Great story, thrilling plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others.

I've had this book for years, I still haven't, unfortunately, got to it, so this is a placeholder review to reduce my shelf for my own sanity, but will replace this if I ever get to the book

This is already the third book in the series, and I've enjoyed each and every one of them. I just love the way mr Barrett weaves a tale from beginning to end. Can't wait to see if there is more in the series? Recommended.

The Third in Eddie Collins CSI series The Hammer Falls alternatively titled Sword of Damocles. Of the four in the series this is my favourite so far. I will be reading #4 next. Andrew Barrett is an excellent writter of detailed and gripping books.

Ich hätte nicht gedacht, daß die Reihe noch besser werden könnte, aber der Autor hat hier einen würdigen Nachfolger nachgelegt. Handwerklich perfekt gemacht, toller Schreibstil und Eddie, der einem mehr und mehr ans Herz wächst. Authentisch und spannend.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author, Andrew Barrett, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Hammer Falls in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I will always jump at the chance to review any book written by this author. I have always found Mr Barrett's book to be really well written and engrossing. The Hammer Falls is no exception. The characters are gritty and engaging. The plot was gripping and I can honestly say that this book did not let me down. I had to read it in one sitting.
Definitely well worth a read.

Eddie Collins and his enemy DI Benson are teamed up when a burnt car is found with a body of a woman is inside it. Was it suicide or murder? Then Eddie is being forced to accept a promotion that he doesn’t want, leading a team that he can’t control or tolerate. His personal life isn't much better. It is suffocating him. They solve the mystery now comes the harder part.....proving it. This is where Eddie shines, but this time it could be lights out for him.

This is the third book in the Eddie Collins series and each one keeps getting better than the last.

I read this book last year before it was taken on  by Bloodhound books, under its original title of the Sword of Damocles.

Eddie Collins is a brilliant character as he is so flawed and yet continues to do a great job of solving crimes, along with his team who he struggles to get on with.

The way this book is written is brilliant and I really love the way that Eddie interacts with his colleagues and the fact he is extremely unhappy with the promotion.

The story revolves around the murder of a woman and her body being found in a burnt out car, but also has lots of other murders and disappearances in it to muddy the water and confuse you to start with, until you get further into the investigations and everything comes together rather nicely.

The book continues along a nice line until you get some shocks and twists you weren't expecting and the ending came out of nowhere for me.

Overall  i thought it was a brilliant read, which I thoroughly enjoyed and can highly recommend.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series and this is a great addition to it!

I love the writing style for this series and the flow in this one is great. The story had me hooked from the first few chapters and I loved the ending.

The characters are some of my favourite in the different series available at the moment. I love their interaction and I think Eddie is a brilliant character, very well developed, excellent personality and a great sarcastic wit.

Five stars from me, this is a highly enjoyable series and I am really looking forward to reading more – very highly recommended!!

The Hammer Falls by Andrew Barrett is number 3 in the CSI Eddie Collins series. While this could be read as a stand alone novel, I felt that having read the other two helped me understand the character better.
Eddie Collins has taken a promotion. Though not one he wanted by any means. He is stressed and trying to solve a case that doesn’t make much sense to him. Why would someone burn their car with themselves inside as a form of suicide? Did the breaking at the home of the victim and her husband have anything to do with it? I loved this one as much as the other books by this author. I was enthralled from page one. It is not often that I read a book that I cannot put down. I did not even make dinner. This author does a great job of storytelling and keeping the reader updated on what is going on with the characters without over doing it.

I give this one 5+++ ⭐️ out of 5

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

While I liked this one a bit more than the last one in this series, I still had some reservations while reading it. The storyline was fascinating and moved along and kept you guessing the whole way. So, that was great. I still really like Eddie a lot. But, again, I didn't care about his relationship at all and found myself skimming the pages dedicated to that part of the plot. What can I say. I like my crime and mystery without romantic overtures. For me it just takes away from the thrill of a good thriller. I found myself not caring one iota about Eddie's relationship and actually, cruelly I'll admit, was hoping that it would just end so that if this series continues I wouldn't have to read any more about it, I'm terrible, I know. With that in mind though, I don't think I'll be reading any more of this series until I read some reviews of any further books to see if that relationship aspect is still involved in this author's storytelling.

Our favorite CSI, Crime Scene Investigator, Eddie Collins is back. When dead bodies start turning up, who do you call? Why, Eddie Collins of course the best crime scene investigator around. Eddie and his team are called to a scene of a burnt out car and with a body inside. Eddie being the expert that he is leaves no detail unturned and inspects every square inch of the crime scene. Eddie is out to find the truth and being lazy when investigating a scene will not get you that truth.

