If there is one thing you can guarantee when picking up a thriller by Carol Wyer, it's that you are about to go on one hell of a bumpy ride. A Cut For A Cut is book two in her Kate Young series, and is a tense, high stakes read which kept me completely rapt. This isn't your straight forward police thriller, at last Kate is not your average Detective Inspector, for reasons that become apparent in the reading, but with a mixture of mystery, heart thumping action and a more than generous dose of conspiracy and corruption, the stories really do stick in your mind long after the final page.

This time around we find Kate and her very select team on the hunt of a vicious serial rapist and murderer. Whilst we are never present during the act itself, the repercussions are keenly felt, and the abhorrent nature of the acts is clear from the reactions of the team and the emotional impact on the families. this case has a personal connotation for Kate too, bringing her far too close to memories from the past. You feel the frustrations of the team as they hunt down their suspect, and the tension that builds between them adds to the jeopardy that is already inherent in the story. The narrative focus moves between the investigation, Kate's personal life and, to a more sinister degree, the point of view of the killer, whose own motivations start to become clearer the more you read and progressively more disturbing too. There are scenes which will make you uncomfortable - they should - but they are not over stressed or used to gratuitous effect, just to explain, but not excuse, what comes to be.

Now for many reasons, one of which being you will miss a good book otherwise, I would definitely recommend that you read book one before venturing further into Kate's world. There are threads in this story which begin with An Eye For an Eye and whilst this is a self contained story, and enough of the background to Kate and her investigations is revealed, it will mean so much more read in order. There is a secondary element to this story, one which is extremely personal to Kate, but one which also needs to be followed carefully to allow you to draw your own conclusions and fully understand the implications of what is going on. It's interesting to see Kate's reactions, torn between what is right and discovering the truth.

As always Carol Wyer has created some brilliant characters. Kate Young has a few, how should I put it, unusual character quirks that might make your brows furrow a touch, but they do really ring true and I can picture someone with the intensity of emotions that she feels acting in this way. I don't think we got to know as much about her immediate team this time around, much of the focus falling on the relationship between Kate and her estranged sister, but each of their personalities still shone through and I had a clear and vivid picture of each in my head as I read. The pacing is just right, the tension and anxiety building as we know an attack is imminent, the bits that remain unsaid about the killers motivations playing out in my head making me more intent to get to the end to be proven right (or possibly wrong ...)

A tense, gripping read that left me with a whole host of unanswered question and a real hunger for the next book in the series. Definitely recommended.

The second in a series with a cracking theme running through the two books so far in the series
There is a unique trait to the main character in this book. A detective whose husband was murdered, but still lives on, and talks to her in her head.
His voice is there chirping at her, constantly trying to get her to pick up the investigation that got him killed, and that’s the running theme
The main story in this book centres on the investigation of a series of brutal murders, but is there more to it than there seems
The victims are seemingly unrelated in an way. The murderer leaves his calling mark on each victim.
Where has this brutality started, a small Staffordshire village is not the place this type of thing usually happens, and where is it leading.
Two storylines, both brilliantly woven into a cracker of a plot

This book was good , it had suspense, drama, action, and was a little gorey lol it had a who done it vibe too! But I did loose interest a few times and my mind wandered?! Like I said it was good and worth reading but just ok for me! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Now then, now then, Carol has done it again..... got me hooked on another detective series! I really like this character and the book is as expected if you read other books by Carol. Strong story line, couldn’t put the book down and read until by eyes gave in. I’m really invested in the characters and the only critique I will give is the wait now for the next book!!!

Great read....... Thankyou to netgalley for letting me review the 2nd installment of the DI kate young series. Who can kate trust???? Her husband chris has been murdered and kate is convinced her dci dickson has involvement in it, can she prove it???? Tilly, Kates stepsister has returned to the uk after a falling out with her husband jordan in australia, jordan is also kates ex......... can kate get the confirmation of the corrupt officers her husband was looking into?????.. love the characters, one twist after another, cant wait for the next one ,........

