What a fun, suspenseful and enticing read!

DI Lexi Bennett is back again with another case, as she hunts for someone killing mothers and leaving the babies behind at the scene. The book started with lots of random pieces, and took a long time to start coming together. It felt a bit slower paced than the previous 2 books, but once it kicked into gear, it picked up to the pace I love from these books. I figured out early on one part to the plot, but I still enjoyed how they came to that conclusion and how the story wrapped up! Excited for the next story and to see what case gets thrown Lexi’s way!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Another intense, fast-paced and attention grabbing thriller from #AlisonBelsham in the third book of #DetectiveLexiBennettseries! I love each one and each case Lexi works on. She has a great supporting cast that works with her. The suspects build and leave me guessing.

Thank you, Alison Belsham, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Another (Mostly) Solid Entry In Series. This was a solid entry in the series for the most part, though perhaps it did have a touch of pacing issues. And yet I've struggled for nearly a week now to come up with words to put "on paper" about my experience with the book. Perhaps that is more on me though, as I really do think I'm reaching the limits of my own "hyper reading" abilities as new/ more pressing interests and needs come to bear in my life.

The book itself was intriguing in so many ways. The manner of murder, the placement, the investigation... and the personal, for the team. Specifically, I actually particularly enjoyed how an injury Lexi suffers at the beginning of the tale is worked throughout this story and isn't just some random detail to make her "more relatable" - although it certainly does, to anyone who has ever trained for and ran a half marathon themselves. (Though to be clear, I managed to run 2 of them - separated by several months - completely injury free, back in my own running days. But getting injured during training or racing is actually a very common thing that I simply managed to be lucky enough to avoid.)

There were enough callbacks to the earlier books here to link it in series without being a spoilerfest for those books, so readers new to the series actually *could* enter it here - but I still recommend going back to Book 1 and entering the series there. On the other end, there wasn't any real sense of continuation *needed* by the reader, so while I hope this series continues, it also wouldn't feel incomplete if it ended as a trilogy. Still, here's hoping we get many more books here, as I really do like the writing style and characterizations.

Very much recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I do enjoy catching up with Lexi. I will say that I had an inclining of who it was but not the full scope.

The Innocent Angels, the third book in Alison Belsham's Detective Lexi Bennett series, delivered an engaging and spellbinding police procedural.  Based on prior experience, I went into this instalment with high expectations, and it delivered.  After reading the first couple of pages, I realize that Lexie faces another complex case. One that will consume her and places her in danger yet again. All the books in the series are stand-alone, however I recommend you read them all. It's definitely worth the binge.

After completing a half-marathon, Detective Lexie Bennett received news about an unexplained death at a vineyard.  On her arrival at the vineyard, she was met with a distressing scene. A naked and deceased young woman is found with angel wings attached to her back. Some distance away from the body, Lexie discovered the woman's baby, who also had wings attached, alive and screaming her head off.

At first key persons at the vineyard claim not to know the woman, but when Lexie started digging the owner came forward with a shocking claim. A claim which placed him on top of the extensive suspect list. However, another young single mother turned up dead at the same vineyard and her baby found alive Lexi and her team realised the case is not as clear-cut as they initially believed.

This evenly paced story delivered a complex and compelling mystery with some detestable characters. Once again, Lexie and her team faces the challenge of finding the killer before he strikes again. Lexie's tenacity, dedication, experience and her willingness to find answers no matter the risk was once again on display. 

The story gives us a glimpse into the killer's mind through his daily journal entries. It was a challenge figuring out his identity.  However, as the story progressed and the pieces slowly started to fit together, the picture became clear. 

This was another great addition to the series. Hopefully in future instalments, Lexie will find the balance between her professional and personal life. 

Readers who love mysteries and police procedurals would find The Innocent Angels fascinating,

this is the first detective lexi bennet book i have read it took me a while too get through it but that might just be me i found the story interesting lots of characters and people of interest too keep you guessing i didnt see the killer coming. Good read

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Innocent Angels' by Alison Belsham.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Alison Belsham, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 7th November 2023.

This is the third book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in the 'Detective Lexi Bennett' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'The Girls On Chalk Hill' (book one in the series) and 'The Girls Last Cry' (book two in the series) which I would highly recommend them both.

This novel consists of 62 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

Wow!!! What an extremely fast paced, shocking and page turning heart racer!!!

