Sometimes when a book reaches the fifth in the series the author can begin to run out of steam - the characters can become tiresome, the plots repetitive and predictable... Helen Fields certainly does not suffer from the trap that other authors can fall into and Ava and Luc are just as compelling as book one and the plot is amazing and wholly original! Well done Helen! I was absolutely blown away by this book.
Ava and Luc are called to deal with a number of deaths which at first glance appear to be suicide, but on further investigation could someone else be involved? If so, who? How are the deaths of the people connected? Who would benefit from the deaths of these people? Why would someone else be involved and make the deaths appear to be suicide? Well done Helen for writing another superb book. I am always intrigued how on earth she can possibly come up with all of these bizarre ideas - she has a very strange mind!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is book five in the Callanach and Turner crime/police detective series, if you haven't read the previous book I suggest you do first. You could get away with reading this as a standalone but you have missed so much of the history I think you would enjoy it more if you knew the back stories.

So this book features suicide themes and some very brutal and graphic murders. Callanach and Turner are investigating what initially looks like suicide(s), as the body count rises they have to consider they have a soulless killer in Edinburgh who is escalating in brutality with every kill. The investigation is on and as with the previous books we also get the personal life of the detectives. Callanach has his own personal investigation ongoing which brings his career and home life together in a way that will threaten everything he has worked so hard on.

I think fans of the series will be delighted we are getting some light shed on somethings left over from the previous books. Emotive, gorey, provocative, murder, suicide, police procedural, friendship, relationship, secrets and that is just some of what this book packs in. I am a Fields fan, this is a page turner and I cannot wait to see what is in store next for the characters. 4.5/5 for me this time, roll on the next.

Good suspense thriller which had just enough twists and turns to keep me enthralled. Enjoying the Luc and Ava relationship and looking forward to seeing how that develops. Hoping her next offering is just as good as this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Murders pile up in Edinburgh as a psychopathic serial killer works his evil, leaving DCI Ava Turner and her team in the dark. What exactly is going on? We, the readers, learn the link between victims before the police do – a clever device that adds a sense of frustration and horror. My liking for Ava increased even more. She’s such an authentic, no-nonsense character— although she continues to be the only one not to recognise that she’s madly in love. She doesn’t confuse work with her personal life, however, and when DI Luc Callanach seems to be implicated in one of the murders she’s investigating, she deals with it by the book. I love a bit of romance in my crime novels and was rooting for them to finally get things together. I guessed who the killer was quite early on, but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Great plot, huge suspense, some horrific murders – clearly ‘the work of a deeply psychotic mind’, bizarre events and a sense that things were spiraling out of control all kept me riveted. This is quite gruesome in parts so is not for squeamish readers. I, however, thought it hugely enjoyable.

I was late coming to this series but the moment I started reading I raced to catch up. There is a real darkness in the stories, which I love, and with two brilliant protagonists in DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner, what is not to love?

This time the story sees Luc and Ava called to the scene of what could easily be an accidental death or potentially suicide. The victim in question had only recently been stopped from jumping into the Forth, so it is not entirely unlikely that he had chosen to try again, this time succeeding where he had previously failed. And yet something doesn't seem quite right to Ava, even more so when a small anomaly is spotted during the post mortem. When another previously suicidal victim is found dead, this time in circumstances which brook no argument over whether the death is murder, it falls to Ava and the team to stop a brutal killer before they claim more lives. However ... they are a man down. This time Luc has troubles of his own as events from his mother's past come back to haunt him.

Be in no doubt that the themes in this book are quite dark. Whilst dealing very sensitively with the subject of suicide, the victims' deaths are far from peaceful, and there is no sense that they are escaping pain, more being subjected to it on a truly torturous scale. They are not graphically described, we are not there are the point of death so to speak, but enough description is given to leave you as a reader in no doubt as to what has occurred. Nothing less than I'd expect from this series which has never shied away from exploring the darker side of Edinburgh life.

Added into the tension of the investigation you have a parallel murder enquiry, led by newcomer to the team, but not to the reader, Pax Graham. This case is very personal to Luc Callanach, and sees him as one of the key suspects putting him in a truly precarious position both with his job and with Ava. and speaking of Ava, the obvious chemistry between her and Callanach is off the charts in Perfect Crime, and will drive fans of the series mad. It was never going to be easy between those two, despite everything, but another mistake from Callanach's past is going to jump up and bite him leaving some very frustrated, but excited, readers I suspect.

I loved the ebb and flow of the tension in this one - the quiet moments when Callanch and Ava are being completely honest with each other, and the moments of real breath taking action where as readers we are taken right to the cusp of a murder, being it in the present or via a series of flashbacks from the killer. And the secondary story will leave you reeling, closing down a long running storyline which I just knew had to resurface at some stage. Wasn't quite expecting that though.

