My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Jofe Books for the electronic copy.

I really enjoyed this book, which is the eleventh in this detective series - I've read one or two of them previously and this one reads OK as a standalone. This is well-written and has a complex weave of storylines which eventually, via twists and red-herrings, come together in a satisfying conclusion.

Beginning 25 years previously where Millie, a quiet and studious schoolgirl is living with her granny in an old house - Gorse House - in the hills, invites 3 bullies from school to the house in the hope that her granny can help with her situation. When the ring-leader, Jade O'Brien, eggs on the other two into ransacking Millie's grandfather's workshop for anything of value, and injures Millie in the process - Millie explodes and lashes out with a hammer. Subsequently her granny dies of a stoke and Millie disappears, leaving the house to become dilapidated.

Present day and DI Tom Calladine together with DS Ruth Bailiss are called to investigate the murder of Becca O'Brien on the notorious Hobfield Estate. She'd been beaten to death and the word "sorry", together with some kind of symbol, was scrawled across the wall in blood. Ruth recognised the "sorry" from a previous murder case where remains were found hidden in Gorse House during demolition; at the time they were thought to be Millie's, and the word was painted in the vicinity of her body. But are they really Millie's remains?
So, somehow the two cases are connected - Millie's tormentor Jade's mother is murdered.

When the manager of a local restaurant, Kitty, apparently deliberately smacks into Tom's car - he's delighted; but is she who she appears to be? When Marilyn, the killer of his cousin Ray, suddenly has money to afford a top solicitor and gains parole - Tom has to wonder where she's getting it from.
When his arch enemy Lazarov sends his daughter Zoe and present for her newborn Maisie - Tom is incensed that Lazarov knows about his private life and he needs to protect his family - he knows Lazarov has sworn to kill him.
All of which takes its toll on Tom. Is Lazarov instigating a drugs turf war by killing off the opposition? or is someone keeping the police busy and looking away from the fact that a priceless collection of Celtic gold is due to be displayed in the local museum?

Lots of questions.........it really is worth reading to find out exactly what's been going on.

When it rains, it pours. Detectives Calladine and Bayliss find themselves pulled in different
directions.

A woman is found murdered in a housing estate. No clues, no known motive. Written on the wall is 'sorry'.

Bones are found at an old house ... with links to the murdered woman.

A criminal is back to take down Calladine. This known major drug dealer has threatened not only Calladine, but his daughter and grandson as well. Calladine reacts as he struggles to protect his family. But then the man is found stuffed in an icebox with a bullet in his forehead. Who wanted him dead ..more than Calladine?

There's a new woman in Tom's life .. but is she who she says she is?

The pressure is on, and this time Calladine is cracking . . .

Suspense and non-stop action start on the very first page and doesn't let up until the unexpected conclusion. Although 11th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. Each addition to the series is better than the last, and I highly recommend starting at t he beginning to find all those nuggets that make this such a terrific series. The characters, as always, are solidly drawn.

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

Another great book in this series.. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and and getting to know the characters in greater depth. Lots of twists and turns. I would thoroughly recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for allowing me to give my unbiased opinion.

I haven’t read any in this series of books but thought I would give it a go. Although this is book 11 it can easily be read as a stand-alone as I found out. Good storyline and likeable characters with a few twists made for a great read. I will definitely look to read more by this author.

Dead Sorry is the eleventh instalment in the Detective Inspector Tom Calladine and Detective Sergeant Ruth Bayliss Mystery series set in the fictional village of Leesdon, Greater Manchester. It's a reminder to never judge a book by its cover and never underestimate those of us who are quiet or confuse it with tolerance. The prologue opens 25 years ago with schoolgirl Millie bringing 3 of her relentless bullies home after class at the behest of her grandmother who was hoping it would help her to fit in a little more among her peers. The group of girls are dominated by ringleader and all-around bad apple Jade O'Brien, and followers Kaz and Sarah, who proceeds to pull Millie's hair, grab her by the throat and ventures into her grandfather's workshop looking for tools to steal to sell on in exchange for cash to purchase drink or drugs. It's clear to see that the Millie, the bright, hardworking, polite student does not belong among her mouthy, arrogant peers on the rough Hobfield Estate which has a terrible reputation and is teeming with criminals making her a soft target. In the toolshed, they gather up those easiest to sell and most lucrative but not without threatening Millie with a Stanley knife and slashing her cheek with it until it's pouring with blood. Jade attempts to cut her again but this time Millie has had enough.

