A well written and gripping story that kept me on the edge till the end.
I liked the solid mystery, the plot that flows and the interesting and well thought characters.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The story is very well written, and the plot and characters are excellent. One problem is the changing POV with the use of first person for the criminal, which I don't see the point of doing. Luckily, the police are less stupid than in the last book.

This book started steadily – not the same break-neck pace of the previous book I had read by this author. I initially classified it as a comfortably paced, standard police procedural. That is not to say, that I wasn’t taken by it – I was. It was just that – initially – I could put the book down, read something else, come back to it and seamlessly continue the story.
From early on, you know who the perpetrator is (Fletch), and why they are murdering prostitutes. The police have few clues, and the main policewoman, DCI Phillips, has to resort to underhand means to push her boss into allowing any investigation (after all: prostitutes, possibly accidental drownings, no obvious motive for murder – who cares?). Slowly, but surely – by sharp standard police practises – the clues are discovered, and the net tightens on the murderer.
Then, suddenly, things leap out of control. You no longer have any idea about who the perpetrator really is. In fact, everything you thought you knew, is probably false. The pace does not just pick up – it gallops. No more putting down of the book. I was hooked. The twists come thick and fast – always understandable and realistic – but seldom foreseen.
The book manipulates the many unconscious prejudices that we all have to deliver a rip-roaring climax. As with “Deadly Secrets”, you learn that you cannot judge a book by its cover, and just because some-one is a repellent human being, it does not mean they are guilty of all crimes.
Apart from the great crime story, there is a good slice of social comment, particularly relating to the ostracised people in society, such as the prostitutes, drug addicts etc.
“How could the people living in this kind of environment be expected to abide by the rules of society when, to all intents and purposes, society had all but denied their existence?”
“Whether we like it or not, the harsh truth of the matter is, the public don’t care about his victims. Sex workers being forced to have sex is considered, by many, an occupational hazard. Plus, it’ll be his word against theirs in court. And we all know what juries think of prostitutes. We’ll never get a conviction.”
“it appeared Fox [Phillip’s boss] was more interested in preserving the reputation of the force than protecting a whole community of women based solely on how they earned their living.”
And comments on the advantages/disadvantages of a social welfare system that prioritises keeping children with blood relatives.
I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it.

I thought this had a good story until I realized it is way too gritty for me! The content is what I would consider x rated, I think MA for Mature Audience is a misnomer! I appreciate Netgalley allowing me to try and read this book, it is too lacsivious for me.
Thank you!
carolintallahassee.com

Ryan’s third novel in the Detective Phillips series delves deeper into Manchester’s dark underbelly of drugs, vice and murder.

Growing in confidence in every book, Ryan has a real knack of drawing you into a story and yet again delivers perfect tempo with pulsating tension that builds towards a big plot twist and final reveal.

I’m glad to see that we get to know DCI Phillips a little better, but the question remains: who will play her in the inevitable gripping TV series that follows?

My personal favourite of the series so far, Deadly Waters has got to be a must read for thriller fans this summer.

I always have a weak spot for a good serial killer thriller...  After an excellent first experience with OMJ Ryan's writing in Deadly Silence last year, I've been looking forward to meet up with detective Jane Phillips again to help feed my serial killer thriller addiction. As soon as I saw that Deadly Waters was available I knew I just had to make time to read it... And as soon as I read the blurb, my instinct was saying that I was going to be in for another excellent ride. Guess what?! Book number two has once again proven to me that this series is most definitely right up my alley!

While it's true that I might have liked the first book a tiny bit more, it is also true that I still had a brilliant time reading Deadly Waters. I literally found myself flying through those pages, eager to discover more about the case and wondering if Jane Phillips and her team would be able to catch the killer in time... Like I said with the first book: this series is just so damn readable! The writing makes it very easy to speed through chapter after chapter and you will definitely do yourself a favor if you clear your schedule before you start. Trust me, you don't want to stop reading once you started reading those first couple of chapters! Deadly Waters is an engaging and suspenseful story that will keep you on your toes; the hint of dark humor lightening up the mood a little at times to keep things balanced.

The plot itself is an intriguing one, as there is no clear murder case to begin with and we only have the hunch of Jane Phillips herself that things might be off. It was interesting to see Jane and her team trying to investigate despite not having the approval of her boss (who is a true bitch by the way), and I liked the way they continued their effort despite encountering setbacks along the way. Plot twists and similar techniques are used to mislead you and send you on the wrong path... While the motive of the murders is easy to guess early on this time around, it is the identity of the killer that remains a mystery for a long time. Trust me, I personally thought I had it all figured out quite early, only to be put in my place and to be left completely flabbergasted afterwards! Oh yes, I never saw that plot twist and ending coming, which was a more than pleasant surprise of course.

Difficult themes as (child)abuse, addiction, drugs and prostitution are incorporated into the plot, but done so in a way to also raise moral questions instead of just simply shocking us readers. Why do people seem to think prostitutes and drug addicts have less rights than others? Just how big are the consequences of the lifestyle choices of both prostitutes and drug addicts in general? Interesting questions with no easy answers, but I always appreciate when stories make you think. As for the characters... Jane Phillips without doubt makes for a very intriguing main character. Things can be said about her being the typical damaged detective lead, but I personally liked her sass and attitude towards the investigation and life in general. The other members of her team were easy to like as well, with the big exception of her boss of course, but I guess she does work perfectly as the 'enemy' to be pitted against Jane and her team. The character development in Deadly Waters in general is solid and it was intriguing to discover more about the motive behind the murders as well as the killer.

