Although I haven’t read Hold my Hand I had no trouble connecting with the main character, Josie (Josephine) Masters. What happened in the first book was grueling and she is still trying to terms with it.
Keep her close is a well-written book; I do like it when the setting is a British town I’ve actually visited ;-). Josie is very determined but sometimes a bit too determined for her own good. Or to the liking of her boss. On the other hand she is much loved with her colleagues and this fact turns out to play an important role in this book.
This is the kind of story you want to read immediately again after you’ve finished the book. There are many twists and turns and once you’ve read the last page, you may want to turn back to see what you’ve missed in determining who the bad guy (or girl) is. I would certainly like to read more of this author.

There's something bad going on in Oxford. DS Josie Masters knows that for sure. Young women- three of them- have gone missing from three different colleges. Josie has been assigned a new partner, DS Jack Pryce, and together the two of the try to sort out what the heck is happening- especially since it appears someone is trying to send Josie a message by taking women from colleges, in order, where the first initial equates to a letter in Josie's name. Hmm. Josie's an interesting character. She's got her issues with her supervisors at the Thames Valley Police, understandably. I didn't read the first book but Ford gives you enough info here to understand Josie and what has happened to her in the past. There's a twist in this one that I thought was forced but it was a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of British procedurals.

This is the second book to feature DS Josie Masters and I am glad to say that this book is on par with Hold My Hand. This is turning into a great police series. I was hooked from the first page and read it in one sitting. Reading until the wee hours, I could not put this book down I JUST HAD TO KNOW !!!! With a multitude of twists and turns, plots within plots a and as for the explosive climax WOW WOW WOW.
This book can be read as a stand alone but I am sure that once you have read this rollercoaster of a read you will want to read the first in this great and now becoming a very addictive series. So highly recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

Reasonably good police procedural set in Oxford

Although I haven’t read the first Jo Masters novel, this police procedural recaps the events of it to set the scene so I don’t feel that I missed out on anything important. The main story here deals with kidnapping and murder for Detective Jo Masters and her colleagues to investigate. The story develops quickly and, although reasonably short, there’s a lot involved.
Characters are well-developed and interesting but personally I didn’t enjoy the plot twist towards the end but that’s just me. It’s a nicely written book.

It would be better if you read the first book by M J Ford "Hold My Hand" as this book has some incidents referred to in this book.

Very good thriller as it is a twisty plot. I just sit and enjoy the rollercoaster rather than trying to figure out who did it. There was something familiar about the plot in one area but I carried on. Quite happy with ending but I won't write why as it may give away something and spoil it for you.

I'm looking forward to the next case for Jo Masters.

Thoroughly enjoyed this and will certainly go back and read its predecessor, although that ay be marred by knowing its outcome. This was a really good procedural which kept readers guessing right to the end. Great stuff.

I had not read the first in this series but apart from a few bavk references this does not affect the reading of this volume. Crime is not my usual choice of literature but I felt like a change and my opinion is that I chose a good one. The pace was maintained throughout with numerous twists and revelations. A good holiday read.

I have read other books from this author and I found this one to be of the same high standard. I loved it, I read it in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended. Five stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and M.J. Ford for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

It's six months since DSJosie Masters saved her nephew from the clutches of the killer clown, but she is still haunted by that terrible night. In this case, a young girl has went missing from Jesus College. Job has been given the case along with new recruit, DS Pryce. Then two more girls have went missing have disappeared from Oriel and Somerville. Jo realises that the killer is spelling out her name. Now the case has become personal - but who is the perpetrator?

DS Josie Masters works for the Thames Valley Police. The story is told from Josie's point of view, so the reader gets the events as they happen. There's no hint of the killer ot their motivation. I liked the way the clues were revealed and the fact that Josie doesn't always play by the rules. There are plenty of curve balls and the conclusion I did not see coming. This is a fast paced gripping read. I did prefer the authors first book, Hold My Hand, but they are still both good books to read. This book could be read as a standalone, but my advice is to read them in order. You won't be disappointed.

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

Keep Her .Close is the second book to feature DS Josie Masters. After reading and loving Hold My Hand I had high hopes for this book. I certainly wasn't disappointed and I read this book in less than a day. This is a great police series and hope that we have not seen the last of Josie. She is far from perfect and her past makes her paranoid and untrusting. But she is very good at her job.

This book focuses on the case of missing students from Oxford Colleges. First one and then another, and another, and another. There doesn't app at to be any link between the girls who all attend different schools and don't know each other. There are a multitude of twists and red herrings along the way until an explosive ending that I certainly didn't see coming.

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

DS Jo Masters is tasked with investigating the disappearance of an Oxford student, and becomes part of a broader investigation that becomes very personal as other young women start disappearing from Oxford colleges. This is a really nice police procedural story that can be read as a stand-alone, although there are references to her previous outing in Hold My Hand, which I will definitely put on my To Be Read list. Fans of U.K. crime fiction will enjoy this I feel - a solid plot and nice pace pulls you through the story and Jo Masters is an interesting protagonist. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I do like a police procedural and this did not disappoint. It has a strong but flawed female lead, a haunted past, and an escalating crime to solve. Very pacy and an excellent page turner. Recommended

When a young woman goes missing from Jesus College, Oxford, DS Josie Masters is plunged into a world of panic as fear grips the city. Along with Thames Valley Police’s newest recruit, the handsome DS Pryce, Josie must act fast – and when two more students disappear from Oriel and Somerville colleges, she realises the killer is sending her a deadly message in a cruel game of cat and mouse. This time, the case is personal – but who is the perpetrator?

In a desperate race against the clock, Josie hunts for the kidnapper, and soon discovers he could be a lot closer to home than she’d ever thought…

I very much enjoyed this book! I loved the characters and I loved to hate Josie's boss. This is a book for those who like police procedural and detectives. This is the second in a series about Josie Matters, I thought it read fine as a stand-alone but I will be reading the first one.

Thank you #NetGalley Keep Her Close
by M.J. Ford
Pub Date: 07 Mar 2019

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Keep Her Close’ by M J Ford in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Malin Sigurdsson disappears from her room at Oriel College leaving blood in the bathroom. Detectives Jo Masters and Jack Pryce of Thames Valley Police are called in to investigate when other young women connected to colleges in Oxford go missing. As Jo starts to consider if there’s a connection it becomes clear that although she’s never met the women who come from different backgrounds, all the cases are linked to an event in her own private life. Can Jo work out the connection and find the missing women?
‘Keep Her Close’ is a gripping second novel featuring Detective Sergeant Jo Masters which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading. It’s well-written with an involving plot, a number of possible suspects, twists and turns and an unbelievably thrilling cliff-hanging conclusion. I like the character of Jo Masters as although her private life is far from perfect she does her utmost to get the criminals behind bars and make Oxford a safer place. From the start I knew I was going to enjoy this thriller and devoured it within twenty-four hours. I’m hoping that M J Ford is going to enthral us with a third.

Josie masters is a good lead character in this thriller, she is believable and likeable.

The story follows on from a previous book which is referred to throughout.

There were a couple of twists towards the end of the book which were predictable but overall it was an enjoyable read

I love teh Josie Masters series as MJ Ford offers you so much more than just an open and shut crime novel. There is always a degree of questioning throughout but you got a personal story as well as the crime! Thoroughly enjoyed this

The second instalment in the DI Jo Masters series, this novel perfectly pairs the overly dramatic train wreck of a personal life managed by Josephine Masters, a dismissive and condescending DCI, and some seriously twisted cases surrounding missing and murdered girls – and you have hit the trifecta!

Within the first few pages I fell comfortably into the world of Jo Masters, Ryan Pryce, Lucas and Heidi. I appreciated the slow-feed of background information spread throughout the book, as it really added depth and ah-ha moments, as well as the uniqueness of all the supporting characters. It was great that Stratton was the kind of boss that we can all love to hate, that Dimi comes across as a bit of a turd, that Crannick is the sweet but dependable co-worker always running interference and that Heidi always ended up playing den-mother for the dysfunctional crew.

I felt Jo's frustration so deeply when it became clear that she was being handled with kid gloves, and that her investigative conclusions were being dismissed despite her significant knowledge and expertise. There's nothing more frustrating that seeing connections and patterns that no one else does, or that your superiors would rather not be true, and having to fight for every inch gained when you should be moving miles instead. I mean,  with girls being abducted in broad daylight and at an alarming rate, don't you think that the brass would want to explore every possible avenue, not just those that are comfortable and palatable. 

And with the cast of suspects presented, I was guessing in circles as to who it could possibly be. I love a good thriller that I can't figure out, and this one certainly hit the mark. For me, our big bad was entirely unexpected, I was just as shocked as the team and simply couldn't imagine the media aftermath that the department would be fielding for the weeks and years to come.

And speaking of a media melt-down, Jo's couldn't have come at a worse time. While we've all had those moments where we go down the rabbit hole of distrust, the thing that I found most disturbing about Jo going off the deep end, was that she used her status as a police office to carry out some seriously misguided personal business. I mean, don't get me wrong, who hasn't done a deep dive on a potential romantic partner (there are way too many weirdos out there!), but this... wow. Jo's behaviour made me question every decision she made throughout the course of the investigation and beyond. Although, it does serve as a healthy reminder that the internet is forever and that basically everyone has a smartphone, so don't go busting down doors and turning all psycho-girlfriend in broad daylight because it might just go viral. In fact, it's almost guaranteed too!

Thank goodness Jo has such a supportive family and group of friends, even if they happen to be retired ex-cops drinking themselves to the bottom of the bar. I was surprised at how well Jo's brother handled the aftermath of both their previous ordeal, as well as the drama of Jo's current case when it starts to strike too close to home. No word of a lie though, I'd be selling of my house too if someone had been murdered in my kitchen and a child had been abducted from their bedroom. In all honesty, I don't know how Jo stood through the realtor's showing without crawling out of her skin. Ugh ugh ugh!

All together this was an incredible read - thrilling, action packed, and full of drama. I was eating up every word and was left wanting more. I can't want to see what comes next for Jo Masters and the team, or for Jo and Lucas! Read it crime lovers, Keep Her Safe will not disappoint.

The second thriller by M J Ford is another page turner of a mystery. The plot of this book is just as engrossing and twisty as her first book which I enjoyed reading. Both the professional and personal life of Dective Masters are interesting. I look forward to the next book in what I hope is a long series.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ecopy of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and was disappointed when it ended.

Keep Her Close is an enthralling, exciting police drama with many twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up until the very end. This is apparently the second in a series of Jo Masters books and as the main character she certainly stands out with her personal life being as dramatic at times as her job in Thames Valley police, however this reads just as well I think as a standalone novel. Having said that I will seek out the first and look forward to, hopefully a third.

If you enjoy a psychological police thriller then I would not hesitate in recommending this MJ Ford novel to you, I loved it.

DS Jo Masters has returned to work following a grueling case in which she is awarded a gallantry medal. However, her boss takes her off a case she is involved in. A female student has gone missing and her stepfather is on good terms with Jo's boss. Is there a connection? Then two more girls go missing and Jo realizes the murderer is starting to play games with her. Is it personal and how far will they go? Does she know the killer?