Guilt Trip by Ed James is a gripping and suspenseful crime thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. In this four-star read, James weaves a complex tale of secrets, guilt, and the relentless pursuit of justice in the world of Detective Inspector Vicky Dodds.

The novel introduces us to Vicky Dodds, a Detective Inspector who, after a tumultuous year, is finally finding some semblance of balance in her life with a happy family and an engagement. However, her newfound stability is shattered when she is called to investigate a gruesome murder in a Dundee flat. The plot takes a thrilling turn when Vicky is assisted by DS Luke Shepherd of Edinburgh's Major Investigation Team, who is also revealed to be DCI Luke Shepherd of Professional Standards & Ethics, Police Scotland's internal affairs unit.

The dynamic between Vicky and Shepherd adds layers of tension and intrigue to the narrative. The author skillfully navigates the complexities of their working relationship, especially considering Vicky's past actions and Shepherd's investigation into someone in Dundee. The internal struggles faced by Vicky, haunted by the repercussions of her previous case, add depth to her character, making her relatable and engaging.

James's writing is sharp, and the pacing is relentless, keeping readers hooked as Vicky and Shepherd follow leads across Scotland. The plot is intricately crafted, with twists and turns that keep the suspense high. The exploration of justice, guilt, and the consequences of one's actions adds a thought-provoking layer to the crime thriller genre.

As the characters face moral dilemmas and the shadows of their past, the tension builds to a satisfying climax. The resolution is both unexpected and gratifying, tying up loose ends in a manner that leaves readers satisfied yet eager for more.

Guilt Trip is a must-read for fans of crime thrillers, offering a compelling blend of suspense, complex characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. Ed James showcases his storytelling prowess, earning this book a well-deserved four-star rating.

This was a gripping police procedural. Very well done and part of a great series.
Many thanks to Book Whisperer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Not a bad story but didn't really grab me. It just seemed the detectives spent so much time in the car, on their cell phone or traveling. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

I had never heard of Ed James or Vicky Dodd, but I decided to give them a try. I am glad I did. This book has everything, interoffice politics, family crisis, and of course murder.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book. I think in all fairness since I haven't read the previous books in this series I should be a little less tough on Ed James. I had a rough time with the first part of the story and then the last half came together and it made more sense. I had no idea who the bad guy was and that is the way I like a story to be at the end.
My daughter reads his books all the time and she just loves his writing. That is what got my attention.

Part of a series set in Dundee, Scotland. Vicky is working with a new partner. In the first couple of chapters there are deaths of people previously involved in a child abuse and people trafficking ring. The perpetrators are very careful and seemingly aware of the need to prevent leaving evidence. The investigation broadens as it follows different directions. At times it takes a fair amount of concentration to keep track of all of the different threads.
Towards the end everything comes together, there are twists in the plot along the way.
A good read, there have been more in the series, but this is fine as a stand alone too. There is enough information in the book so that you know about the traumas Vicky previously experienced.
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

When Dundee's DI Vicky Dobbs calls around to the flat of a witness in protective custody she discovers his battered body. Still haunted by a disturbing decision she made on a previous case she is apprehensive about working with DI Shepherd from Internal Affairs. As the investigation drags on more bodies crop up with the suspect list growing and changing... This is a gritty contemporary British crime procedural with a diverse and interesting cast of characters and solid plotting. This is the fifth entry in the series and although it worked as a stand alone I feel I would have enjoyed it more from knowing the back story of the prior cases. referred to. The interaction between the officers was realistic and the prose clearly conveyed Vicky's struggle to balance her family life and maintain investigative standards. The plot addresses the challenges of modern policing with the prevalance of human trafficking, drugs, and corruption an ongoing battle. This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed the complexity and brooding atmosphere. so will backtrack to catch up with the series.

If you are a fan of noir, suspense, murder, and police procedurals, then this is the book for you. This book is set in Dundee, Scotland. The author is Scottish, and the setting, characters, and language all felt authentic. However, I wasn't tempted to book a vacation there as the usual description included words like cold, damp, crowded and gritty. Occasionally I would have to re-read a sentence to parse the meaning, but that didn't happen often.

The main character is DI Vicky Dodds (detective inspector). I really liked Vicky - she is trying to balance an upcoming marriage, children and her job. Vicki also has a secret that could ruin her if it was ever discovered.

She is assigned to investigate the murder of a man who was killed by having his skull bashed in with a hammer. When she is assigned a partner who also investigates police wrongdoing she is worried that he may be investigating her instead. However, she is not the only officer with secrets and hers are not as serious as some. This is the fifth book in the series, and while I looked back occasionally to refresh my memory about some of the characters, any difficulty I had in following the plot is because that this is a complex story with roots that go back years. I stayed up far too late reading this book and now plan to read this whole series.

I received a review copy of this book from publisher The Book Whisperer (Grey Dog) through NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions expressed here are mine.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This book is set in Scotland and London and the characters appear in several series of books written by Ed James. These characters have depth and are gloriously flawed. The twists made my head spin and the story keeps changing - just when it seems simple to figure out, the characters shift and the answer is not so obvious. I loved this book and totally recommend it to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with hitmen and serial killers everywhere.

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent mystery from Netgalley, author Ed James, and TheBookWhisperer, Grey Dog. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

This is the fifth novel in a series, but completely stand-alone. A Scottish police procedural in the current time, we accompany DS Vicky Dodds into an ever-elevating crime spree through several days in Dundee and Tayside. Vicky is a single mom trying to balance her career with the needs of her soon-to-be tweenie stepson Jamie and their toddler daughter Bella and find time to marry her fella Rob and close the loop in their family dynamic. Called to a scene on her day off just after picking up Jamie, she has a nasty murder, and the scene is witnessed inadvertently by Jamie when he doesn't wait in the car.

