Clare and DS Chris West get a call from the local school Albany High. Where one of the young students has taken their own life by hanging herself from the nearby tree in the school grounds. Apparently, she was a good student without any problems. Further investigation finds that the girl did it because of naked video with a boyfriend has been uploaded onto a porn internet site.
When local business Roy Craven comes into the station that someone is stealing from his elderly father Cliff. Objects have started going missing from his house. He a accuses a woman called Hazel who regular visits him at his house. The next morning Cliff is dead, and evidence shows that he was murdered. Why would someone want to hurt him?
Bridges to burn by Marion Todd is book 8 in the Detective Clare Mackay series and another fabulous read from the author. The author has written and great storyline with subjects that relate to today’s society between young children involving abuse and cyberbullying and teen suicide. But also, like hearing about the individual characters in the team and their lives and camaraderie between them. This story will also keep you guessing and guessing. 5 stars from me.

Another blinder from marion todd. DI Clare Mackay starts with what looks like a straightforward death but it leads to a much more complex multi generational series of crimes. It's fast paced and cleverly plotted to keep you guessing and dodging red herrings at every opportunity. The best female detective out there! 5 stars!

The 8th series and another fantastic storyline. A couple of investigations going on which the team need to figure out and solve. A great read and lookimg forward to next. Thankyou for advanced copy.

Good storyline and engaging. One of those books that is hard to put down.
Set in Scotland which is always a good thing there are 2 investigations that seem to be linked or are they?
Looking forward to more from the author Marion Todd

Bridges to Burn by Marion Todd is book 8 in the DI Clare Mackay series. Clare and her DS, Chris West, are called to a death at a local school. It’s a young girl. There are questions about her and her death that are puzzling. And that is not the only investigation they have on their plate. Josh has stolen a second-hand Ipad, which is very uncharacteristic of him, and a Rory is certain a woman is stealing items from his elderly father’s house. I have enjoyed all the books in this series, and this is a great addition. It pulls you in right from the beginning. There are certainly emotional ups and downs for the characters, and these are felt by the reader. The characters are fabulous. Some you really like but there is one in particular, and you can’t help roll your eyes at – just like Clare! I loved the way it flowed, following the clues but there are mis-directions throughout, so I had no idea who was responsible.

DI Clare Mackay and her team at St Andrew's receive a distressing call from Albany High School. A female student has been discovered by the caretaker hanging from a tree at the edge of the school grounds. Sophie Bakewell is apparently very popular, a talented student, and did not appear to have any worries. So why would she do such a thing?
Then businessman, Rory Craven calls into the station saying that a woman called Hazel is taking advantage of and stealing from his elderly, unwell father. Add a spot of inexplicable shoplifting and Clare realises she may have a bit too much to contend with.
This is another excellent addition to this police procedural series. Marion Todd is superb at taking the format of a police procedural and then weaving current-day issues into the mix. In this story, we have teenage suicide, cyberbullying, fraud, and historical sexual abuse. To stop the story from getting too heavy and turgid though, touches of humour are injected cleverly throughout.
The plot is intricate with red herrings aplenty and in the beginning, you can’t see the connections between the crimes. It then gradually becomes clear and builds to a good conclusion.
You do warm to Clare and the main players in this series. In this story, we also have a new character, Family Liaison Officer Paul. He and Clare get off to a really shaky start so it will be interesting to see how he develops in the future.
This is a solid addition to the series. It can potentially be read as a stand-alone, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with the books..
A big thank you to NetGalley, Canelo Crime and Marion Todd for the ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I am often reminded of how different today's school children have it in comparison to those of us who grew up in the pre-internet era. While bullying has been an issue, I suspect, throughout human history, the utter brutality of cyber bullying and the forms it can take, make me glad not to have been exposed to such things in my youth.

In the historic part of Scotland where St Andrew's is located, we are introduced to a tight-knit and highly effective police team led by the female officer who is our MC. But Clare Mackay and her team are facing some puzzling questions.

Why would a popular young schoolgirl commit suicide? And how, if at all, is her case linked with that of an elderly man found dead the day after his son reported that he was being cheated out of his money?

This is an excellent police procedural with well developed characters. The mystery is intriguing, and the issues raised in the novel are very contemporary. An engaging read.

