Holten strikes again with this, the third book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. Book 2, Dead Wrong, ended with a jaw dropping cliff hanger, and this book picks up immediately afterwards, taking up the story at a real pace. A stalker mow appears to have turned killer, when the body of a woman is found in a park. Another body swiftly happens. Sinister things appeared to have happened to the bodies, but when you read on and find out what happens to the victims before they are actually murdered, well it made my skin crawl. Maggie needs to crack on and solve this case, because the murderer is stalking her close friend and colleague, Dr Kate Moloney and she is in real danger of becoming the next victim.

I've come to love Maggie Jamieson. She's a tough cop, but has a real sensitive side and seems to care deeply about how people perceive her as a person. In fact, all the characters are completely believable and likeable, and I love the way the author brings characters back in her book, so you never forget them or their own personal stories that have been told throughout the series.

After the shocking cliff-hanger we were left with in 'Dead Wrong', the second book in the DCI Maggie Jamieson series, I was desperate to start the third one, 'Dead Perfect', immediately to find out what happens next.

When the body of a young woman bearing uncanny similarities to Maggie Jamieson's friend, Dr Kate Moloney, is discovered in a park, Maggie becomes agitated and afraid for her friend's safety. She fears that the stalker that has targeted Kate for some time may have upped his ante and turned into a killer. But is it really him? Yes, the victim looks a lot like Dr Moloney, but could it be just a coincidence? Who is this monster? Why did he kill this woman? Could Kate be his next victim? Maggie had to make sure her friend is kept safe at all times, but in her obsession to do so she may well drive a wedge in their friendship and at the station she is faced with some home-truths that make her reflect on her attitude. Will Maggie succeed in finding Kate's stalker? And will she be able to keep her friend from the killer's clutches?

As with the first two books, 'Dead Perfect' is a roller-coaster of a read. It can be read as a standalone, but I would definitely recommend reading the books in order. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists, turns and dead ends. It's evident the author has researched and poured much of her knowledge and experience in probation and police procedurals in this book.

Fasten your seat belts as Maggie takes us on a hair-raising ride, leaving no stone unturned in her determination to dig out this killer before he presents them with more victims. The killer is watching them closely and seems to always be one step ahead of them.

All characters and dialogues are realistic and I particularly liked the relationship between Maggie and Kate, the uncertainty of their actual feelings, but at times I thought Kate was cold, insensitive and ungrateful. Poor Maggie who deems Kate more than just a friend has only her friend's well-being in mind. She just doesn't want this killer to find them unguarded and grab his prize. She does everything in her power to keep Kate safe, but would all that be enough? Like Maggie, I was worried for Kate and desperate to keep her safe. This kept me intrigued from start to finish, at times biting my knuckles and frantically swiping at my kindle to find out what happens next.

I have to say this series just gets better and better with each new addition. The first two were brilliant, but this? Wow! It's superb! Now, I'm curious to see what intriguing plots the author has in store for us in the next books. Recommended!

Noelle Holten’s fantastic DC Maggie Jamieson’s series continues with another jaw-dropping and nail-biting new thriller: Dead Perfect.

The body of a young woman has been found in a local park and Maggie is first on the scene determined to catch the sadistic killer who did this. Maggie is used to coming across distressing and gut-wrenching scenes, but she gets the shock of her life when she takes her first look at the dead body and finds that the victim has been disfigured and her outfit has been changed to resemble somebody else. Somebody Maggie knows very well. Clearly, Maggie is not dealing with an ordinary killer, but with somebody who is driven by a twisted agenda that has put one of her dearest friends in acute danger. Maggie will do whatever it takes and pull out all the stops to ensure that Dr Kate Moloney isn’t harmed…or worse doesn’t end up falling foul of a sinister murderer with an obsessive desire for vengeance.

Kate has already got enough to cope with. With a threatening stalker terrorizing her, having somebody else out to get her only serves to make her even more uneasy and unsettled. Yet, Maggie refuses to let her friend down and let her suffer even more than she is already. She will catch this killer and keep her friend safe at all costs – even if this game of cat and mouse has escalated even further as other lives are put in danger. With Kate’s life in imminent jeopardy with every passing minute, Maggie is running out of time. She needs to make a breakthrough in this case and discover who is after Kate and why he is disfiguring his victims and turning them into living dolls and replicas of her friend.

Can Maggie catch a depraved psychopath before he causes even more harm? Will she manage to keep her friend safe? Or will Kate end up as the killer’s next victim?

Dead Perfect is a taut, tense and nerve-twisting police procedural from a writer who keeps on getting better and better. Noelle Holten writes shocking, twisted and gritty page-turners that keep readers hooked from start to finish and in Dead Perfect she has penned one dark and disturbing tale that once again features brilliant detective Maggie Jameson who is flawed, fierce and fearless.

Fans of Angela Marsons and Rachel Abbott will certainly not want to miss Noelle Holten’s fabulous crime thrillers featuring the redoubtable Maggie Jamieson.

A young woman is found dead in a local park, from the initial description DC Maggie Jamieson fears the body is that of her close friend Dr Kate Moloney. It’s not Kate but the fact the body was dressed to look like Kate scares Maggie. She knows Kate had a stalker for the past few months, is he upping his game or is it a coincidence.
Then another young woman is found dead also made to look like Kate and Maggie knows her friend is in danger.
Maggie and the team need to work quickly to find the killer but with no obvious connection between the dead women and Kate seemingly reluctant to follow their advice they are running out of time before he either kills someone else or tracks down Kate.

This was a gripping novel!

Although this part of a series, which would be good to know for a perfectionist like myself prior to requesting this book, I decided to give it a go regardless and I can pleasantly say that it does read well as a standalone regardless. Of course, I cannot be sure if the previous two books would enhance the reading experience but it did not weaken mine.

I was devouring the pages and despite it being a long book it ended up being quite a short read consdering I completed it in only two sittings as I was completely immersed in the story. That is some writer'¨s talent right there!

Definitely recommend and will be reading the other books of the series now that I know about them.

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!

A dark, gritty story about a murdered woman. I was hooked from the first chapter! I highly recommend this book.

Dead Perfect
(Maggie Jamieson, Book 3)
Noelle Holten
(Review written on 26th October 2020)

WOW!
I am SO glad I was able to read Dead Perfect as soon as I’d finished book 2, Dead Wrong, as it ended on such a cliff-hanger!
What a way to start a new book!!
I have absolutely loved the third instalment in this excellent series. The story is tense and fast moving from the very first page. It certainly starts as it means to go on. I love how Noelle Holten’s writing draws me in. Each chapter is written in a way that makes it nigh on impossible to put down without reading just one more, or two, or three, or ten!
In Dead Perfect Maggie, and the team, are faced with a frantic race against time to ensure the safety of a close friend and colleague. There is a killer on the loose who has an extremely unhealthy obsession with her. However, there are no obvious suspects and time is running out.
I love how unique and mysterious the perpetrator is in this book. I have to admit that I did figure out quite early on who it was, but I had absolutely no idea what his motives would turn out to be. Very clever writing! Creepy would be an understatement. It’s quite scary how some people’s minds work.
I thoroughly enjoyed being swept along for the ride as Maggie and the team battled on tirelessly in the hope of solving this case before it was too late. I was holding my breath on more than one occasion I can tell you!
What a jaw dropping ending again!!
I can’t wait for book 4!

Noelle Holten certainly isn’t giving DC Maggie Jamieson a chance to drawn breath, and hot on the heels of her previous hard-hitting case in Dead Wrong, she is called out to another murder - and it looks as if the victim could be her colleague and good friend, Dr Kate Moloney. Although this time the body isn't Kate's, it worryingly seems that she may be the real target...
Dead Perfect is a thoroughly perplexing mystery but more than that, it’s also utterly nerve-wracking. A lot of that is due to the scenes which follow the mysterious antagonist. He is properly creepy and I felt chills every time he appeared on the page. His obsession with Kate and his meticulously plotted yet totally deranged plans ensure there’s an almost constant sense of dread to the book. I always suspected something terrifying would happen but waiting for that moment really raised my pulse rate and ensured I raced through the pages with my heart in my mouth!
The other major reason why Dead Perfect is such a tense read is the very personal aspect of it; Kate is such a well-written character who I like very much but even putting my feelings for her aside, Maggie’s concern for her friend is almost palpable. Her feelings for Kate potentially extend beyond friendship and her fear means she sometimes oversteps the mark, both with Kate and with her colleagues.
Her relationship with her former partner and now senior officer, Nathan often becomes fraught here and it’s worth saying that while Dead Perfect can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone, returning readers will enjoy the ongoing character development and the way their relationships are evolving as this excellent series progresses. Nathan doesn’t hold back from criticising Maggie’s behaviour when necessary even if it occasionally threatens to sour their friendship. It can often be difficult negotiating a new way of working together when one person has been promoted and I thought Noelle Holten captured that so well in Dead Perfect.
I loved both previous DS Maggie Jamieson books but I think Dead Perfect might be my favourite so far. The emotional toll of the investigation, the sinister and rather gruesome nature of the crimes being committed - there’s a grim reason why the killer is nicknamed the Living Doll Killer by the Press - and the gripping twisty plot which kept me guessing throughout means Dead Perfect is an absolutely first-rate police procedural. I love that the book ends with a tantalising glimpse of Maggie’s next case - Noelle Holten clearly isn’t giving her a chance to rest up... and I can’t wait to read it!

I have read the first in the DC Maggie Jamieson series – Dead Inside – and really enjoyed it. Somehow I missed the second book, but jumped at the opportunity to review her newest release, and the third in the series, Dead Perfect.

It’s a really well written and constructed thriller, featuring a very likable main character Maggie, who at the start of the novel gets a real scare when she thinks her friend, Dr Kate Moloney, has been murdered by a serial killer. We quickly learn that she hasn’t, but from then on it becomes apparent that Kate is unfortunately not out of danger…

Maggie is a strong, dependable character. She can be hotheaded and passionate but as a reader I feel like I can trust her to do what’s best, and in Dead Perfect she’s doing all she possibly can to keep her friend safe from the serial killer and stalker who seems to have Kate in her sights. This added level of personal interest in the case means there’s even more at stake for Maggie, increasing the novel’s tension and emotion.

There are plenty of twists throughout the plot, and although I had missed book two, I didn’t find I needed to have read it to enjoy this book (though it’s always great to read a series in order if possible!) The characters are all pretty easy to get to grips with; there aren’t too many compared to some novels in this genre, and I liked the impactful way this novel ended. Bring on book four!

After leaving us with the mother of all cliffhangers in Dead Wrong (book 2 of the Maggie Jamieson series), I couldn't wait to get my hands on book 3, Dead Perfect. I found it really hard to stop my eyes from jumping forward as I was desperate to claw my way back from the precipice Noelle Holten had left us on, but at the same time I didn't want to miss anything either. Although Dead Perfect picks up where Dead Wrong ended, you could most definitely read Dead Perfect as a standalone thriller.

Things get personal for DC Maggie Jamieson when the latest wave of killings seem to have a link to her friend, Dr Kate Moloney. The murdered women have all been made to look like Kate so Maggie knows that it's only a matter of time before the killer gets their hands on Kate herself. Trying to find the killer and keep Kate safe at the same time, Maggie finds herself busier than ever and tempers start to fray as the danger towards Kate increases.

Maggie is quite a complex, guarded character and even though I've read all three books I don't think I'm any closer to getting to know her. Maggie plays her cards close to her chest with regards to her personal life but she can be very brusque in her work environment, even more so when the case is personal to her. It doesn't help when an annoying journalist starts sticking her nose in and printing details that the police haven't disclosed.

Dead Perfect is filled with so much tension that I could almost hear the tick tock as the clock counted down to finding the killer. It's an excellent plot, as you would expect from Noelle Holten, although I did ruin some of the surprise for myself by inadvertently spotting 'whodunnit' but the 'why' more than made up for that. Ending with not so much a cliffhanger as a hill-hanger, it leads nicely in to book 4 and I can't wait for more.

Dead Perfect is a great addition to the Maggie Jamieson series and if you've not discovered Noelle Holten yet then you're missing out on some cracking crime fiction.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Dead Perfect manages to capture the balance between the depraved and disturbed mind of a killer and ensuring the reader develops empathy and a deep connection with the victims and police team so they experience every terrifying moment they go through.
Maggie has a new case. A serial killer kidnapping women and committing dark and disturbing acts on them before disposing of their bodies. It’s these cases that she usually excels at with her talent for problem solving and making links nobody else spots. But, this case has her more riled than usual as this as the victims have been altered to resemble her friend and colleague Kate Moloney and she’s not as close with Nathan who is now her boss. Can Maggie keep her cool head and find the murderer before another victim falls foul?
Dead Perfect is fast paced and I flew through it. It’s gripping and chilling and has a great balance of police procedural and the personal lives of the main characters. Maggie is real. She is excellent at her job but sometimes struggles to work with teams, she has grudges and personal issues, and she is so much more than her job. Holten does a brilliant job of bringing her characters to life and I became completely invested in Maggie and all aspects of her life. Her anxiety and building stress really came across and I was right there beside her every step of the way.
I love how Holten sets such a realistic stage by including the various agencies that would be involved in cases like this one. They generally have a great working relationship across them all and I found the different roles and the relationships between them all fascinating to read about.
Dead Perfect is a chilling and gripping thriller that balances character development with police procedure brilliantly. Highly recommended for dark crime lovers.

