A Truth For A Truth by Carol Wyer
I give this book 4.5 stars


DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man.
But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end there. As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all, can she trust anyone around her?

Kate Young book 4
Oh wow….. the benefits of reading a series from the start and getting totally caught up in what happens!
This starts with a bang exactly where book 3 finishes.A tense paced read full of hard hitting action and suspense…… Corruption,death and trafficking along with Kates own inner battle. Such a well written police series that doesn’t shy away from being morally grey or shocking Carol Wyer always leaves me impatient for the next instalment and hinting at more revelations to come!
With thanks to Netgalley,Carol Wyer and Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer for my chance to read and review this book

★★★★ 4.5 stars

An eye for a cut for a life and now the truth...

After an edge-of-your-seat nail-biting end to book three, A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH begins with one hell of a bang...or the aftershocks of one, at least. It literally picks up exactly from where the previous left off...and I mean "literally". No pause, no breaks, no scene changes. We are thrust right back to where we were a year ago when "A Life for a Life" ended so abruptly on such a cliffhanger. In the same place at the same time directly in the aftermath. What follows is one hell of a cat-and-mouse game that will keep readers guessing as to how it will all unfold.

Kate Young has been struggling, both personally and professionally, since the untimely death of her husband Chris, which she has channelled into bringing down her corrupt boss, Superintendent John Dickson. But now she is going to be challenged even further in light of what she has done. And instead of Chris' voice guiding her conscience, she now has Dickson's sinister rumbles resounding in her head. What has she done? How can she get away with it?

Kate had gone to the reservoir to confront Dickson into admitting that he ordered the hit on her husband but, as smart and as quick witted as she is, Dickson is adept at corruption and keeping one step ahead of her. She may have gotten what she wanted but circumstances unfolded that saw her unwittingly shoot him in self defence. But who would believe her? There's no CCTV and nothing to back her up. The only piece of evidence that could have been of use lay in pieces beneath her feet.

As she stands beside the darkened reservoir, Kate watches the lone swan pass by oblivious to the scene around her. She feels like that swan. Drifting about without a mooring, without a mate. And whilst she may appear calm on the outside, beneath the surface she is paddling like crazy to keep herself afloat. Think, Kate, think! She makes a quick call and events are set in motion to eliminate any and all evidence. The plan she has is for the greater good. Kate vows to bring down the syndicate of which Dickson was not only a member but was also its head. And how to kill a snake? Cut off its head. But Kate knows that will not be enough to stop the syndicate. And if they knew that she had eliminated their head, they would be baying for her blood.

The following morning at the station, she is greeted with the front page news highlighting Dickson's corruption - just a part of the plan she set in motion before she met him the previous night. Her boss and mentor DCI William Chase, who is on the cusp of retirement, tasks her with investigating Dickson's disappearance working on the assumption that the superintendent got wind of today's paper and hightailed it to safety...until the dust settled perhaps. Of course Kate knew differently but she must remain poker-faced. Kate's investigation leads her to lock horns with DI Harriet Khatri whom Dickson had tasked with taking over her old team after Chris was murdered. The woman is not called "the ice queen" for nothing. Khatri is heading up a case involving people trafficking which is closely related to that of the Maddox Club murders, which Kate investigated and lead her to Dickson's corruption. Coincidence?

Throughout it all, Kate must maintain a level of professional propriety drawing on all her reserves to keep her mask from slipping. How can she do this and keep herself sane? Chris' guiding voice has been her conscience which she heard out of grief. Now Dickson's sneering voice has taken over speaks to her guilt but above all, she must not crumble. But is she strong enough to see this case through without falling apart? And how can she bring a killer to justice...when that killer is her?

This installment of the exciting Kate Young series took a dark and sinister turn as Kate found herself stepping over the line into the dark side. She wanted to bring Dickson to justice and have him answer for his crimes, not to kill him. And so Kate finds herself on the wrong side of the law whilst investigating the very crime she herself committed! This is not a spoiler. It's in the book description and the entirety of the story focus on it.

