Janice Frost brings Detective Inspector Steph Warwick and Special Constable Jane Bell back for another complex case in her latest crime novel, Murder Against the Odds.

Jane is coming to the end of a busy late shift during a bitterly cold night in January when she is called out to investigate strange noises at the local park. She finds a wailing baby abandoned in a plastic storage box crying out for her mother. That very same night, Steph attends the murder of coach driver Bernie Gore, whose body was found in a narrow alley. Both cases seem to be far removed from each other, but when vital evidence emerges linking Bernie’s murder to the abandoned baby, Jane finds herself with no other option but to inform the sharp-tongued detective.

Both women have clashed before and they are far from being the best of friends, however, if they want to find out who killed Bernie and track down Baby Elsa’s mother, they must bury the hatchet and learn to work together – which is going to be anything but easy. With this investigation becoming more and more challenging with each passing day, Steph and Jane begin to wonder whether they will ever manage to solve this case – until a prime suspect emerges who has very close ties with Jane’s family…

A terrific police procedural that kept me eagerly turning the pages late into the night, Murder Against the Odds is a chilling, action-packed and fast-paced read you will want to gobble up in a single sitting. Janice Frost never misses a beat and with Murder Against the Odds, she has written an exciting, unpredictable and nail-biting thriller full of shocking twists and turns crime fiction addicts will thoroughly enjoy.

🔎📚 Just finished "Murder Against the Odds" by Janice Frost and it was a solid crime mystery! 💼🔍 While not packed with action, the story kept me engaged from start to finish. I loved the dynamic between Special Constable Jane Bell and Detective Steph Warwick as they teamed up to solve two intertwining mysteries. The plot was full of surprises, and the author's descriptive writing style made me feel like I was right there with the characters. Overall, a very enjoyable read that kept me guessing until the end! #MurderAgainstTheOdds #JaniceFrost #CrimeMystery #BookReview 🌟📖

For the first couple of chapters I thought this was going to be a sleepy little town and that the murder would be the crux of the story.. Boy was I wrong. Between an abandoned baby, a camp full of protesters, a missing girl and a badly beaten young man it was a miracle the police had time to solve a murder case. And that's without taking their personal lives into account. This is the third book in the series and while it is obvious that there is history between DI Warwick and SC Bell there are no spoilers so if you want to go back and read the earlier books you can. I will definitely be doing so. There is a great cast of characters here, both police and civilian and I'm really looking forward to learning their stories.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

I enjoyed this story with all the characters within. The main characters were Jane Bell and Steph Warwick.

Jane Bell is a special constable. While working one night her and her partner find a baby that has been left there. She want to look for the baby's mother. While looking for the mother she runs into another case that Steph Warwick is working on. She hopes that the detective will listen to her because they have not got along in the past.

Steph Warwick is a detective. She on a case to find the person that murder Bernie. While working the case Special constable Jane Bell call and tells her something that might help her solve the case.

This was a fun story. It had action, adventure, drama and suspense throughout. There are a lot of twist and turn throughout. It was hard for me to guess the murderer. There was a few giggles throughout to.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

This is the third book in the Warwick and Bell series, as well as my introduction to the author, and it follows two women working in policing in Lincoln, England. The story it told mainly from the point of view of both women, especially Jane, with a couple of chapters told from the points of view of minor characters, without much rhyme or reason that I could see.

I found the writing uneven, especially Jane’s characterization, and yet, I read all three hundred pages in two sittings, which these days is nothing to sneeze at.

The blurb hints at an adversarial relationship between the two women, but that’s honestly not what I got from the novel. It’s more two people who have little in common but who, when forced by circumstances to interact with each other, discover that they aren’t as different or incompatible as they thought, and thus learn to first respect, then appreciate each other.

While I enjoyed the book despite not having read the previous installments, there are a number of references to prior events, and more than a few minor characters, that clutter the story. Some of these are part of Jane’s life as a member of the community, but the level of detail given for each is often disproportionate for the role they play in the plot.

I found Jane tiresome in her inconsistencies. She suspects people and forms opinions based on analysis of behavior and facts, and then immediately back pedals and spouts the most Pollyanna bullshit about the same people, like a naive waif born yesterday.

For example, she’s worried about the influence a woman she herself has decided is an attention seeking manipulator (aka, a narcissist) has on a young friend with no family, so she decides to investigate the woman. Then, as soon as someone gives her details, Jane decides that that witness is ‘obsessed’ with the person she herself suspects, and that the witness can’t be reliable–rather than go check whether or not there’s any substance to the allegations.

Then things like, she doesn’t want to know whether the man she’s in a relationship with cheated on his own ex-wife, because “he deserved to be judged without prejudice”, when not five pages before it’s all about how women trust men ‘at their own peril’ and reflecting about what policing has taught her about people, and men in particular.

Steph for her part is antisocial and a bit paranoid, apparently with reason (her backstory is never fully spelled out, but what is mentioned is pretty horrific). I found it interesting that we learn so little about her, that I’m not even sure if she’s younger or older than Jane.

Also interesting that even though Steph’s partner (or immediate subordinate/bagman) is on page at least as much as she is, he’s not considered a main character.

On balance, I think the book could have used tighter editing. Aside from a couple of copy-editing errors (Steph referring to the victim by another character’s name; using endometriosis when meaning endometritis), characters do or say something, then a chapter later they explain the same thing as if the topic/event/person had never been brought up before. Reading this novel felt like watching a good play while being distracted by seeing parts of the scaffolding behind the stage peeking through the backdrops.

I am not sure that I want to keep up with Jane and Steph, but I may give one of the author’s other stories a try.

Murder Against the Odds gets a 7.75 out of 10.

A newborn baby is found abandoned in the snow on the same night that a coach driver is found murdered. Special Constable Jane Bell is concerned about the baby's mother's welfare but her own personal situation is proving to be more urgent as her daughter's boyfriend is linked to the murder...
Murder Against The Odds is the third book in the Warwick and Bell series (I have read and reviewed the second book Murder Across The Lines). There are references to earlier events but it is not necessary to have read the previous books to understand the plot or characters.
Jane and Steph are great lead characters. Both are hard working, feisty, and loyal. But they rubbed each other up the wrong way in the first book so their interactions are fraught with tension. Their cases appear to be completely separate but due to a personal link the women are forced to interact. The book blurb mentions a link between the abandoned baby and the murder but this connection isn't made until two thirds of the way through the book.
Jane is incredibly anxious about her daughter Norah's new relationship. She relies on Steph to keep her up to date when Joe is mentioned in connection with the murder. Jane also has another personal item taking her attention: her young friend Thea is involved in a protest. But the lead protester is controlling and dismissive when another young woman goes missing.
The majority of the book deals with personal issues of the police officer which bend back towards the case at various points. Steph is having flashbacks about Cal and the past, whilst Jane hears some shocking truths about her late husband that creates personal turmoil. Both women act and react in an authentic way and I liked them both despite their flaws.
Murder Against The Odds is an engaging detective thriller due to the strong lead characters.

Third book in the series, set in the beautiful location of Lincoln.
Story arc flips from the eyes of the Special Constable and the eyes of the DI, but is really easy and enjoyable to follow. So many small storylines that eventually link together as one. Hope the series develops as I can’t wait to read more.

Special Constable Jane Bell and her partner are investigating an abandoned baby in a park. On the same night, DI Steph Warwick and her partner are investigating the murder of a coach driver. Strangely, poker chips are found at both scenes, so this prickly duo must work together to figure out what is going on. I like that Warwick and Bell are not partners, but rather associates who sometimes have no choice to work together. I also like that they don't get along and must work past that, and also that they are both women. It's rare to have a police procedural featuring two women as the leads. The mystery was engaging and went down some avenues I wasn't expecting. Would read the next in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the chance to read and review Murder Against The Odds by Janice Frost!

Do you like mystery? How about suspense? A few suspects and a twist or turn here and there? You will be in for a treat if you decide to pick this one up. Detective Inspector Stephanie Warwick and DI Elias bring you on a wild ride to solve the latest mystery!