This book is extremely well written with extremely vivid descriptions that leaves you feeling the heat and leaves you with sweat dripping down your face. The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

I absolutely loved this addition to the fantastic Detective Lexy Bennett series!! I was addicted and gripped by the first two books in this series and didn't think there was any way that Alison could beat that but she managed it big time and this book was even better which wasn't an easy feat at all!!! This book was explosive from the very start with a very harrowing and unique killing and from then it just gets faster and faster and more action packed as Lexi and her team are in a race against time!!! The storyline is action packed and very fast paced. I don't think I've ever read a book with such an explosive and gripping beginning as this one did!!! I just couldn't put this gritty and suspense packed page turner down and each and every time I promised myself one more chapter each one ended so I just had to know what happened next. Well it would have been just rude to have put it down so I read one more, then another until I had completely devoured it in one sitting!!!! It is unique, action packed, heart racing, nail biting and gritty. In fact only now my heart has started slowing down and I finished it a while ago!! I absolutely loved the chapters that are written from the killer's perspective with their lists which gives an insight into why they are doing what they are. Alison weaves these chapters perfectly into the storyline and ensures she doesn't give too much away. The storyline is multilayered with several activities going on and each one just as addictive and explosive as the next. Alison weaved them all together perfectly and has an ending I would have never seen coming!!! It is getting alot harder to surprise me but Alison managed it in both books in this epic series!!!!! The storyline is filled with tension, heartbreak, fear, crime, suspense, twists, murder and everything that will keep your heart pounding.

Clear your schedules and get sucked in to this absolutely amazing addition in Alison's addictive, gripping and addictive Detective Lexi Bennett series. Whether you start with this book or either or the previous two I can promise you won't regret it!!

There was a wide range of strong, realistic and unique characters. I absolutely love Lexi and became completely invested in her the moment I met her in 'The Girls On Chalk Hill' and I absolutely loved seeing her again and watching her character develop even more. She is a strong protagonist, hard working and determine. She has very quickly become one of my favourite characters ever!! I love in when there are strong female leads in books being female myself I always seem to connect more to female leads and Lexi is certainly no exception!! Lexi and Tom work perfectly together along with the rest of the team. I love the bond that Lexi and Tom have and they make fantastic working partners with great team dynamics. I have got to give forensic pathologist Mort Barley a mention. I absolutely loved his attitude and the way him and Lexi communicate had me in stitches on several occasions which is perfect to lighten the atmosphere in such a dark storyline. I really cannot wait to see Lexi, Tom, Mort and the rest of the team continuing to go from strength to strength and learn more about them in the next book in this absolutely amazing, explosive and addictive series!!! I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the next book in this series which I just cannot wait for. Another huge well done Alison in creating such strong, unforgettable and amazing characters that I look forward to meeting time and time again!!!

Although this is the third book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

Yet another absolutely fantastic read from Alison!!! Congratulations on yet another huge success and here's to your next one 🥂 This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and that this is one of my favourite series'!!!

Overall a gripping, heart racing, fast paced, non stop action packed psychological thriller that you will not want to put down!!!

399 pages

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £10.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

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I was lucky enough to start this series with book one. And while this could easily be read as a stand alone, the series is great and worth the time.

I really like Lexi. She is a relatable character and I really enjoyed her work ethic and the determination she shows as she tries to solve the case. I’ve enjoyed the character development that is happening across the books with both Lexi and her team. I enjoy the complexity of the case and the possible suspects. Many had their own secrets, but Lexi and her team must sux out which one has deadly secrets.

I was gripped from the start and didn’t want to put this one down. The story moves along at a brisk pace and the tension kept me on the edge of my seat. And it seems that Lexi always ends up in the cross hairs in the case. This is another great installment making me want more in the series.

You definitely need to pick this up if you are a fan of crime series.

One of my favorite things to come from my first six months on Bookstagram is how I’ve discovered so many authors I may not have encountered otherwise, and Alison Belsham is one of those. This is my fifth book by her in as many months, and she is an absolute force in the thriller and crime writing genre.

The Innocent Angels is the third in the Lexi Bennett series and follows a series of murders centered around an English winery where Bennett is racing to discover the killer when the potential criminal and the potential motives don’t seem to sync up. You also delve deeper into Bennett’s extended team from a professional growth perspective and their families and relationships.

I’ve said this in previous reviews, but there is something about the way Alison writes that draws you in and makes you forget that you are reading and you are just a part of the story. I love how we learned more about all of the characters in this book, and I’m hopeful that there will be another in the series that gets even more in-depth into the stories and relationships that have lurked in the background over the last three books. If you haven’t read this series or her Sullivan and Mullins series (set in the world of tattoo artistry), I highly recommend them both. Alison has auto-buy status on my bookshelf!

DI Lexi Bennett and her team on chasing down a person who has killed a young mum and left her baby beside her. Both are dressed in wings.
Then a second young mum dies and is arranged in the same way. As the body count rises, what is going on?
So many twists and turns. I loved it.
I love Alison’s writing style, it’s engaging and dramatic. It really draws you into the story and at some points is unputdownable.

