Clock Ticks Faster..
The eleventh in the Detective Sophie Allen series finds the detective with her first major case as head of the new serious crime unit. As ever, she is keen to prove her worth. With a body identified, the team need to find out who exactly killed this village mainstay. Just as the investigation is getting underway another body appears and the clock ticks faster. With a well drawn cast and an intriguing premise this is a steady police procedural.

A bit of a different style to the other books from this series however you could read this one as a stand alone. On the whole a well thought out book with characters that a were developed and likeable. Look forward to next one.

To be clear, I have not read any of the prior novels.

In that aspect, this was a good novel because while there were past working relationships hinted at, and current romantic relationships being explored, I never felt lost while reading this one. I feel it is important to mention this because the author has a habit of saying things like "Gwen, Barry's partner", or referencing Sophie and how she was apparently too high of a rank to be investigating things as though the reader had forgotten. Even as a new reader, I found these things to be repetitive to the point of annoying. I know who Gwen is. I know who Sophie is. I don't need to be constantly reminded of their roles.

However, the writing style was just not for me. And honestly, I'm not sure where to begin.

Almost immediately into the story, we have a white female officer who is so dang racist to the point she accuses a witness (who is also a well-known surgeon) of being into voodoo just because the witness is African American, and so the officer REFUSES to take said witness seriously at the time of the complaint. Then you have the head of all things and the lead detective on the case referring to visiting the victim's home as having a "look-see". Then there are various times when the lead detectives ask their team to have "brainwaves". I originally assumed this to mean a brainstorm (when part of the group setting) or a flash of inspiration; however, after continuing to read and see other instances of words being used in an odd fashion, I began to realize that this is just how the author writes.

I was also very entertained by the number of times a character in this story was "bemused". Certain potential witnesses"bemused" everyone who interviewed them. Cops were "bemused" by townsfolk in ways that had nothing to do with the investigation. Did the author not own a thesaurus? Did they not care? Or am I reviewing a rough draft that has since been corrected before the final product?

I am curious to find out.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I really enjoy these books by Michael Hamblin and can’t put them down. On this occasion I worked out the plot quite quickly and found the book a bit flat. Not up to the usual .

I read this book quickly, I couldn't put it down. I liked the writing and I thought the characters had a good level of development.

This is a crime, thriller that is written a bit different than others I have read with the story coming from two viewpoints which at times became a bit confusing for me. The story itself was quite good but at times it dragged on a bit.

The characters are good and there was enough thrills and intrigue to keep me reading. There was tension, and excitement in parts and this is what held it together for me. I think if it had been written without the areas that dragged on it would have been a much better book.

All in all an alright book to read and it was a rather quick read as well.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Hidden Crimes, the eleventh novel to feature DCS Sophie Allen of the newly formed Wessex Serious Crime Unit.

A hiker hears a scream and reports it to the Wiltshire police, but they find nothing. Two days later a farm worker discovers the body of Bridget Kirkbride in a ditch with her head bashed in. Sophie and her cross force team now have their first case, but it’s a puzzle. Bridget’s son, Grant, has disappeared and no one has any idea why someone would want to kill a popular woman with no known enemies.

I enjoyed Hidden Crimes, which is an interesting read that extends in unexpected ways and moves from a whodunnit to a hunt for a known suspect. It is mostly told from the investigative point of view with the odd chapter from the killer’s point of view. In the first half, the whodunnit, it drops enough hints for the reader to guess ahead of the official revelation so it’s a bit clumsy, but in the second half, the hunt, it provides a good contrast between his thoughts and actions and what Sophie and her team are doing.

It’s always an interesting concept when an author decides to split a novel into two types. Normally I’m all about the investigation and the mystery of identity and motive, but in this case I enjoyed the hunt for a perpetrator on the run more, because it is targeted, focused and there’s more of the wonderful Sophie. The first half is more haphazard as the team roams the village interviewing various locals to try and get a fix on the killer’s motive and identity.

I have been reading this series for years as I like the characters. I don’t think it is particularly strong on procedure, but the plots are always that wee bit different and the happy, friendly environment created is a pleasant change from the usual infighting and backbiting.

Hidden Crimes is a good read that I can recommend.

Detective Sophie Allen strikes again. She's now head of a new unit crossing county borders and needs a good, quick arrest following 2 murders. The Home Office are watching - and it's their money too. There's also a local pub whose beer Sophie hasn't tried. What more could she ask for.

Loved it. These Sophie Allen books get better and better.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #JoffeBooks for my copy of #HiddenCrimes by #MichaelHambling.
Detective Sophie Allen has been chosen to lead the Wessex Serious Crime Unit and their first case is baffling everyone.
When a hiker hears screams in the mist the police are called out but can’t find anything. Two days later the first body appears. This is a sleepy backwater where nothing happens. Until now !
Enjoy the twists and turns in this latest outing for Sophie and her team.

A police procedural which drew me in from the start. The plot was well conceived and based in subject matter that is quite timely. The cast of characters were, for the most part, well drawn and engaging. The author did well at providing character backrounds, but I do think the fact that I've not read any of the prior books in the series put me at a slight disadvantage regarding history and relationships. I found myself very interested in the central characters of Sophie Allen and her team. As with any long running series, characters and relationships develop overtime, and I think that I will definitely be going back to the start to get to know these characters more.

The author also did very well with the daily grind of actual police work…questioning individuals, canvassing, house to house, etc. All of the things that many people find boring about this particular kind of mystery, but are really so important and true to life to the investigation of a crime. The author gave it all an importance that it deserved.

The reader was provided with insights which made the motive for the murders, as well as the culprit, fairly easy to spot early on. The killer is identified two-thirds of the way through, and at that point, even though the police investigation speeds up, I felt the actual pace of the story begin to lag. The last third of the book felt rather drawn out, but then with the tension and anticipation of an arrest the story picked up speed to a very satisfying outcome.

Source: NetGalley and Joffe Books

Another good story for Sophie Allen and her newly formed Wessex Serious Crimes Unit. Good police procedural and Sophie and her variable teams work well together. Easy to read as a stand alone but best to read all in order to understand Sophie's character in particular. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy.

I really like this series and the main cast of characters, but this one is a little slow moving, so not my favourite of these books. I also guessed the ‘bad guy’ very early on, which didn’t help. Don’t let this put off any new reades though; it’s still a well written police procedural.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

a fun who-done-it story that is part of a series, but reads just as well as a stand alone

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Another great addition to the series.
Good pacing, excellent police procedural, interesting characters and a likeable police team led by Sophie Allen, who always gets her man or woman. I do so enjoy the books featuring her and getting the back stories of her and her team.
Definitely recommended!

Another great read. I love the style of these books. Great writing, a great who done it book. With a intriguing storyline great police characters

I really liked Hidden Crimes by Michael Hambling and enjoyed getting to know Detective Sophie Allen and her team. This is the 11th Sophie Allen novel, but I didn't feel I missed anything by not reading the other books. The subject matter was treated sensitively.

I liked the author's writing style. It held my interest and did not lag; the story was not filled with unnecessary filler or over-descriptions. The book is an intriguing police procedural mystery with likable main characters and a solid team atmosphere. I would recommend this book and this series. I may even go back and read the previous books. The covers are really nice as well.

Hidden Crimes is definitely a captivating crime novel. I give this a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

#HIDDENCRIMES #NetGalley @JoffeBooks

Good book! This book had light suspense, intrigue, action, murder, grooming, A bit of a who done it and great police work! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely! It does have some triggers so beware! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!