Absolutely fantastic book!!!! A page turner with twists the whole way through. Fantastic characters and a superb plot! Can't wait for the next one !!!!!

Amazing debut! 4-5 stars! Also one of heck of beginning to a series, I look forward to reading more of. Written with such precision and suspense, I was shocked it was a debut. Very chilling, thrilling, and shocking!
Will absolutely recommend to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

This is Noelle Holten’s debut novel introducing DC Maggie Jamieson who has joined the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit in Staffordshire, a multi-agency team dealing with abuse and homicide. This involves working with criminal psychologist, Dr Kate Moloney and Lucy Sherwood from the probationary service. When three men with a history of violence and abuse are found murdered it transpires that Lucy is the probation officer dealing with all the victims.

A brilliant, brilliant book. Well written with a great plot although sometimes harrowing. It gives a great insight into the subject of domestic abuse from all angles. I thoroughly recommend it and await further news from Ms Holten.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I'm glad I started reading Dead Inside on a Saturday because it meant I had the day free to read it without being interrupted. I did not want to put this book down and had finished it by the early evening. When I sat down to write this review I started thinking what it is that makes a crime novel so gripping, I just want to keep reading.
The plot obviously has to be engrossing and Dead Inside, with its multilayered, complex storyline is exactly that. I loved the way Noelle Holten doesn't just tell one story here but switches between the viewpoints of the different characters, allowing their lives to unfold over the course of the novel until eventually the strands are drawn together and the devastating truth is revealed. The pacing is superb throughout, nothing feels rushed and yet it never loses focus; no matter which character is in the spotlight, I wanted to know more about them.
This leads me on to another huge asset of Dead Inside and that is the characters. This is billed as the first DC Maggie Jamieson book and it's a great introduction. At the start of the novel, we learn she has been transferred from the murder team to the newly formed Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit and is clearly still affected by her last case. Before long, she is investigating another death when a known wife beater is discovered to have been brutally murdered. The nature of the crime implies that this was a personal killing and when two more men with a history of domestic violence are also murdered, it seems that somebody has decided to exact a merciless punishment on them. I don't yet feel I know Maggie that well but I like what I've seen so far and am intrigued to know more; there is much to suggest that she faces challenges ahead in both her professional and personal life. The main focus of this story is Probation Officer, Lucy Sherwood and she is such a great character. Her role brings her into daily contact with men who have been convicted of domestic abuse and are now on probation - and she knows exactly how to handle these volatile individuals. In a cruel twist, however, Lucy's own husband, Patrick emotionally and physically abuses her. There are some truly heartbreaking scenes where we see the mentally shattering effect of domestic abuse with Lucy becoming increasingly depressed as her confidence is stolen from her. She knows she should leave but she is starkly aware that her stepchildren, Siobhan and Rory need a stable, loving anchor in their lives and so she stays to protect them. There are several other characters who all have important roles to play in the proceedings; some are victims or survivors of abuse and some are the perpetrators. They are all vividly brought to life meaning that although it takes a little while to figure out how they are connected, each of them is clearly defined and I was engaged by all of their stories, no matter how difficult they may have been to read.
So the plot, pacing and characterisation are all first-rate and Noelle Holten's own experience working in the Probation Service ensures an assured authenticity to the action. For me, though, what really makes Dead Inside stand out is that it's written with such empathetic and honest perceptiveness. Domestic Abuse is a difficult and emotive subject to write about but the balance between an exciting, compelling story and a thoughtful exploration of the topic is just right here. There are some necessarily violent and upsetting scenes but nothing ever feels gratuitous. The storyline includes an insightful look at why people may become offenders and the terrible cycle of violence and abuse which may not excuse but does help explain why this is the only response some abusers understand. Why people stay in violent relationships is also sensitively examined with the astute understanding that although the answers may seem obvious to outsiders, there are several reasons why a person might not leave at the first indication that a partner may be abusive.
Dead Inside is a brilliant debut novel which ticks all the boxes and then some, with an excellent conclusion that left me both completely satisfied with the resolution to this case and yet still intrigued to know more. The chilling ending suggests Maggie has a difficult time ahead of her and I can't wait to discover what lies in store in the next book, Dead Wrong. In the meantime, I am thrilled to highly recommend Dead Inside, this is a series and indeed an author definitely worth following!

