Cover Image: Uncommon Cruelty

Uncommon Cruelty

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Member Reviews

This was really a fantastic read. It is already the fourth book in the DI McGuire series, and honestly, they just keep on getting better!!!!
An innocent party leads to a missing teenager. This sets the tone of a gripping, riveting read, from beginning to end! Highly recommended!

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This really is a top class series, although the stories can be read as stand alones. I do have to admit to reading the 5th book before this but the enjoyment was just as enriching. The opening scene is a distressing house fire, with the only survivor being a young boy before the story jumps forward to present day.
There is that moment, when you have children, of leaving them at home when you feel they are responsible enough to stay behind while you have a weekend away. Well for Simon's parents it turns into every parents worst nightmare. How can such much go wrong in one weekend? The team have their work cut out as they are pulled in so many directions with this case and dire complications and twists of a case that should have had its conclusion, one that was very personal to the team. Unfortunately when you think that things can't get any worse they just do! The more they discover about the teenage party the more vile crimes are uncovered, rape, murder, drugs and abductions. Even when some of the party goers emerge the picture doesn't become clear.
This is a terrific read with so many tangled leads, suspects and personal complications for the team that my mind wouldn't rest. The aftermath of destroyed families that would never be the same again just kept growing as the pieces were fitted together, concluding with a devastating end! Utter brilliance!

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Yet another fantastic book by Liz Mistry, full of fantastic twists and turns with every chapter.

We join Gus and the team as they start to investigate the murder of two young girls and the missing teenager Simon Proctor. Is Simon connected to the murder or is his disappearance connected to something else.

Gus, Alice, Sampson, Compo and Taffy (the newbie) start to investigate the case. We follow them as they conduct their investigations along with another murder, this time of a prostitute along with leaks to the press of the current investigation. We also have the annoying DC Knowles who is determined to stoop to so many levels to destroy Alice.

I found this book such a riveting read and is definitely one of my favourites so far. There was enough suspense to keep me tapping the pages of my kindle and despite some tidbits that had me thinking I knew what as going to happen I still did the "OMG" on a couple of occasions when pieces of the jigsaw I was putting together didn't quite fit and I felt like I had to start some of it all over again.

Review will be live on my blog http://beveaves.blogspot.co.uk shortly.

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Omg what a book!! Liz has done it again... Gripping read from start to finish. Absolutely love the characters in this book. The family bond and relationships between them all make this book even more fantastic

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So when parents come home from a trip to find their house trashed, their son missing and two bodies they immediately call the police. So enters Gus Mcguire and DS Alice Cooper to investigate.

I liked the dynamics of Gus and Alice, they are professional but also have a great banter and there is a good rapport with fellow colleagues. This lifted the tone of the story at times and I think it worked well in what would be a stressful situation for those investigating.

There are little indications of past stories that are explained and this added to the intrigue for me. They have been added to give clarification to a reader who hasn’t read the previous books and do complement this story.

The plot covers so many different angles and takes trips down those pesky blind alleys that helped build up the suspense. It was as if I was being teased and being held just at arm’s length from the truth. Not only does the team have a tricky case to deal with but a past keeps poking their nose in.

The author did a fantastic job of leaving tantalising little clues giving an inking as to who it could possibly be and when the end arrives you definitely get to learn about the why of the crime.

This is a brilliant story that intrigued me, with several plot lines that twist and weave until you discover all the facts. A thoroughly enjoyable and addictive read that would be great for fans of gritty Norther Noir, crime, murder and mystery books. One I would highly recommend.

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Uncommon Cruelty by Liz Mistry

3 stars

No smoke without fire

The fourth book in the Gus McGuire series, this is an easy reading police procedural with plenty to keep the reader turning the pages.

Detective Inspector Angus (Gus) McGuire is a mixed race with a mop of unruly dreadlocks and so doesn’t fit the accepted idea of a senior detective. Understandably his team is equally diverse, DC Alice Cooper, seemingly fragile but with an unexpected resolve, new boy ‘Taffy’, dependable DC Sampson and Compo, the IT whizz-kid.

