A book that I wasn’t sure how long I would continue reading, as I wasn’t gripped by the characters or indeed the actual story line. I did decide to read it through, when perhaps better books have been thrown to the side unfinished. However, it didn't get any better and it wouldn’t be a book I would recommend.

The guilty man by Helen H Durrant. 
This is book 1 of Detectives Lennoxtown and Wilde thrillers book.
A little girl, presumed dead, turns up playing happily in the park. She is barefoot but otherwise unharmed. The child’s mother, who lives on a notorious local estate, doesn’t seem bothered that her daughter has returned alive.
Meanwhile, a man is tortured by a ruthless criminal. The victim’s severed hand is left on his wife’s doorstep.
Detective Harry Lennox and DI Jess Wilde investigate. How do the cases connect and who is using threats to drive people out of their homes?
Wow what a start to a series.  I love this author. I loved both main characters Harry and Jess. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.  What an ending. Bring on book 2. Highly recommended.  5*.

I have been a fan of Helen’s work for a while now.  I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there.  I read the synopsis for ‘The Guilty Man’ and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the book.  I just knew that I would be in for one hell of a read.  I was spot on too, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Guilty Man’ but more about that in a bit.
The synopsis alone was enough to grab my attention. As soon as I started to read the book I just knew that it was pointless thinking that I would be doing anything other reading for the rest of the day.  To say that reading the book became addictive is a massive understatement.  The more of the book that I read, the more of the book that I wanted to read.  I just couldn’t put the book down just in case I missed a vital clue or two.  I had my own questions that needed answering and so I kept turning those pages to see if my questions were answered or not.  The book was well travelled as it accompanied me everywhere.  I just couldn’t turn the pages quick enough.  I seemed to charge through the story and I was most upset when I got to the end.  I wasn’t upset because I was disappointed at how the story ended but I was upset because getting to the end of the book meant that I had to say farewell to the characters.
‘The Guilty Man’ is superbly written but then I always find that with Helen’s books.  She catches your eye with an intriguing synopsis and then she reels you.  Once she has your attention she will not let you have it back until the moment you read the last word on the last page.   For me, the story was perfectly paced.  The story started with a bang and than maintained a fairly fast pace throughout.  There were more twists and turns to the story than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.  I had my own theory as to what was going to happen but I couldn’t have been further from the truth if I had tried.  I found this to be a gripping read, which had me on the edge of my seat throughout.  I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that’s all thanks to Helen’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Guilty Man’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.  I will certainly be reading more of Helen’s work in the future.  The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is another crime series from the prolific crime writer, Helen Durrant, a series in which one of the major mysteries is DI Harry Lennox, a man with demons, a liking for drink, and living in a camper van at a friend's home, and a partner, DS Jess Wilde, who is determined to uncover his secrets.  This is an intense read with a missing child, young 3 year old Lucy Green, who surprisingly turns up alive at Cheetham Park after being gone for weeks, a crime for which someone is already in prison.  Then there are the severed hands being left on doorsteps.  This is a narrative where there are big fires, do the multiple threads connect?  I found this to be an okay crime read where my interest came and went, with twists and turns, of drugs and human trafficking.  Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

Detective Harry Lennox and DS Jess Wilde are brought in to investigate a missing girl, who then later turns up unharmed. Things take a turn with the disappearance of criminal leader, whose severed hand is delivered to his wife’s doorstep.  Their investigations lead them to details of Human trafficking, drugs and explosions, Plus the past of Lennox catches up with him.
A good book, lists it’s direction in the middle then a gripping ending.  An easy reading standalone novel.

I do love Helen's books so I was very excited to hear that a new series was on the way.  I was far from disappointed I love intrigue and this book has it in bucketloads.  

Harry has a secret, one that he is determined will stay that way.  His partner, Jess, is determined to find out what he is hiding but even his ex partner doesn't know.  Harry has transferred to Ryebridge to try to outrun his past and having been kicked out by his girlfriend is now living in a campervan on a mate's drive.  He is happy to not have any ties.

Harry is a complex character and even after some of his past is uncovered at the end of the book I feel there is still a lot to learn about him and his secrets and I am therefore eagerly awaiting the next book.

Jess, a dedicated detective, solid down to earth character she comes accross as very much a 'what you see is what you get' person but I doubt very much she is going to stop digging into Harry's past until she has uncovered all there is to know about his past.

The case, like the characters, is complex.  It begins with a missing child who turns up a few weeks later unharmed wandering around a park with no shoes.  Where has she been and why did her mother seen unconcerned at her disappearance and reappearance?  Harry and Jess are confused.

