Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book contains descriptions, some graphic, of sexual abuse and includes details of child sexual abuse, I think a trigger warning should be implemented.
This book includes many characters from earlier books, and there are references to previous events so those who have not read the other books can catch up. The main character of Jemima has been shown to make some flawed decisions in the past and this story labours her feelings about misogyny and negative thoughts about what senior officers do, that I felt the author was trying to bring her own beliefs about men and management to our attention. Jemima is hypercritical of others then is so rude to the FLO that her own behaviour could be reported for bullying. The use of the word 'trash' about Jackie was subjective, especially when the result of slapping a police officer was so different for Jackie and the judge's wife.
The main plot was good but I thought there were a few areas where attention to detail was required:
We are told the boat trip took 12 hours which means it didn't return until around 7pm. This means the bulk of the book took place overnight but it seemed to be daytime continuously, until a brief mention that it 'was 2am' (which means the live streaming would have been insignificant because of the time)
Matilda's brothers seemed unaware of anything surrounding her childhood
Operating theatre departments are not designed so that anyone can get close enough to see in to patients through the window
Some odd things were included in the narrative - Kennedy 'trashing' his office' was pointless, surely he'd have been rushing out to take action rather than wasting energy? Why was it emphasised there were 4 ovens in their kitchen, this added nothing to the story?
I think these books fail to reach the 'serious crime novels' genre because of the narrative style despite the excellent plots.

It’s Jemima Huxley’s first day back at work after maternity leave. It was always going to be heart-wrenching leaving baby Finlay, but things are already going wrong.
First, high court judge Rory Lawson goes missing on his way to work. It looks like he was run off the road and abducted. Top brass are seriously worried.
Then a bound and gagged body is found on a motorway.
And Jemima’s team uncover a shocking link to judge Lawson.
In a case where nothing is as it seems, the one thing Jemima knows is that she must find the missing judge. Before time runs out…..This author’s books have the ability to simultaneously make you unable to stop reading while wishing you could bury the book somewhere deep underground where it can't be found. Compelling and didn’t want it to end!

Part of a series featuring DI Jemima Huxley,who is returning to work after maternity leave. A tricky complicated case,plenty of twiats,a good read.

Gaynor Torrance continues her Welsh-set DI Jemima Huxley series with the latest nail-biting installment, The Marquess Club Killings.

It’s Jemima’s first day back after maternity leave and she’s definitely not looking forward to leaving her beloved baby, Finlay behind. Jemima is anticipating a challenging day ahead, but even she is surprised when she finds herself investigating the abductions of two men who seemingly didn’t have anything in common other than the fact that both their kidnappings took place in Cardiff, not even ten miles apart.

The first man was high court judge Rory Lawson who was kidnapped on a quiet country road. It’s clear from the blood in his car that force was used to kidnap him, but who is responsible for this abduction? Where is Judge Lawson? And can Jemima find him in time? The second victim was not so lucky as his body is found in the middle of the morning bound and gagged. With the clock ticking, Jemima must find a connection between the two men and the missing judge. But will she manage to apprehend whoever is responsible in time? Or will the killer end up getting away with another murder?

You will not be able to put Gaynor Torrance’s The Marquess Club Killings down. Fast-paced, chilling and guaranteed to keep readers breathless with its twists and turns, The Marquess Club Killings is a tense and terrifying thriller where the pace never flags and the shocks and surprises come thick and fast.

A must-read for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen H Durrant, Gaynor Torrance has done it again with her latest thriller, The Marquess Club Killings.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book started strongly and intrigued me with some tidbits of previous books in this series . Dealing with 2 cases seemed a bit confusing g, and the deductive process seemed on the slow side.

This was my first book by this author and even though it is part of a series it can stand alone. I have been reading a bit of crime fiction lately so thought I was ready for this but actually wasn’t. The trauma faced by Jemima and then the nature of the case just threw me and I found it a roller coaster of emotion.

I will round this up from 3.75 stars to 4 because once it takes off it is a page turner but I agree with others that it is slower at the start and some descriptive passages probably could have been shortened. I am interested to read more!

Thankyou to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This is the fifth book in the series. DI Jemima Huxley is returning to active duty after a year of maternity leave. She is immediately thrown into the search for a missing judge with no end of suspects.
I have not read the previous books in the series, and while it is not necessary to do so, it would be helpful to understand some of the background information that is repeatedly alluded to. The author kept referencing things that had happened in the past, but would then drop the information without explaining. Usually, this type of information is covered in a quick recap, but the author does not do that. The story is also very repetitive with certain themes and ideas. It felt like the book kept harping on how female officers are just as strong as male officers.
The actual mystery was interesting enough. If you are a fan of the series, then I would suggest the book.

Having never read any of the series you could pick this up as a stand alone although there are some references to the previous books and incidents.

