I've read some of Ms Hannah's books before, but still I didn't expect to be thrilled like this! The book was full of twists and turns, and I enjoyed it until the very end. Recommended.

After devouring the first book in the Oliver and Stone series - The Lost, in one sitting I was chomping at the bit to start this book.

D.C.I David Stone has been promoted and moved to the Murder Investigation Team taking D.S Frankie Oliver with him. The case they are taking over may have a leak who is giving information to the press.

I love the partnership between Stone and Oliver and we discover a lot more about the duo’s past .This is a fast paced addictive read with surprising twists along the way.

Definitely recommend this series, but be warned once you’ve read the first book you will be hooked!! I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the next book in this series. Just hanging up the do not disturb sign on the door!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I’ve managed to read the other titles in this series. The different twists and plots sustain interest and with the good pace of the book retains the reader to the end. Highly recommended.

4.5*
The second Oliver and Stone book and it continues in the same excellent style drawing you in immediately and keeping you gripped throughout. This is a tense storyline were we continue to get to know Frankie and David and become further invested in their characters and lives. I really enjoy how Mari Hannah writes stories that are well detailed in police procedure whilst still delivering a terrific, pacy tale which keeps you turning the pages and guessing until the very end.

The Insider by Mari Hannah

When a young woman’s body is found carefully laid out on sleepers next to a Northumberland railway station, the local community reels. This woman is the fourth victim to have been found over recent months and there’s so little to connect them beyond their gender. Fresh detective eyes are needed. When the officer in charge retires with the suggestion of a cloud hanging over him, DCI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver take over the running of the team. The two of them had such success in their previous case that they have now been promoted to the Murder Investigation Team. The other team members are suspicious, a little hostile, and, when details are leaked to the press, Stone realises they may not all to be trusted. Stone and Oliver must rely on each other to crack a case that has the whole force stumbling around in the dark. And meanwhile the killer watches… biding his time, making his next selection.

The Insider is the second novel by the wonderful Mari Hannah to feature Stone and Oliver and it’s great to see them. In my review of the first novel, The Lost, I said that I expected Stone and Oliver to hit the floor running in their next case and this is most certainly true. I warmed to Frankie Oliver so much in The Lost and now David Stone is doing his best to catch her up in my estimations. David and Frankie hit it off immediately in the earlier book and now that friendship has turned almost into a brother and sister relationship. Frankie is a third-generation cop and her father is almost worshipped by Northumberland’s police. He has welcomed David into their family with open arms. I love the warmth and humour of their relationship, as well as the ways in which Frankie, so independent, needs her family still.

Both Stone and Oliver carry a lot of baggage. Life has not been kind and they’re still reeling from its cost. They need each other more than ever. This does play a central part in The Insider. I hope that in future books some of this might be left behind, that they can move on with their lives. There is a little too much back history for me but otherwise I thought The Lost a thrilling, captivating read.

The plot is fantastic and the tension builds dramatically towards a stunning finale that really did have me gripped. The killer has a voice in the novel and a presence from the very beginning but the identity eluded me – hooray! I loved the way that it all came together. Mari Writer is a fine writer but she is also an excellent plotter.

I really enjoy the Northumberland setting in Mari Hannah’s novels. It sets them apart and the landscape becomes almost a character in its own right. I’ve always enjoyed crime novels set in remote, quiet places. The crimes seem all the more shocking and incongruous outside the city. The shock felt by both the police and the community as a serial killer tears this place to pieces is so well depicted here.

Stone and Oliver have new roles in the Murder Investigation Team. They’re finding their way, making new alliances, seeking out trouble makers, but I have no doubt at all that this is where they belong and I can’t wait to see them again. This has become a series to watch. The paperback includes a preview of The Scandal, the next Stone and Oliver novel. It’s published in March 2019 so we don’t have long to wait at all!

Other reviews
Gallows Drop (Kate Daniels)
The Silent Room (Ryan 1)
The Death Messenger (Ryan 2)
The Lost (Stone and Oliver 1)

The Northumbrian murder squad is in disarray as the killer nicknamed The Sleeper strikes for the fourth time. The situation is so bad that the SIO has resigned and David Stone is brought in to lead the team ably assisted by Frankie Oliver. For Oliver the fourth murder is particularly resonant as the victim was called Joanna, the same name as her sister killed many years earlier. Determined not to allow another killer to evade justice Oliver is driven to find this man but by doing so she places herself right in his sights.
Mari Hannah has a way of writing books that are completely rooted in their setting. The Northumbria police cover a huge geographical are and their investigations lead them into contact with Newcastle and Gateshead. However it is when writing about the bleak but beautiful countryside that Hannah show a complete understanding of the people and their environment. Yes, this is a standard police procedural but there's nothing wrong with that. Personally I found it a little slow to get started but the last quarter of the book is both a restless pace and completely engrossing.