In addition to the missing child there are many more pieces to the puzzle that Harry needs to figure out.  The story includes people trafficking, sadistic killers, dodgy drugs and Harry is caught right in the middle of the villains and other crime agencies all pulling him different ways and the person it all revolves around is looking very much like his nemesis from the past.

Wow a totally gripping, intriguing read that I couldn't put down.  I cant wait for book 2.

Many thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher: Joffe Books for the advance copy.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.   Good page turner which will have you gripped to the end,   great storyline and great characters.  I really enjoyed it.

The guilty man #Netgallery
Another brilliant book by Helen Durrant. The twist and turns just keep coming.I definitely did not expect the ending to be what it was. Although very I usual for Ms Durrant it was a rather fast finish with things left outstanding. Maybe it hopefully there sjl! Be a follow on because it's really goading me as to who Harry or what's the truth behind him and his twin.I actually think anyone having read this book would love to be 100% sure of the answer.not that it really does matter in the lo g run him being a good cop an all.But yes I still would like to know. I am not 100\% sure but I think twins identical one share the same DNA so if I am correct DNA would not solve the problem as to finding out I am sure paternal twins have different DNA it's something I will have to reasearch. Just typical for one department of the police to do all the hard word for another division to take over at the end and get all the glory. Well written and intriguing  memorable story line. Fast paced as per normal for Me Durrant. I am a long term can of all her works she's just bloody amazing. Although I do wish the ending would have been a bit longer not just cut off the way it did. But then another part of the police taking over I do t suppose the ending could not have been any different. All with the exception of the twin angle.hopefully in time we may 
Get the answer I am really trying here not to say too much because I do not want to give anything .whatever the answer is maybe he can finally start to settle at last get himself sorted. It really drags you into the book and yes the charter you start to care for. Although I think most readers would say that but still I or fact from fiction unlike some who believe certain tv soaps are real I ask yoh. Much prefer to be a reader you and one you as the reader build your characters. I would say I two readers characters are the same. I always think when a book becomes a tv mini series in my opinion they always cast the wrong person as the leading characters. This is another do not miss read

This is a new offering from this author that I hope will develop into a series.  It is a fast paced police procedural tale involving gangland feuds, a missing child, drug dealing and human trafficking.  The main character, DI Harry Lennox comes across as a lovable rogue with a gift to charm women to his advantage.  However, he is also hiding a secret from his past which could ruin his career if ever revealed and leaves him open to bribery. 

I have read a lot by this author and have always enjoyed her style of writing I look forward to reading more in the future.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great introduction to a new series and new characters. Harry Lennox and Jess Merrick are going to be  very popular characters in future books in the series.  The mystery linked with Harry is an intriguing part of the story. A great plot involving gangland crime which  threw up many surprises.  Looking forward to the next book in the series .

Lennox And Wilde, Detectives...
The first in the Lennox and Wilde series set in Northern England and there is much ongoing for the two Detectives, with one also battling personal issues. A slow burn but with plenty of threads and forthcoming twists to navigate.

A riveting read totally grips you from the beginning.this new series from Helen H Durrant.
A three year old girl goes missing from a poor housing estate then turns up in the local park dressed in designer clothes.
Two local drug dealers disappear then their severed hands appear on their doorstep which sends you on lots of twists and turns to find out who did it.
.Detective Harry Lennox moved to the quiet northern town trying to hide his past which causes problems with his partner D S Jess Wilde, he hides behind alcohol and lives in a camper van on his friends driveway, Jess and Harry are great likeable characters and can`t wait to see how they progress.
Just couldn`t put it down read it in one day so would definitely recommend, thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Helen Durrant is one of my favourite contemmporary authors, but I felt that this story lacked something.  It's a story that I would expect to be an over-arch of the police officers involved solving a local crime.  There was very little actual police work done.  It may be very realistic for its subject, but for me, it felt hollow.

I enjoyed it but felt dissatisfied.  I'll still look forward to Helen Durrant's next book.

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

I have read a lot of Helen H Durrant books this year and enjoyed most of them but unfortunately this one did hit the spot for me. I particularly enjoy the 'Calladine & Bayliss' series but to be honest all of them are good reads. So with 'The Guilty Man' starting a new series I was keen to read this one hoping for yet another gripping one. Well there were plenty of positive signs, characters with demons and decent plots but maybe it will take another couple of books before I get into this series.

