excited to see she had a new book with a brand new character.

DS Grace Allendale is a fascinating character, and I loved getting to know her. Her connection to the local crime family, the Steele’s, made the story even more intriguing, as did her difficulty connecting with her new colleagues.

As the murders mount up, there are a few different suspects and I continually changed my mind as to who I thought the killer was.

Yet another great and thrilling read by Mel Sherratt. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I was a fan of two of Mel Sherratt’s other series, so I was pleased to get a chance to undertake her newest. And this one has a great premise. Grace’s father had two families. While her mother took her and escaped an abusive marriage, the other family stayed in Stoke-on-Trent. Years later, Grace is on the force, newly promoted to DS and has been recently transferred back to Stoke-on -Trent. Meanwhile, her half brothers have inherited the largest crime syndicate there. And the first murder Grace is called to investigate takes place at their gym.

Everyone here is keeping secrets. Grace, especially, from her team. Sherratt has once again created a strong female character you can believe in and get behind.

The writing is straight forward, the plot well thought out. Several plot twists and I didn’t see the ending coming.

Very well done and I am looking forward to the second book due out in April.

My thanks to netgalley and Avon for an advance copy of this book.

I must admit, after reading all of the DS Allie Shenton books, I didn't think I would gell with DS Grace Allendale as much. I was wrong. Mel Sherratt has the ability to reel you in with her storylines, keeps you hooked and leaves you wanting more.
I can not wait until the next installment of DS Allendale and her team in April 2019.

This is the first book in the new DS Grace Allendale series by Mel Sherratt.

I will be very interested to see how this series develops as I am a big fan of Angela Marsons and MJ Arlidge who also have series with women detectives who have tainted histories.

Overall I thought the book was quite good but a lot of things seemed to be 'over explained', whether this is because it is the first book in the series, I don't know, but I am certainly willing to give book two a go.

3.5 stars

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Mel Sherrat’s first book in the new series Hush hush, as I have read several of her books and enjoyed all of them’
Grace Allendale has come back to home town of Stoke on Trent, to take up a promotion at the local police station as the new Detective Sergeant. There is a killer on the loose and at first, there is a bit of hostility between her new team, as the previous DS left big boots to fill.
Also being back in Stoke reminds her of her childhood, when she and her mother fled from her abusive father George Steele. The story goes back in time when her father became abusive towards her and locked her in the garage. He was murdered two years previously, but nobody found the killer. She feels alone, as her husband Matthew dies from Cancer two years ago and she hasn’t quite got over it.
The body of the first murder is found outside the Steele’s family Gym and subsequent murders after that seem to involve the Steele family. Grace has to investigate them but she doesn’t seem to be trusted by her peers as she is half-sister to the Steele’s but, as the investigation goes on, they realise that she part of the team and there to her job and catch the killer.
This is another captivating, suspenseful thriller from Mel Sherratt. I liked that it had a bit of Brit gangland rivalry thrown in. I think it’s a great first novel to I think is going to be another hit series.
Thank you Avon and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Hush Hush is the first book in a new detective series by Mel Sherratt and I just loved it! Already looking forward to book 2 in April 2019. The characters in this book just work and story had me wanting more from the very beginning. I have not read many books by the author and now I am wondering why. If you like this genre of book then I highly recommend this one.

DS Grace AllendLe returns to her childhood home of Stoke for a fresh start and a promotion. She has suffered a great loss and hopes to start to move on in a new place. She has her work cut out with her new team who are loyal to their previous leader and her secret that she is related to the local crime family, although estranged. When her first case is that of a body in the car park of that families gym she is quickly thrown in the deep end and her loyalties are questioned by all but herself. The bodies keep coming and she is determined not to get sucked in by her so called family.

This book is a very fast read s you will want to keep turning the pages. Plenty of characters to dislike and others to rally behind. This book has it all. Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

Wow another gripping page turner from Mel that you won’t want to put down. Grace gets promoted to Detective Sergeant with a new team in Stoke on Trent. Although she’s happy about her new job it also stirs up a lot of unhappy memories from her childhood. Her estranged father was murdered before she returned but now there are more murders happening could they also be linked to her father and her half brothers and sister. Struggling to know who to trust Grace begins to wonder if moving back was a wise move after all. This book grabbed me from page one and I loved following Grace as she tries to settle into her new job and cope with all the memories that quickly return. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait until next April for the next instalment of Grace’s story.

A new author for me and the start of a new series.
A really really good British crime thriller.
I was hooked from the first page and had to read it in one sitting.
This book is brutal and very descriptive, a great police procedural. A brilliant start to a very interesting series.
Why has it taken me so long to find this author????
I am already searching for more books from this fantastic author.
Can't wait for the next in this explosive series.
I would like to thank the author Mel Sherratt, Avon Books UK and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Very interesting storyline with an excellent interaction of characters. I really enjoyed reading this book and I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy crime stories with family interest.

Based in Stoke on Trent, Grace, the police detective in this series returns to her home town where she has blood relatives that are criminals. Then folk start getting murdered and there seems to be a link to Grace.

The book is separated by 'now' and 'then' chapters which can be confusing, but, which keep the momentum going.

This is the first in a series, although, I'm afraid the writing style didn't grab me sufficiently to want me to read more. It's an OK read, which I'm sure will have many fans and I wish the author much success, but, it's just not my cup of tea.


Thanks to Avon Books UK, NetGalley and Mel Sherratt for the opportunity to preview.

Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt is (I believe) the beginning of a series about Grace Allendale and her cases as detective sergeant in England. It took me awhile to feel invested in the characters and to care about what was going on in the story. Ms Sherratt mixed some past memories with the current story and did an excellent job of meshing the two together. I was given an early copy to review.

I’ve long been a fan of Mel Sherratt’s writing, she is such a versatile writer, and proving it by writing books in a wide range of genres whether it be a psychological thriller, crime fiction or suspense you are always guaranteed a cracking read. When I picked up Hush Hush the first book in a new crime series featuring DS Grace Allendale I was hoping she would incorporate her trade mark “grit lit” into the story, something this author does so well. I’m thrilled to report I personally think this is the author’s best book to date and had so many aspects that made Hush Hush such a gripping read.


DS Grace Allendale has recently returned to her home town of Stoke-on-Trent. Grace’s early years were spent living with a violent and abusive father, which ended when Grace’ s mother left him. Now he’s been murdered and Grace newly promoted feels able to return to the town she grew up in. On her return she finds herself investigating a murder, which is complicated by the fact The Steele’s a family who are well known for their criminal activities also happen to be Grace’s half brothers and sisters. As the old proverb goes "blood is thicker than water” or so they say, but there’s always an exception to any rule, which is certainly the case for Grace and the Steele family, loyalty is tested and conflict arises.

Grace like many fictional detectives has baggage, she’s a loner, she’s reserved but Grace is also a strong character, the brutal and disturbing chapters that describe her abusive childhood help the reader to understand the complexities of the “grown up” Grace. Alongside the investigation and on going problems with her family, she also has difficulty fitting in with her new team, they still miss their old boss Allie Shenton (featured in previous books by the author) and they also have trust issues which is hardly surprising considering who she is, but all these issues add to the overall tension.

Hush Hush is a solid start to this new crime series, with misdirection, suspense, and a dysfunctional family at its core this is undoubtedly a not to be missed crime thriller. There’s a gritty realism within the author’s books that some crime thrillers can lack, I found the chapters that delved into Graces past very disturbing and heartbreaking to say the least, but Mel Sherratt isn’t afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects head on and in doing so has written a crime thriller that is a worthy addition to any crime thriller lovers bookshelf. Highly recommended.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog