This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

An enthralling book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I found it a little slow to get started however once it gripped me it did so and wouldnt let go.

“The Other Victim” is the second book in a series; it is not necessary to have read the first book, which I hadn’t. The UK-based book starts with a missing person enquiry, which we read about from the main protagonist’s perspective, the 30-something DI Matt Brindle (yes, there are several protagonists, most of them police).

The plot is rambling, threads picked up and dropped without coherence, and the characters not easily distinguishable – the ‘good guys’ are similar, the ‘bad guys’ are similar, and the victims are similar, all bar their back stories. This isn’t enough to set them apart, except Matt, who is likable.

Plot points that are so important early on are easily dropped, e.g. what happened to Karen and will justice be served, the repercussions of Mrs. Brindle’s dates. The novel was a moderately-good page-turner with a few twists, but which are not astounding or memorable. The outcome left me scratching my head, as it was hard to see who did what crime (there were several), and whether justice was served in each case.

Many thanks to #TheOtherVictim #NetGalley and Joffe Books for a digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A great thriller/mystery with a likeable main character. Definitely a series I'd like to read more of. I gather this is the second in the series and the backstory is briefly explained in this one so I don't feel it's completely necessary to have read the first to enjoy this one.

This is the second book in a series and I have not read the first but I found it quite difficult to engage with the characters who did not seem to be working as a team which I found disconcerting. I found the beginning a bit disjointed and I did not engage with the new member of the team, DS Kate Baxter.I reserve judgement on DI Matt Brindle; the only member of the team I liked was DC Lily Haines! I am glad I persevered, though, because the plot itself was very good and this novel was definitely a page-turner with a complicated series of twists which I read in one day.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Helen Durrant/Joffe Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

i absolutely love this author and this series of books. fans and new readers will not be disappointed.

Great to read a book set in my local area. Great storyline brought to a satisfying conclusion. Will look out for further books by Helen to get to know the characters better.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author, Helen H Durrant, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Other Victim in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I am ashamed to admit, this is the first novel I have read by this author. It most definitely will not be the last though.
I thought the storyline was well written with intriguing characters. It kept me turning the pages until I finally finished. I enjoyed the book.

This was a new author for me, but it was well plotted and great characters which kept me turning the pages. Highly recommend to others.

Once again I am indebted to NetGalley for providing a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review. The author i am ashamed to say is new to me, however I will follow this entertaining book by catching up on more of her offerings.
This is a fast paced completely engrossing modern day Police procedural set in and around Huddersfield, somewhat old fashioned in style but none the worse for that, by that I mean a genuine mystery with plenty of plot twists and turns as several cases become linked and solved by teamwork and without the usual escalating body count. Descriptive with excellent characterization throughout this is the second book in the series, and while there are several references to the previous book which has resulted in the death of a colleague and serious injuries to our hero, from which he is still recovering, it did not detract from and in any way spoil my enjoyment of this quality book.

I am a fan of this author's Calladine & Bayliss series, as well as her DI Greco series, so I was super excited to see another series by her come across my feed. However, this story left me feeling a bit let down. To be honest, it felt like it was missing some crucial element that I have come to expect from this author.

Perhaps it has to do with certain elements and background characters being added seemingly for no reason. Or maybe its because when it comes right down to it, there is no real justice being served for the baddest of them all. Sure he's stopped, but then...? Unfortunately I can't say anything else without spoiling things.

I will say this story did take a couple of twists that I did not see coming, and I will continue on both with this author and with this series, I just hope the next DI Brindle story is more in tune with what I have come to expect from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Thank you Net Galley. I am enjoying the Matt Brindle series. They are fun to read. I recommend the series in general and the book in particular to anyone looking for a fast paced read.

I'm a big fan of British mysteries like Midsomer Murders, so reading The Other Victim by Helen Durrant felt familiar and intriguing. I've not read this particular author before, but I really liked our primary detective, Matt Brindle, so I suspect I will be reading more of her work. This was an interesting murder mystery, with a fair number of twists and turns popping up. It's a fairly quick read, so there are some places where details are glossed over, or characterizations are not as deep as they might be in a longer novel; however, I think we get all the information we need. The important characters are more thoroughly drawn, and I suspect they will carry over into other books and we will get to know them better--but much like in a "mystery of the week" or a procedural TV series, you don't always need to know everything about everything and everyone to enjoy the mystery or to solve the case. I enjoyed the side roads, and I enjoyed seeing the three detectives working together and the different dynamics among them--how they each handled various aspects of their personal lives, and how they handled different aspects of the casework. I found it intriguing that they had different styles and perspectives. I liked that none of our "heroes" are perfect--they have flaws, they make errors in judgement, they make missteps--to me that makes them feel more like real people, and real detectives. I liked the first 3/4 more than the final 1/4, but I can't quite put my finger on exactly why. Regardless, I am looking forward to reading more of Matt Brindle's adventures....

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Another great read by Helen Durrant- An estate agent id found dead in a property and no known motive is apparent- however a delve into his personal and business life soon leaves the detectives to a dubious nightclub that has a secret to spill

Fast paced detective story with interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns.New character who is going to liven things up.

This is book two in the Matt Brindle series, and as such it would be advisable to read book one first so you can get some background into his character, although the book does read OK as  a standalone book.

I am a massive fan of Helen's books having started reading them last year and I have gone back to the beginning of the DI Greco books on Audio, so couldn't wait for this book to be released.

I loved getting back into the team with Matt Brindle as they start off investigating the murder of an Estate Agent, but soon develops into something else when a discovery is made in the basement.

After what happened to his previous partner we are now introduced to a new character, Kate Baxter, who brings her own issues into the team, but seems to gel with them all quite quickly.

The book starts off fast and the plot and story line don't slow down until the end, which I felt was very well written and tied up most of the loose ends very nicely.

I am really enjoying the character of DI Matt Bridle and his team and can't wait to read the next one in the series

This book didn't grab my attention. Honestly, I had to force myself to read, but the story didn't grip me. I'm bummed because I do really like her other books.

Ronald Potter is an estate agent who is found murdered in a property he was trying to sell. Then a discovery is made in the cellar. There's murder, missing girls and many criminals. DI Matt Brindle is investigating the case with support from Superintendent Talbot and there's a new colleague Kate.

The characters all have family issues which make them more rounded characters. There are lots of side plots to keep you interested which tie up nicely at the end.

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I started reading this book before I realized it was the second in the series. I’m sure I could have read this book as a stand alone, but after I started it, I wanted to read the first one before finishing this one. So, now I’ve read both and I liked this book. I’ll defonitely read the next in the series. I liked that there wasn’t just one crime to focus on, but the other crimes weren’t thrown in just for a distraction or to confuse the reader. I’d definitely recommend this book and the series.

I actually adore Matt Brindle. I really just wish he had been invented by another author. I'd love to see Brindle show up in a Stuart MacBride book. I dont much care for the the rest of the cast. This story is the one that for me was the decider. I cannot read Ms. Durrants books anymore. I love brit-fic. Sure, everyone talks about Nordic noir. Pttt! That's my tongue giving a big old raspberry. I LUBBINS English and Scottish detective novels. The scenery is always special. The atmosphere is wonderful, but best of all is the banter. Especially those Scots! But this author lacks heart. She does get a few characters right. Lovable right! But I need more. I'm sorry, but this will be the last book I'll read from this author. Don't get me wrong, because she's very good. She really is, but I think she could do much better.