Watch Over You

This is the third book in the series and as the previous two were brilliant so was this one. You will be on the edge of your seat the entire time with the amounts of twists this book has. I would recommend reading the first two not that you have to you will want too they are that great.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. If you want a thriller with twists and turns and great characters you will really enjoy this book. I loved it.

For Josie her next crime scene has a personal flavor to it. It is the brutal murder of a dear and close friend of hers. However, as she continues investigating his death, she discovers that all is not as it seems, and she didn't really know her friend as well as she thought. Recommended book for anyone who love a good mystery!

This is the third book in the DS Jo Masters series and I have read the previous two and this is another gem.

Based in Oxford DS Jo Masters is returning from maternity leave when she gets called to a murder. It is a close friend and former police officer, Harry Ferman, and initially appears to be a burglary gone wrong. As the investigation progresses DS Masters discovers that he had somebody staying with him, a young woman.

I love the character of Jo Masters as she has faults and shortcomings throughout trying to juggle an intensive job with childcare. Finding it difficult she still takes on the job as the body count mounts.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and MJ Ford for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Excellent read, highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an e-arc of this read. A classic cop tale I could easily imagine as a BBC show kept me reading until the very end. This is my first read from M. J. Ford and I was easily able to hop into the story knowing nothing of the characters in the series. The book starts off a bit slow but by the twenty percent mark, I was fully invested and loved every bit.

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

There was a fair amount of harkening back to the previous instalments in this series, but I think you could start here - I read the second book, but can't really remember it. Jo is returning to work after maternity leave (her six month old son was an interestingly precocious child - waking every two hours in the night, but also able to play at the sand table at nursery and start to crawl). Anyway, the actual plot was a good one and I raced through this. The details of the investigation were interesting and exciting.

By the end however, the body count and amount of violence was extremely high and then Jo went berserk and disobeyed direct orders as if she felt she was a superhero. I'm not sure whether this series will continue as it ended with Jo returning to maternity leave, having remembered that, despite getting her family to collect her son from nursery each night, really he is more important to her than work.

I’ve really enjoyed the previous books in this series and so was excited to read this latest instalment, it did not disappoint. A great story, with many shocking twists and turns, was on the edge of my sit waiting to see what would happen next! Definitely worth a read.

Another fast paced, well plotted case for Jo and her team with the new dynamic of her adjusting to motherhood and one of the victims being a close friend make this a compelling read.

3rd in the series and this one has a very high body count and extreme acts of violence

Returning to work after maternity leave DS Jo Masters is called upon to investigate the death of a former police officer, burglary gone wrong or something more sinister?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc

This is a fantastic well written story which had me gripped till the last page. I am looking forward to reading more in this series in the future by M J Ford.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Watch over You, the third novel to feature DS Josie Masters of the Thames Valley Police.

On her first day back after maternity leave Josie recognises an address on the radio and gets there to find her old friend and mentor, Harry Ferman, dying after an attack. Further investigation suggests that there was a young girl staying with Harry but who and where she is are unknown. And then more bodies are linked to her.

I thoroughly enjoyed Watch over You which is a good read with an interesting plot and a high body count. The novel is mostly told from Josie’s point of view but there are chapters which slip back in time to cover the activities of a violent man called James with an unexplained agenda. I like this approach as James’s chapters backfill the detail without giving anything away ahead of time. in practical terms this means that the reader meets each new development at the same time as Josie and the team and James’s motive remains shrouded in mystery. There is plenty of room for speculation and armchair detecting and it certainly held my attention.

The plot is well conceived with a series of random killings defying the obvious solution and eventually being linked to a deeper motive. The novel also changes from a whodunnit to a hunt as the team home in on a suspect or from a puzzle to a thriller with plenty of action, tension and danger. It gets quite exciting towards the end.

