Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an advanced reading copy of Cruel Acts in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I requested a copy of Cruel Acts after hearing rave reviews from a lot of people on the Rick O Shea book club. A lot of people have already given it 5 stars and I was keen to read a new author. Unfortunately this just didn't hit the mark for me. It was your average crime serial that I found myself skimming through towards the end. Maybe I would have appreciated it more if I had read the others in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy for a true and unbiased review.

I hadn't realised this Is part the 8th book of a series. I wish I had read the previous books before. Only because I so enjoyed it! Police procedural at its best. A page turner from first to last page. I quickly invested in the main characters and their strengths and, yes, their weaknesses.

Although I hadn't read the earlier books it didn't spoil my enjoyment at all.

I will now have to start at book 1 immediately to find out more about DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent.

I love crime thrillers so I was keen to read Jane Casey's 'Cruel Acts' as I saw she was an award-winning author but I hadn't read any of her other books. I was gripped from the start and couldn't put it down. I was intrigued by Maeve Kerrigan, her history and relationship with Derwant. But the horrifying historic murders and present crimes kept me gripped and I wasn't sure who the real killer(s?) were until the end. I see this is book 8 in a series (but it was fine to read as a stand-alone), however I have now downloaded the first book and plan to read the rest! Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for the opportunity to review this and to Jane Casey for a great book which I thoroughly recommend to all crime lovers!

Congratulations to Jane Casey, a brilliant story! This kept me riveted to the very end, did not have a clue who actually committed the crime. Guaranteed page turner, look forward to more from this author.

I quite enjoyed this book, the first in a new series but did find it became bogged down in police procedure and a bit complicated
There are good twists and turns though and the characters are written well

I have been a huge fan of the Maeve Kerrigan series, ever since I started reading them.

Jane Casey once again delivers a great thriller with lots of exciting characters. Maeve is a very flawed human being, still struggling with things that happened to her in the past.
Her relationship with Derwant is probably one of my favorite things in the novels, their dynamic is sizzling and fun to read.

I do not want to give away anything about the main story, you will just have to read it for yourself!

I really enjoyed this book, great characters, interesting story with twists and turns.

Leo Stone is a convicted murderer but is let out on on bail awaiting a retrial after a juror admitted researching him online before the trial ended.

I have read one of the books previously and thought it was well-written and although the books can be read as a stand alone, I think some previous knowledge is helpful as some names do crop up again.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the chance to review the book in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced book that I didn’t want to put down.
This is the eighth book in this series with DS Maeve Kerrigan. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series but I still enjoyed it.
Leo Stone, a convicted murderer is serving life but when one of the jurors at his trial writes a book it is revealed that the jury may have been prejudiced.
As a result, Stone is released pending a re-trial.
The police then only have a short period of time to review the evidence of the case.
DS Maeve Kerrigan is part of a small team undertaking this task. Despite reluctance from her superiors, Maeve is also looking into the disappearance of a third woman that may be linked. Stone claims he is innocent and Kerrigan begins to wonder if he might be telling the truth.
This book is full of twists and turns and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

#Cruel Acts # Netgalley

Gosh, still trying to absorb the ending. A fast paced book one you will definitely not want to put down, with unexpected twist and turns here there and everywhere, with saying that, it’s rasy to follow it’s some things you genuinely don’t expect. My heart was pounding and well, it’s just a fantastic book. I love the character mauve. I also like it because it’s different. A definite must read.

This book is the latest in the Maeve Kerrigan detective series, but could equally be read as a stand alone. It had me gripped from start to finish. The main charactersare likeable and very realistic, with a good 'hate' woman thrown in for good measure. Maeve herself is very sharp and witty, made me laugh a few times. The twists and turns keep coming, including just 2 or 3 unrealistic or annoying ones, where you want to say ''dont do that"! But on the whole this book is excellent.

This is a really good police procedural. I need to now go and buy all the previous books in the series. Maeve Kerrigan is a fantastic creation and I love her relationships with the other police characters; very believable. I honestly had no idea who the killer was. Brilliant plotting.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read Cruel Acts by Jane Casey earlier than its release. Thank you to Jane for such a fabulous, enthralling book.

