Kerry Wilkinson has started a new series (or at least new to the US). Given how much I love the Jessica Daniels series, there was no chance I was going to miss this one.

Andrew is a PI, but not your typical down on your luck PI. It seems he doesn’t have to work and does this to stay busy. He’s got a great young assistant, Jenny who may have some empathy issues but is sharp as a tack.

The dry Wilkinson humor is still there, albeit a little subtler than in the JD series. That’s mainly because Andrew isn’t snarky like Jessica. (Well, except when it comes to male/female relationships.) Still, Wilkinson just has a way of catching the humor with his phrases. I found I often had a small smile on my face while reading, lots of appreciative nods at his choice of words.

The main story involves an 18 year old who went missing 9 months ago. All that ever turned up were three of his fingers. There’s a bit of magic and the occult thrown in. And Andrew has cause to remember why he doesn’t take adultery cases, The pace is fast and your attention is engaged throughout. A good ending that I didn’t see coming. Another enjoyable story from Kerry!

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

I have to say, I liked this a lot more than The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker which was still a great book but the paranormal aspect wasn't really my cup of tea. This, on the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed. As far as I can gather this is a rerelease of a book that was originally published in June 2014 and is the first novel to feature private investigator Andrew Hunter, based in Manchester, UK.

Nine months ago, teenager, Nicholas Carr disappeared and despite the police making some gruesome discoveries in a nearby woods, a body was never found. Most of the police force and the local residents have come to the conclusion that he must be dead, but Andrew Hunter believes that he may still be alive. Either way, his parents need to know the truth about what happened to him.

I read an inordinate amount of crime fiction, always hoping to be shocked and have my mind blown by a stunning revelation but rarely do I get what I ask for. Well, I did here! The closing super-twist may have been far-fetched, but I still felt that it was excellent due to the surprise I felt when it occurred. As the case builds to that superb crescendo, Wilkinson ratchets up the tension as Andrew and Jenny build a solid and meticulous case together. I found the story enthralling and fast-paced with the authors inimitable writing style capturing my attention from the opening pages. Not only that but the humour throughout was very cleverly used and the descriptions were pretty special as always.

Andrew is a complex character whose personal life is explored throughout the novel. He certainly could be described as having the classic flaws that often plague detectives (yes, I know he's a PI) in the crime fiction genre, and although this is nothing new, he is a well developed and interesting character. He is hard-working, likeable and his relationship with assistant, Jenny, works well given they have completely different personalities with Andrew being the sensible and logical one and Jenny the more impulsive and unconventional. The phrase "opposites attract" definitely springs to mind here! I look forward to seeing them evolve over the upcoming books.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

"If you decided you believed in something and chose to live according to that, then it became your own truth."

What a deliciously sinister novel featuring a new character, Andrew Hunter, who is a private investigator. He, along with his assistant, Jenny (a likely sociopath to some degree or "empathy deficit" as was said in the book), are tasked by Richard Elaine and Carr to find their son who had disappeared on his 18th birthday over 9 months prior. The police found 3 of Nicholas's fingers in a wooded area but even though they dug up a bit of the forest, the body was never found. Andrew accepts the case with no idea that the strange world he's about to enter will put him and Jenny in serious danger. NO SPOILERS.

The plot had an unexpected theme, and the narrative moved along with Wilkinson's trademark snark and his talent for description. The characters evolved along with the story as the reader learns more about Andrew's background and I can see great potential for further development as this series continues. I enjoyed the introduction to both Andrew and Jenny and am quite eager to see where this leads next. They are similarly unconventional as a detecting duo and I enjoyed their interaction. I admit to being surprised by the twist and the conclusion. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. Can't wait for #2 in the series!

Fast-paced mystery that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. These characters are intriguing and full of secrets. This one will keep you guessing right up to the shocking conclusion. A great start to a new series!

Overall this is a good read. I like Andrew and Jenny as characters and I am looking forward to seeing how that continues in the next book. The plot was really good and had a lot in it. I am a big fan of Kerry Wilkinson but I feel that this book is slower than some of his others but definitely still worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I enjoyed this! This is the first book in this series (and the first book I've read by this author) and I look forward to reading more. I loved the mystery, the characters, the writing ... I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

*3.75

This is a book that Kerry wrote a few years ago, which I hadn't realized. I thought it was quite different from some other books that he's written. Here we meet Andrew who is a private investigator and his associate Jenny (who is very different). They are hired to find Nicholas Carr who went missing 9 months ago. From the beginning the investigation takes them in a very unknown direction. Soon they find themselves looking for answers in what appears to be an occult (devil and all). There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I highly enjoy Kerry's books but it took me awhile to like Andrew. If I'm honest, I don't know if I ever came to like him or Jenny. However, this was still a good book but I expect nothing less from Kerry.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the Andrew Hunter series, a private investigator who took up following deterring wayward husbands, till Richard Carr comes to his office asking him to find his son Nicholas Carr.

The book took its time helping me to find a rhythm in its read, there were too many descriptions and thoughts in the initial half when I wanted solid investigation. But once the initial laying down of foundation of Andrew Hunter and his assistant Jenny was done, it went on to a professional thorough look into the case of the disappearing son.