She never really was the meek teen the bullies thought she was and it was about time she showed them. A short time later, Millie's grandmother returns home interrupting her hammer attack over the 3 menaces. They vow to keep it a secret and let the girls tell their stories. Back in the present day, Carradine and Bayliss are called to investigate when the deceased body of Jade's mother, Becca O'Brien, is discovered in a flat in Gorse House on the estate. She has been brutally murdered and the word Sorry scrawled in blood across the wall. Bones are found at the house where the 3 bullies had congregated with Millie all those years earlier. There appears to be a connection between Becca's killing and some bones located at Gorse House from a quarter of a century ago. Can Carradine and Bayliss figure it out? This is a riveting and thoroughly compulsive addition to an addictive police procedural series providing you with both a modern mystery and a historical one complete with drama, thrills, danger, twists and red herrings aplenty to get the mind whirring. There's never a dull moment in Durrant's books, but I also feel like this is up there with her most engrossing, exciting and entertaining books in recent years. A unique plot and vivid characters bring the story to life. Highly recommended.

A cold case comes back to haunt Detective Tom Calladine when a body is discovered with the crime scene bearing similarities to those of a case twenty-five years previously. A case of a schoolgirl attacking her bullies and the discovery of a corpse boarded up in a house with the word ‘Sorry’ written in blood where she was found.

Dead Sorry is the 11th book in the Calladine and Bayliss series, but works perfectly fine as a standalone story – just some establishing backstory on the character's lives may give readers of the series more depth and character development to enjoy, but I don’t feel like I missed out. The depth of the main characters is shown through their family connections and the ongoing backstories that develop throughout the novel; blossoming relationships and how the two leads interact with one another. There’s a clear understanding of working relationships and boundaries in place and the dynamic between Calladine and Bayliss is pleasurable to read about. There is a dynamic between the two that comes across as caring but professional.

Along with the main murder investigation, there’s also the story of Lazarov; a rather nasty drug-dealer who has his claws out for revenge against Calladine – this I assume ties into a previous case in the series – but again, there’s enough information given in the book to allow for this to be a stand-alone case.

It is these glimpses into their home life and the trials that the characters suffer that make them relatable, at times frustrating, but overall they feel real and believable.

The plot of Dead Sorry is packed with twists, turns and has more red-herrings than a fish-mongers! It’s an enjoyable, fast-paced case that involves enough mystery to keep the plot progressing and entertaining.

Being new to the setting within the ‘Dead’ series of books, I was quite thrilled to discover they are close to home. Leesworth, a fictional town, is situated close to Manchester – near where I live – so reading the descriptions of the surrounding area and of the City, in part, felt accurate and helped to lure me in further. The estate of Hobsfield was vividly written and came across as an authentic part of English culture; for better or worse. The characters within this estate were evocative of those you’d come across and even the description of one of the pubs came across with such an authenticity I could easily picture it.

So too could I vividly see the character Jade O’Brien, daughter of the recent murder victim. Her involvement in the story came from an unusual place; she was sympathetically written but without being overbearingly so. At times I questioned my thoughts on her place in the story as a whole, did I feel sorry for what happened to her, or had some sort of ‘justice’ been served? Her involvement in the older of the two cases was a cleverly played out part of the book and how the two cases intertwined felt like the true mystery of the crime book. At times I couldn’t let myself leave a chapter unfinished for wanting to learn the truth of what happened during those early years and how it all ties together in the end.

The conclusion to the book is very well done and feels strong, especially after chasing the red herrings! It’s a well-rounded, clearly considered story which has all manner of mystery tactics weaved throughout. I highly recommend Dead Sorry to readers of crime and mystery thrillers who are looking for a good, quick, read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I like this author and really enjoyed this thriller, great characters, great storyline. Enjoyed it.

I’d like to thank Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Dead Sorry’, book eleven in the Detectives Calladine and Bayliss series written by Helen H Durrant, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A woman’s body has been found in a flat on the Hobfield Estate that appears to be linked to a case DI Calladine investigated twenty-five years ago. Meanwhile, Calladine is worried that his old enemy Lazarov, who’s made no secret of his hatred for him, is targeting his daughter Zoe and her new born baby Maisie.