After reading and thoroughly enjoying the first two books in the Lexi Bennet series, I was really looking forward to this next one. It sounded like a great serial killer story and I couldn’t wait to see how everything unfolded with Lexi at the helm.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be the least successful book in the series for me. While the premise of the posing of the scene etc leant itself to an intriguing serial killer story, what actually transpired was much less interesting. Contrary to her usual style, I felt like Lexi and her team spent a lot of time throwing around a lot of improbable theories and just kept those few theories going around in circles for far too long. As a result, this one felt pretty slow and long to me. Most of the book centers around employees at the vineyard where the bodies are being found, and I really didn’t care for any of them or have any interest in their lives or how suspicious they might be.
Lexi seemed to also make a few choices that were a little more reckless than in previous books, and I found myself silently yelling at her more often than I have before about things she was doing that just didn’t make sense with what I know about her.
On the plus side, it looks like a little romance might be in the cards for Lexi in future books, and Alison Belsham writing romance is something I am absolutely here for.
Although this one missed the mark for me slightly, it was still an incredibly well-written (something we come to expect from Belsham given her flawless track record) police procedural and I look forward to seeing what Lexi will get up to in book 4.

Lexi Bennett is at it again, solving murders. This time, a woman is found dead in a wine cellar, with her crying baby beside her. Both are posed with angel wings. While hunting for the killer, Lexi tries to figure out the reason for the posing, the murders, and the live children left without mothers. Meanwhile, she also tries to find a balance between her personal life and the job that demands so much.

Is this a bad book? No. Is it the weakest book of the series? Sadly, yes. The majority of the book involves the detectives tossing theories around, while nothing new comes to light and no tangible progress is made. (Maybe that’s more realistic police work, I don’t know.) While Lexi was very smart and resourceful in the past two books, I found myself a little more frustrated this book, as she made some bad decisions and was slow to figure things out that were apparent to me chapters ago.

I wasn’t all that interested in the characters at the vineyard. They were all icky people and I didn’t care much what happened to them.

The angel posing also seemed a little too reminiscent of the first book’s princesses and something a little more fresh might have been welcome.

My buddy reader and I agreed that, if this had been the first book in the series, we probably would not have read the next two. I think Lexi Bennett has more to offer than this, and I hope we get another book in the future that shows off her best detective work.

Another thrilling read in the DI Lexi Bennett series! These can be read as standalones but the series is shaping up to be a huge hit. Full of twists and turns and lots of things coming seemingly out of nowhere. Very clever!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Another gripping, shocking, and hard to put down book in the Detective Lexi Bennett series! The opening scene grabbed my attention instantly. I knew this was going to be another thrilling and secret-filled book by Belsham! This is such a great series which I highly recommend. This book would work well as a stand-alone, but as it is only the third book in the series, why not start with the first book, The Girls on Chalk Hill.


A shocking and disturbing discovery is made in a cave underneath a winery. A naked dead woman with angel wings attached is found lying on the ground with a baby beside her with angel wings on her back as well. Detective Lexi Bennett is called in to investigate. Those at the scene claim to not know the dead women, but soon the owner of the winery steps forward with a shocking claim. When another dead woman and her baby are found on the grounds of the winery, the search for a killer intensifies and the danger mounts. Will Lexi and Tom be able to catch this elusive killer? This one kept me on my toes trying to come up with my own suspect list.

With the other books in the series, I was hooked from the very first page. I enjoyed the investigative team, especially Detective Lexi Bennett. I enjoy her determination, work ethic, and detective skills. I also enjoy getting glimpses into her personal life as well. As the investigation progressed, I could feel Lexi's frustration as she tried to catch a killer. Many of the characters in this book have secrets, are deceptive and have motives. But that doesn't make them a killer, does it?

I found this book to be well written, well thought out, and perfectly paced. I enjoyed the twists and turns and watching as the team worked to solve this disturbing case. This book is also full of tension and as the team gets closer to the truth, there is a mounting sense of danger as well. Another nice and clever part in the book was the diary/noes of the killer.

Well written, gripping, shocking and tense! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

The Innocent Angels is the third book in the Detective Lexi Bennett and what an utterly gripping and page turning read it was . Lexi and her colleague Tom are called to a winery where the body of a young woman has been discovered in a small cave and what makes it all the more disturbing is beside the body there is a little baby girl . Lexi and her team just work fast to find the killer before they strike again but then another body is found and the pressure on Lexi and her team increases . Oh my goodness this book just had me captivated from the very start. I do love a good detective series and this is certainly up there with the best of them. An excellently written story with good well developed characters . I did work out who the culprit was about 3/4 way through but it certainly didn’t take away my enjoyment of this book and there were a few OMG moments as well . As mentioned this is the third book in the series and I haven’t yet read the others but this can easily be read as a stand alone. I will however be going back to read the two previous books as I enjoyed this one so much .

