DEAD GUILTY by author Helen H. Durrant is book nine of a new series of detective thrillers featuring D.S. Ruth Bayliss and D.I. Tom Calladine. Having read all the previous books in this series and really enjoyed them and the characters, it was like old home week, touching base with some of my old friends. I looked forward to starting the next crime thriller in the series. This book will have you turning the pages until the shocking conclusion. This is a crime thriller with an ending with a huge twist.

Detective inspector Tom Calladine is a workaholic, totally devoted to his job. But his personal life has not been so rewarding, being married and divorced before he was twenty-one. Now he has a new girlfriend, Layla, that lives down the street with Tom’s dog, Sam for safety.

DETECTIVES CALLADINE AND BAYLISS HUNT FOR A MISSING CHILD.

Sophie Alder is the three-year-old daughter of local factory owner, Richard Alder. Richard and his wife Annie are locals from the rough housing estate who’ve made it big. DS Ruth Baylis and DI Tom Calladine suspect that she has been kidnapped.

Currently there is a crime wave in Leesworth and the police can’t stay on top of it. Break-ins were increasing in the area. One young thief, a neighbour’s son broke into Calladine’s house. This lad was working with a villain, referred to as “Street”, robbing houses. Street is the mastermind behind the increase in drugs and theft in the area.

With two more murders the detectives race against time to find “Street” and the missing child.

This book can be read as standalone but it's always best to read a series in order to fully appreciate the ongoing character development, though the plots are standalones. This is a series I will continue to follow.

Looking for a brilliant best-selling crime mystery with great detectives? Look no further. Highly recommend this exciting new crime fiction writer.

Many thanks to Joffe Books via Netgalley for my copy.

Don't let the fact that this is number nine in a series keep you from reading it. Each story in this series is a stand alone - meaning that while the core group of investigators stays the same throughout each book, the bad guys are always caught and they do not end on a cliff-hanger. There will of course be some references to the previous novels, but I don't feel like it takes away from the readers enjoyment of this one. Nor do I believe it would be overly confusing for a new reader.

Speaking strictly on this novel, I was completely surprised at the twists and turns that this story takes. This author is certainly more than capable of weaving together a complex and intriguing story that draws the reader in and keeps them guessing until the often surprising reveal. I loved the interactions between the characters, the easy banter between colleagues, and even the more personal side threads that we see glimpses of. When you blend them together you get a wonderfully written story that seems real.

I would highly recommend this story to those who are fans of high paced thrillers that keep you guessing. I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Dead Guilty – Helen H. Durrant

Dead Guilty is number nine in the series and its equally as good as the rest. I do think that these are best read in order as there’s a lot of career and personal background information in them and that it would help with the characters and how the team dynamics work I like to hope that there are more in the offing and that we haven’t seen/read the last of them quite yet. I’d like to say welcome back DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss, it’s been a while and you’ve been missed. These are always a good read, they make a blinking good team working well together I suppose that comes with having worked with each other for a long time.

Three-year-old Sophie Alder is kidnapped while playing in the garden with Jack one of her childminders charges. This sets off a whole chain reaction of madness in the area. Her dad Richard ‘Rick’ Alder is a local businessman, he’s a local boy who changes his life getting out of the estate and opening a factory that employs half of Leesdon. Her mum Annie is distraught and wants nothing but to have her daughter back, or so it seems anyway. There’s definitely something off with her is it domestic abuse or something else?

The youth of the area seem to have grown balls the size of watermelons and have begun blatantly deal under everyone’s nose. They are burglarising and cuckooing houses of the vulnerable for their gangs to use. There’s county lining going on, leaving little trail of where from and who for. All we know is that there’s a mysterious character called ‘Street’.

A group of vigilantes have taken to wandering the streets dishing out punishments for crimes committed. One such episode sees a young boy being given a good old-fashioned pasting. Later he’s found stabbed but did they do it or was it someone else, someone seeing the shifting times and beginning to cover their tracks.