‘Dead Sorry’ is the latest exciting thriller with Tom Calladine and Ruth Bayliss that can also be read as a standalone novel. The story is well-written with the team at Leesdon Police Station that I enjoy reading about, suspense, twists and turns, as well that as some dubious characters from the run-down and definitely dodgy Hobfield estate. Add to this Calladine’s interesting private life with his daughter Zoe and new granddaughter Maisie, and Kitty Lake the new manager of ‘Mother’s Kitchen’ restaurant who appears to have her eye on Calladine, and you get a fast-paced thriller that makes for an entertaining read. I’m looking forward to reading book number twelve.

So... book 11 in the series and, as per usual, I am going to recommend you start from book one and read in order. Mostly for character background and development reasons but also cos they are all darned fine books!
This is one of my favourite series and I jump on each new release as soon as I can get my hands on it. Even this far along in the series each new book is still as fresh as the first with absolutely no signs of flagging. In fact, if I might be so bold, this one is probably one of the best of the series, and that's quite a high bar to reach let along raise!
So, we start in the past where we witness a schoolgirl being attacked by three bullies. Back in the present, in the notorious Hobfield Estate, a man is found murdered. With the word "sorry" written in blood on a nearby wall. Enter Calladine and Bayliss to investigate. Throw into the mix the a new love interest for Calladine, along with threats to his family, and the impending arrival of a hoard of gold to display at the museum, and you have got yourself a doozy of a read. One that hit the ground running for me, kept me captive throughout, spitting me out at the end, shattered but satisfied.
I've already said I love this series. Be it the tight, well executed plots, the well crafted characters - both main and extras - or the no nonsense, no padding delivery - maybe a combination of all of these things but, even with a lot going out outwith the main story, I find my time spent reading wholly enjoyable.
In fact, the only bad thing about each book is the approach to the end when I am torn between wanting to know how it all wraps up - cos I never manage to guess all in advance - and feeling a bit sad to have to leave the characters again for a while. But hey, hopefully book 12 will not be a long time coming... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I was surprised to find that "Dead Sorry" is one of an eleven-book series. It reads well as a stand-alone book. A detective and his partner are the main characters of this book and are in the series. When they are faced with the murder of a middle-aged drug addict in the worst part of town some of the clues link it back to the detective's early career. Several girls had bullied a reclusive young woman who lived with her grandmother. Her disappearance several years later went unnoticed in the town until a body was discovered when the former home of her and her grandmother was demolished. It is presumed to be the body of the young woman, bullied by classmates. Is it linked to this murder, some of the clues are the same? Other things are stirring in the background while the two detectives work to solve the case. Thanks to #DeadSorry#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Dead Sorry, the eleventh novel to feature DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss set in the fictional town of Leesworth, Greater Manchester.

After a quiet time it’s suddenly all go in Leesworth. A body is discovered on the notorious Hobfield Estate and the crime scene suggests a link to bones found a few years earlier. Now Tom and Ruth have to investigate the old murder, the new murder and cover several other issues, like the threat posed to Tom and his family by vicious criminal Lazarov and the imminent arrival of the Leesworth Hoard, a priceless collection of Celtic jewellery.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Sorry and read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. I have been unable recently to find the necessary concentration for reading, so it was a pleasant surprise to get so involved and interested. That alone merits 5* from me.

The novel is well conceived and constructed and had me tied in knots, trying to work out who fits in where. I was amazed at how it all fits together after being baffled for so long. Some bits are easy to guess but mostly I didn’t have a clue. I enjoyed the author’s misdirection and fell for it all and I liked the links between the past and present. It is a complex web of connections told in an easily understandable way. I also liked the way the team gradually unravel it all, with simple bits of information offering further avenues of enquiry. I like a police procedural and this is a good example.

Tom and Ruth are old friends by now so it is pleasant to spend time with them. They have a natural working relationship that most people can identify with. Tom is now a grandfather and there will be changes for Ruth too. I like the way the author moves her characters and their lives forward with every novel. It’s one more thing to look forward to with this series.

Dead Sorry is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Can’t believe this is actually book 11 in the series! Twenty-five years ago a schoolgirl was attacked by three bullies in her home where she lived with her grandmother.

Now, the mother of one of those bullies is found murdered on the Hobfield housing estate. Written on the wall in the victim’s blood is the word, “sorry.”

There is a link to the discovery of bones at an old house up in the hills — the home of the teenage girl who was attacked.

Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss have more than this puzzling case on their hands. Arch-villain Lazarov is threatening Calladine’s granddaughter and a valuable hoard of Celtic gold is coming to a local museum.

