This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Very Zeitgeisty and informative, if scarey. See my review at https://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/the-books-of-ayewrite-2017-penney-pasternak-butlin-and-sherez/. My book of the month for March 2017.

My next review is:-

"Intrusions:Carrigan & Miller", written by Stav Sherez and published in paperback by Faber & Faber; Main edition on 2 Feb. 2017. 352 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0571297252

When a distressed young woman arrives at their station claiming her friend has been abducted, and that the man threatened to come back and 'claim her next', Detectives Carrigan and Miller are thrust into a terrifying new world of stalking and obsession.

Taking them from a Bayswater hostel, where backpackers and foreign students share dorms and failing dreams, to the emerging threat of online intimidation, hacking, and control, The Intrusions explores disturbing contemporary themes with all the skill and dark psychology that Stav Sherez's work has been so acclaimed for.

Under scrutiny themselves, and with old foes and enmities re-surfacing, how long will Carrigan and Miller have to find out the truth behind what these two women have been subjected to?

His third published novel, A Dark Redemption,which was the first in a London-based police procedural series, was published by Faber and Faber in February 2012. It deals with Joseph Kony and the legacy of LRA child soldiers now living in London. It was shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2013. The second in the "Carrigan and Miller" series, "Eleven Days", was published by Faber in May 2013 and I reviewed it for eurocrime.co.uk, and was very impressed.

Now, after a four year absence, the author has written this latest one which I was also very impressed by. The only problem I had with it was the difficulty in remembering all that had occurred in the previous book as Detective Inspector Jack Carrigan, is still having to undergo the indignity of being investigated for apparent breaches of procedure that occurred in the the previous story.

However, that is a subplot that takes away from the main investigation into the murders that happened at the Bayswater hostel. As usual, Carrigan and Miller develop their own theories behind what they think happened and investigate the facts as they feel they lead. However, the head of the department ,Superintendent Branch, believes the enquiry needs outside psychological help and therefore insists that a profiler be added to the team. Unfortunately, the one assigned is a person that Carrigan has a terrible personal history with!


Jack and Geneva Miller, the lead detectives, separately pursue different leads to save resources and it is very intriguing how each fact in the case in unearthed and how apparently unconnected details do eventually come together. They explore a lot of data and I particularly enjoyed the forensic intensity of this, which is normally skirted around in other books. The interaction of Carrigan and Miller is also interesting and of course there are tensions there as the chemistry between the two who spend many hours in each other's company can be problematic. Still it all comes to a most satisfactory conclusion and all the loose ends are eventually tied up. This is a very cleverly plotted book which I found most enjoyable. It was one that once you start it is very difficult to put down.

I'm really disappointed that the author doesn't release his books with the frequency of other mystery authors as the quality of the research and detail and sheer readability of his stories is really to be envied by many other less gifted writers. I just could not put this really gripping story down. Please Stav don't leave it four years before the next Carrigan and Miller story comes out. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Best wishes,

Terry
(To be published on eurocrime.co.uk)

Follow Detectives Carrigan and Miller in this British crime thriller. Although this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I have not read any book written by Stav Sherez before but this was recommended by a friend on Goodreads.

I found this novel to get off to a poor start and I did not engage with Detectives Carrigan and Miller. The story appeared to be quite dull although it involved a missing young woman in alarming circumstances. But I urge readers to bear with it as this story vastly improves once a profiler becomes involved. Then I engaged fully with this novel and found the profiler's input to the case very interesting indeed. My interest increased further when the title of this novel came into play. The Intrusions are those enabled by modern technology and social media using Remote Administration Tools. For good measure, throw in a cocktail of drugs including DMT - (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) and you have a very entertaining and thought provoking novel.

I think The Intrusions is a good contemporary tale. Some people use social media so heavily, they forget about the dark forces behind the scenes which could come into play. I particularly liked the exploration of Remote Administration Tools as their use can be quite creepy. People can forget that although they see a lot of cameras, there is often one camera that they fail to spot. We now live in a world where these intrusions happen 24 hours a day. Many coach drivers on the National Express network here in the UK have been sacked due to those 12 second video clips downloaded using Remote Administration Tools on the Dashboard cameras, one facing forward the other spying on the driver.

I enjoyed reading The Intrusions. Characterisation was not marvellous and I did not develop an empathy for any of the characters. It does not qualify as a character led novel as their roles were weak. But where it scores heavily is in the social commentary on social media and Remote Administration Tools. Years ago the worry was of Big Brother watching your every move, now in 2017 the worry of The Intrusions is of those dodgy individuals covertly watching you from afar. I think this novel is a good read, there are novels with better characterisations and plots but The Intrusions is very thought provoking about the way our society has progressed, so it is 4 stars from me.

