Sara Hirst interviews for a position at another precinct - Norfolk Police. She becomes the new DS and immediately concerns are voiced because one of their own officers overlooked for promotion. She also has to overcome racist comments from one of the officers, but she is able to hold her own. What she doesn't divulge is that she has her own agenda - searching for her long lost father.

She's immediately thrust into a murder investigation which makes things a bit awkward for her due to the racist officer in question. I cannot really say much more for fear of spoiling it for other readers.

I have found a new author! I give it a thumbs up!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Under Violent Skies, the debut novel to feature DS Sara Hirst of the Norfolk Police.

Sara is thrown in at the deep end on her first day in Norfolk when a murdered decomposing body is found. The investigation is consuming and soon casts a much wider net than one murder but Sara doesn’t have her mind fully on her job as she moved to Norfolk to find the father she never knew and her mother won’t talk about.

I enjoyed Under Violent Skies which is a promising start to a new series. I like the police procedural format with the gradual narrowing of the suspect pool and the discovery of related crimes along the way. This novel conforms to that format with the police investigation but it also spends a lot of time with a group of immigrant workers that may or may not be responsible for the murder but is definitely up to something. This is interesting in shedding light on the dynamics and conditions of such a group but destroys the whodunnit aspect of much of the local crime wave. 

I was horrified by the some of the characters’ overt racism but, while I don’t know anything about it in my white corner of the world, I understand that the author might be understating it. Sara is black so we get to see it up close and personal but I’m not sure I wholly get her response to it, especially as it is muddled up with her less than welcoming reception from her new colleagues.

The novel has a few teething problems, notably one large coincidence that is difficult to swallow. It could also do with a prune as there are a few chunks that add nothing to the investigation and become repetitive in their reinforcement of certain behaviours. They allow the reader’s attention to wander and make the novel less sharp. Nevertheless, Under Violent Skies is a good read.

A well written storyline, if not the most compelling. The story moves along and doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary minutiae, although sometimes you feel a little more depth during the forensic scenes would be more fulfilling. The characters are believable and if this were to be the first of a series then a reader could become more invested in them quite easily as their personalities are fleshed out. Easy to read and fairly enjoyable without being a taxing ‘whodunnit’. I would read a follow on book.

A very good story. It takes place in Brexit backing Norfolk when their first black police officer arrives, and at salad picking time. Very much on the ball with the attitudes to immigration - for - needed to pick the crops; against - everything bad is down to them.

Loved it.

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

Under Violent Skies was an interesting crime drama that kept you on your toes until the end.  

Detective Sara Hirst, first day on her new job, called to investigate a body found in a ditch.  From there we follow as she navigates through unwelcoming co-workers, blatant racism/sexism, and the biggest case her team has possibly ever seen.  

While some parts are a bit far-fetched, the story flowed pretty well, and I grew to like some of the characters.   There was a lot going on in this story, but it seemed to come together at the end.  I would definitely read more from this new author.

Under Violent Skies is a well written crime book.  Loved the plot and the setting.  This will keep you guessing with the many twists and turns.  I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

UNDER VIOLENT SKIES....Judi Daykin...joffe
Adam not as fit since retirement, with a camera over his head, he was hoping to get hard evidence.. The thieves were going to be stopped and also prove he still had the touch. With a dossier at home he pretty much knew which locals were involved. The light from the camera alerted them. Then headlights where he had left his car blinded him. A ditch was his last thought.
Detective Sara of Serious Crimes, at thirty five, with London prices, finally had her own place. Meeting Chris a neighbor and owner of a coffee shop. Unpacking, and the treasure she found by accident, a blue tin box, who was her father. A mother who wouldn’t  tell her, she had good instincts to find him
Agnes living in a remote area, again late at night Des coming again with a higher offer for her property, 700 acres and 5 bedroom house, with barns.
Going for groceries she rarely left the house, and without checking knew the land was worth a lot more.
They come together  for the Detective, as she works this case, with a team resenting her for another not getting the job.  The plot flowed and Sara was interesting, with her new neighbor and. a new job.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion for Net Galley and 
Joffe Books.

Detective Sara Hirst is starting her first day at the Serious Crimes unit, leaving behind the Met where she once worked, and her family.

On a personal note, Sara wanted to leave London in order to find her father who evidently left and never looked back. Her mother won't talk about it to anyone, and Sara wants to know why he abandoned her as an infant.

Meeting her colleagues on her first day doesn't exactly go the way she thought. The team members already resent her ... another of their team was supposed to get the job that she holds now. She is also Jamaican, meaning that she is brown-skinned .... bias does exist.

Her first case comes when a man's body is discovered in a ditch. There are been a number of farm thefts in the area .... did he see something he shouldn't have?

