I am a huge fan of Faith Martin and Hilary Greene. Yes I do realise that Hilary Greene is a fictional character but I think that she is fab and she is real to me. In fact I am a bit of a Hilary Greene groupie. Each time a new Hilary Greene book is released, I eagerly grab hold of a copy and read it just as soon as I can. The latest Hilary Greene book ‘Murder In Mind’ was released on 8th October 2018. I absolutely, totally and utterly loved reading it but more about that in a bit.
Hilary Greene is the sort of woman boss I would love to work for. She is feisty, loyal, determined, strong, fair, supportive and at times she can be intimidating. Hilary has a great sense of humour, she mucks in to do her fair share of the workload and she wouldn’t ask you to do anything that she isn’t willing to do herself. At the same time she doesn’t hesitate to let you know if you have upset her or dropped a clanger. This book sees a different Hilary in a sense. She has to get to know another boss and to adapt to working with him. The beginning of the book sees her trying to suss him out and of course he tries to suss her out. Another cold case lands on her desk which demands the attention of Hilary and her team. There is one person on her team that Hilary doesn’t trust one little bit and she is intrigued as to what he could possibly be up to. Oh and if that wasn’t enough Hilary was the lucky recipient of a marriage proposal and she has to decide whether or not to accept it. Times are a-changing for our heroine. What will she do? Will Hilary and the team manage to solve the case? Well for answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Every time I pick up a book by Faith Martin, I know that I am going to be in for one hell of a read and so it proved for ‘Murder In Mind’. The author’s writing style is such that she grabs your attention from the first word on the first page and before you get to the bottom of the page, you are hooked. That’s what happened to me any way. I have read the whole of the Hilary Greene series and each time I read a new book it feels as though I am reuniting with old friends. I absolutely love anything to do with cold cases and so when I read the later Hilary books, I feel as though I am an invisible member of Hilary’s team. I find myself occasionally shouting out random comments and even suggestions on how the investigation should progress. Before anybody starts, I know that this book is fiction but I tend to ‘live’ the story if I am convinced by the writing and the characters. ‘Murder In Mind’ is really well written. The book isn’t particularly long but the chapters are quite long. That said, I didn’t really notice how long the chapters were because I was enjoying the story and the characters so much that I just kept turning those pages without looking at how much more I had to read of that chapter. It didn’t take long at all for me to get through the book and I was genuinely gutted when I got to the end of the last chapter. I was enjoying the book so much that I just wanted it to continue on and on. I usually have the attention span of a gnat but not in this case because my sole focus was on the book and I was able to shut out all other distractions. Reading ‘Murder In Mind’ was much like being on a slightly scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with a fair few twists and turns along the way.
I must say that I absolutely love Faith Martin and her books. She currently has two series out. One – the Hilary Greene series printed by Joffe books and the other series features WPC Trudy Loveday printed by HQ Digital. If I was asked to pick a favourite series it would be the Hilary Greene series. Over the course of the series I feel like I have got to know her far better and I feel like she is a true friend. I also love the fact that Hilary Greene deals with cold cases as I absolutely love anything like the television programmes ‘Cold Case’ & ‘New Tricks’. It means that I can indulge my fantasy of being a police officer and have a stab at investigating crimes for myself.
In short, I absolutely, totally and utterly adored reading ‘Murder In Mind’ and I would definitely recommend this author and this series to anybody and everybody. ‘Murder In Mind’ can be read as a standalone but for certain references to past events to make sense (& because I am a bit OCD) I think that it would be best to read the series from the beginning and in order. Believe me, you won’t regret it. There is still one more book in the Hilary Greene series to come and I don’t know what I will do when the series finishes. Here’s hoping that we have a long time to wait. I am attempting to delay the inevitable sad farewell. Actually I do know what I will do- I will just start reading the series from the beginning. Problem sorted. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Hillary Greene is back on the scene working on another cold case. She spent several years on the police force as a detective. Two years previously, Hillary took early retirement. Being tired of boredom, she returned and is now working with the Crime Review Team, with a small team of officers. Hillary is invaluable because while in her previous job as a DI she was second to none, with an exceptionally high solve rate.

