This is Eve Hunters 2nd appearance, all I can say is
Be prepared to read this book in one sitting
The characters are starting to develop now, little personal details being revealed
The plot is gripping, fast paced with plenty of twists and turns
Cant wait for book 3

Thank you netgalley, Deborah Masson and Random House for allowing me to read and review this book.

I read this for a blog tour.

This is a gripping, intelligent thriller exploring ideas of power and influence. When the son of a wealthy businessman is found strangled in his apartment and the body of a young woman is hung from a tree at the golf course, at first the police don't see any links between these deaths, but as they dig into the lives of the victims, they discover a web of human traffickers and money that goes to the wealthy and powerful.

Well written, powerful and gripping, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one as DI Eve Hunter is an interesting character.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed 'Hold Your Tongue', the first in the series featuring DI Eve Hunter, I was excited to read this book. I definitely think it is worth reading the first book first because Eve's background, and that of her team, are thoroughly explored and explains Eve's flawed character and her short temper. The history is not repeated in the second book - the investigation is paramount and quite complicated. The team are working with each other far more in this book, having ironed out their differences and having come to respect and rely on each other. Well written, well paced, another very good read. Can't wait to read more about this team.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Deborah Masson/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been lucky enough to read an advance copy of Out for Blood and as with the first book from Deborah Masson this one was even better than the first novel, the character D I Eve Hunter is still a bit of an enigma but as the novels progress hopefully more insights to her life will emerge. I love the fact that Eve doesn’t alway confirm to her superiors ideals and is a bit of a maverick allowing her to get the bad guys.

DI Hunter is back in the second book of the series and it did not disappoint! Just as twisty and turny as the first book, this one tackles the serious issue of human trafficking, and how the rich and powerful take full advantage of those trafficked from abroad.

I was absolutely gripped from the start. I love the setting of Aberdeen, the character development of Eve, and how there’s always a twist that I never see coming! My only question is, when is book 3 out?!

Thank you Netgalley & Corgi for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Out For Blood is the second book in the Eve Hunter series. The first being Hold Your Tongue. The story opens with a dead body in a very grand apartment. And, later a young girl is found hanged in a suspected suicide. Are these two deaths linked?

DI Eve Hunter and her team are great. Masson has constructed a well thought out group of characters that are relatable. It's nice to have a strong female protagonist at the heart of the story, and Eve is very much strong willed.

Out For Blood was more a police procedural story. There was plenty of build up and clever plotting. Each case slowly unwinding as evidence starts to pour out. The subject matter behind the young girls case is very hard hitting, but it's an insight into a part of society that is real.

What I found interesting about Out For Blood was the differences we see between the characters that are rich and powerful, to those that are basically at the fringes of society. It was very easy to hate the rich men in this story, they really were the stereotypical fat cats that think the world revolves around them. But, are they the guilty party?

Out For Blood is a well thought out police procedural. Full of twists and turns.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for my gifted digital copy as part of a blog tour.

Deborah Masson set the bar very high with her debut novel Hold Your Tongue. I was thrilled to find that this book keeps up that standard. DI Eve Hunter and her team have a number of seemingly unconnected deaths to investigate but their dogged determination to solve these cases soon leads them to believe they are dealing with a very clever group who have been getting away with murder for a long time.. This book has a gripping plot that I guarantee will not disappoint. I will be waiting with bated breath for the next in the series.

Out for Blood, the second in the DI Evie Hunter series, is another intriguing detective novel which sees a return of Evie Hunter and her team. In this book she is investigating the death of a young woman who is found hanging from a tree, in an apparent suicide. They soon link this to the death of a rich businessman elsewhere in the city, and from there uncover a tangled web of family lies and deceit.

This novel has the perfect combination of police procedural and action, with the welcome return of determined detective Evie Hunter and her colleague DS Cooper, who is having difficulties in his personal life. It’s great to see these characters return and I particularly like Mark Cooper as a character; he and Evie bounce off eachother very well.

There are some really gritty parts to this novel, with some serious issues taking centre stage in the case including prostitution and sex trafficking. The topics are approached with sensitivity but also a refreshing frankness that doesn’t dance around the issue. The plot moves at a good pace but doesn’t feel rushed, and although there is some drama, it never feels unbelievable.

If you can start with book 1 – Hold Your Tongue – then you’ll get some more backstory about the characters, but it’s not essential.

I really enjoyed Out for Blood and feel it helps cement the DI Evie Hunter series as an enjoyable, gripping crime series. Definitely recommended.