What an absolutely outstanding debut this is. People always say write about something you know and boy Noelle Holten must have been an exceptional Probation Officer. The characters have been so confidently written about that they have a solidness about them, their actions, feelings and at times pure helplessness about the whole system. There are a lot of characters in the book but the chapters keep them clustered in ways that they are easy to remember.
DC Maggie Jamieson finds that not only is she facing tracking a serial killer down who is savagely murdering known wife beaters, but that one of her friends and colleagues is soon going to be part of the investigation. So far the victims had been known to the team but when Lucy’s husband becomes victim number four it really knocks them all.
This gives the story views on both sides of the fence on how an abused victim covers up their life behind closed doors. It is extremely emotional like she is two people, but someone that as a reader you immediately connect with and want to protect.
It was quite an experience to venture into the mind of Patrick and I must admit that I felt smaller in each chapter that he appeared as he really had his act down to a fine art. I felt clammy, cold and physically sick that someone could think like this never mind follow up on his thoughts.
The story, of course, has many triggers which could make some readers distressed, that include rape in marriage, physical and mental abuse.
I received an e-copy of this book for the blog tour, which I have reviewed honestly. A stunning debut, eager for the next in the series.

Great start to a new series! I cannot wait to read more not only from this series, but from this author. The twists were well timed and written.

Dead Inside is a brilliantly crafted novel that's fast-paced, punchy and intriguing.

Although it featured detectives and police, and various cases which were being investigated (violent abusive men who've been murdered - is there a link?), it felt to me more of an intense mystery/ drama than your usual crime novel. This is in part because the characters felt so well fleshed out and very convincing, so I could feel myself completely sucked into the story, finishing this in no time at all.

Dead Inside is an easy, quick read in terms of language, because the plot and writing flows so well, but the subject matter gets pretty dark and disturbing at times; obviously it centers around abuse and violence within relationships, so this is to be expected, but some parts made me feel SO angry and indignant for the women who were abused - particularly Lucy who I really liked - that I felt myself wanting to scream at the men within its pages. It takes some skilled writing to evoke such strong emotions, and I felt this demonstrated what a great writer Noelle is.

I can't believe this is a debut novel, as I enjoyed it so much and would happily read many more - so I'm already looking forward to book number 2! Addictive, compelling and definitely dark.

o I closed the page and I messaged Noelle straight away and said OMFG!! Yes, she got one, well, in fact, she got quite a few! It is always so intense and slight nerve-wracking not only for the author but for the reader when it is a book you are reading of someone you have been getting to know. What if you don’t like the book? What if you don’t think that they have what it takes? To be honest I am more nervous about my review not doing it justice than I was reading the book!!!!!

Well, let me tell you something! She nailed it! And if you were not sure, she hammers it home over and over just to make a point that you know she nailed it!

Dead Inside is not always an easy ride or read, where we are facing domestic abuse in so much detail you find yourself scream loudly at the book. (Just don’t do this if you are reading outside you might get some funny looks!) Certain events in the story were so heartbreaking for some characters, and you wonder why people stay. So many different reasons are banded about in the book but there are no right or wrong reasons.

Although this is the Maggie Jamison series, this was by far the Lucy show! This woman stole the limelight and ran away with it. She captivated my heart, through her strength even at her lowest moments. Her kindness shone through and helped someone at the end make a relatively difficult decision to atone. You can understand her reasoning for a lot of things and you just want to wrap her up in cotton wool and never let anyone hurt her. There was one scene with Lucy that almost destroyed me. The emptiness she felt, I felt. My heart literally broke in a million pieces. This is the power that Noelle and her writing will have over you!!

