Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Random House UK, Vintage for the arc of this book of Dark Waters by G.R Halliday

Thank you to G.R Halliday for writing this sensational book.

There was such an interesting and intriguing description to this book as to why i requested the arc of this book and very glad to have got approved to read this.

This follows Annabelle who's driving along a road which connects Inverness with the west coast then suddenly a young child appears in front of the car... to try and avoid hitting her she swerves her car and it hits a nearby tree. Then later on... she comes around to find out she is being treat by a guy named Marcus- reference to the "mysterious doctor" Shes at wits end, terrified and scared as she cannot move, she thinks she may be underground but she doesn't have a clue where.

In the same sort of area near a dam there was a horrifying discovery of a body but not just a body a dismembered one... Are what Annabelle going through and this event interlinked and connected in anyway??? That is the job of DI Monica Kennedy, DC Conor Crawford and DC Ben Fisher.... with leading them into dark and dangerous places... what will they uncover??...

This was my first G.R Halliday book and I really enjoyed the mystery and twist turns, thrilling's and shock revelations. It had me gripped from start to finish, such a gripping page-turning book.. i read so fast as it was so interesting and had me wanting more
Will review on retail sites once published
Definitely Recommend
5 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Grisly thriller,set in the Highlands of Scotland ,making use of legends and myths from the area. Lots of history in the sand and a gory storyline.

Twenty-two-year-old Annabelle Whittaker made her second mistake when she opted to drive down the private road in Glen Turrit. It was a long road through some breath-taking scenery and she could push the car to its limits without fear of being caught speeding. When the blond child stepped out in front of her she instinctively jerked the steering wheel and hit a tree. When she came round after the accident she couldn't work out where she was, but it obviously wasn't a conventional hospital. She'd made her first mistake some time ago, although the realisation wouldn't be obvious to her for a long time. She'd made it when she chose to have her father buy her a pale blue BMW M4.

DI Monica Kennedy had just returned to the major incident team after a spell with traffic after her last, traumatic case. She's worried about how her daughter, four-year-old Lucy, will adjust. There are already some warning signs that all is not well, but Monica doesn't know whether it's just the normal process of growing up or something she should be concerned about. Her mother is helping with Lucy, but there's an atmosphere between Monica and her mother: they really should talk about what happened between Monica and her late father, but some things are easy to put off.

Her first case is a body found in the river, with missing limbs. At first, it looked as though it might have been something that happened post-mortem, but Dr Dolohov, the pathologist soon put paid to that theory. And then another body was found in the river, also with missing limbs. DCs Connor Crawford and Ben Fisher are keen to impress, but something's worrying the normally imperturbable Ben Fisher - and it's affecting his work.

There are no spoilers for the first book in the series, but it's obvious that what happened was horrific. This case is going the same way: it's Scottish noir at its gripping best. The folk of Glen Turrit (thankfully, it's fictional) live a life largely divorced from societal norms in the shadow of the Aigas power station dam. They're a law unto themselves. People have gone missing before in the area, but it's been put down to the legend of the Affric men.

Monica Kennedy felt very real to me. She's a single parent, struggling to do her best by her daughter and to do the best for the job. I remember those days well and Halliday captures the feelings perfectly. There's the added complication for Kennedy in that her job is often dangerous: her death would leave Lucy an orphan, but it won't, can't stop her from doing what she needs to do. There's a history there that means that she has to do it right. I loved too that when Kennedy, Fisher and Crawford are together, it's Monica who's the tall one.

It's a good plot too: I didn't catch on to some of the connections until the were spelt out for me, despite all the clues being there. Some of the scenes are horrific and this wouldn't normally be my cup of tea, but there's nothing too gratuitous. A good read - and I'd like to thank the publishers for allowing the Bookbag to have a review copy.

The second in the DI Monica Kennedy series is a truly horrific story of kidnappings and killings by the weirdest crew I’ve read about for some time. Brilliantly addictive and emotive this tale races along from shock event to shock event. The main characters from the original story all reappear and play central parts in the story. Probably the best and most gruesome horror tale I’ve read for years. Loved it!

Well, with a chilling title like that, you'd expect an equally chilling read and you won't be disappointed. Dark Waters embraces the vastness of the highlands and how it can be quite unforgiving. When bodies start turning up, with body parts missing we begin to realise just how small we, as humans, are in comparison to the highland environment.