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
This is the second in the DI Kate Young series and a good one.
Kate has her step sister, Tilly, and her young son Daniel visiting from Australia. Tilly is thinking of coming back for good after leaving her husband. After the two sisters had a difficult past, Kate is happy to try and mend their relationship. She's been lonely, really only communicating with her dead husband Chris, not a healthy state of mind. She's still trying to find a way to bring down his probable killer, Superintendent John Dickson.
At the same time she and her team are looking for the serial rapist/killer of young women who all look alike and have the words 'MINE' carved into their backs.
It's a tense, fast moving story and though I like Kate a lot, I wish she'd stop talking and listening to Chris; she's going to end up mad and losing her job. I wished she'd adopted the cat belonging to one of the victims. She needs to have another being to greet her and take care of when she comes home, maybe that would help ground her a bit.
I like this series and look forward to no. 3 in the series. Definitely recommended!

Carol Wyer never disappoints. I’ll pick up any new book by her. This book was just as good as the first one. The only complaint that I have is that you know who the culprit is right away but the story itself is great.

I really enjoyed this second instalment of the DI Kate Young series. I thought the rape case was really interesting and I enjoyed following the team's efforts to solve it.

The book was well-paced and I liked the descriptions of the area, you could almost feel like you were there yourself. It was nice to get to know the team a bit better and I'm hoping that Emma and Morgan are developed further in book 3 as they seem promising but I don't have much of a handle on their personalities yet.

The investigation into Kate's superior at work is an interesting storyline, but I am starting to find her conversations with her dead husband a bit grating.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend the series. The Natalie Ward series is still my favourite but I'm looking forward to getting to know the team better in the third outing for Kate Young.

A cut for a cut is the second book in the series following on from An eye for an eye. In this book DS Kate young is called to a crime scene where a female body has been found dumped inside an Industrial bin with the word “mine” carved into her skin. As the investigation goes on, more female bodies are found.

This book is right up my street! I love crime fiction. I was gripped wanting to know who was raping and killing the women and I was nervous wondering who the next victim would be, hoping it wasn’t a particular character I liked. I’ll definitely be continuing with these! Looking forward to book 3 🙂

Another exciting read in the Detective Kate Young series. It starts off at a fast pace as Kate searches for a murderer and a rapist. It's a thrilling read, it's well written and has good characterisation with a satisfying conclusion leaving the reader wanting more. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to find some unanswered questions to Kate's probing into bent officers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A serial killer is on the loose, raping and murdering women and carving the word 'MINE' into his victims. DI Kate Young and her team try to solve the case while Kate battles her own demons, convinced that there is a conspiracy within the force. When her step-sister reveals a long kept secret, Kate realises it may just help catch the serial killer and it is a race against time to solve the case before anyone else dies. A thrilling follow up to the first in the series, 'An Eye for an Eye'. Good to see the team back again and see how Kate's life is going. I was kept guessing until the ending and found the book to be exciting and gripping. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Another absolutely cracking book by Carol Wyer. This is the second book in the Kate Young series and is proving to be just as good as her other work. Excellent plot lines and characters you feel at home with. I like the long running plot alongside the main story. I thought it was obvious who the rapist was, but I think the point was not whodunnit, but would they catch him. A five star read.

In this exciting installment in the Detective Kate Young series, Kate is juggling quite a bit. Not only is she looking for the murderer that is proving to be a serial rapist, Kate is also determined to get behind her husband's recent attack and murder, certain that Superintendent John Dickson is behind it. As pursuing her current investigation is quite consuming, all while keeping Dickson unaware of her suspicions and activities, Kate struggles to maintain her focus.

All the while, Kate is still processing the various stages of grief, and trying to spend time with her visiting stepsister Tilly and nephew Daniel. Kate and Tilly have had their troubles, so this time together is sorely needed. Duty between work and family plagues Kate more than once.

As Kate unearths matching clues about the recent murder, her interviews prove more than one likely suspect. Although saddened about other recent deaths during her investigations, Kate soldiers on. Nearly floored by a late-breaking link, time truly proves to be of the essence for Kate. Locating the killer is more imperative than ever.

This gripping read by Carol Wyer hit the ground running, with the tension increasing at a rapid rate. Utterly thrilling, this book was more than exceptional and ended with a pulse-pounding conclusion that literally took my breath away. A truly amazing book. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for Kate and her team.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this advanced ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.