Eddie is called into the bosses office and offered a promotion which he turns down as he doesn’t think he can be the boss besides his friend, co-worker and girlfriend Ros is up for the promotion but Eddie is surprised to learn that Ros has turned down the promotion but her reason for turning it down in the first place is a bigger shock to Eddie. Ros informs Eddie that she is leaving him, the force and moving away.

After Ros informs him of her plans and the boss tells him who will take his place if he turns it down Eddie has no choice but to take the job and move up and become the boss, leader himself.

I love these Eddie Collins, CSI, forensic investigating series. I love Eddie’s attention to detail when investigating a crime scene. I also love his attitude and how he looks at life and all his come backs when talking to others.

I like that we get points of view from each character and I like trying to figure out how each character’s life is going to intertwine. The Hammer Falls is a fast paced read that will keep you glued to the pages trying to figure out whodunit and what road Eddie is going to take us on next.

The Hammer Falls is for all fans of mystery, Suspense or thriller or anyone who likes trying to figure out whodunit.

Welcome to Eddie Collins' world filled with slanted sidewalks, dark hallways and passages, and treacherous cliffs with tiny pebbles ejected under foot.

Eddie's badge says that he's a crime scene investigator (CSI) in the major crime unit (MCU) for the Leeds police department. But that's just the bare bones of it all. Eddie has a sharp comeback for every retort and an attitude of asking for forgiveness later on in the game. Seems like Eddie has taken both roads in that ol' Robert Frost poem...........simultaneously.

No one could be more shocked than Eddie when the reigns of the department are handed over to him. His boss, Jeffery, is being kicked upstairs. Eddie refuses. Jeffery throws out the name of the next guy in line knowing full well that Eddie won't tolerate that. Done deal.

Andrew Barrett stirs up a really good one here.I've read The End of Lies previously (no Eddie Collins) and enjoyed it. Obviously, I'm going to be working my way back to the two preceding books in this series. The Hammer Falls can be read as a standalone.

Barrett sets the stage with a murder scene outside of a Leeds pub. The victim is a doctor found face down in a puddle. No witnesses and no leads. The next victim is a female found in a burning vehicle alongside the road. Her autopsy shows a heavy dose of sleeping pills. An overkill suicide or a murder with a deep vengeance?

Barrett opens the door with Eddie and his co-workers caught up in tosses of wild banter and witty jokes that will make you grin alongside them. But as the pages turn, Barrett gets down to business with Eddie. Eddie is a giver and receiver of bad news and bad behaviors. His live-in girlfriend, Ros, has left him and his father, Charles, stands in his doorway wishing for a place to stay after his home has been burglarized and destroyed. Eddie's newly found relationship with his dad adds such dimension to this storyline. Hard guys have soft centers.

There's plenty of action here with a heavy dose of police procedurals. Barrett packs in quite a bevy of bad guys, too. Eddie's co-workers each have their own quirks and behaviors. The new secretary, Sid, is a comical gift. A very satisfying read if you enjoy a bit of humor with your heavy helping of crime.

I received a copy of The Hammer Falls through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bloodhound Books and to Andrew Barrett for the opportunity.

Andrew Barrett seems like a fascinating chap and it's no wonder he writes such excellent, unique and realistic crime fiction, being a practising CSI himself. Do you like your crime thrillers to have a forensic element that adds to the realism? Do you like your lead character to be someone intense and unafraid to take on authority? Andrew writes precisely that kind of crime thriller, and has done so since 1996, about the same time he became a CSI in Yorkshire. Each of his stories is hand-crafted and non-formulaic to give you a peek into the world real CSI's encounter. If you enjoy CSI on television you will have a ball with this wonderful crime series!

One thing I love about the series including this book is that you get the chance to walk alongside Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) Roger Conniston and CSI Eddie Collins as they battle to find evidence to put the criminals away. As Barrett says - "This is as real as it gets without getting your hands bloody". I couldn't agree more with this statement. I really love this series and look forward to each book being released. Eddie is as grumpy and loveable as ever, standing up for what he believes in regardless of the consequences. He also happens to have a wicked sense of humour which adds to the story and lightens the mood. This is another thoroughly entertaining read of the high standard I have come to expect from Mr. Barrett and each book seems to get better and better. The pace is always judged to perfection and there is plenty of action throughout, you simply cannot go wrong with Eddie! I have the next book in the series ready to read on my Kindle right now and cannot wait to get started!

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved this book, Eddie Collins should be a national treasure and he went up even higher in my estimations with his comment on Big Brother, one of many laugh out loud moments. As the author works in CSI himself I would imagine he has a great wealth of witty banter stored away. Enough of the funny stuff the descriptions of the crime scenes are bleak but I should imagine true to life. The storyline is brilliant and gripping, I can certainly highly recommend this book.

