Death on the River is the second book in the Tara Thorne series. Set four years after Murder on the Marshes Tara has now re trained as a police officer and is serving under DI Garstin Blake as part of the team that had saved her life when she was an investigative journalist.
Having really loved the first book I couldn’t wait to read Death on the River and I wasn’t disappointed. Tara loves being a DC with one exception, her immediate superior DS Patrick Wilkins. He is not happy that she is even a police officer, let alone on his team and will do anything to undermine her. When Tara is approached by someone asking her to look into the death of her brother, this sets her on a collision course with DS Wilkins as he had investigated the original case and deemed it an accident.
Tara is a determined person and using her previous talents and instincts as a journalist she is determined to make sure that the original investigations were completed correctly, even if that does mean going against her boss. Relying on her instincts she starts to believe that maybe everything is not as it first appears, especially when more deaths occur in what appear to be either suicide or an accident. DI Blake gives her the benefit of the doubt over her beliefs and lets her conduct basic enquiries. You do have to wonder however if this is because he thinks that there may be something in what she is saying or because he has feelings for her. Wilkins definitely thinks it is the latter. As she digs further though all around her start to see that maybe her theories are not quite as far out there as they initially appeared. With the suspect list small but with each one having a potential motive you have to wonder if this case will be solved.
Wilkins has no redeeming qualities as far as I can see. He is so determined to prove that Tara is wrong and that she should not be in the force that he puts both the investigations and his career in jeopardy. He takes great pleasure in finding holes in her theories and thinks nothing of going straight to the DCI when she initially starts digging into the old case.
DI Blake sometimes struggles to be objective where Tara is concerned at times as there was a definite connection between the two of them in the previous case. Determined to make another go of his marriage for the sake of his daughter they never actually acted on it, but clearly the feelings have not totally gone away for either of them.
What I love about Clare’s books is that although they may not be fast paced or graphic in their detail they still manage to get you hooked, creating characters that although they have their flaws are not defined by them nor do they impact on their ability to do their jobs. This is another great read by this author and I can’t wait to see what she writes next or what happens to Tara, Blake and the team in the future.

This is the second book in the series. Having read and reviewed the first book I was hoping this one would be better. Sadly I did not feel interested and involved in what was happening with the characters. I think it is too slow a writing style for me. I have friends who I know will really enjoy this style and pace of book. I will be recommending this series to them.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

It’s books like this that made me pick up crime fiction after a hiatus of ten years, ten barren years in the wilderness when all I could read was romance. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with romance but I was brought up on crime (fictional as opposed to a life of). My mother introduced me to dear old Agatha when I was in my teens and I started on a thirty year blast of any and every crime fiction book I could lay my hands on. My husband despaired of this woman he’d married. And then I had kids and my view changed. I still have trouble reading certain types of crime fiction but this…

Tara appears in Chase’s first book for Bookouture but, in my view Murder on the Marshes is the aperitif, this the fancy main course. I can’t wait to see what she serves up next.

In Death on the River Tara has progressed from journalism to cop and the triangle between her, Blake and Wilkins is superbly handled. Add in a wayward wife and stray girlfriend and the tension in police central is high and that’s before the body count starts to rise. There’s so much to love about this book. The characterisations are spot on. People you both want to like and others you enjoy hating and that’s only the cops. Add in a superb tale with hatred at its heart, a tragic tale and you have a mouth-watering, Michelin 5 star read.

I have read the first book as well and I was really looking forward to the second book. Fortunately I did not have to wait a very long time and I was happy to finally settle down and get drawn in by it.

Between the two books there is a lapse of about 4 years. People who have read the previous book know why that is.

So when we meet Tara again it's nice to see that she succeeded in what she set out to do and she is ready to move on. But not everybody is happy about that ...

Although I liked the first book, I enjoyed this one even more. There is some action straight from the start and Tara will do whatever it takes to see that justice is being done. Will she be succesful in her professional life as well as her personal one?

