DNR due to severe post-covid asthenia. Cause still being researched. Will review when possible. Sorry for this delay.

Wow, I loved this book. I did not realize it was the second in a series, but I had no problem enjoying this one. I started it in the morning and was glad it was rainy and miserable outside, because I sat in my chair and read it until I finished. I will definitely be reading Buried Deep, the first book in the Detective Megan Thomas Series. DS Megan Thomas is assigned as liaison to the National Crime Authority investigating people smuggling while her boss gives the murder of a property developer to DI Jim Collins, who has recently returned from sick leave. He is old school, and has an aversion to technology, there is no love lost between him and Megan. Megan believes he suspects someone and spends all his time getting the evidence to fit his suspect, rather than using the evidence and proper procedure to find a suspect to fit the evidence. Megan is smart, follows procedure, uses others’ strengths to help and still follows hunches. She is also damaged and still has some issues with PTSD, but that doesn’t seem to cloud her judgement, just make her human. I also like the inclusion of her sister’s family and their homelife, which seems to be what grounds Megan.

Susan Wilkins has written a fast-paced police procedural. The crimes are gruesome, including domestic violence and people smuggling that results in dead children, but they seem to be pretty realistic. The characters are well developed and their reactions are believable. There are several red herrings, I thought I had figured out what was happening but was wrong, and there a few twists that had my jaw dropping. The author has an interesting crime scenario that gave me chills, as well as some tidbits about organized crime that added just a bit more suspense to the story. Overall, this was a suspenseful, thriller and police procedural that engaged me all the way through. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to another Detective Megan Thomas book. I recommend this one to those who enjoy Crime Thrillers and Police Procedurals.

DS Megan Thomas finds her personal life and career are colliding in her latest cases. First her sister is arrested for the murder of a property developer and then she begins a relationship with a visiting officer investigating people smuggling.
This is the second book to feature Megan Thomas and her colleagues, although I believe it would work as a standalone novel. She has relocated to Devon due to an undercover job that drove her to escape London. But now she is worried that the gangsters she once betrayed may be involved with smuggling immigrants.
The personal elements of the cases for Megan is enjoyable and makes her character seem more realistic. Other police officers are also going through issues including a return after cancer treatment. There are also some thoroughly unpleasant people (is it wrong to be glad they become victims?) and they are also well written and believable characters.
There are multiple red herrings and false confessions so the range of suspects is not easily whittled down by us as readers or the police team. It becomes clear that the murder and people smuggling are connected which increases the conflict for Megan due to her night of passion with the lead detective.
Close to the Bone is a solid, well structured and entertaining police procedural novel. The writing style is clear and easy to read. I liked the entanglement of the two plots and look forward to reading more about Megan's life and career in the next book.

Megan Thomas moved to Devon after the life as an undercover cop nearly destroyed her. She has begun to settle into the slower pace of police work. She is also able to help out her sister Debbie, who is busy juggling two jobs & the children whilst her husband is working away. When finishing her morning swim she sees a distraught woman on the beach. She is wet & cold, clutching a small child & obviously looking for something or someone. It transpires she is seeking asylum. The people bringing them here brought them ashore, but her son is missing. It is a busy morning for the sisters as Debbie has come across the body of her boss whilst contract cleaning.

She is horrified when Debbie is brought in for questioning & she finds out that Debbie had quite a big motive to be the killer. The Detective in charge of the case is old school, he has no time for technology or the softly softly approach! Because of Megan's involvement she is side-lined & asked to work alongside the team looking into people trafficking, however an unexpected confession leaves her assisting on both cases.

This is the second in the series, although it works well as a 'stand alone'. I really enjoyed getting to know Megan better. She is an interesting & likeable character & I'm already looking forward to the next in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Close to the Bone is the second book in a series starring Detective Megan Thomas. I missed the first instalment, Buried Deep, and suggest you dip into the series right from the start to get the most from the read, as though Close to the Bone reads well as a standalone there are references to the first book. Megan is divorced, now married to her job and currently living with her sister and her sister's family. After years working in covert ops, Megan has scars that are slowly healing, but all is going reasonably well. She's assisting in an exciting, chilling case, and started something with a senior officer on that team. And then, her sister finds the body of a local businessman and soon becomes the prime police suspect. Is her sister culpable? Megan is pushed to the outer but determined to uncover the truth and clear her sister's name. Is the man's family behind it? They sure don't seem shattered by his death. When another body is discovered, it's clear that there is more to the case than they'd first thought. Close to the Bone is a simmering UK police thriller with plenty of twists. 4.0 to 4.5 stars.