The biggest surprise is he is retired member of the police .... and Sara thinks this man is her father. If she tells her supervisor, he might pull her from the case. If she admits she took evidence for her own personal use, it could mean the end of her job.

This author's debut novel brings together an intricate plot with deftly drawn characters. I like how Sara's personal life blends with the professional. The ending was unexpected, and it was left open for a possible second book.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books 'n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

DS Sara Hirst has just begun a new job as a black woman in a mostly white environment. From the very start she is met with racism and sexism, even hazing from some at the police station from those who didn't think she deserved the job, so jealousy was also a factor. As Sara starts to work on her first case at the police station, she finds out that racism is behind the murder she is investigating. 

The murder took place in a farming community and as things begin to unfold something is certainly not right. As a matter of fact, it is quite tragic. In a different narration, there are two women, one who is being held against her will and is continually being assaulted. Then there is an elderly woman whose land is at stake. Someone wants to buy it and will not take no for an answer. 

But there is something more. Sara took that new job in Norwich because previously she found some information about the father she never knew. Her mother would not talk about her father but she found something that could be clues as to who he was. 

This story does indeed have a lot going on. How do all these things tie together and to what extent do they affect Sara? This book pulls all these stories together in a way that begs the reader's attention. It was difficult to follow at times but it does all come together.

Under a Violent Skies is a promising debut novel by Judi Daykin. Not sure if this will eventually become part of a series, but if it does, Sara is someone easily able to relate to and it would be nice to see whether or not she manages to thrive in her work environment all while successfully managing difficult cases.

Many thanks to Joffe books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for this review copy. 

Detective Sara Hirst has moved to Norfolk Police's Serious Crimes Unit, leaving behind her mother in London. Her mother won't tell Sara the truth about her father. Sara has come to Norfolk to find out why he abandoned her.

This is a interweaving story of farm-owners, police, immigrants, a murder investigation, and our lead character trying to find her father, and how they all merge together. 

I enjoyed this book for the most part. 

Being set in rural, post-Brexit Britain, I found that there was a lot of jarring language, and other microaggressions towards POC and immigrants. A lot of it however was challenged. There was also a 'typical' small town old police officers having outdated sexist language as well. I found that to be not necessarily needed in the text. 

I thought this was a good, strong start to the series, however felt a bit flat with how everything tied together. 

Will be keeping a look out for the next in the series.

I have been looking forward to reading this debut by Judi Daykin and I wasn't disappointed.

Sara has moved to Norfolk to take up a new position in Norfolk's Serious Crimes Unit but she has an ulterior motive: to find her father.  Her Mother was against the move so Sara is pretty much alone and being coloured means she is even more alone in an area that is largely White-British but she is determined to prove her worth in the new team and also to uncover the mystery of why her father has never been a part of her life.

She walks into her new office to an atmosphere of resentment.  Elle applied and was expected to get Sara's job and the fact she was unsuccessful wasn't brought to the team's attention until Sara walked in.

Will Sara be able to hack her new life with so much against her?

This is a complex story with several strands to it which makes for a very gripping read as we learn how a simple mistake sets in motion a series of events that can only end badly.  With shocks and revelations around every corner this story has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.

I did feel the characters were very complex and had difficulty getting into their heads but I am sure they will develop brilliantly over the course of the series.

A fantastic read.  Thank you to the author and Joffe Books for the advance digital copy.  All thoughts and opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

Sara Hurst  moves to Norfolk UK to work in the serious crime unit.  She leaves Lo don and her mother and step father to join a smaller police force.  She has a very promising career and is very bright .  There are secrets about her biological father that her mother refuses to talk about to Sara.  The first case Sara works on turned out to match up with the little information that Sara found in her Mother's home.  As she begins to work on this case that involves thieves that are locals and Serbian immigrants, she hears of a murder that is intertwined with these thieves.  The violence is prominent to the two women the local thieves brought from Serbia.  They brutally abused them physically and raped them.  The case becomes intense when Sara realizes the murdered victim turns out to be her father!

Another new author and the start of a new series. DS Sarah Hirst has just joined the Serious Crime Unit. Resented by some of her colleagues. Having to deal with sexism and racism, she has to prove that she deserves her place on this team. A decomposed body is found in a ditch on a local farm. A really good murder mystery and so much more. Plenty of drama, oodles of tension and suspense and I can't wait to read more from this up and coming author. A very happy reader.
Thanks to Joffre Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

An unusual family interest makes this novel a little different from the normal crime thriller. Based around the Norfolk Broads and fenland farms involving the refugee itinerant workers and their gang masters.
A new start and new job for D S Sara Hirst dropped in from the deep end from the very start and had to put up with comments over her ethnicity.

