In my review of A Cut For A Cut I named Carol Wyer as Queen of Police Procedurals, and with A Life For A Life she has revalidated her title. For me, few writers do police investigations as she does, making me feel as if I’m part of the team, right there at the station investigating along them.

DI Kate Young’s life is being consumed by her desire to bring to justice those responsible for her husband’s death, but corruption in the police force reaches further than she expected, and without knowing who she can really trust, her endeavor is proving nearly impossible and her mental health is suffering from it. Called to investigate a series of murders, in which the killer seems to select their victims at random, will put all her capabilities to the test. Will she manage to catch the killer before it’s too late to save her career?

I really love this series. DI Young makes such an interesting lead. The author conveys Kate’s emotions in such a believable way. You can feel her grief over his husband’s death and her frustration and desperation while trying to get justice for him. Her whole journey in this regard has been done really well from book one. She’s flawed and she may not always abide by the rules, but she’s really relatable.

Her team is also very good. We’re slowly getting to know some of their backstories, what’s making me get much more involved in their lives, especially Emma’s. Her pain was so palpable it hurt. Also, the team has had a great addition in the figure of Samuel, a quirky psychological profiler.

This was not a typical whodunnit, cause we know the killer’s name right from the start. The challenge for Kate’s team was to try and get into the killer’s mind to comprehend their motivations, to predict their next move and thus avoid more deaths.

I found the parallels between the killer’s story and Kate’s really interesting, as it shows how a similar traumatic event can impact people in similar yet different ways, and how those demons can unravel your whole mind if you don’t learn how to keep them at bay.

Carol knows how to leave her readers wanting more and the ending is proof of that. What an ending! It was so, so good I’m already counting the days until book four comes out!

A Life For A Life was another enjoyable installment in the series and, although the psychological aspect of the story made the pace a bit slower than usual, I was still glued to the pages and could not turn them fast enough. If you’ve still not read Carol Wyer’s books, you’re missing out!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. I’ve read the previous books in the series and was looking forward to see where the author will take Kate’s character and her strong but also vulnerable heart and mind. And what a ride! So many twists, so many turns, so many more dead ends and intriguing puzzles that made me question myself if we ever going to get an end to the story because as the bodies would pile up, so the secrets and mismatched clues.

Brilliantly done and such an addictive story.

Oh wow! This was bloody packed with action, it’s dark, twisted, full of thrills, murders, corruption and has kept be enthralled the entire time I’ve read it.

The prologue and opening chapter really packed a punch. Honesty the series just gets better and better, of the three books written so far this certainly has the most tension. This series is one you’ll want to start reading and follow as both the primary case and secondary storylines are just so good.

The main storyline involves what seem to be random murders, the bodies keep piling up and DS Young is at a loss where to find evidence. It’s unfathomable how the victims are linked, only the MO is the same. The case certainly has the team on their toes.

The second storyline is following the corruption within the police which is linked to the death of her late husband DS Kate Young is not someone to mess with. She is out for revenge!

This third instalment had everything I love from a police procedural novel. Kate is a strong character with a kickstart attitude. The series also touches on mental health and grief which is dealt with, with great sensitivity.

Kate Young and her team are a secure tight team, I can’t wait to delve back into their next case! How am I ever going to wait for book four?

Even though this book was the third in the series it read as a stand alone book. I enjoyed this one with its twists and turns but, I wouldn’t say it was the best crime novel I’ve ever read. I would consider reading another one of hers in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/03/19/%f0%9f%8e%a7-a-life-for-a-life-by-carol-wyer/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

<strong>A Life for a Life</strong> might be the end of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/290914-detective-kate-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Detective Kate Young</strong></em></a> series, but I hope not. The plot gives us some layers with a serial killer, Kate's personal grief and career aspirations and her investigation into her husband's death and department corruption.  The ending is a bit vague so I'd like more to see what happens.

Kate is smart but still burdened by the death of her husband.  She has shut herself off a bit with still trying to feel her husband with her.   She talks to her sister Tilly but otherwise keeps isolated so others don't know she is still investigating.  It's dangerous to her and potential witnesses if the corrupted realize her efforts.  Her father's best friend, William, is retiring and encourages her to try for a promotion.