Set in the in the North of England, Detective Harry Lennox and DI Jess Wilde are involved in the case of a missing child. When the little girl, presumed dead, turns up playing in a local park, her mother shows little interest. Another case involving a tortured victim who has his hand severed and left on his wife's doorstep is followed by a similar vicious case. 
This book really sets the scene for another series of books so there is perhaps too much going on in such a short novel. Plenty of scope to develop the characters to make this another popular series.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Joffe books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in what I hope will be many of a new series set in the northern town of Ryebridge near Manchester. The story starts with an account of Nick Sutton being tortured. The man who has just amputated Nick’s hand knows that Nick is a ruthless criminal, wealthy and feared in the area. As he begs for his life Nick gets a surprise when he is told whom the man is working for. Meanwhile DI Harry Lennox and DS Jess Wilde have just received word that a three year old child, Lucy Green, has turned up safe and well after being missing for weeks. She is handed back to her mother who lives on the notorious run-down Baxendale estate and who appears to be more interested in getting her next fix than in her daughter’s well being. Something is not right, since a man is already locked up after confessing to her kidnap, and the child is better fed and dressed than when she was taken. It looks like there will be a whole load more investigating to do. Unfortunately good news is swiftly followed by bad news, and Caroline Sutton is at the police station wanting to report her husband missing. She must be desperate since Sutton and arch rival Andy Marsh are both well known villains who have carved up the local drug market between them but recently have fallen out again. The detectives believe they may have a turf war to deal with, especially when a severed hand is left on the Sutton’s doorstep. Nick was involved with other businesses too, and Lennox and Wilde are drawn to a family of thugs who run their business on the Baxendale. Before they know it, events start to mushroom out of control, with an influx of dodgy drugs and sinister unknown faces. Old faces from his past that Lennox would prefer to forget start to make a reappearance and everything threatens to implode for him. Harry is a bit of an enigma. Jess has worked with him for around two years and still knows very little about him apart from the fact that he originally transferred from Scotland, he has just split up with latest girlfriend Andrea and that he now is living temporarily in a mate’s camper van parked outside the house. He drinks far too much, to sleep or maybe to forget how he got the burns to his hands? The more Jess nags at him to talk about his past, the more it annoys him but he might just have to come clean if they are to stop these ruthless killings and crimes that are threatening to take over the town. 
This is a smashing start to the series with loads of great story for the reader to get stuck into. It has an exciting plot which is well delivered in lots of threads which are all brought together to make a thrilling ending with lots of clever twists along the way. We begin to get to know the pair of detectives as people as well as police officers, and Lennox’s intriguing past eventually gets revealed a little. I suspect there will be far more to come in future stories and I am looking forward to their next case. 5*

I hate to say it, but for a brand new series, this one reminded me entirely way too much of her other works (especially her Calladine and Bayliss series). It seemed nearly ever aspect was the same just with a different name - partners who don't really know much about each other, human trafficking, crime lords, right down to the "rough housing development" that is ripe with drugs and other criminal activities. She even used the same formula of having two seemingly unrelated story-lines going on at once. 

Now I get that it's a formula for a reason (and one this author has used to their success many times over), but it made it hard for me to become invested in these characters when every few pages I was comparing them to her other characters. Even the surprising twist wasn't that surprising for me as it was nothing more than what I've come to expect from her. 

It didn't help that DS Jess Wilde seems more interesting in Harry's personal life (between constantly berating him for living in a camper van and not having a "proper flat" to telling him to go around to his ex-girlfriend's house for the rest of his things - things he has no place to store because he doesn't have a place to live), she quickly became annoying. Harry was no better, harboring this deep dark secret (or was he? I guess we'll all have to wait and see as it was never proved one way or another in this story), but he has an obvious drinking problem, as well as no qualms about using his friend (I mean seriously, who helps themselves to someone else's clothes when they aren't home because he needs something fancier than what he's got)? 

Despite these things, this is the kind of story that will appeal to those who enjoy police procedurals that aren't as straight on as they appear. I also believe that other fans of this author will most likely be able to enjoy this one without making all the comparisons that I did. For me? I will likely continue on with this series, although depending on when the next one is released, I might wait awhile in between readings. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

A man is tortured by a merciless criminal. The victim's hand is severed and left on his wife's doorstep. A second man is similarly tortured and his hand removed.

Detective Harry Lennox and DI Jess Wilde are investigating a missing child. The little girl, presumed dead, turns up alive and well in the local park.

Lennox and Wilde believe these case are all connected ... but have no proof. Most people they talk to have nothing to say ... those that do are usually lying.

Lennox is hiding something in his past, causing problems with Wilde. He's drinking too much and living like a homeless person. Wilde is determined to flush out his secrets .. but then she might be sorry later.

It's a mystery chock full of twists and turns ... a real page turner from beginning to end. The cases are complex with plenty of suspects to follow. The characters are deftly drawn and full of surprises. A missing child, drugs, human-trafficking, hangings and two spectacular fires......this is the first of a promising new series and I look forward to seeing the next adventures of these detectives.

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

The Guilty Man is the first instalment in the DI Harry Lennox and DS Jess Wilde series, set in the rundown town of Ryebridge, Northern England. Three-year-old toddler Lucy Green has been missing for several weeks when Lennox and Wilde are called to Cheetham Park where she has just been discovered wandering around shoeless but, miraculously, unharmed. She appears dishevelled and quite dopey for a child her age, who would usually have bags of energy to spare, and doesn't remember her own name. It's seems quite possible that she may have been drugged during her ordeal. Her mother, Kelsey Green, is a narcissistic sociopath who cares more about using her daughter as a cash cow to sell column inches rather than being relieved she's safe. But she must be questioned before she can be allowed home as Albert Sykes, had confessed to both kidnapping and killing Lucy before he was attacked is prison and is now being kept alive on a ventilator in hospital. Jess and Harry are also assigned the case of Nick Sutton, a notorious criminal, who is reported missing by his wife, Caroline, and when his sworn enemy Andy Marsh vanishes too the police are puzzled by this double disappearing act.

This is a superbly plotted, absorbing and totally riveting read with a plot that grips you early on. It starts off at quite a pedestrian pace in order to introduce the characters but it soon picks up and has you racing along turning the pages. It is a terrifying and chilling police procedural with multiple plotlines, both equally as addictive, and is written in a gritty and gripping fashion to ensure you're engrossed from start to finish. There are many twists and most of them I didn't see coming, especially the identity of one of the perpetrators which really caught me off guard. Durrant takes the time to develop the cast of characters meaning you really care about what happens to them and even the settings are wonderfully described. I am already looking forward to learning more about Lennox and Wilde and seeing them evolve over the upcoming instalments. If you enjoy menacing, tension-filled stories with killer climaxes then give this a try. With kidnapping, people trafficking and murder all taking place against the backdrop of a dead-end town, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Joffe for an ARC.

Detectives Lennox and Wilde Thrillers #1

In a town on town in the North of England, a man is tortured by a ruthless criminal. The victims severed hand is left on his wife's doorstep. Detective Harry Lennox and DS Jess Wilde are involved in the case of a missing child. The little girl, presumed dead, turns up playing happily in a local park. Her  other doesn't seem to care. Detective Harry Lennox is battling his own demons, trying to Bury secret from his past with alcohol. He lives in a campervan on a friends driveway.

Three year 9ld Lucy Green had disappeared vive weeks ago. Albert Sykes had confessed to her murder. But Lucy turns up in a local park alive. A local drug dealer goes missing and his severed hand is left on his wife's doorstep. A lot to pack into a book that's less than 200 pages. DS Jess Wilde is an irritating character. Detective Harry Lennox likes a drink. They're a strange combination and hopefully they will grow on me thennore the series progresses.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #HelenHDurrant for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

208 pages

4 stars

Three-year old Lucy has been missing for three weeks. She is found in a nearby park, shoeless but in better care than when she disappeared. Her mother Kelsey is a real winner. She doesn’t seem to care about Lucy and is only interested in getting the most money for her story. 

At the same time there is a killer on the loose in the northern part of England. 

DI Harry Lennox and his partner DS Jess Wilde have been working Lucy's case. They have a suspect who confessed to kidnapping and killing Lucy. He is now in hospital due to an altercation in prison. 

Jess and Harry also are assigned the case of Nick Sutton, a criminal type. His wife Caroline has reported him missing. When Andy Marsh, Sutton's main rival, goes missing the plot thickens, as they say. 

Kidnapping, people trafficking, murder and mayhem all play a part in this first book of a new series for Ms. Durrant. There are surprises in store for the reader. I must confess I didn't cotton on to the head bad guy until it was revealed in the book. 

As usual with Ms. Durrant's books, this one is both well written and plotted. It was eminently readable. And a quick read as well. The tortured Harry was well portrayed and the very snoopy and persistent Jess, mmm...not so much. I'd like to know more about her. Perhaps in the next book, for I hope this will be a new series for this author. Very well done, Ms. Durrant. 

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.