My first encounter with the Jeff Rickman series by Margaret Murphy. Although this was number three, hopefully I can catch up with one and two. A gripping story, proper crime thriller with lots of twists and turns with under lying stories involving Jeff Rickman and his team, a fascinating read.

Amazing story. Well developed characters that are in a twisted engrossing thriller. Highly recommended. Super suspense that comes to a satisfying end! Highly recommended . A true roller coaster thrill ride

Don’t Scream by Margaret Murphy
Detective Jeff Rickman #3

A bad drug bust
Young man on the run
Teenage girl brutally murdered
Her baby missing

Serial killer on the loose
Drug lord wants his drugs & money back
Do they overlap
These bad men?

Police on the job
Some good and some not so much
Personal lives come into play
But will they get the job done?

Brutal dark and gritty murders
Police procedural elements strong
Character development excellent
No trouble following though haven’t read first two books

Mixed feelings but all in all an okay read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

The book opens with a major drug deal taking place between crime lord Rob Maitland and his Dutch supplier. As holdalls of the product and cash are about to be exchanged, Merseyside Police’s Operation Snowplough swings into action. Shots are fired and everyone scrambles to avoid being killed or arrested. Mark Davis, drug addict and Maitland’s employee, sees his chance and flees with two bags. In his imagination, he can see Jasmine Elliott, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his baby daughter Bryony, welcoming him with open arms and letting him provide for them. It will need to be a good plan since Maitland will never stop hunting him after this and the former armed robber turned drugs boss will be certain to reassert himself in Liverpool before his rivals try to move in. The following day sees DCI Jeff Rickman and DS Lee Foster called to the scene of a horrific murder. Jasmine Elliott has been raped and suffered hundreds of cuts, bleeding to death. Her baby is missing and a witness has seen a man racing from the scene who is soon identified as Mark. They learn the seventeen year old victim was a drug addict who was trying to turn her life around despite having no help from family. Detectives ponder what could be the motive for such a tortuous death and who is her mysterious friend Kim? Rickman, Foster and DC Naomi Hart are assigned to the case, being joined quickly by DC Chris Tunstall. Since most of CID are still mopping up the remnants of Operation Snowplough under the command of DI Dwight and the obnoxious DS Daniel Cass, they will be a small team initially until they can receive some more support staff. The last year has been particularly turbulent for Rickman, with the murder of his partner then reuniting with brother Simon after twenty five years only for Simon to have an accident leaving him an amnesiac who now has no intention of returning to his wife and two teenage sons in Italy where they ran their leather business. Now Simon only has Rickman to depend on. Mark Davis is known to Foster who grew up in Black Wood Children’s Home under the care of Ed and Hilary Shepherd. Twenty year old Mark was also a resident there and was mentored by Foster. The mention of Mark brings back a lot of memories for Foster who finds it hard to believe Mark was involved in murder. Meanwhile Mark is driving around aimlessly trying to rid himself of the blood he is covered with and looking for a safe place to take his daughter, but is he really guilty of murder? One thing is certain – the detectives need to find Mark and Bryony before anyone else does. Then the story takes a huge turn as the reader gets to hear from a very disturbing individual. As the case opens up, some very awful accusations are made and some very unsavoury truths start to emerge as the detectives continue their hunt for a killer.
The story has a complex plot with absolutely loads in it to keep the reader hooked right from the very start, especially having the little snippets from the killer along the way. It keeps up a furious pace with shocking turns and revelations along the way, and the ending is excellent with some surprises in store as the truth is finally laid bare. I very much liked the main detective characters and the great friendship between Rickman and Foster, although I would have liked to have known more about Tunstall and Hart outside of work. I think those particular still waters run very deep, and I am hoping we get to know more about the other detectives as the series progresses. This is a book I can highly recommend and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. 5*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This is my kind of book. Action, fast paced, twists, plausable and most importantly well written. This is the third book in the Detective Jeff Rickman series. If you are like me and have not read the first two books don't let that deter you. This is a great stand alone book and you will miss nothing by not having read the first two books. Not only that, but I am now going to seek out the first two books to read because I enjoyed this one so much.