This is the follow up to Hold Your Tongue - the series opener - and as DI Eve Hunter has a bit of a complex past, I would recommend you read that book first. That said, the main story is self contained so... at a push...
We start with a young man found dead in his flashy apartment. Eve and her team have only just started their investigation when an unknown teenage girl is found hanged at a gold club, on face value looking to be suicide.
Eve is convinced the two are linked, the post mortem proving the woman's suicide was murder, and requests she investigate in parallel. Boss DCI Hastings is still a little wary of Eve's ability - she is still undergoing psychiatric visits - but recruits Eve's DS - Mark Cooper - to keep an eye out and report back. As she starts to investigate the young man's murder, she finds his family and friends to be rather elusive and, on doing some background, finds some interesting history. The girl's case is harder to get to grips with - not just as her identity is unknown - but tattoos on her body point them in a sad and tragic direction which splits the investigation deep into the realms of the haves and the have-nots.
This book deals with some very hard hitting stuff. But it does so in a very careful and dignified way, highlighting without sensationalising. It also skirts around issues that are very prevalent in this day and age - that of privilege and "money can buy everything" abuse of power and position - something that leaves a nasty taste whatever way you look at it.
This is your bulk standard Police Procedural. But it is a very good example of what is my go-to genre. It's hard hitting, the crimes are interesting and intriguing, and the sting in the tail unexpected. The Police investigation team is exactly what you want and need for this type of book - slightly flawed and human and, as with all series books, people you grow to care about as the series progresses, as they develop. The story is good and kept me on my toes throughout, going along at quite a lick with no superfluous waffle or padding.
All in all, a good follow up to an impressive series opener. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The second book to feature DI Eve Hunter and she is back investigating the murder of a young man. It can be read as a stand alone although there are references to the first book. Set in Aberdeen, with a steady pace and well written, it just failed to grip me. The plot was a bit predictable, involving human trafficking, and I began to lose interest about halfway through, It's a quick and easy read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is the second book in the series but I didn't feel it mattered that I hadn't read the first. It gripped me and kept me guessing til the end.

The body of a young woman is found hanged in the trees of the local Hazelhead Golf Course in Aberdeenshire, a suspected suicide. Dean Johnstone is also dead; his body in the more salubrious surroundings of his luxury town apartment. Dean was a young man working in IT who wanted for nothing; his flash lifestyle showing that he lived life to the max.

Straight away we are confronted with two deaths. Very different circumstances surround each, but soon it becomes clear to Eve Hunter that nothing is straightforward about either death.

After the events in Hold Your Tongue, Masson’s debut novel, Hunter is working hard to overcome the physical and mental injuries she sustained, and she is determined that she will get to the bottom of both these cases. Her leg is still giving her some trouble, and much to her chagrin, her boss DCI Hastings is resolute in insisting that she continue with her monthly psychiatrist visits, wanting to ensure that Eve’s temper, which has previously caused her to get into trouble, is now under control.

Eve insists that she and her team are up to handling both cases. What they find, however, is a wall of silence surrounding Dean’s death and Eve has to first find the identity of the dead woman before she can begin to find out what happened to her.

Investigations uncover that Dean had two very close friends, Andrew Shirriffs and Finn Mille, from when he attended the expensive and exclusive Hermitage Boys School; a school also attended by the boys’ parents where they were known as known as ‘the Trinity’.

Eve discovers that Andrew Shirriffs died a year ago, and the remaining young man, Finn Miller, is the son of one of the richest and most well-connected men in Aberdeen. Yet Dean’s father, Robert is not co-operating with Eve and her team and the other boys’ parents are equally reticent.

When they discover that the young woman has a signifying mark that suggests she has been trafficked, suspicions focus on the lifestyles of the three young men and their families and what becomes clear is that the past has very long tentacles and what happened years ago has had far reaching consequences.

Masson creates a great picture of Eve Hunter and her team. D.S. Mark Cooper, caught between an increasing respect for Eve and a D.C.I. who wants him to act as his snitch, while his home life is also causing him some grief. D.C. Jo Mearns is also coming more into her own as a character and even D.S. Scott Ferguson seems to be mellowing. Overall this team is coming together as a more effective and cohesive team held together by Eve’s striking personality and commitment to the job.

Out for Blood is an impressive story, told well. Difficult subjects are handled well and sensitively and come through as bold and authentic. A well plotted path to the denouement provides both tension and excitement and leaves the reader surprised and impressed by the direction of plot travel and the secrets that are revealed.

