This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

You Die Next by Stephanie Marland (aka Stephanie Broadribb) is the second book in the Starke and Bell series. DI Dominic Bell of the Metropolitan Polie and Dr Clementine Starke a psychologist and true crime detective,

Clementine Starke and Dominic Bell are back in Stephanie Marland's explosive follow up to My Little Eye and you can read my review of that here. You Die Next is one hell of a read, bookworms!

Well, where do I start with this one?

You Die Next had my heart pounding from the start and the thrills and pace didn’t let up from the first page to the last.

In My Little Eye we met Clementine Starke, a reclusive computer whizz with an obsession with true crime. She turned this obsession to good use and along with a team of like-minded folk online she worked on catching a killer in real time instead of looking at historical cases.

Dominic Bell is the police officer she helped with the case and a friendship of sorts was formed.

Now, a few months after the case was closed, Starke is no longer the recluse she used to be, and Bell is embroiled in a personal mess that looks like it’s not going to end well.

During her PhD research, Starke is introduced to a team of urban explorers. A group of anonymous adrenaline junkies who explore derelict locations around the country.

Unknown to Starke, Bell is investigating the murders of some seemingly unconnected people across London.

Are they linked?

OMFG!

What a stonker this is. I loved seeing where Starke has come since her last outing. She is a wonderful character. Wounded and jaded by her father’s death many years ago, she is finally getting her life back on track. She no longer lives a life of online solitude and is braving the outside world.

Bell, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have come through their last case in the best light. He has some serious personal issues going on which are threatening to bring him down and ruin his life.

As the body count rises, Starke tries to get in touch with Bell to offer her assistance, but he isn’t interested in her help this time. He doesn’t fully trust her and to be honest, why would a senior police officer want a reclusive student showing him up again in his hunt for a killer?

Marland is a fan-frigging-tastic author. The way she manages to pull you onto the pages of her books is utterly fascinating. As I already said, my heart was pounding the whole way through this one. From the very first page the tension pours off the pages and gets inside your head in such a way I actually felt like I was in the building with the urban explorers … I was seeing, feeling, smelling, and hearing everything they did … I felt their fear, their terror … I was right there with them and that feeling didn’t stop the whole way through the book.

I can't say much more about the plot for obvious reasons but trust me when I say you DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!

For those of who may not already know, Marland is the pen name of Stephanie Broadribb who also writes a series for Orenda Books and I have to say, her writing just gets better and better with each book she publishes. These two publishers are so lucky to have her on their lists!

Her plots are slick and scary, her words perfect and captivating, her characters evil and endearing … Marland gives her readers everything and boy does it make for some amazing books!

Completely enthralling, You Die Next is twisted, brave, and beyond comparison.

Marland has knocked it out of the park AGAIN!

Huge thanks to the author and the team at Trapeze Books for my spot on the tour and my review copy of the book – I bloody love it!

Gripping and tense, and I loved the concept of the urban exploring being connected to the case. The dynamic between Clementine and Dom is fantastic. I can't wait to read more of them.

A gripping crime thriller, full of twists to keep you guessing from the first page till the last. I could not put this book down and read it over a weekend, completely engrossed in the story. Although the second in Marland’s ‘Starke and Bell’ series, I happily read this as a stand alone novel, although having read and enjoyed this story, I will be reading the previous book soon.
A cat and mouse thriller, with an inventive plot, a group of explorers stumble across a murderer's ‘kill room’ in a derelict film studio, soon after one of the explorers is found dead, and the rest of the team soon realise that they are being hunted, but by whom? Bell and Starke are a great team and wonderfully written characters. A fast paced thriller that I definitely recommend.

This is the second book in a series but I have not read the first. The back story between the two main characters - DI Dom Bell and Dr Clementine Starke - is obviously quite a complex one but this book reads quite well as a stand alone. The plot is fast moving and the book is very readable but relies constantly on Dom and Clementine missing each other and letting their complicated relationship get in the way of communication. Keeping the reader in the dark for much of the story is cleverly achieved.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Stephanie Marland/Stephanie Broadribb/Orion Publishing for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Brilliant 2nd book one the series . Once again you are kept guessing until the end . I didnt see the final twist coming and voild have kicked my self for missing it

You're always guaranteed a good read with a Stephanie Marland (aka Steph Broadribb) book so I was really excited to read You Die Next, the second book in the Starke and Bell series. I think it does read well as a standalone as there are enough references to the story in the first book, My Little Eye, to give any new readers the history of our leading pair.

