Death Rite

Really enjoyed reading this thriller. A fast paced serial killer crime drama full of plot twists situated in Scotland. The story didn’t delve too much into the why of the first killings but the reemergence of the crimes was intriguing and kept me immersed until the end. I felt bad for Rachel and rooted for dc hazel todd. Ready for the next one.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Kerry Watts is an author that I found on NetGalley. There is a twist in every novel and it's always shocking. I can't wait to read every single one of her books.

DCI Hazel Todd is called in when the bodies of men start showing up on her patch in Scotland. The court of public opinion already has a killer in mind, Rachel McMahon, a woman who was tried and convicted of murder forty years ago. Now, having done her time, Rachel is a free woman, and people believe she’s the one responsible for the recent spate of murders. Hazel is left with the unenviable task of deciding whether Rachel is catching up for lost time, or if a copycat is framing her.

Perth, Scotland isn't a place you would expect to find a murderer taunting the local police force but unfortunately for DCI Hazel Todd it seems that's exactly what she's got. With her small team she sets about trying to find out who could have killed a young medical student leaving almost no clues.

As they begin to dig deeper and links to a local shelter come to light the comparison between this new killing and ones solved four decades earlier become clearer. Could the same person be responsible or is there another reason for the similarities?

This is the first in the new series by Kerry Watts set in Scotland, and I enjoyed it very much. Hazel is a sympathetically written and successful main protagonist, showing a compassion which made her approachable and likeable but as the story progressed her strength of will definitely took centre stage. Her relationship with her team does still need to come together a little more, especially with her second in command, DI Tom Newton, which seemed just a little less convincing than with the others.

The storyline was as complex as one would expect from a Kerry Watts novel and showed the parts of society generally treated with far less respect and kindness than they deserve or need in a sympathetic way. There was no pontificating however, just a storyline successfully shown from both sides containing well rounded and entertaining characters.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent first story in what promises to be a very good series.

After killing four men in a brutal way 40 years ago Rachel McMahon was branded evil,now she's out,she's done her time and is happy living the quite life with new name in Scotland.
But it's started again men are being murdered and they have her trademark.
D.C.I Hazel Todd and her team are on the case but would Rachel be that silly or is someone copying her murderous ways?
As the team race to find the killer things get to close to home for Hazel can the murderer be stopped?
My first book by Kerry Watts and it won't be my last I loved it.
Plenty to keep you engaged with the story and I highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for the ARC

This was my first book by the author, but won’t be my last. 

An outstanding book will always get my attention from the beginning and this one started with a bang and so much mystery around a murder that DC Hazel Todd has to uncover. 

The setting is Scotland, and it was interesting to see how it’s depicted within the story. 

A murder that took place fourth years ago, might be connected to these new ones and the secrets and mystery was well done, so much so that I really did not know who to trust or think that it’s the actual killer til the last chapter. 

This was the first book in a new series, so I am looking forward to read more in the future and see where the author is taking me next.

It's nice to read a book set locally so that put it on my good side from the off. It's nice and creepy with a few twists and turns. It starts as it means to go with a bit of a bang and it certainly kept me engrossed until the end. I really enjoyed the overall concept and the writing style and will definitely be downloading more from the author in future. Nothing g beats finding a new author who has a little back catalogue already out there to keep me indulged for a bit

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, murder, prostitutes, and a great who done it! I usually can figure out the bad guy but this one had me guessing right till the end! Its definitely worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I've enjoyed every book I've read by this author and now Death Rite has reached a fantastic new high. This is my favourite book to date. The series, set in Scotland, featuring DCI Hazel Todd is a gripping murder mystery. Its not just DCI Todd as main character of the book but the team she works with are superb, the blend of caring, humour and work ethics. A clever and intriguing plot . There are several suspects in for the murders of men who are murdered in copycat killings of a couple of decades previous. I'm sure this is going to be a very successful and brilliant series and I look forward to reading further investigations in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that DCI Hazel Todd & her team were well-written, and I'm looking forward to reading about them again. There's lots of twists & turns that make you want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. While I did guess who the killer was, the way that this was revealed had my jaw dropping. I can't wait to read more!

i am a big fan of this author and waited patiently waited for new one and was not disappointed very addictive and pull you in from page one very fast paced and i love the new character in this new series DCI Hazel Todd . Hazel is called out on a chilly October morning to a red fiesta where a young man has been murdered its a regular spot for sex workers his name is Sam Kennedy who was a medical student , Rachel helps the young women who sell themselves makes sure they are fed and well her best friend s daughter Molly has gone on the streets for her drug addiction and has a temper . Kelly was the women that Sam was seeing and paying her for sex but he liked the dark stuff ,DCI Hazel Todd husband left her for her bestfriend Cara and she contacts Hazel and she wants nothing to do with her ,Craig Douglas has befriended the girls and helps them when he can . this book is very very twist i so recommend

A real eye opener
An edge of your seat read
Exceptional all the way through
Their next breath will be their last
Brand new Scottish crime series set in Perth with DCI Hazel Todd and team
Rachel McMahon is pulled over after they have found a body in a car beside the Harbour Cafe a place where sex workers are picked up the body is named by his ID as Sam Kennedy a young medical student and Rachel if only they know what kind of monster they have found after confessing to Four murders claims of rape and self defence she faces three life sentences, doing her time she is released under a different name and the killings start again, Hazel and the crew have a big job on their hands.
Oh My what a book chapter after chapter it will chill you so fast pace in places I really enjoyed it all.

This was my first book by Kerry Watts and it certainly won’t be my last.

This book was brilliant!

A fast paced thriller set in Scotland where DC Hazel Todd has her work cut out for her to uncover the truths.

This book is full of twists, suspense and intrigue.

I can’t wait for the next in the series.

A HUGE thank you to Hera Books, Kerry Watts and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great crime thriller novel with an ending I never saw coming!


I enjoyed the layout of the novel incorporating Rachel’s past life and how her estranged son and granddaughter dictated so much of her present. The copycat murders were an excellent way to tie everything together, keeping the reader on our toes! My only critique would be the amount of characters there are; at times it was hard for me to remember who was who and because I am reading an ebook and not a physical copy I couldn’t easily flip through to refresh my memory.

Overall I truly enjoyed this story and as an American I enjoyed the references and humor regarding drinking tea with or without sugar. Looking forward to reading more from you! I will prepare a more formal review to be featured on Goodreads Amazon and Barnes and Nobel and any other sites you prefer. I can be reached at Kelsi.pilcher@gmail.com. Thank you!

I think that the premise of this book was really interesting, the story was complex and well-written. Death Rite is a really compelling thriller that sends chills down your spine.

What an excellent read. It took me a little bit to start to like Hazel, but now I'm hoping there will be more from her in the future. The story was brilliant, someone is killing men who are using prostitutes! Loads of twists and turns, I didn't work out what was going until the writer wanted me to! I'd highly recommend this book.

Eagerly awaited new book/series by this author and it didn’t disappoint
Introducing Detective Hazel Todd to readers, it is the start of a gritty Scottish crime series set in Perth

Men are being murdered, in a very gruesome and specific way, the same way men were murdered decades before by a notorious killer, the killer is now ‘reformed’ and out of prison…so is it just coincidence these killings have started or is there a copycat on the loose

Intriguing and whodunitish with good and unformal ( ie not boring ) police procedural this book starts with a massive bang and carries on with the momentum all the way through until the killer is eventually found
I enjoyed the writing, the story ( although gruesome at times ) and the sub stories throughout of the victims, the Police and those under suspicion
It is a really good book to start a new series with and I liked Hazell and look forward to reading more about her, her life and her career as the series progresses

9/10
5 Stars

I was gripped by this book from the start right until the end, I couldnt stop reading and i found it atmospheric and suspenseful, a good read.

This Book has had me on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns trying to confuse the reader. DCI Hazel Todd is called to a gruesome crime scene a young man sitting in his car dead. As the team are given their jobs to do DCI Todd has to inform the next of kin When a second body is found matching the first the team believe their deaths are connected the where the bodies are found. This is a BRILLIANT book and i look forward to the next DCI Hazel Todd story well done to Kerry Watts 5*

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hera Books for an advance copy of Death Rite, the first novel to feature Perth based DCI Hazel Todd.

When Sam Kennedy is found stabbed to death in his car it doesn’t take Hazel and the team long to uncover his secrets. It takes a bit longer to uncover links to the crimes Rachel McMahon committed forty years ago and by then Sam isn’t the only victim.

I enjoyed Death Rite, which is a very readable novel with all the requisite twists and turns. I admit to being baffled by the switching timeline at the beginning of the novel, but that’s my fault because, wanting no preconceptions, I didn’t read the blurb before starting the novel. Everything soon becomes clear as the novel settles in to a more regular police procedural.