I have to say, I hated hearing Dickson's sneering voice at every turn. He features more here than he does in any other book just by haunting Kate with his snide comments. Admittedly, it does get very wearing listening to him go on an on at her all the time that I ended up just skimming his voice much of the time. I can't imagine how Kate must feel! It must seriously do her head in. But the purpose of this voice is to create provocation, leading to further situations. At the core of the story though is trust...or a lack thereof. Kate doesn't know who to trust and quite frankly, I don't blame her. Even at the end when one of the syndicate is revealed (to Kate), I still have some trouble believing their reasoning. And through events that subsequently unfolded, I wonder will we ever know for sure. Given that it's fiction, I'm sure Ms Wyer can orchestrate further events to reveal the truth in good time.

A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH is somewhat different in content and context. We know from the start who it is and why, while the rest is red herring for others to give Kate time to find what she's looking for. She hasn't yet gotten to the bottom of it but no doubt she will. Though I still found myself not quite trusting the events in the epilogue. While the whole time I was screaming at Kate to just jump on a plane and come to Sydney!!! Tilly has been begging her to visit...and now is the perfect time. She says she is...but does she really? Or will something come up in book 5 to stop her boarding the plane at the eleventh hour?

I must say, this whole book felt a little AC-12 and I kept waiting for Steve Arnott to turn up with Superintendent Hastings (and the wee donkey).

The plot is not the usual fast pace of Wyer's previous books but I guess that is because we know everything that's happening...or just about. But that's not to say it's without tension because oh my gosh the tension is so tight in places I thought I would snap! I did find it a little long and drawn out but that could also be because I've been sick and found it hard to concentrate so I've had to pace myself with the book over a couple of days. The ending is a little anti-climatic but that's OK...we've had some tense cliffhangers throughout this series, a nice sedate ending makes a change.

Overall, a very different but still exciting installment to the Kate Young series. I can't wait to see what happens next for Kate in book 5 "A Soul for a Soul" to be published February 2024.

I would like to thank >b>#CarolWyer, #Netgalley, #AmazonPublishingUK and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #ATruthForATruth in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping book

oh my word what a rollercoaster of a ride this one was...couldnt put it down at all and you never knew what was going to happen next

dont even want to give anything away just that if you read this book you wont be disappointed and you wont be able to put it down until you finish it


cant wait for the next book in this series

I haven’t read any earlier books in the series but I think on the whole it stands alone ok. The problem with it was the voices in her head. If it was a device to move the plot along it was overdone. If it was anything else it just didn’t work.

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Truth For A Truth’, book 4 in the Detective Kate Young series written by Carol Wyer, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Kate Young and her team of DS Emma Donaldson and DS Morgan Meredith have been given the job of locating their missing Superintendent John Dickson whether he be alive or dead. Kate is finding this extremely difficult to run as an ordinary investigation as she knows Dickson is dead after accidentally shooting him herself while trying to arrest him for corruption.

I’ve followed the Detective Kate Young series from the start and thoroughly enjoyed the previous three but I found ‘A Truth For A Truth’ becoming slightly tedious due to the voices Kate keeps hearing in her head, firstly from her late husband Chris and then from Dickson, that I found grated and detracted slightly from the plot. Apart from this, the story is well thought-out and becomes more tense and involving as Kate tries to avoid the evidence pointing at her, which only fuels her determination to identify those officers in the police force who are as involved in corruption as Dickson has proved to be. This is a book that’s perfect for those readers who are addicted to action-packed police thrillers who don’t mind staying up half the night to read it, and with the cliffhanger in the final pages I can’t wait for the next instalment.

Another ripping read from Carol Wyer! DI Kate Young is back for her fourth turn and is now sitting in a very precarious situation. As she struggles to move her cases forward, she is exhausted and hearing voices. As usual, Ms. Wyer has left us wanting more!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC!

Book 4 in the Detective Kate Young Series and this a real roller coaster of a read as DI Kate Young and her team are searching for one of their own, Superintendent John Dickson, who has gone missing after a newspaper article cited him in a corruption case. What no one but Kate knows is that he is dead. Because she killed him. This would read well as a stand-alone but I would definitely recommend reading them all in order as there are ongoing story threads, particularly about Kate but also some of her team.

Briefly, since his murder Kates husband Chris has been a guiding voice in her head. However, after his death Dickson’s voice drowns out Chris and put constant doubts in her mind. As Kate continues to try and convince her team that Dickson is in hiding she continues to investigate other possible corrupt officers. Alongside the missing person case Kate is looking for a young girl as part of a sex trafficking case.