Adding to her world of woe, she is working with DS Luke Shepherd, an outside copper supposedly on loan from Edinburgh's Major Investigation Team until she gets a new hire in her department but she knows from a past case that he is actually a DCI with Scotland Police's Professional Standards and Ethics Unit. And Vicky Dodds has serious secrets to keep.

One corpse becomes two, with the attempted murder of a 15-year-old girl. Vicky is held hostage by her suspected murderer. But is he? Or does she have the wrong end of the stick?

Guilt Trip by Ed James is the fifth book in the brilliant DS Vicky Dodds series and I have enjoyed this series and I was gripped within the first chapter and i ended up reading in two sittings. I loved all the characters especially DS Vicky Dodds and I am looking forward to the next installment.

I highly recommend this book especially of you enjoy police procedural books.

Thank you NetGalley and The Book Whisperer, for the eAR in exchange of a review..

I liked the dialogue and relationships very much, with a touch of humour thrown in. The pace was a little slow at times but the core plot was really interesting and ultimately well executed.

This book has all the right ingredients and in the right proportion. There is a bit of backstory for several characters, but not so much as to slow the flow of the story. The same goes for the politics of the police force. The crime is confusing and only becomes more so with more than one murder and questions of just what the motive really is. Oh, and quite a bit of excitement too. I really enjoyed this book. It is the first I've read by Ed James so there are plenty more in my future.

This book was very interesting and enthralling. It had me hooked early on. This is the first Ed James book I've read, and I look forward to reading more. It had lots of action and suspense. I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.

I would like to thank Netgalley and The Book Whisperer, Grey Dog for an advance copy of Guilt Trip, the fifth novel to feature Dundee based DI Vicky Dodds.

Vicky calls in to a Dundee flat and finds the resident, Gavin Mason dead from a hammer attack. DS Luke Shepherd is sent from Edinburgh to help in the investigation, that will be DCI Luke Shepherd of Professional Standards and Ethics when he’s masquerading as a murder detective. Vicky finds it hard to believe he’s not investigating her after she took the law into her own hands eighteen months ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed Guilt Trip, which made me laugh out loud on several occasions. Maybe it’s a Scottish thing, because I don’t see much about the humour in other reviews. Surprisingly this is the first novel in this series that I have read, but I felt that I slotted in well, perhaps because so many weel kent faces from other series make an appearance.

The murder investigation held me gripped, because it doesn’t stop at one murder and I was constantly wondering what linked the victims. There are obvious and not so obvious answers to this question and they tie together nicely, although not before disappearing down a couple of confusing rabbit holes. I was less enthusiastic about the emphasis on Vicky’s feelings of guilt as it gets repetitive and solves nothing.

Guilt Trip is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Really interesting story that took a little while to hook me, but once it did, it was great. Nice little twist towards the end that I didn't see coming.

Thanks to Ed and NetGalley for allowing me to read Guilt Trip before the publication date.

DI Vicky Dodds is instructed by DCI Forrester to make contact with Gavin Mason, whilst being told that the reason is ‘need to know’ only, and she is not in that category.
Arriving at Mason’s Dundee flat, she finds him dead.

Initially it seems that this could be a family dispute gone wrong, until bit by bit, we learn more about Gavin and his brother, Douglas’ involvement with Albanian traffickers.

As the death toll rises, and Vicky finds herself working with officers from a number of police departments and cities, she has serious doubts about who she can trust.

This is a twisted tale, full of secrets, lies and red herrings.
It would probably make a good TV drama, although it does require the reader to suspend belief.

I did not like the change of format used in the title of the chapters, which starts as Day 1, Day 2 etc. presumably to build suspense, before suddenly changing to Chapter XX.

Guilt trip - This book keeps you guessing until the very end.
It’s very well written and definitely worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher The Book Whisperer, Grey Dog for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This book is the fifth book in a series. Having not read any of the previous books in the series, I had a very hard time following this book as it kept referencing past events I recommend reading the previous books in order before jumping into this one.

I am not a huge fan of this genre, although I have enjoyed other mystery crime books. I just could not get into this book, but perhaps it is because I felt so lost not having followed the series.

Fans of the series may enjoy the book, but the book did not leave me wanting to read more.

Review of eBook

Detective Inspector Vicky Dodds, called out to the scene of a homicide, finds Gavin Mason lying dead in his Dundee flat, his skull smashed in with a hammer. With the assistance of Detective Sergeant Luke Shepherd from Edinburgh’s Major Investigation Team, she sets out to find the murderer.

But Shepherd, also assigned to Professional Standards and Ethics, the police department’s internal affairs unit, is investigating someone in Dundee. Who is under investigation and what will Vicky find as she investigates Mason’s murder?

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Fifth in the Detective Inspector Vicky Dodds series, the narrative is short on backstory, leading to some confusion for readers new to the series. The continual reference to Vicky's last case without sufficient explanation leaves readers at a loss to understand the nuances of the situation.

A strong sense of place and well-developed characters keep the story moving, but readers new to the series are likely to be a bit bewildered as they try to sort out who's who. The intriguing plot is action-packed, offering readers continually-building suspense. But the revelations at the end of the story are not likely to endear readers to the detectives and the denouement is disappointing, even for fans of the series.

I received a free copy of this eBook from The Book Whisperer, Grey Dog and NetGalley
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