Don't Look Behind You is the 2nd installment in Mel Sherratt's Eden Berresford police procedural series.  A good read with a bunch of great characters which I look forward to reading more about in book 3.  Heading the Community Intelligence Team, Berresford and her team are investigating attacks and rapes of local young woman while also trying to sort out her personal life in the form of the arrival of her long lost ex.  A great read.  4 stars

Don't look behind you by mel Sherratt is a mystery and thriller and general fiction  (adult) read. 
She got into bed but sleep didn’t come easily. Every creak in the house made her alert. She was waiting for him to come and get her.
The small city of Stockleigh is in shock as three women are brutally attacked within days of each other. Are they random acts of violence or is there a link between the victims? For Detective Eden Berrisford, it’s her most chilling case yet. 
The investigation leads Eden to cross paths with Carla, a woman trying to rebuild her life after her marriage to a cruel and abusive man ended in unimaginable tragedy. Her husband Ryan was imprisoned for his crimes but, now he’s out and coming for her. 
An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters.  I loved the story.  Full of twists and plots.  Highly recommended.  5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley

This is the second book in the Eden Berrisford series.

Women are being brutally attacked within days off each other. Detective Sergeant Eden Berrisford has been given the task to arrest the culprit. Eden has to work out if there is a link to these women or if they have been randomly chosen. The only link she has so far is they were attacked at night while they were on their own.

Mel Sherratt has another best seller with this storyline. Eden Berrisford Is just the right person to solve this case. She is such a strong character. I found myself holding my breath and my stomach churning at times, but for this plot it would not work if the reader did not get pulled into the storyline. I throughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Mel Sherratt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would recommend this book, I found that it was a good read a bit slow in places but overall it was good...

Thank you.
Enjoyed it.  Good read.                                                                                  
Will get copies for family and friends

I really enjoyed it. Though it was a bit heavy at times
The story line keep you wanting to read more from the beginning, the scenes depicting the abuse of the woman came across as very realistic, making you feel for the women.
It was good to see the key characters coming across as strong at the end with the men getting the tables turned onto them.
I would highly recommend this book, look forward to more

Absoloutly loved this book.  The author handles some very sensitive subjects brilliantly giving you the story from both sides. Eden is a thoroughly likeable charachter from the start and as the story goes on you invest more feeling into her. The story was brilliantly written with some very well thought out twists added in to throw you off. Highly reccomend this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Mel Sherratt for this advance review copy.

Detective Eden Berrisford is back for this second story of the city of Stockleigh and it's residents, the criminal and the victims. There are a few stories here running alongside each other. Firstly there is a violent rapist stalking the streets who becomes bolder with each attack. Then there's a woman's refuge where no one is feeling safe. And then there's Eden's own past beginning to catch up with her. The theme though is prevalent though. These are all stories of women who are victims of one sort or another, and their reactions to the violence and manipulation of their partners. Some take it, some fight back, and some even become complicit to protect themselves.

I loved The Girls Next Door and I loved this too. It would be so easy for this to be a man bashing tale but it isn't. It's a story of the dangers we all face, and how they can be completely random or from the people we love the most. The attacks on the women in this book are shocking but never is it described gratuitously - Sherratt obviously respects her audience and knows we don't have to read every little detail of an attack. For that reason her story telling retains a dignity that can sometimes be lacking in these sort of books - she definitely knows less is more!

A gripping and often emotional read, I'm hoping part three is not too far away.

All my reviews can be found at www.dejaread.simplesite.com .

Mel Sherratt has done it again. Her second installment of Di Eden Berrisford series  is even better than the first. This is a harrowing but realistic crime thriller of a man attacking a raping women in a small town and Eden is in charge of it. 

It also talks about a hard hitting subject of sexual and physical abuse and Mel writes very well to make this and easy read, but sensitive.

This is a brilliant unputdownable novel and I cant wait to see what she writes next,

I really enjoyed the first book of this series - The Girls Next Door(4 star review from me) so I was delighted to find out that Mel Sherratt had a follow up coming out. Having finished this book last night, it certainly didn't disappoint. 