I haven’t had the pleasure of reading previous books including detective Maeve Kerrigan. While I became aware of missing backgrounds to her and her partner Josh Derwent, this did not impair my enjoyment of the characters involved in this book, which I read quite happily as a stand alone.

Detectives Kerrigan and Derwent are tasked with revisiting the case of Leo Stone who was previously found guilty of murdering two women. One of the jurors wrote about him finding out about Stone’s previous crimes from social media while the case was ongoing, thereby denying Stone a fair trial, allowing him to leave prison while a retrial is planned. While carrying out their new interviews, Kerrigan becomes convinced that there is another victim who hasn’t been identified. Her partner does not support this view, which leads to Kerrigan working individually and making some poor judgement errors. While it seems at the beginning of the book they are looking for more evidence to put Stone back in prison where he belongs, as the book continues more questions over his guilt come to the surface.

Cruel Acts is well named, so don’t be surprised by the details of the extremely cruel, dark and disturbing crimes. I challenge any reader not to fall in love with Maeve just a little by the end of the book. She is a very well rounded character, not just sugar and spice but sparky and spiky at times. The book is well plotted, full of suspense and tension.

Well I am going to find the previous seven books in the series. Enjoy reading this fabulous crime thriller. You won’t be disappointed.

This is the 8th book in the Maeve Kerrigan series and in this we find she is called upon to re-examine the case against Leo Stone who had had his conviction of murdering two women set aside pending a retrial. So Maeve and Josh Darwin get to reinterview witnesses and question whether the disappearance of another young woman should be included. Is it only Maeve that is concerned for ‘Rachel Healey’ disappearance – it would appear so?

A couple of obvious statements next. Part of the enjoyment of books that form a series is that you are already aware of the characteristics of the main protagonists – their background and their histories. So it is like meeting up with an old friend. That said, you cannot then complain if they act just like they always did. Maeve is Maeve, Josh is Josh. Now I am not saying that they irritate me because they do not seem to move on in their relationship – but I would probably say ‘Oh no’ if it went the predictable ‘love in’ scene with them. Can’t have it both ways eh?

Second thing: If I pick up a Sherlock Holmes book; surely I must expect certain things 1) Dr Watson, 2) the violin and pipe and 3) the nature of his investigative talents.

So it is with the Maeve Kerrigan series. The title Cruel Acts says it all really. The crimes really do involve cruel, extremely cruel, acts. These are not golden age of detective fiction novels; they are this specific genre. So, yes it is grisly and not for the faint-hearted; and yes, it is fairly predictable but nevertheless it is exactly what it says on the tin. A good plot, with good characters, acting in a way I would expect them to with a few twists and turns (and some surprises) and that equals ‘A blinking good read. Thanks Jane.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

From a cut and dried police case to serious doubts about whether the right man really was behind bars, this crime thriller makes uncomfortable reading about how easily you accept preconceived stereotypes.. Add to the mix workplace jealousies, complex hierarchical work relationships and where boundaries lie between colleagues and the relationships that play out between them, makes a good book that goes beyond the crime thriller edges.

Homicide Detective Maeve Kerrigan's latest case revolves around a series of women abducted and murdered by the White Knight, Leo Stone. When Leo's appeal is upheld leading to his release from prison, Maeve and her partner, DI Joshua Derwent, are tasked with re-examining the evidence, provoking questions of further victims who may have been overlooked. Has the White Knight struck again when another woman goes missing in similar circumstances?

I was really excited to see that Casey has published another novel in the Maeve Kerrigan series after loving the previous installment. As someone who was only introduced to the series late on (and yet to catch up on all previous installments), it is surprising to me how quickly I have fallen in love with Maeve Kerrigan's world. Her latest publication sees Maeve re-investigating a series of murders, which until now had been purportedly solved with Leo Stone behind bars for the murder of two young women. However, with the release of a tell-all book from the original jury, the original case against Leo looks increasingly fragile, as an appeal against his conviction is upheld. As Maeve discovers more about the case, it seems clear to her that other victims may have been overlooked. Despite some doubts voiced by her superiors, Maeve is determined to correct the mistakes her predecessors made in ignoring a possible link to a third missing woman. While an investigation of a serial murderer of women is far from unique in crime fiction, Cruel Acts is truly an engaging mystery with many surprise revelations and brims with authenticity, and I genuinely found it to breathe new life into the genre for me.