"Practice makes perfect."

Dead Perfect is the third installment in the DC Maggie Jamieson series; and it's the best one yet.

Maggie and her team face their most challenging case yet when they must track a killer who's altering the appearance of his victims to resemble someone they know. They have few clues and no obvious suspects. But when a second body is found, it is clear they are in a race against the clock to identify and find their killer before he takes another victim. Can Maggie overcome her personal fears to find him before it's too late?

"He'd been watching her for a while now. She was perfect. Or she would be."

Holten has a talent for the sinister and macabre, delivering the kind of tense and twisted thriller that I love. Once again she uses one of my favourite tropes of writing from the killer's perspective, which heightens all the creep factor. This is one sick guy. But it isn't just the way he incapacitates and mutilates his victims that makes him so scary, or even his obsessive delusion; it's how patient, organised and methodical he is. The idea that he could do the preparation he does without being caught is frightening, and feels very real.

I've read the previous books in this series so I knew the characters. But if you haven't you can still read this book as the author quickly catches you up on past events. All the characters are relatable, real and well written, and I like Maggie more with every installment. I liked how vulnerable she was in this book and how we see her battle a new challenge when her friend is at risk. She jumps straight into the action and never slows down for a minute. And while you end the book exhausted after an arduous journey, you are also left desperate for more as it perfectly sets the scene for book four.

Dark, menacing and completelling, any thriller lover should read this.

*Netgalley note: The way this was formatted made it very hard to read and make sense of art times. There were no chapters and often the narrative would shift to a different point of view in the same paragraph.

Maggie Jameson is back!

When Kate Maloney finds out a killer is dressing his victims to look like her, she’s worried to say the least. When she starts to receive letters and gifts, her friend, Maggie, insists she stays with her….until they catch the perpetrator.

Who is Kate’s stalker and can Maggie keep her friend safe?

Dead Perfect is a proper thriller, with twists and turns to keep your heart racing. A police procedural with a creepy edge. A Perfect read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of Dead Perfect

This is the third of the DC Maggie Jamieson series; it is the first one I have read. Maggie’s friend, forensic psychologist Kate Moloney is being stalked. When a young woman who has been made up to look like Kate turns up dead, it becomes evident that she is in danger and Maggie sometimes blurs professional lines in trying to protect her friend and solve the case.

This is a decent police procedural/thriller, although Maggie was a bit too flighty for me and the resolution was somewhat predictable. It is a well paced, fast read that held my attention throughout.

I’m sure if I had read the prior novel, it would have given me more background on the characters, but they were developed enough in this novel that it can easily be read as a standalone. It ends with the set up for a sequel and although Maggie is not my favorite female character, I certainly will read it.

There has been a murder, and the victim looks surprisingly like Kate, a well known criminal psychologist. Prior to this gruesome discovery, Kate had received suspicious letters and emails from someone, and it looks like he has kicked things up a notch. DC Maggie Jamieson is on the case, and knows that this crime must be solved quickly before someone else gets hurt.

The book is a fast paced thriller as the characters race against time. As the evidence piled up, I wanted to know more and more who was doing these things. It seemed at times that the evidence led the characters nowhere and did not move them along. That was a bit frustrating as a reader. I wanted more, and kept reading to get it.

I enjoyed the characters, their flaws, and wanted them to come out victorious. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a thriller and who enjoys a series about a particular character.

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have been highly anticipating reading Dead Perfect, the third book in the Maggie Jamieson series by Noelle Holten, since the jaw dropping cliffhanger ending in the second book in the series. I went in completely blind! I did not want to read a synopsis or look at any reviews for this book. I wanted to be surprised. What happened to Kate Moloney? Suffice it to say, I blew out a sigh of relief within the first couple of opening chapters. But, with a serial stalker hot on Kate’s tail, Maggie will do anything to make sure her friend stays safe. Will Maggie succeed in capturing the perpetrator before he gets his devious little hands on Kate?

