Under a Dark Cloud by Louisa Scarr

Synopsis
Early one morning, DS Robin Butler is summoned to a crime scene. Not as a policeman, but as best friend to renowned meteorologist, Dr Finn Mason. The morning after studying an enormous storm, Finn has locked himself in a van. Bloodied, confused, and with no memory of how he came to be there. And alongside him - a dead body.

Butler sets out to prove Finn's innocence, his friend now accused of murder. Meanwhile, DC Freya West is struggling to cope. She has been plagued by nightmares since the events of nine months ago. Freya assists her boss on his quest to clear Finn's name, but while Butler becomes increasingly desperate to help his boyhood friend, Freya is crumbling under the weight of the secrets she is keeping.

Review
It started well and ended well, but was rather tedious and slow in the middle. Way too much detail on weather but if you like that sort of thing, this will be for you. It wasnt a bad book, just a bit slow and the plot could have been abit more exciting. I do like Butler and West and those characters make the book.

Rated 3/5

Loved the first in the series and loved this too. Such a great story that I enjoyed seeing unfold. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series

Robin is called out to a murder scene where his old school friend - Finn Mason - is the main suspect. He has to support his friend and find out what really happened. Freya is tasked with the solving the death of a local tramp.

Both are struggling with their demons and help each other to move on.

Book two in the Butler and West series, still recovering from the outcome of the previous case West is struggling to sleep and is wrapped in guilt. Butler on the other hand has been doing better that is until he gets a phone call saying his best friend won't get out of a van which is a blood bath, it's all there the dead body the weapon and dna but Butler is convinced he knows his best friend, there's no way he would kill anyone right? People change though how well do we really know our friends?

I enjoyed this installment in the the series. Espically with recurring characters and incomplete issues that happened in book one are brought to life again. We have two different cases in this book one with Butlers' friend and the second West is handling its a dead old man in a freezer that wasn't outside. It could be an accident but West believes in foul play.

I enjoyed both cases as they both were trying to prove they we correct but neither of them we the leads. Butler finds himself thinking back to a his recent encounters he has had with his best friend although they no longer live in the same town they have kept close. But it seems his friend has changed signixantly and Butler is dealing with the guilt of not noticing. He also hates his current girlfriend as when he knows she's a bad influence.
West has to work under a new DS as Robin isn't there to lead. She doesn't get on well with his leadership qualities however she still manages toto get her point across regarding the case. She knows she's right she just has to prove it she's almost obsessing she no longer sleeps and I'd over working.
Ofcourse there's the blooming relationship between Butler and West is talked about throughout, I just love their interaction.

The novel is a well written crime book, with correct police procedure throughout and am understanding of what is and isn't inside the lines of professionalism. I found it refreshing honestly how well the procedure is followed throughput and not in a repeating annoying way other authors can come across.

All in all I recommend this series and suggest starting with book one before grabbing this one I found it interesting and both of the cases I truly didn’t know who was guilty. Plus the return if characters really added to the story. 4 5 stars

An interesting but strange storyline,the beginning is a very complicated and took me a while to get into it.However as the story line unfolds it becomes rather strangely fascinating and has a personal interest to DS Robin Butler who strives to bring the case to a surprising end

DS Robin Butler partners with DC Freya West for this police procedural.

Esteemed meteoroligist, Dr Finn Mason, finds himself trapped in the back of a van with a dead body and no recollection of how he came to be there. Elsewhere, DS Josh Smith has been tasked with investigating a body found in a freezer.

The characters were interesting and the novel well plotted and filled with tension, so I would be keen to read the others in the series.

Thanks indeed to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow I absolutely loved the first book so was looking forward to this second one and it did not disappoint. I love the characters and the will they or won’t they get together . I love the back story for the two main characters too . The story was good but the main thing seemed to be the relationship between these two people which I loved . I can’t wait for the next instalment , definitely 5 stars from me

The second in the Butler and West series, this has the team essentially working apart for most of the time - Robin Butler assisting with an apparent open and shut case - two men in a Transit recording details of a serious storm, in the morning a scene of gore. One has been butchered with his own pen knife and the other a gibbering wreck. Trouble is, said wreck is a best mate of Butler who doesn't believe in his guilt. That becomes a well-orchestrated murder mystery. Freya West has to cope with a new sergeant while Butler is off. She's involved in the case of a body in a freezer, a vagrant - how did he get in there, was anyone else involved, who was he? A more routine but sad case. She and Butler, however, still support each other a lot and their relationship is stronger than ever - they each have daemons and each understand the other. There's some personal angst for both - does Freya start dating the new sergeant? Is Robin father of an old 'friends' baby? Fortunately, these do not take up too much space so do not detract from the main stories. Well-written, gripping if gory story lines that keep you reading. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Under A Dark Cloud is the second instalment in Louisa Scarr's Butler and West series.

Dr Finn Mason is a meteorologist and one morning he finds himself locked in a van, covered in blood. There is somebody in the vehicle with him... someone dead, and it's storm chaser Dr Simon Sharp. DS Robin Butler is a very close friend of Mason and sets out to prove his innocence when Mason is accused of murder. DC Freya West assists though she has problems of her own to work through and has been assigned a different case.

Set in and around Reading, Berkshire, this compulsive thriller contains more than enough to keep the reader fully invested. With dramatic turns, wicked twists and oodles of tension, its addictive narrative rockets along. The plot is original, superbly woven and the cast of characters are engaging individuals. Very highly recommended.

