I did not read Never Say Goodbye before reading The Songbird Girls but I did not have any trouble getting into the story without reading the previous book from the series. Anyway, I must say I have a mixed feeling after reading this book and yet I do not know what to think about it...

The story is interesting but to me it lacks something that would make it "realistic". Some actions do not make sense when we get more into the story.

About the characters, I must say I had a hard time getting to liking them and it may be quite of an issue to me as the characters are mostly what makes me enter a story and an author's universe. Here, I could not really get what I thought about Detective Fabian and, as he is the principal character, this is complicated to stick to the book.

The end did not quite feel right, it is hard to say but I was not completely convinced by it. As this book is part of the series, we see that we must keep some questions for the following book but I must say this does not keep me interested in discovering the answers in the rest of the series.

I’ve read a couple of other books by this author, which have both been gripping thrillers which I’ve really enjoyed. This is the second book to feature Detective Tom Fabian, although to my shame the first book, Never Say Goodbye must have passed me by and I missed it as I haven’t read it! Saying that, this book can be read as a standalone, but I will be going back and reading the first book so I can catch up on Tom Fabian’s story!

I was completely gripped by a fantastic opening prologue that just kept me turning the pages to find out what was going on! Some seriously gruesome murders and a deranged serial killer was enough to keep me hooked! Christopher Wisher, a serial killer who Fabian caught three years previously, was enough to set my nerves on edge, but when he is found dead in his cell and then copycat killings begin to happen, Detective Tom Fabian has to work out what is going on, and who had Wisher been talking to before he died.

I love books which feature serial killers! They always conjure up pictures of Hannibal Lecter, and this book’s resident serial killer was just as creepy, even after he died! The premise of the story where Fabian and his team know that murders will happen but are up against the clock to find out when, is really original and I thought it was a really clever spin to the story.

Tom Fabian was a great character, and would definitely be one of the reasons why I’ll go back and read the first book. I love how he gets tied in with his nemesis, Wisher, again even though it goes against all his gut instincts not to get involved. This was a rollercoaster of a thriller with lots of twists and turns throughout the story and a fast pace kept up throughout!

A really enjoyable thriller, full of twisted, disturbing and sinister characters. I would definitely recommend!

I always seem to enjoy reading Richard Parker's thrillers and his new Detective Tom Fabian series is no exception. After reading the first book, I have been looking forward meeting Tom Fabian again, and it was another interesting journey. The writing style makes it easy to fully emerge yourself in the story, and the case detective Tom Fabian has to investigate this time around is without doubt fascinating. I love myself a good serial killer mystery! And there is definitely something both intriguing and disturbing about the serial killer in The Songbird Girls. I did have my doubts about certain aspects of the credibility of it all and I was surprised to see that this story was rather 'mild' compared to his other dark, twisted and nailbiting stand-alones... But it was without doubt an entertaining and still thrilling read. And that ending! I'm definitely impatient to find out what will happen in the next one. Because there is one thing for sure: The Songbird Girls will have some shocking surprises for you in store. Detective  and serial killer thriller fans will definitely appreciate this series.

If you like your detective thriller fast, entertaining and slightly twisted, you should probably meet detective Tom Fabian. The serial killer in The Songbird Girls is without doubt an intriguing and quite disturbing one, and it's interesting how big of a role he plays even though he is behind bars. There are quite a few surprises waiting for you as well as a healthy dose of action and suspense. I'm not sure everything was completely credible, but I sure had a blast reading this sequel anyway.

Detective Tom Fabian’s past is catching up with him. It has been years since the most famous case of his career – when his evidence put infamous serial killer Christopher Wisher behind bars forever. But when Wisher summons a reluctant Fabian to his prison cell to hand over a diary, he realises that Wisher’s twisted games are far from over.

Shortly after Fabian’s visit, Wisher is found dead in his cell. And a few days later, the police find a woman's body bearing Wisher’s signature, a dead songbird. But the police never released this detail to the public … so who has Wisher been talking to?

