Really interesting story that took a little while to hook me, but once it did, it was great. Nice little twist towards the end that I didn't see coming.

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

It is the fifth in the DS/DI Vicky Dodds series and I would suggest these benefit from being read in order. I haven't read any of the earlier books, so hadn't encountered any of the myriad of police officers before and nor did I know about Vicky's last case, which was constantly referred to. From what I gather Vicky did something (no spoilers!) at the end of that story which Luke, her DS, then does at the end of this one. Apart from the fact that it is something I am opposed to, both in crime fiction and real life, it seems a little unimaginative of the author...

I would like to thank Netgalley and The Book Whisperer, Grey Dog for an advance copy of Guilt Trip, the fifth novel to feature Dundee based DI Vicky Dodds.

Vicky calls in to a Dundee flat and finds the resident, Gavin Mason dead from a hammer attack. DS Luke Shepherd is sent from Edinburgh to help in the investigation, that will be DCI Luke Shepherd of Professional Standards and Ethics when he’s masquerading as a murder detective. Vicky finds it hard to believe he’s not investigating her after she took the law into her own hands eighteen months ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed Guilt Trip, which made me laugh out loud on several occasions. Maybe it’s a Scottish thing, because I don’t see much about the humour in other reviews. Surprisingly this is the first novel in this series that I have read, but I felt that I slotted in well, perhaps because so many weel kent faces from other series make an appearance.

The murder investigation held me gripped, because it doesn’t stop at one murder and I was constantly wondering what linked the victims. There are obvious and not so obvious answers to this question and they tie together nicely, although not before disappearing down a couple of confusing rabbit holes. I was less enthusiastic about the emphasis on Vicky’s feelings of guilt as it gets repetitive and solves nothing.

Guilt Trip is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This book has all the right ingredients and in the right proportion. There is a bit of backstory for several characters, but not so much as to slow the flow of the story. The same goes for the politics of the police force. The crime is confusing and only becomes more so with more than one murder and questions of just what the motive really is. Oh, and quite a bit of excitement too. I really enjoyed this book. It is the first I've read by Ed James so there are plenty more in my future.

This book was very interesting and enthralling. It had me hooked early on. This is the first Ed James book I've read, and I look forward to reading more. It had lots of action and suspense. I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.

I liked the dialogue and relationships very much, with a touch of humour thrown in. The pace was a little slow at times but the core plot was really interesting and ultimately well executed.