Someone is strangling women - the fourth victim has been found near a railway station. DI David Oliver and DS Frankie Oliver have just been given the case as the original SIO has suddenly decided to retire. They have to get u to speed with the cases quickly and also try and win over the existing MIT. All the women are successful, ambitious professional women but that seems to be the only connection between the victims. Then the killer targets someone close to the team. Fantastic read from start to finish - love the partnership between Oliver and Stone. Look forward to book three.

Thanks to Netgalley, Orion and Mari Hannah for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

The Insider is the second outing for Northumbria detectives, DCI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver introduced in the hugely enjoyable first book, The Lost Our intrepid duo are back in search of a pernicious and twisted killer (rubs hands with glee) and once again Mari Hannah has produced a quality page-turner of a thriller for these increasingly dark winter nights…

I felt a wonderful sense of familiarity stepping back into the world of Stone and Oliver, such was the strong impression that the first book left on me, and was delighted that their working and personal relationship was as emotionally bumpy yet suffused with a genuine feeling of respect as the previous book. Both characters are extremely empathetic, realistic and genuinely likeable- Stone for his calmness and pragmatism, and Oliver for her impetuousness and gumption. As traumatic experiences from their own lives rise uncomfortably to the surface in the course of this investigation, and as Stone continues to navigate his way as a surrogate father to his teenage nephew Ben, Hannah has a wide scope of emotional upset, and self doubt to convey in her characters. There are some moments of emotional revelation for both, and one storyline in particular will, I’m sure, have further repercussions in the future. What I like about both characters is their unerring ability to handle their own personal upset so incredibly ham-fistedly, but also the rock solid and extremely professional way they go about their search for this killer, overcoming an initially mistrustful and obstinate Murder Investigation Team, and meticulously picking apart the threads of the investigation before their arrival. Once again, the procedural detail is spot on, and the reader experiences all the tension and frustrations that the detectives do themselves in this thorny and distressing case. As the necessity to trap the killer gains in intensity, so too does the pace and vigour of Hannah’s writing, echoing the increasing frustration but slowly appearing chinks of knowledge that Stone and his gradually cooperative team unearth.

What I am consistently impressed with in relation to Hannah’s writing is the extremely well structured and visual quality of her writing. Everything is so clearly described that there is a strange sense that you almost watching the action unfold before you- an experience more akin to watching a thriller on television than reading a book. Even outside of the fact of being incredibly familiar with the various north east locations that Hannah uses, her depiction of landscape, whether town or country, is vibrant and oozes with colourful detail. If ever the Northumbria tourist board is looking for a regional champion, they need look no further than Hannah whose affection and love of her home turf, both its good and bad points, shines throughout the whole book.

Another sterling addition to Hannah’s repertoire, and I am very much looking forward to the next Stone and Oliver investigation, which I think, judging my the unresolved issues in this book, is likely to be another emotional rollercoaster for Hannah’s characters, and us, as readers, too. Highly recommended.

You don’t get a better protagonist than third generation copper DS Frankie Oliver. She is feisty and always up for the challenge police work brings.
This title opens with a chapter from the killers perspective. It is a chilling POV, the killer seeks notoriety and motive whilst not sexual is born from a deep hatred of women…
Can Frankie take down the killer? or will he take her down?

‘Serial offenders rarely stop of their own free will’

DCI Stone is taking over the case from retiring DCI Gordon Sharpe. He doesn’t have time to worry if he is up to the challenge as another body is discovered at a local railway station on a late winter’s night. We also learn Stone is keeping a secret from Oliver…
Will the secret sabotage the case in hand?

At the crime scene they discover the murdered corpse of Joanna Cosgrove. A 37yr old career woman but also mother and wife. It appears she has been strangled from behind, never even getting a chance to see the face of her killer…
With it being Frankie’s first murder investigation and the fourth victim within the case. You know you are in for some action packed twists along the way.
Then a witness comes forward who claims to have seen who killed Joanna and the case is blown wide open.

