3.25 stars. Clearly written by someone with extensive experience working in the police, this was obviously well researched and knowledgeable. The basic plot itself was decent, though I did struggle to keep some of the characters straight when only job titles were used… most were written well, but Helen Ricks was a little unbelievable for me. I did spot whodunnit, and who the mole was, which I don’t usually. A solid first debut effort, I have no doubt the writing and characters will become more polished with subsequent books.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.

Chief Superintendent Cooke is at disparities as crime levels are at an all time high and vigilantes taking mover, when his son is brutally killed. Detective Superintendent Jo Howe is tasked with finding out who was responsible.
A fast paced plot, with plenty of twists will keep you hooked. The strong writing style on this complex police procedural is really engaging and definitely worth a read.

Unfortunately I have not been able to connect with this book and so after multiple attempts I have had to mark as dnf.

Fast paced and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

This was a debut read from a former police officer, and I think this experience clearly paints a picture of how corrupt people can get. This was really well written and I hope to read more by him in future.

I was intrigued by this book after seeing the special edition on Goldsboro Books so was eager to read an early copy. The author is best known as an advisor to authors on police procedural matters and his knowledge of policing is reflected in this complex and thoughtful novel.

By the look of it I'm in the minority when I say I didn't really like this book. I'm not sure if it's the characters, the writing or the plot, but something just didn't work for me. Oh well, you can't like them all!

A brutal, violent and disturbing police procedural that you won't forget. Detective Superintendent Jo Howe is in charge of an understaffed and overstretched Brighton police force. When her boss's son is murdered, she must track down his killer before a vigilante group dishes out it's own brand of justice. An unputdownable crime thriller.

A high profile murder always means problems and a lot of work for the police; but in this book the case will also be stressful and difficult. When a promising football player appears dead as the son of Brighton’s Chief Superintendent, you can imagine that our main character, Detective Superintendent Jo Howe, knows that this will not be an easy case. This will be only the beginning and the police know that they have to catch the killer as soon as possible.
I have to say that at the beginning it is a little bit difficult to follow all the characters, so many! But as the story progresses you need all of them in this twisted and dark story, it will be impossible to stop reading it!
I’ll admit that Jo is a special character, maybe not easy to like but she is a great character and a great detective!
It was quite interesting to read the police procedural, not the usual view I am used to but makes the story more real and keeps the reader wanting to know more.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this read, it’s addictive and a little dark sometimes but a great book to enjoy.
Are you ready for “Bad for Good”?

A competent and fast paced crime novel by a former serving police novel. The story is authentic and will appeal to fans of Peter James and Mark Billingham.

Excellent police procedural!

Crime rates are the highest it's ever been in Brighton. Police are starting to lose the battle. Police numbers have also dropped dramatically after budget cuts. Is this part of the problem or is there something more sinister going on? When the son of Brighton's chief superintendent and a promising football star is killed, DS Jo Howe has her hands full. Soon it becomes clear that a vigilante group is taking over the city. People are attacked and some are killed; people disappear and it's always the bad guys. Will Jo be able to get to the bottom of this when she doesn't know who she can trust, not even in the police force?
It's a story that asks the question of how far would you go.

My only criticism is that the story jumped around a lot and not only between two characters but more. I found this confusing in the beginning and it took some time to get used to it, but when I got into the story it was a fast and excellent read.

The story is set in Brighton coincidently also the place where the author himself worked for nearly 30 years as first a detective, then a firearm commander, and finally the City police chief.
Being a former detective you can see he knows the ins and outs which gives the story a very authentic feel. He is now working as a police procedural and crime advisor, helping well-known authors and TV writers, and has worked with authors like Peter James, Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, and Ruth Ware.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alison & Busby for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was full of tension and the characters were well written so you will have to be on the ball . This book definately was fast paced and I really enjoyed it.

#BadforGood #NetGalley What a great debut for this author! A gritty, and at times, gruesome, crime thriller set in Brighton, this had me hooked from the first chapter. Lots of drama and plenty of action which I love in a crime thriller. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the final chapter. I will certainly look for more from this author!

Fans of Line of Duty will be gripped by Graham Bartlett’s nail-biting debut police procedural, Bad for Good.

Detective Superintendent Jo Howe is used to challenging cases, but her latest investigation might be her toughest case yet. A footballer has been found brutally murdered, but as he also happens to be the son of Brighton’s Chief Superintendent, all eyes are on Jo to ensure that she finds the perpetrator as quickly as possible. However, Jo’s investigation is hampered not just by the pressure placed on her shoulders by her superiors and the media, but also by several blackmail attempts that are being made.