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

A police procedural with a couple of interesting cases. Robin becomes involved in a case concerning his best friend which has taken place in another area meanwhile his collegues are investigating the death of a homeless man found in a chest freezer.
I liked the characters the crimes were believable (but somewhat bloody) and the investigations logically put together . Being part of a series there are storylines which arise from earlier books but that is fine . I liked the characters and would definitely read more of the series

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Book #2 in the Butler and West series, this was a first for me by this author but it won't be the last.

It's clear that a lot of research has gone into the writing of this novel with the different themes it has running throughout.

A gripping crime fast paced tense read with a great cast of characters and well thought out plot, look forward to reading more from this author.

Louise Scarr is very very good at writing detective novels

Under a Dark cloud is probably one of my favourite reads of the year and I cannot wait to see more!

Under a Dark Cloud is the second instalment in the DS Robin Butler & DC Freya West series, set in and around Reading, Berkshire. When meteorologist Dr Finn Mason wakes up in the back of a large van he has no recollection of how he had ended up inside the vehicle. Looking around he sees blood everywhere. Pools of it across the floor. Spatters across the cupboards and ceiling and windows. Covering his jeans and T-shirt and skin. Meanwhile, it has just struck 5:42 am and DS Butler has just received a rude awakening from DC Grey of Thames Police who informs him that he is needed as his long-term best friend Finn is asking for him, refusing to exit a vehicle that has been locked from the inside and that has been involved in an incident overnight. Robin heads to the top deck of The Oracle multistorey car park in Reading city centre where the van is parked. He and his team quickly ascertain that it is a crime scene when they discover Finn’s colleague and fellow storm chaser Dr Simon Sharp’s murdered body inside the van; Finn and Simon had been together surrounded by tonnes of high tech equipment in order to accurately study and measure the raging storm that happened the previous evening, so all fingers begin pointing towards Finn as the murderer. What happened last night for it to end in such tragedy? With Finn the only logical suspect, Butler has his work cut out if he is to prove his friend innocent as it seems very much like a slam dunk case.

Adamant about showing that Finn did not kill Simon, Butler begins to dig into his life and past history, but the things he uncovers make him question whether he ever really knew Finn after all. Elsewhere, meanwhile, DC West has been assigned to assist Acting DS Josh Smith with an investigation into the suspicious death of a vagrant and transient man whose body was discovered stuffed inside a chest freezer in the car park at Riverside Country Park the morning after the storm. One of the staff had gone to move the appliance when it had tipped over and revealed its sinister surprise. Yesterday evening, Norman, one of the train station office workers, had seen the tramp hanging around his old haunts, begging and searching for somewhere to take shelter out of the driving rain. While Butler and West have been assigned different cases, Freya still lends a hand gathering information on Finn and both of them are beset by demons still ever-present from their past with Freya still mourning the loss of her lover who was killed. This is a compulsive and exciting locked-room thriller that is packed full of dramatic turns, wicked twists and palpable tension, and its fast-paced, addictive narrative left me yearning for more. The plot is original, superbly woven and the cast of characters is made up of well developed and engaging individuals. Overall, a captivating, suspenseful and atmospheric page-turner with more than enough going on to keep you invested. Highly recommended.

DS Robin Butler attends the scene of a transit van in a multi storey car park. The van is locked with 2 people inside. One is dead, the other the suspect. The suspect is also DS Butlers best friend, Finn. DC Freya West helps Butler with the investigation and to help clear his fiends name.
A more slower paced book than the previous instalment. I enjoyed the development of the main characters and their unusual relationship. I’m hoping for another book in the series with a more gripping crime for the pair to solve.

Loved the first book in this series and loved this one.
Highly entertaining and gripping, I was happy to catch up with the characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
The characters are fleshed out and the plot is well crafted.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is book 2 in the Butler and West series and it did not disappoint. There are some characters from the previous book and they are well developed. The writing is excellent and the plot drew me in from the start. Although the two main characters are not working together, they do cross over. I enjoyed this read and would recommend The Last Place You Look first for background information. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A must read for fans of U.K. Crime Fiction. A fast paced addictive story. A locked room murder with an original twist
Two scientists locked in a van full of high tech, storm reading equipment, on top of a multi-storey car park, in the middle of a Storm. Next morning one has been butchered, the other has lost his mind,.
An easy case for the police?
Oh no.
The surviving scientist is the best friend of a cop, DS Robin Butler. But the more Butler tries to prove his friend innocent the more he realises just how little he knew of his friend current state of mind
What a read
Highly recommended

Butler and West #2

Early one morning, DS Robin Butler is summoned to a crime scene. Not as a policeman, but as a best friend to meteorologist, Dr Finn Mason. The morning after studying an enormous storm. Finn has locked himself inside a van. Bloodied, confused and with no memory of how he came to be there. Alongside him is a dead body. Butler sets out to prove Finn's innocence, his friend now accused of murder. Meanwhile DC Freya West is struggling to cope. She has been plagued by nightmares since the events of nine months ago.

Butler and West aren't working together, they are both working on separate cases. DC Freya West is having to get used to being with another partner. The cases that DC Freya West and DS Robin Butler are working on are complex. There are some characters from the previous book in this story. The characters are well developed and believable. I liked the authors style in writing this book which is captivating from the beginning. I do think this book can be read as a standalone, but i would read The Last Place You Look first. I think it's best to go into this story blind.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #LouisaScarr for my ARC of #UnderADarkCloud in exchange for an honest review.

An Untenable Situation….
The second in the Butler and West series finds DS Butler with his work finely cut out when best friend Finn finds himself in an untenable situation. He sets out to clear Finns name with the assistance of DC Freya West who is battling her own demons. An engaging follow up to the first in the series with a solid and credible cast of characters and an intriguing tale.

I never repeat the blurb. Absolutely loved this - the characters had a realism and the story/plots were well crafted and sympathetically explored. Well done.