Maggie, well I quite liked her, a secret stick of dynamite. We are only given hints to her past that haunts her and a case called the Raven. All in good time we know a little bit more, and I can tell she is a force to be reckoned with. She sees things slightly different to everyone else and times she can be blunt and not care and others she is sympathetic and caring, the balance seems just right.

And yes there are a whole host of names from the blogging world which made me smile. One I might not be able to look at the same way lol.

I do not want to say anything about the plot bar what is in the blurb. Even then I did not read it when I picked up the book, I went in completely dark I didn’t want anything to ruin my enjoyment of this book. I didn’t want to read anything that could potentially be a spoiler.

You really wouldn’t know that this was a debut book, I felt like Holten has already crafted her skill and her darkness and that she has been doing this for years. I was completely absorbed by her writing. I couldn’t be distracted when I was reading Dead Inside and I did not want to be. She knows how to make you care and how to make you hate with all the venom that you can in your heart. Because she definitely got all the emotions from me! I spent a lot of the time raging before my heart ached for some characters. There is no remorse for some people and it was palpable in scenes where they were oblivious to their actions and the pain being caused…in walked my anger to the room!

There are different threads running parallel throughout the book kept you on the edge of your seat. It didn’t get confusing, just when something was happening in one thread you would be teased by the chapter switching to a different character, a different scenario and would lead you to speeding through the book to find out what was going on. I felt like I had a satisfying ending to the Dead Inside, I don’t think I could ask for anything better….oh wait I can! Not to bloody end! I seriously didn’t want it to end! It really is like being on your favourite rollercoaster and never wanting the ride to end. You may know how it will end but it’s not without surprises throughout the journey. It is fast paced, especially with the short snappy chapter that keeps you just that little bit on edge as you wait for the next revelation, the next incident and the next time you might need to scream.

As wrong as this sounds, a book about domestic abuses and serial killers, but I bloody loved it! I loved it so much so, that I have pre-ordered the next book in the series Dead Wrong and I can’t wait to see Maggie Jamieson again and Dr Kate Moloney. The dynamic between these two was fab. I just hope we see Lucy again! Plus there might be another familiar name in the next book #justsaying. It is definitely in my top books for the year!!

Please do yourself a favour and buy this book! Put an afternoon aside and devour the words in front of you because you will not want to put the book down once you have started.

I’m so excited to be reviewing this! Noelle is one of the loveliest people (and a fellow animal lover) so I couldn’t wait to read her debut novel and I was not disappointed!

We meet Probation Officer Lucy who, on a day to day today basis has to deal with domestic abusers…but one by one her clients are turning up brutally murdered….Is she a suspect? Why would she commit these crimes? And what dark secrets of her own is she harbouring?

DC Maggie Jamieson has just joined the DAHU team from the murder squad….and on her first day has to deal with a murder….and then they keep coming! But why did she leave the murder squad? And will she be able to find out who the serial killer is before someone innocent takes the blame?

I was completely gripped by this story! I fell in love with Lucy from the beginning, who is the loveliest person but she has her own secrets that she’s trying to keep covered up. I really wanted her to share them and really wanted her to be happy!

Maggie is fantastic and does a brilliant job, alongside Criminal Psychologist, Dr Moloney (who is also new to the team) in pulling together the facts of the case, and uncovering the bits that might make a difference. The other supporting cast, especially Mark and Sarah were brilliant. I loved that there were some names in there that I recognised (Sarah Hardy!) which really made me smile.

The story is well written and easy to follow. There are a number of characters who have mini stories going on and I loved this. Each of the characters bought out different emotions in me….some I hated (and could willingly punch in the face!), others I just wanted to give them a kick up the bum and tell them to sort themselves out!

This is a bloody brilliant debut which is well paced, with a fantastic ending! Noelle covers the sensitive subject of domestic abuse brilliantly, and it really makes you think about those it affects in real life.

