Book 5 in the DI Louise Blackwell series. It started of a little slow but then became more gripping though not as much as others in the series.

A good read in the series and although it could be read as a standalone, I don't recommend this. I have read most of the series but missed the one previous to this and I feel it did matter. If you've missed more than that, I'm not sure you would enjoy this one as much. A great police procedural as I now expect from the author.

This is the fifth book in the series, and they definitely just get better and better! I enjoyed the book from beginning to end, and can't wait for the next one! Recommended.

The series is set in the seaside town in England of Weston-Super-Mare. DI Louise Blackwell is once again on a case,  time there is a personal element as her niece is in the school that is the target of a bomb threat. It is chilling to the bone and yet we all know this sadly does happen somewhere in the world from time to time.

There is also the former DCI Tim Finch on remand for attempted murder as fiction mimics real life. He wants out and Max Walton also wants revenge. It is chillingly twisted and compelling as you can’t help but need to know how it can all end. There is a lot for DI Blackwell to untangle and there is a lot to handle with her emotions and the facts. The glimpses into her personal life are insightful, so readers have the opportunity to see her outwith her work mode and who else is in her world.
As the personal and professional collide, she is aware at what is at stake between the former DCI from her past wanting to ruin her life and what is happening to her niece and the people she knows. It is her toughest case yet to get to grips with, right up to an intense climax.

The Pier has plenty to engage in, contemporary themes and is action-packed with lots of emotion.

I do enjoy this series! I love the twists it takes. But I also enjoy the family aspect too. I look forward to the next book!

Engaging and believable.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is the second Detective Louise Blackwell book that I have read. Matt Brolly continues to write interesting and compelling British police procedurals.

In this case, there is a bomb threat to a local school. To make matters worse, this is the school that Louise's niece attends. In addition to the bomb, a note is found that appears to be directed at Det. Blackwell, herself. As the threats continue to escalate, the reader is caught up in the suspense.

I look forward to future books by Matt Brolly.

Another great story from Matt Brolly, he certainly knows how to ramps up the tension! A nail biting read.

These books are a 4.5 to 4 stars for me. There is something missing that I cannot name that stops this series from being one of my favourites. That being said I do enjoy reading them. I do like the side plots and how they weave into the current plot. The main character is likeable, but not great. The plot is always interesting and not straightforward. A good plot will make more over look things I don’t like in characters.

I'm a massive fan of Brolly's series set in the West Country so was delighted to be accepted to read this advance copy and as always, Matt did not disappoint. We see more about Louise's personal life, which personally, I love but lose none of the procedure in this instalment.

recommended!

This was an enjoyable addition to the series. I found it to be thrilling and enaging. I fouln it held my interest from start to finish.

Part of a series featuring Detective Louise Blackwell. A strong character she is faced with a series of incidents,are they all related,who is behind it. Plenty of twists and excitement.

Well this book is for those criminal research reporters. I liked Louise’s character. She had that don’t care, all I want to do is protect my family from the bad guy attitude. The book have a number of realistic events mentioned throughout the story. I liked that the writer did brief summaries over previous incidents in the past. The story did move very fast. The crime, and action was very intense, surprising and exciting. Much of the entertainment comes from Finch’s character. This man had his claws in everyone’s business.

The Pier by Matt Brolly.
Detective Louise Blackwell.
DI Blackwell will do anything to keep her niece safe. And the bomber knows it.
When a local school is the target of a bomb threat, DI Louise Blackwell finds herself embroiled in her most personal case to date. Not only is her niece among the terrified pupils—there’s also a chilling note hidden under the device: Next time you won’t be so lucky, DI Blackwell…
The explosion of a nearby caravan offers a connection…and a suspect. But when he hangs himself after interrogation, leaving another note promising more carnage, Blackwell fears there’s an accomplice.
Could Tim Finch, a former DCI on remand for attempted murder, be pulling strings from prison? He certainly seems set on bringing Blackwell down, if only to derail the case against him. Or could the devious nephew of Max Walton, the serial killer Blackwell shot and killed, be seeking revenge on behalf of his uncle?
As the threats escalate and pressure to solve the case mounts, Blackwell is sucked into a series of horrific events that reach a chaotic and terrifying crescendo on Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier. Can she stand firm against a rival hell-bent on destroying her—or will she fall into the killer’s deadly trap?
A good read with good characters. 4*.

Would really recommend this book. I have read a lot of this authors other books in this collection and others and they are really brilliant crime drama reads with brilliant intriguing stories and do keep you guessing to the end and all the books are hard to leave down and not finish in one go. If you love a fantastic crime drama read this a must.

The welcome return of DI Blackwell in a thrilling book. Good characterisation plenty of twists and well plotted.
I received this book from Amazon publishing and Netgalley for a review.

Another exciting Louise Blackwell tale set in Weston super Mare with the trial of adversary Finch from previous episodes and a series of bomb outrages all contributing to the plot. Never less than frantic the pace never lags through multiple twists and turns all leading to a super climax in both storylines. Good fun.

If you are looking for a book which shows the people of law enforcement, especially the cops, as normal people who feel fear, despair, have limitations and flawed, instead of the highly intuitive or precognitive people we see most of the times, then you surely ought to try this book.

The main protagonist DI Blackwell and her team of friends are such people who are trying to solve a sudden threat against DI. The story is completely Investigative with some romantic moments thrown in and I had a good time reading it. Because of the way these people have been written, it took some time for me to get into the realism the author was aiming for in this book. But once I got into the tone of the story I started getting more engaged and interested in the story the author is trying to say.

This is the first book by author Matt Brody I am reading and this will definitely not be the last.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. I hadn't read any Matt Brolly until the book immediately before this one in the series which I also enjoyed.

I was able to read that one without prior knowledge of the characters and there is no reason that the same couldn't be done with this such is the manner in which previous events are referred to. It probably would be better to go back and read the earlier ones first though.

An enjoyable and believable main character and events which could easily take place anywhere in the country so no requirement to suspend belief whilst reading.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys their crime thrillers and would thank the publishers, author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my impartial review.

In the latest instalment of the DI Louise Blackwell series, the detective is nervously awaiting the criminal trial of her former colleague and nemesis Tim Finch.

Whilst in prison on remand Finch is still manipulating people and making alliances with some shady characters in order to discredit Louise as a witness at his trial.

A series of bomb threats has Louise worried, especially one at her niece's school. A link is established between this incident and a fire at a static caravan park, leading to an arrest. When the suspect takes their own life and leaves a message suggesting further atrocities to come, Louise realises someone else is pulling the strings.

Louise is in a relationship with her former colleague, Thomas Ireland, who is now heading up security at a local distribution company. When suspicious packages turn up there Thomas is implicated by a local criminal but none of his colleagues believe this.

Greg Farrell and Tracey Pugh, two of Louise's colleagues, tail another colleague they suspect of shady dealings with Finch and the journalist Tania Elliot.

Events escalate, leading to a tense denouement as Louise and her boss DCI Robertson face a race against time before a bomb explodes.

This is an excellent addition to the series, with the various plot threads coming together to create a fast-paced and compelling storyline. I look forward to reading what happens next.

I was sent an ARC of this book by Amazon Publishing UK, in return for an honest appraisal.