Andrew Hunter as an investigator was unassuming, his gift of gab was supposedly the only weapon he had, didn't see him using gun or knife or even fight when gun or knife appeared on the scene. Jenny was a fun, cool assistant directly in contrast to Andrew; they worked pretty well together.

The story got interesting in the latter half, time galloped faster then. I loved the surprise twist closer to the end. An ex-wife, an infidel brute of a husband, a flaming car, a staker-ish son, a helpless wife added to potpourri of the plot.

Overall a good read. I enjoyed the investigative parts far more, they made the book more solid.

3.5 stars, actually.

I'm a fan of this author's books, so of course I was eager to try this one, the debut of a new series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter. It fell a bit short of my expectations for several reasons - perhaps the most important one being that I never quite warmed up to Hunter or his quirky assistant, Jenny. Almost every page of the way, it seemed to me that the author was simply trying too hard to get readers interested in both the characters and the plot while I, on the other hand, am in the camp that says if you want to get someone's attention, whisper.

The same is true for the humor that's interspersed throughout; some of it elicited mild chuckles and some fell flat. As always, though, I thoroughly enjoy the British take on things (the setting here is Manchester, England). At one point, for instance, Andrew calls the female voice on his GPS unit a "mardy cow" (which, BTW, I'm planning to retort next time the bloody woman in my GPS spits "recalculating" at me - take that, you hussy)! In another situation, Andrew describes the entry to a college dorm "only marginally more compromised than Britain's border control."

The story itself begins as Andrew and Jenny are working for a woman who's sure her husband is cheating. Shortly thereafter, a man named Richard Carr comes to the office, asking them to take on the case of his son, Nicholas, who disappeared around a year earlier just after he turned 18. Complicating matters is that three chopped-off fingers turned up in a woods have been identified as at one time being attached to Nicholas, but the rest of the kid is nowhere to be found.

Other suspicious deaths and other clues lead to other friends of Nicholas, and a mysterious tattoo arouses suspicions of the occult. For more clarification, Nicholas turns to his ex-wife Keira, with whom he has remained in love for the past eight years despite his being the one to pull the plug on the relationship (hmmm, what's up with that)? Apparently, he has no choice; the investigation otherwise is at a dead end and conveniently, she wrote university papers on the subject of witchcraft and thus is as close to an expert as Andrew thinks he can get.

Details, twists and turns of the investigation are well thought out, although a bit hard to believe in spots. As for the lead characters, I'm hoping the next book will find Andrew a bit less dorky and Jenny a bit more conventional. They do counterbalance each other's personalities well and I hope that continues - just a little toned down, if you please.

Overall, definitely worth a read - especially for those like me who are always on the lookout for a solid new series (I'm of the opinion that better things are to come). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I used to read blurbs before I start a book, but since a few months I don't do this anymore. I suppose you might wonder why. Well, it's very simple. By reading them I often had formed an idea in my head which way I wanted the story to go and sometimes, when it went the other way, I was not happy. Now I choose my books based on authors or on covers or titles or a combination of the above. Because, it's the authors fantasy we are reading and not our own, isn't it?  So I have decided to follow the authors lead, sit back and enjoy it with an open mind.

I have to say I am very happy that I picked this book. I had already read one by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a different kind of story but equally entertaining and gripping.

In this book the author not only takes us down memory lane in order to give us some background information about both main characters, which is very important in a new series. Although the case that has to be solved is very serious, the author has added some humour as well. Some people might say that those two emotions do not mix, I really like it. If you add to this mix another subject I am fascinated by (which I am not going to reveal, sorry), I suppose it's rather clear how I felt about the book. 

I hope I piqued your interest and convinced you. I can hardly wait to see what happens next. 5 stars.

Thank you, Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and Netgalley. (my review will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and my blog on publication day)

I received a free e-copy of Something Wicked by Kerry Wilkinson from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is a fantastic story with characters you will fall in love with. The story is based on the search for an 18 year old who vanished nine months ago. Only three of his fingers have been found, but the police have given up the search because too much time has gone by and no new leads.

Richard Carr, hires Andrew Hunter to find his missing son, Nicholas. Nicholas has been missing for nine months now. Andrew is trying to balance work and personal life but things from his past keep coming forward. Jenny is Andrew's assistant and they make a great team. Andrew's investigation sends him on several leads that will send you on a roller coaster of suspicious characters. Very vivid characterization that draws you in to the main characters, as if you know them. A twisted plot with a gripping conclusion that you don't see coming.

Enjoyed the book and can't wait to read the next books in the series. Loved Jenny and Andrew's working relationship. She's a very lovable sociopath. Enjoyed the story and the twists and turns I didn't see coming.

