Biba Pearce

crime-fiction, mystery, riveting, police-detectives, procedural, Thames-Valley, the-Met, teamwork, murders, investigation, entitled-attitude, secrets, lies, family, contemporary, suspense, guilt*****

I just hopped into this series and the reason I want to go back to earlier ones is because I've somehow become invested in the characters and their backstory. NOT because it can't stand alone.
The murder business is as complicated as the police politics in this one. The murder squad from the Met is told that they will handle a case which is in the Thames Valley jurisdiction. Add in that both the DCI and DI are on shaky ground in their careers and the situation is even more tense. Relief in the investigation comes in the form of an astute young constable from Thames valley who vomits at the scene of every body they find. The investigation makes several wrong turns but keeps on working the cases until they get it right. Absolutely loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (plus d'informations)

This was a fast and easy read. It was a police procedural set near London. There were several crimes here to be solved, and this was done mostly by figuring out the backgrounds of the people involved and through supposition of their motives, rather than by acquiring crime evidence. Though the author had devised quite creative backstories to make the elements of the plot all come together, the story wasn’t especially riveting. Similarly, there is little in the way of characterization or the relationships of the key players, so I didn’t feel engaged in their lives. However, I was new to this series and read this book (which is seventh in the series) as a stand-alone. Presumably people reading the series would feel more connection with the protagonist and his team.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Elf hats, Christmas parties, and murders!

Well this was intriguing! A missing woman with nothing to go on but a Christmas elf hat and a mobile phone discarded near a bench down by the river towpath at Marlow in the Thames Valley.
What looks like a missing person turns into a more complex murder, which is just the beginning. There’s a host of moving parts and people who just might have a reason for harming the missing woman. How to uncover the truth is the challenge.
DCI Rob Miller and his disbanded crew from the Major Investigation Team of the Met. Police Headquarters are called back together to solve the case—quickly! (That’s another story, that includes Rob’s partner Jo)
I found this tale intriguing, and full of deft twists. So much so that I feel the need to explore the rest of the series.
Well paced, tense and surprising!

A Joffe Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.… (plus d'informations)