The pressure is on, and this time Calladine is cracking . . .
This author just keeps getting better!

A woman is found brutally murdered on the notorious Hobfield estate, DI Tom Calladine & DS Ruth Bayliss are sent to investigate. The initial feeling is that it is a drug deal gone wrong, except for something that is written at the scene. Something that harks back to a 25 year old mystery.
But Calladine has more than a murder on his plate, his old foe Lazarov is back and issuing threats against Calladine, his daughter and his tiny granddaughter.
Calladine is feeling the strain like never before, but will they crack the case before he cracks himself.
I loved this, so many red-herrings. You can feel the tension as the team works together to solve not only the current but also the historic case.

It took me a few chapters to get into the book but once I did, I found I flew through it! I enjoyed the characters and didn't realise there were other books in the series prior to this but it didn't take away from the reading of this book. Hopefully there will be more to come!

This book is the latest in the ‘Calladine and Bayliss’ series but can easily be read as a standalone.

DI Tom and DS Ruth work really well together, and the partnership is believable. This story goes back to an incident 25 years ago where a schoolgirl was attacked by three bullies when she invited them back for tea at her grandmother’s house.

Fast forward to the present, and the mother of one of those bullies has been found murdered. ‘Sorry’ is written on the wall in the victim’s blood. Then bones are found up at the derelict house where the original incident took place all those years ago.

On top of this mystery to solve, there is a valuable hoard of gold coming to the local museum and needing police help with security, and a known criminal – Lazarov – is threatening DI Tom’s little granddaughter.

Really enjoyed this book, it hooked me in and kept me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

When a drug addicts body is found on the notorious Hobfield Estate Detective Inspector Tom Calladine and Detective Sergeant Ruth Bayliss are asked to attend. Not only did they find the body of Becca O'Brien beaten to death but writing on the wall in blood tying the murder to a cold case of schoolgirl Millie Reed which was 25 years ago. Then Tom Calladine feels his family is under threat and not only the body count goes up but personal and professional becomes seriously entwined.
Really enjoyed this book by Helen H. Durrant with its many twists and turns keeping the pages turning to find out what happens next.

I have read and really enjoyed the other books in this series and this one was no exception. Helen Durant writes clever and engaging detective stories which are highly enjoyable.

Book eleven in this series and it's another very good read from Helen Durrant. This time, secrets from 25 years ago return and every chapter keeps you enthralled as the plot develops. Great characterisation, an excellent plot and plenty of red herrings to occupy the reader in this contemporary thriller. I highly recommend this series of books. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

THIS IS THE BOOK I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

I have been a fan of Helen H. Durrant for years now, and enjoyed most all of her different novels and series. However, I had begun to notice that the last few have all been so similar that it was easy to guess exactly which direction the story was going to go and who was going to be behind everything.

Dead Sorry, thankfully, was more in line with the books I remember from this author. The kind that not only follows the detectives throughout the course of their investigation, but also touches on their home lives. Little scenes or notations that make them seem like real people on a real case. This was the kind of that leads you to follow one path, only to make you realize that you've been wrong all along.

I was captivated from the first with this story, staying up far later than normal to finish so I could find out just who was behind the murders, and whose bones had been found all those years ago. Each time I thought I was close to figuring it out, another thread was unraveled, making me second guess my thoughts until finally, it all came together in one very surprising package.

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a well written police procedural, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is the eleventh book in the Calladine and Bayliss series by author Helen H. Durrant.

The thing I really like about author Helen H. Durrant is that she does write some very good crime series. I enjoy her DI Greco, DCI Rachel King as well as Calladine and Bayliss. Very entertaining reads that are consistently good.

This series features Detective Inspector Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss and set in the village of Leesdon in northern England. Tom loves his job and it gives him the one thing he can rely on following an unsuccessful marriage. Ruth Bayliss is in her mid-thirties, has a small child and tells it the way it is. Now trying to balance her professional and personal life she is a loyal colleague to Tom Calladine.

A schoolgirl was attacked by three bullies in her home where she lived with her grandmother. Twenty five years later one of the bullies mothers is discovered murdered on the Hobfield housing estate. Written on the wall in the victim’s blood is the word, “sorry.” There is a link to the discovery of bones at an old house up in the hills, the home of the teenage girl who was attacked.

Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss must try and uncover the truth before more blood is spilt.

As always in this series there is an excellent mix of the crimes and personal back stories that help make these books so successful. Very good characters and enjoyable plots.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Joffe books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.