This was my first book by Kerry Watts and it certainly won’t be my last.

This book was brilliant!

A fast paced thriller set in Scotland where DC Hazel Todd has her work cut out for her to uncover the truths.

This book is full of twists, suspense and intrigue.

I can’t wait for the next in the series.

A HUGE thank you to Hera Books, Kerry Watts and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A real eye opener
An edge of your seat read
Exceptional all the way through
Their next breath will be their last
Brand new Scottish crime series set in Perth with DCI Hazel Todd and team
Rachel McMahon is pulled over after they have found a body in a car beside the Harbour Cafe a place where sex workers are picked up the body is named by his ID as Sam Kennedy a young medical student and Rachel if only they know what kind of monster they have found after confessing to Four murders claims of rape and self defence she faces three life sentences, doing her time she is released under a different name and the killings start again, Hazel and the crew have a big job on their hands.
Oh My what a book chapter after chapter it will chill you so fast pace in places I really enjoyed it all.

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, murder, prostitutes, and a great who done it! I usually can figure out the bad guy but this one had me guessing right till the end! Its definitely worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

When DCI Hazel Todd is called to a homicide out on the Harbour to find a young man dead in his car, she has no idea that this is the start of the most horrifying event of her career. This is much more terrifying than murder.

Forty years before, Rachel became a sex worker in the same Harbour. But it wasn't just a job for her, it was a way to follow her true passion - murder. Now, she's served her time and is living in quiet anonymity in Scotland. But recent events seem all too familiar to the terror that Rachel had caused all those decades ago ... could she be back to finish what she started, or is someone even worse hiding out there?

The first in a new series, this crime thriller is packed full of dark turns and turns set against a remote Scottish backdrop. You couldn't help but be morbidly curious about Rachel and how she ended up on the bloody path she did, maybe even feeling empathy at some point as we learn more about her. I was quite uncomfortable with the way many characters referred to sex work in general, calling the entire industry sleazy amongst other things, and while I'm sure this is because they've seen the darker side to the industry it definitely didn't sit right with me at times.

There was a thick tension all the way through, with plenty of misdirection and tricks that kept you unsure of who to trust or what to think. I couldn't fully connect with Hazel and her mission to solve this mystery, I found her a bit detatched from the reader, but I definitely think I'll be back for the next installment to find out more.

I've enjoyed every book I've read by this author and now Death Rite has reached a fantastic new high. This is my favourite book to date. The series, set in Scotland, featuring DCI Hazel Todd is a gripping murder mystery. Its not just DCI Todd as main character of the book but the team she works with are superb, the blend of caring, humour and work ethics. A clever and intriguing plot . There are several suspects in for the murders of men who are murdered in copycat killings of a couple of decades previous. I'm sure this is going to be a very successful and brilliant series and I look forward to reading further investigations in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that DCI Hazel Todd & her team were well-written, and I'm looking forward to reading about them again. There's lots of twists & turns that make you want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. While I did guess who the killer was, the way that this was revealed had my jaw dropping. I can't wait to read more!

i am a big fan of this author and waited patiently waited for new one and was not disappointed very addictive and pull you in from page one very fast paced and i love the new character in this new series DCI Hazel Todd . Hazel is called out on a chilly October morning to a red fiesta where a young man has been murdered its a regular spot for sex workers his name is Sam Kennedy who was a medical student , Rachel helps the young women who sell themselves makes sure they are fed and well her best friend s daughter Molly has gone on the streets for her drug addiction and has a temper . Kelly was the women that Sam was seeing and paying her for sex but he liked the dark stuff ,DCI Hazel Todd husband left her for her bestfriend Cara and she contacts Hazel and she wants nothing to do with her ,Craig Douglas has befriended the girls and helps them when he can . this book is very very twist i so recommend

It's nice to read a book set locally so that put it on my good side from the off. It's nice and creepy with a few twists and turns. It starts as it means to go with a bit of a bang and it certainly kept me engrossed until the end. I really enjoyed the overall concept and the writing style and will definitely be downloading more from the author in future. Nothing g beats finding a new author who has a little back catalogue already out there to keep me indulged for a bit

This was my first book by the author, but won’t be my last. 

An outstanding book will always get my attention from the beginning and this one started with a bang and so much mystery around a murder that DC Hazel Todd has to uncover. 

The setting is Scotland, and it was interesting to see how it’s depicted within the story. 

