Great thriller that keeps you interested from the first few pages. It keeps up the thrill all the way to the end of the book. Great writing and very well done.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2023 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2023/01/2023-reading-list-announced-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

First book I read by Helen Fields and I loved it. Now I have to go back and read the other books in this series!

I honestly found out after I read the book that it was apart of a series. With that being said I wasn’t lost this book was absolutely amazing and after finishing it makes me wanna read the other ones now too. This book was on fire, it really is a strap yourself in for the ride. Talk about unleash all of your creative Ness in the latest installment. The pace isn’t just fast it’s almost at warp speed. What transpires it makes for an incredible read I literally found myself in complete shock and gasping in a few places within this book, such unexpected events. The plot has everything from the sparrow to danger and in convincible violence that seems to defy explanation. Hands down a five star for me a book with so many unexpected plot twisting events!

This book was phenomenal! It was so well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were expertly developed which helped to make the story more real. The story was very unique- a psychopath serial bomber setting up horrible scenarios that are meant to kill the law enforcement agents who are going to assist the victims being held hostage. I have never read such a gripping detective novel! This is great for those who love investigative crime novels. The alternating timelines and POV really helped to bring the story to it's intense conclusion. This is part of a series but was also great as a stand alone book. Although I now want to go back and read all the rest! Outstanding read that I'd highly recommend!

An explosive crime thriller with a cliffhanger ending.

A serial bomber is targeting Edinburgh and victims become the near and dear. DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach head the investigation but have no leads, no clues, and a fear that this killer will not stop.

Without spoilers, I really can't explain this "didn't like it" star rating. Suffice to say that all I want to know is, "Why??!!" Helen Fields, you had me at #1 and this was one of my favorite detective series ever, but THAT ENDING. All I can say is, "No!" This blatant emotional manipulation with characters I've grown to admire and love is something I just can't accept. To top it off, leaving that cliffhanger was just cruel. Calls to mind another series that I read and loved until a moment just like the one in this book. Our relationship is over, joining a list of authors I will hard pass in the future.

I can't believe other long-time readers of this series will be happy with this 7th installment, but I have always been one to be heavily invested in a good writer with great plots and good stories to tell. All good things must end...

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this e-book ARC to read and review. I can't recommend.

One for Sorrow
Helen Fields
May 03, 2022

This latest English suspense novel by Helen Fields follows DC Eva Turner and DI Luc Callanach while researching the death of a women who is brought into the morgue. Their friend and Edinburgh’s Chief Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Ailsa Lambert was examining the body on the table. As she prepared for the exam the doctor finds certain things that are quite strange. As she opens the area where a recent surgery had taken place on the body, she discovered something metal hidden under the skin. Probing further the bomb explodes. It destroys the room and kills Ailsa Lambert.
Aside from the pain of trying to solve this latest murder, another case is presented. Twenty year old Quinn McTavish accuses her boyfriend, Liam of rape. Despite much research, police cannot prove this to be true. Each case is worked with care and in extreme detail. This English mystery is typical in the specificity of the facts presented throughout the book. At times it can be somewhat dry in its efforts to prove the client’s guilt.
One for Sorrow by Helen Fields will be published by Avon of HarperCollins Publishers of Great Britain on May 03, 2022. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review One for Sorrow via NetGalley. For those who enjoy a heavy duty suspense novel this is it.

4 Stars

One Liner: Fast-paced and interesting; cliff hanger for series followers

Edinburg is under attack by a lone bomber who sets off explosions at random (or not). DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach have no clues to work with even as bodies pile up. Every tip-off by the mysterious caller pulls them further into his trap. He knows everything. They seem to know nothing. The only way to stop the killer is to find the truth. But what price do they have to pay for it?
The blurb is super small because any more details would mean spoiling the fun. This is my first book by the author (and the first in the series). Since I don’t know the characters from start, my review will focus on the plot instead of interpersonal relationships.

• Despite being 400 pages (the last 5% is for promotional material), the book reads very fast. There’s enough action to keep us glued to the pages.
• A few personal scenes are interspersed to continue the personal subplot and to give some breathing space to the readers.
• There’s a second timeline where the chapters are mentioned ‘before’. It starts as an independent track, but by 45%, we know how the tracks will merge.
• The second half of the book is where readers know more than the main characters and want to see how things unfold. (Needless to say, I started guessing around the same time and got it right).
• The forensic and criminal profiling scenes are my favorite. I love them when done well (I have a special love for forensics).
• There are plenty of characters but no confusion. That’s probably because I assumed that the ones from the force are recurring characters.
• One thing I found odd is the language and dialogues. Except for the places, the book doesn’t say Scottish thriller. It seemed more like something from the UK. Maybe Edinburg is that way (I wouldn’t know).
• The main plot ends with no loose ends (though one point is left for us to assume). The pace slows downs towards the end as the revelation is followed by introspection and some progress in the subplot.
• There is a cliffhanger, yes. Quite a brutal one (for those invested in the series), but I’m okay with it. My involvement is limited to the case. I’ll read the previous and next ones in the series, though.
To sum up, One for Sorrow is a good police procedural dealing with important social themes and manages to keep me hooked almost throughout.
Thank you, NetGalley, Harper 360, and Avon, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

*****
TW: Stalking, obsession, drugged rape, child death.

One for Sorrow by Helen Fields is a highly recommended police procedural and the seventh book in the D.I. Callanach series.

