Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt is s the second book to feature DS Grace Allendale. I absolutely loved Hush Hush and could not wait to read more. This book could be read as a stand alone but to really understand the characters and story I would suggest reading them in order. Grace has a past, and a family that she is not proud of but she is starting feel at home in Stoke. I really enjoy this series and hope that there is plenty more to come. It is clever and not at all predictable with strong characters .

A young girl is found murdered in the field behind her school. She was participating in her cross country and fell behind... in broad daylight she is strangled and nobody saw a thing. Grace and her team are call in to investigate but there is very little to go on. Days later a young mother is kidnapped and found dumped in a local park. Grace is sure that they are connected but how.. and why? When a 3rd girl from the same school is attacked and left for dead they know there is more to it than they first thought.. but can they stop the killer before they strike again? You won't believe where this book takes you and who the killer is. It all took me by surprise and I love it when that happens.

After events in the first book Grace is still finding her feet in Stoke, but is finally starting to be happy again. Her relationship with reporter Simon is going welll, her team respect her and her family seem to be keeping away.

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

I really liked this book. The first one I have have read. Would like to read the previous one as enjoyed the characters.
Good storyline and kept you guessing till the end.

Mel Sherratt has been a long time favorite of mine. Not just her ability to create great characters, but also the ability to set a scene. I feel like I know Stoke on Trent after reading her descriptions.

The storyline here is especially poignant as the murder victim is a 16 year old girl. Sherratt does an excellent job of portraying her friends, the way they ping from sorrow to self centeredness in a matter of seconds, the hormones and the sudden outbursts.

Grace is a great main character. She is trying to feel her way along in her relationship with Simon, a journalist.

The plot is fast paced and kept my interest. I liked how Sherratt gives you the viewpoint from the “other side” in between Grace’s chapters. Even with that, I didn’t suss out how it was all going to come together.

This book could be read as a standalone, but you definitely benefit from knowing more of Grace’s backstory which is given in book one. It’s also fun how Sherratt will throw in characters from her other series, but it’s definitely not necessary to have read those.

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

Book two involving Grace but one that can be read on its own. When you start this book be prepared to not put it down. It will hold you prisoner to the last page. It's a tense race against time story that keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through. With an ending that will leave you satisfied and with a feeling of time well spent in reading it. A story that flows along really well giving you some twists to keep you committed. A book that doesn't disappoint, the author has created a great main character in Grace. We see a vulnerable side to her when faced with the murder of the young. A side that she covers with a hard outer unapproachable shell. Her growing relationship with Simon a reporter is explored showing how hard blending love and work can be. We want her to be happy thanks to the authors great crafting of her. I cant wait to read more books involving Grace and her team and I do hope she has a happy ending with Simon. Well worth picking up and reading

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for the chance to read as always these are my own opinions and views.

This latest book by Mel Sherrat is so good that my book hangover has carried on into the book I am currently reading. Consider yourself fairly warned.

Really enjoyable crime thriller - I haven’t read the previous book Hush Hush. This reads ok as a stand alone but I get the feeling it’s best to read the first book prior to this to learn more background about the characters.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

DS Grace Allendale #2

DS Grace Allendale is called in to investigate a rename girl who had been murdered in the middle of the day. Her lifeless body was abandoned in a field behind her school. Two days later, a young mother is abducted. She's discovered strangled and dumped in a local park. It's only when a third woman is targeted that a sinister pattern emerges. Can they catch the killer before another young woman dies?

I have now read quite a few of Mel Sherratt's books and can honestly say that apart from becoming a fan, I have enjoyed all of the books that I have read so far. This is the second book in the DS Grsce Allendale series which is set in Stoke-On-Trent. With no witnesses to the murders and no clues left behind, Grace has her work cut out to find out who is behind them. I was gripped from the beginning. The pace is fast set. There are a few red herrings to keep you guessing. I highly recommend this book. It could be read as a standalone but your always best to read a series in the order that they were written in.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Mel Sherratt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt is the second in the Grace Allendale series, although I have not read Hush Hush, the first one.

Three murders with no connection from victim to victim, no DNA, no leads.

For Grace and her team there is little to go on--but for the reader, the anonymous voice that appears in occasional interspersed chapters offers some clues.

Are the murders the work of a copy cat (that killer is in prison), a new serial killer, or something else entirely? There is a fresh concept in this one, and the reader is allowed to glean some information from the chapters with the anonymous female voice that appears in certain chapters.

Read in March; blog review scheduled for April 19.

NetGalley/Avon Books UK
Crime/Police Procedural. May 2, 2019. Print length: 385 pages.

Tick Tock is the second in the Grace Allendale series, and although it can be read as a stand-alone – there is quite a few references to the first book (which I hadn’t read - but will now)
To be honest, it was a bit of a slow start but it soon picked up and I really enjoyed how this whole case affected Grace and her team.
Good twist and well written.

i’ve had the pleasure of reading both current books in this series and whilst i enjoyed both i think Tick Tock has the edge over its predecessor. a thoroughly good read that won’t disappoint.

Grace is a DC in Stoke on Trent. A local schoolgirl is strangled whilst on a cross country run and a few days later another victim is found in town. The investigation unfolds with plenty of diversions and red herrings, its quite well paced and readable. The quantity of teenage slang is a bit wearing. Although the plot is good some points are hardly credible. Would a newly promoted DS be in charge of a multiple murder investigation with little or no oversight? Would the investigating officer be left in charge when she has family connections to the case?