Verdict: An impressive second novel that cements Masson’s standing as a writer to watch. Strong themes and intense, exciting. writing provide a powerful and shocking picture of the ways in which power corrupts and money buys silence. I’ll eagerly await the next book in this series.

I do like this series and looked forward to reading this "episode". It was worth wait and, as usual, found myself drawn into a plot full of real people; problems and all. However, with this book, the ending felt rushed and in some way unfinished, almost as if the author had run out of pages and had to make the story fit. I cannot say more without a spoiler and so you will have to discover for yourself.

Even if you come to the same conclusion, this is still a book worth your time as the plot is, as usual, knotty.

As crime books go Deborah Masson has nailed it!

Out for blood is centred around two crimes which detective Eve takes on. The first is around a man, Deen who is found dead in his flat the second is about Eleana a trafficked prostitute who is found hung. The cases seem to have some kind of link which Eve is determined to find.

Eve is such a great character. I haven't read the first book but I promise you I will be. This book although the second in the series can be read and very much enjoyed as a stand alone. Eve clearly has trauma from what she went through in the first book but she is still an amazing detective. She is a great protagonist and leading lady. Her strength and determination is great and shown through her work.
There are a range of other characters on the force Copper, Fergason and Meurn all of which are great side characters. Cooper being ny favourite of the bunch. I think for me the dynamics of the relationships seemed great yet the book hints it wasn't always the case, that's the one thing I wish I had known more about which I believe is in the first book.

The author deals with the issue of trafficking really well. It's an area which I've read in countless books which isn't handle with the respect it deserves for the survivors/victims whereas, out for blood, really handles it well. I think thats because we get to be part of Andreea story who is also a victim. Her story is harrowing with some very shocking realities exposed.

The storyline did get a bit confusing with whose who, but that added to the mystery for me trying to figure out what happened. On this rare occasion I didn’t guess what the outcome was and that always make a novel more exciting for me.

I highly recommend out for blood, if you like books by katerina diamond you will love this book aswell. If like me you haven't read the first book I recommend starting from the begining as you will want to read the first one after finishing this one anyway. Such a good read with a not to over complicated prose with so many suspects it makes it all the more fun to work out who did it and the why which is shocking. Easy 5 stars.


Thank you netgalley, Deborah Masson and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchanged for my fair and honest opinion.

I was a huge fan of this author’s debut novel so I was incredibly excited to read more from her, though a little nervous as surely she couldn’t write another book as brilliant. Well I pleased to say that yes, yes she can!

DI Hunter is a wonderful main character, a police woman with heart who really cares about getting justice for her victims. This often gets her into trouble with her senior colleagues however, especially when it causes her to lose her temper with members of the public. Her relationship with her team was interesting to read about and I liked the way they worked together. There is a lot of trust and mutual affection there, making it hard when one if the members of the team is asked to spy on Hunter as she leads the investigation. As the story continues we get to learn a little more about the detectives personal lives which I found very interesting as it gave me an insight into why they might be acting the way they are.

One of the things that I most like about this author is that she doesn’t shy away from tough, emotional storylines or about putting her characters in harm’s way which makes the reader unable to guess what’s going to happen. This book is no exception with the harrowing subject of human trafficking being included in the storyline. I found it hard to read about the awful situations that vulnerable people can find themselves in and I often found myself getting quite teary as I read. How people can do that to other human beings is beyond me and I found myself getting quite anxious about their survival, particularly one character who was pregnant but I think that was more to do with person experience making me more sensitive to it. I had to keep reading to find out what would happened to them.

This book does start off a little slowly as the author introduces the reader to the case and we get reacquainted with the characters again but it soon picks up speed after a twist makes things very intriguing indeed. I soon found myself completely absorbed in the story and kept attempting to hide myself in the kitchen away from the kids so I could read a bit more! The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone who liked gripping, emotional and absorbing crime thrillers.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

Out for Blood is the second instalment in the DI Eve Hunter series, set in Aberdeen, Scotland. DI Hunter and DS Mark Cooper are called out to Hazlehead MacKenzie Championship golf course on a breezy Mid-October day where the body of a young woman with long, dark hair has been discovered hanged in the trees by the fairway, which had almost given Tom Bradshaw, an older guy dedicated to the game, a heart attack having found her. The police deem it a suicide but Eve isn't so sure. Meanwhile, elsewhere, the team attend a luxury executive flat close to Aberdeen city centre when a neighbour complains of uncharacteristically loud music and find the body of wealthy IT consultant, twenty-five-year-old Dean Johnstone lying face-up on a bloodstained cream rug; he had been hit over the head with a solid bronze statue resulting in blunt force trauma. Eve and both Cooper and pathologist Brian Maclean don't believe the impact was enough to kill him and the preliminary cause of death is documented as smothering. It doesn't take long before Maclean confirms Eve's suspicions that the young woman was murdered. But when they visit Dean's father Robert, the owner of In-Serv in Altens, which was where Dean had worked, he was cagey and something wasn't quite right.

Could these two cases be linked even though the deceased are from opposite ends of the social and economic spectrum? This is a hard-hitting, riveting and engrossing police procedural with a plot that is filled with action and tension, and I loved that there was no messing about or any unnecessary padding, and Masson lands you right in the middle of the drama from the opening chapter. There is refreshing originality about the way the author approaches the topics of sex trafficking, abuse and forced prostitution and the portrayal of the women caught up in this never-ending circle of desperation really was powerful and moving. It also highlighted the fact that those who rub shoulders with high society seem to be able to abuse their power and act with impunity due to their connections and affluence, and I feel that reflects real life, sadly. I find the dynamic between the characters and their banter realistic and the personal lives of the team members are fascinating. This is a well written, considered and compulsive crime novel with more than enough to get your teeth into and an explosive and unexpected conclusion is the icing on the cake. Highly recommended.

When a book keeps you reading into the early hours you know you are onto a winner.

I was hooked from the start until the very end.

DI Eve Hunter is a fascinating character and I'm enjoying getting to know her and her team.

Brilliant book and I cannot wait for the next one.

Two bodies turn up in one day. DI Eve Hunter is ready to take on both cases. After a traumatic couple of years she is slowly returning to normal duties and this is her chance to prove it.

Body one - a young woman found on a good course, suspected suicide, but she couldn't have possibly climbed the tree to hang herself.

Body two - a wealthy businessman looking like he's had a party for one with recreational drugs and alcohol.

Piecing together the details links past cases and human trafficking rings. This book had kept me intrigued the whole way through and made me feel like I was working on the case with them.

The characters are well developed and even though this is part of the DI Hunter series I dont feel that you need to read the first one.

Brilliant read and I cant wait for more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I didn’t realise this was the second book in a series until I started reading it (oh no - not again)! It didn’t matter too much but might have helped with the background if I’d read the earlier book. The book is set in Aberdeen, Scotland. A young man, Dean Johnstone, the son of a wealthy businessman, is found dead in his apartment. Just hours later an unidentified young woman is found hanging in a tree at a golf course. This apparent suicide doesn’t fool the Medical Examiner and DI Eve Hunter, DS Cooper and DCs Mearns and Ferguson do their utmost to solve the crimes, particularly to get justice for the young woman who they believe was a forced sex worker from Romania.

The story was interesting although it’s all been done before - the sex trafficking of Eastern European women and girls has been has been the subject of many a book. In this story, events of the present day are coloured, as they so often are, by events in the past and the lengths to which people will go to cover up anything that might tarnish their shiny reputations. It’s not exactly new territory. It all seems to lead back to a private school where three boys who were friends stuck together and later they had sons who went to the same school. Dean Johnstone was one of those sons. Another of the sons, Andrew Shirrif died a year earlier in an apparent suicide. Soon police are wondering if the sins of the fathers rubbed off onto the sons. Unfortunately no one wants to talk - leaving detectives to wonder what they are all hiding.

As it turns out, they are hiding quite a lot! There was nothing wrong with this story - it was good, the characters were likeable enough, the dialogue crisp and the writing all very good. I think, for me, it was just missing a little drama or suspense to elevate it to a higher rating. And, as I said, it lacked an element of originality. Again not a problem if the pace is there, but it wasn’t quite there. I never quite felt fully invested in it. This story will appeal to those who enjoy a solid police procedural (especially if they have read the earlier book) and those who have not read as many crime stories as I have. There was hardly any violence or blood or profanity or sex and no animals were abused. Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Deborah Masson for providing me a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

Another fantastic DI Eve Hunter novel.
Eve is back and boy is this a Detective thriller to get your teeth into.
When the son of a highly successful businessman is found dead in his apartment DI Eve Hunter and her team go to investigate but all is not what it seems.
Then only hours later the body of a young teenage girl is found hanging but its far from the suicide that is first suspected.
How are the two cases connected and can DI Eve Hunter and the team figure it out.