Another fantastic instalment in the Detective Kate Young series. I have followed Kate’s story with my heart in mouth through many of the books and this was no exception.
The twists in this book were completely unexpected and so well planned out. It all fell into place in such a way that I couldn’t understand how I hadn’t foreseen the twists that occurred!

Highly recommended.

3.5 stars

A Soul for a Soul by Carol Wyer  is the fifth in the Detective Kate Young series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – Contains spoilers from previous books)
DI Kate Young witnessed the aftermath of a massive shooting on a train, which included her husband’s body. He was a journalist, hot on the trail of corruption.  Her boss, DCI William Case, was more of a father-figure and mentor, and he has recently been murdered.  They were both trying to figure out who in the police department are corrupt.   Kate accidentally killed Superintendent John Dickson, who was definitely corrupt, and actually confessed his part in the death of her husband.  Kate has hidden her crime,  but she thinks someone knows. She  had been hearing voices of her dead husband Chris, and now Case and Dickson have both added their voices.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Kate has recently been promoted to DCI, and she's not sure that she likes taking a backseat to crime, but it does give her more time to try and figure out who among her fellow police officers are part of the syndicate.   She also needs to find out who knows that she is the one who killed Dickson.

DI Emma Donaldson is searching for a man who is incapacitating his victims with a deadly narcotic.  So far two women have been found dead, but they start to wonder if there may be more.  It's Emma's first stab at being a DI, and she wants to prove herself to Kate,  but she may become reckless. She has recently moved in with her boyfriend,  fellow officer Morgan Meredith, who is running his own case against the human traffickers.  The pair are having issues.

When DI Harriet Khatri approaches Kate for help, Kate wants to say no.  Harriet is awaiting trial for the murder of Kate's mentor William Case, but she is insisting she is innocent.

Meanwhile, the voices in Kate's head are getting more vocal, and Kate is starting to fear for her sanity.


My Opinions:
Well, another police procedural series about corruption.  That's all I'm saying about the topic - which I hate.

This, however, really concentrated a lot on side-plots, and I definitely enjoyed them.  I didn't particularly like Emma and her relationship with Morgan.  She blamed him for everything.

At points I found myself skimming, as it was somewhat overly descriptive and repetitive. However, it had a major twist as to the identity of one of the syndicate, which I definitely did not see coming....I loved that!

Overall, it wasn't a bad book, but again, it had an ending which I didn't like.   The other thing that this series has going for it, is that they are relatively easy reads.   It looks like the next book will be more corruption, so I may not be quite as quick to pick it up.  But I've said that before...

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Detective Kate Young series really takes off at a furious pace, with plenty of emotional angst if you are rooting for Kate. I would definitely read this series in order. Kate has been working on investigating her husband's death and department corruption. Her mentor, William Chase was helping her but in the previous book he was murdered.

She has to be careful to keep investigating privately or the corrupt syndicate will try to murder her also. It takes her over the fine line of the law. She knows the corrupt are stacked against her and it takes all she has to combat them. Kate is guilty about things she has done to keep working on the investigation. She and her teams have constantly been thwarted in some investigations by a mole or moles.

Kate still struggles with her grief over losing her husband and now losing William. She hears voices in her head; infrequently her husband, more often the corrupt John Dickson or William Chase, as she investigates. I get tired of these internal conversations. The pacing seemed a bit slow at times.

She was promoted to William's position of DCI. She spends a lot of time tediously tracking down people who are hiding who have the information she needs or working with a technical friend on results to unmask who the mole and corrupt are.

Her two protégées Emma and Morgan have both been promoted to acting DIs. Emma is working on investigating a case of murders of women found without their jewelry, phones or purses which may all be related. Morgan is on the task force still trying to bring down the traffickers. Emma and Morgan are also in a personal relationship and are struggling to balance between the demanding job and personal time. We get some of Emma's point of view and also the killer.