What caught my attention was the title of the book “Close to the Bone.” However, as I read the book, I didn’t see how the title of the book fit the actual story line. I’m a huge fan of the TV series BONES, so when I saw the word bone, I assumed the book would be based on finding unidentified remains. Clearly I was wrong, and slightly disappointed.

Megan Thomas is the lead character in the book “Close to the Bone” and most books I enjoy reading consist of a female lead character. Megan works in law enforcement and is initially put on a case, but then gets moved to another case. I enjoyed seeing Megan’s character take on different roles throughout the book, as well as showing how the job can mentally and physically impact a person. I appreciated the mental health awareness that was incorporated throughout the book.

Most of the story lines run smoothly throughout the book and you’re able to keep track of what’s going on. But there are two aspects of the book that I did not think were quite necessary.
1. Megan is in fear of someone from her past, that if he finds her, chances are he will kill her. I don’t think that storyline was necessary. It seemed as if it was mainly a filler for the book. If that part of the book hadn’t been written in, the outcome of the book still would have been the same.
2. The dates and times for each chapter are hard to keep up. Honestly, I didn’t even pay them attention. Most of the time I actually forgot they were there. I’m sure the purpose of the dates and times is so you can keep track of the timelines while the crime(s) are being solved, but I felt as if it was more of a distraction if anything. Just reading chapter to chapter, I was able to keep up with the progress of the book.

Overall, “Close to the Bone” was a very good read, especially for those who enjoy a true crime book. There were several twists that came out of nowhere, which is why I felt the book deserved 4 stars, instead of 3 stars. The minute you think a crime has been solved, it hasn’t been, and then something else comes up to make you second guess yourself. If you’re a true crime reader, this book is definitely one you should pick up and read.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of “Close to the Bone” by Susan Wilkins. I truly appreciate it.

The second instalment in the DS Megan Thomas series.

An emotional read that touches on very real and current issue full of tragedy, corruption, betrayal lots of goings on but easy to follow. Touches of both the personal and professional life of the main character (which makes you really connect with them) shaping into a good series.

This is the second book in the Megan Thomas series and every bit, if not better than the first book. The characters, especially that of Megan are really believable and down to earth. The plot is plausible and quite relatable in many parts.
In this instalment Megan is dragged into an investigation in which her sister Debbie is the prime suspect having found the body. Megan is struggling with her own PTSD issues and finding herself wedged between her profession and her family beings to take its toll. In the meantime she is involved in the investigation of a people smuggling operation that appears to involve a local port.
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can highly recommend this book and its predecessor, Buried Deep.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Buried Deep, so I was looking forward to this one. I’m pleased to say that Detective Megan Thomas is still in fine form.

She’s still somewhat of a mess, but she is trying to work through it. It helps that she has not one, but two seemingly disparate investigations – are they somehow linked or is that just a reflection of normal casework. And is her past making her too jaded to be objective?

Megan herself wonders this more than once, which adds an interesting dimension to her character. Her self-doubt comes close to making her an unreliable investigator. She knows that she should be trusting her gut and just “going with it,” but she constantly second-guesses herself.

It doesn’t help that she’s still living with her sister, Debbie, and Debbie’s family. This adds to her sense of loss from the past traumas. I’m not going to rehash that, but I stand by what I said in my previous review (see link above).

The author writes about her past as if the reader experienced it with Megan, but we didn’t; it’s all been exposition. It still feels more manipulative than character driven. Even actual flashbacks would be beneficial to a greater understanding of Megan’s current state.

As to the investigations, Megan has a lot to deal with here as well. The team, whose personalities were established in book one, continue to work well together in spite of the conflicts they have. I think these are the most real parts of the story.

No unit gets along 100% of the time. They snipe at each other, get angry, disagree with next steps…but ultimately work together to solve the case(s). However, sometimes it’s difficult to see behind the façade of a person, especially when you work closely. Megan has to face this a couple of times.

We do get the addition of a couple of interesting characters from the National Crime Agency (NCA). I liked these two, as I think they both had a positive impact on Megan…although for very different reasons. It will be interesting to see if those connections continue in future books.

The action was well-plotted and retained my interest for the most part. It did drag a little bit in the middle, but that’s typical of an investigation…sometimes there’s just a brick wall in the way until another piece chips away and the whole thing comes tumbling down, breaking the case wide open. That was certainly what happened with this investigation.

I did have a suspicion about a character fairly early on that proved to be true, although not exactly in the way that I thought. I liked that the author surprised me with that. She also handled the timely topic of human trafficking (no spoiler) with sensitivity and insight.

All in all, it’s another solid investigation from Megan and the team. I’ll be interested to see where she goes from here.