I further admit to guessing the perpetrator’s identity early in the novel, mostly because they don’t fit. This did not spoil my enjoyment of the novel as it is told in a lively and inviting manner and throws in enough mystery about the various characters to make the reader want to find out more and the there are plenty of twists to further tease the reader. If I have one niggle it’s the number of threads that start and go nowhere. I understand that this is a touch of realism in an otherwise fictional tale, but as a reader I found it a bit pointless.

I like DCI Hazel Todd already. She’s not young and has recently suffered major heartache, but she’s down to earth, dedicated and very normal. She’s refreshingly uncynical and not jaded by the job.

Death Rite is a good read that I can recommend.

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

Wow, I found this to be a deliciously good read and think this a great start to a new series. The book got off to a good start in the opening chapter with a gory murder. When more deaths follow that have similarities to old cases from 40 years ago Detective Hazel Todd knows she and her colleagues have their work cut out to find the murderer. I thought this was a very well written and chilling read at times and I was drawn in from the first page and the author held my attention right to the end. I really liked the main character and her work colleagues and enjoyed following their investigation. There were a lot of twists here that I loved and as for the ending .... I did not expect that! The little glimpses into Hazel’s personal and home life were lovely additions and I will definitely want to read the next in the series to see how Hazel develops as a character. If I had one gripe it is that I thought there were too many characters in the story and it took me a while for them to slot into place in my mind. Otherwise a great police procedural and one I would recommend.

🗡Good start to a new series set in Scotland🌄

I found this first DCI Hazel Todd murder investigation a good, solid whodunit that overwhelmingly concentrates on the victims and suspects and mostly skates over the details of the detectives' lives. There are just a few brief scenes that bring in Hazel's family and a subplot regarding the bitter end to her marriage. That worked for me in a series introduction. But I would have liked a bit more character development and backstory for some of the protagonists especially ex-con Rachel, her friend and the victims.

Watts gives us lots of suspects and I really liked the twists regarding the timeline for the murders and discovery of the victims. She also kept me guessing by including a good supply of possible suspects with odd behavior and things to hide. The writing is concise and easy to follow and I love a mystery or thriller with a strong female lead character like DCI Todd. This is a series I will be following, not least of which due to the Scottish setting.

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

A great start to a new Police Procedural detective series. Introducing DI Hazel Todd and her team. The story grabs your attention from start to finish with no lulls at all throughout. Set in Perth Scotland.

A killer is on the loose murdering men in a pretty gruesome way. But why? What do these men have in common if anything? The first is a young medical student who is found in his car, in an area frequented by sex workers. It seems he liked things a little on the dark side. But what about the other men they don’t seem to know each other? Why have they been murdered?

40 years earlier a woman had been arrested and served a sentence for similar crimes could she have started up again? Or is this some sort of copycat? She is living in the area is that just a coincidence?

I loved the team they all seemed to gel well together, they are believable, three dimensional and it’s interesting finding out some of their stories. DI Todd is still getting over her husband of 25 years betrayal as he left her for her best friend who he went on to marry. So when that friend Cara keeps calling her she isn’t really interested.

There are plenty red herrings to send you off track as to who is committing these crimes. Can you work out who it is?

I look forward to book 2 in the series and getting to know more about the team.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Herabooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

My first reading of Scottish crime thriller.




The bodies of two men have been found at the regular spot for sex workers. They were stabbed and suffocated inside their vehicles. When third victim was found alive, Hazel Todd and her team has listed a person of interest. It seems the killer was being careless or is it just a copycat on the loose?



I enjoyed Death Rite, which is a very readable novel with all the requisite twists and turns. Who love a great police procedural and psychological thriller, this is for you.



The moment when Tom Newton being stabbed by the suspect make a jaw dropped. The plot thicken begin.


Obviously, the truth hurts but lies are worse. Rachel and Craig deserve a second chance. I love both characters.

Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Watch out for the release on this October 14th.

My rating 4 ⭐

Echoes Of The Past….
The first in the Detective Hazel Todd series. When a killer is released following a long stretch, seemingly reformed, so begins a new series of killings which have distinct echoes of the past. Has she struck again or are these killings simply the work of a copycat killer? Can Detective Todd and team get for her bottom of this case? A solid read, nicely written with twists aplenty. A promising start to a new series.