Another fantastic Clare MacKay story from Marion Todd. Clare and the team get caught up in an historical bribery and rape case after discovering an old man dead in his home. At the same time, a teenage suicide leads them to investigate phone hacking and sexploitation at local schools. As always the author weaves in the personal lives of the team members to produce a superb book. Recommended ++
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A young girl has committed suicide after a video of her with her boyfriend was shared on a porn site.
DI Clare Mackay is called to investigate, and this case leads to her team uncovering much more than they expected.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it certainly will not be the last.

I like the fact that there is a lead female detective, and that she has good instincts.

This is book 8 in the series and while I got a good sense of Clare and her team members, I would like to find out more about their characters.

The story was well crafted, gripping and quite brilliant. All the mysteries, which are all connected to the same case, are very well tied up at the end.

I would say this is a brilliant Police Procedural and want to read more by the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read this book.

Detective Clare Mackay #8

DI Clare Mackay is called to Albany High, where the body of a girl has been found. A suspected suicide - yet Sophie Bakewell was by all accounts a cheerful, talented student. Could she really have been hiding a darker side? It's not the only disturbing case to land on Clare's desk. Across town, an elderly man is in danger. Yet before the police can determine the facts, everything changes, and they are presented with two suspicious deaths to investigate.

I always look forward to reading a new Clare Mackay book and the only thing I've ever been disappointed in is when I reach the end.

Teenager Sophie Bakewell has been found dead in the grounds of Albany High School, Her classmates remain tight-lipped.

Businessman Rory Craven goes into the police station to report that someone is stealing from his father, Cliff Craven. The following morning, Cliff is dead.

There are plenty of twists and red herrings to keep us on our toes. We get a mixture of police procedural and their family lives. Shocking secrets are revealed. Could there be a connection to the two cases? I love Marion's style of writing. The storyline is gripping. I also like that it's set in St. Andrews, another beautiful part of Scotland. I like the work relationship Clare has with her colleagues. I like everything about this police procedural series and I think this is the best book in the series, so far.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #MarionTodd for my ARC of #BridgesToBurn in exchange for an honest review.

Part of a series featuring Detective Clare Mackay,set in and around St Andrews. A very topical and up to date story involving modern technology and cyber bullying. A good read.

Young and old, they need DI Clare Mackay's help🚨

I love Clare Mackay's close knit police team and how Clare manages them to a successful result. The series, all set in historic St. Andrews, Scotland, focuses on crimes and victims that are easy to identify with. Bridges to Burn has school kids targeted by cyber blackmail and a shut-in pensioner who's purportedly being fleeced of his possessions in his own home. Right from the first chapter the plot hooked me as tragedy takes a young life and Clare owes it to the victim and parents to find the reason. I found both cases realistic and loved the way Clare and her crew work so harmoniously to find the villains.

I also like the subplot involving two of the team's approaching wedding, with Chris, Clare's DS right-hand man, worrying about his wedding speech and getting all of the prep done in time for the big event. His behavior and the ribbing he takes from his colleagues injected some light relief as they chug along on the investigation. There are also two spoiler characters brought in that created some extra tension and headaches for the usually even-keeled Clare.

The culprits may not be as unpredictable in this one, but the chase was as good as I have grown to expect from this police procedural series.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I've been a fan of the DI Clare Mackay books for a while and, I have to say, this is the best yet.

The story is very topical - a girl's body is found in a school, suspected suicide and a plot involving intimate photos and videos is discovered. Alongside this a man's death uncovers past secrets. I won't say too much about that as the plot twists and turns and I don't want to give these away, they're very well crafted and it would be a shame to spoil them.