It is a fast paced mystery story that makes your head spin with all the information that is thrown at you. I am happy that I did not have to solve it, but a big thumbs up for the author's imagination.

The ending leaves you, once again, wanting more. So bring on part three, please. 4 stars.

Thank you, Clare Chase, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Although the main story told within this book is self-contained, this second in series continues Tara's story as started in Murder on the Marshes so you could do yourself a favour and read that one first.
So, following on from her previous shenanigans, Tara is now a cop. This news does not sit well with all her new colleagues due to both her previous job and also her past which was front and centre in the first book in this series. But she is determined to do her best so just tries to knuckle down and block all the naysayers. Her everything is tested when a body in a car is pulled from the fens and deemed an accident. Tara however thinks there is more to things than meet the eye but, as a newbie, she is powerless to do anything about it, officially anyway. And then there's another body with a connection to the first and people start to think that even though this one doesn't appear to be murder either, it's a bit of a coincidence and so, maybe Tara might have a point, but will they be in time to pull together enough to put a stop to things before they escalate further?
I really took to Tara when I read the first book and that bond continues through this one. She's been through a lot but her grit and determination shines through and so, even given her past, she never comes across as a victim. Sadly though, her relationship with Blake has not survived the changes which is a shame as I really feel for the situation he has got himself in to.
Tara's supervisor Patrick is a bit of a nasty piece of work as he tries to block Tara's every move. Sadly though, he isn't the only one out to get her so she has to think outside the box to get her own results. I did like that side of her, especially when she puts her journalist hat on to ferret things out!
The actual story line contained within the book was intriguing to say the least. But with the deaths all looking like accidents, there is nowhere for the police to really go. But, scratch the surface and all is not what it seems. Especially with the disembodied voice we keep hearing from throughout the book, assuring the reader that there is yet more to be discovered. The cast we meet in this book are all dubious in their own ways and led me a merry dance pretty much all the way to the end of the book!
Pacing is also good, as always for this author there is no padding or superfluous description so the story gets on with itself very nicely. Obviously things ramp up towards the end, but I can't remember anywhere where it dragged on the journey to that.
All in all, another winner from Ms Chase who is now firmly on my watch list. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I should have read the first book to get a better sense of what was going on but still a decent story line, just struggled to get started

Death on the River by Clare Chase features DC Tara Thorpe investigating several mishaps which she thinks might be murder. Her immediate supervisor believes she is totally wrong and seems dead set on proving that he knows better. It doesn’t help that he is having an affair with a reporter who worked with Tara before she joined the police force. She hates Tara and will do anything to take her down a notch.

The book is full of characters/suspects and it seems like they all could be a murderer. However, they left me feeling indifferent to them and the same for the main characters. The premise of the book seems interesting and I can’t really explain why I had such a hard time finishing this book.

Unfortunately I will not recommend this book and give it 3 stars. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the chance to review this advance copy.

This is the second book of the Tara Thorpe mystery series and I think it's even better than the first. It's a really excellent mystery and as others have said very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie book done in a modern day setting, we also find out more about the characters in this second instalment as Tara has now joined the CID as a DC and this really adds to the enjoyment of the book. A good well thought out and well written novel that I just ploughed through and have no hesitation in recommending it if you want a brilliant read and look forward vey much to the next in the series. My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC. 4+ stars

An intriguing storyline wiith a smattering of police corruption. Kept me guessing till the end. Just as enjoyable as first Tara Thorpe mystery. Looking forward to more mysteries from this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Death on the River, the second novel to feature journalist turned detective DC Tara Thorpe of the Cambridge police.

When Monica Shawcross approaches Tara voicing her suspicions about her brother, Ralph's accidental death Tara decides to have a look, if only to shut Monica up. Her boss, DS Patrick Wilkins, doesn't take kindly to her second guessing his work and does all he can to thwart her fledging investigation. A second death in Ralph's group of close friends convinces DI Blake to authorise a further look.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death on the River which is a gripping investigation with a limited but equally motivated list of suspects and several twists along the way. It helps, of course, that the initial victim, Ralph Shawcross, was a thoroughly unpleasant individual.