Many of the story arcs from the beginning of the series are concluded in A Soul for a Soul. Kate is an excellent investigator and manager of teams. She needs to take a break to finally grieve after solving these cases. But is this the end of Kate's police career? And will there be more to the series?

A Soul for a Soul is the 5th book in the Detective Kate Young crime fiction series from Carol Wyer.

"DCI Kate Young is still reeling from her involvement with the death of Superintendent Dickson. Now she's hearing Dickson's voice and William's voice as she tries to bring down the Syndicate. And after a body was found buried at a new housing development, she's got her DC's trying to find the killer. Can she balance it all without losing her mind?"

Wyer finally gives us some final answers (sort of) after five books. Kate is still unsure of who she can trust. And Wyer keeps it ambiguous do the reader doesn't know either. There is a final reckoning with the Syndicate so we find out some of the missing identities.
I like that Kate is not really involved in the case that her DC is working on. It works as a parallel story. DC Emma Donaldson is driven to be as meticulous as Kate had been. And is constantly trying to find balance in her time spent solving the case and her partner at home. Lots of tension there.
Wyer keeps you guessing all the way to the end and beyond. It'll be interesting to see what she has in mind for Future Kate. More good crime fiction from Wyer.

Where to even begin?

I have followed this series from the start so I'm familiar with Kate's flaws and foibles. Does she get on my nerves? A little. Especially with the constant monologuing with the dead William and Dickson. Chris' dialogue was enough but now we have her mentor and her nemesis to battle it out in her head!

OK, so if you haven't read any of the previous books, don't start this one until you have done so as the culmination of events and everything that went beforehand will make absolutely no sense. Some series you can pick up here and there and read without missing out on anything else. But this series is not one of them. In fact, the entire series hinges on Kate's relentless investigating into a corrupt syndicate involved in sex trafficking, drugs and murder - and that of the murder of her husband Chris. A syndicate compromised of corrupt police officers, some of whom were at senior level. It's like a series of "Line of Duty"...lol

Since the previous book, Kate has been promoted to DCI and taking the place of her mentor and friend William Chase who was brutally murdered by one of the syndicate, DI Harriet Khatri. Harriet, however, is protesting her innocence loudly though no one is listening. Least of all Kate who was not her biggest fan in the first place. But Harriet calls on Kate with a special request...but how will Kate react?

Since Kate's promotion, it has left room for her previous position as DI open as well as Harriet's also, since she now sits under house arrest with strict bail conditions awaiting trial for William's murder. And so Kate handpicks her two DS's, Emma and Morgan, to step into the Acting DI role until they can take their Inspector's exams.

Emma's first big case comes along investigating a killer who maims his victims with a psychoactive drug, leaving no trace in their systems. Or so he thought. It seems he is cockier than he is clever. But will he outsmart Emma before she can uncover the truth?

Meanwhile, Morgan has been tasked to Operation Moonbeam who are investigating the people trafficking and with a mole in their midst, Morgan is feeling frustrated with the slow progress, despite months of work. And it's affecting his home life with Emma.

On top of it all, Kate must maintain a professional integrity in overseeing her teams but she misses being in the thick of the investigation. But under the mantle of DCI she is also able to continue looking further into the syndicate and its remaining members, and attempt to bring it all down once and for all.

Then just when you think that's the end of it...Wyer delivers those final lines. Is this the end? Or is it not?

I admit to having further suspicions but in hindsight, I'd like this to be the end for Kate. To sit back and relax and just let it all go. To remain and continue digging would just be tempting fate.

The twists are delivered with fervour in this story but alas, I could not be hoodwinked. I correctly figured two out of three. That last one had me surprised. But the identity of the killer nor the first of the remaining syndicate members revealed were not. Sorry (not sorry!).

This series is so different from Carol Wyer's others and I could see how it could be so all-encompassing, when she locks herself away in her office for hours on end leaving Mr Grumpy to fend for himself. I think I'd be exhausted with navigating all this!

