If the book could pull me in from the dangers of the outside world with its murders, intricate plot, red herrings and twisted reveals and a fast paced prose, I knew I had a winner in my hands.

DS Megan was back at work after years of undercover with the Met after a traumatic incident which cost her everything, and a murder in a septic tank and a rape of a 14-year-old, who lied at every line, awaited her. Wanting to leave everything after a panic attack, Megan fought her fears went investigating with her team.

My first book by author Susan Wilkins, I was entrapped in the plot from the beginning to end. I liked Megan, her vulnerabilities and insecurities touched my heart. I have been in her place. But when the needs must, she stepped up and found her rhythm. My joy knew no bounds at her natural talent of getting to the truth.

A police procedural with detailed investigation where the author could write those hidden clues and false leads in such a manner that I couldn't distinguish the two, had to be exciting. This book kept my interest going with the suspense and quite some convoluted subplots. I tried to solve the murders but gave up midway when the story got too interesting, just to enjoy the sweet pleasure of the whodunit.

A fun read during tough times affecting the entire world.

Moving to Tranquil Devon from the Met DS Megan Thomas has just spent five years undercover and is not sure she can go back to conventional police work.Megan starts her new job with a murder and a rape of a teenage girl but will Megan cope and will her new team welcome her.5*

So happy to have found a brand new series by Susan Wilkins, featuring a rather damaged policewoman in Megan Thomas. This police thriller has a gripping plot, and interesting relationships between Megan and her family, and between Megan and her co-workers,

I like first books in new series. Getting to know the new police team is always exiting and it's a bonus that you know that you will not have to say goodbye to them at the end of the story. You know you will meet them again when they are trying to solve new cases and more details about their private lives will be revealed.

DS Megan is passionate. That's the least you can say about the way she dives into each and every crime that happens with the determination of a pitbull.

Not one or two, but three cases demand her attention at the same time. Three totally separate cases that keep her awake at night. The team is doing everything possible, but when it become personal, Megan even moves up a gear...

Brilliant book in my opinion! I want to read more and dive into Megan's past as well. She fascinates me thoroughly. 5 stars

Thank you, Susan Wilkins and Bookouture

Detective Megan Thomas is used to hiding in plain sight, it's fitting into a team she struggles with. Relocated to Devon and living with her sister's family she begins working in the major investigation team andto her dismay is assigned to a murder case on her first day. Short staffed, Megan is also put to work on a rape case and she realises Devon isn't the quiet safe haven she'd imagined it to be.

I enjoyed this book but there were, for me, echoes of other books in areas I have a feeling were meant to set Megan apart and not quite as successfully. Also, frustratingly, a major situation from Megan's past was mentioned but not explained and whilst this maybe being saved for another book it seemed to be almost forgotten once the story moved into its final stages.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and while I would recommend it to an occasional crime novel reader I'm not sure if there is enough here to support a series.

I quite enjoyed this first book in a new series. A gritty storyline with plenty of twists and turns and slightly unusual characters but all came together in a good story. I will definitely look for the next book in the series

DAMAGE DONE. SUSAN WILKINS

It seems to be the season for the start of new series in the Crime Book genre. This one will stand out as one of the best and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

Detective Sergeant Megan Thomas has just transferred from the Met to Devon. Having spent the last 5 years as an undercover officer she is dreading going back to normal policing. Has she still got what it takes to be a “normal” detective. Can she deal with the PTSD that she suffers from following that undercover work. Will the team she is assigned to give her a chance.

What easier way to start with her new team than a murder, and a teenage rape, within a small community. As well as Megan doubting herself she has a fast-rising-star of a Detective Chief Inspector, who is only interested in protecting her own career, as a boss.

The first body is found in a septic tank and Megan has a panic attack when she crawls inside to establish the position of the body and if it’s accidental or murder.

That’s not the only thing that triggers a reaction from Megan, and as her crisis of confidence escalates, Megan begins to question her future in the Police Force.

The settings for the crimes, and the characters in the story, are compelling. At times my empathy for Megan slipped but I enjoyed reading how she copped with her personal issues. The young DC’s who hold no bias against a Met cop coming into their team is a juxtaposition compared with the old hands who perceive her as a threat.

The fact that Megan is now fighting crime in a town where everybody seems to know every bodies business is also a complete contrast to her old work. Town gossip is a hindrance and at time her ally but choosing when to use it becomes not just a police issue but also a family one.