A murder that took place fourth years ago, might be connected to these new ones and the secrets and mystery was well done, so much so that I really did not know who to trust or think that it’s the actual killer til the last chapter. 

This was the first book in a new series, so I am looking forward to read more in the future and see where the author is taking me next.

Perth, Scotland isn't a place you would expect to find a murderer taunting the local police force but unfortunately for DCI Hazel Todd it seems that's exactly what she's got. With her small team she sets about trying to find out who could have killed a young medical student leaving almost no clues.

As they begin to dig deeper and links to a local shelter come to light the comparison between this new killing and ones solved four decades earlier become clearer. Could the same person be responsible or is there another reason for the similarities?

This is the first in the new series by Kerry Watts set in Scotland, and I enjoyed it very much. Hazel is a sympathetically written and successful main protagonist, showing a compassion which made her approachable and likeable but as the story progressed her strength of will definitely took centre stage. Her relationship with her team does still need to come together a little more, especially with her second in command, DI Tom Newton, which seemed just a little less convincing than with the others.

The storyline was as complex as one would expect from a Kerry Watts novel and showed the parts of society generally treated with far less respect and kindness than they deserve or need in a sympathetic way. There was no pontificating however, just a storyline successfully shown from both sides containing well rounded and entertaining characters.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent first story in what promises to be a very good series.

After killing four men in a brutal way 40 years ago Rachel McMahon was branded evil,now she's out,she's done her time and is happy living the quite life with new name in Scotland.
But it's started again men are being murdered and they have her trademark.
D.C.I Hazel Todd and her team are on the case but would Rachel be that silly or is someone copying her murderous ways?
As the team race to find the killer things get to close to home for Hazel can the murderer be stopped?
My first book by Kerry Watts and it won't be my last I loved it.
Plenty to keep you engaged with the story and I highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for the ARC

Thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Death Rite by Kerry Watts is the first book in a new police procedural series focused on Detective Hazel Todd. The story revolves around Hazel as she investigates a series of murders that are very similar to a series of murders that happened 40 years ago. Back then, Rachel McMahon brutally murdered four men. Now, she's been released from prison. A 60 year-old who volunteers as a soup kitchen - there's no way that she would return to her evil ways, is there? When a new series of murders happened with connections to Rachel, Detective Hazel Todd and her colleagues will need to use all of their resources find out who the killer is.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue:

"Watching them breathe their last never gets old. He’s not quite there yet, but soon, yes, soon his existence will be extinguished. As it should be. If he hadn’t been so arrogant, so aggressive, he might have lived. We all make choices every day, every minute. Crossing the road, buying those groceries, stopping to talk to friends. They’re all decisions every person makes to survive. One wrong move could be your last.
She understood that. She didn’t grieve their loss. Why should I?"

Overall, Death Rite is a gripping police procedural that makes me interested in reading the rest of the series. One highlight of this book is the seriously creepy text messages that are sent during the investigation. The blue bubbles around the texts were a nice and realistic touch. I did take off 1 star because of the large cast of characters with generic names, which made it hard to keep track of the characters. I took off another star because it was hard for me to maintain my interest in this book. The police officers do a lot of interrogating, but for a large portion of the plot, nothing exciting happens. Nevertheless, I was interested in the outcome of the book, and I did end up finishing the book in a day. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of police procedurals, you can check out this book when it comes out in October!

Started off with a bang,as Rachel was full of fury,but for me it trailed off after that.
I personally found it to be just OK.
Enjoyed the characters and settings,so am definitely interested in reading book 2.

Kerry Watts is an author that I found on NetGalley. There is a twist in every novel and it's always shocking. I can't wait to read every single one of her books.

DCI Hazel Todd is called in when the bodies of men start showing up on her patch in Scotland. The court of public opinion already has a killer in mind, Rachel McMahon, a woman who was tried and convicted of murder forty years ago. Now, having done her time, Rachel is a free woman, and people believe she’s the one responsible for the recent spate of murders. Hazel is left with the unenviable task of deciding whether Rachel is catching up for lost time, or if a copycat is framing her.

Really enjoyed reading this thriller. A fast paced serial killer crime drama full of plot twists situated in Scotland. The story didn’t delve too much into the why of the first killings but the reemergence of the crimes was intriguing and kept me immersed until the end. I felt bad for Rachel and rooted for dc hazel todd. Ready for the next one.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc