As this is the second book in the series I was concerned that not having read the first book would have a negative impact on my enjoyment. This was not the case as the book flowed easily without needing to have read the earlier book.
The book is engaging, some of the technical maths stuff went over my head but I enjoyed the twists and turns and Erica's determined search for the killer.
Questions are answered by the end of the book but some things are also left ready for book three.

Wow! What a read. I could not put this book down. Excellently written. My first book by this author and definitely not the last. The characters are well written and the plot is extremely good. This book is highly commended. Looking forward to a third Erica Sands thriller.

I'm grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to preview The Trap by Gregg Dunnett. It was a nail-biting thriller about DCI Erica Sands whose father is in the most secure prison in the UK for the blood curdling murders of her mother, sister and other women in his area.

Trying to solve several murders DCI Sands must visit her father in prison for clues. The investigation team learns that her father has been corresponding with others outside of prison using a unique coding system.

It was difficult to put this book down - I read it in just two days!

I do enjoy complicated murder, mysteries. I can really get involved in trying to work them out. This one was a real challenge involving complicated mathematics. The background to the story was very tragic and increased the tension. Interesting conclusion.

This one just didn’t do it for me unfortunately. It should have been right up my street but I found this totally unoriginal and uninspired.

A blatant rip off of Silence Of The Lambs, even down to the Perspex cell underground, here we have a less likeable Clarice and a less interesting Hannibal.

The killer that the Hannibal character is helping is hopelessly disappointing, as is his storyline. Throw in some crypto maths nonsense and you have a book that tries too hard, is totally unoriginal and just not very good.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this opportunity to review this ARC.
As someone who did not read the firs Erica Sands book I was a bit scared I could be a bit confused while reading, however this book gave so much of Erica's backstory, it did not confuse me at all. To be honest it did take me a while to get into the book in the beginning, but overall I enjoyed this book. I liked how it incorporated COVID-19 in the story, helping further the plot line. Furthermore, the book had some twists I did not expect and were entertaining to read.

Erica Sands had an unusual childhood with a demanding and very intelligent father who pushed her to develop her intellect. However, her childhood ended when she came home to find her father had killed her mother and sister. She has put this behind her and made her career in the police force, while her father rotted away in a maximum security prison.

Her current case is the murder of Jane Smith, killed at her isolated cottage. But Erica spots one key detail that leads her back to her father who claims to have key information he will only give to his daughter.

Erica is then forced to confront her past again, to play the game with her father to get the information she needs to stop further murders, while despising and hating him every step of the way.

An interesting and gripping tale. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic read! Literally could not put it down. Really good story line which kept me hooked. Love Greg's books. Can't wait to read the next one.

A Complex, But A Very Intriguing Read.
The Trap by Gregg Dunnett is a Suspenseful thriller and is the second Erica Sands book. The first in the series was The Cove and the second The Trap carries on with the story of Erica Sands detective series and follows the relationship between her and her father who murdered her whole family and is a serial killer and is in jail for life.
This story starts when Detective Erica Sands is called out to a lonely cottage in Dorset, England. A local woman, Jane Smith, has been found murdered in her home. Erica discovers a cryptic note written in blood tucked beneath the framed photograph of Jane’s two cats. It becomes clear to Erica her father although in solitary confinement is involved in yet more murders. Erica reluctantly agrees to meet him and her relationship with him will be tested to the max as Erica tries to work out how her father and his cryptic mastermind is participating from his high security cell with a killer on the outside.
The Trap is a well thought out crime with plenty of twists and turns throughout the book. A Good story with great characters and a complex, but a very intriguing read. I enjoyed the relationships between the team especially Sands and Golding. The whole story is gripping from the very first page and the ending of The Trap was unexpected. I certainly look forward to reading more from Greg Dunnett. I highly recommend this book and believe me you will defiantly not be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. The trap was amazing and keeps me interested every single page. The twist and turns I absolutely loved and the character sands she was interesting every step of the way.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read "The Trap" in exchange for my honest review.

"The Trap" is the second book in the Detective Erica Sands series. We learn a lot about Erica, her family and what shaped her to become a DCI in the South West Murder Investigation Department. The story starts with Erica going back to the house where Jane Smith was murdered 3 months prior without backup in the dark to look for a 'minor' detail. What appeared to be a robbery gone wrong might have been something much more. On a tip she is looking for something relating to chess and animals. The case was not one of Erica's because it was assigned to DI John Lindham.