I will say that the story is excellent, and the characters are really well developed now. The police office feels genuine, the relationships natural and the uncovering of what has happened is worked out realistically. Their private lives are part of the story but the focus is very much on the case and the way it is laid out day by day really carries the pace forward throughout. This was my favourite of the books so far - the author just feels so comfortable now with the places and people involved and the story is the focus. I'm looking forward to the next one already!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

#BridgestoBurn #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

I am a fan of this author and her Clare Mackay series and Bridges to Burn is a very, very good read. I really like the main character and those she works alongside and love their banter and the little glimpses the author gives into their home and personal lives. I was drawn into the story right from the start and the authors writing held my attention and interest all the way through. The story is perfectly paced over a short period of time and Clare has two separate cases to investigate. I loved the multi layered threads in the plot line that is full of secrets, lies and deceit. Can Clare solve these cases? The plot certainly went off in ways I didn't see coming, which added to my enjoyment of this read and gave the story more depth. I'm still not sure I like a new character who certainly ruffled a few feathers! All threads were tied up nicely giving good closure and the ending made me laugh. My only gripe, if you can call it that, is Clare's continual reference to her partner by their job title. Just a minor irritation for me. If you like police procedurals then I'd recommend this book, author and series although if you're new to Marion Todd as an author I'd say read the books in order.

4 stars

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This starts with the apparent suicide of a schoolgirl, but more and more investigations, both into the present and the past are swiftly mixed in: shoplifting, burglary, rape, sextortion, corruption in public office, arson, murder. At one point the heroine Clare realizes she has forgotten all about one of the investigations, and I felt the same. This was very much a police procedural, with Clare and her team pursuing and sometimes discarding successive lines of enquiry. By the end the focus had mostly shifted away from the opening suicide. This was the storyline I felt most invested in, and the 'banter' at the end therefore left a really bad taste in my mouth. I'm deducting a star for it.

Thanks to Marion and NetGalley for allowing me to read Bridges to Burn before the publication date.
This book is an easy read whilst also being a page turner involving very current issues.
Marion’s writing mixes sarcasm and dry humour, whilst displaying sensitivity over the subject matter.

Teenager Sophie Bakewell is found dead in the grounds of Albany High. None of her class mates will say anything.
DI Clare Mackay receives a link to a Pay to View site with a video of Sophie and an unidentified boy. A friend of Sophie’s says that his name is Ethan. When the team find Ethan, he claims that the video was made with Sophie’s consent, but he cannot explain how it got on the website as he did not share it with anyone else and did not post it to the website.

Businessman Rory Craven storms into the police station to complain that his elderly father, Cliff Craven, is being cuckooed by a woman who is stealing from him. He demands that the woman is arrested.

When Clare visits Cliff, she is met by a kind and genial octogenarian who insists that there is nothing wrong and that his son is only worried about his inheritance.
He tells her that Hazel Sullivan is interviewing him about local politics, drawing on his experience as a local councillor, for the book which she is writing.

The following morning, the cleaner finds Cliff dead in his armchair and the post mortem reveals that he was asphyxiated.
The investigation is now a murder and DCI Tony McEvettie is assigned to oversee it.

There will be plenty of red herrings and secrets to be revealed.

This is #8 in the DS Karen Hart series but it can easily be read as a standalone.

One of Karen’s own team, DS Sophie Jones, is found badly beaten in a dark industrial estate and is taken to hospital, fighting for her life.

The team firstly assumes that Sophie was in the wrong place at the wrong time, until they investigate further. A garage near where Sophie was found has links to a local mobster who Karen has been trying to nail for years, so the assumption is that he’s the attacker. But then he asks Karen for her help with finding out who’s killing his partners in crime.

A brilliant addition to the series and I’m already looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for my opportunity to read and review this book.

DI Clare Mackay is back along with her partner DCI Alistair Gibson and Benjy the dog! The story begins with a stag do for DS Chris West. The following day, Clare and the team called in to investigate the mystery of a young girl found hanging at her high school, they are in for a shock as they discover some things about the young girl. This leads them to finding out about a website where victims are being blackmailed with private videos and photos. Who is doing this? Why? For What means and motives are behind this? The plot is fast paced with a few red herrings thrown in along side the twists and turns. I love how the characters interact with each other and you know they like each other. For me, it's like being with family. I loved how it finished with the wedding. More Clare please!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Another winner in this wonderful series. I had to pat myself on the back this time for figuring it out before the reveal. Her stories are so well written. I love the camaraderie between the characters, particularly Clare and Chris. He cracks me up every time. The jokes about his addiction to Wagon Wheel biscuits never fail to amuse. The author does such a good job of blending police procedural with the personal side. I love that this one ended with the wedding, and as much as you dislike Tony, he really got the last laugh. Next time, I hope we get to see Wendy as the FLO. Paul was just awful.

Love the Claire Mackay novels. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it