I loved this book.

Detective Sergeant Megan Thomas survived an abduction that left her scarred and suffering PTSD. She is working to get her life and career back on track when she suffers a panic attack at a crime scene. Will she ever be able to be the officer she needs to be, even with professional help? When she interviews a young teen who was raped, she knows that she is not getting the full story. I had a hard time getting in to the different layers of this mystery, but enjoyed the story and characters as the book progressed. The author has written a story of a flawed, yet strong woman coming to terms with the tragedy in her life. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This first book in a new series is a bit difficult to follow but is worth the effort to reach the finale. Detective Megan Thomas is a complicated character, to say the least, with more than her fair share of demons to overcome. She is freshly out of the undercover world, where she encountered the worst of humanity and now struggles with her own self-doubts and introspection about what she sees as a natural drive to connect with deviant and destructive males. She has great drive and commitment to her work, but she also doubts whether she can recover from an extended undercover experience that nearly cost her life and seriously damaged her psyche. Two cases, at first, seem unrelated: a rape and a discovered corpse. However, the twists and turns of the plot reach a point of conflation, and Megan is the first to make the connection. Her previous behavior cause doubt of her insights, and she must "play the long game" in order to make certain that justice is served. Megan is broken and imperfect hero that makes me want to become better acquainted with her. Hopefully, this will be possible with another book in a series.

I so enjoyed this story addictive gripping twisty .Megan was an undercover police woman in London something happened she lost her husband and moved away and becomes a policewoman in a small town and lives with her sister and family Megan has her own demons to face a body is found in a septic tank and a young girl get raped I not saying no more but how this story folds is just brilliant so cant wait for book 2 I so recommend

Gritty police thriller with a variety of unusual characters,a struggling detective,an ageing actress and an old hippy to name but a few. Lots of twists and surprises.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Damage Done, the first novel to feature DS Megan Thomas of the Devon Police.

After four harrowing years undercover Megan has left The Met for a regular detective role in Devon. Her first week is a baptism of fire when a body is discovered in a septic tank and a young girl is raped.

I thoroughly enjoyed Damage Done which is a clever police procedural with plenty of twists and turns and equally a personal journey for Megan as she tries to re-integrate into society. It is told from various points of view with occasional switches to other characters to give the reader some tantalising clues, not so much as to what’s going on but rather to hint that there’s more to the cases than initially meets the eye. It’s very well done and extremely compulsive, so much so that my attention didn’t waver for a second and I read it in one sitting.

I love police procedurals with their gradual winnowing of facts, theories and lies so perhaps I’m biased but I think most readers will enjoy this novel. I was most impressed by the way the author keeps the interest and tension going with timely reveals, unexpected developments and a clever plot, intricate enough to hold the attention without being overly complicated.

The thread that holds it all together is DS Megan Thomas. At the beginning she is a bit annoying, wallowing in self pity and guilt and taking too much responsibility for events outside her control. I know, I should be more sympathetic as she suffers from PTSD but as a reader she’s a bit of a drag. Then she hits her stride and she becomes a motivated, smart detective with an ability to empathise with her interviewees to get them to open up. She’s still not overly sure of herself by the end of the novel but you can see her starting to blossom. It will be a long wait for the next novel.

Damage Done is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This was an excellent start to a brand new series featuring DS Megan Thomas who has moved after a traumatic event while she was an undercover cop in the Met police to live with her sister and family in Devon. It’s a difficult time for Megan as she is receiving counselling to try and cope with the events of her past when she is thrown headlong into two separate cases, a body found in a septic tank and the rape of a young girl.
This is such a well crafted read that I thoroughly enjoyed I liked the characters in the team and hope to hear more about them all in books to come, the storyline was plausible and well thought out and I highly recommend the book and I look forward to reading more about Megan in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this book if you like Vera you will love this book. Brilliant story line will definetely be reading more from this author

After sacrificing everything,including her marriage, for her undercover police work, Megan Thomas is now poised to rejoin a regular police team. She’s leaving her past, if not her memories, behind by moving In with her sister in Devon. If Megan thought she could leave her painful past and memories behind by moving to a quieter policing job, she’s going to be disappointed as death and mayhem follow her to Devon. Wilkins takes a look at the PTSD police officers live with everywhere