Hillary's newest case is that of seventy-five-year-old Sylvia Perkins who was found killed in her home in 2010. Sylvia had a reputation of sorts as she was quite popular with the older gentleman. So there is no shortage of suspects. However, the primary suspect is her grandson Robbie who has inherited everything. However he cannot be placed at the scene of the crime so the investigation takes Hillary and her team on a lot of turns.

Meanwhile Hillary is a bit distracted because she recently received a marriage proposal from Superintendent Steven Crayle, who was formally her boss. She is not so sure that she wants to get married again and takes a lot of time to make her decision.

In Murder at Midnight, book 15 in this series, readers were left wondering about one of her team members, Jake Barnes. His actions are rather suspicious and may even bring danger to Hillary. Fortunately, actions he took previously have not gone unnoticed especially since he does not fit well with the team. He is well-to-do and certainly does not need the civilian job. Also he was caught snooping on Hillary‘s computer. Hillary must also contend with a new boss, Roland Sale.

Murder in Mind is an exceptionally quick read. It is a great crime mystery where we get to see Hillary using her exceptional wits to solve this heinous crime. Character development is done quite well in this book. As the book was set some time ago, a lot of footwork and interviews were necessary for this murder to be solved. It was done quite well and the story flowed quickly. However, just as in each book in the series, we are left with unanswered questions. No doubt the final book in the series will wrap things up.

Many thanks to Joffe books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was sure I was going to enjoy this book from the very first descriptive sentence - it made me chuckle. Even though I hadn’t read the previous books in the Hillary Greene series this book easily stood alone. There was enough of the back story to enable me to understand where she had come from without, I’m sure, being so detailed as to bore those who had read the rest of the books in order. The twist as to how and why the murder had taken place was different enough to make an enjoyable change from usual murder mysteries. The story regarding Jake Barnes which runs alongside the cold case is interesting and I look forward to reading the next instalment. My only criticism, and purely a minor one, is that I found the “will she, won’t she?” storyline regarding her relationship with Steven Crayle to be irritating and long winded. I did enjoy this book and would certainly recommend it and Faith Martin to other readers and will be adding her back catalogue to my “Books to Read” list.

We learn the secret and the reasons as to why Jake Barnes chose to work in the cold crimes team and how he plans to take revenge , Hillary Greene meets her new boss, ponders the question posed by her lover and manages to solve a cold case with very little evidence. A very gripping read

This is book 16 in the series so you do need to have read some of the previous ones to understand Hilary and her team before reading this one.

This is a nice long series and it is plodding along nicely towards the end with this intriguing book.

This time Hilary has to deal with a cold case, plus having to worry about whether to accept the marriage proposal or not.

The marriage proposal coincides with her partner moving to pastures new and a new boss coming along throwing his weight around.

The cold case itself takes a semi back seat to all of the above, plus other internal issues Hilary has to deal with in her team, but it is quite a good cold case.

The case revolves around a woman who was murdered back in 2010 and Hilary and the team have to work out who did it.  The case is easier than some she has investigated as it was only a couple of years back so people can remember easier and the forensics were there at the time.

I found the book better than the last couple, but does end on a cliff hanger, which personally I don't like as I prefer the storylines all neatly tied up at the end.

Overall it is a good read, and I can't wait to read book 17, which is the last in the series.

MURDER IN MIND
by FAITH MARTIN

Joffe Books


Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 11 Oct 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Murder In Mind through Joffe Books and Netgalley:


In 2010 Sylvia Perkins was found beaten to death in her home in 2010. It is believed the murder weapon was believed to be a fire poker.


Her Grandson received everything upon her death, but they cannot place him at the seen it the crime.

Was her Grandson Robbie her murderer?


Who killed this old woman who couldn't hurt anyone, and who wanted her dead?


Hillary Greene must contend with a new boss, and a marriage proposal.


She has returned to Thames Valley Police Headquarters as a cold case consultant, helping the Crime Review Team look into murders that were once unsolvable.


I give Murder in Mind five out of five stars!