If your looking for something that you won’t want to put down and will have you completely engaged, then this is the book for you! Highly recommended by me, and now I can’t wait for book 2!!!! Hurry up Noelle!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

This is a brilliant debut novel from Noelle Holten.

DC Maggie Jamieson finds herself working on the toughest case she’s ever been on.

I found it totally fascinating to see the probation side of things when Lucy manages and keeps tabs on prisoners who are released and the author obviously knows her stuff in this area. Lucy is very together and great at her job but who knows what goes on behind closed doors in her own house and away from work.

There are a lot of characters in the book, but they all settled into their roles reasonably early in the book, so you knew who was who and they all pulled together well and all had their important roles to play in a team of people who were put together, in their latest case, to solve the murders of three people who are accused of domestic violence. When the fourth is found, Lucy’s connection seems to be more than just a coincidence and cannot be ignored.

It was so interesting to be involved in the probation side of things where Lucy’s job as a probation officer is to manage and keep tabs on prisoners who have been locked up for abusive behaviour and are then released and the author obviously knows her stuff in this area.

Lucy’s partner Patrick was probably one of the worst characters I’ve ever read in a book. Vile man! I found myself shouting at Lucy in parts, but also sympathising with her and understanding why she did what she did. To provoke such reaction towards a character is brilliant. I’m sure there are many people out there that might like to get their hands on Patrick!

And that ending! Well! That took me by surprise. I had no clue it was that person who did it! Completely threw me!

Dead Inside was twisty, gripping and compelling!

Dark, disturbing and deep.

And those pages turned all by themselves!

I cannot wait to read more of this exciting new series. Bring on Book 2 Noelle! As soon as you can please!

This is really gripping and sometimes very emotionally difficult book to read. The main character Lucy works as a probation officer dealing with difficult men on their release from prison. As well as having a stressful job she has a particularly stressful home life as well. She lives with an abusive husband who seems to make it his life mission to put Lucy down and make her feel as small as he possibly can.

Lucy is one of those characters that you can’t help but feel sympathy towards and it’s a scenario that happens all too frequently. As I was reading the book I was desperately hoping that Lucy would find the strength and support to get herself out of what seems like an impossible situation.

As well as Lucy we also follow Maggie, a police officer seconded to a special division within the force currently investigating the deaths of various abusive men. In this way we see the story from multiple angles, the characters who are dealing with domestic abuse, the characters working within the probation service, and the characters within the police force. They all have their part to play in making this book.

This is a book that covers a very sensitive subject but has been handled very well and with great thought. You can tell the author has clearly done her research and knows her stuff. There are some very difficult scenes to read about but necessary at the same time as it creates the full picture of the story the author is trying to tell here. Domestic abuse is not nice and if a book was written without these scenes then it wouldn’t be true to reality.

Considering this is a debut book from the author I was really impressed and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. The writing is gripping and I was pulled into the story from the first chapter and invested in what was going to happen with the characters.

This is the first in the D.C Maggie series . Maggie is featured in this book a lot but Lucy is the main character..
Lucy is a probation officer who try’s to keep control of abusive men when they are released from prison.Bit she is also a battered wife. She works along side the police . Maggie has just joined the D.A.H.U ( Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit ) , Then three abusive men are killed the police are not getting anywhere quick . Lucy worked with the three men was she involved with the killings ?Then Lucy’s husband is killed and Lucy is arrested for the murders. Did she do it ?

I had anticipated this book was going to be good, I just didn't realize how flipping fantastic it was going to be. OMG I loved it! It was way darker than I expected and that is a winner in my book. The graphic details just made this book really stand out in my mind. Noelle Holten knocked it out of the park with this debut.

Admittedly police procedural series are not my favorite go to books, but yet I had to get my hands on this one. What I loved about this is the fine balance between police procedural and the characters lives. I think the author found a fantastic line between the two and gave me everything I was looking for in a book. We have the depth of great character development and yet the shock and horror of the crime scenes. It just gives me a chill thinking back to those crime scenes! Brutal murder after murder are occurring and yet they all have something in common...or shall I say someone in common...

Our focus is not only on solving these gruesome murders but also on the life of Lucy Sherwood a probation officer. I feel that this book was so relatable because it showed a clear connection in how you never know what a person is going through. I find that in life many people pick a profession based on their personal experience. Lucy deals with domestic abuse a great deal in her everyday work. Yet she is dealing with her own dark, twisted abusive relationship in her private life. She knows she needs to get out but it is not as easy as one would think. She finds herself falling into the cycle of abuse day after day to her monster of a husband Patrick. Does Lucy finally snap? Is she seeking redemption for the victims at the hands of these predators that she deals with everyday?

The research and personal experience was very evident in this debut novel. Brilliant writing, edge of seat terrifying details! , The graphic details of the physical and psychological abuse pulled me right in. Both were welcomed by me and I felt necessary to truly understand and being able to empathize with what the victims where going through. I found it an enthralling read that I could not put down. I was shocked towards the ending as I did not see it coming and I feel we were left with a great ending that could lead us right into book number 2! I can't wait to see what Noelle has in store for us next! I highly recommend getting your hands on Dead Inside (perfect title by the way). Just plan on pulling an all nighter and having a hell of a book hangover!

A cracking read! DC Maggie Jamieson – you and I are going to get along just fine.

Maggie Jamieson has been moved, temporarily, to a new team after dealing with a particularly harrowing case in the murder team she was part of. DAHU is an amalgamation of several services wit the aim of assisting and protecting abused partners; as fate would have it, Maggie’s first day finds her investigating a murder .. swiftly followed by the discovery of a further two bodies. With the department under immense pressure to get a result – and quickly – it’s down to good old fashioned detective work to get to the bottom of things.

This is an accomplished and well-paced piece of writing; a good solid story which focuses on the crime and teases the reader with the barest of facts about Maggie’s home life. The characters are all well-drawn, entirely believable and it is a thriller you can really immerse yourself in and give your grey matter a good workout pondering on who the murderer is! I did have a someone in mind, and it turned out I was right – but there is so much more to come after that. A fine, satisfying read and an absolutely stunning debut novel. This is definitely and author – and a series – I intend to follow, and together they have easily earned a full five stars!

With her debut novel, Noelle Holten has written a taut and gripping thriller that any seasoned writer should be envious of.

Lucy Sherwood is a probation office working with domestic violence offenders. In her professional life Lucy is firmly in control, but her personal life she is under the control of her abusive partner, Patrick. Reluctant to leave Patrick’s daughter and the family home, Lucy tries desperately to cope with the increasing spiral of drinking and escalating violence. Maggie Jamieson is a Detective newly assigned to the Domestic Evidence Unit. She’s still finding her feet when a man is brutally murdered. The police are still trying to figure out a motive when another murder quickly follows. It seems the killer is targeting abusers and the evidence is starting to point towards one person in particular.

This is a fantastic book. The author obviously knows her stuff when it comes to the patterns of domestic abuse and how the police and probation service deal with offenders. The viewpoint switches between several different characters and it gives the reader an insight into the thought processes of the abuser and the victim blaming mentality they have. The drinking culture of the local pub is shown to be a massive part of this as damaged characters coming together under the influence of alcohol ends as badly as you’d expect. The book felt really raw and real and the characters talk like real people and not cliches. It’s almost a police procedural at points but also has elements of a thriller and a crime novel too. It’s a brutal subject matter and a hard read at points but I enjoyed this book immensely. Noelle Holten is a real talent and an exciting addition to the raft of fantastic British crime writers out there at the moment. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes crime novels. A simply fantastic book.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

I am on the struggle bus lately with books. The last 2 I have had the worst trouble with.

I couldn’t seem to get into this one from page 1. There were WAYYYY to many characters to keep up with that I lost interest way too fast. I finally decided at 43% to DNF 😔 I skimmed the rest and jumped to the end to find out “who done it” and I’m kind of underwhelmed.