Josie is a smart detective who enjoys her job but she misses her son when she returns to work. This involves the usual guilt, sense of inadequacy and reliance on others for childcare. It’s not really my thing in fiction so I found Josie a bit dreary in this novel.

Watch over You is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Another fantastic read by MJ Ford.
DS Josie Masters returning early from maternity leave, is thrown deep into of one most emotional and personal cases of her career. It was an addictive read, so hard to put down. Is book broke down Josie's character, giving great insight into her flaws and strengths as a woman, mother, and detective. The writing at times was so raw and real. Definitely one of my favorites of the book series. I am not so patiently waiting for the next installment.
#netgalley

A great thriller to get into full of twists and turns,the third book in the series and just as good as the others.It also has great charactors you feel riveted to the story.5*

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

A fast paced thriller well written. I liked that even though it is a series it wasn’t over descriptive and the story and characters were able to stand alone in this story ,without all the previous sometimes tedious history telling where the characters fitted. Read and enjoy you won’t be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this Jo Masters series, Jo not only returns to work early from maternity leave she is thrown straight into a case where the murders keep stacking up, one of the people murdered is an ex colleague and friend so it hits her hard, trying to get justice for him, trying to juggle being a single parent and DS, trying to piece together the pieces of how all these murders are connected leads to a great read

Watch over you is the first Josie.Masters story that I have encountered. Despite the fact that she is a single parent mother of a young child, she manages to continue to navigate her way through the seemingly unconnected murders. A great modern storyline which keeps the reader enthralled. Look forward to catching up with more from M J Ford.

I love this series from M J Ford, and this, the third in the series featuring Josie does not disappoint one iota. With all the elements we have I e to expect from this series. An excellent outing for Josie

Thoroughly enjoyable police novel with lots of twists and turns and will they won't they catch the bad guy or girl

Complex thriller with lots of twists and turns. Fast paced and exciting with two narratives which draw together to reach a conclusion. An engrossing read.

Watch Over You is the third book in the series and reintroduces us to Jo Masters who returns early from maternity leave to take her place as DS in Oxford. Like most mothers returning to work she experiences all the doubts and guilt of leaving her baby son at the nursery on one hand and worrying about not given her all to the job on the other hand. On her first day back she is called upon to attend a crime which turns out to be the murder of her elderly friend, Harry a former police officer.

In this police procedural the bodies start piling up quite quickly as the police try to figure out the motivation behind the deaths and just who is responsible.

As with the two earlier novels, I enjoyed catching up with Jo again, she is an interesting character and the author has once again given us plenty of action, puzzles and an interesting plot balancing Jo’s official life and her domestic life. Just like catching up with a friend you have not seen in a while. Sad to say goodbye to our hold friend Harry though.

If police procedurals are your bag, grab this one, you will not regret it.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

oh my bodies are staking up with no real connection to them

jo is back from maternity leave and goes to a disturbance which is also where her friends lives to find him dead....
and it looks like he was broken into and also has a female lodger

but things dont add up and as more bodies keep piling up they need to find this lodger and tie up all the ends....

yes totally gripped by this one...and the outcome well doesnt disappoint...

Told from 2 prospectives: James and Jo. To begin with the 2 have nothing to do with each other and you are interested enough to find out. Eventually everything becomes clear and what a gripping story! One scene nearer the end is particularly tense and well written and no one could disturb me whilst I discover the ending.

Although a detective series, you can read this as a stand alone. You may want to to read the previous 2 books in the series to find out about the "Clown" case in book 1 and to find more about some of the characters mentioned and nothing is given away about them in this book.

Can't wait to see what Ford has in store for Jo masters in the next instalment.

Another excellent book in this series - I've read them all and I have to say they just get better and better. I loved the conflict that Jo was experiencing between doing a good job and being a good mother and that brought a new angle to the series. I would recommend all this series - very enjoyable and well written.

another great book from MJ Ford , I love this authors work. This is as twisty as you can ever want in a novel with plenty to engage the reader. Characters are crisp and believable and I really love the domestic details that help give depth to the police characters. An enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone

D S Jo Masters returns in Watch Over You which is the third book in the series from M J Ford.

