A body is found on a golf course hanging from a tree and a young man is found in an expensive apartment in the centre of Aberdeen.. Separate cases you would think. The more DI Eve Hunter and DS Mark Cooper investigate, the more entangled the case becomes with the possibility of a connection! But how can they prove this?

A good police thriller, but at times, with all the characters, it did become a little confusing!

The story takes in many current issues, from human trafficking and sex working, to day-to-day family issues as well as the importance of having the right team to work with.

I would recommend this book but for me it just didn't have the complete edge and page turning element that I like in a police thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced readers copy for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this down and read it within 24 hours. Involving people trafficking, abuse of power and the entitlement that being wealthy brings. DI Eve Hunter and her team must work to solve the murder of a wealthy young man and the apparent suicide of a young woman. Are the cases linked? Is there police corruption linked to the cases?

A great read.

This was a really enjoyable read. It was fast paced and I found it hard to predict how the story would unfold. I thought it was well written and well edited. It was set in Scotland, and I found it to be very atmospheric. DI Eve Hunter was a great character. She and her team drew me right in and kept me on edge, eager to read on until the very last chapter. This story and the death of the wealthy business man’s son, and that of a teenage girl shone a light on how class works, how those in command, with funds at their disposal rule the system. I really enjoyed this read and am looking forward to hopefully reading more from DI Eve Hunter in the future.

Great book! I haven’t been able to put this one down. I have been completely engaged in this one.
This is definitely one I will recommend

I never repeat the blurb. My second outing with this team and once more a topic all too often in the news...
A good and human bunch fighting criminals and their own demos too.
Good stuff.

This book is second in the Eve Hunter series by Deborah Masson, following Hold Your Tongue. The book does stand on its own, although it refers frequently to the events of the first book, including character deaths, so it does effectively spoil the first book if you haven’t already read it.

The team are called to the scene of a mysterious death, with the victim being the son of a prominent, influential businessman in the city. Soon after, they are also assigned the suicide of a young foreign girl, occurring on the same evening. Could these cases be linked, and if so, can they find out exactly why happened to each of the victims and why, before more victims are found?

This is a good mystery, and I found it to be well written. The characters have depth, although I would have liked to know a bit more about the friction between a number of the characters, but I presume that this is covered in more depth in the first book. The story cracks along at a good pace and the resolution is good - reasonable and not glaringly obvious, but not so out-there that it seems like a huge leap. I would recommend this as a good addition to the tartan noir genre, and keep an eye out for further books in this series!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read Deborah Masson’s debut novel, Hold Your Tongue, towards the end of 2019, and I loved it so much, that it became one of my top 5 books of the year. When I found out that there was going to be a 2nd book in the DI Eve Hunter series, I couldn’t wait to read it, and I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Out For Blood through NetGalley.

Two dead bodies to kick off the story, what a way to grab your attention! The deaths are very different circumstances, but we soon learn that all is not what it seems with both, and there are definitely big secrets lingering just beneath the surface.

Despite Eve still struggling from previous injuries, and her mental health (read Hold Your Tongue to find out more), she is as good as ever, and I loved reading how her team tackles the two cases simultaneously. Both cases are extremely interesting, and reveal quite a few unexpected details along the way.

I really do enjoy reading about Eve and her team. You get an insight in to each individual character, as well as seeing them as one. They all have different personalities, but that is why they work so well together, even if they sometimes have to keep each other in line. Sometimes their methods are a little unorthodox, but that’s what keeps the story interesting.

Throughout the book, I had my suspicions about a few of the characters, and my theories as to what had happened/who had done it, but nothing prepared me for the truth. The ending is full of so many twists, and so much happens, it has you on the edge of your seat, and I would never have seen that ending coming. Deborah Masson does a fantastic job of bringing everything together, and leaves no loose ends.

The whole story is full of shocks, revelations, and unearthing of secrets. It is gripping, exciting, and really highlights how privilege can make people believe they are untouchable (and shows how in some ways, they almost are).

I am desperately hoping for more in the DI Eve Hunter series, because I am definitely not ready to let this team go any time soon!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I give Out For Blood a 4 star rating.

*TRIGGER WARNINGS: human trafficking, rape, suspected suicide, murder, abuse (mental and physical), mention of drug and alcohol abuse*

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

This is a new author to me but I shall be looking out for more

This is a great book
Full of suspense - loved the writing
Great characters and really enjoyed the story

Thanks to Netgalley for the of this book. I had read the previous Eve Hunter book in this series so had high expectations for it. Although it didn't quite reach what I expected for a second book in a series it passed away a few hours for me, A good read but not as enjoyable as her first book.

DI Eve Hunter and her team in Aberdeen investigate the deaths of Dean Johnston, a young IT consultant found dead in his luxury flat and a young girl found hanging in the woods beside a local golf course.
The team struggle to get information from the family and friends of Dean Johnston. Eve and her team try to find out if there is a link with the deaths of his friend the previous year or the young girl in the woods.
Eve’s team are trying to discover what happened whilst Eve is still trying to manage the case and cope with the death of her friend.
The story highlights the contrast between the have and have nots, the local wealthy/powerful Aberdonians and human trafficking.
At times a little over complicated which detracts from the overall story.
Lots of twists and turns lead to an unexpected ending.
4 Stars 🌟
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ahead of publication in return for a fair review.