I wasn't entirely surprised by the eventual reveal of the killer, it was really only ever going to be one of two people to my mind anyway, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story at all. The distraction of the central characters, the loss of Callanach from the investigating team, even the love sick behavious displayed by Sergeant Lively, all added to the tension and the enjoyment of the novel, leaving flashes of uncertainty and suspense which drew me deeper into the story. And the ending? Well that certainly changes things a bit. I'm looking forward to seeing quite how much, and how Callanach and Ava navigate the latest bump in the road of their friendship.

And by bump, I do mean Arthur's Seat/Salisbury Crags size hillish bumps. Possibly even Everest sized as lord knows Ava's cold enough towards Callanach right now.

Dark, intense, and full of suspense and thrills, this book will leave fans of the series begging for more. Top stuff.

Perfect crime novel ! It was my introduction to DI Callanach series, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing is engaging and the suspense factor high.

Addictive, absorbing and absolutely page turning, the fifth book in the DI Callanach crime thriller series lives up to its name.

I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, but that didn't matter, it reads perfectly as a standalone. Even though some of the relationships have history, there is enough backstory to make you understand the character nuances and the dynamics within the Murder Investigation Team (MIT).

A series of horrific suicides shouldn't draw the attention of Chief Inspector Ava Turner and her team, but they do. Ava's loyalties are stretched when Detective Inspector Luc Callanach's past makes him vulnerable to suspicion, both cases give this story its relentless momentum and the carefully layered suspense keeps you guessing.

My initial thoughts on who did it proved fruitful, but although the clues are there, the subterfuge is clever. I like the characters they are realistic, quirky and for the most part likeable. There is a pleasing balance of action and cerebral detection, which gives this series a wide appeal.

The series ends on an emotional cliffhanger for some of the MIT, which hopefully be resolved in the next thrilling instalment?

I received a copy of this book from Avon Book UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Like normal, Helen Fields has written a spectacularly gruesome book. There were some scenes in this book that made me cringe it was that gruesome. That doesn’t happen often.

Luc Callanach and Ava Turner’s chemistry hits the highest point in this book, and it broke my heart at the end. I obviously don’t read these books for the romance, but I have been rooting for these two since the beginning. I’m glad they have their moment.

This book was written well, with you second guessing yourself throughout the whole book. I had one guess throughout the whole book was the suicide serial killer. Turns out I was right, but I did doubt myself continuously thanks to Fields superb writing style. As for the killing of the two men connected to Callanach, I would not have guessed that one at all. It didn’t even cross my mind.

I’m so excited to see where the series is going, especially with how this book ended. I just hope it doesn’t go miles away from the first 5 books. They have been consistent, and have all been fantastic reads.

Let me just start my review by saying that if you’re not reading this series, I am judging you like a big, bad judging thing! This is one of the best crime fiction series out there and you are sorely missing out!

Perfect Crime is the fifth instalment in the DI Luc Callanach series and by now, these characters feel like family and I am always excited about spending more time with them. Before you ask, no, you really shouldn’t treat these as stand-alones. Start from the beginning. I promise you won’t regret it!

Things kick off when Stephen Berry is getting ready to jump off a bridge. Luckily, a suicide prevention counsellor manages to talk him down but a week later, Stephen is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner are called in to investigate whether Stephen killed himself or was murdered. But the deaths do not stop there …

Meanwhile, Callanach is finding himself in hot water when he visits someone in a care home who is later found dead. I won’t say anything else about that so I don’t spoil things for those who haven’t read the previous books (shame on you! 😂) but I will say I really enjoyed this second thread of the story. Switching back and forth between the two investigations really held my attention.

I mentioned these characters feel like family by now so when they hurt, I hurt. And there is a lot of “hurt” going on in this one. Relationships shift, some characters managed to surprise me, others infuriated me and through it all are original, frightening and gruesome deaths as I’ve come to expect from this series.

I very early on figured out what was going on but that didn’t ruin things for me at all. I became so absorbed in the investigation that I almost forgot about my suspect. Helen Fields always delivers gripping, compelling, thrilling and tense stories full of intriguing (and sometimes totally crazy) characters. This is one of those series that just keeps getting better and better and I can’t wait to see what Helen Fields comes up with next but I know it will be awesome once again. Highly recommended!

I'm a huge fan of the Perfect series of crime books by Helen Fields and I think Perfect Crime is probably one of my favourites so far.

Once again we have two sets of crimes, one of which turns out to be a little bit closer to home for Callanach. The other one is the mysterious deaths of people who had previously been (or still are) suicidal.

I'm not going to give a lot of information about the plot as it would be a huge shame not to go into it with as little information as possible. What I will say though is that it's a plot that's perfectly executed, with both strands providing equal amounts of tension and twists, and brilliantly weaved together.