The serial killer is taking out another person daily.  It takes a few days and a profiler and Kate's intuition to grasp that the killer suffered a tragedy and is grieving.  It takes a lot of good police work to narrow down and find the killer.

Kate continues to collect evidence and witnesses, to finish the story her husband was killed to stop, into police corruption.   She argues with herself about how to safeguard witnesses because all of them she has found have been murdered, including an officer who caught on to the corruption.  Kate can't trust people she knows well and expects to be on her side. She learns her father and his best friend, William, might have known or been in on it.  She finally makes some real progress which is exciting!

I love Carol Wyer so was excited to receive her latest book. A murder occurs followed by more all by the same method but such random people with no connections. How do you solve that? A really good story leading to a great conclusion.

A LIFE FOR A LIFE is the third book in the Detective Kate Young Series by award-winning author of mystery and romance novels, Carol Wyer. Having enjoyed reading some of her other series; Detective Robyn Carter and Detective Natalie Ward, I was looking forward to continuing with this new detective series. This book can be read as a standalone, but these books are better read in order for clarity in the storyline of the continuing personal investigation by Kate into her investigative journalist husband, Chris’ murder. This is the review of A Life For A Life.

The novels in the Detective Kate Young Series Include:
Book 1-An Eye For An Eye (2021)
Book 2-A Cut For A Cut (June 2021)
Book 3-A Life For A Life (Publication: March 15th 2022)

In Book 1 DI Kate Young had been on leave after suffering a traumatic experience. She’s the force’s best detective, but suffered from nightmares and her bosses knew she was under pressure, on medication and booze to overcome the trauma. Kate was still grieving the loss of her husband, Chris, who was murdered by a hitman. Her boss, Superintendent John Dickson placed her on mandatory sick leave, after a breakdown on a train.

A few months later, Kate’s friend and friend of her late father, DCI William Chase comes to tell her that her boss wants her back at work, to hunt down a serial killer. Kate accepted the offer and chose two of her fellow officers from her old team, DS Morgan Meredith (dedicated worker that had worked closely on several tough cases in the past) and DS Emma Donaldson (an expert in marital arts).

Then in Book 2, A Cut For A Cut, DI Kate Young and her team are called to a crime scene where a woman had been brutally raped, and dumped. There are few clues and no suspects.
Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.

Prison guard Tom Champion, under torture admits to killing Cooper Monroe and was paid to make it look like a suicide, by Kate’s corrupt boss, superintendent John Dickson. Kate also believed he was behind the murder of her husband, Chris.

Bradley Chapman (SAS), ex-military, and friend of Cooper, job was to watch over a murderer, but Champion after supplying Kate with the confession video, had disappeared…or Dickson had already got to him. Now Kate was trying to gather evidence to bring down her boss.

When a young man is found lying at the train station, shot in the head, DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the murder. Then further bodies start to pile up.

With time ticking away, Kate must catch the killer before it is too late.

This was a fast paced, well-written novel full of action, mystery and suspense, with a major cliffhanger at the end. Can’t wait for the next book!

Many thanks to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my digital copy.

This is the 3rd book in the series and although Kate is still trying to cope with the death of her husband, she is also seeking to bring down her corrupt boss.

I will admit, I am struggling to really like or understand Kate and although this was a good story and well written, it didn’t wow me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Set in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DI Kate Young’s mental health issues since the loss of her husband a year ago are getting more obvious to the reader as she feels he is slipping away from her. The only way to keep his memory close is by discussing her thoughts with him and by pursuing the man she knows is responsible for his murder, as well as others including one of her own officers. Kate has spent the last months trying to get enough evidence to bring down her boss Supt John Dickson, the man behind the death by hitman of her journalist husband Chris after he tried to expose Dickson of involvement in the death of a young sex worker. Her latest witness confesses to killing on Dickson’s behalf and then vanishes. It’s looking like she’s going to fail, despite drastic and illegal help from the ex-SAS man Bradley and his men, and after a conversation with her step-sister Tilly, she really doesn’t even know who she can trust anymore, not even those closest to her. She receives a new case, the killing of a man on a quiet railway station. The man was shot with a captive bolt gun, something used to stun animals for slaughter. The close nature of the shot makes it look like an execution. As the case progresses the detectives only have two suspects, one still unidentified, and a complete lack of witnesses. Progress is stalling when a second shooting takes place. The detectives struggle to link the victims and have to think the unthinkable – they have a random attacker on their hands and no clue as to where they might strike next. Will the pressure of juggling work and her private investigation prove too much for Kate? Will the team finally get a lead on the killer before anyone else dies? And will Kate ever get justice for Chris?
This is a great solid police procedural with the added twist of the lead detective conducting her own personal investigation under the radar. There is a continuing story which leads from books one and two, although the back history is well explained enough to allow this to be thoroughly enjoyed as a stand-alone. The reader is privy to the words and actions of the killer as he carries out his plan, and the tension grows waiting to see if the detectives will ever learn the truth. With plenty of surprises and shocks along the way, it’s a clever and well written story with plenty to keep the reader hooked right from start to finish. 5*