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach take on a case that requires all hands on deck as a bomber seems to be targeting/taking specific people hostage and then using them in the crimes. The bombs are also resulting in the deaths of investigators and emergency medical personal. While investigating the current bombings they need to try and uncover why this is happening and find some clues or evidence that link all the victims to the individual responsible.

In alternate chapters titled "Before" that are set back in time before the current situation, the relationship between a young woman and her boyfriend is examined. At first these offer a bit of relief from the tension created by the current investigation, but soon they also take a chilling turn.

Turner is taking this case very personally and is out for justice no matter the personal cost. Each new situation created by the bomber places all the team members present in a dangerous, precarious situation. Clearly these bombings are personal to the perpetrator too.

While the tension is high in the investigation in the present, clues can also be found in the chapters set in the before chapters. The alternating story lines work well in this novel as each have their own separate plot and clues while they become more anxious and suspenseful. Both lead to an explosive ending. The writing is excellent and the pacing is taut and brisk.

As my first book in the series, One for Sorrow can be read as a stand alone procedural. I think it would help with backstory to have read others in the series, but I didn't experience any real problems following the plot due to a lack of information about the characters. I was not as invested as long time readers in Turner and Callanach's relationship, however, and don't have all the information on the team members.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Avon/HarperCollins.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, NetGalley, Google Books, and Amazon.

My thanks to Harper 360, Helen Fields and Netgalley.
I was freaking glued to these pages! I really did enjoy the heck out of this book!
But, then came the ending.
It just somehow managed to break my heart.
Fantastic story with a heartbreaking end.

One for Sorry by Helen Fields says book 7 of 7, but there better be more after this!! This is quite a twisty and diabolical book. The Liam character was so cringeworthy, and I kept anticipating what would happen next to Quinn.

I liked the main character, Ava, and her partner, Luc. Good overall story and plotline. This book left me a bit shaken. I had to take breaks toward the end of the book because it was so intense. The ending just made me sad. The book gives you a glimpse into what someone experiences when being stalked and what happens when the system fails the victim.

The book was good; don't get me wrong, it was just really sad in parts and shook me in places as the scenes were described with vividness and emotion that really came through on the page. I hope there are more in this series. I will be reading more from this author.

#OneforSorrow #NetGalley @Harper360

Edinburgh is gripped by the greatest terror it has ever known: a lone bomber is targeting victims across the city, and no one is safe. Outstanding thriller! I could not put this down once I started. Not the first in the series but don't let that stop you. It reads well as a standalone. Quite the thrill ride! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I was very impressed with this book. The writer kept intrigued. with the dry humor and flippant characters until the end. Adding two thriller stories into one was absolutely amazing with this story plot. I was guessing all the way to the end. There was a lot of emotion, heartache and tragedy in this story, but also there was sisterly love. This book is a page turner that kept getting better after each chapter. I was able visualize the story in my mind while reading. This is a great book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Harper360 and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I quite appreciate a title keeps me entertained and engaged throughout, mission accomplished.


Characters are well written, formed and play off others. They come to life making it relatable.

Suspense is off the charts!

This is book 7 of the series and the first I have read. I was pulled in immediately as the first scene is filled with action. The writing was great, not too much or too little with descriptions. The pace was fast and easy to keep up with. I enjoyed Ava and Luc as the main characters. I will be reading the previous books although I am spoiled a little bit with a character's future. I recommend this book, for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Harper 360/Avon for the ARC!

This book made me gasp in the first several pages! It was action-packed, full of tension, and told a very poignant story.
DCI Ava Turner has vowed to find the killer of one of her very dearest friends. It appears that a crazed bomber has let loose a reign of terror on Edinburgh and is setting up intricate yet horribly devastating bombs all over the city with mass casualties. Turner and her team, including DI Luc Callanach must do their best to find who is responsible before even more damage is done. In the meantime, another storyline, which takes place "Before," details Quinn, a young woman with a kind heart who is seeking to find her place in the world as an adult and as part of her family. The reader has to wonder how exactly sweet Quinn fits into the story of a bomber who is not afraid to deal out tragedy and gruesome death to dozens of people at a time.
This book moves at an incredibly fast pace. Turner and her team are doing their best to track down a smart and meticulous killer who always seem to be one step ahead of the authorities. This is contrasted very well with the story of Quinn as her relationships with her friends and family develops and changes. As the plot progresses things begin to fall right into place, but I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will leave it at that.
The only flaw that really stood out to me were the few slow spots in the book. These dealt with the backstory between Ava, Luc, and their best friend Natasha. Because this is the first book in the series I have read, the backstory didn't really resonate with me as much as it probably would someone who has read the other books in the series. So I won't count it against the book, and I will most likely look for other titles in the series, because I really enjoyed this one.
If you are looking for a gripping thriller with twists and turns that you won't see coming, definitely check this book out.

Omg! Wow! What a great book! It was a little heart wrenching but also had suspense, intrigue, action and a great who done it with a crazy twist!! I did not see that coming! Omg what a storyline! I really don't like sad books but the way the author did this book, it was really sad but I was so wrapped up in the story and on the edge of my seat that the sad parts didn't affect me the way they.normally do?! kind of weird lol but it truly was an amazing story I'd love to say something about the bad guy in the end but I don't want to give anything away! I highly recommend reading this book! Its so worth reading! I really loved this one! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! And a big thank you to Helen Fields for your amazing words! Great book! Great story!