I’ve been a fan of Katerina Diamond since her debut novel, The Teacher, but I believe Truth or Die is her most accomplished work to date. Katrina is not one to wilt away from graphic murder scenes and there’s plenty in this book along with a multi-layered plot that is full of surprises. Nothing is ever as it first seems and there is something deeper than the obvious murders that lurks in the background.

The personal relationship between Imogen Grey and Adrian Miles is developed in an enthralling thread in its own right. This is the fifth book in the series and to do the relationship justice it has taken 5 books to get them both to this particular point. They are extremely close friends that have a tenacious loyalty to each other stemming from lifesaving incidents and shared secrets. Could intimacy develop further or is the fear of losing each other as friends enough to force a distance on their feelings. This is a relationship that isn’t played casually by the author but with thought and careful emotional context.

When a University professor is found with his head brutally smashed in, our two detectives are drawn into another dark twisty criminal investigation. After another 3 University Professors are found brutally murdered and a number of students have died mysteriously from accidents or suicide, there is a disturbing realisation that they are all connected. There is something naggingly familiar with all murder scenes except one and when a message is passed to them saying

"They deserved it. Three down, one to go. P."

Imogen and Adrian know who is responsible for the murders of the Professors. They also know that with, P, it’s personal and calculated. The killer is someone they dealt with in earlier books of the series and they’re being asked a difficult question again. How far would you go to obtain justice against an unmerciful and cynical criminal network? Would you step aside and allow a serial killer to take them out? Imogen and Adrian acknowledge they must stop the killer but they also know that creeping underneath is a hidden, menacing group that is surreptitiously orchestrating a deadly criminal game.

The plot is compelling and its complexity is perfectly pitched to keep you guessing while not getting too clever to lose you completely. This is a real talent from Katerina to achieve this level of entertainment, mystery and suspense.

I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Katerina Diamond, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Katerina is a brilliant author of grisly murders which are so good, I love them. They also keep you guessing as to did the murders as she does not give much away. The relationship between the detectives is good and better when you read the books in order even though they can be read as standalone's. This starts off with a professor being murdered but as it goes on there are other murders but are they connected and if so how as it does not seem like it. Twists and turns that make you keep reading until the end. Another brilliant book by this author.

In Truth or Die, Detective Sergeant Imogen and her partner (and friend with benefits), DS Adrian are investigating a professor’s death. The philosophy professor’s head was bashed in with a glass paperweight. Their sleuthing uncovers an awful truth playing out at the university.

Both Imogen and Adrian are getting over recent relationships when this tale begins. While there is a mystery and some police procedures described, this seemed more an excuse to show Imogen and Adrian’s relationship moving forward rather than the other way round. There were also a lot of character names to juggle. I found myself frequently backtracking to determine who the character was that was speaking. I believe my problem was that I was trying to read this as a standalone. It would be much easier if I had the previous four books experience with many of the characters.

If you have read the previous books in this series and don’t mind some romance, frequent gore, and occasional twists in your police procedurals, you will already know whether you will enjoy Truth or Die or not. However, if you haven’t read the other books (at least the last one, The Promise), I think you will be as confused as I was while reading this one. I can only give my own review of course, so 3 stars for this character-driven thriller.

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Truth or Die is the fifth police procedural in the Exeter-based series featuring DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles, however, each instalment can be read independently from one another without issue. The story centres around a professor, Dr Morris, who is teaching at Exeter University, and is found brutally pummelled over the head. Grey and Miles are dispatched to investigate the killing of the seemingly innocent party but they quickly discover that no one wants to talk. Soon the body count has risen markedly and they realise someone is watching their every move with regards to the case. But Grey and Miles are an intelligent and formidable pair who are hellbent on unravelling this mystery.

This is a story that twists and turns its way into your psyche and there are lots of surprises throughout. As the body count grew so did my fascination with who from the past has a vested interest in the killings. It flows effortlessly from page to page, is highly addictive and full of mysterious intrigue. I found it difficult to put down and ended up reading it in an afternoon. I usually don't mention the perspectives in a novel but here they really added a special something to it all. It is primarily told from the POV of Grey and Miles, however, there are a few instances where we hear from an unnamed individual which adds to the narrative making it fully rounded. Overall, a gripping, brilliant thriller. Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.

I’ve been a fan of Katrina Diamond since her debut novel, The Teacher, but I believe Truth or Die is her most accomplished work to date. Katrina is not one to wilt away from graphic murder scenes and there’s plenty in this book along with a multi-layered plot that is full of surprises. Nothing is ever as it first seems and there is something deeper than the obvious murders that lurks in the background.

