The Third Breath

Bennett is back with a bang!

What a great story, it was thrilling, captivating and had me gasping in places. I mean seriously, who thinks this stuff up! I would love an imagination like Malcolm Hollingdrakes!

Cyril's got some personal issues going on in this book with dealing with the death of his father, despite this he manages to keep his head in the game, with the trusty DS Owen at his side they work together to crack the case. I like Bennett and Owen as a team they are like chalk and cheese but somehow gel.

This is a great series of books and I was really looking forward to this one, it didn't disappoint it was exciting, full of suspense and twists and had me reading late into the night unable to put the book down at bed time. It was a really engaging book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This was a great book and is totally worthy of 5 stars!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of The Third Breath, the seventh novel to feature DCI Cyril Bennett of the Harrogate police.

Bennett is attending his father's funeral when bar owner David Stephens is found dead in his car. DS Owens is in charge and he is reluctant to accept the verdict of natural causes, not for any explainable reason, just instinct. When another man dies in similar circumstances Bennett, who doesn't believe in coincidence, starts to investigate seriously.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Third Breath which is a light read with some good twists. It held my attention throughout although I must admit to getting lost in some of the technical detail as science is a closed book to me. The novel has dual points of view, both Bennett and the unnamed killer, which gives the reader insight into the killer's method and actions and keeps them marginally ahead of the police. Fortunately this point of view is not overly intrusive as both his identity and motive are well concealed, maintaining both the suspense and the reader's curiosity. I found myself racing through the pages to find out what it's all about and while the journey was intriguing, well plotted and unusual I found the ending a bit abrupt, leaving me wanting a fuller explanation.

Cyril Bennett is becoming a well loved character as the series progresses. He is settled in his personal life with his partner Julie, having made his peace with his estranged father and stepmother. He is rather more highbrow than the average detective with an interest in art and culture, rather than television (he doesn't own one) and technology. This makes him seem like an intellectual snob, and in some moments he is but mostly he's down to earth with a sharp mind and a good line in subversive thought.

The Third Breath is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is the seventh book in the DCI Bennett series. . In this book, DCI Bennett has gone away to attend his fathers funeral. During his trip away, a man is murdered in the flat above the bar he runs. Very quickly, another death occurs, which is put down to natural causes, but DS Owens has a feeling that something is wrong. Once another death occurs, which again, looks like natural causes, both Bennett and Owen look further into the deaths, as they feel the coincidences in the 2 deaths is not normal at all.
As the cases are looked into, Bennett realises there is a lot more to them than meets the eye. I have to admit that I did have an initial groan when I realised science was a major factor in this book. I should have known better, the author somehow manages to actually explain it all so that it makes sense! Bennett and the rest of the team certainly have their hands full with the crimes in this book. It was lovely to see Bennett more settled in his private life in this book, and to see him able to overcome the hurdles he faced with his step mum and his deceased father.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next in the series. I would highly recommend this book, it’s an absolute belter!

I am a massive fan of this author’s works and when I saw that he had released another book in the DCI Bennett series I knew that I had to get myself a copy!!

I was really looking forward to getting started on the book and the blurb had me hooked – it has the great characters that I have come to know and love and I am really warming to April, my favourite still has to be Owen, his character genuinely makes me smile!

I started reading the story the weekend it landed on my Kindle – and I will be honest, it is an excellent story and had me hooked right from the off!! It has a great plot, is well planned out, there was enough in the book to throw me off my thought process when I thought I knew who was responsible and I was gripped right to the end. I devoured every page and I loved the teams fight to try and get the case resolved. I do love a good ending and this one was excellent!

Another 5 stars read for me – very, very highly recommended and I am really looking forward to seeing what he releases next, another fabulous addition to the DCI Bennett series!!

I think this has to be one of the best in the series, so well thought out, and a few red herrings! A real cracking tale. I did think I’d sussed it, but I was wrong this time.

The story starts off with Cyril going to his dads funeral and whilst he’s away a man dies, in his car, and the first signs look like a natural death, but then another similar one occurs and this time there are doubts.

Cyril returns sharpish to the fold, but this case is not an easy one to solve. I just love Owen and his mess, some people are just like that. I think this is a very good team, with little interference from the hierarchy, which allows the officers to get on with their jobs.

I’m looking forward to book 8.

My thanks to Malcolm, and Netgalley for the ARC.

DCI Cyril Bennett rides again....

I really enjoyed this sixth book in the DCI Bennett series. The book begins with Bennett taking a short leave of absence for his father’s funeral, but it’s not long before he’s back to work dealing with a murderer with a quite unusual modus operandi.

Clear and well written as ever, with all the usual Bennett peculiarities, the art, the black sheep, etc.

I can’t wait for the next one,

I must have read hundreds of crime thrillers but never one with this M.O. The first death is thought to be of natural causes as there is nothing pointing to anything more sinister, then another death occurs and once again it's thought to be natural causes. The detective in Cyril seems to think otherwise and when he realises there is a connection with the victims he is even more convinced all is not what it seems. Throughout the series there are snippets of information on the main character's backgrounds and personalities, Cyril still remembers Liz with great affection but April the new member of the team is definitely gaining his respect. Owen the detective sergeant is one of my favourite characters, he comes out with some real pearls of wisdom, sometimes Cyril has to put him straight and other times he just lets them pass. I loved the part where Owen is cleaning his computer keyboard the descriptions are humorous and spot on to how I imagine him.

This is the seventh book in the DCI Cyril Bennett series and Malcolm Hollingdrake has done it again. A cleverly crafted crime thriller with a really fresh idea for the plot.
Whilst Cyril is away at his fathers funeral DS Owens is called to a death which seems to present itself as natural causes. Owen is not so sure and when another death occurs he approaches Cyril, now returned, for his thoughts on the coincidences between the two.
Cyril never a believer in coincidence decides to look closer at the deaths. Definately suspicious!
The investigation unfolds, sharing details of the methods used by the killer and Cyril and his teams efforts to apprehend him.
An intriguing tale that kept me gripped right till the end.
An excellent read, I highly recommend this and the rest of the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for the chance to read this as an ARC.

This book gives you a comfort blanket a cup of hot chocolate and says get comfy and we will start. Having read others in this series I was thrilled to get to review this latest addition.
The author weaves a great storyline that twists and turns, keeping you interested at every turn of the page. He has built a team of lead characters that are not only believable but make you part of that team.
Should you be new to this series there is enough detail of the leads detectives back story to let you just jump in and enjoy, for those returning readers you get more of an insight into how he's evolved into the man he is today.
The plot revolves around an unusual method of committing murder that I've never read before but the author doesn't overwhelm you with that much technical detail you feel you want to skip parts as its too onerous, yet he gives you enough to paint you a detailed overview.
A wonderful read that takes you on a gentle meandering journey to the truth which you reach with a sense of satisfaction .
Perfect reading if you like a more gentler murder mystery.

DCI Cyril Bennett has taken some time off as his father has recently died and despite not being close he has things to sort out both physically and mentally.. Meanwhile in his patch a man is found dead in his car and the pathologist doesn’t have enough evidence either way to say if it is suspicious or not. When another man is found in similar circumstances and objects are found that didn’t belong to the man, it puts a different light on things- but how on earth were they killed? I love Cyril- he has that demeanor of being a hard worker, a sense of humour and very trustworthy- someone you wouldn’t mind as a neighbour and friend whom you know would be on your side in a flash if needs be. To me crime books need that background of characters so that they are not “just about the job” and Malcolm always does this so very well. Cyril and his team come alive on the pages and the snaps of background give them that reality factor. This is book 7 of the series and will happily stand alone- then again why miss out on other wonderful reads? A very cleverly thought out plot, I won’t give anything away other than to say I learnt something scientific as I was reading. Another brilliant read from Cyril and Malcolm, I very much look forward to the next one.