This is book three in the Eddie Collins series. I've read this and enjoyed it without reading the previous books however I hope to go back and read them in the future.

I found the start a tad slow and confusing. However the more I read the more I enjoyed it. I really liked Eddie Collins. He's pretty grumpy but honest and says what he thinks. Eddie is investigating a body found in a burnt car. As we read we see how good he is at his job.

I absolutely love CSI so this was a great read for me and I read it in a day. From start to finish I was gripped and couldn't wait to read more. I'm looking forward to reading more of Eddie Collins.

In this third book in the Eddie Collins series Eddie's character has been developed a bit more . A change of status in his relationship at home. The introduction of his father. Suddenly standing in his bosses shoes and having to deal with an odd mixture of employees. Eddie is having to analyze his own personality and how his attitude makes others feel. Still been a bit of a jerk he is slowly maturing and getting a better understanding of himself and others.
Can't wait to start reading book. 4.

Third in the Eddie Collins series about a troubled but brilliant CSI from Leeds, this was originally released in 2015 as "The Sword of Damocles" but is being republished this week under the new title The Hammer Falls. A quick look of Wikipedia educated me as to the relevance of the original name, and the new one is equally apt.

This book is set about a year after the events of No Time to Die, but there is enough backstory to read it as a standalone, although you would miss out on all the character dynamics. Eddie is struggling with his new role as a manager, having been bullied into accepting a promotion to take Jeffery's role. He is also chronically stressed, but in denial about the fact that living with Ros, his supposed happy ending, is what's causing it. The team investigate the death of a woman in a burned out car, which links to other recent crimes, and to an old murder, forcing Benson and Collins into an uneasy truce as they work together to make their boss Cooper see the connections.

While I didn't like this quite as much as the first two books, this was still an excellent police procedural - the bar has now been set very high for Mr Barrett.
I liked the way some interesting new characters have been introduced, like Sid the secretary, and poor scared Eddie's dad. We also get to see Eddie's dark side again, justified though it may be. The mystery was fine, although felt like it was revealed to us very early on - I was expecting more of a twist.

I enjoyed the character progression, as Eddie is growing up and thinking about others, while still being the maverick who spots the crucial clues. The writing is gritty and atmospheric as ever, and all the forensic details are fascinating, and presumably accurate. I don't however believe that any GP would prescribe Rohypnol for insomnia. I got fed up with the constant references to coffee - it's like a joke that's been overdone. I also didn't like the coincidence revealed on the final page, this felt unnecessary. But these are very minor niggles, I highly recommend this series, and am glad to have the next one ready to read soon.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Hammer Falls is the third book in the Eddie Collins series. Personally I would recommend reading the books in order as I feel the reader would benefit from getting to know Eddie better.

This story felt a lot more personal than the previous books. Eddie's dad features in this one and I have to admit that I felt myself tearing up a few times when reading the parts to do with their relationship. I really enjoyed seeing this softer side to Eddie as we haven't seen much of it so far.

I loved the humour also in this book. Even though it has been there throughout the series, it really stands out in The Hammer Falls and more than a few times it had me chuckling to myself. It was a good balance and one that I feel other readers will enjoy also.

Having read all the books in the series so far, I can really see the authors writing skills getting stronger throughout. The books are going from strength to strength and it is becoming a must read series. The Hammer Falls is a dark and at times emotional read with a touch of humour making this a highly entertaining read.

Sensation book!! I didn’t think it was possible, but each book in this series just keeps getting better and better. I say that because the first two books ‘The Third Rule’ and ‘No Time To Die’ really impressed me, and I absolutely loved this one. Andrew Barrett is very good at weaving a story so that you really don’t know what’s going to happen until towards the end of the book, and he also throws in a few surprises along the way. I also really enjoy the main character, Eddie Collins dry sense of humour and his quit whit.
Eddie Collins was really trying to come to grips living with Ros. She had certainly added her touch around the house, however he just wasn’t himself lately and something was making him feel uneasy, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Being called out to a suicide was never something anyone enjoyed, but Eddie went about his job in a thorough manner like he normally would. The unusual thing was the victim was burnt to death in her car, which wasn’t a normal way for people to kill themselves. It was certainly going to make it a hell of a lot harder to formally identify the body. Probably the most interesting thing was the victim and her husbands house was recently broken into, and Eddie wasn’t one to believe in coincidences. The other challenge Eddie faced was being the new boss at work and getting used to dealing with other people’s problems other than his own. There really is a lot to like about this book, with an entertaining plot, interesting characters and a great ending. 5/5 Star Rating.