Today I’m absolutely over the moon to be joining the blog tour for Dead Inside. My review is written with thanks to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part and Killer Reads for my copy of the book via Netgalley.

Blurb:

An excellent read’ Martina Cole

A dark and gripping debut crime novel – the first in a stunning new series – from a huge new talent.

‘Kept me hooked … excellent pace and a very satisfying ending’ Angela Marsons

When three domestic abuse offenders are found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered. And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the finger of suspicion points at Lucy and the police are running out of time. Can Maggie and her team solve the murders before another person dies? And is Lucy really a cold-blooded killer?

Review:

It’s really difficult reviewing a book written by a friend – what if it’s not my thing? I needn’t have worried because Dead Inside is ABSOLUTELY my thing and Ms Holten has smashed it!

If you read the “about the author” page, you will see that Noelle Holten has lots of experience in situations of domestic abuse. She uses the experience really well in Dead Inside. Her descriptions of these situations in the novel is really vivid. I was able to sense both the fear in the victims and the rage in the perpetrators, making me feel incredibly claustrophobic as I read. I often found myself looking over my shoulder.

As Dead Inside focuses heavily on the work of the probation service, the novel provides a slightly different angle to most police procedurals, which I found very interesting. Noelle Holten’s experience really shines through and gives the novel its authenticity. We obviously can’t forget Detective Constable Maggie Jamieson, as she is the protagonist for the whole series. She is a feisty character and I know she’s only just getting started. There is a lot more to come from her and her team and I can’t wait to see what it is.

The character development in Dead Inside is brilliant and I love the way that even relatively minor characters have their own back story, which reminded me of Carol Wyer, and you know how much I love her work! The keen eye for detail is great for readers who want to solve the mystery alongside the detectives.

Dead Inside is full of tension and I was totally engaged the whole way through.

Dead Inside is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: