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 was a real edge of your seat thriller, with so many twists and turns, you wont know which way is up! Fantastic and gripping read!

The Essence of Evil by Rob Sinclair is the first book in the new DI Dani Stephens, series and WoW what an excellent book. This is a book that has so many twists and turns that will leave you gripped from the very first page till the end and will have you glued to you kindle - just like it did me! This book at nearly 400 pages and it didn't feel like it! I didn't want this book to finish. It was a great start to a promising series.

I find all of Rob's books I have read or listened to have been excellent from start to finish and I can not recommend him enough, His books are always engaging with lots of great twists and turns throughout and Another great action packed thriller.

I highly recommended this book.

Big Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Canelo and the author Rob Sinclair for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the first book in a four book series which I only discovered now! I promise you that will be the last time I miss out on something this good. This was a thrilling read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Recommended.
TB

After a serious attack 2 years ago, DI Dani Stephens is back at work. The attack left her with major brain trauma, oh, and it just so happened that it was her twin brother who did it.

But now she's been judged fit to work, it's time to deal with the multiple dead bodies piling up. Stephens is convinced there's a serial killer at work and she turns to the one person who might be able to help her find him - her twin brother.

While I'm not convinced that someone who is clearly still suffering the after effects of her attack would be welcomed back into the force, especially at this level, that doesn't detract from what is ultimately a compelling, unpredictable thriller.

Looking forward to more in the series!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book.
This was my first book by Rob Sinclair and it definitely won't be my last
So well written, twisted, creepy, and you really don't know what to expect next.
Highly recommend
Can I have the next one please?

DI Dani Stephens has returned to work after suffering an attack 2 years ago, almost killing her, and leaving her with Traumatic Brain Injury. To make it worse, her attacker was her own twin brother.

There's no time to ease into her job .... multiple bead bodies are discovered. There is no seemingly connection between the victims ... the killer leaves no clues.

Trying to get into the killer's mind, she goes to the one person who may be able to help her ... her twin brother.

The intricate plot is well paced with characters deftly drawn. I appreciated Stephens' backstory and look forward to seeing more of her. There are twists and turns that lead to an unexpected conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Canelo / Hera / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A new series based on another strong female character and I thoroughly enjoyed it giving it 5*. DI Dani Stevens has been off work for 2 years after her twin brother tried to kill her.

On her first day back to on the job, she attends the scene of a female murder victim and soon believes there is a seriel killer at work. - no one else agrees with her and she starts to doubt her instincts. This was a fast paced well written book and I look forward to the next in the series!

A stunning start to a new series an author whose writing caught my attention from the first pages.There is tension twists and turns characters that come alive.Looking foward to the next series.,in.#netgalley #canelobooks ,

The Essence Of Evil by Rob Sinclair
I have read and loved the thrilling globetrotting Sleeper series, this book is definitely in a different category.
This book is a good solid police procedural book, and is very well written. I really liked the character of Dani Stephens, flaws and all. Her character was well fleshed out, and I really got to know her while reading this book. I look forward to the next installment in this series, and will definitely read it. The storyline was great, and kept me guess until the end.

For me this book was not really my cup of tea, I had problems with the protagonist to start with, been off work for 2yrs as the story goes that her twin brother tried to kill her and she suffered brain damage and then 2yrs down the line was deemed fit for work, she was short-tempered, and clearly not functioning properly, and as a D.I if I was looking at her to solve my case, I would be worried. Yes she gets her man, in the end, and I will give it 4*s as the storyline was good did rattle on a bit but that was her talking about herself, which added to the fact she was not fit for work and indeed I would wonder if she would ever be fit for that type of work again, I know this is a bit of fiction but I do like it to be lifelike and believable.

After two years recovering from a vicious attack by her twin brother that almost killed her and left with a traumatic brain injury and visible scars, DI Dani Stephens has returned to work. It has been a long, hard road to to reach this point and, much as she wants to get back to some sort of normality, she’s feeling anxious. The injury has changed her, she isn’t the same person she used to be.

Spread throughout the story are extracts from her diary, charting Dani’s rehabilitation and fight to regain her physical and emotional health. Although she has made great progress there are long term consequences, and she still sometimes needs a cocktail of drugs to function normally. She desperately wants to prove she’s up to the job, but is unsure of herself and her ability to cope.

On her first day back Dani is assigned to a murder investigation. An unidentified woman had been found stabbed to death, also with surface wounds which suggested she’d been bound and held prisoner.

While trying to identify the victim, Dani realises how many young women have disappeared and are still unaccounted for. She suspects a serial killer but there are no obvious links, and no-one else of the same mind. As a last resort, Dani visits her brother to see if she could gain any insight into the mind of a killer. She desperately needs a breakthrough in the case.

The course of the investigation brings Dani into contact with Professor Steven Grant, a lecturer in Criminology who himself was abducted and tortured by a serial killer many years ago. This terrible experience resulted in him writing a book which became a best seller.

The story follows on from Dark Fragments but is easily read as a stand alone. The narrative is paced steadily, with a lot of emphasis on Dani’s traumatic previous two years and her interactions with old and new colleagues, which does take away a little from the investigation itself but at the same time adds a new dimension. There’s still a well written police procedural element with a well crafted and dark plot, some surprise twists and a protagonist you can root for. A promising start to a new series.

This is the first book in a new series and we are introduced to DI Dani Stephens. We learn that she is just returning to work after having suffered a traumatic brain injury two years previously when she was attacked by her twin brother Ben who had already murdered his first wife and was intent on murdering Dani and his second wife. On her first day back she is assigned to the case of a murdered young woman who has seen subjected to an horrific stabbing attack and evidence points to the woman having being held a prisoner and was killed after she had escaped. Dani has a new partner and there has been a lot of changes in her team. They discover that another young woman in the area has gone missing and Dani is convinced that the cases are linked. Her superiors doubt her so she decides to visit Ben in prison to ask his advice on what the killer might do next. She also believes that someone has been in her flat, is it the killer or is her brain injury causing her to imagine things? Dani still bears the psychical and mental scars of her attack and we hear all about what she went through in various chapters from her diary throughout the book. I think this was a brilliant first book in this new series. It has a gripping plot, it is full of tension and suspense and I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo and Hera books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was so twisted , it had it all. I felt like i was on a roller coaster. I highly recommend it to all readers.

Detective Dani Stevens returns to work after the near fatal injuries she received.when her twin brother tried to murder her. Her first case on her first day back is a murder investigation. As more murders are committed the tension and intrigue increases in this crime thriller set in Birmingham. I suspected several characters as the perpetrator, but I was so wrong. A thrilling read as the he plot unfurled.

The start of a series is tricky. How many characters and backstories, details, do you try to set up?? This one gave me a bit too many at times which slowed the pace down occasionally.

I loved the writing and premise. I also really like the characters, Dani is a great lead. Jason was also a good (and patient) character.

The were quite a few red herrings and I thought I had this figured out a few times. No such luck though! The conclusion was pretty crazy! I think This series has some great potential and will check out more.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Canelo for a copy in exchange for a review.

First it was the cover that got my attention. Then it was the description. Then when I read the opening pages I was hooked! Essence of Evil is a brilliant mystery! The way Rob Sinclair described what some of the characters were going through, you could feel their fear. And that kept me wanting to read more! DI Dani Stephens has been through a rough time but uses her strength to find the truth. Hoping there will be many more stories of hers to come! Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Publishing for the ARC!

I've previously read most of Rob Sinclair's works, including James Ryker as well as the recent Sleeper series, so I was quite interested when I saw that Rob Sinclair was making a foray into the police procedural genre. And I can honestly say, I really liked this book. D.I Dani Stephens returning to work recovering from a life threatening injuries received by her during the murder attempt on her by her twin brother starts off the story and it slowly but steadily starts growing from there. It gets better and better and the story really picks up the pace near the end. All in all, I believe that this is a wonderful book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. A big thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

The Essence of Evil
by Rob Sinclair

Kindle Edition, 400 pages
Published September 12th 2019 by Canelo Hera



Goodreads synopsis:
He’s your attacker.

He’s a murderer.

He’s your twin. 

When D.I Dani Stephens returns to work after the attack that almost ended her life, she’s quickly plunged into a horrific new case, as dead bodies are discovered on the streets of Birmingham.
But with no link between the victims, Dani has to get inside a killer’s mind - so turns to the murderer she knows best. Her own twin brother…

But what makes a psychopath? Can understanding her twin help her find a murderer who leaves no trace? As the circle closes on Dani, the clock is ticking and she needs a breakthrough – before she becomes the latest victim.

A heart-stopping crime thriller that fans of Peter James and Mark Billingham won’t be able to put down.



***

5 Stars

It doesn’t say this on Goodreads but I believe this is the first book in a series featuring D.I. Dani Stephens.

I thought this was a great book. Lots of tension and drama. The protagonist was an unusual gal. At times she was down right unlikeable and did things I didn’t expect. Her head injury made her susceptible to outbursts of anger and near the end she finally embraced that fact.

There was a lot of unfairness between her and her work colleagues and one time when she was suspended I couldn’t figure out why that hammer had come down so harshly on her. Maybe the laws in Britain/UK and the US are different.

As I was reading along I was unsure of who the main character truly was. I was waffling between the professor who wrote the book “The Essence of Evil” and DI Dani Stephens. The plot line was pretty much equally shared between the two for a good portion of the book. The whole thing is pretty fascinating and I was glued to the page throughout.

I think this would make a good tv series or movie since a lot of the action comes across better if you physically see it.

One thing I did find unusual was the cover. The subhead was: He’s our attacker. He’s a murderer. He’s your twin. Although, that is a fascinating way to get people to read this, I don’t think it really speaks to the book inside. Yes, Dani’s brother is a murderer. Yes, she struggled with this fact and that her DNA and his might make her more prone to a similar violence but that is not what this book was about. Her brother was already in jail when the novel started. The plot really had nothing to do with him. He was a plot device, yes, but not the antagonist as this subhead suggests.

Overall, one great book. If you love detective fiction and police procedural, definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Thank you for the copy of this. I really enjoyed this, always looking for new authors to try and I’m happy to have found another brilliant one. Well written, and another British detective story that I love to read!