I blooming love this series! And here we are at book nine and still going strong. One of the things I really love about a series is reconnecting with old friends. Here I have a few to catch up with, which is why I always suggest starting from book one and reading in order even though the main story, the investigation of a missing child in this case, is self contained.
I say missing child, well, that's not quite all that's going on, spoilers prevent me from saying much more, but I can say that things spiral quite quickly into a local crime wave.
Calladine and Bayliss are what you would expect from them by now and the cast of minor characters and extras are all fully developed and play their parts well. There are minor things going on in personal lives but these do not overshadow the main story, the do however play their parts in ongoing character development.
The plot itself had me running round like a headless chicken as I tried to second guess along the way. I have to admit I failed this time so I did get the "ooooo" moment that I crave from a book of this genre. And that was highly satisfying as I kicked myself for having missed something. Hindsight is a great thing!
Another thing worth mentioning is the author's no nonsense style of writing. She gets on with the story with the minimum amount of fuss and nonsense and no superfluous padding. I have learned that I need to clear my decks when I go into a book by her as I know that once I start, it will suck me in and I will be powerless to put it down until it's done. As it was with this book.
All in all, a cracking addition to a brilliant series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Dead Guilty is book nine of a new series of detective thrillers featuring D.S. Ruth Bayliss and D.I. Tom Calladine, and this has to be the most compelling and exciting so far. It's complex and well plotted with enough twists in the tale to keep the reader guessing. Although challenging there is never any point that you feel confused or lost even when there are a variety of characters involved. As in her previous novels, the easy breezy, highly readable writing style means that once you begin there will be no putting it down. Towards the end, the two distinct threads of the plot merge to create a stunning conclusion. This is a riveting read with an addictive plot and flawed, believable cast. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

Glad Calledine is back, been looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint. Another fabulous book by one of my favourite author's.

Follow Detectives Ruth Bayliss and Tom Calladine as they try and solve the mystery of a missing three year old child and her mother. Anne Adler reports her daughter missing but then goes missing herself along with her brother-in-law as ransom demands as high as two million are called into Anne's husband Richard Adler a millionaire. Did Richard's brother abduct Anne and her daughter or did Anne leave willingly with him? DId Richard actually physically abuse his wife Anne? When Richards brother is found dead in an empty car the detectives push up the effort to find Anne and Sophie. The books fast pace and suspense keep the reader not wanting to put the book down and the working relationship between Ruth and Tom also keep the book interesting. I would want to read further books in this series.

This is book 9 in the Calladine & Bayliss series but it does work well as stand alone.

A missing 3 year old child, Drugs, vigilantes, burglaries and murder. Calladine and his team are really up against it. When a fellow Detective has a heart attack Calladine finds the whole lot is for his team to investigate.

There is a lot going on in this book as the team buckle down to start following leads. They are getting nowhere fast. Who is the elusive Street and why are the criminals they have arrested being released? It smacks of corruption and when Calladine is ordered to back off investigating Street his worst fears are realised.

Reading this series is a bit like coming home. Familiar characters but you always learn something new and the advantage of these books is Helen is such a brilliant author she manages to write the books so you can step in at any point in the series and quickly catch up. No repetitive text to bore the readers who are following the series but enough to fill in blanks for new readers.

This is a twisty turny book that I simply couldn't put down there are real shockers all the way through and it is packed with suspense to keep the adrenaline pumping. WOW what an awesome read and when it gets towards the end and the clues start to link the different threads you think you have worked out what the ending is going to be..... Wrong! The ending is a total unexpected mind blowing shock.

An absolutely brilliant read that had me turning page after page. 5 golden stars from me.

A fantastic continuation of this brilliant series which features DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss. In my opinion, the series is best read in order to get the background of the characters. I think this is one of the best with a great storyline and a very unexpected twist.

Dead Guilty is number nine in this series and the first I have read. This is a fantastic book with great characters. I will go back and read the other books in the series.