A great book. Kept the suspense going throughout with really well written characters and a great storyline. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved Deborah’s debut, Hold Your Tongue. DI Eve Hunter is back with her team (DS Mark Cooper, DC Scott Ferguson and DC Jo Mearns) in Out for Blood, investigating two incidents in Aberdeen. One is the murder of a young man, the other an apparent suicide of a young woman. It isn’t long though before the pathologist discovers that the young woman was actually murdered.

Masson explores the horrific nature of the sex trafficking trade. She does so with a keen sense of justice. Born as a consequence of rape, DI Eve Hunter is the perfect police officer to take this on board. She’s a powerful voice for female victims of crime.

The young man comes from a wealthy family but Eve and her team treat all victims the same. It doesn’t matter how much power and wealth is put in her way, she’s willing to knock it down and ruffle feathers to get to the truth.

Having read the first book I settled into this story quickly. There’s great camaraderie between Hunter and her officers and they’re a more cohesive team this time round. The viewpoint switches between them which is useful with two cases to investigate. There are other intriguing characters that we hear from but I’m not going to say too much about them. The plot moves at a fast pace and there’s great energy throughout the story. Not once did it sag.

The location of Aberdeen is put to good use once more as Eve and her team move from the highest of society to the lowest of the low. Although who is ‘high’ and who is ‘low’ isn’t always easy to tell.

I don’t know if this was a ‘tricky’ second book for Deborah Masson to write but it was an absolute delight to read. I can see this series running for quite some time as we’re beginning to discover more about the officers. And I’m really hoping that a TV company will option this brilliant series soon.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Out For Blood’ by Deborah Masson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Eve Hunter and DS Mark Cooper are called to the Hazlehead McKenzie Championship golf course when the body of a young woman is found hanging from a tree. It looks like suicide but they aren’t convinced. Soon after, the body of a young man, Dean Johnstone, is found in an expensive apartment in the centre of Aberdeen having been bludgeoned with a bronze ornament. The more they investigate the two cases the more Eve’s convinced they’re connected, but how?

‘Out For Blood’ is the second in the DI Eve Hunter series and is an addictive police procedural thriller set in Aberdeen. It has a strong well-thought-out plot, some unpleasant characters, intrigue, and twists and turns, touching on wealth and privilege, police corruption, prostitution and sex-trafficking. I’ve enjoyed catching up with DI Hunter, Cooper, Ferguson and Mearns who work together well, carefully going through the evidence until they finally get the leads they’re seeking. I became a bit confused at times with all the characters and more than once had to stop and recall who they were with regard to the story, but otherwise it was a thoroughly enjoyable novel from a talented writer.

DI Eve Hunter is back for a second investigation in this contemporary police procedural. It's definitely worth reading the first book in the series before picking up this book. You will get to understand the team dynamic and the background to why Eve is participating in regular therapy, plus it's a great read.

There are two cases running in this book, and as the team investigate it becomes clear that they are linked and that there is something far bigger and darker than they could have imagined. The book looks at power and privilege juxtaposed with the victims of a sex trafficking ring. The premise that for some people, wealth and social position affords the ability to do whatever you want is not a new one, but the insidious reach of these people into so many public institutions is brought horrifyingly to life in this book.

The pace of the book is good, and it was great to catch up with the team, but, for me, the book didn't quite live up to my expectations. The premise of the book is fantastic, but the plot itself hangs together very loosely and the crime seems to be solved through conjecture and coincidence rather than good old detective work.

My thanks go to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

A really good read with great characters and a very well written storyline. This is a definite page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is the second book I've read by this author about DI Eve Hunter, where she and her team are investigating the murder of a privileged young man which links to the murder of a young woman who had been trafficked into the UK. I enjoyed the book and thought the story was good, but felt that that, for the sake of the storyline, Eve was able to do things that really wouldn't happen and this spoiled it a little for me.

A well written book
I found the story very slow paced though and a bit boring. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and will read the first book in the series

Excellent police procedural.

The protagonist is a good character who is complex but not over the top.

The element of her competency being reviewed adds an extra thread to the book which keeps it fresh.

#Out For Blood #Deborah Masson #NetGalley
A crime fiction story which revolves around some old Etonians and their privileged offspring, human trafficking and a number of sudden deaths. Not exactly a page turner but definitely a readable book; I lost my enthusiasm a little with the unnecessarily complex plot.

I must admit this is the first novel I have read by Deborah Mason and so I had missed the previous one and I was at a bit of a disadvantage as some of the book refers to the previous one (this does not hinder the story line of this one but at times you wish you had read them in order).
Overall a good crime book I will not go into detail as it spoils the plot but there are two stories that are an interesting read. I will certainly be looking out for future books by Deborah.