Kates ongoin struggles with her mental health are well described and these are all clearly seen through the ‘voice’ of Dickson as he acts as both a voice of her conscience as he tries to make her lose control. The tension is high as Kate fights her natural inclination to confess, I was continually telling her in my head to stop! Say nothing! Some great twists and turns made the outcome hard to guess, in fact it was shocking, in more way than one. A fabulous police procedural with a great plot but now I need book 5!

A life for a life now a truth for a truth 🕵️‍♀️
This is the fourth installment in the series and the second of the series I have read. This carried over well from book 3 and even though the books were published a year apart, the timeline is immediately following the last book.
I enjoyed A Life for a Life and was hoping for a bit more of that ‘edge of your seat’ feeling, but this was mostly about our MC literally trying to get away with murder. (This is not a spoiler as the description and entirety of the book focus on this dilemma.)
I could see people really liking this book to keep track of her web of lies and how she’s going to keep up the charade but it just seemed monotonous after a while. The book especially dragged on due to its length and I felt it was quite a bit longer than it needed to be.
Luckily, the ending helped me feel rewarded in reading this as it was shocking and packed a big punch.
This isn’t your typical whodunnit as we know from the first page who the murderer is, but it still delivered some goods to keep you on your feet.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book will be published on April 6th, 2023!

A Truth for a Truth is the fourth book in the DI Kate Young series from Carol Wyer.

"Kate has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, was corrupt. Now that she has accidently shot and killed him, Kate decides to cover up her involvement and continue to search for the other corrupt members of the force. When Kate's team is tasked with finding the missing Dickson, she must point them away from her and still follow up on leads of corruption. The pressure is almost unbearable and Kate has no one to trust or confide in. Can she root out the bad guys before she is caught?"

This books picks up where the previous book ended - the shooting of Dickson. The first half of the book is a little slower because most of it is spent in Kate's head. And it's a crowded place with Dickson and her husband, Chris, competing for space. The second half moves quicker with the reveals about who is involved in corruption and the steps Kate takes to bring closure.

There is a Brad character. He has a good start - "could be trusted", "sole human she could rely on" But then we get - "He was as surly as usual" and "Bradley was trouble" Still waiting on that good-guy Brad character.

There are some surprises. Wyer is never afraid to do anything to any character, so you can't anticipate where she's going with the story. She resolves part of the story but there is a little cliff hanger.

A great addition to the series. You can read this a standalone but it's best to read the series in order. More great crime fiction from Wyer.

The fourth DI Kate Young book is the fallout from the third book with the death of the superintendent. Kate finds herself in trouble as she is assigned to find him, although she knows he is dead. This one also leaves us on another big cliffhanger.

I would not recommend this if you haven’t read the first three. So much happens in those that make it crucial to understand this one. That being said, if you’ve read the first three, then you should enjoy this! Although I’m hoping the next one brings another crime back in. I liked it more when there was main case being solved and Kate’s drama was the secondary plot. I also hope she eventually gets a break from all the drama in her life!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

How can I not give A Truth for a Truth 5 well earned stars.

Carol Wyer has a knack of keeping you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages quickly.

Heaven help anyone who interrupts you.

Kate Young and her team are on the hunt for a killer but its Kate.

Self defense, justifiable: you will keep the lights on to find out

John Dickson the corrupt cop that he is appears to be missing.

Kate knows what happened but no one else can.

Carol Wyer does not hesitate to throw in a shocking twist in any of her books: will A Truth for a Truth be an exception.

Not saying another thing.

Get your copy, don't bother putting in your huge TBR pile just sit down, buckle up and enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK and Thomas & #38 Mercer for a mind boggling read.

I have to be completely honest here. I love Carol Wyer’s books, so I was predisposed to enjoy this instalment. I did enjoy it, but there’s a little too much of the ‘voices in the head’ of the main character, which in my opinion often slowed the book up. I was happy overall with the book except for the last few words. I’m not sure that I want this particular storyline to progress much further. What’s done is done and I would rather the main character just got on with rooting out the bad guys than had something hanging over her head. The plot and characters are, as always, word perfect; but there was just something lacking in this book which just hasn’t been there before. I feel the writer knows exactly where the end of this series will be and is toying with the reader. I would just like it tied up in the next book so we can all move on. Sorry this isn’t more positive, I did enjoy the book for what it is, but it felt like part one of a two part story.

This story carries on from the last book where DI Kate Young kills her boss, John Dickson, in self defence.

