James Oswald is a great author and this book does not disappoint. I like the fact it has a female protagonist. The book is full of intrigue and action and definitely worth a read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Wasn't my usual kind of book but enjoyed the change and it was well written and gripping from the start would fully recommend it.

I have not read anything by this author before but will certainly be looking for other books now. It was a great storyline that had me gripped from the start and a surprising ending too.

Con or DC Constance Fairchild is working undercover. She is called in by her partner only to find him dead. Suddenly her world is turned upside down. She is suspended from duty and shunned by her colleagues. She is alone to grieve and angry but then an attempt is made on her own life. Who is out to get her and why?
This is a new series and a real page turner.

I had trouble with this, the voice was a bit querulous and I couldn't get how the story of her missing sister linked with the story of her detective partner's murder fit .. it did not quite also fit that a local vicious aristo was able to kidnap and physically assault a police officer. I never quite saw why she was guilty in front of her superiors. I am sure I just missed something very basic! Professional good writing, some real gems of characterization too ..

James Oswald has branched out into a new series after his wonderful Edinburgh DI McLean books. His new protagonist is 30 year old DC Constance Fairchild, always Con and never Connie. Set in London, it is narrated in the first person and it does not take long before I was completely immersed in and intrigued by Con, she is compelling, independent, feisty and has a determination and audacity she is going to need to survive. Working undercover to target criminals from an office in a shabby part of the city, Con's world falls apart when she returns to base only to discover her colleague and friend, DI Peter Copperthwaite, has been tortured and shot dead. Instead of being supported by her police colleagues, Con finds herself suspended and regarded as the prime suspect in the murder. Not a single voice is raised to challenge this narrative from the London Met as Professional Standards are called in. Con has no time to grieve, finding herself a target as she only just manages to escape being shot herself.

Con's background is of privilege and wealth that she has rejected and she has not been in touch with her family for a considerable number of years. She does get back in touch with Aunt Felicity in Newton Harston after life gets too dangerous in London. A childhood acquaintance, Charlotte de Villiers wants Con to find her younger sister, Isobel aka 'Izzy', who has disappeared. Threats and inducements are made by Roger de Villiers, an influential billiionaire to dissuade Con from searching for his daughter, but this just makes Con redouble her efforts to find her. Con finds herself facing danger from every quarter leading to her making her way to Scotland to find some respite and regroup, taking with her the cat that took a bullet for her. As Con wonders why the obvious murder of a freelance journalist is being presented as a suicide, she is aware that she is going to have to be at the top of her game if she is to find Izzy and outwit the powerful and utterly ruthless forces aligned against her.

There are some connections here with the McLean series, such as the appearances of the transgender antiquarian bookseller, Rose, the cat, and the use of supernatural elements. In Con Fairchild, Oswald has created a character that is strong, essentially a loner, with qualities that make her memorable, you want to read more about her. This novel is well written with its complex plotting, great characters and I have no doubt that Oswald has another winning series on his hands. I found it gripping reading and I am already looking forward to the next in the series with avid anticipation. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.

An author I had not read before, but it won’t be the last. A great read. Can’t wait for the next book. Will also start reading the Inspector Maclean series by the same author.

DC Constance 'Con' Fairchild is working undercover when her boss DI Pete Copperthwaite is brutally tortured and murdered by a single gunshot to the head. When Con is blamed for the bungled operation and suspended from her job, she realises someone high up in the police force is corrupt. A botched attempt on Con's life soon follows and realising she's in grave danger, knows her only hope of vindication is to bring those responsible to justice.

This book was my first introduction to the work of author James Oswald. Yes, I know I should have read his Inspector McLean series by now, but you know how it is: life + great books = a humongous reading list.

No Time To Cry didn't disappoint. It featured a highly interesting female protagonist who is independent, intelligent, loyal, sassy and brave. Just the sort of person you need in a crisis. Whilst the subject matter won't appeal to everyone's tastes (I know readers who won't open a book if it touches upon this topic), I thought it was handled very effectively and the story wasn't bogged down by the awfulness of the situation.

The pacing was excellent and added to the growing sense of danger and excitement. This was one ballsy lady who wasn't afraid of putting herself in danger if it meant doing the right thing and seeing justice prevail.

Normally I'm not fond of books written in the first person; I find them quite challenging and arduous. However, this book flowed so naturally that by the third chapter I'd forgotten all about it. It certainly wouldn't put me off reading further books in this great new series.

Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable easy read and I'm already looking forward to Constance Fairchild's next investigation.

*My thanks to James Oswald, NetGalley and Wildfire for providing me with a copy of this book.

Headline..."Heroine in Trouble" - Call for Help! The trouble is DC Constance Fairchild had nobody. I was expecting her to have a detective partner, member of the family or a good friend to get her out of various scrapes. But she had another source (no spoiler from me). The story is not too bad actually except for the facts that she has been 'set up' (not original), and her father is able to 'have words with the Chief Constable! Really? I found these too routine, familiar and stereotypical for me. I left with the feeling of disappointment, but I stuck it out until the end.

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

Every now and then, a book comes along that's refreshingly different. "No Time to Cry" is just such a book.

Opening with the murder of an undercover police officer, you'd think this is a tale of gang warfare and gritty urban battles. Instead, you're taken on a rollercoaster of twists and turns in the most surprising directions. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I enjoyed this and read it over 3 nights with insomnia! I’d give it 4/5 and say you should definitely give this a go. The author writes well and it’s a well researched book.

After eight books in his very good Inspector McLean series, Scottish author James Oswald takes crime readers in a new direction, with both a new series character and a new location: London instead of Edinburgh. There's no need for any trepidation from long-time fans, as Oswald demonstrates that he's a quality storyteller regardless of the hero or setting, not just an author wedded to a popular character.

We're dropped right into it straight away, as cop Constance (Con, never Connie) Fairchild goes to meet her boss at an office set up for an undercover operation, only to find him executed. Who compromised the operation, and how did their rather routine undercover sting turn so deadly?

Whatever the unanswered question, Con is quickly on the outs with her police colleagues who blame her. Unfairly so, it seems - immediately putting readers on-side with the embattled young detective. Isolated and seeming to be set up as the scapegoat, Con has to uncover just what went wrong and who is behind it all, as she deals with the death of her closest friend and confidante in the force.

There is a lot to like about the first in what will purportedly be a new series from Oswald. While the London setting could be Anywhere-City, UK and doesn't have such a strong sense of specific place as his Edinburgh-set novels, the various settings are still well-evoked. We feel the world in which Con operates, the people and places that make up her life.

There's a robust tension throughout, a strong narrative drive that pulls readers along and keeps the pages quickly flipping without feeling thin or underdone. From the beginning, you feel you're in the hands of a good storyteller, and readily surrender to the world Oswald has created without ever feeling 'pulled out of the story' by some of the flaws that can mar some other popular authors' work.

The jewel in the crown of NO TIME TO CRY, however, is undoubtedly Con Fairchild. She has the prerequisite past demons of so many crime fiction cops, and doesn't get on well with her bosses and colleagues, but still feel fresh rather than cliched or derivative. Much of that may be as much to do with Oswald's storytelling rather than any specific point-to differences in her resume or character. She's courageous, outspoken, and comes from a different background to most of her colleagues. She doesn't need to be a cop as a career, but has a very strong sense of justice that drives her. She's loyal but not a lapdog, fierce but also flawed and vulnerable at times. Just a very good, layered, character.

I look forward to seeing where Oswald takes us next.

For now, NO TIME TO CRY is a heck of a good series-starter and well worth a look.

I was really looking forward to reading this book and saved it for a time when I knew I'd be able to read it without too many interruptions! Although I was initially slightly disappointed it wasn't an Inspector Maclean novel my appointment soon dissipated and in Con (Constance) James Oswald has created another character who is both likeable, intelligent and someone whose instinct is honed to perfection when it comes to solving crime. I liked the fact that there were two separate storylines (which ended up being interlinked with each other) and the slightly paranormal element of Con seeing/talking to her dead boss. It was good to have the cameo of Madame Rose too - hopefully she'll have a larger part to play in the next in the series. I can't wait to see what happens to Con in the next novel, does she decide to go it alone or stay in the police? Does Izzy perhaps become her side-kick? James Oswald has given the reader a tantalising glimpse of a new heroine and I want more!

This is the 1st book in the new series featuring DC Constance (Con) Fairchild by author James Oswald. I have read and enjoyed the popular Inspector McLean series by Oswald so was eagerly waiting to read this one and was not disappointed.
When undercover cop DC Constance Fairchild returns to their base she discovers the dead body of her boss and friend DI Pete Copperthwaite. He has been executed with a single shot to the head. Someone in the Met is determined to make sure that blame for the failed operation falls on Constance. Now under suspicion she is cast out and becomes a target herself. Fairchild is left alone, angry and scared but there no place to hide and 'No Time to cry'

This has all the markings of another excellent series, good strong interesting characters, well paced plots and full of suspense.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Headline for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'd never read any of the other series by this author, but decided to give this a try as it's the first in what promises to be a new series. A little confusing in places with parts where the reader has to suspend their disbelief (e.g. talking to a friend's ghost) but this helps the 'thinking process' of the protagonist who is operating solo. A complex and intertwining pair of plots lead to a violent conclusion.
Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Publishing for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having read a previous James Oswald book, I was looking forward to this one, I was not disappointed. It was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is good and holds your attention throughout. The hints of Scotland were very enjoyable.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Its about a female detective that gets set up for the murder of her boss. The story takes us from London to the North and also Scotland.
Great descriptive writing..

Well worth reading..

DC Constance Fairchild and DI Peter Copperthwaite a must unusual partnership! Looking forward to further cases for this duo. A thoroughly entertaining read, can’t wait for more of the same!

It’s not often I finish a book in a day. I loved this. James Oswald’s character DC Constance Fairchild has been framed for the murder of her boss and whilst on suspension from the force she finds that someone is watching her every move. There are lots of twists and turns which keep you hooked. I could not put this down, a great way to spend a dull Sunday, looking forward to more from James Oswald and Constance.

Loved this book. The story of a female detective, suspended as a result of suspected involvement if not responsibility for the death of her boss who was working deep undercover. The story twists and turns between the current investigation, her childhood and shadows of that life which all twist around a story of decades of child abuse.
Set between the Met in London and the Highlands of Scotland, the author's descriptions of landscape and environment add to the story. A change from the authors Inspector McLean series and well worth a read.
Recommended definitely