The novel had a slow paced first 50%. But the novel is very character driven and this gives it a huge advantage, that I thoroughly enjoyed. 4*

‘The killer we’re dealing with is hiding in plain sight’

Book 2 in the Stone and Oliver series and set in Northumberland. This is a very good,solid read from Mari Hannah. Plenty twists and unexpected turns as well as being well written. i enjoyed the character development and the little bit of history of past legends. I highly recommend this series. Many thanks to Net Galley for my copy. Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

The Insider is the second book in the Stone and Oliver series and continues on from where we last left them in The Lost, which I have also just read but ran out of time to write a review so will try and do that this evening. Although this is a series you don't have to read The Lost first beforehand as each book is a standalone and there are enough recaps, without spoiling the first book, throughout this one for you to catch up with the characters.

David Stone has been promoted and transferred to the Murder Investigation Team (MIT) but the one proviso he has made when accepting the job is that he brings Frankie Oliver with him. It's unusual for a new boss to take over in the middle of a murder case but that's the position David Stone finds himself when DCI Sharpe decides to resign in the middle of an unsolved serial murder case. David and Frankie find themselves thrown in the deep end when another body is discovered, a potential fourth victim has been found, with similarities to the previous murders although the murderer seems to be mocking them as the body has been staged unlike the other victims.

As well as getting into the nitty gritty of the investigation to find the killer and stop any further deaths, we also get snippets of the backstories of David and Frankie which gives us more of an insight into who they are as people and what makes them tick. Why they are the way they are which shows the human and emotional side to their characters, how involved they get with their cases wanting to bring resolution and justice for the victims and their families but also how each case affects them personally and not just as police officers.

At times I did feel that there maybe was a little too much use of police acronyms, some of which I'd not heard of before, but at the same time it gave the story its authenticity as I do know a few police personnel in real life and they do use a lot of jargons rather than full words/descriptions especially when in the middle of a case. This is only a minor point for me and didn't in any way deter me from enjoying, which seems to be the wrong thing to say whilst reading about a murder, this fantastic story.

I have never been to the Northumberland area myself but Mari Hannah's descriptive writing really brought the landscape to life for me, I almost felt like I was there alongside them as one of the team seeing everything through their eyes. I know that one of Mari Hannah's previous series has already been optioned as a TV series but I would SO like to see Stone and Oliver on my screen although I'm not quite sure which actors could play them.

I'm loving the partnership between Stone and Oliver, they are the perfect police duo who complement one another so well, so cannot wait to see what Mari Hannah has in store for them in the next installment The Scandal which is published next March... and the way this year has flown by publication day will be here before we know it!

Just to be clear, ‘The Insider’ is book two in the ‘Stone and Oliver’ series but I felt that it read pretty well as a stand-alone. That said, if you are wanting to know more about Stone and Oliver then I would suggest reading book one first. I didn’t do that and, even though the main storyline didn’t require having read the series from the beginning, I think I would have understood just how the two main characters ticked if I had.

Right, now the T’s & C’s of the book are out of the way, so to speak, I can now say how ‘OMG!!!’ ‘The Insider’ is! Gritty. Intense. Addictive. Suspenseful. Eery. Everything I could have wanted in one place. I haven’t read a Mari Hannah novel before, despite having one of her books on my forever toppling ‘TBR’ pile! That will swiftly change though as, after reading this novel, I cannot believe I didn’t get to this author before now.

Wow!

A new detective duo, four murders, and a snitch. Not only do Stone and Oliver have multiple skeletons in their closets, their work life is contributing to the cobwebs as they try in vain to capture the imbecile who is intent on ruining people’s lives. Why those four victims in particular? Who on the team is opening their mouths wider than a Venus fly trap? Will Stone and Oliver find the culprit before they snare their next victim?

With every new event and every new chapter, questions bombarded my mind trying to work out who was behind the murders. I loved the anticipation behind the entire storyline, and I loved how much bite the vibe of the book had.

‘The Insider’ had an opening which carried an almighty hook, propelling my excitement for the rest of the book into overdrive. For me, the pace of the book was delicious – not too slow, not too fast; just right. Everything just worked.

Okay, I’ll admit that Stone and Oliver’s working relationship made my eyebrow raise a few times, yet I couldn’t imagine Stone partnered up with anyone else. Especially not Dunne!

All in all, ‘The Insider’ is a perfectly rounded, deliciously gritty, gripping novel which kept me hooked and left me reeling. After reading this, I have definitely found a new ‘go to’ author, that’s for sure!!