Is it me or is this series becoming more and more a 'cozy mystery'? Not that I did not enjoy the book, on the contrary. It makes for a very nice read and I'm an absolute fan of the series. But, having read almost all other books in the series, I detect a certain weariness by myself after finishing a book. It is becoming rather obvious that all books are written with a certain template > Hillary is the main character, a flawless person, who solves crimes and gets entangled in a love affair, while there is also a second storyline that spans about 2 - 3 books.
In this book, Hillary is still contemplating the marriage proposal Steve offered her in the last book and there is still something going on with one of the civilians that work in Hillary's department. The crime that has to be solved this time, however, is almost not a crime. Hillary keeps driving aroumd and rehashing old information and suddenly she knows 'who did it' and more important, why. No surprises there. And that is what is lacking in this book, there a no surprises enough.
I would love to read Hillary to solve a really complicated crime, and I would even love it when she turns out not to be so absolutely flawless. She doesn't even have a 'bad hair day' every now and then ;-)
All in all, looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books for this digital copy.

#MurderInMind#NetGalley#
Author: Faith Martin
Review By: I Love To Read/Librarian

This, the 16th book in the Hilary Greene series, is a revised edition first published under title-"The Work of a Narrow Mind".

Hilary Greene, retired, works for the police as a civilian consultant in the Cold Cases Division. Her expertise solving cold cases makes her a valuable employee. Two young civilian consultants work under her supervision.
The cold case of an elderly woman found bludgeoned to death in her home remains unsolved. Hilary takes the case. The victim once the resident of a small close-knit farming village seemingly had no enemies though she was known to speak out against injustices.
Hilary plunges into the case, her two young assistants learning the investigative ropes from her. Dead ends abound. Motive appears nonexistent.
Hilary's years on the force gives her an edge.
The story is well written with well-developed engaging characters. Side stories keep reader interested. The murder is solved satisfactorily with loose ends neatly tied up.

Much is happening in the life of Hillary Greene. She has a new boss and a new cold case. Who would kill an old lady who lives in a small village where everyone knows everyone else. Can Hillary meet the challenge? Then Steven is waiting for an answer to his question. Also her newbie millionaire volunteer is letting us in on what he has really been up to on his own. I do love this series and I am sure you will also.

I highly recommend this series with DI Hillary Green. This particular book written by Faith Martin is another keeper. Former DI Green is now an employee working on Cold Cases in the Oxford Police
Department. An elderly woman was murdered and all the clues suggest that her grandson is the culprit. The main characters in Hillary’s personal and work life have become people that I would like to know. The story will keep you guessing until the end.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Hillary has a new boss, and is still undecided about her former boss Steven Crayle’s marriage proposal.

Hillary’s team consists of Jimmy Jessop who is a former DS and is now sixty-two years old and Hillary’s right-hand man, Wendy Turnbull whose Goth appearance doesn’t do her any favors but who is very keen and somewhat naïve and Jake Barnes a very wealthy thirty-three who has a secret agenda.

After meeting Roland Sale, her new boss, Hillary and her team are handed the cold case of seventy-five year old Sylvia Perkins. She was beaten to death in her own home early 2010. The suspected weapon was an ornamental fire place poker, but no such instrument was ever found at the scene.

The reader gets the full picture of just what Jake is up to in this chapter of the series.

Following interviews with relatives, friends and neighbors of Sylvia’s, Hillary has one of her famous epiphanies and notifies Roland and Steven of an imminent arrest. But in a surprising twist, all is revealed.

Does Hillary agree to marry Steven?

This book is superbly written as are all of Faith Martin’s novels. I like the relationship between Hillary and her team, and with Steven. And it looks as though her new boss is going to work out fine as well. What else can one say about Faith Martin’s book that hasn’t already been said? Great novels, great writing and keep them coming Ms. Martin!

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “THE WORK OF A NARROW MIND.”


A senior citizen was found battered to death several years ago. The case was never solved. There were several suspects ... her grandson who inherited everything, her competition for a man she became interested in, a neighbor she had words with.

Hilary has a new boss and this is the cold case she's been given to solve. He seems to be professional, but it's kind of like doing a try-out even though she's been in the detective business for many years and has an impeccable record of solving crimes.

Her 'old' boss, and lover, will be undertaking something new ... heading up a VICE unit a few miles away.

Silkily threaded throughout the investigation is a decision that Hilary must make ... a possible life altering decision.

I love characters from small towns or villages. They are usually unique with a few quirky ones that make you look at them twice. She and her two civilian assistants tackle them all with patience, waiting for that one piece of the puzzle to fall into place.