I'm not keen on books that involve missing children, but as this one is from an author I like, I thought I would give take a chance. Three year old Sophie Alder has went missing and DS Ruth Bayliss and DI Tom Calladine suspect that she has been kidnapped. She is the daughter of Richard and Annie Alder, who own a biscuit factory. They grew up on a rough housing estate. They seem to be having a crime wave. This is a well written story with lots of twists. This book can be read as a standalone but it's always best to read a series from the beginning as you might miss out on some useful information.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Helen H. Durrant for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable read. I did not realize that this book was an installment of an established series. I felt a was missing something of a backstory while reading. I will definitely go back and begin with book number one. It was a fabulous police procedural, the characters where very well developed and the plotline had a seamless flow.
Thank Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
#netgalley
#deadguilty

A missing child, cuckooing for drugs, a couple of murders and a group of vigilantes, DI Calladine and DS Bayliss have their work cut out this time. Who is 'Street' and why does the DCS keep on trying to stop Calladine from finding out?

Helen H Durrant is one of my favourite contemporary mysytery writers and she doesn't let us down this time - I read it in one sitting. Thank to Netgalley and Joffe Publishers for this arc.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Dead Guilty, the ninth novel to feature DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss, set in the fictional northern town of Leesdon.

When three year old Sophie Alder goes missing the team are quick to suspect kidnap but not the trouble they will have to establish the truth. With finding Sophie made their main priority from above it means that their investigation into the increase in drugs and violence, lead apparently by a shadowy character called Street, is put on the back burner until a murder pushes it back to the front.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Guilty which is an absorbing read with plenty of twists and turns. It has a fairly complicated plot with many characters, angles and motives but it is never difficult to follow as Ms Durrant has an easy writing style and a way of explaining things that makes it simple to follow. Nevertheless I imagine that plenty of thought went in to the planning an execution and it shows. The novel blends the two plot strands of the missing Sophie and the hunt for Street together seamlessly. It is helped by having a small team covering every lead as it comes up as they don’t have the luxury of enough staff to keep everything separate. I found it quite compulsive and read it in one sitting.

I also like the ordinariness of the characters. Calladine and Bayliss are friends as well as colleagues so their interactions are both pleasant and honest. The focus in this novel is on Calladine’s life. He is going through some changes which he has no choice but to accept and some more are hinted at in his future. It will be interesting to see where Ms Durrant takes him.

Dead Guilty isa good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

It's the first book I read in this series and I'm happy I requested it because it's a very good one.
I liked the style of writing, the cast of characters and the plot.
The mystery is good, no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Dead Guilty by Helen H Durrant is the WoW......Ninth book of the Detective Calladine and Bayliss Series and I just Loved it.
Detective Calladine and Bayliss are on the hunt for a missing three year old child Sophie.
She is the daughter of a local factory owner Richard Alder and his wife Annie. They're locals of a rough housing estate.
There's a big crime wave in Leesworth and Detective Calladine's house is broken in to, whilst he was a sleep one night. A number of local men form a vigilante group as the Police can't cope. On one night the vigilante patrol catch a burglar and he ends up dead.
The investigation then becomes complicated and the detectives keep hearing the name "Street!"

Who is he?

All they know, he's the mastermind behind the increase of the theft and drugs in this area. There's another murder and a missing child. Detective Calladine and Bayliss have a lot on especially as Calladine's personal life is in turmoil and his daughter has some great news to tell him as well.........

Are they going to find and catch the person who is street?

Is Sophie still a live?

Are they going to find Sophie in time?

This books has lots of twists and turns throughout and with a cracking ending to this brilliant book.

Highly recommend this series of books.........Just Loved it.

Big Thank you to Joffe Books Publisher, Netgalley

I’d like to thank Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Dead Guilty’ by Helen H Durrant in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As Detective Inspector Tom Calladine and his sergeant Ruth Bayliss are searching for three-year-old Sophie who’s been abducted from her garden they become aware of a gang of youths who are taking over premises of vulnerable residents for use as temporary drugs dens, causing damage and stealing their belongings. When Calladine interviews the youths the name ‘Street’ keeps coming up. The mysterious ‘Street’ seems to be responsible for all the drug dealing in Leesworth, but who is he?

‘Dead Guilty’ is ninth in the Tom Calladine/Ruth Bayliss series and is as enjoyable as those previously. The storyline is intricately woven with three different threads running through which have Calladine and his team perplexed and completely confused. There are dubious characters, twists and turns, and an unexpected ending. Added to this is Calladine’s ongoing private life with his numerous girlfriends, his daughter Zoe and her partner Jo, and you come up with a gripping and fast-paced thriller which makes for very entertaining reading. I finished it in twenty-four hours and enjoyed every page.