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are as wonderful as ever, especially the scrumptious Luc. I do have one complaint though and that there's not nearly enough of him in this book but I'll forgive the author as there's always next time (Perfect Dark in case you were wondering). I could get hold of these two characters and knock their heads together. There's so much sexual tension between them it practically leaps off the page. For God's sake, just get on with it you two!!!

We also have the return of the team at Police Scotland including DS Lively, Detective Superintendent Overbeck and newly promoted DS Tripp, but there are also a couple of new additions in DC Janet Monroe and DI Pax Graham, both of whom appeared in a previous book. One of the things I particularly enjoy about this series is the way the team work together, and the fact that each of them is an established character, not just people to fill in the background slots.

Perfect Crime is exciting and shocking in equal measures. Old foes return, new psychopaths are introduced, and there's a bit of personal stuff going on too. This is easily one of the best police procedural/crime series around. By book five it could easily be going off the boil but not here. If Perfect Crime is anything to go by, this series is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see what Helen Fields is going to do to the characters next. I can guarantee it's going to be something dark and disturbing, that's for sure.

"Perfect Crime" by Helen Fields

My first time reading that author.

4 stars.
A really good read. Well written, interesting, good plot. I really liked the way it started and found the idea really good!
Someone going after people who wanted to kill themselves but then didn't, later found dead.
Is it a serial killer? Who, why?
I loved it from page 1!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Perfect Crime is my first Helen Fields novel. I’m not sure how to put into words what I felt about this novel. On one hand, I enjoyed the writing style of Fields. She has a unique talent and it shines. On the other hand, I didn’t feel a great connection with the characters in this book. I just wasn’t instantly taken into their lives like I like to have.

That said, despite the lack of connection with the characters, I was impressed with the intensity of the story line. I enjoyed the enjoy the edge of my seat quality and determining if it was suicide or murder. Following Ava and Luc’s story is emotional, it’s twisty, it’s well thought out. If you want a fast paced, thrilling ride of ups, downs, ins and outs, this is a 3.5 star read you don’t want to miss. I am looking forward to grabbing the other books in this series and see what Fields has in store for her fans with those ones.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Avon Books UK and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Perfect crime by Helen Fields is the 5th book in the DI Callanach series,  the first that i've read. Its your average police procedural with a love story twist. I was really  sucked in by the first chapter,  then found the book kind of dull until it picked up for me about half way through. I would give the book 3.5🌟
It begins with Stephen Berry attempting to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge,  with the help of a suicide counselor he is convinced to come down. Within a week Berry is found dead at the bottom of Tantallon Castle although it looks like suicide Luc Callanach and Ava Turner are brought in to investigate if he was pushed or jumped. Before they are able to wrap up the investigation more bodies begin to turn up which look like suicides also, or are they just staged and there is a serial killer on the loose?
I would like to thank avon books uk and netgalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review


You can also find my review on my Instagram www.instagram.com/teatime_with_a_book as of april 18 2019

This series of books are just fantastic. They are dark, creepy, addictive and I can't recommend them highly enough.

This one had me hooked me hooked from the first page. The fast paced story kept me enthralled right to the end.

I can't wait to read more.

Easy 5 stars.

When Steve Berry turns up dead after a failed suicide the week before, the question is asked. Did he jump this time or was he pushed?

Perfect Crime is the 5th book in the DI Callanach series and I think it does have some important plot points to the overall series arc, rather than being a standalone piece. You’d be better off at least reading the last book to get some context than jumping straight into this one. As someone who has read some of the previous books there are some really nice payoffs in Perfect Crime in relation to the series as a whole. That said, the standalone murder investigation into suicide cases is gripping and rather gruesome! As usual I really enjoyed the chemistry between our main characters Ava and Luc and like the fact they are developing as the series goes along rather than just being a prop for the cases. I liked how the chapters switched perspectives to the victims and we get to see into their state of mind which was interesting and well crafted.

I think my only criticism with the piece was the fact that the perpetrator (no spoilers) was both a little predictable but also a little left field. I correctly guessed who it would be about 15% of the way into the book but found that when the chapters switched perspective to that character’s view you got someone who had a completely different personality from the person it is unmasked to be. The other mystery in the book from the smaller case they are investigating at the same time really surprised me though and I did not see the twist to that coming at all.

Overall Perfect Crime is a great installment in the DI Callanach series; read the other ones first and enjoy this dark and gruesome read. Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book five of the Luc Callanach series about a French detective working for the Edinburgh MIT. I had not read any of the previous books but didn’t have any problem reading this as a stand-alone, although am sure it would’ve been even better had I known the characters - especially the relationship with Ava. I intend to go back and start the series from the beginning - once I catch up a bit with my ridiculous TBR.