Atmospheric Norfolk.....
Introducing Detective Sara Hirst. Sara has moved to the Norfolk Police Serious Crimes Unit mostly, it seems, for family related issues. When her very first case turns out to be a decomposing body found on farmland she cannot possibly foresee the personal course that the case is about to take. Enjoyable, well written detective with a likeable and credible protagonist and an atmospheric setting. A promising start to a new series.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the ARC.

Well, author Judi Daykin - you are definitely on my watchlist! what an astonishing debut crime novel.  Extremely well-written, with good characters you get a real feel for - good or bad, and believable dialogue.

Set in Norfolk where newly appointed DS Sara Hirst joins the Serious Crimes Unit, transferring from London, and based at Norfolk's Police Headquarters in Wymondham.  From the start though she is resented by:  DI Edwards who wanted an internal candidate to be appointed, and DC Ellie James, who thought she would get the job.  She has to rise above sexism and racism to prove she can be part of the team.   The most serious of crimes the team are investigating are thefts of farm equipment and vehicles, but Sara has her own motives for moving to Norfolk - she wants to find her father - who left her mother when she was a baby - who himself transferred from the Met to Norfolk.
Then a decomposed body is discovered in a ditch at the edge of farmland and the farm thefts are temporarily forgotten, until connections start to be made.  Sara starts to make her own connections too, putting her short career in jeopardy.

The author interweaves the poignancy of Sara's background with a fast-paced and twisty murder investigation which takes the reader into the realms of people trafficking, sexual abuse and seasonal farm workers.

Such a well-rounded conclusion.  Can't wait to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. Hard to believe that this is the first book by a new author! Well written with a great cast of characters whose lives you become part of. Good story too. Although a bit distressing it shows how immigrants can be exploited. One of the few books that wraps up the story of its characters at the end. Looking forward to more from this author

A new author for me from JOFFE Publishers and I must say it's a cracki
Sara moves into her new flat in central Norwich. meet's new neighbour Chris and he owns the coffee shop across the road, he seems nice but a bit keen, she has such a lot of unpacking to do after moving up from London to seek out who her real father is.
Sara is starting a new job at the police HQ in a small town in Wymondham, just a half hour away.
D.S. Sara Hirst sets off for her first day to meet the team and hope's they all get along, reports of farm thefts in the countryside of Norfolk, the character's I was soon drawn into them all as I read.
in this scenic quiet surrounding's a body in a ditch is found, and named Adam Crane is a retired Detective Sergeant it's murder and he sounds familiar to Sara only time will tell.
Wow under violent skies is a book that will shock you with a secret, that Sara needs answers too. A good first novel that I enjoyed right through to the end.

This story captured and held my attention, from beginning to end. Suspense and tension sets the stage when a partially decomposed body of a man is found in a ditch on a local farm. A mystery emerges that needs to be solved that hits close to home, and later proves to be very personal to someone on the team. Meanwhile, the investigation will lead to a wave of farm thefts, other alarming discoveries, the real identity of the murder victim, and who wanted this man dead.

With good pace, some background drama, and decent character development, ”Under Violent Skies”, was an enjoyable reading debut. My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

281 pages

3 and 1 / 2 stars

DS Sara Hirst reports for the first day of her new assignment to a hostile work environment. Sara meets DC Bowen and DC Ellie. Not only are her new team mates decidedly not glad to have her join, some of the officers are sexist and hyper-critical. She meets her immediate boss, DI Edwards who doesn't seem such a bad sort. He just wanted the promotion to be internal, not for an outsider like Sara. 

The story jumps right in when a decomposing body is found. It is murder. This is the first murder they have had in the quiet little village in perhaps a year. The team is excited to work it. 

At the same time, a series of thefts are going on in the surrounding farming community. 

A parallel story is also being told in the book. Two young women are being held against their will. One is a “cook,” and the other is used by the men for their “pleasure.” They are desperate to escape. The ever resourceful Lenka is the cook while the frightened Mouse is used and degraded. The bully boys who hold them prisoner are mean and ruthless, even to one another. 

An elderly farming woman is being pressured to sell her land – for a much lower price than it is worth. She is trying mightily to resist the obnoxious neighbor whose name is Des Dixon. 

Pour this all together and the reader is in for a treat. This is a very good debut novel and I am guessing that this is the first of a series featuring Sara and Edwards. It is well written and plotted. Some parts were a little weak, but overall it was a very good read, especially for a debut author. I liked Sara, but wondered at her moments of weakness. I would guess if a victim was my long lost father, I'd be upset too. I didn't feel that that whole scenario really added anything to the story though. Just a distraction.  

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very nice book for me to read, enjoy and review.