While Cruel Acts is a brilliant feat of plotting, with a clever and engrossing mystery at its heart, Casey's novels are not just merely excellent crime fiction. What keeps me coming back is the excellently drawn character portraits of Maeve, a prickly and ambitious young woman trying to succeed in a male dominated industry where she faces being undermined by her superiors and challenged by a jealous junior colleague. Alongside this, I continue to be quite frankly a bit obsessed with the fascinating and compelling depiction of work politics and professional clashes in this team of homicide investigators. Maeve's relationship with her coworker, Josh, as always, remains a highlight in Cruel Acts. Josh and Maeve are genuinely a joy to read about; they have come a long way and I hope there's still more to come! Now, firmly friends and confidants, Josh tries to push Maeve towards a social life now that she has started to get over her recent break-up. As you might expect, Maeve is not entirely happy with Josh's intrusiveness. While I was perhaps hoping for their friendship to develop further into a more concrete romance in this one, prepare yourself for a lot more sexual tension and teasing. It is one of the most delicious slow-burn romances I have ever come across in the genre. However, I really hope there's more tangible movement in the next book as I am firmly on board with this romance and I am getting impatient.

I always look forward to the next instalment in the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey. As a character, Maeve is portrayed as personable, hard-working and determined but also fallible, vulnerable and human. In all honesty, I feel that she and I would be friends in real life. Aside from Maeve, I also love the character of Josh Derwent, even though he comes across as obnoxious, controlling and stubborn.

In this book, Maeve and her colleagues are re-investigating a series of murders after the man convicted is released. Kerrigan once again proves herself to be skilled detective, overcoming various obstacles including hostile witnesses and colleagues.

We also catch a glimpse of Maeve’s private life and this makes her all the more relatable.

Jane Casey’s books are enjoyable to read and are very well-written. The wait between them is almost tortuous!

5 Stars from me!

I haven't read anything by Jane Casey before so I had no idea what to expect from Cruel Acts and I was very pleasantly surprised by this dark and nasty little tale.

Cruel Acts is aptly named and packed full with deeply disturbing characters and a very clever plot. Balanced by some genuinely pleasant interactions between Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent who make for a pretty much perfect leading pair.

Even though this is book 8 it worked very well as a standalone (or could equally have been book 1 as it so obviously begged to be part of series) which is of huge testament to the skills of Jane Casey.

I thoroughly enjoyed Cruel Acts and look forward to enjoying the series from book 1. 

Synopsis: From award-winning author Jane Casey comes another powerful Maeve Kerrigan crime thriller which will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page!Leo Stone is a killer. A year ago, he was convicted of murdering two women and sentenced to life without parole. But now, a juror from his trial has revealed the jury was prejudiced, and a retrial is called.Detectives Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent are tasked with re-examining the evidence. Before long, they uncover links between Stone and a possible third victim.But with Stone behind bars, a fourth woman disappears in similar circumstances. Is there a copycat killer out there, or have they been wrong about Stone from the start? And will Maeve discover the truth before another innocent victim is killed?

Cruel Acts is a good police procedural thriller. Slightly slow in some places but enjoyable just the same. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and the author for the chance to review.

This is another really strong book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. In this story, Maeve and her colleague Josh Derwent are tasked with reinvestigating historic crimes of a murderer who has now had his conviction quashed due to an error with the original trial. When a new crime is committed, they face an uphill battle to link this to the originals and solve the case.

I’ve not read the full series of books (that’s good news, it means I get to go back and fill in the gaps) but this can easily be read as a stand-alone. There’s brief references to prior stories, but nothing that would ruin your enjoyment of this one (or spoil a previous one). The plot cracks along at pace, the characters and dialogue are great and it’s a page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It took me a while to get into this book and did consider giving up, but I'm glad I persevered as once it got going I couldn't put it down. Maeve and Derwent make a great team. It took me right until the end to figure out who was actually doing the killings and why. A family of secrets but who is guilty!!