The personal relationship between Imogen Grey and Adrian Miles is developed in an enthralling thread in its own right. This is the fifth book in the series and to do the relationship justice it has taken 5 books to get them both to this particular point. They are extremely close friends that have a tenacious loyalty to each other stemming from lifesaving incidents and shared secrets. Could intimacy develop further or is the fear of losing each other as friends enough to force a distance on their feelings. This is a relationship that isn’t played casually by the author but with thought and careful emotional context.

When a University professor is found with his head brutally smashed in, our two detectives are drawn into another dark twisty killer hunt. After another 2 University Professors are found brutally murdered and a number of students have died mysteriously from accidents or suicide, there is a disturbing feeling that there is a sinister connection. There is something naggingly familiar with the murder scenes and when a message is passed to them saying

They deserved it. Three down, one to go. P.

Imogen and Adrian know who is responsible for the murders of the Professors but they also know that they are only carrying it out because it’s personal and it’s calculated. The killer is someone they dealt with in earlier books of the series and they’re being asked a difficult question again. How far would you go to obtain justice against a brutal and cynical criminal network? Would you step aside and allow a serial killer to take them out? Imogen and Adrian know they must stop the killer but they also know that creeping underneath is a hidden, menacing group that is surreptitiously orchestrating other criminal activities.

The plot is compelling and its complexity is perfectly pitched to keep you guessing while not getting too clever to lose you completely. This is a real talent from Katerina to achieve this level of entertainment, mystery and suspense.

I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Katerina Diamond, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

I hadn’t read the first books in the series, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I got was a mixed bag of a book. I thought that the plot was interesting and ultimately, that is what kept me turning the pages. For once, a tag line is accurate because it is not for the faint of heart. There were only a few grotesquely detailed scenes, but they were vital to understanding the motivations of the characters, so I didn’t mind them. I will say, however, that there was a lot of backstory and references to previous events that kept me a little bit confused at times–even though this could be read as a standalone, it would have been much more enjoyable had I read the others first, so readers may want to take that into consideration. The only real disappointment was with the reveal of the ultimate bad guy–I thought it fell flat and came out of nowhere. I was hoping for more of a twist. But otherwise, it was a good crime novel that explores the evil nature of man and how easy it is to manipulate people. I would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and the author for a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of this book.

What a gripping story!
Even if it's the first book that I've read by the author, I felt in love with the writing and characters.
The story is so gripping and heartbreaking at times, it's fast paced, has a lot of twists and turns that will keep you guessing with every page turned till the end, the chemistry and feelings can be felt so real between Imogen and Adrian. I must admit that I was surprised to read so much about their relationship and how they grow through all the events that will put their trust and attention into the cases they have to solve.
I liked that we get more points of view from different characters and that I couldn't guess who was the real killer until the end was the epitome of the story for me as that's the most important thing that I'm looking forward in a crime thriller.
I'll definitely recommend this story to my book friends and will check out the other books from the author.

Truth or Die by Katerina Diamond is the 5th in the Imogen Grey detective series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DS Imogen Grey has put her past behind her and settled into her new precinct. She has even learned to trust her partner DS Adrian Miles. They have become friends. Although they don’t always play by the rules, they are both top-notch detectives. They have even come to trust their new boss, DCI Mira Kapoor. Imogen is still struggling with her love life, and Miles is grieving a loss.



My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
There is a game going on between a number of university professors. To earn “points”, they are black-mailing students into performing a number of escalating stunts/crimes. Even Adrian becomes a victim of their behavior, and he will have to face the lies head-on. However, now both students and professors are dying. It appears there is someone else out there controlling the shots.

In addition to the controller of the game, a voice from the past has inserted himself into finding the players, and he is bent on revenge. Even though he is a serial killer, Imogen and Adrian had let Parker go before, when he had saved both Imogen’s life and that of Adrian’s son. They may now regret that action, as he is intent on killing all the members of the game. The police will have to find the participants before Parker does.  If caught, Adrian will have to arrest Parker, but his empathy for the man, and the repercussions to his own career, will make that difficult.

A new team member, DI Matt Walsh has joined the team, and the verdict is still out as to how good a fit he will be.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Imogen and Adrian is becoming confusing, as their friendship takes another turn, as both look to move from their pasts.



My Opinions:
I am definitely loving this series, and although I am not a romance reader, I don’t mind the relationship between Imogen and Adrian. Although it may not last, it seems to be a natural progression for them at this time.

I loved how Parker and Abby returned in this book, as I had figured we weren’t done with that pair yet. The relationship between Adrian and Parker is interesting.

As always, there was a lot of action in this book, and suspense built throughout. The graphic descriptions were typical for this author, and only added to the gripping plot, which is a little dark.

Please read the series in order. There is no way you could understand the relationships between characters without the background.

Okay, as I have stated before, I still don’t understand why this isn’t considered the “Grey and Miles” series??? Adrian is as big a part of every book as Imogen….Somebody????