Andrew is a private investigator and Jenny is his assistant. Andrew has an ex-wife he is not over, even though it's been eight years since he has talked to her. Jenny has an empathy deficient disorder. Together they make a great team. Richard Carr hires Andrew to find his son Nicholas. Nicholas has been missing for nine months and the cops never located him. They did find three of Nicholas's fingers in the woods. Andrew starts his investigation and finds links to the occult and black magic. An angry husband from a previous case is not happy about being followed by Andrew and Jenny and lets his displeasure known. When the mystery behind Nicholas's disappearance is finally revealed, it's not what I expected at all.

The book definitely kept me in suspense. I kept guessing at what must have happened to Nicholas but was completely wrong. Enjoyed the story and characters. Loved Jenny and Andrew. Lara was definitely creepy and I felt she was involved, especially after Keira explained the meaning behind Malvado. Many people are not what they seem and turn out to be horrible people. I loved the writing style and always look forward to reading Kerry Wilkinson's books. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Definitely recommend the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Kerry Wilkinson, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Andrew Hunter is a PI who employed Jenny as his secretary, working partner and spy. After taking on a case of adultery and finding the husband was "merely visiting prostitutes'., he was certain that he would no longer take on those type of cases.

Along comes Richard Carr: his 18 year old son is missing and the police have "given up". Andrew takes his case. After twists and surprises, Andrew and Jenny are brought into the realm of the occult and "black magic".

Sleuthing pays off in a big way for Andrew; the key being the girlfriend of missing Nicholas. Andrew digs deeply enough into the case and almost wishes that he hadn't.

Great start to a series - I already look forward to Book #2! Although I am not totally thrilled with Jenny, Andrew's sidekick, I have a feeling she may be involved in a book to soon arrive...

Recommend!

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a fun read!

Enjoyable read,just need to read other books in the series.this was a very good holiday read ,I give this book five stars

I love Kerry Wilkinson’s books and the Jessica Daniel series so was looking forward to reading this. I wasn’t disappointed. Plenty of twists and turns and creepiness going on and it was nice to read a book mostly about the present day as a lot of books lately swap between past and present and can sometimes be a tad confusing. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Something Wicked by Kerry Wilkinson. This is my first in the Andrew Hunter series, and I liked it. Not as much as the Jessica Daniel series, but this was Andrew Hunter's first outing, and often a series improves. The plot involves a creepy cult and isn't terribly realistic, but I will read the next one because I like Kerry Wilkinson and have enjoyed the Jessica Daniel series and several of his stand-alones.

NetGalley/Bookoutre

Detective Fiction. 2014; 2018. Print length: 321 pages.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for a review copy of Something Wicked, the first novel to feature Manchester based PI Andrew Hunter.

Andrew is approached by Richard Carr who asks him if he can find his son. Nine months ago eighteen year old Nicholas Carr disappeared and while the police found three of his fingers in the local woods they found no other trace of him. Most people, including the police, think he is dead but nobody knows and his parents are desperate to know what happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed Something Wicked which is an intriguing mystery with a massive, completely unexpected twist at the end. To be perfectly honest I'm in two minds about the ending because, while it is a great way to end the novel and a worthy way to conclude a good novel, it requires a healthy suspension of disbelief as it is rather preposterous, fun but not to be taken too seriously. The journey to the ending, however, is intriguing and compelling as Andrew and his assistant, Jenny, meet a variety of people and situations as they gradually build a hypothesis.

I really like Mr Wilkinson's writing style which is clean and crisp with no waste while covering all the bases. It is a straightforward third person narrative from Andrew Hunter's point of view so the reader lives the investigation with him and knows no more than he does - I still didn't work it out!

The characters are developed enough to make them interesting but not much more. Andrew is a fairly nondescript, diffident man but is smart enough to solve his cases. He has independent means but how he came by that wealth is a secret for most of the book. I find him very likeable. Jenny is the impulsive one who takes a brash approach to life and there are reasons for that as well. Together they make a great team and I'm looking forward to meeting them again.

Something Wicked is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Never having read anything by Kerry Wilkinson before I wanted to read Something Wicked because I had read a review of it from a member of my reading group. I thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the opportunity. Andrew Hunter the detective and his assistant Jenny are the two quirky main characters and I mean quirky in a good way. The writing is excellent, descriptions exact, and humor clever! Along with all of this comes plot surprises, and plenty of twists and turns!! Excellent read!! I highly recommend this book, just in time for Halloween!

In a sea of books written switching between the past and the present, it is so nice to finally read a book that follows events as they unfold.

I am almost halfway through the new book Something Wicked by Kerry Wilkinson and the only reason I am taking a break is because I want to make the book last a little longer. So far so GREAT.

This is a new series featuring Private Detective Andrew Hunter and his sidekick and assistant Jenny. They have been hired to find 18 year old Nicholas who disappeared on his 18th birthday. Three of his fingers were found in a small forest but nothing more.

This is a very well written book and the characters and action grab you from start to finish. I tried to make this last but still finished it in one day.

I happily give this book 5 stars and will recommend to everyone. Thanks to Kerry, NetGalley, and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

What can I say. I havebeen a fan of thisnaithor for quite some time.. this book was solid in its writing.

I didn't find it nearly so captivating as his original series and something seemed to be missing in the characters. As this is the first in a new series it will all come together in the future I am sure.