I was sucked in from page 1 and didn't even realize that this was book two in a series! I'll be reading the first book soon because if this book was that good, I can't wait to see what the first one is like! The mystery in this one was amazing, I loved that the author followed the killer and we get to see how their thought process goes.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheSongbird
Pub Date: 19 Dec 2018

The Songbird Girls by Richard Parker is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it all the way to the end. It was the end though where the author lost me. It seemed very rushed with no major reason why it should be finished in a few pages of inaction.

Other than that, but that’s a major issue, I definitely liked the book and the style of reading. The reason I probably didn’t get to know Fabian better is most likely because I did not read the first book in the series.

I will happily recommend this book and I thank Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Three stars

A tremendous book written by the warped mind of Richard parker. I enjoy his vivid tales and his fun way of dealing with his characters.

A good read with plenty of action. Fabian is trying to work out who a copycat murderer is. This is well written and interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The Songbird Girls by Richard Jay Parker is the second book in the DI Tom Fabian series and I just loved it. If you love a book that's a page turning, full of twists and turns this is a book for you. All the characters were good throughout and all had a good part to play.

I finished this book in one sitting thanks to a 6 hour power cut and a full battery in my kindle!

I highly recommend this book and Richard's first book called Never Say Goodbye in this DI Tom Fabian series.

Big 5* book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Songbird Girls,

The style of the book is good, it is easy to read (also for a not native speaker like me). It is a quick read, but it is not a book where you can solve the case together with the detective. On the other hand, the modern crime stories rarely are.
To most gripping charakter in the story, is the murderer Wisher, even though he dies nearly at the very beginning of the story. He dominates the whole novel and the detective chracters are colourless in comparison. The author tries to involve the reader in their private lives, but it didn't ealp me to identify with them.
The story itself is a solid crime story, the end was a bit too much "action" for me, (not meaning blood, but happening too much), it didn't fit the rest of the story, even though the solution is OK.
A solid book, but I wouldn't read again.

I finished this book in 2 sittings and that is rare for me - I was just left wanting more with each page turned!

DI Tom Fabian successfully sent a serial killer to prison years ago and he is asked to meet with the killer again for what is expected to be a statement. However he is simply handed a diary/journal that Tom quickly deciphers is actually written as Tom's journal about future events & not the killer's history. This was an extremely clever plotline that I really enjoyed as you got a sense of what was coming next but without really knowing for sure as the very brief excerpts weren't explicit about actions but enough to know it wasn't going to be good...

The imprisoned killer (Wisher) is found to have committed suicide the day after he hands over the journal and that leads us into a chain of events with a supposed copycat killer leaving the same 'calling card' Wisher had done previously as more bodies are found. Did Wisher have an accomplice years ago? And what of the regular visitors to him in prison over the years - are they culpable in some way too?

I simply had to keep reading on with this gripping thriller/mystery - the ending left me satisfied but also in a way that there is definitely scope for a follow-on and I truly hope there is. An impressive, well-thought out storyline that steamrolled to a very tense final few chapters - I highly recommend reading this book!

My thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The games have only just began. DI Tom Fabian just wants to move on from the Chris Wisher case but he has just been drawn back into the killer's world. And now he has to figure out if the diary that he has been given is worth anything. But before Fabian can really get to the bottom of it, Wisher commits suicide and everything becomes real. So which one of Wisher's fan club has decided to continue with his sick work? The more Fabian digs the more he finds that everyone has secrets that they want hidden. Can he figure out the puzzle before even more bodies are found?
Chris Wisher was a sick man that seemed to have no problems with taking people's lifes but why did he get caught? Fabian always thought that it was good investigating but the truth is even scary than that. What will Fabian do to save a person that he loves from becoming a prisoner of Wisher's plan? Will he ever be truly free from Wisher or is this just the beginning?
A good solid read. Like Fabian he is a good detective who cares for his team but he tries to not be too pushy. His superior is a problem don't like the man at all. Hopefully he will be able to repair the damage that Wisher has done to his family. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