We are back with book two in the Detective Megan Thomas series from author Susan Wilkins and I couldn't be happier...
I am loving her character Megan.
There is something about her that I seem to be drawn to. Maybe it's her vulnerability or her love and fierce protection of her family, I'm not sure but I am really looking forward to seeing where the author takes her next in book three.
For now, this storyline in book two Megan's family are involved in it.
Her sister Debbie is the first person to stumble across the body of her boss Greg Porter. It is soon discovered that Debbie has motive for wanting her former boss dead.
Megan is appalled however by how her family are being treated.
The team in charge of the murder enquiry need to work together to solve it. Not every one knows how to be a team player though which makes for a tough investigation.
Added to the story is Megan's past and the terror she feels that it might rear its ugly head again.
Author Susan Wilkins has written well, her characters I completely enjoyed and feel vested in them.
Well worth your time for drama and suspense and the odd red herring to keep you guessing......

Close To The Bone by Susan Wilkins is the second book in the DS Megan Thomas series. I have read the first book in the series but for anyone that hasn't, you can read it on it's own, but, I will bet you will go back to number one after this.It is set in beautiful Devon where Megan has relocated to be close to her sister in Berrycombe. She previously worked undercover for the MET for several years and has decided to move to improve her lifestyle but ultimately, has sacrificed her marriage among other things.

Megans' sister Debbie finds Greg Porter, a local businessman bludgeoned to death, she becomes prime suspect number one. Megan is sidelined to work with the NCA, so is unable to do anything but watch from the sidelines as her sister is mercilessy ground down.
The story is mainly told from Megans point of view so we, as readers are beside her guessing with whatever facts are gathered as she attempts to save her sister and crack a smuggling ring with the NCA at the same time.To add to her burden we see her past come back to haunt her as well, a emotional time for poor Megan in this instalment, I must say!
Megan is a great character for me, really believable being divorced and in her forties and single as well. The fact that she suffers with PTSD from an undercover job going wrong creates a vulnerability, and makes her just like everyone else, not a superwoman hero. Just a female police officer doing her job as best she can.Although, I have to admit she can fly off the handle at times, which is great to see as well!
I thoroughly enjoyed Megans new instalment, it gave me a chance to almost get to know her even better. Cannot wait for Susan to release number three!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book for the tour today.

Really enjoyed this book! Read it in one day! Kept me interested and guessing until the very end. Great characters and easy to relate to. I felt like I was in the story! Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Detective Megan Thomas’ sister Debbie was stressed. Working three jobs, her husband away working, three children to care for – thank goodness Megan was under the same roof and could help out now and then. One of Debbie’s jobs was contract cleaning and the morning she discovered a body in the only apartment ready for display was when her life started falling apart. And the shock Megan received when her colleagues informed her Debbie was in custody had her seeing red.

As Megan tried to find out what was going on, members of her team were determined they had their murderer. But Megan believed her sister and could see there was more to it than it seemed. Off the case and working another under the banner of NCA – the National Crime Authority – Megan found herself drawn into the people smuggling investigation, along with Danny Ingram and his off-sider Sasha Garcia. The horrors that were confronting them made them determined to catch the criminals.

With another body discovered and secrets desperately kept, Megan wasn’t sure which way to go. What would be the outcome in these brutal and mesmerizing cases?

People smuggling and murder. What a combination. Close to the Bone is the 2nd in the Detective Megan Thomas series by Susan Wilkins and I thoroughly enjoyed it. With a tight plot, plenty of twists, a fast pace and lots of action, I raced through the pages. Megan is still suffering PTSD from her time undercover, although she’s much better than she was. She’s beginning to work better with her team although there are a couple of intensely annoying members to cope with! I’m looking forward to the next in the series after this one pulled me right in! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is is the second book in the series and I absolutely loved it.
Megan is still struggling with PTSD but seems to have it more under control in this book.
She’s made aware that a man has been murdered with a hammer to the head and finds out that her sister, Debbie is under suspicion for the murder.
Megan knows Debbie wouldn’t do anything like this but having to prove it whilst not being allowed to work on the case is a struggle.
Megan is asked to work with the NCA when a woman and a child are found on the shore in life jackets and the woman is sobbing for her other child who is lost at sea.
The murdered man seems to have links to the harbour and soon it’s clear the two cases may be linked.
This is a great crime thriller that I really enjoyed and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written and this was no exception, for me it is up there as one of her best. Great storyline, great characters. Loved it.

Close to the Bone is the second book in the Detective Sergeant Megan Thomas series by British author, Susan Wilkins, set in the normally quiet, picturesque county of Devon. Megan has relocated there to be nearer to her sister in the seaside town of Berrycombe, having served several gruelling years working undercover for the Metropolitan Police. Her decision to move was for a better lifestyle and it has cost her dearly, including her marriage.