DS Grace Allendale is trying to figure out who is strangling first a sixteen year old girl just off the school grounds during school and then a mother of twins which seem to have nothing to do with the first killing. Then more to follow Grace is sure but are they all to do with the school or is there something else at work here. It reminds her of some killings in Manchester but he is in prison. Can they find the connection before the killer strikes again? The story really keeps you on your toes.

This was an absolute cracker of a read right from the very first chapter . I love crime thrillers where I honestly have no clue who the perpetrator or perpetrators are . This book for me was the perfect example . I loved everything about this book , the storyline , the characters . In this book 2 of the series we learn more about Grace and her relationship with Simon and also the relationship between Grace and Simon’s teenage daughter Teagan. A well deserved five star read from me .

Despite being the 2nd in a series this book could easily be read as a stand-alone.
Following the death of a teenager, Grace and her team investigate. Following a 2nd murder the team are in a race to discover if they are connected despite there being no obvious link between the 2 victims.
Are these murders connected with a series of murders that happened in Manchester 5 years earlier? If so with the murderer of those locked up how are they connected.
Can Grace solve the crime before there are any more murders?
This was a well paced story that flowed well. The back story of Grace developed well and again I would love to read more about her.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

This is the second in series and, although the main story is self-contained, Grace has a bit of a backstory that is best known to fully understand her so I would recommend reading book one, Hush Hush, first.
So a teenage girl is found dead at the end of a cross-country run with her school. Grace and her team are called in to investigate. Then a young mother is abducted and subsequently also found dead. It appears that the two murders are connected but nothing links the two victims. It takes the third victim for the Police to see a pattern emerge and it looks like the killer is not done yet. Can Grace and her team, assisted by her reporter boyfriend Simon, get to the bottom of things and catch the perpetrator before the body count rises further?
I loved first in series Hush Hush when I read that a while back and was eagerly anticipating this follow up. I wasn't disappointed as this book also sucked me in from the start and didn't let up until the very end. Plotting was sublime and very well executed with no superfluous padding to distract from it. The relationship between Grace and Simon - cop and reporter - added to the story rather than being inserted just for character development. It's going to be interesting to see how this develops further throughout the series; conflict of interest and all that! For those that have already read Hush Hush, you'll know that Grace's family are a bit formidable but although they do appear in this book, they don't overshadow it.
Pacing was good throughout. It was a little slow to start but that reflected the frustration the Police had about how little they had to go on. It definitely heated up appropriately as they got nearer to the solution.
And when all is revealed... well, I had to sit back and applaud the author for a job well done. I did try and guess throughout, and I had my suspicions but I didn't manage to put it all together ahead of the game.
All in all, a cracking follow-up book in a series that looks to be going fro strength to strength. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book and what a book it is...

copycat strangulations, are they somehow tied to another case which saw someone else put behind bars or is there another serial killer out there.....

young girls from the same school
middle age woman with hints of sex chatrooms
what links them all...
and can they stop the killings before anymore bodies are found...

grace and her new team are fast trying to find the answers but with red herrings galore the race is on to find the killer or killers

what a ride, love how this author writes, can see myself becoming a fan of mel sherratt, another one to add to the watch list

The start to Tick Tock had me gripped from the off. The murder is a very risky one and I was desperate to know the who’s and why’s.

You really get the sense of urgency with this case. I also love how we get to see how this particular case affects Grace. It’s always something I’ve wondered how someone in the police force copes with dealing with murders. Especially when it’s someone who has their whole future ahead of them. There is a very sympathetic side to Grace even though on the outside she tries to be business as usual.

It was good to see a bit more of the relationship between her and Simon, who is a reporter. Not the most ideal person for someone in the police force to have a relationship with. As much as I enjoy the relationship between the pair, you just know that they are going to be in for a rocky ride.

Tick Tock makes for a tense and gripping read. You’ve got to love a serial killer thriller and this one made for at times a disturbing read. There were certainly some surprises in store that had me like ‘OH’ with my jaw dropping and having to remember to close it again. There are thrills and chills a plenty, right up to the very last page.

Grace Allandale is back in Stoke working the case of a young girl who has been strangled. Trying to work with a new team and find her feet in her new relationship. There’s plenty to keep her busy. As the number of bodies increase can Grace catch the killer before someone close to her is in danger?

I like Mel’s books and this was no exception. It was nice to hear mention of other leading characters from other books. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading 'Tick Tock' which had me turning the pages until the end. Everything one expects of a good thriller and one that i can recommend. I hope to read the first book in this series soon.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

Once again, I would like to thank for Avon and NetGalley for Tick Tock the second book in the DS Grace Allendale series. I had read the first in the series, so I was excited to receive a copy of this.
Teenager Lauren Ansell is found strangled whilst out on a cross country run during school hours the killer left no clues. A few days later a young mother of twins is found dumped like rubbish in a similar fashion. Grace and her team are struggling to find the killer. When the third victim is found unconscious in a critical condition. Grace and her team work flat out, to find the connection between the three victims and find the killer before he or she strikes again.
The team interview kids from Lauren Ansell’s school to the teachers. When they find a connection that there is a copycat killer of a person that Grace put behind bars a few years previously.
This is another gripping, unputdownable thriller from Mel Sheratt. It has a great storyline and believable characters. A bit different from Hush Hush but I still enjoyed it. I hope though in the next instalment the Steels are back on the scene.