It grips you in from the start instantly packing a punch and doesn’t let up all the way through. Twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Enjoyable read.

A strong police procedural which also addresses the realities of balancing career and family, making the characters very credible and relatable. It delves into some dark topics and does this well, making the realities of police work part and parcel of the protagonists life experience.

Another excellent novel in the series starring Detective Inspector Jemma Huxley and her team investigating the abduction of JudgeRory Lawson. This book keeps the reader enthralled from the first chapter and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery thriller, and would suggest that they read the previous books starring Jemma first.

This was a great read I enjoyed every page, I loved the way it was written which made it such an easy read. The pace was good and I found I just couldn’t put it down. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Jemima’s return to work was certainly traumatic. Not only was she suffering from missing her children but was also straight into an abduction case of a high profile person. This was an intriguing case and the various police procedures were explained very well. The more they investigated the case the more involved it became. This was an entertaining read and can be read as a stand-alone. I hadn’t read any of the previous books in the series but this didn’t prove to be a problem, as things that had happened were briefly explained. I liked that the reader was given a little of the background and family life of the main characters. There was also the battle to be respected as a woman in a responsible role. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This was my first read from this author but is the fifth novel to feature DI Jemima Huxley of South Wales Police although it didn't matter and can be read as a stand alone. I did enjoy this book overall however found it a bit slow to start and dragged out at points. The plot is good with plenty of gritty dark topics covered (check for TW) and twists and turns. Also great to read a book based in Wales, a first for me.

The fifth book in the DI Jemima Huxley book begins with Jemima dreading returning to work after her maternity leave. She doesn't have any time to get to know the new members on her team or adjust to being back to work because she is assigned to lead up a big case. A judge is missing and his disappearance could be related to the abduction of another man earlier that morning.

Along with Jemima, I was worried that the new team members would negatively affect the camaraderie of Jemima's team, but I was pleased this didn't happen. I enjoyed getting to know the new people and watching Jemima earn their respect at the same time Jemima is trying to get her self-confidence back after being away from work. Jemima uncovers many shocking things during the investigation and no longer knows who she can trust. Several aspects of the plot include sexual abuse and child abuse, so this could be triggers for some readers. The ending is dramatic and the interesting epilogue does a good job of wrapping things up as well as making me hope a new installment of this series is coming up soon.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Joffe Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

While not my favorite UK police procedural, certainly a plot with lots of twists and turns. I found the writing to be a bit stilted; sometimes I felt as though I was being taught. Also found one or two of the plotlines to be a bit over the top, at least for my taste. Did appreciate the difficult position Jemima found herself in re: the station politics that become obvious later in the book. Might've been helpful to start this series at the beginning. Overall, a good read, but not sure I'll be digging into the back catalog.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

A fast paced, gripping, and gritty police procedural. Solid plot that kept me guessing, an interesting and well written cast of characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I give this book a 3.5 rounded up to 4 . While the premise of this book was good I found at times the author dragged descriptions or back stories out too much. I found the beginning a bit slow the middle was engaging and the ending was wrapped up a little fast. That being said I liked the twist in this book and I has me intrigued enough to read future books in this series.

I voluntarily received an advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I have friends who will enjoy reading this book so will recommend it to them.

Gritty!

Inspector Jemima Huxley has started back at work as a Detective Inspector with the Welsh police force after maternity leave. She expected to have a time to slot back into the team, not hit the ground running.
A high profile judge has been abducted, and it turns out that less than ten miles away another man had been abducted, except he’d died. Are the two linked?
As Jemima and her team investigate things don’t add up. It seems the judge belongs to an exclusive club that has within that an even smaller exclusive cadre of members.
What Jemima and her team discover is corruption in high places, spread across the police force, and powerful men who know no limits.
This book was slow to start. I almost gave up. That slow start was completely put behind me once the action took off and notched up to high gear.

A Joffe Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

High court judge, Rory Lawson goes missing. A bound and gagged body is found. Jemina's team uncovers a shocking link to Judge Lawson. She must find the judge before time runs out. A fast-paced thriller that kept me reading until the final end. Great characters with mystery thrills that twist and turned the plot and had me on the edge of my seat. If you enjoy police procedurals then you will love this book. Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for a copy for an honest review.

procedural, law-enforcement, serial-murder, series, Wales, noir, abduction, gangsters, judiciary, psychological-thriller, suspense, department-politics, investigations, crime-fiction, relationships, relatives, *****

It's hard enough to come back to The Job after a year away on maternity leave, but to come back as a DI and immediately be thrown into a pair of (possibly) connected weird incidents is daunting. I find that this is book 5 in series, but that didn't leave me behind at all. I felt that the mildly irregular pacing allowed me to catch my breath after something astounding occurred. Each character is unique and certainly credible. A very good procedural!
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!