This is easily one of my favorite series with characters that I will not soon forget. I highly recommend starting at the very beginning, even though this one is easily read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley / Books n All Book Promotions / Jill Burkinshaw for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is a revised edition of an earlier book by Faith Martin in her Oxfordshire series featuring Detective Hillary Greene. Pushed into retiring, Greene is now in the business of solving cold cases as a civilian consultant at Thames Valley Police HQ with the CRT, the crime review team. There are new faces on the team and not all is well. In a small rural community in 2010, an 75 year old elderly woman, Sylvia Perkins is brutally battered to death in her home, with the murder weapon thought to be a fire poker. No evidence was ever recovered from the crime scene and there were no witnesses. The obvious suspect, Sylvia's grandson, Robbie who inherited everything but there was nothing they unearthed that could implicate him. Robbie is in prison.. With so little to go on, Greene goes into the community to look for answers in a twisted and suspenseful investigation. Along with professional challenges, Greene's personal life is difficult to negotiate. An interesting and entertaining read which is gripping.

Faith Martin keeps on producing crimes stories with a twist, I love them. If you have missed the previous books in this series then you should go back and visit them. DI Greene and her team are fantastic, I wasnt sure the new team would sit well but by this book they have. Theres always a story within a story, a twist within a twist but not too complicated that you're scratching your head thinking where did that come from. Faith Martin adopts just the right amount of "jargon" without you feeling lectured to. I love these books.

Ex-DI Hillary Greene now works in the CRT ( Crime Review Team) of the Thames Valley Police Department. She is a civilian consultant. She has two new team members with her, both who are also civilians and are not sure if they want to be police officers. One is a young girl, Wendy, who dresses in 'goth' style. The other is a self-made millionaire young man named Jake Barnes. He is also up to something, but Hillary and her right hand man Jimmy aren't sure just what it is yet. They get a cold case of a woman who was killed with a fireplace poker in a small farming town community. Sylvia Perkins, 75 years old, battered to death in her home. No DNA of the attacker, no witnesses, no murder weapon but they think it is the missing fireplace poker from a set. Hillary, Jake, and Wendy talk to all the neighbors that are still around. From there they also talk to the family members, seeing as Ms. Perkins only grandson was the one who received all of her life savings and the house. He is in jail and has been for a while, her daughters are all placed to the bottom of the list of suspects. The more they talk to the neighbors, the more Hillary figures out who the murderer is, even though it was surprise to Wendy and Jake. Then there is the marriage proposal from Steven. He wants an answer from Hillary, after all it has been two weeks since he asked her to marry him. What does she tell Steven? Who was the killer? Do they find out just what Jake is up to? You will need to read the book for the answers. I would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this book so I could voluntarily review it.

This is book number 16 in the ever popular series Hilary Greene series and is a revised edition of the book previously published as "The Work of A Narrow Mind". I'm a big fan and for me each new book in this series is like meeting up with an old friend again. The former DI is still working cold cases in the CRT department but, as her boss and lover Superintendent Steven Crayle is off to head up a new department investigating gangs grooming teenage girls, Hilary has to break in new boss Supt Rollo Sale together with the worry of what one of her young civilian workers is up to. Stalwart retired cop Jimmy is keeping his eye on him whilst the rest of the team investigates the murder in 2010 of pensioner Sylvia Perkins who was bludgeoned to death in her rural home with a fireside poker. The most obvious suspects in this apparently motiveless crime have already been ruled out by the former investigating officer and although it wasn't difficult to guess what had really happened, even without seeing the previous title of the book, it takes Hilary's nose for detail to reveal the facts. We are left finishing on a cliff-hanger both professionally and personally for Hilary and some of her team. I can't wait for book 17!!

This is the latest in the Hilary Greene series and is full of twists not only inb her professional life with the Crime Review Team but also in her private life with Steven Crayle . The team is now coming under a new superintendent Roland Sale and Hilary is trying to decide where her future is going to take her.

This is a great read with threads from previous books which lead into the ne next in the series. Looking forward to reading it.

Another really good ex DI Hillary Greene book. Hillary is still sorting out the cold murder cases while her boss, and lover, is off to head a new unit. As well as beginning to break in a new boss, she has the worry of wondering what one of her workers, Jake, is up to.

A good all round read, which, again, leaves us with a cliffhanger.

Another good story from Faith Martin. Hilary Greene does it again! A gentle murder with a surprising end. Engaging to the end., looking forward to more.