I loved the first DI Dani Stephens book to the point where I was watching Sinclair’s social media waiting for the cover reveal . It should be no surprise then, that I was absolutely thrilled when offered the chance to read and review Sinclair’s latest book The Rules of Murder (thank you Canelo)! Book one really focused on Dani, her recovery and return to the force. Changing the play in this book, Sinclair launches readers straight into a grisly murder. While the POV stays primarily with Dani and the investigation, every once in a while readers peek into the killer’s mind and it never failed to disturb me. Sinclair manages to make each of the voices completely different and authentic. Ben, Dani’s brother, played a smaller role in book one but there was no mistaking his role in book two.

The mystery surrounding the murder was gripping. I even found myself gasping out loud at a particularly surprising part, startling my husband and toddler, and found myself unable to put the book down. As Dani races to catch a killer, readers feel that sense of urgency and desperation pouring out of the book.

Sinclair wrote a charmingly flawed, strong heroine that continues to push past obstacles. I’m completely invested in Dani’s story and am itching to pick up book three to find out what is going to happen with the Ben and Dani arc. Highly recommended!

**Reviews have been posted to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookbub, Dream Come Review (Blog), and Goodreads

Absolutely brilliant book!  
Loved the research obviously done by Rob, fascinating insight into criminal psychology, great work.

I liked Dani Stephens in the last book, Essence of Evil and in this one, she has just grown as a Detective, her intuitive actions are spot on and her grit and determination are second to none.   I am  intrigued by her relationship with her brother and I look forward to seeing where this goes next. 

A standalone book, but it has the beginnings of a series that I am wanting more of.  

Thanks to NetGalley, Canelo and Rob Sinclair for his brilliant writing.

This is a solid thriller from a talented and experienced author. There's violence, but it serves it's purpose in the plot, with has good pacing and twists. The DI is of course flawed, but that helps keeps thing interesting. The ending is pretty satisfying, and helps create anticipation for the next book. Recommended for thriller fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

An absolute page turner! Finished this book in two sittings, from start to finish I was absolutely engrossed!! Praying there is a sequel

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

A really enjoyable psychological thriller! Some gory scenes so not for the faint hearted but so right up my alley.

"I'm soon left with a lump of flesh and gristle and blood in my mouth"

The body of a rich kid is found the day after a raunchy party at his parents mansion. He was brutally murdered. What happened to him and also to the waitress he was last seen with? Is she the killer or has she been kidnapped? 
DI Dani Stephens is called in to investigate.
Another body is found and there seem to be similarities between the 2 murders. Soon they have a suspect identified but what is the link and will there be more killings? 
What does Dani's brother know who is in jail for trying to kill her? Will the fact that's she's been a victim of a serious crime help her to solve this murder before it's too late.

I loved the cliffhanger ending! Dont know how I will be able to wait for the next book to see if my suspicions are right! 

Very well written with good action and some good insight into the mind of an deranged killer.

Thank you to #netgalley and #canelo for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder most foul.

It started out as the annual Summer party for all the rich and famous friends of the Redfearne family. It ends up as a crime scene when the body of the Oscar Redfearne is discovered. A further search reveals that one of the young waitresses, Sophie has been kidnapped.

DI Dani Stephens and her partner DS Aaron Easton must try to unravel how this murder could be linked to another similar murder that has taken place outside their jurisdiction. They are going to have to work fast to not only stop the killer but also to try to save Sophie if she’s still alive.

Rob Sinclair has captured something that few authors manage, the soul of his protagonist. In this second book in the series, we start to understand Dani, warts and all. Her complex relationship with her demented brother and trying to establish a “normal relationship with her partner Jason, now retired from the police. Dani must still try every day, to come to terms with her damaged persona. It’s a fascinating read and if you are at all interested in how minds’ work then this series is the one to follow as we see Dani and her remarkable team unravel the intricacies of murderers’ minds while trying to keep their own lives as “normal” as possible. 

I have a question; do any of us who read crime novels ever stop to think what police investigating shocking murders must see and feel? Dani Stephens has made me look at the dedicated officers who have to deal with horrific crimes with far more sympathy and understanding.   

Rony

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC. 

This is the second book in the DI Dani Stephens series.   It had a great start and I was drawn into the story immediately.   I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and thrilling.   A young man is horrifically murdered in the grounds of his parents house following a party the previous night, and a young lady is missing.  DI Stephens and her team investigate this, and the murders that follow, trying to find a link between them.   The book has mostly likeable characters who work well together as a team to solve these murders.   It touches on Dani’s difficult relationship with her twin brother and their past history, and has glimpses into her personal life.  You find out who the killer is, and that he is always two steps ahead of the police.   The book raced to a conclusion, with all loose ends tied up except one.   I thought the book was compelling read which I had difficulty putting down as I wanted to know what happened next.   I read it in just over a day and now look forward to the next book.  5 stars

Wow!! What a read! The book launches with an intense hook and never lets up until the last page. I finished this book in one day, it was that interesting an intriguing. Rob Sinclair is at the top of my go Author list. 
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. 
#netgalley 
#therulesofmurder

Really good story. This is a well thought out riveting read. I read this book in one sitting. I was gripped the whole way through. I liked the characters and thought that the whole story was very well written.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Wow, what a ride from start to finish, this is the second book in the series with DI Dani Stevens, this can be read as a stand-alone novel, I haven’t read the first one but now have it to read as I need to know the back story from book one, what led to Dani getting a serious head injury and Jason to quit the force. There are a great team of characters in this book Dani’s partner DS Aaron Easton, I liked D.C. Constable, the name reminding me of the character Captain Captain in the novel catch 22. This team works well together, and boy are they very busy in this book.

Who killed Oscar Redfearne and took 18 Year old Sophie Blackwood, from Drifford House the Redfearne’s home, on the night they were having a party, was there more going on at this party than anyone is letting on. But when Oscar is found butchered in the garden and no sign of Sophie, it’s up to Dani and Easton to work out who is behind this killing. In the meantime Dani gets a call from her twin brother Ben’s lawyer asking her to come to the prison, but when Dani gets there she is surprised to find the meeting is just between her and Ben, this angers Dani, after all her brother had tried to kill her, his children and partner. Now he wants to make a deal claiming he knows who could have murdered Oscar, and he can help her stop more murders if she will help him with his deal, which is for Gemma to bring his children in to see him. Dani makes it clear that will not be happening. But Ben is pushing it. 

This novel is not for the faint hearted, as plenty more deaths follow, but what do all these people have in common, or who?. This is a fast paced, gritty, engaging, engrossing read. I was hooked. If you like your crime stories, police procedurals on the more gory side then this read is for you. It’s not a cozy murder mystery. I love the relationship between Dani and Jason, and the working partnership with Dani and Easton, although at one stage I was in tears during this story.

I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3 now, a great read by #Rob Sinclair I would like to thank #netgalley and #CaneloHera for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This is the second book in the DI Dani Stephens series and after reading the first last year I knew I wanted to read this one as well. The thing that gripped me in book one continued in book two. Dani is a badass female who fights crime, what more do you need! 
This book starts off with a bang, a murder and disappearance... Dani then get a call from her twin brother from prison letting her know that he has information about the incident, but will give it to her on his terms.  What should Dani do?

This book is attack packed, creepy and filled with the best kind of tension! Bring on book 3!

suffering side effects from a brain injury suffered at his hands. 

In Rules of Murder, it kicks off straight away with the murder of the only son of a very wealthy couple (Caroline & Henry Redfearne) who were holding their annual party at their house, anybody that is anybody attends the event as if Dani’s job isn’t hard enough as it is, she has to contend with questioning people who believe they are beyond questioning!!

A fast paced gripping thriller with the murder scenes leaving you little in your stomach from the gruesome descriptions, word to the wise, not for the faint hearted but this will have you on the edge of your seat, plenty of twists so try to keep up. Told from two POVs, that of the killer and then of course our main character DI Dani Stephens who we know has demons/issues of her own. 

Highly recommend this series and looking forward to the next instalment…..

I love Rob Sinclair's work, however diverse the subject matter and this one is certainly a return to form in this genre.
Gotta love Dani who, despite being knocked several times throughout the book, always gets her man.
Great police procedural thriller, up there with the best of them. 
Loved it and will look out for more.

The story started with a good premise, the investigation also proceeded on correct lines, but suddenly the author gave away the perpetrator about 50% through. Then what followed was only more predictable killings and the police always two steps behind, making it a tedious read. The DI character has been portrayed as weak and insecure always under influence of pills. How she was cleared for active duty is questionable. The story could have been tighter with a few alterations and a bit of shortening in the final third.

😳What's driving the sicko psycho to maim and kill, and kill, and....? Mesmerizing!😳

👍👍😍 4.5🌟stars
It's a pageturner, that's for sure!  Detective Dani Stephens never has a chance to catch a breath once a chain of truly gruesome attacks set the Birmingham police on the hunt for the culprits and the motive.  I found it fast-paced, well-written, with just the right amount of detail, partly told from the killer's crazed perspective, and with a plot that solves the immediate crime spree but keeps us guessing at just how far Dani's evilly-scheming, imprisoned twin brother will go to mess with her mind!

This is a series and an author I will be looking to follow:-) 

Thanks to publishers Canelo/Hera and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book;  this is my voluntary and honest review.

Wow!!! What an exciting second novel in the DI Dani Stephens series!! I was lucky enough to read the first book, Essence of Evil, and absolutely loved it. It left me wanting to know more of Dani’s story and thankfully I didn’t have to wait long to find out more! Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Publishing for the ARC of The Rules of Murder. Once again Rob Sinclair writes a story so intense and full of emotions that I felt myself on a roller coaster of fear, adrenaline, and at times sadness. I couldn’t wait to finish it but I am now bummed it’s over and have to wait for hopefully another story to come. Actually I’d love to see many more DI Stephens stories to come.

What an explosive ending to a page-turning mystery. The Rules of Murder by Rob Sinclair is the second book in the DI Dani Stephens crime thriller series. Dani is a strong yet flawed female protagonist who has a dark backstory. I liked how her character was written and how her journey was portrayed in this book. I also liked the other characters of Easton and Jason.

The author did an excellent job of writing about criminal psychology and revealing aspects of what makes people turn into killers.

The overall story and plot were well developed and moved at a steady pace with several intense moments. The mystery aspect had me guessing until the end. I am looking forward to reading more of the DI Dani Stephens series

3.5 stars.

Well written and well developed storyline.  Interesting plot. 

I found the first half of the story a little slow though and didn't connect that much with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC of this book.  This is my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

An engrossing and entertaining read that kept me hooked till the end.
I liked the well thought cast of characters, the setting, and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I continue to enjoy this series though I am dying for the author to write the back story book. This time in some ways there was not a lot of mystery you know the perpetrator pretty early on. It is the why that is the mystery solved. Danis relationship with her brother continues to intrigue and it seems like there will be more to come based on the ending of this book.

I was given a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.