Don't Look Behind You sees the return of Eden Berrisford and her team and the small city of Stockleigh. Three women are brutally attacked in a short period of time, with the attacks becoming more violent. Eden is in charge of the cases and convinced there is a connection to the attacks and they are the work of the one perpetrator. 

Her investigation leads her to a local women's refuge, where she visits regularly as a sort of community officer. Here she crosses paths with Carla, a counsellor at the refuge but one that we learn has a hidden past, an abuse victim herself, married to a man called Ryan who very violently abused her many years ago, ultimately ending in a family tragedy and on her testimony, the imprisonment of Ryan for 10 years. 

But Ryan has recently been released from prison and Carla is convinced that he will come looking for her again. She sees shadows outside her house and is convinced someone is following her. Can these things be connected? Where and when will the attacker strike again? 

I really loved this read. If anything it's a stronger book than the already impressive first in the series. Eden continues to develop as a character, with her past explored further, she really is a very strong central character to base this stories around and you are always rooting for her. 

The subject matter is pretty heavy material, domestic abuse, and some of the scenes are quite horrific but I think the subject matter is handled really well. 
Th book absolutely zips along as you are drawn into the story. The tension throughout is palpable and it doesn't seem to dip at any point. 

I'm excited at the prospect of further Eden Berrisford books in the future. A sub plot in this novel has left the door open perfectly to continue in the next instalment, one that I can't wait to be written and released. 

An easy five star review for me. I think we may have a very special series of books on our hands with the Eden Berrisford series. I'd highly recommend this to everyone. 

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and Mel Sherratt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say Don't Look Behind You by no means suffers from the so-called 'weak-second-book-syndrome'! In fact, I enjoyed this psychological thriller sequel significantly better than the first book, and that says something. First of all, the writing style is excellent and really makes it that much easier to enjoy the ride. Don't Look Behind You reads like a train and the amount of plot twists is just right. And while I had some minor problems with the main character Eden in the first book, she is really starting to warm up to me despite the fact that the recent problems in her private life does make her look more like the typical cliche detective character. Is this bad? In this case I don't think so, because it makes her so much more 'real' and her private connection to the recent events is intriguing. I could also really appreciate the fact that the whole abuse theme was given such a big role and was portrayed so realistically. It's a very important topic not nearly enough people are aware of, and on top of that it's also refreshing to read about after one too many typical murder/missing person case. All in all a great read and I will be looking forward to the next installment of the series!

" Look Behind You" is a brilliant title for this emotional story about the psychological and physical abuse of women. 

One story arc is about the women sheltering at "The Willows", a women's refuge: the stories about their lives of terror waiting for the next attack from their "loved" ones. Quote: "They manipulate you, they smother you with love and affection... and by the time you realise who they really are, it's too late. They have you. They have taken your life, your friends and your support system are gone. They grind you down until you have no self-esteem". If you're a fan of "The Archers", think Rob Titchener. 

 Carla is a counsellor at The Willows. She too is running away, from her husband Ryan. He savaged her and killed her daughter, but has just got out of prison. 

Then there's Detective Sergeant Eden Berrisford, who is leading the police team looking for a man who is  brutally assaulting young women in the town. She too has a shady husband, whose back story may return to cause her to lose her job. 

This is a tense, slow-burning psychological thriller with an explosive climax.  It's extremely realistic and full of menace. A great read.

This is the first Detective Berrisford book I have read although I have read the Estate series.
Women are being attacked in Stockleigh and Detective Berrisford and her team need to find out if they are random acts of violence or whether they are linked in some way.
She is also involved with a woman's refuge and has dealing with Carla whose husband has just come out of prison and she thinks he is out to get her.  Domestic violence is a hard subject to tackle but Mel Sherratt does it well.  This was hard to read because you feel for the women who can't go out without always having to be aware of their surroundings.
Don't look behind you is a powerful gritty thriller which sends chills down your spine.