3.5 stars

A Life for a Life by Carol Wyer is the third n the Detective Kate Young series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:  (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

DI Kate Young witnessed the aftermath of a massive shooting on a train.  She saw her husband’s body. He was a journalist, hot on the trail of corruption.  Her boss is DCI William Case, and his boss is Superintendent John Dickson.  She is sure that Dickson is corrupt,  responsible for the death of her husband.  She also no longer trusts Case.  She is fairly certain that Jamie was placed on her team to spy on her.  Kate's other team members are DS Morgan Meredith and DS Emma Donaldson.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
The body of a young man is found on the platform of a train station.  He had been shot in the forehead with a  captive bolt pistol.  More bodies start turning up, and the team can't seem to find anything that links them.

Samuel,  a profiler joins them to try and help the team figure out who is killing random people.  As things progress, Kate feels that the perpetrator may be on a similar path to her own, although their reasons may be different.

Kate is still trying to find evidence that Superintendent John Dickson is corrupt, but everyone that could help is either dead or missing.  Without help, she can't go much further.  She no longer hears the voice of her dead husband, so it looks like Chris has moved on too.  It's been a year, but Kate can't move forward.


My Opinions:   
Although I am somewhat annoyed with some of the actions that Kate is taking, I still like her.  She is a strong character, and a good police detective.  Emma and Morgan are also class acts.  These characters are all growing on me.  It was interesting to learn a little more about Emma's background.

The story is told from different perspectives, one of them being the killer.  I really like this approach, especially since the book dealt with mental illness.

The topic of grief, and how it can be handled so differently between people, is explored extensively.  Kate, Emma, and the killer are all handling their grief differently.

However, I am not a fan of books about corruption in the police force, and thus far it has been an an on-going story-line in the series.  Thankfully, the current murder mystery is really good and is taking up some of Kate's time.

As well, the book ended in a bit of a cliff hanger, which I'm not fond of.  Actually, I'm not sure I liked the ending at all.

All that being said, the actual crimes that are being investigated are very good, and I certainly can't complain about the writing, so I will be reading the next in line...

DI Kate Young is still struggling to get her life on track following the death of her husband Chris, and it seems peace is not going to be coming her way any time soon. Kate's secret crusade to bring down her corrupt boss Superintendent John Dickson seems to be hitting brick walls and the valuable eye-witness she needs has disappeared like a ghost - hopefully they have gone into hiding rather than having been consigned to a grave...

Just as Kate starts despair that she will ever be able to come to terms with Chris' death, a new case demands the attention of her and her small team. A young man has been found dead on a station platform, brutally killed by a point-blank shot to the head, and there are very few leads to go on. Before long, more bodies start to pile up, each one killed in the same brutal way, but there are no links between them and it is very hard to track down a killer who appears to be acting at random.

As Kate starts to drown under the pressure of an investigation that is going nowhere, and the shock of a new discovery in her inquiry into corruption in the police force, it dawns on her that her own fragile mental state might be just the tool she needs to find the killer. Can she succeed before her personal and professional lives come crashing down?