Overall, an entertaining taut crime thriller that will have you turning the pages until the very end, and then leaving you scratching your head.

I would like to thank #CarolWyer, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #ASoulForASoul in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Soul For A Soul’, book five in the Detective Kate Young series written by Carol Wyer, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Following her shooting of Superintendent John Dickson, a member of a criminal syndicate that infiltrated the police force and who she was trying to bring to justice, and the killing of her friend and mentor DCI William Chase, DCI Kate Young is searching for a document giving the names of the syndicate’s members, but she doesn’t know where it is or if it even exists. Meanwhile, Acting DI Emma Donaldson is heading a team to find the person responsible for the death of Leah Fairbrother and attacks on several other women by drugging them with the lethal narcotic known as Devil’s Breath.

‘A Soul For A Soul’ is in my opinion the most brilliant and gripping book of the series and so exciting I couldn’t help myself but continue reading well into the early hours. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed involving myself with Kate, Emma, Scott and Morgan, whose individual characters gel making them an exceptionally strong team with the ability to catch the villains, albeit risking their own lives in the process. There’s a huge amount of suspense, intrigue and nail-biting twists and turns with the tension increasing the further I’ve got into the story, and a conclusion that was so unexpected it made me gasp with surprise. This is a totally addictive thriller that ends on a cliffhanger – will it be the final book in the series? I hope not but I’ll have to wait for the next wonderful book by this very talented author to find out.

A Soul for a Soul is the fifth book in the Detective Kate Young series by Carol Wyer. In this book, Kate Young is haunted by the voices of the dead, especially her mentor William and her nemesis Dickson, who plays an active interest in her ongoing life, the voices playing on her good and bad consciousness.

Detective Kate has to relook at her earlier cased close and find out if the rest of the syndicate members are still around, as been brought to her notice, or is it a case of trying to shift blame onto others.

The book is fast-paced and full of interesting. The character of Kate Young is a complex and compelling protagonist, who struggles with her guilt, trauma, and anger, but also shows courage, compassion, and resilience.

I enjoyed reading A Soul for a Soul and I recommend this book to fans of crime thrillers, police procedurals, and Carol Wyer's previous works.

Another brilliant crime thriller from Carol Wyer.
I couldn’t wait to read this book to find out what happened next to Kate after the photos were left on her desk.
We start the book with Kate being promoted and Emma taking over her old role. Kate still wants to be involved so joins Emma when a dead woman’s body is found at a building site.
Kate lets Emma lead on the case as she’s tied up trying to find the identities of those in the syndicate and comes across a few surprises.
This is a great read and I’d highly recommend this series.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book.

A Soul for a Soul is a good continuation of the Detective Kate Young Series. Kate is dealing with her inner demons stemming from the events in the last book. In this story, she's caught up with in finding answers about her investigation into former Superintendent John Dickson and therefore is distracted with the current murder investigation that is now being headed by DI Emma Donaldson. While I didn't mind that Emma and her team make up more than half of this new installment in the series, I really missed the connection Kate made me with as a reader and it felt a little disappointed. Carol Wyer's writing is exceptional as ever and I hope continuing forward, we get back to making Kate the center of the investigations.

Book 5 in the Detective Kate Young series and whilst it could be read as a stand-alone there are a number of ongoing threads and I would recommend reading the series from the start. Kate is still up against the syndicate; after killing one of the top cops and disposing of the body, her godfather, and also a syndicate member (although he told her he had joined to expose the group members) was murdered. As always this is a well written fast paced novel with a number of threads which all tie up nicely.

Briefly, Kate is investigating the syndicate on the quiet when the officer awaiting trial for killing her godfather contacts her and says she was framed. Although sceptical Kate agrees to look into her claims. Meanwhile her mentee DI Emma Donaldson and her team are investigating two murders that Emma thinks may be connected unaware that the killer is taking a keen interest in her! Emma’s partner DI Morgan Meredith, is part of Operation Moonbeam, an investigation into a people trafficking ring. However, things aren’t going well and it’s affecting their relationship.