DCI Stone is called in when the current DCI on a serial killer case leaves, with the case still wide open. Stone says he will only step in if DS Frankie Oliver can be his number 2.
A fourth victim is found soon after Stone takes over and with very little to go on they have to go back to the beginning to see if anything has been missed.
Someone on the team is leaking information to the press and Stone & Oliver need to find out who, as well as trying to catch the killer before anyone else dies.
When someone close to Frankie is targeted they start to wonder if Frankie is in danger and if the killer could be one of their own.
Lost of twists and turns, just when you think you know who did it you’re proved wrong. Loved how you are kept guessing right until the end. A great read and very well written.

This is a good read and is the second novel with DCI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver investigating.
Stone and Oliver are dropped right in it on a triple murder and are then immediately faced with a another killing.
The team around them don’t seem to gel and the investigation suffers as a result.
This is a gripping crime thriller with several twists and turns which I didn’t see coming.
I liked the chapters written from the killer’s perspective as this really added to the story.
I look forward to the next in the series.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Insider, the second book in the critically-acclaimed DCI David Stone & DS Frankie Oliver series set in my home county of Northumberland, lives up to the promise that was shown in the first novel and provides the Murder Investigation Team with more problems than they first envisaged as, for starters, the team think there is someone leaking information to the killer in an effort to keep him one step ahead. Mari Hannah is one of the best police procedural penners in the business that much is clear.

I loved the North East setting here, as it is vividly depicted and authentically described, I enjoyed the fact that I knew exactly where the locations were due to Northumberland being my home county. This certainly added to my appreciation but of course, there were many more facets to this story than just the scenic surroundings. There is a little history, heritage and myth, based around the North East, within the tale which intrigued me as most of it was information I had not heard previously. Oliver & Stone have a great dynamic, and I feel we learn a lot more about them in book two - there is the trademark Mari banter between them, with Stone being fiery and impulsive and Oliver the steady, logical thinker! Together they have an unusual but interesting dynamic. It is predominantly told from the perspective of both investigators but interspersed throughout are the thoughts of the unnamed killer. I have seen this used before in other works and it always appears to work well.

This is a gripping, addictive read that is well written and overflowing with surprising twists and turns. The plot and characterisation are excellently executed and the fast and furious pace makes it quick and easy to get through. I look forward to the next additions to the series and its characters evolution over time.

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

An excellent second book in the new series featuring Stone and Oliver- with a beautifully twisted mystery and some more intriguing character development for our pair.

A highly engaging highly readable procedural with a huge dose of authenticity. 

Full review to follow for the tour.

Over The Rainbow Book Blog

16
#BlogTour: The Insider by Mari Hannah @mariwriter @orionbooks @AlainnaGeorgiou #TheInsider #5Stars
4h ago
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Good morning everyone, I’m so excited to be kicking off the tour for one of my favourite crime writers today!

The Insider is published in ebook and paperback on the 1st November but you can pre-order your copy of both here.

Before I share my review with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

‘It was the news they had all been dreading, confirmation of a fourth victim.’

When the body of a young woman is found by a Northumberland railway line, it’s a baptism of fire for the Murder Investigation Team’s newest detective duo: DCI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver.

The case is tough by anyone’s standards, but Stone is convinced that there’s a leak in his team – someone is giving the killer a head start on the investigation. Until he finds out who, Stone can only trust his partner.

But Frankie is struggling with her own past. And she isn’t the only one being driven by a personal vendetta. The killer is targeting these women for a reason. And his next target is close to home…

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Mari Hannah and I have been eagerly awaiting the next book in the Stone and Oliver Series. Hannah’s books are always fab reads so its always great to be able to relax into them knowing you’ll love them.

The story starts off straight away with a scary search for a murder victim in the dark and rain which immediate got my attention. There is an eerie feel to the search which is compounded by the weather that made me feel something was going to happen. That along with the knowledge they were searching for a murder victim and the murderer could still be out there ensured I was hooked from the start!

The partnership between Stone and Oliver is a very interesting one, which I really enjoyed reading about. There seems to be a great mutual respect that exists between them and a growing understanding of what strengths each can bring to the case. I thought it was great that Stone listened to Frankie and asked her opinion on things, despite him being the more senior officer. I felt that showed him to be quite a considerate boss.

The author describes the beautiful Northumberland scenery really vividly so I felt that I could really see it in my mind. The descriptions of the vivid, remote countryside, where most of the murders take place, helps to add a really eerie feel to the book. This also adds to the tension as the reader gets the feeling that anything could happen at any time.

The story goes along at quite a fast pace with lots of action to keep the reader interested. The idea that there is a leak in the force helps add to the atmosphere and kept me guessing as to who it would be. There is a lot of great banter between the police officers that helps add some light relief to the story too and it was great to see the team bonding together.