A Life for a Life is the third book in the Detective Kate Young crime series, and it certainly lives up the promise of the books that have come before. At the start of this story, Kate's quest to hold to account all those responsible for the death of her husband has gone just about as far as it can go, and she is spiralling downwards once more without the sense of purpose her private investigation has given her. When a new case that seems impossible to crack lands on her desk, bringing her unbearable pressure from the very man she has been trying to topple, Superintendent Dickson, it appears she might finally succumb to the darkness that plagues her... but all is not lost. It is the very fact that Kate herself knows what it means to face despair that proves to be the key to unlocking this investigation - even if the reasons why she can identify with the killer cannot be shared with her team.

Talking of Kate's team, there are some very interesting developments in this department as we get to know a bit more about them, with the hint of a possible will-they-won't-they romance in the air, and an intriguing understanding developing between one person in particular who Kate has been very wary of up until now which helps her to confirm some of her suspicions about Dickson. I always love how Wyer portrays the police procedural side of her stories, and this tricky case gives them a lot of work to do.

As to be expected in Wyer's very tense crime thrillers she takes us all round the houses before the truth becomes clear about the current case, dropping in a sinister side plot with an unsettling Stephen King-esque character that I can see making an appearance again in the future, and the suspense builds nicely towards a gripping climactic scene that had me holding my breath. But it doesn't end there, because there has to be a slap in the face development in Kate's corruption inquiry too, and my goodness this one is an absolute stunner... as cliffhangers go, this is high stakes and as jaw-dropping as they come, and I cannot wait to see what Wyer has up her sleeve for the next book! 

Another first-class crime thriller from Carol Wyer, with everything to keep lovers of the genre very happy indeed!

DI Kate Young and her team were called to Blythe Bridge Station where a young man had been killed by a shot to the head. They had a name so went to inform next of kin but there was nothing to suggest he defended himself. His mum was in bits and didn’t know of anyone that wanted to harm him. The team drew a blank with their enquiries.

The next day there was another death, this time a woman but no ID with the body. She worked in the parade of shops close to where she was found and again the family could think of no enemies. It appeared to be the same killer. On the next day, there was another killing, a jogger after his run, but this time there had been a sighting of someone sobbing in his car and walking up and down talking to himself. Could it be connected to their killer? It was worth considering.

Meanwhile Kate was still working on trying to bring Superintendent John Dickson down but it was difficult to find the time as she was working in her own time. She had asked Bradley to help and found she was beginning to cross the line a bit. He worked to different rules to get answers but they had already lost Tom Champion and Cooper Munroe was dead. She was still looking for the girls to try and help them, to get them to safety.

This was a brilliant book to read, it had me hooked from the start. DI Young’s team worked tirelessly although there are no clues. Cleverly written with descriptive text, making me feel like I was there. I have loved this series with DI Kate Young and her team. I hope there is another book to come.

Third book in the series,
Although each one is a different crime and can be read as standalone is strongly recommend reading them in order to follow the back story / police plot, it’s explained throughout but sometimes I felt confused wishing I remembered the previous book more clearly.

This book kept me engaged throughout,
Finding the bodies and waiting for the police to find the suspect. At one point I felt suspense but I wish I had this feeling more often

First things first, thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had all the promises of things I genuinely enjoy as a reader, however it was a let-down on how it was approached. it seems it took me way too long to understand exactly what was going on, and it seems I spent more time trying to figure out which character was which, and not enough time focused on the actual murder.

The writing style of Carol Wyer is what saved the book in my opinion. I love how she gets into the characters, and I do love a character-drvien book, so for that. 3 Stars.

Thank you again to NetGalley.

A Life for a Life is the third book in the Detective Kate Young series by Carol Wyer.
In short, we follow DI Kate Young in her latest case which will question her own ongoing quest to avenge her husband’s death…the only way she was going to make any headway was to cross a few lines!
This is such a good series, Kate’s gritty determination simply oozes from the pages, her desperation to catch a serial killer, “You won’t be able to catch them because they don’t know who they’re going to kill next!” and her equally dangerous mission of fulfilling her promise to find the truth about her husband’s ultimate death. It’s a totally engaging, brilliantly characterised read which left me wanting to read more. Finger’s crossed it won’t be too long until the next book…it’s a cracking series.
Big thanks to Carol Wyer, Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