I have to say that I read this book pretty fast to get my review posted in time for the blog tour, so I don't think I experienced it at its finest. I didn't really understand the point of urban explorers and what they get out of doing what they do. Having said that, what drives the story along for me are the strong leading characters of Clementine Starke and Dominic Bell. They aren't a traditional duo, being very much apart in this book, but I particularly loved how Clementine's character has developed; she's a bit like Darth Vader, being lured to the dark side.

Not only do we have the story of the urban explorers being picked off one by one with increasingly vivid and imaginative demises, but Clementine has a mystery of her own to solve: the death of her father. The reader is teased quite a lot by Stephanie Marland as Clementine starts to dig into her father's history and I loved how it brought Dom closer to her when he agrees to look into it. It definitely left me hanging and eager to read the next Starke & Bell book.

Vivid, chilling, ingenious and unique You Die Next is a superb instalment in the Starke & Bell series which I'm sure will become a firm favourite with crime and thriller readers.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

**4.5 STARS**

You Die Next is the second book in the Starke and Bell series written by a favourite author of mine, Stephanie Marland (also known as Steph Broadribb). You Die Next was published by Trapeze Books earlier this month in eBook, audiobook and paperback formats.  I received an eARC copy of You Die Next which has in no way influenced this review.

I am a huge fan of this author's writing no matter what guise it takes.  Be it home-grown amateur sleuth, Clementine Starke, and her favourite obsession, DI Dominic Bell.  Or whether it's a trip stateside with kick-ass bounty hunter, Lori Anderson.  Stephanie Marland knows how to tell a story and I, for one, enjoy reading them.  Here's my review of the first book in the Starke and Bell series, My Little Eye, to prove it.  When I discovered that book two in the Starke and Bell series was imminent, I knew I had to get a copy.

And I'm so very glad I did.  I have to be honest, I think I preferred the second outing of this intriguing duo a touch more than the first.  Both Dominic Bell and Clementine Starke are fascinating characters and I cannot wait to see where Marland takes them.  From book one to book two they've taken a step (or rather Clementine has!) towards the dark side and I love that!  That's what I want from a series of crime novels - something a little different, something that's going to make me sit up and take note.  There's so much potential here, I can't wait to see what the future holds.

The plot focuses on a group of urban explorers who one day stumble upon a grisly murder scene.  Being in the act of breaking the law themselves they fail to notify the police but the guilt eats away at some of them.  Then subtle yet threatening messages start appearing on their video feeds.  The plot was interesting and kept me gripped throughout. I loved the set-up of the murders and the way individuals within the group were picked off one by one.  The reveal of whodunit was a complete surprise and I spent a lot of my time whilst reading coming up with motives and suspects.  I was wrong...a lot!

Would I recommend this book? I would, definitely.  However, I've read both books in this series and I'm not sure if You Die Next works as a standalone.  By going straight to book two you will miss a lot of background information about Clementine and Dominic so I would recommend you start with My Little Eye first and then move onto You Die Next.  Stephanie Marland is a must read author for me and this is a must read series.  I can't wait for book three to be published.

I was in two minds about this book. On the one hand, I really like police procedurals quite a lot and the idea of exploring abandoned buildings and filming it with a bunch of friends sounded quite exciting and so as a premise for the story, it was spot-on. However, I really wish I had read the first book in the series because it took me a while to get into this particular novel.

The tale of Dominic, the tortured police officer, and Clementine, the odd, obsessive academic, was a bit of a strange one and I couldn't figure it out, at times.

There were lots of parts of the story which I enjoyed and there were certainly a bunch of occasions where I just about held my breath with the tension, but I think the Dominic/Clementine thing detracted and distracted me more than it should have.

So, 4 stars from me, I would like to read another book with these characters because I think they have promise but this particular book was a bit frustrating to read.

I started reading Stephanie Marland’s novels because I am a huge fan of her Lori Anderson series, which she writes under the name Steph Broadribb. YOU DIE NEXT is the second book in the Starke & Bell series and, even though it’s a bit darker than her other novels, I am completely addicted and I am already looking forward to the next novel.

Who are the protagonists? Clementine Starke is a researcher who studies the effects of obsession on people for her PhD. Clementine herself is her own first case study. Why? Because she has two obsessions: the murder of her father and DI Dominick Bell. Her father was a police detective that was murdered during a fire that almost killed her and left her numb to emotions. The killer was never found, but she’s enlisted the help of a true-crime online group to find out the truth. She met DI Dominick Bell while solving a case in the first book, My Little Eye, where he saved her life from a killer. This event connected them in a “special” (her word), unhealthy and dangerous (my words) way. Despite Dominick’s efforts to keep Clementine at a distance, she gets mixed up not only in his new murder investigation, but also in the case of corrupt officers that involves one of his own family.

