When I read the synopsis for Hold Your Tongue by Deborah Masson I was instantly intrigued and wanted to know more. It is a dark and gruesome police procedural set in Aberdeen and I must warn you that it will not be for everybody as it quite violent and descriptive.

The story opens with the body of a young girl being discovered in a hotel room. She has been brutally murdered - and her tongue has been removed. Reading this I did feel quite ill but I have read worse. DI Eve Hunter and her team are on the case to find out who would do such an evil thing and why? Before long more bodies are discovered - all with their tongues removed. Is there a connection and why take the tongue?

Whilst I did enjoy this book I did struggle with it at times. The main character Eve felt like so many other female detectives that I have read before. She is very damaged, battling demons and feeling guilty. There just did not seem to be anything about her that was original. The story felt like it dragged and repeated at time, making it a bit too long for me.

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

A dark and shocking thriller. Hold Your Tongue is a police procedural and the first in the DI Eve Hunter series set in Aberdeen. This is a great debut. The plot follows the investigation into a series of gruesome murders. The violence and description of way the victims died is gory and Masson doesn’t hold back. I particularly liked the chapters told from the point of view of the killer and their identity isn’t revealed until the end, as the police reach a number of dead ends in their investigation. But can they get to the killer before it’s too late to save the latest victim...

Like many protagonists in good detective novels, Eve Hunter is haunted by her demons and is a flawed character with strong moral and personal motivations. The relationships between the police team are full of mistrust, anger, fear, respect, friendship. Deborah Masson has created a police team with plenty of mileage for a series of books. I didn't personally connect with them which was the only downside of the book for me and it's why I've rated it 4 not 5 stars. But that doesn't take away the fact this is a really well-written crime thriller and a highly entertaining read.

My favourite aspect of the book was the serial killer. Their chapters are creepy and scary, particularly as I couldn’t work out who it was. I won’t give away any spoilers here but the tongue references make for uncomfortable reading. I thought the theme connecting the murders was really interesting and would liked to have been brought into this earlier, maybe from the killer’s chapters rather than the police working it out. The plot is pacy, packed with action and has plenty of twists. The last few chapters are really well done and had me racing through the pages.

Well worth a read, and highly recommended for fans of police procedurals looking to discover new writers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my personal review.

A very impressive debut novel by Deborah Masson. Very well written and a great storyline that keeps you reading. I loved the descriptions and back stories of the characters and how they all fitted together in the story. Plenty of twists and turns to get your teeth into and I thought I had guessed the killer but I was wrong. A great debut novel, bring on the next one!!!

This is an exciting debut that is set in Aberdeen and introduces us to DI Eve Hunter and her team.

From its first pages this book hits hards with its graphic description of murder and police procedures. It is a brilliant police thriller full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right till the end.

The story is like a jigsaw puzzle and as a reader I was trying to all get the pieces to fit just as the investigating team where. Urgent to solve the crimes with ever turn of the page and new character we are introduced to.

The rich characterisation and back stories really help make this book so gritty and believable. Emotions of love, trust, guilt and how decisions we make can affect the lives of others run deep.

DI Hunter is flawed liked so many of us and is still in physically and mental pain from the result of a previous investigation.
This makes her a very relatable and likeable character.

The books switches between the present and moments in the past perfectly weaving everything together till we reach a satisfying conclusion.

I've just finished reading this excellent story. It really had me gripped and I couldn't wait to read it whenever I could. There were a few 'Americanisms' in it here and there which irked at me but overall, I really enjoyed it! Definitely surprised me at the end when we found out who the killer was.

This is the first book featuring DI Eve Hunter and it's an impressive debut. Set in Aberdeen, this novel starts with the discovery of the body of a young woman in a hotel room. She has been brutally attacked and her tongue removed...and if that's too gory an idea for you then this is a book to avoid! It doesn't hold back on the violence and, as the bodies start to stack up, it's grim and bleak and dark.

Still, it's also so good. Eve is a sympathetic heroine who is fighting her own demons and suffering from an injury sustained during a previous investigation. She has a problematic relationship with her team, but they are also an interesting and convincing group of characters. The plot is twisty and clever and readers are kept guessing right to the very end - I had several theories, all wrong! My only criticism was that there were an awful lot of characters and I couldn't always remember who was who, which lessened the impact of some of the events.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes their police procedurals with a dark side. While it's not perfect, it's a very promising start to what I assume will be a series.

Oooooooh it’s good , it’s very very good. Brutal, evocative and well written. The dark streets of Aberdeen and DI Eve Hunter go well together. If you like your police thriller dark and bloody, this is for you.

A very welcome addition to Tartan Crime Noir ! Loved it, bring on the next one

a super creepy and thrilling crime drama - for fans of MJ Arlidge, and those who love police procedural dramas, this is for you! Hold your Tongue is a sinister crime fiction about a woman who was murdered and had her tongue cut out.... if this sounds gory then this is right up your street!

So good! Absolute page turner with twists and turns to the end. Well written and I couldn’t put it down. Recommended reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the advance copy of Hold Your Tongue, an exciting new detective thriller by Deborah Masson.

Detective fiction is my favourite genre so I was keen to read this, and overall it did not disappoint. It was twisty and turny, and followed multiple viewpoints - all of which are factors I love. A real page turner with short, digestable chapters. The characters are solid, believable and relatable.

My only niggle was some of the gruesome violent description, which I am the first to admit I'm not great with, despite loving the genre. I do think its possible to write a great detective thriller or police procedural without delving into graphic detail - Jane Casey is a great example of this, with her excellently written Mauve Kerrigan series. But it's a personal thing and this author writes extremely well, so kudos to her. There were a couple of points where I had to go back and re-read as I was struggling to follow but this was few and far between if I'm honest.

All in all, this was a great read and I would definitely consider reading more in this series.

A brilliant debut police procedural from Deborah Masson. Excellent characters and a suspenseful plot. I am looking forward to the next instalment already. With thanks to Netgalley for the preview copy.

I really enjoyed the first book in the DI Eve Hunter series .This is a dark gritty story ,Eve returns to work after a six month absence due to injuries she received on her last case and is involved in a very gruesome murder.Some of her team seem not to trust her so she has to build the trust again .Set in Aberdeen this is a very gripping story one that is hard to put down .Gradually Eve's back story is revealed I like her very much .I also liked the characters of her team which to me seemed very believable ,the story is very clever and had me guessing to the end I look forward to reading the next book in the series .Many thanks to the Publisher The Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Having recently requested to read this novel on Netgalley, I quickly devoured it within two days, and was not disappointed.

I’m usually quite a reluctant reader when it comes to crime/thriller/investigative novels but I think one of Masson’s strengths is her ability to create a fleshed out team of characters that keep you invested as a reader, and this is something which is often lacking in the genre. The compassion and investment displayed by these characters, in both the victims and each other, is a testament to Masson’s writing.

Following her return to work, after some traumatic events six months prior, you instantly feel a lot of empathy for the main protagonist, Eve. This particularly cuts deep when it comes to her relationship with Sanders and plays nicely into the themes of guilt that Masson has explored in each of the individual characters throughout the story. Some multiple narration keeps the read fresh and intriguing, and there really is some beautiful descriptions, particularly of Aberdeen, which gives the reader a real sense of setting.

Fans who are thirsty for violence and grisly murders will be pleased with what the novel has to offer – there’s definitely no shortage. This is then coupled with an intricate plot which has many layers and connections that need to be unravelled throughout the story. It took me a while to put the pieces together but when it happens, they come steamrolling in. It’s safe to say that I was kept guessing and suspected pretty much every single character, including the killer, but Masson masterfully ensures there are plenty of subtle details and misdirection interwoven throughout the investigation to keep you questioning the true killer’s identity until the end. Ultimately, there is a very satisfying resolution to the case which goes beyond just nailing the killer, as there is so much more to uncover about the history and motives behind the madness.

Thank you to both Netgalley and Random House UK. Transworld Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and feedback on this great novel. I have no doubt that it will be a popular addition to the shelves in January 2020, and definitely the start of a new series, I expect!

GRIPPING AND FANTASTIC. A STUNNING DEBUT. I was glued to my sofa for two days reading Hold your tongue. I hope that this is the start of a new series. DI Eve Hunter is a complex character integral to an absolute twist turner of a plot. This is a story that is shocking, horrific and is full of surprises. I loved it.

I loved everything about this book. I connected with the main characters and I was left gripped by the way the plot unfolded. It left me unable to put it down. I can’t wait to read more books from this author. Highly recommended. Five stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Deborah Mason for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Wow, wow wow, Deborah Masson, this one is going to be a hit. An extremely well written book that grabs you within the first few pages and takes you on a ride throughout the east coast of Scotland but based in Aberdeen. A police story like no other. Descriptive text that takes you to the places Eve goes and you can almost feel her pain. Exciting reading throughout and some extremely sick individuals on the way.

First encounter with D I Eve Hunter and her team. Eve on her return to work after physical and psychological problems encounters a murderer with an extremely gruesome method of killing his victims. The murders continue in a similar vein, the case is finally solved when Eve has a lightbulb moment and the answer lies closer to home than expected. A fantastic read, look forward to more from this author

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this book in return for my review.
It was a slow burner to start with but it picked up and the final twist was unseen and well done. The killings being carried out in line with the nursery rhyme was good but been done before I think. At times I felt there were too many characters involved and it got a little muddling.
Overall a great read, I am sure the main team have got a lot more to give and I look forward to reading more about them.

Wow....what a book....absolutely loved it. Fast paced, full of twists and turns with an ending I never saw coming.
Eve is a detective returning to work after a period of extended leave. This is following a work incident that left her parent with major life changing injuries and wheelchair bound.
Soon she is immersed in a murder where the victims tongue has been removed. Although the case feels closed with a suspect identified, the whole situation is over turned when more bodies are discovered.
Eve is fighting her personal feelings of guilt of her partners injuries alongside colleagues who find it hard having it back.
The story sees the whole team pulled together in a tense finale.
Highly recommend this book.

I'm not able to properly give feedback as I bailed out within the first few pages. It seemed to be heading towards a detailed description of a gruesome act and of images that I did not want to conjure up. A tribute then to the author's descriptive writing skills. I love a good Val McDermid but found this too grim. I've necessarily felt bound to give 2 stars as I'm not able to recommend it. Apologies it's just not for me.