I am new to this series so I'd like to read up on these characters a little bit more. This installment was easy to follow without that, but I like character development and I did feel like I had missed out on some of that. The story is gruesome and the story was fairly fast-paced. A few times it felt like it was dragging, but for the most part I liked the original take on the idea. I'd definitely recommend for people who have read the series. For others, you won't be lost and you can still enjoy it.

The Deadly Houses is the sixth installment in the Maddie Ives detective series. However, this book acts easily as a stand alone and I had no trouble keeping up with the characters and the plot.

This book really took me by surprise. At the start, I was thinking here we go, another generic police thriller... but I was wrong. This book is unlike any other thriller I have read before. The author of these books is a serving police detective and so the events are very realistic, so much so that it's a very creepy read!

The start of the book piqued my interest but the middle of the book was when I was completely engrossed. I don't think I breathed during the last quarter of the book! If you are easily creeped out, it may not be for you but for the crime lovers out there, it's a must-read. I'll definitely be checking out this author again!

Huge thanks to Net Galley and Joffe Books for my copy!

WOW WOW WOW 😯 I’ve not read a book that’s been this gripping from start to finish in a long time !! Excellent original storyline, well thought out and very clever! Love the characters and can’t wait to see how they develop in future books. Can not rate this book high enough

The story starts in top gear and then keeps going. The writing is powerful enough to keep reading but also to give you a the chills at what people can do to each other. Strong characters and a great, if dark, story. Strongly recommend this book and author,

Maddie Ives is back in great form but stumped in this gritty crime novel when a stranger confessed to murder but Dec Ives has her doubts. This is a complicated and intriguing plot you need to follow closely. If you have read any of the other titles in the series, you know Maddie's partner is on leave but she calls him back when the case goes awry. Some really gruesome crimes to consider and dark characters to understand.

I really love this kind of book, it’s interesting,and well paced. Although this is part 6 of a series, I loved it. I love thrillers and suspense books, and this is it, and even more, I just need the other 5 books to see if this is good.

THE DEADLY HOUSES by Charlie Gallagher was a brilliant book and I was hooked within the first few pages. This is the sixth book in the Detective Maddie Ives and DI Harry Blaker which is based in Canterbury......and I have enjoyed reading every single one of them. This book is well written throughout, with Lots of twists and turns that will have you guessing till the end.

I highly recommend Charlie Gallagher's Books they are all great reads.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Charlie Gallagher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I have not read any of the books in this series. And while the story itself can be read as a stand alone I believe if I had read the previous ones I would have understood Detective Maddie Ives a bit better but I really enjoyed the suspense of this book. And I very well may go back and read the others in the series.

I will say it took me a bit to get into the suspense part of the book. Mainly, because we already knew so much. I mean there is suspense but we know what is going on more than the police do and it took a bit away from the beginning for me. But once I got into the book some I enjoyed it.

It can be a bit creepy but still a good read. Have a light on.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing read from start to end. I enjoyed it and it kept me reading wondering what was going on!

When a man enters a police station to confess to a gruesome murder all the clues point to him but there is a much deeper story here with an ending which you will want to get to and discover just how many people are involved.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Detective Sergeant Maddie Ives is on the night shift at the Canterbury police station when she receives an unusual call. A man waits outside, ready to confess a murder. Adrian Hughes claims he kidnapped and brutally killed a young woman and he’s ready with all the details and evidence that will put him in jail, including where to find the woman.

The details check out but Ives thinks Hughes is lying. Her new boss is anxious for a quick conviction, however, so Ives must dig fast if she wants to uncover the whole story. While she’s out in the field, she relies on the sharp investigative skills of DC Rhiannon Davis to gather information. And soon her former partner, Harry Blaker is on the team, pulled from a quieter, low-pressure assignment he’d requested after a personal tragedy.

The reader knows there’s more because additional characters reveal strange and confusing details. And alternating scenes put the reader in an abandoned building where prisoners are forced to watch violent and disturbing videos. In a race against time and unknown enemies, Ives will need sort it out before more people die.

The Deadly Houses is the sixth book in the Maddie Ives police procedural series set in the UK but it can be read as a standalone. It was easy enough to get into the plot and I did not feel like I was missing out on a back story. That said, I found the story somewhat overloaded with details and its bad guys were a little too twisted and extreme for my tastes. The author is also a police officer and his knowledge of procedures and politics shows, making that part authentic.

The dominant theme of this story is the protection of women and children from violent partners and the author gives the reader a closer look at important police and social programs designed to help.

As with many thrillers, readers will need to bring with them the usual suspension of disbelief. Maddie Ives powers through many injuries and defies the odds in a number of situations. But she’s a likable character and has good rapport with Blaker and Davis and a peek at her personal life rounds out the story nicely.

All-in-all, I liked The Deadly Houses, but think this series is more geared towards fans of police procedurals.

The Deadly Houses is an intense rollercoaster of a thriller you’ll find hard to put down. The writing felt clunky at the start and I found it hard to follow. It took me a while to become immersed because I kept getting confused. However, I soon became gripped and couldn’t stop reading. I was desperate to know what was happening and was on the edge of my seat. I’m intrigued to read more from this author as they know how to tell a fantastic story!

This is a good book. Quite a long one, and I really took my time when reading this one.
It is quite an involved storyline, but a good one.
Was disappointed at the end, as lives were lost that I wasn't expecting, I was hoping for an all good ending, but that isn't what happens in these thrillers.
Maddie Ives and her old mate Harry are out there to solve the mystery of the murder of a woman.
A young man walks into the police station confessing to a woman's murder, has photo evidence of the dead woman on his phone but nothing else. The investigation into this leads them into a weird murder plot involving police officers and families in the witness protection.
Definitely worth the time it has taken to read this book. Really enjoyed it. Highly recommended to anyone who loves mystery/thriller reads.

Loved it. Maddie Ives has caught an interesting case. A man walks into the station and confesses to a murder, Maddie doesn't believe his story. What is he hiding? Who else is involved?
This is kind of a long read but it keeps your interest. You want the see what's on the next page.
Thanks netgalley for a mother enjoyable book.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

Very good Thriller. This book was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the plot and storyline in the book. I loved the characters in this story. It gave me all the feels I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I loved the writing. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

A good read with interesting characters and an engaging plot. I didn't know this was part of a series until I started it. I think if I had read previous books this one would have been even better. Regardless, it held my interest and I will definitely read the author again.

Another Intriguing crime thriller from Charlie in Maddy Ives Series. This book was okay for someone who has read prior books in the series. After reading previous novel of this series, "He Will Get You", which features as the best thriller I've read in 2020, this novel doesn't exactly satisfied my taste.
Maddy Ives and her team's investigation was as always excellent and the best part of this novel. Plot of the story, although strong, but is still predictable. Also, in terms of new characters, I couldn't relate to Linda Morris or Ian Hessey. Overall, an okay novel but a disappointment for Maddy Ives Series fans.

A fun fast paced fun thriller. The motive leads much to be desired. Good read for those who like James Patterson or mindless fluff to pass the time. Characters that are believable and will keep your interests. I'll definitely be checking out Charlie Gallagher's other works in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book.

4 stars an amazingly written thriller with many twists and turns it had be hooked and it was a page turner and loved it so much my first from Charlie Gallagher and wont be my last so impressed it was well written and great storyline.

I enjoyed all this Maddie Ives series and this was no exception. I love the relationship between the main characters of Maddie and Harry. An intriguing story that I didn't want to put down, one that is relatable in today's society albeit extreme lengths to go to. I would recommend this book but start the series from number 1 to get the background information.

Detective Sergeant Maddie Ives and her former partner, Harry Blaker, of Canterbury Major Crimes, have their hands full with a suspect who claims to have murdered a social worker found suffocated in an isolated warehouse. They don't believe his confession and soon find an even larger problem -- it seems that a protection program devised by the police and CPS has been breached. Families that have been hidden away from brutal partners may have been exposed by people who've been kidnapped and blackmailed into revealing their locations. Can they unravel this heinous plan and save those they've vowed to protect?

Even though this is the 6th book in the series, I would have never known. However, I now have added the other books to my TBR list. This book was excellent. It was a bit slow at first; definitely took me longer to read then most books - but I ended up loving it. I couldn’t put it down towards the end. It was fast-paced and full of action with the characters being similar to all of those in the detective/police procedural genre. The author is a police detective so has first hand experience with the methods.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.