Bernie Gore is a big time gambler, and turns up murdered.....who are the suspects? Perhaps the bar owner, where Bernie was last seen drinking and alive? His son? Special Constable Jane's daughters boyfriend(very suspicious....) Joe Mason, Mason's ex wife, Bernie's boss or coworker, maybe even the neighbor? Twists and bumps, an abandoned baby, blood in a sleeping bag, gambling, illegal money lending and more ....

Get to work to see your odds of determing the murderer, before they close the case!

I enjoyed this, there was a lot going on and some emotive subjects were dealt with sensitively and well. The plot launches immediately into intrigue and shock with an abandoned baby and a murder. The suspects and motives are carefully and gradually presented but the real truths take some time to unravel with a few twists and turns along the way. The characters are interesting and well rounded and come to life brilliantly. I loved the East Midlands aspects, being originally from Nottinghamshire myself and loved the nods to the dialect, culture and surroundings. I also found the glossary of terms at the end of the book amusing and hadn’t really noticed quite so much dialect / peculiarities of British language has crept in.
A very decent mystery which held my interest well.

Murder Against the Odds was a twisted and unexpected read from start to finish! I haven't read the other books in this series, so at some points I felt I was jumping in at the middle. But that was only in terms of backstory and wanting to know the characters better (because I enjoyed them so much). I would like to go back and read the other books in the series.

This book had several different storylines happening simultaneously, so it really built the suspense and intrigue in an effective way. And the ending that brought them together was unexpected! The characters were well-developed and had interesting back stories that made them feel like real people dealing with everyday struggles that impacted how they responded to events in the book.

Frost's writing is descriptive, clear, and detailed. This was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to exploring more of her books!

An enjoyable read that kept the reader guessing until the end.
It was an interesting story and we followed the police investigation as they identified leads and interviewed suspects. My only issue was that as this was my first book in the series I had obviously missed all the previous history and events between the two main female characters. This was not the fault of the book and relevant details were shared with the reader but as there was quite a lot of reference to the past it made me feel as though I had missed out. So my recommendation is to start with the first book in the series to get the full enjoyment.

I have been a fan of Janice’s work for a while now. I have read and loved each and every book that she has written to date. I must admit that I do have a special fondness for the series featuring Detective Steph Warwick and Special Constable Jane Bell. When I heard that Janice was due to release another book in the series, I knew that I had to get hold of a copy at the earliest opportunity. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because the third book in the ‘Warwick & Bell’ series is called ‘Murder Against The Odds’ and it was released on 4th March 2023. It’s another great addition to a great series.

I must admit that it took me a little while to get into ‘Murder Against The Odds’ which has more to do with the fact that I was tired and finding it hard to concentrate when I started to read rather than anything else. Once I got into the story, that was it and I was away as the saying goes. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading several chapters later. The characters intrigued me and I loved the rather spiky working relationship between Warwick and Bell. I developed my own theories as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was anywhere near the truth or if I had wandered off in another direction. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Murder Against The Odds’ and I had to goodbye to Warwick, Bell and the rest of the characters. I found ‘Murder Against The Odds’ to be a gripping and at times dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

‘Murder Against The Odds’ is extremely well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Janice Frost. She certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a brisk pace throughout. Janice clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. Reading ‘Murder Against The Odds’ felt like being on an at times scary and rather unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which Janice makes the reader feel as though they part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Murder Against The Odds’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Janice’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

This was a gripping read and was easy to follow. I just couldn’t put it down and read in just over a day. The characters were very believable and hard hitting. This deserves its five stars. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

My first book by Janice Frost, what a delight! An abandoned baby, a murder, a protest, it is all going on. An intriguing story which kept me glued to the page.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder Against the Odds, the third novel to feature SPC Jane Bell and DI Steph Warwick Written by #JaniceFrost
I cannot decide wether I enjoyed this or not. I found the character of Jane Bell overwhelming and the dynamic between the two main characters strange. Not really for me.

Tutor Jane Bell, widowed for six years with two grown up children, Patrick and Norah who is currently back living at home with her in Lincoln, has been a special constable for two years. Her first run in with DI Stephanie Warwick, an uptight officer with mental health problems, was not a hit but there has been a gradual thaw between the two since then. On the same night there are two shocking events. A man, Midlands coach driver Bernie Gore, is found murdered in a quiet street, being investigated by Steph and her partner DS Elias Harper, and a tiny abandoned baby is rescued by Jane and PC Tim Sterne from a park bandstand. Curiously a poker chip is found at both scenes. As Steph and Elias delve into Bernie’s past life of gambling and basically doing anything to get money to serve his addiction, Jane has a shock when she recognises the last person to be seen with him, someone close to home who is soon arrested for murder and once again she finds herself working with Steph.
Jane is instantly likeable, the sort of woman you’d want for your best friend. Steph, due to her past trauma, is brittle and much harder to get to know but I found I took to her more and more as the story progressed. This is an excellent police procedural with some great characters, in particular Elias and Allie. The plot is well laid out and suitably twisty, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 5*

Rating 3.9

I picked this story up off the 'Read Now' section of Net Galley as my first ever Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) and I'm so happy I did because now I need to go read the other two books in the series! When I picked this book up I honestly didn't know it was the third of a series but what I found was that I really didn't need to read the other ones to think it was incredible! Honestly, it reads like a standalone and any reference to the other stories are explained with enough background to understand although you don't fully understand the two women's distain together. The characters were connectable and while I may not have been familiar with some of the words / locations because it's set in the UK, I was able to follow along and enjoyed the relationships that were developed and exposed through the story

On a cold night, SC Bell and her partner get called to the scene of an abandoned baby (Baby Elsa) who's discovered wrapped into a heavy winter coat with a poker chip in it's pocket. Detective Warwick also has a busy night and is called to the scene of a murder of a bus trip driver (Bernie) nearby and a similar poker chip is discovered. The entire story is figuring out the 'who' and the 'why' behind these two events - are the connected? Do the poker chips mean anything?

A much older boyfriend (who gives off total creep vibes), a bar owner and his son, bookies and more, all come together and interweave through the story in ways that I could have never seen - but the fact that they do amazed me at every new revelation. I also loved the way that the author didn't really let you know it was going to connect until... BAM it all made sense (and I finally said 'no freaking way' because it connected in ways that I didn't even see coming).

I am always a fan of detective stories and I honestly think had I had more character references or development I could have rated this even higher (I blame myself for reading out of order - not the book or the writer!). Janice had a way of bringing the story separate directions and then wrapping it all up in a bow - no question was left unanswered. Warwick & Bell have a unique woman working relationship that while often times felt uncomfortable, it felt like it was relatable and understandable and professional but still looking out for each other and respecting the way that they each work.

I want to thank Joffe Books for collaborating with NetGalley and making this story a 'Read Now' ARC and for publishing a wonderful read and allowing me to share my thoughts and opinions with the story early!

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. This is the first I have read in the series so I felt like I didn't know enough about the characters to become completely absorbed with the MC themselves, obviously a flaw on my side though and nothing to do with Janice writing.

I was kept guessing throughout the entire book, you think you would have it all figured out and then another twist was thrown into the mix.

Would recommend to thrilller/suspense lovers.

3.5 stars rounded up

Warwick and Bell #3

In the early hours of a freezing January night, Special Constable Jane Bell is at the end of a busy late shift when she was called out to investigate strange noises in a local park. She finds a new-born baby girl dumped in a plastic storage box. That same night Detective Steph Warwick attends the murder of coach driver Bernie Gore, whose battered body is found in a narrow alleyway. The last thing Jane wants is to lock horns with Steph Warwick once again. Then vital evidence emerges linking Bernie Gore's murder to the abandoned baby. Jane has no choice but to alert the sharp-tonged detective inspector.

An abandoned baby, a coach driver who had been murdered, there's a connection of sorts, they both had a poker chip on them when they were found. But what is the significance of the poker chips? Jane and Steph don't get along, but they have to work together. There's plenty of twists in this well written addition to the series. It's also an easy book to read. The plotline is believable, the characters are well developed. I was quickly pulled into this story, wondering what the connection to the poker chips was all about. There's plenty of suspects to choose from.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #JaniceFrost for my ARC #MurderAgainstTheOdds in exchange for an honest review.