I struggled a bit at the start of this book with the characters but soon got into it. It was a reasonably good story.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

What a fantastic read with the perfect pace and tension that kept me hungrily turning the pages until the end. The author created an excellent set of well-developed characters that I look forward to learning more about in book two.

What a great start to a new series. I really enjoyed the storyline. The flashbacks were fantastic and the way the author weaved the back story and the present together was very satisfying. I look forward to reading more from this author

The character development was a bit too low for me. I would've liked more of a background on the actual characters rather than here's this huge crime oh and it's now solved.

This book was extremely hard for me to get in to and was very disappointing. I found my self getting bored quite often and really had to push myself to finish this story. I think I got so bored with it because there was just so much going in with the multiple characters and timelines so quickly that I just couldn't keep up with what was going on.

I enjoyed this book, although I did find the number of characters a bit confusing and hard to keep track of. It's a promising start to the series and I'll look out for the next one, It kept me gripped and held my attention, The next installment could probably benefit from a few less characters, to be less confusing,

I’m a bit late to the table with this one.

I liked this book, I didn’t love it, but I liked it.

I had to concentrate far too much for my liking with this one. It was told from dual timelines PLUS too many characters to keep account of. Sitting alone with no distractions and reading it from beginning to end I may have faired better alas, for most of us readers that cannot be the case as real life needs to be lived.

Then picking up the book again I found myself asking “ now where was I?” And rereading parts. For me, that’s never a good sign.

Very good story. But just not easy to read with all going on

First book in a new series. I did enjoy it but it would have been better with fewer characters. I will try the next book in the series.

Intriguing start to a new series.

Enjoyed this book especially the description of the bleak Highlands, the team work & continuing storyline.

Felt there were maybe a few too many characters as it was a little confusing at times.

I’m now off to find the next in the series.

New series alert. Number one in this new series and a very promising start. Very good main plot with lots (maybe too many?) characters and story lines but a very good read which I read in less than 24hrs. I often enjoy a series for the subplots as much, or sometimes more than, the main plots and I just know that this is going to deliver. I have set up a new collection on my Kindle- always a sure sign! Looking for ward to getting stuck into number two

Heartlands (Detective Jessie Blake #1) – Kerry Watts

I really enjoyed this, I wish I hadn’t left it for so long to read but then again on the plus side I had the second one available to read straightaway. My one criticism is that that there’s maybe one or two characters too many, it certainly gave my brain a workout keeping up. I’m looking forward to seeing how the team dynamics and relationships will develop in the follow up especially with her colleague DC Dylan Logan. They are like chalk and cheese Jessica is young and career driven, Dylan is portrayed as a kind natured guy but we shall see if he stays that way.

We are introduced to Detective Jessica Blake it’s obvious that she has a few secrets and she’s trying her damnedest to keep them that way. She just so happens to have moved to an area where the locals are keeping more than a few of their own. As we all know secrets never stay a secret for long and in this novel as true to form they don’t. Towards the end we begin to learn a little more about Jessie and her past but I think there’s a whole lot more to discover.

The disappearance of a young teenager is Jessica’s first case as Inspector since she has moved to Inverlochty Perth Scotland. The few leads that they stumble across appear to be dead ends. Finally with a stroke of luck and a little help it turns out that there are a few similarities to a crime committed almost twenty years before. Driving to the location the duo learn of the murder of a teenager by a surprising perpetrator(s).

Whilst reading Heartlands I couldn’t help but reflect on a real life historic case that was both dissimilar but similar and how the perpetrators of that horrific crime were given an opportunity and one of them chose to abuse the second chance that they were given. Happily the author kept me turning the pages at a rate of noughts determined to se if I was right (and I was).

I think that Kerry Watts is an author to keep an eye out for and DI Blake has a lot to offer fans of a police procedural.

Read for an honest review. Thank you to the author Kerry Watts, Netgalley and Bookouture.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this entertaining novel. The novel plays off in two time periods. 20 years ago, a young girl disappear, and in modern day a girl goes missing. Both are found dead. Are they linked. If so, how?
This was a very gripping read, and I couldn't wait to see how it ended!
Highly recommended.

Call it mother’s intuition, but I knew she was dead the moment she was late home. As I listened to her phone ring and ring, that’s when I knew for sure. My little girl was gone.

Twenty years ago, Sophie Nicoll never came home from school. Days later her body was found in a shallow grave on a remote farm a few miles from her hometown. Two boys from her school were found guilty. The press called the boys evil. Sophie’s family wanted them dead. The judge promised they’d never walk free.

Two decades later and schoolgirl Shannon Ross has vanished from a small town in the Scottish Highlands.

It’s Detective Jessie Blake’s first big case since she joined Perthshire Police. Having recently arrived from London, Jessie lives in fear of people finding out about her past and her reasons for moving north.

When Shannon’s body is found in the river on the outskirts of Inverlochty, Jessie discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide. As the small community begins to crack under pressure, people begin to point fingers. And soon, the big secrets hidden within the small town are revealed – with devastating consequences.


My Thoughts

Rating : 3.5

So my original rating was 4.5 but last night I started to think about the story and I realized that while I liked it there was times I was confused , because of how the author has the story set up, bit non the less the I did like it will probably pick up the next one when I see it.WIth that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it

A book I really enjoyed reading.
Great characters that you cannot help but engage with and a brilliant plot.

The first book in a planned series is usually a little slower since the author is building the characters and the back story. This book was an exception. It started with a murder that seemed to be solved and then jumps quickly to the present day's mystery. I knew the previous crime had to figure into the present one somehow...but exactly how was a surprise. Kerry Watts is off to a great start with the Jessie Blake series.

I really enjoyed this book, however there were so many characters it took me a long time to sort them all out in my head. Once I knew who everyone was and how they related to each other in the story I enjoyed the book a lot more. It was a great story though hence I am giving it 4 stars.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

A great page turner with pace and tension that kept me turning the pages until the end. Thanks to NG and the publisher for the advance copy,