At HM Highmoor, the UK's highest security prison, underground serving 30 years for murdering 8 women, including Erica's mother and little sister is her father Charles Sterling - an incredibly high functioning sociopath. Erica never visits her father but he's wanting to trade information on the case if Erica will go and visit him. Erica feels that there is something bigger at play here but no one is really listening to her. Some feel that Sterling has been a model prisoner and is rehabilitated but Erica isn't so easily fooled. She thinks he's playing mind-games as he rambles on and on. How does a man who has no access to visitors, phone calls, the internet know that there will be a murder on Friday? The reader will be shocked as to who the victims are.

A warning with this book would be that there is a lot of violence towards humans and animals along with a fair bit of gore in the details. Some of the cryptology references move along slowly but the many tense scenes and suspense as Erica puts the pieces of this puzzle together more than make up for it. There is a kidnapping, a lot of secrets, and someone who wants to resurrect Ancient Egypt.

The conclusion of the book is a cliff hanger, and there is no resolution to the story so hopefully that means that there will be more books with DCI Erica Sands in the near future.

This is a great crime thriller.
Detective Erica Sands is contacted when a woman is found murdered and her and the team get started on the investigation straight away.
Her superiors are then contacted by Sterling who is a serial killer in a high security prison, but is also Erica’s father.
He says he has information about the killer but will only give this to Erica, in person. She agrees to see him and it’s very uncomfortable for her but she will do anything to catch the killer.
When a further murder takes place, it hits Erica and the team hard as it’s someone they all know.
All the stops are pulled out to find out who the killer is and how Sterling knows in advance what is going to happen.
This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

DCI Erica Sands is sent to a break in with a specific question from her senior officer. 'Is there anything to do with chess and animals in the hallway?' When she arrives at the house, the owner is dead at the foot of the stairs, and in the hallway she discovers a picture of two cats siting either side of a chess board. A note slipped into the back of the photo takes Sands into the nightmare situation of being reunited with her father, a mass murderer and someone she has vowed never to see again. However, he has given the police this clue, and says he knows when the killer will strike next, and asks to see Erica again as he possesses essential clues..
As DCI Sands is drawn unwillingly into contact with her estranged father, in order to try to prevent another death, it becomes a race against time. But is he really helping, or has he another more personal agenda? A well written fast paced novel that pulled me in from the very first page. Highly recommended.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this book but honestly I couldn’t get into Gregg’s writing style. I just find he uses alot of filler words when its not needed at all. I don’t know if maybe not reading his first book had anything to do with it but i just wasn’t into this at all.

Gregg Dunnett is becoming a new favorite of mine! I LOVED Little Ghosts! So when I saw this one I read the first one of this series and read this in a little over a day. Gregg really knows how to pull you in! Great book cannot wait for more ! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early

My first Detective Sands novel, hands down amazing! The pages literally turned themselves it was that good. It was the cover and the title that made me chose to read it, captivating! So looking forward to the next in the series.

Huge thanks to Storm publishing and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review. I wasn't sure I wanted to interrupt my binge reading of Rizzoli and Isles series, so glad I did.

This was such a good thriller and amazing continuation to the DCI Erica Sands series. I was in the edge of my seat the whole time. Huge thank you to netgalley and the storm publishing for giving me this arc. All opinions are my own and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Having read five of Gregg Dunnetts books I have become a bit of a fan of his work. The Trap being the second book in the Erica Sands series following on from The Cove. The character of Erica Sands is developing well to the extent you can't wait for the next book to be released. A lot of tension and emotion is expressed in this book and I agree with other reviewers it is a book you don't want to put down. Thanks to Storm Publishing and BarNsley for adding this fifth book to my Gregg Dunnett library.

Another absolute blinder! Loved it!

I really like the characters in this series, they are so well written and the gradual building of relationships between them is skilfully done to enable further development throughout the series, which I hope will run for a long time. The involvement of Charles Stirling in this plot was brilliant - what a complex character he is!

The police procedural aspect combined with the twists kept me gripped and I read this in one sitting, as I knew I would!

Love the locations, probably because I live in Dorset.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Gregg Dunnett and Storm for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Gregg Dunnett for a copy of this ARC to read and review!

I love reading books in a series and this new one featuring Detective Erica Sands is one I am sure to keep up with and enjoy! Book one, The Cove, was a twisty and thrilling introduction and hooked me right away … and this second book is carrying on strong as we get to know more about Erica (and her very creepy convicted serial killer Dad, yikes!)

The Trap is fast paced, mind-bendingly clever and eerily suspenseful with an ending that left me pretty darn excited for book three!