This book gripped me from start to finish, if you love a good thriller type book then Out of the Ashes is exactly that. The pace of this book also meant I was consistently waiting for the next part to hit me almost immediately.

Thanks to netgalley for supplying this advanced copy for the purpose of review.

I have read all the previous books in the series and find it be such an excellent series. This was fitting end which kept me hooked throughout. I strongly recommend this series.

Thank you to Canelo and Netgalley for this Arc....

Fifth and final in the series and mixed emotions at its ending

Although DI Robin Butler has moved away and investigating arsons in his new force he still ends up back with old partner DS Freya West as their seperate and long distance cases are actually linked, with everything leading to the tension of the finale its a gripping read

Told from multiple points of view, this thriller kept me interested and guessing. The tension in this story had me by the throat!

Loved this book as much as the others I’ve read in the series. It’s not vital but if you can I would recommend reading the five books in order. It just means you feel more connected. The characters are all great especially Freya and Butler but Mina is one of my background favourites with potential as well.
The plot if I’m honest isn’t the best in the series but I’ve only come to this conclusion after more objective considerations than I first had when I first finished what looks like being the last in the series. I think the Louisa Scarr was more intent on the ending than on the whole. Nevertheless it’s a fabulous read.

AD/Promotion. @canelo_co @louisascarrwriter @lovebookstours The Blurb:
Stalking. Arson. Murder. Butler and West are back together... and the stakes have never been higher.
When Emily Rhodes tells her old friend DS Freya West that she's being stalked by someone she met on a dating app, Freya promises to do everything she can.
But there are no leads, and the dating site refuses to give up their data. To make matters more complicated, DI Robin Butler is back in town, investigating a string of arson attacks that have escalated to murder. When it becomes clear that Butler and West's cases are connected, they are thrown together once more. And they'll need their wits about them... Because this is a killer more devious than any they've hunted before, and he wants to obliterate everything they hold dear. The climatic finale of the gripping Butler & West series.
When I saw this one come through on email to me I was overjoyed! Anyone who knows me, knows that I love the Butler and West series of books! This is the 5th and final instalment but you can read them as stand alone books too! The writing is incredible. The story weaves through each book like a vine of ivy searching for the light. It's such a easy read but has so much in there. It's definitely a rollercoaster # of a ride! A fantastic read again! I'm gutted for it to be the end of the series but excited to see what @louisascarrwriter comes up with next! 5 #review #crimefiction #crimethriller #butlerandwest

Loved it, a tense and fast paced mystery with plenty of twists and a solid plot that kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Totally unputdownable, I read this in a day. I have read others in the series and enjoyed them. This book sees Robin Butler and Freya West working together again despite his transfer to another force. Both are following different cases until the cases collide. Their personal lives are as complicated as in previous episodes. Robin is now father to little Tom and Freya is putting off planning her wedding to Josh.
The plot includes arson, murders and stalking and the pace is fast and furious. It helps to have read more in the series, though this would be ok as a stand alone (certainly for the crime aspect of the book)
Thanks to Net Galley , Canelo and Louisa Scarr for a great read

I reccommend you read the others in the series first. What seems to be seperate cases for Butler and West soon interweve. This appears to be the final book in the series and for those who have read the other books, there will be both disappointment at this but satisfaction in how it concludes.

This is the first book by Louisa Scarr I've read but it won't be my last. I've truly enjoyed this thriller a lot. It came out last week and I got it from Canelo via Netgalley.

An old friend of DS Freya West asks for her help. She is being obsessively stalked after befriending someone online. West wants to help but it's all dead ends. Her old colleague, DI Robin Butler, is also back in town for an arson case. There have been some arson attacks which ultimately led to a murder. To top it all off, the cases seem to be linked...