The Songbird Girls by Richard Parker is the second book in a new crime series featuring Detective Tom Fabian, I’m kicking myself because I should have read Never Say Goodbye first, not because this book can’t be read as a stand-alone, (I personally think it can) but I do like to start a series at the beginning. Never the less this did not make an iota of difference and I really enjoyed The Songbird Girls from the off. Detective Tom Fabian is summoned by the infamous serial killer Christopher Wisher, a killer that Tom captured and put behind bars. Wisher gives Fabian his journal, a journal that contains clues to crimes that haven’t been committed. Is the journal the ramblings of a deluded of serial killer? Or is it the start of something far more disturbing. When police find a woman's body bearing Wisher’s signature, a dead songbird, a detail never released to the public Fabian comes to the conclusion that it’s either a copy cat killer or Wisher is playing deadly games from beyond the grave.

I have often wondered about the “groupies” who appear to have a fascination with serial killers, the kind of people who visit them in prison, desperate to be their confidante. Author Richard Parker delves into the life’s of such people who visit Wisher in prison, each one becomes a suspect as Fabian tries to uncover who Wisher has been sharing his secrets with. The novel is told from the points of view of Fabian and his daughter Tilly, both get caught up in Wisher’s twisted games. It’s the chapters told from Tilly’s POV that strike fear into the hearts of its readers, there’s an ominous sense of impending doom running through these chapters, but these are the very chapters that push the reader on, you’re desperate to find out what Tilly’s future holds. I was surprised that Parker doesn’t really share much about Fabian’s personal life but perhaps that’s something I missed by not reading the first book. Although I’m intrigued by his character, as I feel there’s a lot to learn about him, I also liked the fact Fabian’s character doesn’t take the familiar route of using alcohol as a crutch after a bad day.

The Songbird Girls is a very different type of police procedure, unusually there is very little focus on the victims of the crime or the forensics in fact they are secondary to the plot. The book’s focus is mainly centred on the motives behind the new crimes and the list of suspects that come in the shape of Wisher’s prison visitors. Different is always good in my opinion especially when it comes to a crime series, I really enjoy a book a lot more when its original and doesn’t stick to a well used formula. The plot moves along at a fast pace and the author manages to create a level of suspense that intensifies as the plot progresses. If I had one small gripe I thought the ending felt rushed,but all was forgiven when the author left me with a tantalising ending, which has left me desperate to read the next book in the series. Highly recommended

Review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

OMG This author is brilliant and this book is so good.
Detective Tom Fabian caught the infamous serial killer Christopher Wisher, he killed nine people and has a life sentence. Wisher asks to see Fabian. During the visit Wisher hands him an A4 book and tells Fabian that this is the last time they will meet. When Fabian gets home he looks at the book it is a journal and it is full of cryptic messages. That same night he gets a phone call from the prison informing him that Wisher is dead. During the night Fabian is called out, a body of a woman has been found and bears all the trademarks of how Wisher dispatched his victims. How can this be he is dead, do they have a copycat ??? Fabian must unravel the clues be fore more bodies turn up. The clock is ticking.
I read this book in one sitting. I could not put this book down. It got my heart racing and had me sat on the edge of my seat and the climax WOW !!!! I did not want this book to end. This is writing at its best and the storyline was brilliant.
As i said before i love this author and have read all his books. This is the second in the Tom Fabian series but it can be read as a stand alone. Highly Recommended and i am a very happy reader.
I would like to thank the author Richard Parker, Bookouture and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Good plot and characters. This is the second book in a series and it worked without me having read the first but I think I would have appreciated this more had I had that additional background.

That some people admire and want to interact with serial killers always amazes me...

This had its share of suspense and twists. I liked the alternating perspectives between Tom and his daughter, Tilly. The interviews of Wisher’s visitors (by Tom) were fascinating, well written. Good surprising conclusion but some things were left open ended...

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

Wow. I am a sucker for a murder mystery, but this one kept me on tenterhooks all through the book - and conveniently left me wanting more! I assume this is the start of a series (at least I hope). A serial killer dies at his own hand in prison, but there are many twists until the end of this story. A well written story which I devoured. Thank you. I am looking forward to the next treasure from this author!