Had me gripped from start to finish, read in one evening. Would give more stars if able to, a definate 10 out of 10

The Third Breath is the seventh book in the DCI Bennet series. It doesn't seem like two minutes ago since I started the first book. In those seven books, I have seen the authors confidence grow and flourish. Bennett and Owen have come on in leaps and bounds for me and I really enjoy the comfortable banter between the two.

My heart went out to Bennett, having to deal with the death of his father. It's not something that he has fully come to terms with and luckily for him he has a juicy case to investigate.

The case that Bennett and his team are working on is a strange one to say the least. From the first murder I could never have envisioned what a dark and twisted path the author was going to take me on and I loved every minute of it.

I can't go into too much detail as I wouldn't want to spoil it for other readers but this has to be one of the most unusual cases as well as how the murderer goes about killing his victims. It makes for an intriguing and fascinating read.

The Third Breath is a gripping page turner of a read. I would go as far as to say that it is my new personal favourite in the series. It ticked so many boxes and I love that even though this is the seventh book in the series, the author never fails to shock and surprise me. A very clever crime novel.

Yet another superbly written book in the DCI Cyril Bennett series. Bennett is attending his fathers funeral , meanwhile a murder investigation is under way by his DS John Owen after the discovery of a body in a car. . I floundered slightly with the technical, scientific material and description, albeit being explained well. Great detective work as usual by Bennett and his team as they try to solve the case.. Learning more of the personal side to Bennetts character is enjoyable.. Not a fast paced thrillers such but a very well plotted book. A brilliant series.

This is the seventh book in the DCI Bennett series. I have read and loved all of them. As usual the suspense and twists and had me reading late into the night.. It was a really enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more about DCI Cyril Bennett soon.

Once again the author delivers a story that keeps you guessing right until the end . Gripping and breathtaking ,in my opinion it's the best in the series yet

When did we get to book 7 in this series? DCI Bennett and his team are investigating a series of murders. A strange MO in this one and such a great plot! I love the character development of Owen and April and there are some great twists in the story. I would recommend this book and author. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. Reviewed on Goodreads and Facebook with Amazon to follow.

This is book number 7 in the D.I. Bennett series, it could be read as a standalone but for background information then I recommend you read the other books first.

It is a well written and well researched, unique crime thriller that I totally recommend.

'The Third Breath' is the seventh book to feature DCI Cyril Bennett and DS David Owen in this critically acclaimed and bestselling series, set in the spa town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

DCI Bennett has decided to attend his fathers funeral when the body of David Stephens is found in his car. The death has been ruled as a death by natural causes but DS Owen, who has been left in charge whilst Cyril is away on compassionate leave, is not happy with the verdict and wants to investigate the death further to satisfy his gut instinct that something is not right about the whole incident. It takes another death in similar cirumstances to confirm Owen's instincts, and Bennett then begins to trust that his colleague is indeed onto something. The killer leaves no evidence behind so tracing him is likely to be a complex and lengthy mission. Will they be able to identify and locate this devious and highly intelligent killer before he strikes again?

This is a gripping tale which is written well and paced perfectly. I was pretty engrossed rather quickly and particularly appreciated the discussion of scientific stuff which certainly sets this book apart from the rest of the crime genre. The only other books I know that do this is the amazing CSI Eddie Collins series by Andrew Barrett. The perspectives were also pretty interesting, especially the point-of-view of the unidentified killer, I can't remember the last time I read a crime novel that includes the killers POV but it works incredibly well and kept the story fresh and interesting. The other POV is that of DCI Bennett, which talks about his fathers death as well as the case. I must admit that I loved the effortlessness of the prose as it made the story very readable with everyrthing flowing beautifully chapter-to-chapter, and I had quite a bit of trouble putting it down due to this.

Main protagonist Cyril is one of my favourite police investigators in the genre at the moment and his relationship with David Owen is wonderfully contrasting. The fact that they're polar opposites works extremely well - Cyril has impeccable manners, is intelligent and has an eye for the ladies. David, on the other hand, is naive and untidy but keen. They are definitely chalk and cheese but this is what makes them such a formidable team! I really would recommend reading the previous books before embarking on this one as some of the content references past events, which would be rather perplexing to those joining this series with this book. My only slight criticism is that the denouement left a lot to be desired and I felt some of the questions I had collected in my mind throughout the book were left unanswered. However, this didn't affect my overall enjoyment.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I really felt in seventh heaven as soon as I opened this book. I have loved the six that came before it and have to say this is one of my favourites. My heart really went out to D.C.I. Bennett as he was facing inner torments in his personal life that I feel he still has a little way to go with yet. In his absence, D.S. Owen has been at the helm with the death of a local Harrogate man ruled as natural causes but gut instinct tells him differently. When a second similar death occurs Bennett returns to complete this awesome duo and he puts his trust in Owen in finding out what the hell is happening.
I loved this story line, which was like a Chinese puzzle for the team, how were the victims being killed, who is doing this and why? Yes they had the bodies but no idea of the cause of death. This was going to be one tough case to crack. Bennett and Owen are my Batman and Robin on my detective scale, on paper they shouldn’t work but they do, total opposites but halves that make a whole. I really couldn’t imagine a better pairing. April has also worked with them for a while. After the tragic loss of one of the team a little while ago, April is finally being accepted for her own worth rather than as a replacement. Where Bennett is logical, Owen is the gut instinct and she is more the brains and technical digger.
In this story I was privy to be in this weirdo’s head and whoa, this was a mixed up mind to poke inside! Not that I knew who the killer was. Talk about sending shivers through me, I was cringing so much just thinking how easy we trust people, oh boy, my heart was in my mouth. This was tense, it was insane and it was genius. There was a brilliant build up throughout the book and just loved the ending.
The research by the author is just outstanding again, he is a perfectionist with his story lines and very unusual methods of killing. Extremely original and totally gripping, these books are classy with humour in perfect balance!

BENNETT IS BACK! WOW! We made it to book seven in the series. Amazing… Could this be the toughest case yet? I am seriously loving this series and you can find all my reviews for each book by searching on my blog for them. A brilliant series.

Back to the dream team. Back home… Cyril is contending with what could possibly be the cleverest killer out there yet? However, there are far too many conincidences appearing for his liking… Leaving no traces of himself and no dark, disturbing killings how is he killing these people? Do they all have something in common? A real puzzler.

I actually learnt quite a lot from this book that I didn’t actually know. Very clever indeed, but with Bennett on your case you’re bound to be caught some how. He is one clever man with a brilliant team behind him to help.

I actually managed to read this book within a day as I have been waiting and looking forward to reading this book for a while. I can always count on Malcolm to write a belter of a book that will whisk me away to Bennett and his team. He has not let me down yet! The Third Breath reads perfectly as a standalone. A real page turner that you will want to devour in one sitting. I awarded a well deserved four stars and I hope for possibly… a book 8? Please.

I hadn’t read any of this series before, but was instantly drawn to DCI Cyril Bennet and warmed to his great team. Bennett and partner David Owen are seemingly incongruous partners – but it works! What I most loved is the completely different MO for murder from any I’d come across before – and I do love an unusual method of killing! I found the science behind it intriguing, and quite frightening. There are so many mysteries in this, the seventh in the series – and strange connections between names, places and history. I enjoyed all the strands that were woven in, as well as all the references to Victorian times. Are these connections coincidence? Or is the warped mind of the killer just highly intelligent? Bennet has an interesting, lateral way of thinking, while his partner, the lovable Owen, is clumsy, funny and apparently full of contradictions. The Third Breath reads fine as a standalone and I certainly didn’t feel I was missing anything from not having read the first six. It was quick, well-written and highly enjoyable.

This was a book that held you in suspense whilst reading it, A body found in a car in the car park, had they been murdered? Ruled not suspicious. Another body, similar to the first, DCI Bennett is on the case. The book is very well written and the story flows, it's hard to put down, now is the wait for the next one!