Kate is a great character, a great police officer and very dedicated. However, traumatised by her husband’s murder, then killing a corrupt officer and now her godfather being murdered has seriously affected her mental health. She no longer hears her husbands voice but both the murdered officer and her godfather ‘speak’ to her all the time and now she is talking back to them, and has nearly been caught out a few times. With all the red herrings it’s really difficult to know just who you can trust, I kept switching my chief suspects! A very enjoyable read and I wonder where Kate will go next, she’s a wonderful character and it would be sad to say goodbye forever.

4.5⭐️

DCI Kate Young has long been on the trail of discovering her husband Chris’s murderer, but now she is avidly covering up the death of Superintendent John Dickson. While it is true that she shot Dickson but has reasons for covering it up. His voice is constantly ringing in her ears. Meanwhile, Kate has a new promotion due to the death of DCI William Chase. Losing William has left a huge void in Kate’s life. Feeling bereft, her workplace brings her great sadness. His voice is also in her head, leading her to imagined conversations.

Operation Moonbeam is afoot. Can Kate and her team expose the corruption in the police force, while also trying to stop a group of human traffickers? With DI Harriet Khartri having been charged with William’s murder, Kate could possibly move on. Awaiting trial for those charges, Harriet appeals to Kate for help. Kate doesn’t like or even trust Harriet much, her rival, but she digs deep into the case.

Beyond helping Harriet, Kate’s real goal to go expose the corrupt syndicate in the police department. Kate is desperate to find the ever elusive Digger, a man who witnessed Dickson’s death. With everything going on, Kate hardly knows who to trust she knows that someone who works with her is part of the syndicate. Could it be someone closer than she imagined?

One of Kate’s team members, Emma, is experiencing her own drama. Aside from being in a relationship with Morgan, a fellow police officer, she is on the hunt for a double murderer. For Emma and Morgan, there is trouble in their relationship. Then, the killer has a perspective in this novel, someone who is driven by emotional blindness.

With intense drama, palpable tension, and an intriguing storyline, this latest book in the Detective Kate Young series was yet another compelling read by Carol Wyer. Every book is just as good as the all the others, and Ms. Wyer’s writing shows incredible talent. But...the cliffhanger?! I certainly hope we have not seen the last of Kate.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A Soul for a Soul by Carol Wyer is a recommended procedural and the fifth book in the Detective Kate Young series.

Kate Young is now DCI after her mentor and father-figure William Chase was killed. She misses him greatly as she does her murdered husband, Chris. Kate is also full of guilt over a death she played a role in, that of Superintendent John Dickson. DI Harriet Khatri, who is awaiting trial for William's murder, contacts Kate proclaiming her innocence. She believes evidence was tampered with and begs Kate to look into it. Kate is also doing her own separate investigation after receiving anonymous photographic evidence implicating her. She is determined to take the syndicate down and stop them once and for all.

Now Emma Donaldson is promoted to DI and takes on the investigation after a woman's body is found on the site of a new housing development. The case becomes that of a serial murderer/robber who incapacitates his victims with a powerful narcotic called Devil’s Breath and then robs them. The investigation is complicated by people withholding the truth from her. Emma's life partner, DI, Morgan Meredith, is involved with Operation Moonbeam into people trafficking. Their relationship is under a lot of stress because they are both so busy.

There are two complicated investigations being conducted in this well-paced procedural. Following Emma as she takes on the position of Acting DI is very compelling and satisfying. Although I have read one previous book in the series, it is clear that following the entire series in the order which it is written would be preferable for those interested in it.