Don't Scream by Margaret Murphy is the third book in the Detective Rickman series. I must say I was offered the ARC for this and jumped at the chance, although I haven't read the other two as yet, but have read other books by Margaret Murphy. So yes they can be read as standalones also. The only trouble is, as you read the story you find you have a need to read the previous ones so you can fill your own curiousity for the little details that are not overly important to this particular story but you just NEED to know anyway. So, be warned.
A young woman is discovered horrifically tortured and her new born baby is missing. The police have a main suspect, her junkie boyfriend, but he is nowhere to be seen either.
A story in which gangwarfare, drugs and trafficking are all involved. It makes for a very intriguing and suspenseful story. Then there are the twists and the red herring so skilfully placed within the story. These factors definitely kept me in my toes while reading along with the obvious bickering and clashes between the various police teams and officers involved in the case.
Margaret Murphy does a good job drawing us in to the story with her characters too. Rickman is a great character who is such a dab hand at keeping his life compartmentalised. Seperating work and personal life is no trouble and he is such a professional at his job. His friend Lee Foster is part of the team also but we see him up against it in this book. How will he deal with it? That's for you to read and find out!
Altogether a really interesting and entertaining story, one which has wh
et my appetite for books one and two. I hope we see more additions to the Detective Rickman books in the future. Thanks to Joffe books and netgalley for my copy of the book.

A botched drugs raid, a missing baby, a woman dead from a thousand cuts. These are the cases being investigated in Margaret Murphy’s latest novel. She is a first rate author, up there with likes of Rankin, Robinson and Cleeves. Her characters and narrative are top notch and he pace and setting wonderful.
Detective Rickman is working hard to find out what happened to Jasmine, the murdered girl and where her baby is. In the picture for the murder is Jasmines former partner Mark, the father of the baby and a drug addict. He is involved with Maitland, a drugs king controlling much of the trade in Liverpool.
When Mark and the baby are found dead, Rickman is more determined than ever to find those responsible.
I loved it.
#dontscream #netgalley

I loved the book! First book i've read by Margaret Murphy and it won't be the last. Keep me engrossed from beginning till the last page

I have a little confession to make. Although I have a couple of Margaret’s books on my ever increasing ‘to be read’ pile, I haven’t read one yet. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘Don’t Scream’ I thought that it would be the ideal opportunity to acquaint myself with Margaret’s work and get to know the lead character, Detective Jeff Rickman. Having enjoyed reading ‘Don’t Scream’ as much as I did, I am now a tad annoyed with myself that I left it this long to discover the series. I loved reading ‘Don’t Scream’ but more about that in a bit.
It took next to no time to get into this story. I picked the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I became so wrapped up in the story that I read more like half a dozen chapters. I was intrigued by the case that Rickman has to investigate and I felt compelled (in the nicest possible way) to keep reading to find out how the investigation concluded and what implications this had for the various characters. The pages turned over at a fast pace as I worked my way through the story. I liked the characters (or most of them anyway) and I especially loved the close knit friendship between Rickman and his sergeant.
‘Don’t Scream’ is well written. Margaret certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into a fast paced, critical investigation. From then on, the reader feels as though they are on one hell of a fast paced, scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you know what to do with. That’s how I felt at any rate. For me, ‘Don’t Scream’ was a tightly plotted story full of drama and intrigue. I found ‘Don’t Scream’ to be a gripping read which kept my attention throughout, it kept me guessing and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Don’t Scream’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Margaret’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I found Margaret Murphy a short while ago and have loved every book I have read so I am trying to read the ones I missed but I was offered an advance copy of Don't Scream which is book 3 in the Detective Rickman series so I can confirm these books work perfectly as stand-alone.

Jasmine is found having been horrifically tortured and her new born baby is missing. The prime suspect is her junkie boyfriend but he is missing too.