This is book 5 in the series but you can easily read it as a separate book. You don't need to know the history between the main characters to understand them and to know their motives. Because it's book 5, the characters are well worked out and the dialogue between them feels natural. You get to know them more from this book and that makes things a bit more obvious at points.
The story is a good one. You see some things coming from a mile away, but it's still a great read - exciting, tense and fast paced - perfect combination.

4,5/5⭐

I really enjoyed reading out of the ashes, when I first downloaded this book I had no idea it was the 5th one in a series, however I was able to read it as a stand alone and was able to fill in the gaps where more information would have been provided in previous books. I’m also now looking forward to reading the rest of the Butler and West series.

There’s a dangerous killer on the loose one who likes to play with fire. Butler has returned to his old station to work a case which is consistent to the same one he is working on in Exeter, and boy is it complicates he has a serial arsonist on his hands, one who is clever enough not to leave a trail.

At the same time Freya is investigating a stalking case after her friend Emily comes up to the station following some concerning messages she’s been receiving from someone she’s met on an online dating app.

Soon it is discovered that Butler and Wests cases are linked and it becomes possible they are looking for the same person. With the complexity of this case and one dead end leading to another Freya takes drastic actions to work out who is behind this hideous crimes once and for all, however their killer is a clever man one who clearly knows how to cover his own tracks.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. I cannot wait to go back and read the previous books on this series.

“If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned”

Prologue gave a little creepy and suspenseful vibe. A woman who is being stalked and Freya, a recently promoted DS has been assigned the case of Emily. Emily and the stranger get to know each other through MeetM8 App and later things go from casual to a bit more personal. And the second mystery is about Fire Victims who were burned to death. There is an unusual connection between the victims death and there are suspects but it is becoming more complex to get to the bottom of mystery and find out the person behind misery and tragic deaths.

The character development throughout the book is good. The setting and the description is gripping. The author takes us deep into the personal and professional life of each character. Every detail has a purpose. There are inbuilt mysteries in the plot. And the book keeps you guessing till the end. It’s a brilliant whodunnit and police procedurals/ Detective investigation will keep you on the edge of your seat.

•Stalker
•Killer on loose
•Police/Detective Investigation
•Brilliant Whodunnit
•Suspense and Mystery
•Intrigue and Threat
•Crime Thriller


Thank you netgalley, Author and Publisher

Louise Scarr never fails to provide gripping books, but what a way to bring the Robin Butler and Freya West series to a climax. Robin returns to help on an arson case that links his area and his old area. Meanwhile, Freya is on stalking case that is becoming more volatile. Soon they realise a connection between the arson and Emily replying harsh messages to the stalker. The severity soon escalates and they need to stop this person before anyone else gets harmed. Meanwhile, Robin and Freya are battling their personal lives and their feelings for each other, suppressed for so long.
A corker of a read, and Out of the Ashes is the perfect finale and a fantastic series. Highly recommended.

Fantastic book , having read all the Butler and West books this is definitely the perfect ending for the couple. Great novel with great characters and good storyline. I hope in the future there will be more Butler and West books but let’s face it Louisa is such a fantastic writer anything she does will be brilliant. Definitely a five star book and I would highly recommend it

This is the fifth book in this brilliant series and so, obviously, usual series rules apply if you want to get the very best from the characters' back stories and development. I would also recommend you do just that as they are also all cracking books.
So... DC Freya West is contacted by an old friend who is worried about a stalker she has appeared to have picked up from a dating site she belongs to. Freya assures her she will do her best but is shut off by the dating site refusing to assist.
Meanwhile DI Robin Butler (Freya's old partner in more ways that one!) is back from the sticks as there seems to be overlap of a case he is investigating. One of arson which appears to have escalated to murder. This reappearance really puts the cats amongst the pigeons for both Freya & Robin as well as their new respective partners. This is escalated as their two cases - stalking and arson start to look like they are connected and they are forced to work together once again...
This is the end of the series. And, although it ends well, it still makes me sad. I have gone through a lot with the two main characters. This being a bit of a romantic police procedural with plenty of requited and unrequited moments! As well as being witness to some cracking crimes too, let's not forget! But I guess all things must come to an end, especially given the romantic side of things - some books do drag this out over many many, too many books and it all feels false. Here it all comes to a natural end... but I will leave you to see if it's the one you want!
So we bid a find farewell to Butler and West but I have hears whispers of her new series coming next year and I will definitely be first in the queue to snaffle that one up...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Immersive, Compelling..
The fifth in the Butler and West series of mysteries arrives with a scorching display and a spectacular finale. Two cases - arson and stalking related - soon become entangled and it becomes horribly clear that a very devious killer is on the loose. With a suspenseful plot populated, as ever, with a credible and well drawn cast, twists aplenty and an ample scattering of red herrings, this is an immersive and compelling addition to the series.