Slogging their guts out working the two cases desperately trying to find Sophie and Street the team are puzzled as to why DCI Birch is giving them a hard time. Having been ordered to drop the investigation into Street these orders have come from above and this isn’t sitting well with them at all.

The author has brought some of the more current issues facing the young and vulnerable in today’s society. They are being dragged into a way of life that there’s only one-way out of and it’s not pretty. We should all have a good long think about what is going on in our own communities and keep an eye out for the old and young a like a little more.




Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books

I have really enjoyed this book, the 9th in a series but it can easily be read as a standalone without much detriment.
I find Helen's writing to flow smoothly and easily, I started it and was eager to contine with the story as soon as possible.

The book continues with DI Calladine and DS Bayliss's story that began way back in Book 1 titled Dead wrong, and flowed into another 7 books until the arrival of this, fantastic piece of work!

One case is a missing child, that they inherit from another ill officer, while they also have other cases. Searching for a mysterious figure known as " The Street" is another.

Helen has absolutely cracked it for me personally, as she has fully rounded the main characters to a depth that I love! The cases within the story are switched from one to another so you have no idea where it will go and the twists make it such an ending!!! I loved it! Definitely one to read!

Although the ninth book in the DI Calladine and DS Bayliss set this one is as good and different, at one level, as previous ones. We do have a bit more of Calladine's messy personal life - coming up to 50 he really should have got a grip on what he wants in life but Bayliss, with her complete no nonsense attitude, keeps him on track (as far as anyone could). Two interwoven stories - an abducted child and a new unknown drug baron on the block - give Ms Durrant's normal edge of seat, complicated, twists and turns narrative. Calladine's team is coming together nicely and their inter-relationships work well. You get a very clear impression of the temptations, then fear, of getting involved with drugs for young kids from disadvantaged families and estates. These lead to frustrations all round. The abducted child scenario - less sure about that as I felt it clear from the start who the perpetrator was. Also, we have what seems like the inevitable bent high level police person - sorry, you lose one star for that. For all that, another cracking good read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Joffe, for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is book nine in the hugely popular Detective Calladine and Bayliss series, one which I would strongly suggest to be read in order. There is a lot of ongoing character development over the series, and which continues through this story but compliments rather than overshadows the main parts of the plot, and also there is much history which carries forward. References are made to events in previous stories which could spoil the enjoyment of those books if not read first. Most of the main characters in Leesdon CID and the Duggen which handles forensics and pathology are still featured and it is a bit like revisiting old friends who need little introduction. The books are set in the fictional village of Leesdon on the outskirts of a northern English industrial city where there is much unemployment and crime, particularly on the Hobfield estate, the bane of Calladine's working life. It is from here that Richard and Annie Alder originate, with family still living there. Richard is the typical poor local boy made good, and now owns a highly successful manufacturing company. When their three year old daughter goes missing, questions are asked over where his money actually came from and whether things are as rosy as they seem. Elsewhere vigilante groups are forming to take back the streets from the thieves and vandals who seem to be running riot over the police, with devastating consequences in one case. Drug dealing seems to be on the increase and detectives keep hearing the name "Street" mentioned but are clueless. They certainly have their work cut out to find the child and restore some kind of law and order to the district. Once again this is a story where the pace is kept up throughout with plenty of action, clues and suspects. Another good solid police procedural in an excellent series with very likable characters, and a great ending that took me completely by surprise. Highly recommended.

DI Calladine and his team encounters two murders , a child abduction and drug gangs in ths latest book bu Helen H Durrant which keeps the pages turning . There are twists , red herrings and a surprise at the end as the Police keep coming up against obstacles put in their way.
I really enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommend it.

# Dead Guilty # Netgalley
From the first chapter you are definitely hooked. You will not want to put this book down until the last page. You wil find yourself shaking your head, because you will still be trying to pick your jaw of the floor. The twist and turns are plenty. Who honestly can not enjoy Helen Durrants books. They are extremely well written the storyline is brilliant as per
Usual. Highly recommend you read this book you will not regret it far from it. You will just love it, and want more. And more

So this is the ninth in the Calladine and Bayliss series but can easily be read as a standalone. I know I say that a lot but I felt like this book gave you enough about the characters and their history to enjoy the novel without spoiling any of the previous books.

These books just gets better and better as it goes along! I think this is my favourite out of this series to date, there is honestly never a dull moment.

There a few threads running through the story, the first being a kidnapping of three year old Sophie Alder. Her father is local boy who done good but is he really as clean as he says he is?

A crime wave is sweeping through Leesdon, controlled by the mysterious ‘Street’. In response a group of local men form a vigilante group to fight back against these yobs. After an attack, a young burglar ends up dead.

Helen Durrant blends these three storylines together seamlessly, none of them overshadowing the other, with a good pace and plenty of twists and turns along the way.

I also love Bayliss and Calladine, they’re such likeable characters, even though Calladine is back to his old ways, not committing to yet another relationship. I have hopes he’ll settle down one day!

Dead Guilty a thrilling police procedural that you will find hard to put down, I know I did!

I am a massive fan of this author’s books and I love this series too so I was delighted to see that she had a new book out, this one, Dead Guilty, and I will admit that I had read the book from cover to cover within hours of it landing on my Kindle!

I thought that the plot line was addictive, there were quite a few twists and turns as the plot developed, I certainly had a few oooh moments too when things started to be unravelled!

Everything was well planned out and the development and execution of the story was simply superb. I thought I had guessed who was responsible a few times for what had been going on in the book only for me to be wrong – and I loved the book for that!

I love the main character, DI Tom Calladine and have really enjoyed getting to know him as the series has progressed, his supporting team are great too and I love their interaction and the team work that they have to resolve the cases that come in front of them are great.

This is book nine in the series and for me it is the best to date that the author has released with Calladine & Bayliss at the helm - something that isn’t always that easy to do! I think that this one would also read fine as a standalone.

The author has a brilliant writing style and she really brings her stories and characters to life and she remains one of my favourite authors of her genre.

It is definitely five stars from me for this one, it is another well written thrilling story from this author and genuinely cannot wait for her next release!!

How did we get to book 9 in the Calladine and Bayliss series? This book can be read as a stand alone but I would recommend beginning with the first in the series. This is a complex and well thought out book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Our two detectives are investigating a missing girl and their investigation overlaps with drugs, murder and burglaries. The plot is full of twists, the characters are believable and plenty of twists and turns. This is a really good read and I thought I had it all worked out but I was wrong! I would recommend this book and the full series. My thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for my ARC Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

This is the latest in Helen Durrant's series featuring DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss set in a northern location. This is a fast paced piece of crime fiction in which our police officers are being overwhelmed by a crime wave coming from a number of directions. 3 year old Sophie has been taken, she is the daughter of well off factory owner, Richard Alder, and his wife, Anne. An angry Richard piles on the pressure, a man consorting with some shady types. The tough crime ridden housing estate of Hobfield is a constant thorn in the side of the police, it is so often at the centre of all kinds of trouble and strife. And who is orchestrating the huge drug operation? Homes are being broken into, and being taken over whilst the home owner is imprisoned within. And some men have organised themselves to form a vigilante group, which is never going to be good news as it all leads to a dead burglar. In a tense and twisted read with multiple storylines, we are given insights of the personal lives of the police. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this arc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. A nice steady fast pace, well developed credible characters and a twisty, twisty story. A wonderful addition to the series and hopefully not the last (I need to know what the future brings for Callandine). I especially like how the personal lives (backgrounds) of the police are detailed enough so as to understand their present actions without presenting them as tragically flawed victims. Well done and keep them coming please.

Police thriller with a good cast of characters,heroes and villains. Interesting story with many twists and turns.

A great story Tom Calladine at his best. Yet again working hard to resolve these crimes his possible forthcoming promotion is thoroughly deserved but will it stop him from doing what he likes best, solving crimes.

This is a very fast-paced crime story. You need to have your wits about you as a lot is going on in this book. It isn’t, but you do need to concentrate on keeping up with everything that is developing throughout the investigation. At first, it feels like two parallel stories are being told and you think the detectives have too much to deal with, but it all starts to come together.
I was a little disappointed to realise that this was book nine in a series (it would be helpful if this were in brackets next to the title on NetGalley so that you are aware straight away). Although you don’t need to have read any of the previous books, there is a sense of having missing information. There are a few times when previous investigations are referred to, and you are left wondering if these were in past books. If they were, then there are slight spoiler alerts. I do have all of Durrant’s previous books on my TBR list, so I didn’t want anything to be given away. I had enjoyed the stand-alone book ‘Next Victim’ so I requested this one without realising it was part of a series.
Despite the initial disappointment, I did really enjoy this book, the characters were easy to get to know, and even though the investigation is fast-paced, it is possible to keep a handle on everything that is going on. It certainly makes me want to catch up on the previous books in case she brings out book ten!

DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss have their hands full with a variety of cases.

A 3-year-old girl has gone missing and her parents are frantic. The father is wealthy and hangs around some dubious characters. Is someone making him suffer for a deal gone bad?

There's a new crime wave that involves a pack of young people basically walking into an elder person's home and taking over. There are drugs and alcohol and parties while the homeowner is held prisoner in his/her bedroom. Multiple damages are done to the home and no one seems to be able to stop these hooligans. Who is "Street" who seems to be giving the orders?

A few local men have formed a vigilante group to stop the violence since the police don't seem to be able to. One teenage boy had the audacity to break into Calladine's home. The vigilantes caught up with the young man and beat him to a pulp. The boy is found later ...dead of a stabbing.

More murders follow and Calladine's supervisor is calling a halt into their looking for "Street". Now the detectives aren't sure who they can trust. Are there members of the police that are protecting the drug lords?

This one is full of action with solid police procedures throughout. Although 9th in this well-known series, it reads easily as a stand alone. There are twists and turns that lead to a very surprising ending.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley / Books n All Book Promotions for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

ANOTHER PAGE TURNER in this series.
I can't believe this is the ninth book in this thoroughly entertaining series.
Pacy, action packed and gripping. Just what I would expect from this author. Plenty of twists and turns.
I read this book in one sitting finally turning the last page at 2.am.
Another book from this author I could not put down. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Joffre Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

5 stars

DI Luc Calladine, Sergeant Ruth Bayliss and the rest of the gang team up once more in this the latest installment of the series. They must tackle a kidnapping, murders and a growing drug problem in their city Leesworth.

The multiple investigations begin. The mother of the kidnapped child, three-year old Sophie, is distraught, her father Richard “Rick” Alder is very anxious and angry. Something about the Annie the mother doesn't ring quite true.

There is a mysterious drug running gang invading the city. They burgle as well. They move into elderly peoples' homes and won't leave; partying and running wild.

A vigilante group attacks a boy who is a suspected burglar. He dies. Did they stab him? They deny it and Calladine believes them. Several boys are running wild and getting a very expensive solicitor to get them out of jail. Where is the money coming from? And who is this mysterious “Street” all the kids mention and of whom they are terrified.

The first boy killed is not the last. The murders go on; by drugs and by stabbing. The stories behind the goings-on are very interesting and in some cases surprising.

Helen Durrant has really out done herself on this novel. I believe it just may be the best one to date. At least from my point of view. It is very well written and the plot proceeds logically. The protagonists Calladine and Bayliss are likeable, as are most of the rest of the team. I like that Ms. Durrant includes a bit of the main characters' personal lives. It adds additional color and draws the reader in even further. It is like we are in the incident room with the team watching all that is going on. More please, Ms. Durrant.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this fantastic book for me to read, enjoy and review.