As Kate struggles in the aftermath, she must act as normal as possible in front of her team.

Still working alone to uncover corruption in the force, Kate doesn’t know who she can trust, if anyone. She still has to work with the team on people traffickers.

Oh my goodness, the author has done it again with excellent storytelling. A tale of corruption, secrets, lies and guilt.

I raced through this story, I was gripped from the very start. At times I found the story to be quite emotional and other times I was on the edge of my seat.

My thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer & Zooloo’s Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another brilliant book from Carol Wyer.
This one gets off to a flying start after the death at the end of the last book. Kate calls someone to help her at the resorvoir as she’s struggling to think what to do next. With the body removed Kate now has to pretend she knows nothing about Dickson’s disappearance.
This doesn’t go quite as smoothly as she’d like as William asks her to lead a team to find out where Dickson has gone. With the story about him all over the Press all eyes are on Kate, which is exactly what she doesn’t want.
Kate is also contacted by Stanka who asks for help finding her younger sister so Kate and the team definitely have their hands full.
This is a gripping crime thriller with a few twists and turns and I can’t wait to read the next book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is book three in the series, and you really do need to read them in order as some of the storyline has continued to flow from book to book. As always with this author, the book is well written, the characters rounded and believable - I have enjoyed the developing roles of the main characters and their relationships/interactions with each other. I found that this time, I particularly liked the chapters told from William’s point of view, this was mainly because we readers know what has happened, so it was interesting to follow the investigation from the perspective of someone not in the know.

I did find that, this time I struggled with the voices Kate hears, as it is no longer just Chris, but we others joining in/taking over, and I found it slightly distracting, and whilst I do understand this is a plot driver, it did get a bit much in places.

All in all, I enjoyed the book with all its cleverly written twists and turns, and I look forward to the next instalment.

Well this one really got me! As the first I have read in the series, I could tell there were things I had missed but was able to catch up quickly.
This book was full of mystery and twists and I was enamored with a few of the lead detectives in this story.
We start right off with DI Kate getting herself into some major trouble and while trying to get to the bottom of a major crime ring, she was also trying to cover her own bottom along the way. I thought at first I might not love this book because there was so much inner dialogue, but after the first part the chapters became shorter and I was really turning the pages quickly to devour more information about this crime circle. Also, I REALLY need to read the next one and I don’t know how I’m going to wait to find out more! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

An immersive crime thriller from Carol Wyer. A truth for a truth is the fourth book in the Detective Kate Young series. To be honest, I haven't read the previous three volumes, but that didn't bother me at all. I got an excellent plot, fast-paced action, unusual investigations and a colorful heroine. In this part, Kate will experience a lot of dangerous moments. She will pursue her boss, who has mysteriously disappeared. On top of all this, there is an investigation into traffickers of girls. Can she catch these monsters? Will the girls come back safe and sound? Our lady detective must quickly figure out who is her true friend and who is her enemy. I was surprised, Kate hears the voice of her late husband in her head. Will he help her solve a difficult case? I am delighted with this novel. I'm looking forward to learning more about this heroine's previous adventures. If you like interesting crime thrillers, then you must read the latest work of Carol Wyer. I'm glad I was able to read this author's book. I like her writing style. I was rooting for the main character in reaching the truth. I wholeheartedly recommend "A truth for a truth".

Struggled to get into this....3rd in the series and I'm starting to get a little bored of the repetitive story line.

Carol Wyer has a unique way of pulling you into the her novels.
A Truth for a Truth is outstandingly brilliant!
This is the fourth book in the series following DI Kate Young and it is an explosive opening to the book.
Can Kate get away with murder?
If you know Kate the question is could she murder someone?
Kate is the most straight copper you could ever meet but sometimes fate has the upper hand.
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Kate is against the clock and even the ones she holds dear to her heart are hiding things from her.
Who can she still trust and who is out to get her?

I love this series and each book is better than the last. Kate just wants the truth, who killed her journalist husband Chris??? At first the voices in Kate's head were a bit off putting but now they are an integral part of the story. This book is intense like all the others in this gripping and very addictive series. The gist is there is corruption in the force but who they are and how far reaching it is upto Kate and Kate alone to uncover this evil syndicate. It all stems from the death of a young boy at the Maddox club. Who can Kate trust and how far will she go to get the truth. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. An action packed gripping read I loved it!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.