The Insider is the second book in the Olive and Stone series and whilst it could be read as a standalone I think it would be better to read these books in order as you’d have a greater understanding of the characters. I’m very excited to read more from Mari Hannah and look forward to the next book in this amazing series!

Huge thanks to Orion books for my copy of this book via Netgalley and to Alianna for inviting me onto the blog tour. If you like dark, thrilling crime books you’ll love this book!

A deep and engrossing Police procedural. The Insider is the second outing for Stone and Oliver and sees them both central to the Murder Investigation Team (MIT).
A failing investigation is given a breath of fresh air and new direction when Stone is chosen to be the new SIO, not surprisingly her takes Oliver to be his second in command.
After 3 linked murders it appears that Northumbria police have a serial killer terrorising the community. It is an investigation bogged down, without firm clues and devoid of witness accounts to flag up suspects.
The victims appear unrelated and without any association in life. If they were just randomly chosen by an opportunist killer, Stone and Oliver know they will have a difficult task to re-energise the team, a lot of evidence to review. A re-doubling of effort, more long hours without overtime, just hoping the perpetrator made a mistake not yet seen.
Mari Hannah writes with passion about this part of the country. The book is a whistle stop tour at times to the beauty of Northumbria and the delightful countryside and locations visited are in strong contrast to the evil acts that bring destruction to lives of innocent women.
I notice that more is revealed the less that is written in these acts. The first three cases have happened as the novel begins and a subsequent act is not used to provide gory details and sensationalism around the murder. Hannah writes with great respect for the victims and gratuitous violence is not her default style. As horrible as the crimes are, they are not the described events, the author shows menace and threat and the sad consequence of murder.
What also marks out this writing is the personal stories of both detectives. Although a clear bond has formed between them they have both dark secrets and troubled backgrounds, which in part motivate but also throw them off kilter. At times I thought Mari might have taken this baggage too far and beyond management. To the point I wondered who would take over from them when these two unravelled.
But there in lies the secret of this fine writing and observation. Hannah writes her characters as human beings, with faults, distractions and failings. Not just hardened cops who drink and have broken relationships, beat up suspects and fabricate evidence. Nor does she bestow upon them secret powers or incredible minds to pluck clues from thin air. She observes reality and writes with that clarity. So it happens, because of hard work, and being grounded in the need for evidential cases to bring to court. We have a story routed in a real world, with the standing joke of note like in detective fiction.
The story may seem unusual at times but it is more satisfying for that; the played out finale has more twists and turns than even the seasoned crime reader could expect.
Such fine writing has been rewarded and recognised by her peers. It is good to bear testimony in this regard. Mari Hannah has not rested on such laurels, her work continues to excel. Mari rips the safe options up. Starts again in a new direction and produces quality that shows her development as a writer. The plot here is both familiar and innovative as she takes the known and pushes the boundaries. She takes risks along the way, the novel requires reading but the outcome as evident. The Insider is a brilliant book by an author wanting to push this genre while entertaining her growing fan base. This latest offering will enhance her growing reputation, with its guaranteed success, make her smile and as risk taking, going forward.

Another murder will challenge Frankie and David to the limit.

If I'm honest, I'm not a great lover of police procedural novels and I think it says something about Mari Hannah's writing that I thoroughly enjoyed The Insider. This is the second book in the Stone and Oliver series and I haven't read the first, The Lost, but it made no difference to my enjoyment at all. The backstories for David and Frankie are carefully and skilfully woven into this new narrative so that I felt I understood them completely, but I still have more to uncover in the next book.

Indeed, there's a real depth to the characters in The Insider, and to Frankie and David especially which I actually enjoyed more than the well written and entertaining plot. I thoroughly appreciated the way in which Mari Hannah illustrates what they are like as real people and not just as police officers. She made me care about them and I now want to read more about them. There's a sensitivity to how Mari Hannah shows the impact of crime not just on the victims, but on their families and those investigating them.

The plot that gradually uncovers more about Frankie and David has a good pace and is very well supported by an authoritative presentation of police procedure and acronyms so that it has a real feeling of authenticity. Mari Hannah explains them where she needs to and I felt quite educated as well as entertained. I really enjoyed the way the fits and starts of uncovering the murderer were portrayed as it felt as if I were part of the investigative team.

I thought the Northumberland setting was hugely accurate and evocative. Reading The Insider made me feel that this would translate brilliantly to a television drama.

I thought The Insider was an entertaining and enjoyable read. It has made me feel that I am missing out on not reading more of this genre and I look forward to finding out what happens next for Frankie and David.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!