What pulled this novel down for me were the two voices talking to Kate in her head, William and Dickson, and her replying to them. This was overdone, distracting, and quit frankly, a bit disturbing. Think about it, she is hearing voices in her head frequently and sometimes replies to them verbally. The plot device of her auditory hallucinations is likely being used to show how she has been traumatized and is under great stress, but it felt way too overused to me and became disconcerting.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
he review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

A Soul for A Soul is the latest instalment in the Detective Kate Young series. As well as the ongoing ‘syndicate’ plot line, there’s also a spate of attacks on women as Kate’s colleague Emma is chasing down a double murderer. The two plots work well alongside each other and certainly keep you guessing. This is a fast paced novel that had me hooked from the start. Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and the author for the chance to review.

A Soul for a Soul is book 5 in the Detective Kate Young Series. I have read the previous books and enjoyed them all. This one is fast paced and twisty and in my opinion the best book of the series yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC.

The books in Carol Wyer's Kate Young series are always entertaining and well written, and A Soul For A Soul is no exception. There are two main plot strands here, one involving Kate herself and involving past events in which she was closely involved, and a current crime which is investigated by her second in command and the team. The personal lives of all the principal characters are interesting and involving, but I find the technique of Kate being spoken to by her late husband, her previous boss and a bent cop, both now deceased, frankly irritating.

Number 5 in the Kate Young series and probably the best. I say probably because, with an author like Carol Wyer, there is always scope for an even better read next time around. This is a truly excellent read. There is a lot going on and while possibly not essential, you will get so much more out of this if you have read the previous books in the series. Kate still reeling from the death of her mentor William really does not know where to turn and the internal dialogues in her head with Chris, Dickson and now William too, are taking their toll, as is adjusting to her new role.
Alongside we follow the main plot where newly promoted Emma is in charge of her first case as an acting DI, that of the murder of a young woman, who on first inspection has no obvious injuries such is the clever and unusual cause of her demise. I read a lot of murder mysteries and I've never come across this cause of death before, it's a credit to the author for finding something so original.
The plots brilliantly collide, the subplot is, again very cleverly, wrapped up, and everyone walks off into the sunset, or do they?……..
Can't wait to see what happens next to Kate

A Soul for a Soul by Carol Wyer, purportedly the final instalment in the series, attempts to tie up the elusive syndicate storyline that has lingered throughout the preceding books. While there are moments of intrigue and resolution, the overall execution left me somewhat unsatisfied.
The narrative predominantly revolves around Kate's relentless pursuit of answers, notably regarding the mysterious figure, Digger, and a search of Williams's house. Unfortunately, the plot seemed to meander in repetitive circles, with Kate engaging in similar actions without significant progress. This repetitive structure created a sense of frustration, making the reading experience less engaging than anticipated.
A noteworthy subplot involves Emma's investigation, which held promise but concluded with a rather underwhelming outcome—a damp squib, to be precise. The lacklustre resolution to this side story contributed to my disappointment with the overall narrative.
The conclusion to the syndicate storyline, which I had eagerly anticipated, also failed to deliver the anticipated impact. Instead of going out all guns blazing, the ending felt subdued and left me yearning for a more dynamic and compelling resolution.
As the supposed final chapter in Kate's journey, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief upon finishing the book. The lingering question now is whether Kate has genuinely fulfilled her purpose and whether there is anything more she could bring to the table in future instalments. I hope that, if there are to be further developments, a fresh perspective and renewed vigour be brought to the series.

I missed the beginning of the series but this book does ok as a stand alone. This book kept me up at night reading so I could find out what happened next. I love these type of books and the authors way of keeping you gripped on the pages is amazing to the very end

I think I've skipped a book in this series, but it apparently didn't matter. I found this book to be a page turner in that it stopped me being annoyed at the all night racket next door as I was so involved in the plot (so must be good!). The characters are easy to like and believable. I had my suspicions about certain people which proved correct, but there were still plenty of twists. The ending has me wanting the next book to see what Kate decided.

This is book 5 in the series and is best read in order.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC