Kate Hamblin's 11th case. She's in Cancun on a creative writer's course for some R&R after her last harrowing case. The others are a mixed bunch. When she gets back home she's gained herself a stalker who turns very very nasty. Yet another psychopath on the loose but who is focussing on Kate. Some intriguing twists and turns but oh too much of an annoying detective who just keeps going off on her own, narrowly avoiding serious injury at first (for once) and an exceedingly tolerant senior officer. I had hoped that by no. 11 she might have learned some sense. Seemingly not. Her thoughtful but somewhat slobbish husband is a good foil but how they stay together is a mystery. Still, a good enough read, but quickly forgotten. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This is the #11 in the Detective Kate Hamblin series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Kate is on holiday in Mexico. She is sunbathing topless when she receives a text comparing her detective skills to her boobs and, later that evening, someone breaks into her hotel room and rifles through her things. Kate’s feeling unsettled but then a woman falls to her death from a balcony in her hotel – did she jump or was she pushed?

When Kate gets back home to Somerset, she finds a note in her coat pocket, seemingly from the same person who texted her in Mexico. Then the local vicar falls to his death from the church bell tower, in exactly the same way as the woman in Mexico. Too much of a coincidence for the two events not to be connected.

Kate needs to find this killer before they strike again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A great book, I loved it from start to finish, a real book with loads of twists and turns and I can’t wait to see what’s next

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Watcher on the Levels, the eleventh novel to feature DS Kate Lewis of Avon and Somerset Police.

Recuperating from trauma Kate goes to a writers’ retreat in Cancun, only to be subjected to stalking type texts and a break in to her room. Then a woman falls from a balcony, just as her manuscript suggests. She glad to get home, but it seems as if her stalker has followed her and wants to involve her in some kind of game, starting with the murder of a local vicar.

I enjoyed Watcher on the Levels, which is a read with plenty of twists and turns and a high level of action. I have read one or two novels in the series, but it’s not a must read series for me as I don’t find the writing and plotting compulsive, more an easy way to pass a few hours.

The novel is told mainly from Kate and Mr Anonymous as she calls him’s points of view. I must admit that I didn’t find either of them particularly credible, but they serve the plot well. She might be effective if she thought before dashing off on impulse and he is not much different from other fictional psychopaths - driven by a mission that only makes sense to him and convinced of his own glory.

The plot consists of him running rings round the police and taunting Kate on a regular basis, both by phone and by winding up a local reporter with a grudge. Much of this is because they have no idea of his motive or how he chooses his victims. Obviously once they form a theory the game changes and takes an even more deadly direction. I felt that it took too long to get to this stage with several murders and a revenge attack in between. It got a bit repetitive and the novel is too long, shorter and sharper would have been better.

I didn’t warm to Kate Lewis. She’s impulsive and not overly bright - she leaves the thinking to her husband Hayden. Admittedly she has a sharp line in comebacks but it’s not enough to make her likeable.

Watcher on the Levels is a solid read.

Synopsis (It's a fiction book, so it helps…from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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A twisted killer. A deadly game. A detective who must break the rules to win. Detective Kate is sunning herself on the beach at an exclusive Mexican resort, feeling emboldened enough to shed her bikini top. Then she gets an anonymous text. Hi Kate, Are your detective skills as good as your boobs? Later that night, someone breaks into her hotel room and rifles through her belongings. And a woman plunges to her death from the balcony above.

Is it all connected? Kate is relieved to escape the unwelcome attention and return home. But back in Somerset, she reaches into her coat pocket and finds a scrawled message: See You Soon, Kate. Has her stalker followed her home?

Someone is watching Kate. They know where she lives, and where she works. They seem to know her every move. But what is it they want? Then the local vicar plunges to his death from the top of the bell tower. Just like the woman in Mexico. The next day, someone calls the local paper: “I killed him.” And Kate finds that she’s an unwilling participant in a deadly game. She must enter the mind of a twisted killer and stay one step ahead of him.

Because if he catches her up . . . she’s dead.

OOOOOOH what a twisty and dark book ... may the moral is to not doff your top? I thought that my stalker was obsessive and weird: this one takes the cake. The book was wonderfully crafted and I thoroughly enjoyed it - my only complaint was the ubiquitous woman walking away with her back to you on the cover: I am so tired of that over-used theme that is literally on thousands of books out there: I have even made a display of them at our library.

That foible aside, a great book that I will recommend to my clientele who are in search of a nice twisty mystery.

A creepy story of a man stalking Kate Hamblin. She's just been to Cancun on a mystery writer's course and someone there has it in for her. He follows her home and sets about making her doubt herself. He pits his wits against hers - and is determined to win - at any cost. Usually the cost is paid by innocent people.

Loved it.

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

Great book and series! This book was awesome! It had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, serial killer, and great police work! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book and series they're well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!