Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This police procedural novel, Suspect, kept me guessing until the very end. Well-written with very good characters made this quite enjoyable.

Synopsis:
Detective Inspector Mark Pemberton has been haunted by one case for his entire career. The brutal murder of Muriel Brown is the only case he never solved, and Pemberton is determined to crack it before handing in his badge. But when aging detective Hadley is added to his team, the investigation doesn’t go as planned.

Driven to sick leave by allegations of murder on the job, Hadley has finally been cleared and is back on the force. But as Hadley assists with the case, Pemberton’s suspicions rise, and he embarks on his own investigation into Hadley’s past.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book for my honest review. Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book it could have been just me but I wasn't able to get into it.

A man, supposedly an innocent bystander, was shot during a police raid by an Inspector; A series of murders targeting non-convicted criminals. The common point between these two is the inspector involved or suspect to be involved in them, Vic Hadley. Detective Pemberton, his supervisor, was just trying to find the truth about Hadley and the various killings.

I really found it rather tedious to go through this book and i considered abandoning it many times. The first 30% were so slow, nothing was happening and aside from introducing the various characters, there was little else aside from recounting on and on what happened on the shooting that involved Vic Hadley.
Then, with the series of murders, a new line of inquiry opened. It failed however to revive the story, at least it felt that way for me. There were "endless" descriptions of the actions taken during the investigation, sometimes it is something like asking for witnesses, then the amount of calls they receive, the details from some information and how it all was useless for the advancement of the investigation; all this repeated two or three times as it went through the hierarchy of the Departement and one character informed the other. This occurred a lot and it bothered me a great deal.
It would have been easier if i actually cared for any of the characters, which i didn't. I actually disliked Detective Pemberton a lot, and found Vic Hadley rather annoying also
I hate being so negative about a book, and it is only because i found the last 10% more engaging that i gave the book 2 stars.

A police procedural that drew me right in a dead file murder case a woman whose murder was never solved an investigation a determination to finally solve this mystery,.Characters that pop off the page multi layered a really enjoyable read. #netgalley #agorabooks

I knew Nicholas Rhea's Constable and was happy to discover another side of this very good writer.
It's an engaging and well written police procedural that will keep you hooked till the last pace.
It's atmospheric, full of twists and turns, and it's not easy to guess the culprit.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

DS Mark Pemberton is still worrying over an unsolved murder from 15 years ago. Resources aren't going to stretch to keep a full staff of detectives investigating so the powers that be assign only one inspector to help Pemberton.

There's only one catch .... Vic Hadley is still on medical leave. He was involved in an armed raid and would up shooting and killing a man. Hadley swore the man appeared holding a sawed off shotgun and was preparing to shoot another detective .. so he did what he thought was best.

However, when all the smoke cleared, the dead man had no gun. According to the criminals arrested, the man was not a part of their gang. The dead man's family is screaming about a cover-up as the young man had quite a history with the police, although he was never charged with anything. The accusations and doubts of the public ... and some of the police ... drove Hadley to his sick bed with stress.

As Hadley begins his new duties, Pemberton needs to satisfy himself of Hadley's innocence. While investigating Hadley in the past, further deaths occurred; new evidence emerged about Hadley's actions at the shooting and forced Pemberton to re-evaluate his personal and professional attitude to colleagues and his law enforcement role. Pemberton is forced into an armed and dramatic conclusion.

Meanwhile, men are being shot with a sawed off shotgun ... the same gun that was used before. All these men have had serious charges leveled at them ... but not charged or jailed.

Is Hadley guilty of the first crime .. and now these more recent killings? Is this a case of vengeance? Is someone setting him up to take a fall? But who would do that ..and why? And how does anyone prove his guilt or innocence?

This is a well-written police procedural first published in 1995. It's a riveting read from start to finish. The characters all stand out in one way or another. Twists and turns pop up here and there, just enough to keep the reader wanting more. The ending was explosive!

Many thanks to Agora Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.