A young man stands on a bridge contemplating suicide, but is talked down by a counsellor. Weeks later he is found dead after a fall from a castle. Other deaths follow, each more gruesome than the last, and the MIT team, led by DCI Ava Turner, discover that each victim had previously attempted suicide. Meanwhile Callanach visits one of the men who raped his mother, decades earlier, and may or may not be his father, but finds he has advanced dementia, so is shocked to hear that he was murdered the same night. Luc and Ava, good friends as well as work colleagues, finally let their defences down to reveal their true feelings, but a chance discovery smashes their trust, perhaps forever.

This was an excellent police procedural with entertaining but believable characters and an exciting serial killer plot line. I lived in Edinburgh for ten years so loved hearing all the place names, still so familiar even years later. There is gore and one overly detailed sex scene (for a crime thriller) but it wasn’t gratuitous and I suspect long-term fans of the series will have been waiting for this. The reveal to both mysteries was a surprise even with a fairly limited suspect pool, as there were enough red herrings to keep the reader on their toes, and the main killer’s reason not something I had heard of before.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review. Perfect Crime is published today.

I finished this book a few days ago. I normally write reviews the same day but I needed to think on this one. I was not a fan. When I first read the synopsis I was intrigues but after reading a few pages I knew that this book was going to take suicide and turn it into an entertainment aspect and not the mental health crisis that it is. It is very graphic and violent. Aside from that, it is highly predictable. I knew who the killer was at the beginning of the book. This is my first book in the series so I did miss out on the previous relationship issues of the main characters but I did't care for that either. It was if it was only in the book to add some tension that wasn't even needed for the progression of the storyline. The book did not feel plausible in the least. When reading a book you should be immersed in it and was too distracted by the writing style and questioning the logic and plausibility of the book.

I am not sure who I would recommend this too. Maybe to the people that read the prior books and feel invested in the relationship of the main characters.

Ahh Luc, Luc, mon petit chou! Jet’aime, je te veux toujour just like your crazed stalker Astrid. Yes, I too have become obsessed with D.I. Luc Callanach, formerly of Interpol now of Police Scotland. DI Callanach comes to us courtesy of the fine crime stories of Helen Sarah Fields. Perfect Crime is the fifth book featuring DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner.
In Perfect Crime it becomes evident the elaborately staged suicides are not what they seem, even though the victims have a history of suicide ideation. At first the victims appear to be the victims of their own sick minds, forever affecting those who view them. Then it becomes apparent that although each victims could have committed such a crime against themselves, there is always a giveaway that says no, no way Jose, think again. Fortunately the pathologist and the MIT squad of Police Scotland do just that.
Meanwhile Luc is once again suspected of another heinous crime, but not to worry. His closest friend and confidant stands with him until… ohhhhh wait a minute. His enemies on the MIT squad are still there to harass and bait…ohhhhh wait a minute. Luc’s whole world has gone topsy turvey, with roles reversed every which way.
There are two storylines to follow, or three if you count Luc and Ava’s non- relationship relationship. The first, the gruesome killings of the “failed” suicides is brilliant and imaginative. The second storyline, the murders of the men who raped Luc’s mother before he was born, was more pedestrian. There are enough red herring in Perfect Crime to keep the reader guessing and involved.
It is hard to chose which is more outstanding in the Callanach series, the crimes or the characters. There is DI Callanach, the model handsome detective who can’t seem to catch a break, and his boss and good friend DCI Ava Turner. Det. Superintendent Overbeck is present in all her blazing glory, while Dr Alisha Cahill, pathologist, is still around to equally boss and mother Ava. Crime blogger and best friend to Luc, Lance Proudfoot, again adds to the mixture his extraordinary bad luck, or good luck, depending on which outcome you look at.
The ending is exciting and fiery, because sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Then again, sometimes she doesn’t. The next book will be very welcome indeed.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review

We begin with a Mr. Stephen Berry in the midst of committing suicide on top of a bridge. But soon he is helped down by a suicide prevention counsellor. Yet within a week he is found dead, and though it looks like suicide, both DI Luc Callanach and DCI Ava Turner are drafted in to investigate whether he jumped or whether he was pushed…But before they can conclude that investigation, more bodies pile up. All former suicide patients and on first glance they seem to have been successful in it. Yet there is something wrong in the way these suicides are committed and as more bodies are found, it becomes clear there's a serial killer on the loose. 

Since I am late to the party, the relationship between Callanach and Turner is not something I can comment on except it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. It is smoothly integrated into the storyline and contributes to the plot. The problems that arise between the boss and their subordinate is aptly captured as well. The serial killer is definitely not a run of the mill kind and does have a unique spin to them. There was a subplot I felt was unnecessary. Its fast paced yet drawn out to understand the characters more fully. The other characters who have been in the series for long also make their presence felt despite not having read the other four books.

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I read this book having not read the previous four. I found alot going on at once for it to grab a hold of me. I will definitely give the other books a go.