What a seriously good book! This is the first of Louisa Scarr's book I've read, and I am hooked. After having followed the leads, I want to go back and witness their history together.

You've got two crimes - a stalker and an arsonist - and as you read, you're curious how these worlds are going to come together. When they do, the action picks up. I swear, I plowed through the final third of the book because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. The pacing is exquisite, and each chapter ending leaves you compelled to turn the page. The stakes are high, and the resolution was absolutely perfect.

Great read. I can't wait to read more!

A satisfying conclusion to the Butler & West series! I was getting a little wound up about the Freya and Robin situation at the end of book four and wasn’t sure how it was going to resolve itself, but I like how Scarr handled everything.

I will say I didn’t love-love where the crime story went in this one - it was a bit out there for me - but I still enjoyed every second and love Louisa Scarr and *cannot wait* to start reading her new series.

This series should be wildly popular and I’d love more people to read it!

'Out of the Ashes' is the compelling fifth book of the DI Robin Butler and DS Freya West.

Set over a year after the previous book, Butler and West are reunited after a series of fires in Devon, where Butler is now living with his detective partner Jo and their baby son Tom, are connected to ones back in Southampton. Meanwhile West is dealing with a persistent stalker of an old law school classmate.

Time apart has left both Butler and West floundering and pining for each other, but neither have stayed in contact apart from superficial text messages.

The cases are interesting, with red herrings (one I fell for because I guessed the wrong person) and all the solid plotting and tension that makes this book a delight to read.

However the most compelling mystery of the book that I was glued to was 'will Butler and West FINALLY declare themselves to each other?!'

While this is the first book I've read of the series I found it easy to pick up a number of threads, particularly the palpable chemistry between Butler and West. I'm glad I started the series with this book as I'd have been devastated by the events that transpired in book four leading to their separation.

It's not easy to write series fiction, knowing readers will come in at any point of the series, along with balancing crime, character development and a bit of romance on the side, but Scarr does this with aplomb. 'Out of the Ashes' had the perfect balance of a compelling mystery, with characters that I became heavily invested in, along with a very satisfying resolution.

Scarr has said this is the final book for now, so while I eagerly await her next series (a preview was added at the end), I hope down the track we get a chance to return to Butler and West, perhaps set a few years in the future to see where everything has landed. Meanwhile I have since bought the previous four books so I am looking forward to gorging on this series for just a little bit longer.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC.

Many thanks to both Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Out of the Ashes, by Louisa Scarr. It's the fifth (and possibly the last) book in the Butler & West series.

Expected publication July 6, 2023

3.5 Stars, rounded up

Out of the Ashes has it all! Mystery, suspense, arson, stalking, and romance all wrapped up in a whodunit!! This book finds DS Freya West investigating a stalker, and DI Robin Butler investigating a string of arson attacks that have escalated to murder. The cases seem to be connected somehow and it kept me guessing until the end.

Although I enjoyed reading most of Out of the Ashes, toward the end the plots started feeling less believable to me, and parts felt too over the top. Still, I enjoyed this page-turner, and absolutely loved Robin!