In YOU DIE NEXT, the author explores a world that I am unfamiliar with and that, to be honest, I didn’t even know existed. Urban explorers are groups of people that film themselves while they go through abandoned and neglected buildings and, thanks to technology and social media, they have thousands of followers during their nightly adventures. During the filming, their faces are covered and they use nicknames and no one knows who they really are. One night, one of the most popular group of urban explores breaks into an old film studio and stumbles upon a scene that makes them run away scared. The fear of prosecution for the break in stops them from going to the police, but someone is leaving threatening messages for them. And when the first body turns up, they ask themselves, who dies next? As the bodies pile up, DI Dominick Bell tries to solve the case while Clementine is ready to do absolutely anything to help and protect him.

Clementine and Dominick are both intriguing characters. They both have a very dark side, they both have demons to deal with and their relationship is obsessive and a bit dangerous. I like these two flawed and engaging characters that created a story that is intense, twisty, and chilling and that kept me completely hooked until the very last word.

An entertaining crime thriller with engaging main characters. The plot, a group of urban explorers stumbling across, what appears to be, a kill room sets the scene for an action filled ride as the group find themselves being hunted down. Alongside this is a continuing tale of police corruption, spanning several decades. Who can be trusted?

I hadn’t read the first book in the series and now wish I had as I think that it would have filled out their back story a bit better. Having said that the author makes enough references for it work as a stand alone. I look forward to the next instalment.

My thanks to Netgalley and TBConFB for this copy.

I enjoyed this book there were a lot of characters to keep track of but it was an enjoyable book a quite convoluted story still not sure I followed it all

2nd book in this series and I ,again really enjoyed it . Maybe a bit slower to get into but I loved the storyline and I’m really enjoying getting to know Clementine and Dom and the pull they have together . I look forward to reading book 3 ! My thanks to tbc reviewers for my copy

You Die Next is a blend of psychological thriller and police procedural. Short punchy chapters from a number of characters but primarily the two main protagonists, Clementine Starke and Dom Bell, give a swift pace and action-packed plot. The two main characters are original and captivating, Clementine in particular giving introspection on the dark and light in her personality as well as narrating the storyline. The plot and the sinister killer hunting victims in the less than legal world of urban exploring are great but the real strength of this story is the relationships and the complex psychological make-up of the characters. Ironically, this is why I’ve gone for four stars instead of five! I read this as a stand-alone and while there was enough exposition of the events of the previous book to know where the characters are at the outset of the story and how they got there, I would have enjoyed reading the evolution of those characters in the first novel first. I would still definitely recommend this book but I would suggest that you read the first one first.

Book two in the Starkest and Bell series and we are faced with a case involving urban explorers -thrill seekers who flaunt the law to entertain a virtual audience whilst dreaming of sponsorship and cyber-stardom. But their explorations start taking a dark turn. Full of suspense, tension and breath stealing moments, I am growing to love this series more and more. And am loving the obsessional relationship between the two lead characters which ties in perfectly with an under lying theme of the novel.

Brilliantly addictive and entertaining it’s another great book from author Stephanie Marland. Top stuff.

Urban explorers are the big things these days. This particular group hide their true identities from everyone ... even themselves. They locate old abandoned businesses, warehouses, etc. and then film their findings for their fans.

All goes well until the night they break into a derelict film studio. What they see there ends them all scattering to safety. Ultimately they decide not to go to the police, for fear they'd be arrested for illegal entry. But then there's a message on their video channel .... Who Dies Next?

A short time later, DI Dominic Bell and his team are called to investigate a series of odd murders.... a jeweled dagger is the murder weapon.

As the police try to piece together how these victims are related, Clementine Starke is already a step or two ahead of them. But Bell isn't taking her calls. She made a huge mistake once, and Bell fears he can never trust her again.

Ultimately, Bell's decision not to have anything to do with Clementine will cause more bodies to fall. And Clementine will have to decide how fare she wants to go to help Bell find a killer.

What a trip! How exciting it must be to explore places that haven't seen the light of day in many years. Just think of all the treasures one could find. One could also find themselves being hunted instead of being a hunter.

This is a well written thriller with lots of twists and turns. It's a riveting look at urban exploring with credible characters. Bell and Starke are both flawed, and how they interact with each other .... it's like looking at the aftermath of a tragic car accident.

Many thanks to the author / Orion Publishing Group - Trapeze / The Book Club (FB) / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

4.5 STARS

You Die Next is the second novel to feature DI Dominic Bell of the Met and Dr Clementine Starke, psychologist and true crime detective, and I happened to find it even more compelling and addictive than its predecessor. Here, they search for a brutal thrill killer with the plentiful twists, turns and red herrings creating a gripping and unpredictable plotline captures you from page one. Elsewhere the subplots regarding police corruption and Clementine's mission to discover who framed and then murdered her father in the hope of getting justice for him are both intriguing and engaging. Eventually, Clementine and Dominic's separate investigations lead them to believe the same person is responsible for both incidents. But are they?

Usually, this would lead to them at least sharing their findings with one another or even working together but Clementine and Dom are reticent about either of those options. If I'm honest. neither of them is particularly likeable or affable; Clementine is a bit of a strange one and Dom doesn't fare much better coming across as very selfish. They are both well portrayed, complex characters and I appreciated the depth they had to them and the fact that they have evolved from the first book.

Although the main plot surrounding the urban explorers is contained to this novel, the subplots are continued from the previous book, so I feel in order to understand those it would be beneficial to read the books in sequence. It will also help you understand the reasons behind Dom and Clementine's rocky working relationship.

Many thanks to Trapeze for an ARC.

It seems pretty straightforward. Take one hapless, lovelorn and stressed out detective, D.I. Dominic Bell. Give him a work environment where he knows corruption is rife and everyone is a suspect, adding to his stress levels. Pair him with Clementine Stark, PhD student and True Crime aficionado, who is both studying obsession in online behaviour and obsessively trying to solve her father’s murder. Then offer up a series of gruesome murders happening to a group of urban explorers who fall into the realm of Clementine’s study area and you just know that these two are going to end up chasing the same killer.

I think it really does help if you have read the first book in the series, because this series sings because of the relationship between Dominic and Clementine. It’s far from conventional and in Clementine’s case it looks like it’s also becoming a little obsessional. The nearest comparison I can come to is the relationship between John Luther and Alice Morgan in the TV series, Luther.

The main crime story is well written, dark and as twisted as you would expect. A serial killer is stalking and killing urban explorers in dark, creepy places. Clementine is on their track, but Dom is avoiding her calls. He’s up to his neck worrying about corruption in his team and who is involved – but he doesn’t know who to trust.

The last thing he needs is for his ex to re-enter his life, especially after everything they have been through. So he’s blocked her, but that may not prove to be his wisest move.

As the body count grows and Clementine’s frantic efforts to get through to him eventually pay dividends, he finds himself embroiled in a moral maze. If only he could see clearly enough to work his way out of it.

Clementine is such a morally ambiguous character she is absolutely transfixing me. Watching Dominic and Clementine together is a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know you ought to be able to stop it, but the force is just too great and there is going to be an almighty bang whatever you do.

I have no idea where Stephanie Marland is going to take this pair, but my goodness it is guaranteed to be a bumpy ride and that makes it all the more compelling.

Verdict: A dark and twisted thriller packed with fascinating characters and morally challenging perspectives.

YOU DIE NEXT, by author Stephanie Marland, is the second book in a police procedural thriller series featuring Detective Inspector Dominic Bell and psychologist and crime detective, Dr. Clementine Starke.

The two books in the Starke & Bell series include:
My Little Eye (Book 1)
You Die Next (Book 2)

I haven’t read the first book in the series, but wish I had as I think that it would have provided further clarification of some of the history between the characters. While this novel can be read as a standalone, much could be gained by reading the novels in sequence.

Hendleton Studios has been lying dormant since it closed its gates and stopped production on 24 Jan 1972…until tonight when a group of urban explorers breaks into the studio.

Urban explorers explore abandoned places and post their adventures on YouTube or livestream direct on sites, for the positive ratings of their online fans.

For the explorers it was such a rush!

“SASS holds up her SLR camera. Beaker takes out his mobile. Streaming live every step of the way, says Jedx. You guys ready to go inside? As Cap pushes down the door handle, the other three crowd in close. Then they are in. Live stream terminated.”

The group stagger into a murderer's kill room in the abandoned film studio. Terrified, they run, thinking they are safe. Then a message appears on their video channel: Who dies next?

DI Dominic Bell and his team are assigned to investigate the series of murders in hidden locations across London. Is there a connection? Psychologist and crime detective, Dr. Clementine Starke, is called in to assist with the cases, based on her past success rate in this area. But Clementine is haunted by obsessions, including her former relationship with DI Dominic Bell.

As the death count rises, Clementine and Dom work together (reluctantly) to hunt the killer.
What follows is a cat-and-mouse game…and one that will hold your attention until the last page. A dark and persevering thriller bound to please.

Many thanks to the author, and the TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) and Orion Publishing group / Trapeze via NetGalley for my digital copy.