Despite starting with the death of a close friend and ex colleague the book took a little while to pick up pace but once it got into stride it was an enjoyable police procedural thriller that kept me entertained.

Watch Over You can be easily read as a stand-alone despite being the third book in the series as it is sufficiently self contained for a new reader to fully enjoy

Overall recommended

This was a gripping read with a compelling storyline. It's gritty and realistic and he story really draws you in. There's lots of different threads and a multi layered mystery that kept me hooked

This is the third book to feature DS Josie Masters and this time it is personal. First day back after maternity leave and she is called out to a disturbance. When she arrives she is confronted with the body of her friend and former colleague. Josie thought she knew this man she was so wrong. A young girl has gone missing and someone is looking for her and leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. A really good mystery which kept me glued to my seat. Plenty of tension and suspense which kept me reading late into the night. Another gripping addition to this series and highly recommended.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC

4.5 stars.
This is the third in the series and, although the main story is self-contained, Josie is a bit complex so, to get the best from her, I would recommend you do start from book one.
So, Josie is back after maternity leave. She is called to an incident and is horrified to find the deceased is known to her. It's that of Harry, her friend and former colleague. On further investigation, there is evidence that, unlike Josie thought, Harry had not been living alone. But just as she starts to investigate things, there are reports of more deaths. Initially unrelated. But as the body count starts to really rack up, Josie has to pull out all the stops to find who is behind the killings and put and end to it all.
Apart from getting a bit fed up with Josie's baby which distracted me more than it did her, despite all the guilt she kept banging on about, this book was extremely well and convolutedly plotted. It appears to be a spate of random killings but, as things progress, the pattern starts to emerge and it all descends into an action packed showdown at the end. Obviously there's quite a bit in between - mostly from Josie but we also hear from James along the way. Exactly who he is and what he wants is not clear initially but, as we hear more and more from him, a picture starts to appear, and it's not a pretty one.
It's a bit of a slow burner - but then there's quite a bit of setting up which is acceptable if, and only if, the rest of the book stands well on the foundations that have been laid. This is the case herein and it never got too slow or laborious (Josie's baby woes aside) for me to contemplate putting it aside. And when I got to the end, when the shocking truth of it all was revealed, I left the book wholly satisfied.
All in all, a worthy addition to a series that looks like it's shaping up nicely. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Great book for a new author. Was a really good book had me on the edge. Hope to read many more my this author. Characters were totally believeable.

First time reader of the Jo Masters series and starting on book 3 didn't leave me feeling like I had missed out. Although i have now downloaded the first two because i now want to be part of the journey from the begining.

This book follows DCI Masters when she returns to work 6 months after her maternity leave, this aspect of the story is covered really well looking into the guilt that she faces throughout the book. When Jo returns to work she straight in at the deep end with a trail of murders that appear to have a link but the whole team are struggling to connect. One of the murders is one of Jo's very dear friends, she finds herself more determined than ever to find the killer but also determine the motive behind the killings.

Jo's character is the leading protagonist and her story is told well. The narrative is given in 3rd person but I do not feel this loses any momentum within the story. We also hear James' story which is told in 1st person and starts 7 months before Jo's and yet somehow they are linked. We as the readers do not fund it the link for quite a bit of the story.
The book is well written in terms of description, I often found myself visualising scenes that were described in such good detail but not to much detail. Even the gruesome scenes are easy to visualise. I found this extremly satisfying when reading, sometimes for authors it can be so easy to get into over describi

I really enjoyed this book. Such an easy read had me up all night reading so I could get to the ending in a good way. I found that I had managed to guess the twist quite early on however this doesn't spoil how it all goes down nearer the end of the story which I loved

The book really touches on some interesting issues, womanhood social expectations, alcoholism, drug addiction and so much more the diversity throughout the book is what kept me so intrigued throughout.
.
As a lover of crime fiction I can 100 percent recommend this book if you live Katarina Diamond, Micheal Connolly or Chris Mooney this book is right up your street. This book doesn't shy aware from some rather gruesome scenes, scenes that lead to more intrigue than anything else. If you like crime, thrillers or crime thrillers pick up a copy of this book.
My one and only criticism is as this is a ARC there are a lot of typos hopefully by the time it makes release date those will all be sorted.
This book earns itself an very easy 4stars.


