All That is Buried

I loved this book! I was hooked from the beginning and read it in one go! I definitely recommend. I also cant wait for the next book, giving that amazing ending!!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Allison & Busby for an advance copy of All That Is Buried, the third novel to feature Met detectives DI Jake Porter and DS Nick Styles.

When 7 year old Libby Hallforth disappears from a local fair DI Porter expends all his energy in an effort to find her but months go by with no sign of her. A last ditch reconstruction leads to an alleged sighting of her in Victoria Park but a search of the location turns up a further complication, several sets of human remains.

I enjoyed All That Is Buried which is good police procedural with several twists and some neat ironies. I have not yet read the preceding novels so had nothing to judge this one on but I can say that it works well as a stand-alone. I thought it was slow to start and didn’t initially hold my attention but as the action hots up it hits its stride and becomes quite compulsive. I enjoyed the twists which sent this reader down the false assumption route until the author turned the tables and left me feeling foolish for swallowing his assertions. It’s clever and I really like the way he manipulated me. I also liked his resolution which I thought offered a bit more than the standard “killer with twisted reasoning caught”.

The novel is told mostly from the investigative point of view but there are chapters from the unnamed perpetrator who is clearly not the full shilling and has no qualms about revealing his motive. I’m not a fan of the perpetrator’s thoughts approach and I didn’t think it was particularly well done in this novel, being repetitive and not particularly enlightening. I also thought, for reasons I don’t want to reveal for fear of spoilers, that it didn’t quite ring true by presenting conflicting levels of lucidity.

The characters are interesting with Styles dropping the ball a bit as he concentrated on the imminent birth of his first child and Porter trying to be understanding but generally getting annoyed at it. I liked this dynamic as it seems realistic. Mostly, however, the novel concentrates on Porter and he’s a case study all on his own, driven by his investigative needs he has no hesitation in trampling over other investigations or believing that his priorities supersede all others. It should make him obnoxious but his interactions with his boss are amusing and mitigate any flaws.

All That Is Buried is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A trip to the fair should be a happy occasion, something to look forward to and enjoy when it happens; for Libby Hallforth, however, it's anything but. The seven year old disappears without trace and no amount of appeals or police investigation can discover what happened to her.

Detective Inspector Jake Porter and partner Detective Sergeant Nick Styles don't want to let the case fade from the public eye but when a call from a member of the public directs them to a local park they have no idea how a devastating discovery will change everything.

This is the third book in this series but the first I have read. It is written in a way that involves the reader immediately, allowing them to live every ingenious twist and turn, with the main protagonists. I loved the banter between the main characters; the gallows humour and general dialogue seemed spot on as a difficult case was shown to be treated in a respectful manner by all involved. The story was told from various viewpoints which enabled the level of tension to rise exponentially as the reader learned things before Porter or Styles, and this worked brilliantly throughout.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone following this series or who doesn't mind the odd spoiler thrown in when they join a journey part way through. I hope there is more to come for Jake Porter as I am now definitely a fan.

A great police procedural with a twist. Detective Jake Porter is on a date with Evie Simmons. Evie is also a detective on the police force,

Jake gets a call from his partner, DS Nick Styles, that a 7 year old girl (Libby) is missing. After Jake arrives at Libby's parents' house ( Ally and Simon Hallforth ) he becomes somewhat suspicious of both parents - for different reasons. Jake needs to know why it was 2 hours before either parent called the police to report their daughter missing...

We find that there is a man in the background who had followed Libby, thinking that she was his daughter. The reader sporadically continues to hear from this man as the story continues...

Full of intrigue and suspense, This book is an excellent read. Also, a FAST read. My only problem is that I haven't read the first two books in the series. However, this book is a fine as a standalone.

RECOMMEND!!!

Many Thanks to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for a truly great read !

DI Jake Porter and DS Nick Styles are back in this third book in the series. When Libby Hallforth disappears from the fair, the 2 detectives investigate. Even when the trail ends, Porter refuses to give up hope of finding young Libby. Months later, after a suspected sighting of Libby, DI Porter and the team find numerous bodies of children buried but none are Libby. Can DI Porter and the team find out who has killed all these children & find out what has happened to Libby.
Can Porter and Evie Simmons keep their relationship under wraps at the station? Will Styles be able to keep his mind on the job when his wife could go into labour at any time?
This is a great series and I always look forward to hearing when the latest is being released. The characters all have their flaws but are the kind of detectives you would want on your side. I enjoy seeing the relationship between Porter and Styles, they have great camaraderie. An excellent plot although a bit harder to read due to the nature of the storyline.
My thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for giving me the opportunity to read this book.