Review - I've been a big fan of Alison Belsham books since I read my first one - The Tattoo Thief and this one continues the trend of me absolutely loving them. I got access to this through Netgalley and Bookouture,but had to read the first two books in the Detective Lexi Bennett series so be on the lookout for reviews of them coming soon.

This was a fantastic story, it was engaging from the very start and I'd definitely recommend not having any plans when you start this because it was impossible for me to put it down. Alison Belsham has a masterful way of crafting her characters which always keeps you interested in seeing them develop.

Overall, if you're a fan of thrillers, detective dramas and fantastic characters then this is the series for you. I'd recommend that everyone gives this a try.

4.5⭐

DI Lexi Bennett returns for what is without a doubt her most engrossing story to date.

As Lexi minutes after finishing a half-marathon learns from her colleague DS Tom Olsen that a body has been found at a local winery and whilst Lexi knows Tom is more than capable of starting an investigation without her. Lexi is unable to resist the urge to get stuck in.

However, it's a scene that neither Lexi nor Tom will soon forget. As a young woman has been found dead naked except for a pair of angel wings with her baby by her side. A baby that is thankfully still alive. Despite also being naked and wearing angel wings.

And Lexi and Tom have so many questions.

But the winery owner and employees maintain that they have no idea who this young woman and baby are.

And Tom and Lexi are left desperately searching for the victims ID and answers.

Yet, it soon becomes clear that not everyone at the winery is telling the truth.

As just as they are about to interview a potential witness. Whose girlfriend and daughter are missing. Someone from the winery appears and claims that they are the baby's father.

Which leaves Lexi and the team with even more questions and potential suspects.

Then a second victim is discovered at the winery under extremely similar circumstances, and Lexi knows her team must act swiftly if they are to catch the killer before they strike again.

And it's a killer whose motives are revealed as this story develops, and it's certainly one who keeps the reader guessing and Lexi and her well-organised team on their toes.

I would happily recommend The Innocent Angels and the DI Lexi Bennett series to all.

This is a brilliant crime thriller.
Lexi is called when a woman’s body is found at a vineyard in some caves linked to the property. She has been left naked with just some angel winds on her body. Next to her is her daughter, also with angel wings but she has been left alive.
Lexi and the team start questioning those at the vineyard but they’re more concerned about the grape harvest than the dead woman.
Soon another woman linked to the first victim is found jn the grounds of the vineyard and her daughter has once again been left alive next to her body.
There’s lots of characters that are hiding things and Lexi and the team have a challenge trying to get to the truth.
When Lexi is targeted herself, she knows she needs to catch this killer fast.
This is a gripping, fast paced crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

We start with a very harrowing scene. A woman wearing nothing but angel wings is found dead in an underground cave, next to her, thankfully still alive, baby. The cave is associated with the local vineyard and, after initially protesting a strong denial, the owner of the vineyard claims to be the baby's father. Which is news to the deceased woman's partner who has been raising the child as his own. Also upset, obviously, is the owner's wife. A tangled web indeed, and one which will really tax Det. Lexi Bennet as she starts to investigate, in this, her third outing.
But they have only just got started on their investigations when a second woman is also found dead, in exactly the same scenario, along with her baby. This ups the stakes and with pressure on her to get an arrest, Lexi goes off piste, following her instincts, again. Something that has got her in trouble before but also, got her results. But will it also put her in danger...
As with her previous outings, I loved this book. It hit the ground running for me with its explosive opening scene, and the intensity never dipped all the way through to its wholly satisfying ending. I ran around chasing my tail along with Lexi as I also struggled to make any headway into my guessing.
Plotting is tight and well executed, with some really cracking characters making their marks. I especially liked the foray into the ritualistic and folklore possibilities, but had absolutely no idea where we were going for pretty much most of the time!
And without any superfluous waffle or padding, it got on with itself very well indeed, pacing matching the narrative all the way through. Ramping up as it reached the ending which left me both exhausted and satisfied.
All in all, a cracking addition to a now well established series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The Lexi Bennett series has quickly become a favorite for me, with its brave heroine facing terrible crimes and constantly saving the day.

This time, a woman’s body is found in a winery, her baby crawling around the room crying. Lexi begins to investigate, and is unable to catch the killer before he strikes again.

The crimes are absolutely brutal and horrific to picture, with the addition of the babies being found alive at the crime scenes. The killer’s motivation is twisted but clear when it finally comes out, and I did not solve the mystery before Lexi did.

I adore Lexi’s character, but wow is she terrible at taking care of herself. She has put her own life in danger in each book so far, and this one adds a special trip along the way. I did like seeing her go on a date finally and bond a bit more with her team, making her a more well rounded character.

I found the ending to be just a bit abrupt this time, and would give it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.