When Jane and James Proctor return home after a weekend away they find their house has been trashed by an unauthorised teenage party. Their fifteen-year-old son, Simon, is missing, and there are two dead girls in the house.

Gus and his team are assigned to the case and find a hornet’s nest of subjects, each with something to hide; they also are not helped by the presence of the venomous DC Knowles who Gus had demoted and who is carrying a significant grudge!

I enjoyed this novel as Gus and his team are an engaging lot and there are enough twists and turns to keep up the pace. Although the way it is written leads the reader towards a predictable conclusion, you are never quite sure whether there is an element of misdirection.

Well written but let down a little by basic errors which should have been picked up in the proof-reading.

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

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Solid addition to the gus maguire series. Excellent storyline encompassing the usual supects with mistry weaving an intreguing web.

Its very clearly a middle of the series book so i wouldnt recommend it as a standalone as it heavily references previous books.

All in all a great book. Cant wait for the next one!

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Another fantastic book in the Gus McGuire series and I think this one is my favourite to date.

The characters are just soooo good and I feel like I know this amazing team so well, love all of them.

Uncommon Cruelty had it all, murder, drugs and sex as well as personal problems for team members that left me wanting to cry.

I highly recommend this 5* series and I simply can’t wait to see what happens in book 5.

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wow, gus is back, you can almost see him and his team,especially when they are having to give the bad news,
teenagers and parties,you just know something is going to happen, i love the family dynamics with Gus and his dad, Oh and mums cooking,lol, Liz Mistry has come up trumps again,well done

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This is a great book 4 in the Gus Mc Guire series. A couple return from holiday to find their teenage son missing a the bodies of two teenage girls in their house. What happened to their son? Liz Mistry is a master of gritty and thrilling novels. Fast paced, good characterisation and a twisting plot. Another winner from this author with a twist at the end. Bring on the next installment! One to take on holiday. Many thanks to Bloodhound Books and Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

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Thank you Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for this arc.

I have not read any of Liz Mistry's previous books, but am looking for them now!
This was right up my alley with great characters and a great story. There were plenty of gory parts for me and a lot of well developed characters, even the minor characters were written so a not to feel stereotypical to me.

I'm happy to have found another author to help fill the gaps between Robert Brynzda and Angela Marsons.

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‘Uncommon Cruelty’ is harrowing and utterly distressing and it left me craving for the next book in the series – you will have to read it to understand why. Brutal, poignant, vicious and powerful this fourth book in the DI Gus McGuire series!

| Introduction |
DI Gus McGuire #4

A devastating fire leaves five dead bodies and only one survivor: a traumatised child. One of the deceased is the social worker, a friend to DI Sandy Panesar. DS Gus McGuire does his utmost to comfort not only his DI but also the social worker’s fiance. Five years later, Gus and his childhood friend, Mo, are pondering their lives whilst relaxing at Robin Hood’s Bay. A family gathering to heal some wounds (see the previous DI Gus McGuire books). Gus’s father, Doc Angus McGuire the pathologist, is, of course, also present.
Soon, both father and son will have their hands full…

Meanwhile, in Bradford, two teenagers are worried. Not only do they feel terrible due to a few too many alcoholic (spiked?) drinks, but also, something must have happened and their friend, ‘Si’, is unaccounted for. That is just the start of it because soon, a murder is reported to the police and DI Gus has to investigate…

| Storyline |
When James and Jayne Proctor return from a weekend away, they are surprised to see all the lights in their house on but they know who to blame: their son, Simon. He must have held a party in their absence. But soon, they wish the lights were all they had to worry about because the house is trashed and Simon nowhere around. When James finds the deceased body of a teenage girl, he has only but one option: to call the police. In come DI Gus McGuire and his DS, Alice Cooper who soon make the gruesome discovery of another dead teenage girl. What happened here? And where is Simon? What at first seemed a party having gone wrong turns into something ugly and utterly shocking when they find drugs as well as footage of bikers and teenaged girls being abused. It turns out that a Muslim ‘Young Jihadist’ group is somehow involved, as is a fundamental Christian church and to top it all, a dirty copper is hellbent on revenge.

As if that does not put enough on DI Gus’s plate, there are also disturbing blasts from the past haunting him and his DS, Alice. Will they be able to untangle it all and get those sick bastards behind bars?
A tough case for DI Gus and his detective team!

| My Thoughts |
What a terrific read is this fourth book in the DI Gus McGuire series! It is dark and devastating, with harrowing events and gritty circumstances. The reader, like the detective team, is set on the wrong foot quite a few times and yes, it gets even worse. There are some really mean characters to whom lives mean nothing and who are beyond any redemption. There are hypocrites and innocents, deceivers, cheaters and downright brutal criminals. I loved catching up with Gus and his team, they are enthusiastic and supportive – and they will need to be but that is for you to find out! The interactions are written well and it is great that the author shows us the personal feelings of the detectives when faces with yet another gruesome crime. There is also another quite disturbing plotline with quite an impact… but telling you would spoil it! I recommend you read Uncommon Cruelty to find out yourself! By the way, I NEED to know what happens next, Liz Mistry!

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Wow. This series just gets better and better with each book! This is Brilliant! I am absolutely loving this five star series, I cannot get enough!

This is book four in the DI Gus McGuire series and cannot be read as a standalone, this series needs to be read in order as it makes reference to previous cases and previous books.

Uncommon Cruelty is written well, fast paced, easy to devour, and contains short chapters. This case is dark and focuses on a missing teenager and what seems like one hell of a party aftermath and mess to clear up. Its great to be back with the familiar team! You will not be able to put this book down until you’ve finished it!

I would highly recommend this series to you all, but please read them in order. I look forward to the next book by Liz!

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, got into the story straight away which is something I look for in a good book. The characters were like able and complimented the story which was well written and meant I wanted to keep on reading, didn't want to put the book down. Will certainly be looking out the earlier books to enjoy some more DI Gus McGuire

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Liz Mistry envelops us in her book we live each moment with her and her characters.Each book builds up our grasp of the characters and our belief in them and I look forward to reading a lot more from her pen.She doesn't shy away from tackling difficult subjects and fulfills her task superbly a series to follow avidly

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This book was so, so good I cannot recommend it highly enough!!

I love the characters in this series and I am a massive fan of the author's previous books in the series and her writing style suits this book really well.

The plot in this book is great, really well planned out and it flows so well. We are thrown straight in to the story and I was hooked as soon as I started reading. I didn't want to put the book down until the end and was a little bereft after I'd finished too

No hesitation in giving the book 5 stars, it really deserves it and has been on of the best I have read so far in 2018!!

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I love this series and in my opinion the books are best read in order to get the most out of them. Set in and around Bradford West Yorkshire they give a good insight into the multi cultural way of life in this city of many faiths. Liz brings the characters to life and I particularly like the interaction between DI Gus McGuire and his sargent Alice. The book is packed with action as you would expect. If you love gritty northern crime thrillers then this book is for you. Thank you for the ARC

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This is the first book in the DI Gus McGuire series that I have read and I have to say I loved it!
Gus has fast become one of my favourite characters. The plot was brought to life and kept me guessing to the end.It certainly did not disappoint on any level.
Flushed with its success I have just downloaded the first 3 books in the series so that I can be up to speed with the lives of Gus and his team when number 5 is published.
Thanks to Bloodhound books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

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Not for me - I don't care to read books with a lot of swearing - so I have not done a review

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The police and their team are called in for a dissaperance to a teenager boy.
Who’s parents have been away for a weekend .
See if he has been returned .
I got this from Netgallery

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