As you might have guessed, I really enjoyed my time with Deadly Waters and I will already be looking forward to the next book. If you are, like me, a serial killer and detective thriller fan, you should definitely add this series to your wishlist!

When a girl is pulled from the waters of a canal it appears at first to be a simple case of suicide but Dci Jane Phillips spots a perfect circle shaped bruise on the victims neck, wanting to delve further her boss declines stating its a case of accidental death, but when more bodies are found she decides to investigate on the sly not realising what she is about to discover

Thank you to Netgalley for the download of the 3rd book in this series and for those unfamiliar with the writer i recommend highly that you tuck yourself away and immerse yourselves in this series

I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of Deadly Waters, the second novel to feature DCI Jane Phillips of the Greater Manchester Police.

When an overzealous rookie PC flags up a drowning to the Major Crime Team Jane is unsure that it is just a drowning because of a perfectly round bruise on the victim’s neck. It turns out that Chantelle was not the first victim nor will she be the last.

I enjoyed Deadly Waters which is a compulsive read with some interesting twists and a well concealed perpetrator. I have not read the previous instalment in the series so I came to it fresh with no preconceptions. The first chapter mentions a killer known as The Pusher and having recently read a novel with same Manchester based name for the killer (The Night Caller) I wondered if I was in for more of the same, but this is a totally different concept. What is it with murderous drowning in the Manchester canal system?

The novel is mostly told from Jane’s point of view with the insertion of a couple of chapters from a childhood of abuse, assumedly the killer’s - nothing new there so I skim read them as I find these episodes fairly repetitious from novel to novel - and a great chapter on the method of killing that puts the reader ahead of the game. This is worthy of mention as it is original and clever. The motive is nothing any crime fiction reader hasn’t seen before and the big question of why now isn’t answered.

Despite the subject matter this is a fairly lightweight novel where procedure doesn’t play a large part unless needed for the plot. As an example the team spends much time on wondering about a suspect and their movements but don’t use mobile network information to track their movements which is now policing 101 but they are aware of how long they can hold the suspect as that countdown adds to the pressure and tension. The action denouement involves a couple of awkward coincidences that are hard to swallow and the conclusion of the case is probably realistic but disappointing for the reader. The last chapter, however, is a belter with a lovely sting in the tail and a certain sense of justice.

The novel is not without its faults but on the whole it is an absorbing read that held my attention from start to finish.

Deadly Waters is a good read that I can recommend.

I will rate Deadly Waters by OMJ Ryan a 5/5 stars. This is the third book in the DCI Phillips series and I am once again pleased with this author's storytelling. Deadly Waters opens up with the death of a young, beautiful black girl. She was pulled from the waters of a canal by uniformed coppers and the first unusual thing that catches DCI Phillips eye is a perfect, circular bruise on the back of the girl's neck. This bruise leads DCI Phillips to believe that there is something more sinister at play than an "accidental" drowning. She couldn't have been more right. As more and more young women come up dead in the canal, DCI Phillips and her team set out on a time crunching mission to discover who is staging drownings and covering up what they really are... murders.

What I enjoyed about this book:
I found this book to be informative about the ins and outs of police detective work when dealing with human trafficking. It is highly coincidental that I am taking a social justice course for my doctorate and we are reading about human trafficking and then I read this book. OMJ Ryan really did their research about the trafficking business and how drugs and prostitution not only affects the women who are prostituting, but their children and families as well. Kudos to the author for being thorough in their research on this topic.

I enjoyed how the author kept the true killer hidden. As an author myself, I was able to pinpoint who the murderer was through the clues/hints dropped along the way throughout the story. I enjoyed the backstory of the murderer from when they were a child and I really enjoyed how the author didn't identify the child as being male or female which added to the mystery of the story.

What I didn't enjoy about this book:
I have no complaints about this book. The author has written a very interesting installment in this series and I look forward to reading book #4.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the eARC.
Detective Jane Phillips' life is back on a fairly even keep again, her PTSD is now manageable and she has a good relationship with her core team.
When the scantily clad body of a young woman is found drowned, it's deemed an accident. Jane, however, is suspicious. It's freezing, so why did the woman not have a coat on? Also, what is the perfectly round bruise on the back of her neck?
Her boss doesn't want her to do anything and just focus on their busy caseload, even when more bodies with the same M.O. are found. Jane and her team decide to look into the case in the sly.
Jane is a lot more mellow in this book, which I like, and the team is solid, they work well together. I must say I didn't see the end coming, it was quite a shock! Recommended.

A series of drownings in the canals of Manchester has left several women dead. DCI Jane Phillips doesn’t believe these deaths are accidents, each woman bears a bruise on her shoulder. The hallmark, she believes of a serial killer. It’s up to Jane to figure out how the women are linked and why they have been chosen