This a superb book! Having read the previous two books in the Carrigan and Miller series, and because of the fairly long gap between novels, I was eagerly awaiting this story and I was not disappointed! It is riveting from start to finish, both in terms of the crime being investigated and the personal lives of the two principal detectives. The story itself is very much de nos jours in its use of technological developments and it leaves one looking forward to further instalments.

The Intrusions gripped me. Totally, completely hooked me from the outset. I read it in three sittings and each time I had to put down the book (to go and do the day job) I was counting down the minutes until the time when I could pick it up and begin reading again.

What made matters worse was that when I found out what the Intrusions from the title actually were I became more than a little freaked out. Not only was I dying to get back to reading, I was obsessing slightly about plot threads from the story and looking around my environment wondering if there were reasons to worry!

Cryptic? Sorry but once you read the book you will understand why…it is a chilling idea but I have no doubt it is happening all around us.

The Intrusions was my first introduction to Stav Sheraz’s books and there were references to previous stories featuring the lead characters (Carrigan and Miller). Sometimes that can be a frustration for a new reader but in this case I found myself on several occasions thinking “I MUST go back and read the earlier books” as the backstory sounds superb.

The Intrusions begins with an abduction but it is not long before events will spiral into a much bigger challenge for the police. I particularly enjoyed how well the investigation was presented by the author, I really felt I was tracking their footsteps as they hunted down leads. Not every police thriller can capture the sense of urgency and pressure of an active investigation but, as I indicated above, I was gripped.

Without doubt one of the best books I have read for many months and a story I am recommending to anyone that will listen. Do not miss The Intrusions.

This book is the third in the series, but could be a stand alone. I enjoyed the many twists and turns. A great read

I thought I had grown sick of the serial killer meme in fiction, but this is a very different twist on it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go online again without panicking slightly, while the transient backpacker population and hordes of young people hoping to make a go of things in London provided a moving backdrop.

This is one of several current thrillers that deal with cyber stalking & the shadowy side of social media. When it comes to the internet, the possibilities for scaring the pants off us are endless & the author takes full advantage in this gritty read.

DS Geneva Miller & boss DI Jack Carrigan are forced to educate themselves when they end up investigating the abduction/murder of young women with ties to a local backpackers’ hostel. It’s the type of place that caters to young, transient foreigners so pinning down information on the girls is a challenge. But as Miller & Carrigan pick away, a chilling MO begins to emerge & they realize this is not your average stalker. This is someone who has mastered the game of cat & mouse, someone who feeds off your emotional distress as they gradually take over your life.

There’s a sense of urgency to the case & not just because a life is at stake. Carrigan’s handling of a previous investigation has caught the eye of Internal Affairs. Did he colour outside the lines? Yup. Was it justified? Maybe, but it’s the ammunition an old nemesis on the force has been waiting for & Carrigan’s days as a cop are numbered.

As a straight up police procedural, this is a fast paced & scary ride. As the story progresses & the killer’s motivation is revealed, it’s clear the initial investigation is just the tip of the iceberg. And for someone like me (who consults a 10 year old for tech support), what a person with malicious intent can do with your computer is truly frightening.

But when it comes to the characters, i would not recommend this as a stand alone. Miller & Carrigan are compelling but both are dealing with multiple personal issues. No doubt these have roots in previous books in the series which I have not read. My bad. At times, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something & it prevented me from fully connecting with them. They obviously have a complex history & I’m sure faithful fans will have a richer read.

Not up for debate is this author’s ability to write. The narrative is smooth & well paced with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. There are some scenes with a high squirm factor but they inform the plot & never feel gratuitous. Some story lines are left open & events on the final page ensure fans will be lined up for book #4.

If you’re in the mood for a smart & scary thriller, give this a try. By the end you’ll either be changing your online habits or moving to a cave.

I am always a sucker for a good police procedural and this certainly fits that bill. This was the first book in the Carrigan and Miller series that I have been fortunate enough to read and I will certainly be looking out for the two previous titles in this developing series.

Sherez really knows his stuff and his London reeks of authenticity and the plot is well developed and credible. Of course there are flashbacks to episodes from the two previous books in the series but not enough to spoil your enjoyment if treating this as a standalone thriller.

I was drawn in from the first chapter and the ending is thrilling, numbing and unexpected.

An exceptional discovery and well worth reading.