4.5 stars

Don’t Look Behind You is a thoroughly engaging novel written by Brit Grit Lit master Mel Sherratt. This book is #2 in the Eden Berrisford series and even better than the first.  I love Mel Sherratt because of her success in melding gritty crime fiction with “gritty women’s fiction.” The mix is terrific. I also like that she sets all of her stories in Stockleigh, England, with a bit of overlapping of her characters from other books. And how can I not mention (again) how engaging I find her use of the local language. Don’t worry, you do not have to be an expert of British English; you can glean the meaning of any strictly British words from the context in which it is written.  

We learn more about Eden in this installment. She has a tough side as do many of the policewomen protagonists these days. But she also has a very soft side, which is endearing. She has a close, respectful relationship with her team members, all of who seem to be pretty happy, well-adjusted people—something you don’t see that much in police procedurals.  I am interested in seeing how these characters evolve in future books. 

The story moves along nicely with short crisp chapters. There is a good deal of suspense relating to a number of characters being in dangerous relationships in addition to an attacker of young women being on the loose. I liked that Ms. Sherratt provides each of the victims with a little backstory that makes the reader root a little more fervently for the baddie to be apprehended. Also, the author throws in some nice twists to shake things up.  I missed the book when I had to tend to real life and couldn’t wait to get back to it.

I loved the fact that one of the arcs involved the goings on at a woman’s refuge. 

If I were in a position to make a minor suggestion to the author, I would propose adding a few more pages to the wrap-up as I felt tying everything up was a tad rushed. I will say though that everything did come together well, and I found the epilogue to be a real plus. Loved the last line of the book.

Speaking of epilogues, I’m going to make a general statement about prologues. I have heard that authors are often told not to use prologues. I have no idea why that recommendation is made as I think prologues are a terrific way to pull a reader hard and fast into the story. Ms. Sherratt reeled me right in using this method in Don’t Look Behind You. So, all you authors out there, keep those prologues coming!

Mel Sherratt remains one of my very favorite go-to authors. I highly recommend her Eden Berrisford series to all readers of crime fiction, especially those who like a lot of characterization and a bit of focus on social issues.  Next please, Mel.  XO

Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Ms. Mel Sherratt for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Thanks Netgalley. 
This is the first book i have read by Mel Sherratt - and wow - its a good un! I was super impressed by her writing, the book flowed nice and easily and had me gripped from start to finish.  The story is about abused women and when several are brutally attacked its up to Eden Berrisford to get to the bottom of it. We meet Carla who runs a home for abused women - she herself is struggling in her own personal life - worrying that an ex boyfriend will come looking for her now he's out of prison. The story itself twists and turns and involves several strong characters. Its a brilliant read. What are you waiting for! Get reading!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  (I really must slow down with applying for Netgalley books, my TBR pile is taller than me as it is!)

Eden Berrisford is back, and this time she's investigating a series of attacks on women in Stockleigh.  They are becoming increasingly vicious, but nothing seems to link the victims.  Eden must track down the attacker and discover who is capable of such violence.  Meanwhile, Carla is rebuilding her life in Stockleigh after her abusive partner was jailed.  He has continued to track her down, so she is trying not to put her roots down too firmly in case she has to run from him again.  Her new life as a counselor in a refuge is a great way for her to help others escape similar situations, even if she cannot fully escape from her own.  During her work, she crosses paths with Tanya, who has left her husband umpteen times, but always returns to him.  Can Carla help her?  And in doing so could she help herself?  Eden and her team, including new addition Phil, will be working in the community to find out what's been going on.  But it looks as though Phil's old-school approach might cause a few arguments...
Eden's personal life is also problematic.  Her relationship with Joe is still not quite right, on paper it seems perfect but Eden simply can't fall in love with him.  The shadow of her disappeared ex-husband could be to blame as Eden never found out what happened to him.  Perhaps if she gets some answers she might finally be able to move on.