KUDOS... WOW WOW WOW.... now who doesn't love a good serial killer series.... although this was not the first book, I found it easy enough to read as a stand alone as it gave enough back history. Tom Fabian is summoned to prison to visit Christopher Wisher, a serial killer whom Fabian caught after a telephone tip off! Wisher wanted to give Fabian his diary, what is the significance of this, Fabian thinks its ramblings until he gets word that Wisher has committed suicide on the same date in the same cell as stipulated in his diary.... and so the game begins!!!!

The body of a woman is discovered in Battersea Park, mutilated in the same way as Wisher's victims with the same calling card, a dead bird with it's neck broken, a detail that was never released to the public, a copy cat? How would they know such detail?

I was intrigued from the first page, a serial killer book with a twist, I just didn't know where it was going and I devoured it in the day sneaking chapters at every spare moment

Definitely recommending this one to my friends/family. One to watch out for it, publishing 19 December 2018, make a great xmas pressie!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

An intriguing case for Tom Fabian. A brilliant but rather macabre story line, a killer with memories of his past creates an unusual MO. The killer stages his victims bodies to create a picture for all to see.

Detective Tom Fabian's name was splashed across all news media as he worked to find a serial killer who left one dead bird at each grisly crime scene. It wasn't his idea for the press to be allowed to follow him around at the same time the killings began. 

It was one anonymous tip that led Fabian to the door of Christopher Wisher and his wife and child. That should have been the end of it. It was not.

Wisher wants Fabian to have his journal. Summoned to the prison, Fabian takes the notebook and the next day Wisher is dead in his cell.

Then the killings begin once more. The same manner including the dead bird, which was never released to the media.

It doesn't take him very long to figure out the cryptic writing in the notebook isn't a journal, it's a glimpse of what is going to happen in the future.


Oh this was a good twisty tale! So many shady characters and such a good fast pace made this one I will read again!

Netgalley/December 19th 2018 by Bookouture

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to have the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
I understand that this is part of a series but I have not read the first book and yet it did not really hinder the way the storyline took place. However it may have helped me out understanding the characteristics of the main people. Especially Christopher Wisher, the serial killer and Detective Tom Fabian.
Detective Fabian has already dealt with Wisher and made sure that he remains behind bars for the murders he has committed. Wisher would leave songbirds beside each of his victims. Wisher has been sentenced to death but the murders are still happening including the gift of the songbird.
But who is doing it?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Songbird Girls, the second novel to feature DI Tom Fabian of The Met.

Christopher Wisher, the serial killer Fabian caught three years ago, has summoned him to Kerslake jail to give him a message in the shape of a diary. Three days later Wisher is dead and a body is found bearing all the hallmarks of Wisher’s crimes, down to the dead bird beside the body. Fabian realises that the cryptic entries in the diary foretell what is going to happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Songbird Girls which is a twisty tale of influence from beyond the grave. It should be noted that while there is a certain level of resolution in this novel it ends in a cliffhanger which implies that this is only part one of a serial novel. I’m unsure about this as I tend to have forgotten the detail of the previous novel by the time I get round to reading the next one and need a refresher course and it’s always disappointing not to have everything tied up in a neat bow at the end.

The novel is told principally from the points of view of Fabian and his daughter Tilly who both get caught up in Wisher’s machinations. This works well, especially Tilly’s side which filled me with dread as I imagined what could happen. I found myself feverishly turning the pages to see what was coming next. It is not, as I imagined it would be, a straightforward hunt for a killer with an emphasis on forensics and physical clues, in fact the victims are dealt with cursorily and have little impact on the novel, it is all about the diary and who had contact with Wisher during his incarceration.

It is interesting to see the influence Wisher exerts over other people, even from beyond the grave. I’d like to say it’s very unlikely but unfortunately it isn’t and every serial killer has his groupies. I liked Fabian’s interviews with some of them as I thought they ring true. It is difficult for us mere mortals to understand a psychopathic mindset but Mr Parker does well with the chilling Christopher Wisher and I’m looking forward to seeing how he develops Wisher and his plans.

The Songbird Girls is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.