The one thing Noelle Holten does a great job in is keeping her readers hooked right from the beginning and that prologue, OMG, that last line “Practice makes perfect,” just gave me the chills. I knew right then and there this was going to be one sick mofo. All I kept thinking was, “is he doing what I think he is doing?” Okay, I don’t think I have ever seen that happen in a book before and I loved it and it was absolutely genius!

Maggie is one again the star of this book. She is badass, smart, confident, and determined. This determination makes her a fierce contender who will do everything to catch the bad guy while making sure her friend stays safe. This time, it is personal for Maggie. Here is where we also explore not just Maggie’s friendship with Kate, but also the feelings she has for her friend as well. Their dynamic is complicated but also progresses throughout the series which is nice to see.

This story is pretty dark and the perpetrator is a nasty one as well as extremely creepy. The short chapters featuring the killer/stalker are indeed very eerie and set the tone for this book. Another thing that really sets this entire series is the deep background into policing and this is one thing that Holten excels at and sets her apart from other writers in crime fiction. I love reading about the different departments and the connection between them all and how they relate to the story.

Although the book can be read as a standalone, I would probably suggest starting right from the beginning as each book really builds up each of the characters and you will also get some of the backstory as well on some of the characters who are in this book as well.

The ending once again sets the scene for the next book in the series and leaves you wanting more while you wait in anticipation for the fourth book in the series. ANother 5 star read from me and one I highly recommend

I definitely think this book is a full 5 stars and after the ending of the last book I was keen to get going with this one. The story starts with a body found in a park, facedown and the dead woman bears a shocking similarity to Maggie’s close friend Kate Moloney. Of course this means that Maggie’s interest in this case went up by a millionpercent and you could tell the pressure she was under from the very beginning.

One reason I am giving this the full rating is that the descriptions of the killer and scene settings had me on edge…a LOT! They were so damn creepy and I think this is a true testemant to how good an author Noelle has become. The darkness in this book is a lot more apparent than in the previous two booked giving it a very creepy edge.

There is also a lot of solid police workacross the board as the story progresses and the killer escalates. Along the way the reader slowly discovers things from Kate’s past as well as finally revealing the killer (of which although I suspected I hadn’t workedout the reasoning). Overall a book that had methoroughly absorbed and entertained from start to finish and a series I would highly reccomend.

In this third book of the series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson from the Major and Organized Crime Department (MOCD) in Staffordshire, she and her associates are on the hunt for a killer who is targeting victims that look like her close friend, Dr. Kate Moloney. When two women are killed who are made up to look like Kate, the team goes to great lengths to protect her from this stalker who seems suspiciously close and knows way too much about Kate. The investigation is long and complicated and Kate is not happy about the safety measures put in place. Can Maggie and her colleagues find the man the papers have dubbed the "Living Doll Killer" before Kate becomes his next doll?

This was a quick read, but so easy to guess and predict the outcome. Maggie's personality sometimes gets on my nerves and her obsession with Kate certainly distracts her from her job. Other characters from the two previous books are also still hanging around and interacting inter-departmentally with the Staffordshire unit. I feel like the books in the series should be read in order from the beginning, but that's just my preference and the way I've done it so not sure if this would work as a standalone or not. Typical British crime thriller all around with lots of acronyms thrown about, definite police procedural techniques, and lots of suspects to run down. I'm looking forward to the next installment as this one ends with a tease.

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Dead Perfect is a police procedural thriller that takes place in Staffordshire, England. There’s a serial killer/stalker on the loose, who has some kinky ideas (but don’t all serial killers?). The main character is a woman detective, DC Maggie Jamieson, and a serial killer/stalker who is obsessed with one of her friends, who happens to be a colleague.

I think I just wasn’t the right audience for this book. While I enjoy detective novels, I’m not a huge fan of creepy thrillers. I also didn’t feel a connection to DC Jamieson and didn’t feel her friendship with the intended victim, Dr. Kate Moloney, was a real relationship.

I admit this is the first book in the series that I’ve read, although it’s the third one of the series. Perhaps I’d have been better served by reading the first two, but life is short and I didn’t have the chance to do that.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the chance to read an advance reader copy.

Such a gripping book! I thoroughly enjoy Noelle Horton’s books and look forward to the next in the series.