Well what can I say?  I was blown away by this!  Mel Sherratt's writing just keeps getting better and better.  This was a fabulous mix of police procedural and drama, but the thing I love most about it is the characters.  It was very reminiscent of her Estate series, which was the first thing I read by this author and am hoping to see more of (hint hint Mel if you're reading this!)  The characters are all very three-dimensional, you can imagine them in the flesh and none of them are truly good or bad.  The topics covered in the book are very real, but they are dealt with cleverly and sensitively.  Unfortunately there are a lot of judgmental people in the world, and this book reflects that without making the reader lose all hope for humanity.

So I want to start this review not with an overview of the story but with a comment on the tagline "He destroyed your life once. Now he's back to do it again." because I don't think it - or the overview above - do this book justice.  They suggest this is the story of one woman at risk from one man, a popular theme in the books I read at the moment and I have to say that it caught my eye when requesting.  These books tend to follow a pattern though that Don't Look Behind You doesn't, which for me was a welcome change and a nice surprise.   

What it is does have in common with other books is men's behaviour towards women, how it can often be violent and how abuse isn't always physical but emotional, with the effects lasting long after the violence stops or a relationship ends.  It's a powerful topic that leads to a powerful book, one that doesn't just entertain as a police procedural / piece of crime writing but makes you pause and think about how much more commonplace attacks on women, by strangers as partners, might be and how hard it is for them to stay safe and live full lives afterwards, lives not shrouded in fear. 

Sherratt shows it here with two stories running side by side. The first is Detective Eden Berrisford's search for a man attacking young women on their way home at night; the attacks are escalating and she needs to figure out who is responsible before someone ends up dead. The second focuses on Carla, who works at a women's refuge but is also in hiding from her ex-husband Ryan, recently released from prison and out for revenge, blaming her for putting him there despite the fact that he had nearly killed her before he was arrested.

Both stories are compelling and well plotted, alternating in chapters and occasionally crossing over into each other. Because Eden knows Carla through her own work with the shelter she is the common theme running through each but I liked that I heard Carla's voice too. She is a strong women with a sad history who is trying to rebuild her life - I admired her and wanted her to be happy and safe.  

Each story could have probably been expanded into books in their own right but they did work well together and I didn't find it distracting or difficult to move between the two. I did wonder if they would come together in a big twist at the end and was quite happy when they didn't because I think that would have spoilt it and the conclusion to both was just right.

For me, it was much more satisfying than my first outing with Eden (and the first book to feature her) The Girls Next Door, where I struggled with some of the characters. Here, I didn't have any of those problems so was able to settle in and enjoy the book and get to know Eden, who I think could become a firm favourite of mine - and not just because she wears doc martins (the best footwear ever) and drives a scooter (the coolest thing ever). 

She is kind, caring, passionate about her job but there is a darker side too potentially, one that is hinted at when she and her daughter are threatened and I do wonder if that will come out in future books? There definitely seemed to be some teasers for what might happen next in her life in this book that I can't wait to see develop.

I said at the beginning of this post that it was the tag line that caught my eye but it wasn't the main or only reason. The other was Mel Sherratt, whose books I really enjoy and who is probably starting to rank as a favourite author. Her books have all the elements I love - crime, drama, twist, turns and strong female characters. They are well written, well plotted and keep me turning pages. I never know quite what to expect and I have - so far - always been pleased with what I've gotten. You can't ask for more than that from an author or a book really, leaving me liking this one a lot.

This book is incredibly written and the characters startlingly realistic. It shows the disturbingly dark world of domestic abuse. While the crimes themselves are not gratuitous, the aftermath is. The story is heart wrenching but shows the ability of a person to go from a victim to a survivor. This is a book that reaches into your soul.

Been looking forward to reading this soon book, second in the Eden Berrisford series, and it did not disappoint,  great characters and a gripping storyline.

Having greatly enjoyed The Girls Next Door, the first novel in this new strand by Mel Sherratt, I was very pleased to receive a copy of the follow-up, Don't Look Behind You.  In the first story, the detective Eden Berrisford was closely involved in a crime which involved members of her own family.  Here we see her working in a less personally affected way and we are able to admire her skill as a clever and compassionate policewoman.  The violence rendered unto the female victims at the hands of their abusers is shocking and vividly portrayed but only adds to the power of this superb book.