This is an intriguing story with drugs, gang warfare and trafficking all playing a part and to add more suspense and twists into the mix there is a lot of personality clashes within and between the teams handling the cases.

There is history to Rickman that I need to find out about by reading the earlier books but he comes accross as a dedicated, compassionate detective but with a tough side when needed and he makes a brilliant job of separating his personal and professional lives.

Lee Foster is his friend and a member of his team but his past comes back to bite him.

I found this a very gripping book with well defined characters and the suspense and intrigue that I love in a detective book. I am hoping for more in this series.

This is the third in Margaret Murphy's series set at Edge Hill in Liverpool series featuring DCI Jeff Rickman and his police team, but it is the first one that I have read. This is a gritty addition revolving around the drug trade, with a big police investigation referred to as Operation Snowplough that is concentrating on Rob Maitland, but struggling to bring him down. Heroin addict Mark Davis is involved in a drug deal that goes wrong and rips his life apart. His partner, another heroin addict with problems, 17 year old Jasmine Elliot, is discovered is gruesomely tortured and murdered, suffering the horrendous death of a thousand cuts, and her very young baby daughter, Bryony is missing. This is a intense, dark and compelling crime story with a police team that includes DC Naomi Hart and DS Lee Foster. It is entertaining and engaging, if a trifle predictable, but one I think many crime and mystery readers will enjoy. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

Detective Jeff Rickman #3

Detective Jeff Rickman can't take his eyes off the body. There was do much blood. A lacing of fine cuts: parallel lines, curls, sunbursts, wheels and geometric patterns. Rickman must dive into a world of exploitation and betrayal in a case that becomes personal for the whole team.

This is quite an enjoyable read even though it's a bit predictable. Set in Liverpool, the story covers a drug investigation and murder. There's a mixed bunch of characters. I have not read the first two books and I feel kid missed out on some of the background stories. There's lots going on in every chapter. The plotline is gripping.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #MargaretMutphy for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! I was hooked from the start, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. This is something I would love to purchase.

It starts with a crime. Cops are closing in on a drug-trafficking group. One of the men grabs a bag of heroin and runs for cover. The 'big boss' thinks his employee is stealing the drugs, when all he's really doing is taking the evidence away. From there ... everything seems to go bad.

Detective Rickman is call to a gruesome crime scene. A very young woman has been tortured to death. It's called death by a 1000 cuts ... and it takes a long time for the victim to die. Investigation shows them that the woman's boyfriend was seen speeding away from her house. And much to the surprise of the detectives and crime scene the woman has an infant ... and the baby girl is missing.

Where is she? Who has her? And who so brutally murdered her mother?

While Rickman is front and center of this investigation, it's one of his team that makes it personal for all of them. Having been in foster homes when he was young, he knows the boyfriend they are all looking for .. he was also in the same homes and they became friends. He is adamant that his friend could not have hurt anyone, much less murder the mother of his baby daughter in such a manner.

This is an action-filled page turner. Following the detectives in their search is riveting. Characters are solidly drawn .... they are all determined in their chose profession and the personal side of their lives bring them to the forefront and lends credibility. The conclusion was explosive and unexpected.

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

This is the third book in the Detective Jeff Rickman series. It's filled with secrets, a drug investigation, murder and a power struggle going on. I really liked the writing style, the cast of characters and there was plenty action going on within the plot. I would recommend reading the first two books in the series for background information. A good solid crime thriller. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Don't Scream is the third instalment in the Detective Chief Inspector Jeff Rickman series, set in Edge Hill, Liverpool. Vast resources at Edge Hill station are presently going on Operation Snowplough, a substantial drug investigation, as they seek to bring the, so far, indomitable Rob Maitland to justice; this includes most manpower as well as a chunk of the annual budget. The story begins with heroin addict Mark Davis meeting Maitland to partake in a drug deal. Down by the river Mersey they meet at Maitland's fortress, with the deal going down behind a thirty foot wall and steel gates at a remote warehouse location in the dead of night. His henchmen keep a lookout as the four sports bags are about to be exchanged. Suddenly a chopper is overhead bathing the area in bright white light before another one appears; Maitland’s heavies start shooting at the choppers but soon their guns are firing at Mark who’s dived behind some rusting oil drums for safety. The shooting subsides and Mark tries to escape with the drugs. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Rickman is called in from leave to investigate the murder of troubled and drug-addicted seventeen-year-old Jasmine Elliott, mother of six week old Bryony, who happens to be Mark Harris’s baby daughter.

Parking his Hyundai i30 near the crime scene, Rickman watches the commotion and notices the paramedics leaving the house look as green as their uniforms. Neighbour Bill Stott across the street at number 23 called the crime in so Rickman goes to chat to him. He heard a car revving its engine and when he looked out of the window he saw an unkempt man with long black hair and piercings getting into a red Ford Focus. He was absolutely covered in blood and seemingly fuming. It is when Stott remembers the car having visited Jasmine’s house a few times, usually at night, that he mentions the time the guy brought a huge teddy bear for the baby and Rickman begins to feel queasy. He hadn't known there was a child involved. Where is the newborn and is she still alive? This is a riveting, compulsive and nerve-shredding police procedural, with more than enough drama and intensity to keep you gripped through to the end. The way the multiple plot threads converge is adeptly executed and involves a lot of clever thinking, which helps to make this the simply scintillating read that it is. Jeff and colleagues are a solid and efficient team who pull no punches and trust their instincts. A palpably tense and action-packed thriller and one I highly recommend.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Don’t Scream, the third novel to feature DCI Jeff Rickman and his team based in Edge Hill, Liverpool.

Rickman is called in from leave to investigate the murder of Jasmine Elliott because most of the station is involved in Operation Snowplough, a wide ranging drugs investigation centred on Rob Maitland. Jasmine has been tortured with multiple cuts before being killed and her baby, Bryony, is missing, so it becomes a priority to find her.

I thoroughly enjoyed Don’t Scream, which is the first novel in the series that I have read. It is a relatively long novel, but it contains several plot strands, all explored in the same detail, so it never flags or gets bogged down in the unnecessary and held my attention throughout. I think the way the various strands intertwine, both tangentially and directly, is clever plotting and probably quite realistic as crime doesn’t flourish in a vacuum. I found the plot interesting but quite sedate apart from the violence, just an accumulation of information and inferences, until the final showdown which is tense and action packed. It would have been interesting for the epilogue to show exactly what they could prove, but perhaps that’s more to do with my desire for neat bows.

I liked Jeff Rickman and his team who are nice people but no pushovers. The ongoing joke about the kettle provides light relief and the dialogue between team members raises a smile, if you like your humour on the rough side. I also liked the way Rickman dealt with the petty politics and oneupmanship between the teams. There was a certain feeling of just desserts by the end.

Don’t Scream is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is the third installment of Margaret Murphy's books about the detectives Rickman, Hart, Foster and Trunstall. There is a drug war going on and Rob Maitland seems to be invincible for the detectives. After discovering the horrible murder of a young woman and finding that her infant is missing the 4 detectives along with the drug detectives are on the hunt. The young murdered woman Jasmine's boyfriend Mark is also missing. When the find the bodies of Mark and the infant dead and buried under the collapsed roof of a rotting home clues lead back to the Foster Parents Foster had as a young boy.

Is the drug detectives team, Operation Snowplough just inept or is one of their own corrupt? Who killed Mark and his family? Are the foster parents involved in a kidnapping and selling babies scheme? A good gritty detective series with plenty of suspense and some twists and turns.

Don’t Scream. .Margaret..Murphy
Edge Hill Police Station in Liverpool with the team. A story of gangsters, explorations and betrayal. Are all the cops good or is there a crooked one. Good thriller to enjoy. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion for Net Galley and Joffee

A decent plot involving gangsters, drug addicts, the vulnerable and easily manipulated. Add on a twisted killer, bent cop and well written cast and you have a solid, if at times predictable read