Jo is all on her own trying to find a ruthless murderer in a city torn apart by corruption, deception and chicanery. Jo has nobody to turn to and nobody she can rely on, so she needs to tread carefully because one false move and her entire investigation – and her career – could go up in smoke. With the stakes having never been higher, Jo’s quest for justice will end up taking her to places she never expected. But there are some people watching who will do whatever it takes to keep her from finding the truth. They will stop at nothing to keep their secrets dead and buried and will use any weapon in their arsenal to keep Jo from making an arrest.

Can Jo solve this case and put whoever is responsible for this murder behind bars? Or is she about to end up in the line of fire and pay the ultimate price?

I was so excited to read Graham Bartlett’s debut. With crime fiction luminaries and some of my favourite authors singing their praises for Bad for Good, my expectations were pretty high and I was not disappointed. Graham Bartlett knows how to write a punchy, shocking and heart-pounding page-turner full of authentic procedural detail that immediately pulled me into the story and kept me gripped till the end.

Cleverly plotted and deftly constructed, Graham Bartlett’s Bad for Good is a complex, chilling and unputdownable crime novel with a fabulous detective who could give Jane Tennyson and Vera Stanhope a run for their money.

A brilliant police procedural from a writer to watch out for, Graham Bartlett’s Bad for Good is an enjoyable thriller that will thrill aficionados of the genre.

I know this is a novel but having grown up in Brighton and still regarding it as my home town, I found this story rather unsettling. I could visualise every location which for me, like Peter James' 'Grace' series, increases the whole ghastliness of the plot. Excellent fictional debut! Thanks to Netgalley.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Allison & Busby and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dark, gritty, suspense and thrills. Be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions and twists and turns throughout.

If you enjoy dark, twisty and the underbelly of larger cities, then this one is for you! Police budgets are being winnowed away while crime is escalating in the city of Brighton. When push comes to shove, what will Brighton's police superintendent do when his son is murdered? It is rough and raw.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for this ARC!

Bad For Good is such an insightful peek inot the world of real policing. But more than that, it has a really gritty, multi-faceted storyline that Bartlett slowly drip feeds to us, taking us deeper and deeper inot the murky world of gangs, vigilantes, corrupty police, honest police striving against budget constraints to make a difference and more.
Whilst the police procedural aspect of the novel is everpresent and authentic, Bartlett delivers it with a light enough touch to move the plot along, but with enough detail to make us really empathise with the police predicament and really feel the tension and despair as they struggle aganst various hurdles to do their job effectively.
With sections written from the perspectives of well drawn characters from both sides of the law, you feel intensely in the moment with them. Some scenes had me in tears as the inevitable , unstoppable moment I expected unrolled on the page in front of me with no way for me to stop it... You'll know which part when you read it. Other scenes had me yelling at my kindle, desperate to warn the characters of the trap they were about to fall into.
Bad for Good, whilst an excellent police procedural novel, is more than that. It has heart and nuance and characters you really want to get behind.

For the off its clear that Graham Bartlett is a very clear and consistent writer. His characters form the plot for Bad For Good, ranging from the very top brass in policing being involved, down to the very lowest of society’s low, namely Marco who’s drug dealing ways get him mixed up with something he won’t be getting out of.

Detective Chief Superintendent Phil Cooke and Detective Superintendent Joanne Howe amongst others are trying their best, with the very worst in respect of resources, to police the whole of Brighton and Hove, with 8 officers to help them, so the average 2 hour wait for police assistance brings a caretaker at a school taking measures into his own hands and meaning that he ends up in hospital.

The death of a Phil Cooke’s son on the verge of hitting the big time having signed up to be the next best thing in the local football team, has promptly widespread chaos in the crime community. The Police suspect a vigilante group is taking matters into their own hands and decreasing the local population. How this is linked to the death of Harry, Phil’s son they don’t know and struggle to get the connection.

Just how far will Phil push and be pushed, to get answers and catch Harry’s murderer?

Graham’s knowledge of policing is evident and makes for great reading, Bad For Good is intense and compelling. Blackmail and corruption make for a fast almost thundering pace, harrowing at times with some of the detail that creates the plot. A fantastic debut and one sure to create a series and let the characters flourish further. More please Graham!

I liked this book, and would best describe it as a dark thriller. I found it to be very believable, and the fact that the characters were dislikable and likeable at various points added to this.

I didn't realise until I read the reviews that the author was actually an ex-policeman, which explains the slightly more political aspects when discussing policing, as well as the plausibility.

Hopefully the author creates a series from this!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 rounded up to 5.