Thank you netgalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Really enjoyed this book.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
I have read MJ Ford’s two other books and was therefore looking forward to reading this one, Watch Over You was an excellent read. I enjoyed the storyline, the pace and the main characters.
I thought Jo, the main character played an excellent working mother returning back from maternity leave, after her son Theo’s birth. The guilt, the love and the sheer exasperation at times, was a superb portrayal of a woman who wanted it all and felt herself letting herself, her son and all her working colleagues down. She was also an excellent police officer, doing her best at all times.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review❤️

Also thanks to the author M.J Ford for writing a gripping and interesting book in continuation with the other 2 ❤️

Follows DS Josie Masters who's had a baby and was off on Maternity leave she is now ready to come back.. but she don't want desk duty she wants to be deep into any emergency calls they get..

An address comes through on the radio and merely she recognises it!😱 Twist... When she gets there her old friend and MENTOR Harry Ferman are there dying after an attack!! By a FIRE POKER!! Then a girl who was staying with them but where she was was unknown and then more bodies have fatally been linked to her itself...

Links that she may be linked to gang related shootings also.. as she has been linked to many body counts they need to find her and tie up all loose ends and put the puzzle together..

This was my first M.J Ford book and o was very impressed, it was beautifully wrote and executed, I loved all characters and their portrayals I also loved all the twists and turns in it also had me enthralled from start to finish! Read within few hours also

Definitely recommend ❤️
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

My thanks to Netgalley for my copy of Watch Over You. This is the first in the Jo Masters series that I have read and it works just as well as a standalone novel although there are quite frequent references to what has gone before.

This is a really gritty police murder drama that is really rather chilling a lot of the time but it definitely grabs the reader's interest.

I really didn't like Jo Masters as a person although she makes a rather good police officer. Right through the book I found her very annoying and rather selfish and so I was surprisingly relieved when she redeemed herself right at the very end.

Our subtheme today is not knowing those you thought you knew, and this book is a perfect example! This amazing debut novel also starts off the DS Josie Masters series! Josei thinks she knew her mentor, but she had no idea he had someone styaing with him, or why. As her case starts to give her more clues than solutions, the body count also starts and Jose and her team are frantically trying to piece them together, to find out how they are all linked. And when they do, they are shocked at the outcome. An excellent Bfritish police procedural, I'll be looking for more in this series advantly!

DS Josie Masters returns to work after maternity leave and on her first day her friend and ex policeman is found murdered. It turns out he had a lodger - a young girl but where is she? Then more killings occur and Josie soon realises they are all linked. But where is the young girl and who is she with?
Can Josie combine motherhood and work ? and will she survive to be able to do both?

An entertaining read; the third book in this series gives us a main character that is evolving from 'just a young detective' to an interesting personality. The way she cares for her old friend, the way she is very determined to solve this crime and the crimes that are connected with it, really speaks to me. I only hope that in the next book, we will see more of Josie and less of her son. It gets a little tiresome to read about her juggling her work and personal life. All people who choose to have a job ánd children have the same struggles. There a lot of interesting detectives, male and female, who have a partner and children. If we would have to read about the struggles of every man or woman who works for the police, we wouldn't read about nothing else.
I'm therefore looking forward to the next book in this series, because as I said, Josie is interesting and the plot of this book was good.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

A very good book in the police/murder/psycho killer genre. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and whilst these types of books almost inevitably have what I class as a 'hollywood style ending' i.e. guns, shootout and main police character saves the day I have to say that I found the final 2 chapters exceedingly good and emotional.
I've lived in the Bristol area for 4 and a half years now and my Cotswold knowledge is not brilliant but I think the author may have got the towns mixed up half way through, Bourton On The Water has the water in the centre not Stow On The Wold.
Definitely worth reading and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Firstly, I have to say that I have not read the previous two books involving DI Jo Masters. There are some references to those titles, but not enough to put me off this third book in the series.

If we could find Jo a young, stay at home husband then that would be perfect? Her 6 month old son gives the book a slightly different aspect. The trouble is I found Jo to be selfish in this regard, but very determined at work.

After a laboured start to the book she is off chasing a killer (or killers)involving 2 separate murders. Good descriptions of basic police procedural stuff. I also liked characterisations of the other members of her team. Maybe a little more of their backgrounds next time?

There are two basic stories which end up linked, but I remain not too keen on this "then" and "now" narrative.

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books for the chance to read and review.

A solid 4star read. Great premise. Well written. Fantastic characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled. Would definitely read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Another masterpiece in the bag.
I’ve read every book in the the jo masters series and I can honestly say that it didn’t disappoint and I couldn’t put it down at all.
It was intense and gritty and just amazing I absolutely loved it .
Please tell me there will be another.

This is book 3 in a great series.

Jo Masters is a strong character and now she's juggling work with motherhood there's another dimension to her.

The plot was fast moving and intriguing and I was hooked until the end. There was also some sad twists that I didn't see coming.

The storyline was quite dark at times and gives an insight into human behaviour that isn't all sweetness and light.

A great book that I won't hesitate to recommend.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Watch Over You’, the third in the DS Josie Masters series written by M J Ford, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Back from maternity leave, DS Josie Masters is called out to an incident at 21 Canterbury Road where she finds her old friend, former DI Harry Ferman, dead with a head injury. It appears that Harry has had a young blonde woman staying at his house. More killings are soon happening in the area and the same woman appears to be involved. Can Josie cope with the struggle to balance work and caring for baby Theo?

‘Watch Over You’ is another compelling police thriller featuring DS Josie Masters which has been a pleasure to read. It has everything I want in a crime thriller, an action-packed plot, drama, suspense, interesting characters, and twists and turns. The conclusion is so gripping I’ve not been able to stop reading and have finished the book in twenty-four hours. I love the character of Josie who doesn’t always do what she’s supposed to but manages to catch the criminals anyway. This is an exciting thriller that I’ve thorough enjoyed and can definitely recommend.

This is the third book in the DI Josie Masters series. it starts off just a bit slow but soon evolved into a really good story. I liked the character development and Josie back at work after maternity leave. There were plenty twists and although it's a slow burner, it's a very good solid read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This book is spectacular. The characters are realistic and complex.The plot is fraught with danger and unsettling questions. The ending will definitely leave an impression on you. It is very unexpected. I defi itely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed the first one about Josie Masters and this one did not disappoint. Josie Masters is still a detective for Oxford Police and the story becomes intertwined with murders and by having a friend murdered which makes her even more determined to mind the killer(s). The old ex policeman lived on his own, or did he. It transpires that he has been helping a young girl get clean” but the people who she has been around in the past have other ideas and she is not safe.
There are more killings in the area and the Police find it difficult to piece the dramas together. A couple were killed in a large property and Josie tracks down the son, Gregory. It transpires that after a search of the property drugs were found which leads her to believe it is all drug related. Eventually Gregory advising the police that his sister is missing. He dislikes her as she changed his childhood when she was adopted. The story goes along that road and Josie starts to put two and two together and comes to the conclusion that Gregory is not as squeaky clean as he would like everyone to believe.The story twists and turns in a fab way and finishes not as I expected – another great book. Thank you