3.5 stars. Yikes! I feel like I just came off an intense ride. I had never heard of Stav Sherez and his Carrigan and Miller series before reading The Intrusions. This is the third in the series. Taking place in London, it focuses on the disappearance and murder of a number of young women. The women are stalked on the internet, drugged and abducted. Sherez has constructed a very tight and clever mystery. At times, it's hard to read because it really delves into the vulnerability of young women to internet and real life stalking. But the story is very clever because Sherez makes this issue more complicated than it seems at first blush. Sherez is a great story teller -- he kept me on the edge of my seat, nodding in appreciation as the story came together. I've knocked off half a star because I didn't feel quite as engaged by his detectives' personal issues, but that might be because I haven't read the first two books in the series. I may have to go back to read them now. I should note that what kept me on the edge was the cleverness of the story and not the violence -- there is some graphic violence but it doesn't dominate the narrative. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This author is great - I could read anything - characters are complex and things in the background of the victim begin to reveal that the series of murders connect and go back a long way - just as the fearless detectives have depths to them - I suppose it's all v dark but not from overly so , just realistic - the partnership of the under 40 year old female cop and older neurotic cop is a good one and they. both know it without cliched romance interfering - very skillful and I always look for his books.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Faber and Faber for an advance copy of The Intrusions, the third London based police procedural featuring DI Jack Carrigan and DS Geneva Miller.

Carrigan is under investigation for some illegal activities he undertook during his last investigation (Eleven Days) and his mother is in a coma but he puts these worries to one side when a new case comes in. In the meantime Miller is mulling over the reported disappearance of Anna Becker, a backpacker who was drugged and abducted from a local nightclub. The problem is that her friend, Madison, is high as a kite when she reports it and nobody can believe the word of someone under the influence of drugs, unless you are Miller. Their investigations take them into a world of online stalking, trolling and ratting (it was new to me too).

The Intrusions is a well constructed novel with a good plot. The downside for me was the technical discussions about the dark web and its activities which I have zero interest in. Fortunately it's not as techie as some books I have read recently but it is infinitely more scary and I may never turn a webcam on again if even half of what Mr Sherez describes is possible. I like the linearity of the plot with each discovery opening more lines of enquiry and the third person narrative giving Carrigan and Miller's points of view with no dipping into the perpetrator's mind making it a proper old fashioned novel with modern content. I like the contrast.

The plot itself is, on the whole, good with some unexpected twists but Carrigan and Miller are very slow to pick up on the perpetrator's motivation when all the signposts are there, in spades. I did find myself saying "for goodness sake" a couple of times when they don't see the obvious but it still held my interest.

I like Carrigan and Miller as characters, both are smart and dedicated but I don't feel I got a really good sense of them in this novel. There is too much going on to get any depth on them.

I enjoyed The Intrusions which is very readable with an easy to follow but not simplistic plot and have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

This is my first Stav Sherez novel and I am so impressed with it. It is an intelligent literary crime thriller that comes from a very dark place and terrifies the hell out of you. It is set in the dilapidated and murky district of Bayswater in London. DS Geneva Miller finds herself interviewing a heavily drugged young woman, Madison Carter, who claims that her friend, Anna Becker, was abducted in an alley by a man in a van and who is going to come back for her. Geneva pays a preliminary visit to the site and finds a discarded vial. DI Jack Carrigan is not convinced they have a case until he finds himself at the site of a gruesome murder of a woman who turns out to be Anna. Miller and Carrigan find themselves in the middle of a twister of a case where it is difficult to discern precisely what is going on. What is clear is that they have a highly intelligent and ruthless killer who engages in a highly refined form of torture and killing.

Carrigan finds himself being targeted by ACC Quinn as the result of a previous case. He finds himself under severe pressure as Internal Affairs delve deep into some of his unorthodox practices, which means he faces the possibility of facing criminal charges. He also has to accept the inclusion of a psychological profiler, Ed Hoffman, on the team despite all his efforts to resist this. The investigation takes the team to Anna and Madison's Hostel, a cleaning employment company, connections with Bali, and more worryingly, the possibility that this is not the first time the killer has struck. There are numerous twists and danger comes to envelop the police team itself.

This a beautifully written, atmospheric and chilling novel. It is impeccably plotted and the descriptions make you feel as if you are right there in Bayswater. Carrigan and Miller are wonderfuly flawed and intense characters that you want to be with and root for. The cyber themes raised such as RAT, remote access technology, are urgent and compelling social issues in contemporary society. This book gives us a frightening insight into the internet and just how much of our information is available both for criminals and government. I love finding new crime writers and Stav Sherez is a fantastic discovery. A highly recommended and brilliant read! Thanks to Faber and Faber for an ARC.