A life for a life by Carol Wyer.
Detective Kate Young Book 3.
Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.
When a young man is found lying on a station platform with a hole in his head, DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the grisly murder. But the killing is no one-off. As bodies start to pile up, she is faced with what might be an impossible task—to hunt down a ruthless killer on a seemingly random rampage.Meanwhile, Kate has her own demons to battle as she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s death. And she is hell-bent on exposing corruption within the force and bringing Superintendent John Dickson to justice. But with the trail of deception running deeper—and closer to home—than she could ever have imagined, she no longer knows who she can trust.
With her grip on reality slipping, Kate realises that maybe she and the killer are not so different after all. But time is running out and Kate is low on options. Can she catch the killer before she loses everything?
Omg what a read. I love Kate can't wait for next book. Brilliant. 5*.

Highly recommended if you liked the popular police television series ‘Line of Duty’ and are into psychological thrillers. It was my first Carol Wyer's book and it will not be my last. I had a good time with ‘A life for a Life’ and the strife of detective Kate Young and her team. Halfway through the book it turned into an absorbing and compulsive reading. Once finished, it left me with a sense of awe and appetite for more Kate stories.

A plot fueled by intrigue, incertitude and confusion that eventually became an entertaining page-turner. And though it is not a flawlessly outlined crime story, and despite some briefly repetitive expositions, the author finally persuaded me with what seems a well-researched analysis of trauma. So it's a 3,7 rounded up.

Let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Amazon Publishing UK, and of course Carol Wyer, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing March 15, 2022

Carol Wyer is setting this one down with a heavy grip. Although it can be read as a standalone, your best bet is to have read the prior two novels to get a sense of the characters and the happenings thus far.

D.I. Kate Young experiences life in split views. She works in the Special Crimes Unit of the Stoke-on-Trent Police Station. She's fully aware of the challenges of the here and now as an officer of the law. But she also has a back vision as well into the past. And her past has not been kind......

Kate's husband, Chris, was found dead after pursuing an investigative lead into the disappearances of underage sex workers. Kate's grief was so deep that she swore she could hear Chris' voice even after his death. Somehow it gave her comfort. Somehow it would be the last thing that she would share with others. It was just too personal.

So Kate now travels two highways. One is the demand of her daily work load and the other is to try and find more information on Chris' death. She's climbing the highest of mountains as she suspects Superintendent John Dickson of being involved and orchestrating events at the Maddox Club. Dickson is keeping an eye on Kate. She's stepping closer and closer to a bad end.

Back at the station.......There's been a body found in the Blythe Bridge train station. Have mercy! There are shades of No Country For Old Men happening here. The unfortunate victim had been shot dead with a dead bolt pistol in the forehead. just like in that movie. And soon more tones of death set in. Kate and her partners, DS Emma Donaldson and DS Morgan Meredith, are on the hot trail. Are these random deaths or is there a magnetic personality pulling the strings? And is this connected to Chris' death?

Wyer has presented another fast-paced edition to her Kate Young Series. Prepare yourself for the first chapter that entails quite the car crash. Wyer doesn't shy away from explicit descriptors. But this series reflects real life crime in real time. These perpetrators don't attend Sunday School on the weekends. And after this third book, I wonder where she'll take Kate Young next. You can bet it will be with high impact crime. Check it out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to Carol Wyer for the opportunity.

When I realise that Carol Wyer is bringing out another book, it is a no-brainer that I read it. I am always excited to read another story by this author, regardless of the series, or the genre, for that matter!

Kate is trying to figure out why all these people are being killed on her patch, with a bolt stun gun, which is a bit of an unusual weapon. There also doesn't seem to be anything connecting the victims and the body count keeps on growing. She brings a profiler to help out her team but he adds another layer of confusion and he is more than a bit eccentric. At the same time, Kate is also coming to terms with the death of her husband and trying to bring down John Dickson who is up to his eyeballs in shady dealings but is clever about hiding his tracks.

Kate clearly has her hands full but she is a dedicated police officer and I was cheering her on and hoping not too many other people were going to lose their lives - although it wouldn't be much of a book if there wasn't a complex case to solve.

A good, solid police procedural. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I found this to be a book of two parts. The storyline centring around the police investigation into the spontaneous murders of a number of people is good. I found the other storyline involving a corrupt senior police officer very tedious and repetitive.. This spoiled the overall read for me.