A twisting, turning thriller, Truth or DIe, the latest D.S. Imogen Grey book will grip you from the beginning and keep you hooked until the very last page.
As with many thrillers, the less said about the plot the better, the less the reader knows going in, the more they will enjoy the book as it unfolds. All I will say is that it involves a murdered professor, a sultry temptress, a sinister game and for those who have read the previous Imogen Grey books, an old familiar face. On that last note, I should point out that despite this being the fifth book in an ongoing series, it is perfectly possible to enjoy the book without having read the others, the story is complete and self-contained, though it does of course develop the ongoing complicated relationship between Imogen and Adrian, the main characters. The book is fast paced and the plot is layered enough to keep the reader guessing, which is always important in a thriller, but I also really enjoyed the way the author delved into the private lives of the detectives and how that impacted on their motivations and actions.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Katerina Diamond is an amazing author! I have enjoyed all her books but i found this the best yet! This is the 5th novel in a series featuring the brilliant Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey. This novel is based on the murder of a professor - found with his head caved in. It soon becomes clear that several students have also died over a period of time, and Imogen and Adrian wondered if it is all connected in some way.
This novel is a graphic and gruesome and is not for the faint hearted...but i loved it! What i also loved is reading more about the relationship between Miley and Imogen - will their professional relationship be effected by what is going on in their personal lives?
This book is a 10/10 for me! Loved it - and you will too!

This is the 5th book in the DS Imogen Grey series. Although best read as part of the series it can definitely be read as a stand-alone book.

The death of a university professor in his office plus the suspicious deaths of several students sees the return of DS Grey and her partner DS Miles. As always this book is not all about the crimes but also the ups and downs in the lives of the two detectives.

Although this is a little gruesome in places it is a great fast paced mystery thriller which will keep you guessing throughout. This is a great series of books and the latest instalment doesn’t disappoint. I am looking forward to the next in the series already.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

DS Grey & Miles #5

Dr Morris was found in his University office with his head bashed in. DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Mileshave been sent to investigate. But they find no one willing to talk. There has been a series of deaths among the students and tutors. As the investigation progresses they soon realise that there is a familiarity to the deaths.

This is a fast paced crime thriller that I did not want to put down. This book is not for the faint hearted as its full of gore. There is also a lot going on in this book. It has plenty of twists and turns. I like the chemistry between Grey and Miles. I don't think this book can be read as a standalone as it makes references to other books in this series. A very well written police procedural. I read this book in one sitting.

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

The DS Imogen Grey series is one of my all time favorites and Truth or Die has been one of my most anticipated books of the year. Katerina Diamond once again came through with a compelling mystery that kept me glued to the pages.

Truth or Die felt like a little bit of a departure from the previous books in the series. The POVs were almost exclusively from Imogen and Adrian. There are a few chapters from a couple of other characters, but they were not as prominent as I have come to expect. This didn’t bother me at all, though. I love Adrian and Imogen and in some of the other books I felt like I didn’t get enough from them. I also thought their personal lives took more of a leading role than they have in the past. While their character development has always been strong, whatever was going on in their personal lives often bled into the central mystery, but it seemed more separate this time around. However, I was on board with it because there are DEVELOPMENTS in their relationship.

While I have loved Dean, his relationship with Imogen was always on borrowed time. In the most recent book, Adrian and Imogen’s partnership and friendship started to evolve into something more. In this book, we really dive into their complicated feelings and I was here for it. I already feel like I’m being too spoilery with even mentioning it, but it’s a large part of the book and as a long time fan of the series, I was extremely invested in it.

The mystery was well done, if not quite as intricate or dark as I might have expected. It wasn’t really built in a way that there would be big twists and reveals, but it was well plotted and intriguing. It also links back to a case from a previous book, which I really enjoyed. There is an added layer of Adrian wrestling with the gray areas of the sins of his past. My dear, sweet Adrian often makes a lot of stupid decisions, but his heart is always in the right place. That doesn’t mean there isn’t consequences for him and those around him, though, and I liked seeing him coming to terms with that. There was also a storyline having to do with false rape accusations that I felt was pretty relevant to what’s going on it the world today.

Overall, I really enjoyed Truth or Die. Though it was a little different than what I have come to expect from Diamond, it was still a compelling mystery with great character development that I could barely put down. Each book in this series just further solidifies it’s status as one of my favorites and I can’t wait for the next one!

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Another brilliant book from Katerina Diamond.
This series just gets better and better and I love the chemistry between Imogen and Adrian.
They are called to a University where a Professor has been beaten to death with a paperweight and those they speak to about the murder, seem to be hiding something.
Someone from Adrian’s past appears and whilst he claims he’s trying to help, doing it outside of the law is a conflict of interest that Adrian finds hard to cope with.
Due to their history he turns a blind eye but both Imogen and Adrian know this is a dangerous thing to do.
They are soon faced with more deaths and pressure from above to find this killer.
They seem to be linked to Universities but what is the connection to the recent deaths?
This is a gripping crime thriller that had me hooked from the first few pages.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Regular readers of the genre know that Dr Morris, who was found violently (and gruesomely) murdered in his office at Exeter University know that there's more to him than meets the eye. So do DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles. What they didn't expect was that this murder would be connected to several more (gory) murders of students. How it all fits together will keep you guessing but for me, what also kept me reading is the relationship between Grey and Miles. Both have issues and they've a dance with each other over the years but now....No spoilers! I've only read one in this series and was so happy to see this pop up on Netgalley (thanks for the ARC) because Diamond has a way with the procedural. A very good read.

I have loved all the previous books in this series but I really struggled with this one. I think the main reason was that there was way too much personal stuff going on that I was distracted away from the crime they were trying to solve and this annoyed me. So much so that I very nearly abandoned it. I probably would have done had this author not proved herself already to me and I also knew that reading on would not eat too much into my precious time as the books are all very readable. I know that some of this relationship stuff did speak to character development and was also pertinent to the plot of the book, but it was way, way too much. It's hard to explain exactly why without spoilers but this book refers back to events in previous ones and so reading them is definitely an advantage as although there is a bit of a catch-up, it's not really enough to understand fully what has gone before.
The action centres around a university where there has been an explosion of petty crimes and a few accidents, some of which were fatal. One of the professors is found brutally murdered in his office and Grey and Miles are called in to investigate. In amongst their own personal issues regarding their ongoing will-they-won't-they relationship they start to interview the staff and students. One of the students then makes an allegation that both threatens a career and tests their relationship. The body count rises and the police continue to be flummoxed until held comes from a very unlikely source. One which also threatens our detective duo. And here's where thing go even more south for me as although it was quite well set up, the execution lacked credibility and left me a little flat rather than being satisfied. Shame really as I've already mentioned that I've enjoyed all the previous book in the series.
All in all, sorry but this was not one for me I'm afraid but hopefully just a small blot on the landscape and the series will bounce back with book 6. I'm not abandoning it just yet... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This was my first time reading a book in this series, so I will admit there were a couple of times that I felt like I missed out on something by not reading the prior stories. It wasn't enough to take away from my overall enjoyment of this one, but it was enough to make me think I would have enjoyed this one maybe just a little bit more had I read them.

There was definitely an element of cat and mouse to this one, with the killer staying a step ahead of the investigation until it came together with a surprise twist that I didn't see coming. One thing that I felt seemed lacking was with the return of a "villain" from a prior novel. What was lacking wasn't that they brought this person back as I enjoyed the insights to this dark mind, but the fact that someone who was so intelligent and so careful managed to get caught up in the way that he did. I found it hard to believe the way things went down in that regard as he seemed to have covered his tracks too well for that to have happened.

Despite that, I did enjoy watching the romance bloom between Imogen and Adrian. It came across as though this is something that had been building for awhile now, so it was nice to see them finally lay their cards on the table so to speak (and somehow even more fun for the awkwardness that ensued).

Overall, I do believe this story will appeal not only to those who are established fans of this series, but to those who enjoy interesting characters who are being set up against some pretty insurmountable odds.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I have lived all the books in this series and this latest one does not disappoint, I was gripped from beginning to end! Full of twists, that really keep you guessing. Brilliant book!

Truth or Die is the latest instalment in the DS Imogen Grey series. When the body of a Professor is found butchered in his university office, Imogen and her partner DS Adrian Miles turn to his students for answers. But with no leads and a rising body count, they find themselves having to look to a previous case for answers.

Brilliantly written with great characters and a strong plot line that will keep you hooked until the very end. I would rate this book 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

This fast-paced crime thriller is a book I would recommend as Katerina Diamond did not disappoint. The twists and turns were more than enough to hold my interest.

I love how quickly I got through this book. I didn’t want to put it down and always wanted to know what they were going to discover next. Another thing I enjoyed was that Diamond did a good job of describing the crime scenes without going over the top. The scenes were tastefully done without being too graphic for those with a weak stomach. I also enjoyed the progression of the relationships between the various police characters. The author left strings for additional books down the road.

This is book 5 of a series, and having not read the previous 4, I was impressed with how gripping the story was right off the bat. I would say you don’t have to read the first books to understand what is going on, but I will now add them to my reading list to get the back stories of the main characters.

Having not read the previous books, I was confused at the beginning with all the police acronyms of titles and “speak”. I also felt that the book just ended and the “who done it” conclusion was weak.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.