The plot is clever and unusual in that no one can prove murder or anything but a series of unfortunate accidents so the arguments for both options rage in the investigative team. I think it would have made for a more interesting novel if the author had left it there, leaving the reader wondering, but she has chosen to give the unnamed killer a voice so the reader is in no doubt that it is murder, skilfully engineered to raise no suspicion. Despite this the novel held my attention throughout as I tried to work out the perpetrator and the motive.

I like the characterisation in this series. Tara Thorpe is a strong, smart woman who can more than hold her own in her battles with her boss, Wilkins. Although it is never stated openly he obviously feels threatened by Tara's intelligence and work ethic, being a stereotypical lazy, misogynistic officer, albeit younger than usually portrayed. In the meantime Tara's potential romance, hinted at in the previous novel, with DI Blake says rooted in potential as he has personal problems of his own. They have no bearing on the case but are quietly compulsive- I can't wait to find out where Ms Chase will take him next.

Death on the River is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is the first book I've read by Clare Chase and even though it is the second in a series I found it quite good, although I would recommend reading the first book to get a more complete picture of the characters. The plot line was interesting and I am looking forward to more stories by this author, starting with her first book. An enjoyable read. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

In this second mystery featuring DC Tara Thorpe, she and Blake deal with "a group of self-serving and in some cases amoral individuals." The "Alcolytes" have lost their leader and mentor; Ralph Cairncross's body was found inside his classic Alfa Romeo submerged in the Forty Foot Drain. He was a controversial author who spent his time pushing his theories about the importantance of youth and the glory of dying young. At first written off as an accident -- Ralph was drunk driving -- Tara soon becomes convinced that there is more to it when the victim's sister insists that it was foul play. Since Tara is new to the team and because her boss, DS Wilkins is basically a jerk who doesn't really want the former journalist working under him, she starts looking into the situation on her own time at first. When another member of the Alcolytes dies under the guise of "misadventure", Tara convinces DI Blake that this is more than coincidence. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this book as Tara uses her talents as a former investigative journalist in her new role as DC. Working under a difficult boss who doesn't want her to succeed and bashes her theories, she turns to Blake for support. The case becomes more complex as the author gives so many red herrings within the group of Alcolytes. Could one of them be committing murder, and why? Talk about a bunch of devious characters who admired Ralph Cairncross! His wife and daughter were not treated so well as he spent so much time with his little group of hero-worshippers. Could they be responsible for any of this? The team has its work cut out for them chasing down the Alcolytes and even as they firm up their theories, yet another of the members dies. Meanwhile, Wilkins stands firmly in his opinions frustrating Tara at every turn especially after an article appears in NOT NOW -- the old magazine that Tara used to write for before she quit and decided to become police.

There is so much going on within this very interesting and well-written book that kept me guessing about the entire case. I love the atmosphere created by the location, especially the snowy fens, as it gives the novel a bit of a gothic feel. The coldness of the winter, the isolation, the knowledge that someone sinister is lurking and watching combine to keep the reader enthralled. The devious characters and the ways in which they manage to avoid being totally truthful cause Tara and Blake some frustration and very late hours. The story builds to a great climax and gives a satisfying conclusion.

I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait for #3. It's a bit different to the gritty thrillers I typically read and a refreshing change up. Please continue to keep Blake an honorable man and avoid the romance trap! If you're thinking about picking this one up, be sure to read the first in the series before doing so as it provides so much about how Tara got to this point and who she is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Clare Chase for this advanced copy. This is the 2nd book in the Tara Thorpe series and it is set 4 years on from the 1st one. This book had me gripped from the very first page to the last. A brilliant whodunnit on the lines of the mistress herself Agatha Christie (after reading the book, I read the blurb in the back and the author herself said she had read a Christie book which gave her an idea for this book). This series so far is refreshing and really well written and I for one cant wait for more. I would like to wish Clare every success for the future and I am counting down the days for the next one. Totally enthralling.