Halliday plays beautifully on the mystery of the outlying districts, folklore and the uncanny in this delightfully chilling novel told in part as the police investigation unfolds and in part through the experience of a woman who has been captured and who nobody knows is missing. Alongside this, the chilling tales of past deaths, the ghostly lights in the unforgiving countryside, and nagging doubts about the motives to kill a wealthy Scottish business man all add to the chill factor.

I have to say, I enjoyed the first in the series, From The Shadows, but I absolutely loved the second. The characters have grown into themselves, the team dynamics flow and the narrative is beutifully plotted.

I was hooked on this one from start to finaih and this is a very definate 5 ***** read.

What a cracking read. I haven’t read a crime thriller book for a while and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with this one. I’m a big fan of Stuart MacBride’s Logan McCrae series of books and I am always looking for something new to read in this genre and G R Halliday’s DI Monica Kennedy is easily now going to be one of my favourites. She is a raw, genuine and believable character.

This story is well paced, and definitely chilling. I loved the used of the intimidating Scottish landscape to help tell the story and there were enough twists and turns along the way to keep me interested. I also enjoyed the slightly supernatural undertones that have got me hooked and ready to read more in this series.

Annabelle comes to the Scottish Highlands looking for an escape and fast quiet roads but as she enjoys the freedoms along the deserted mountain roads she is suddenly forced off the road. Next time she is awake she is in a dark, damp room waiting to see the Doctor. Will anyone come looking for her? Will anyone realise she’s missing?

DI Monica Kennedy is recalled for help with a Serious Crime following her absence from the team for six months. A dismembered body has been discovered, and then days later another victim is discovered with similar injuries. The hunt is now on for a ruthless killer.

I found this book very difficult to read as I wasn’t expecting a book to be written about Scottish cannibals.
If you like Horror stories this is the book for you.
Sadly it wasn’t the book for me.

Brilliantly written an outstanding book that is gripping loved it a well written story that is hardhiting.

I was not impressed with G R Hallidays first book in this series. I was hoping this story would be an improvement. I am pleased to say it was, and I would be glad to recommend it.
We are back in the highlands of Scotland with DI Monica Kennedy who after her last murder case had transferred to traffic.
Det. Supt. Fred Hately calls asking her to come back to MIT after a man's body is found in the river with some limbs missing.
She returns and once again teams up with DC Connor Crawford and DC Ben Fisher to investigate.
I want to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing the author for a pre-publication copy to review.

After reading a few pages of this book I bought the previous one. The things said about it made me feel that I needed to read it before I went any further with this one. I'd like to think that it gave me an opening into the author's ways. All I can say is - wow, what an imagination. These books are amazing - and the loose ends worrying.

I think I loved it - certainly couldn't put it down.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

The opening chapter grabs you from the start and continues to draw you in to the dramatic conclusion , but What I didn’t realise when II requested to read dark waters from netgalley was that this is actually book 2 featuring Monica Kennedy, And though this novel can be read as a stand-alone book just be aware that the author keeps reminding you about what happened 6 months ago from the previous book, which if you haven’t read the first book is a bit annoying.
All that aside though, Monica is the usual complex detective who is trying to juggle parenthood and her job and this time Is trying to solve the death of 2 mutilated bodies that have been found. It has a “hills have eyes” type of vibe about it but it is still a good read.

DI Monica Kennedy is on traffic duties after the fallout of her previous case but is asked back to lead a murder investigation.

Dark Waters is a very dark and at times gruesome police thriller which is very well written by G R Holliday with some well rounded characters, both main and supporting, along with a well paced plot.

I remember after reading the first book in this series that it showed plenty of potential for the series and I definitely feel that Dark Waters on this promise. Recommended

A very ingenious plot for a murder story set in the Highlands of Scotland with a team of detectives based in Inverness. This is the second book in a new series and the main characters are becoming more fleshed out. The Main detective is A female DI called Monica Kennedy a woman of above-average height something of which she is very self-conscious about. The story revolves around the disappearance of several people in a remote area of the highlands and unfolds nicely towards a climatic ending. I can recommend this book to readers of crime fiction . Not wishi9ng to include any spoilers I will say no more other than I will purchase any futire book in the series.

Scottish Noir isn’t as well defined in the public consciousness as Nordic Noir but most people will know when they see it, especially when they read this book. Someone once wrote in The Guardian (it must have been Nancy Banks-Smith) apropos of a BBC wildlife documentary, that a Scottish Wildcat was a Tabby with knuckledusters. G.R. Halliday is sort of John Fowles with knuckledusters, even though no actual knuckleduster is referenced in the text. The author is properly Scottish and there would be Hell to pay if an English author wrote Scottish characters quite like this.

Everyone is flawed and taboos of all sorts are broken, though not trivial ones. A Scottish biker-gang leader widely believed to be responsible for a Manson-family type double murder proves to be one of the more helpful characters which the heroine, Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy, encounters. Tension is maintained throughout and the police find that the available leads do not build a case so much as a nightmare. Even once the heroine knows what is actually going on, she is consigned to helplessness by the situation she uncovers. And some matters remain unresolved. Perhaps for future novels, perhaps forever.

This is a good and compelling read, but it is unlikely that Tourism Scotland are going to happily endorse it for sale in souvenir shops and there are shocks as well as mysteries, and some very disturbing ideas and images are conveyed by the text. Spike Milligan couldn’t think of a fate worse than death: G.R. Halliday has a brave and bold try at inventing one.

This is a very dark and engrossing book. At times I found it almost unbearable to read as it is quite unpleasant in parts, but the great storyline had me completely hooked, and I really couldn't put it down. The Highland setting is unusual and works well with the dark, forbidding character of the book, although I probably won't be booking a holiday there any time soon! Monica is a very appealing character and I look forward to reading more books about her.

This was a super read although I am not sure that it does much for the tourism trade in the Scottish Highlands.
The setting for the book was clearly explained and one could easily visualise the scenes. The residents were reminiscent of those in
The writer conjured up a wide range of characters in the book, many of whom were quite unsavoury but nevertheless gave some idea of what can happen to ???? communities when the only source of work closes. Also, it shows what can happen where there is a total lack of safety for workers in major construction projects.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the interesting lead character. I will buy others in the series.

I hadn't ever thought a crime thriller would be too gory for me but this book (in my eyes) strays into the horror genre a little to graphically and there were big sections of the book I found extremely hard to read as the subject matter is one of nightmares.
That said it is an excellent detective novel with that extremely dark plot and plenty of tension built in- it would not put me off reading future novels - I will just be better prepared and only read during daylight hours!

This was such a great plot to follow. I swam through each page and the plot was intriguing and kept me turning the page. I loved the setting of the book and the way it added to the atmosphere of the overall plot.

I really enjoyed my second go with author G R Halliday much more than the first, in this book we meet up with our gentle giant Monica and her team of police officers. Up in the highlands a couple of body’s have turned up with limbs missing, a girl disappears and Monica is working her socks off to try and figure out what links The bodies and the disappearance together or if they are even linked at all. We meet a strange, well a very strange family with Doc at the helm and granny in the background though I think it’s granny who really rules the roost. The book is well written and I really enjoyed the storyline eager to understand and find out what would happen next. My only niggle would be that the authors style of writing flits very quickly between different sections of the story but once I got my head around this I managed to get on and enjoy the book and it turned out to be a very good read indeed.

DI Monica Kennedy has been working in the traffic section after asking for a transfer when her last murder case nearly ended in tragedy for her and daughter Lucy.
When Det. Supt. Fred Hately calls asking her to come back to MIT after a man's body is found in the river with some of his limbs missing.
Monica once again teams up with DC Connor Crawford and DC Ben Fisher to investigate.When another body is found a few days later dismembered in a similar way Monica knows it is the same killer but with their enquiries taking them to a remote Scottish highland village where superstition and rumour are the truth and the law doesn't appear to matter the team seem to be hitting brick walls.
Meanwhile a young woman has crashed her car on a remote highland road and wakes to find herself in an underground cell where a mysterious “Doctor” is looking after her but is the Doctor really helping her or is he keeping her alive for a far more sinister reason.
I really enjoyed this and thought it was better than the first one in the series. I liked that I learned more about Monica and her background, which was only hinted at in the first book