When Megan's learns that her sister, Debbie Hayden, has found the dead body of local businessman Greg Porter, her life is thrown into disarray. Working for one of the Major Investigation Teams of Devon and Cornwall Police and assigned as liaison to the National Crime Authority on a case investigating people smuggling, Megan can only watch from the sidelines as Debbie becomes the main suspect in Porter's murder. Debbie found his body and worked for the victim but she strenuously denies killing him. Still wrestling with the PTSD caused by an past undercover operation that went awry, Megan is gradually learning to work as part of a team again and to trust others, as she had worked alone for years.

This was a brilliant instalment in what is proving to be an excellent new police procedural series. With its well executed plot, the twists were plentiful with frequent meandering turns and a there was a great use of misdirection overall. I have certainly taken a liking to Megan; her vulnerable state and insecurity were touching and emotive though she was still able to deliver when the need arose. As with the first book, I was really impressed by the techniques Susan Wilkins used to keep my interest in the story; the clever plot without being overly complicated; the timely reveals that ramped up the tension; the unexpected developments.

It will be a long wait for the next novel in this super, stylish series and I have no hesitation in recommending Close to the Bone.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was very excited to read book 2. Even though it's a series you could read these as standalones.
Megan Thomas is understandably outraged when her sister is arrested. This whole line of questioning and thought trail was sloppy police work. If there’s one thing Megan can’t stand its sloppy work. Megan has quite a fight to prove her sister is innocent though. Megan also has to deal with liaising with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and her past coming to haunt her. Poor Megan really goes through the wringer in this book.
There is a lot going on with the two cases. The murder of Greg Porter and the smuggling ring. There are quite a few red herrings in this book and every time I thought I knew what was happening it turned out that Susan was leading me up a blind alley. The cases were very gripping and I was eager to find out the truth.
I was not expecting the story to progress as it did. Quite a few things in the last few chapters took me by surprise. I guess you just really don’t know how some people react or handle certain situations.
It was great to be back with Megan and I hope there are more books to come. I really want to learn more about Megan’s past!

What a gripping and highly entertaining story. It’s fast paced, highly entertaining and it kept me on the edge till the end.
This is a police procedural tightly plotted and well written and it mixes a murder investigation with some highly sensitive issues like women abuse and human trafficking.
Meg is a strong and likeable characters, you cannot help liking her and how she’s coping with the aftermath of being kidnapped and nearly killed. I appreciated her empathy toward the victims and who is suffering.
All the characters are well thought and interesting even if most of them are not likeable and have their own agenda.
The mystery is complex and there are multiple investigations, one about a murder and another about human trafficking. You can guess some of the details but the solution is quite complex and I understood why only at the end of the book.
The plot flows, it’s full of twists and turns and you are hooked while trying to understand what is going on and what will be next.
Even if I didn’t read the previous book I had no issues with the characters or the plot.
I will surely read the previous book and can’t wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When I read the first book in this series (Buried Deep), I very much liked the detective at the heart of it and had a feeling this was going to be a great series. This second book has certainly lived up to that promise.

DS Megan Thomas, divorced and in her forties, is still recovering from the PTSD she has suffered since an undercover job while she was at the Met ended very badly, but her move to Devon is starting to work out for her and giving her a chance to enjoy her job again. Living with her sister Debbie and her family has given her a comfortable home until she's ready to find a place of her own and she's gradually fitting in with her new police team. However, her job is turning out to be anything but quiet. She's been asked to act as liason for a team from National Crime Authority (NCA) looking at people smuggling. On top of that, when Debbie discovers the body of a murdered property developer, a man she works for, she becomes a suspect and Megan has her work cut out getting the old school detective leading the team to look beyond Debbie for someone else who might have had reason to kill the man.

The plot is tightly written with the clues coming from good police work and slotting together well to form a realistic investigation. I really like the way Megan is growing in confidence at her new job and that we're getting to know the other team members well. I had a hunch who the murderer was, but didn't know why and there were some good twists to the plot to keep us on our toes. Nice short chapters, told from Megan's point of view, made it easy to keep reading 'just one more' instead of putting the book down. Now I'm eagerly waiting for the next book in this series.

Book 2 in the Megan Thomas series.

Although I hadn't read the first book it didn't stop me enjoying this one. There are a few references to the previous book but it didn't reveal, or feel like you were missing, too much.

Megan is a great character who is really likable.

The plot was fast and kept my attention from start to finish. I did guess one bit of the story but not the why.

This is the first book I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last.

Really good book!