I’ve always felt like such a jerk leaving a bad review for a book that someone worked SO hard to write but I’ve realized lately that it’s a form of art and not everyone is going to love every book and that it’s ok to feel differently about a book.

I know Noelle Holten as a blogger and blog tour organizer for a very long time, and was very excited to read her very first book. Her debut is Dead Inside, a police procedural with DC Maggie Jamieson as a main character.

The story starts like this:

One domestic abuser is dead. Brutally killed. Then another one. And another one. DC Maggie Jamieson and her team have full hands job to do. Who is taking the justice in their own hands?

Lucy is a probation officer, but also suffers domestic violence at home. She works with domestic abusers and their victims, but she can’t get out from her own circle of abuse. There are many reasons to leave, but she also finds many reasons to stay. She hopes to see more of Dr Jekyll than Mr Hyde in her husband.

Shell is woman who once suffered domestic abuse. But, now, she is lonely and wants to feel loved. She thinks she has learned her lesson not to involve herself with certain type of men, but loneliness is a strange thing. Can she trust the man who flatters her?

There is very little information about DC Maggie Jamieson. She is tranferred from another department and still recovers from the previous case. Her relationship with her brother is not the best, she is tired to play the big sister all the time.

The main theme of the story is domestic violence. The author slowly introduces us in the world of an abused victim. It never starts suddenly, but slowly one step after another. The mind of an abused victim is not like the one watching the party from a side. There is negation, denial, giving excuses and hope to never happen again. But it does, over and over again.

Dead Inside is a mix of psychological thriller and police procedural. At least, that was the way I felt about it. There were too many characters (according to me) and there were moments when it was hard for me to follow the story. Sometimes I was wondering if Lucy was the main character or Maggie. But in the second half of the book there were twists (a lot) and the ending was quite unexpecting. What started like a domestic abuse story, ended like a high profile thriller. A great start for a debut author.

My actual rating: 3,5.

It is time to make room for another Queen of crime fiction because DEAD INSIDE by Noelle Holten is a masterpiece of deception and suspense and I'm already chomping at the bit to read the next book from this brilliant new author.

Lucy Sherwood's job as a Probation Officer can take a lot out of her but she knows that she is good at it and she needs the paycheque especially since her husband is out of work and drinking heavily as usual. You would think she should know better than to stay with an abuser but there are her stepchildren to consider and some days are ok. And then he is murdered and suddenly Lucy finds herself at the centre of the investigation.

When bodies are discovered, a new team of Police Officers is ready to hunt down the killer, even if the victims are abusers and criminals in their own right. For DC Maggie Jamieson it is a chance to step away after a particularly hard case and focus in a different area but as the search for the killer ramps up, can Maggie and her co-workers figure out the truth before it is too late?

​Compelling, terrifying, and utterly unputdownable, DEAD INSIDE by Noelle Holten brings domestic abuse and its impact to the forefront and while it isn't always an easy read, it is such an important one. Lucy is a complex character as she is so strong, independent and determined at work, and yet so vulnerable and afraid at home with her husband that it seems to be an enigma but the more you get to know Lucy, the more you understand her and empathise with her while willing her to get out.

I loved getting to know this new team of crime-fighting detectives and police officers and as this is the first book from this author, I cannot wait to learn even more about them in the next book.

There are plenty of suspects in this crime fiction novel and I enjoyed trying to piece it all together myself and there were so many moments when I was sure I had it figured out but then was thrown by something on the next page.

DEAD INSIDE by Noelle Holten is simply superb and if you buy one book this year make it this one!!!!!!!!!!

Loved this book. Great storyline and very informative on domestic abuse. Sime really good characters whom I hope we see again.

I figured out who was the killer, and that's alright. But then, Noelle, that little sneak, threw in a twist. Loved it.
Looking forward to book two.

What a great debut! The story moves quickly, and delves deeply into the complications and fallout of domestic abuse. The topic is timely and important, and the book is highly entertaining. I can't wait to see what the author has in store next! Many thanks to the author,the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.