A really good read, kept me hooked from the very start. I enjoyed the characters and would love to see more of the detectives.

This is the fourth instalment in the DI Clare MacKay series and another belter of a book… As the New Year bells ring, so does the death toll… DI MacKay and her partner DS Chris West are called to a suspicious death of a young woman found in her bath… the post-mortem reveals it is not a suicide, she had traces of Rohypnol in her system and bruising to her body, as another body is found, Clare and her team are up against it, can they figure out the connection to catch the murderer?

Marion Todd never fails to deliver a gripping storyline with plenty of twists and turns to boot, it is a fast paced police procedural read which will keep you enthralled from the first to the last page, the characters are developing nicely and look forward to reading more about them both personally and professionally.

A solid police procedural with DI Mackay wherein she investigated the murder of Allison who had just started using the dating app.
The author delivered the story with her usual panache, and I liked how the cops investigated, joining in bits and pieces together as they tightened the noose around the killer's identity. As all police procedural, it was slow and detailed and kept me entertained right through.

Marion Todd never disappoints. This is a gripping and entertaining story that kept me on the edge.
Solid plot full of twists and turns, good character development, excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having not read the first three in the series it took a while to understand the connections between the characters. An enjoyable read with a few red herrings only for me I found the ending a little disappointing.
An honest review for NetGalley / Canelo

thanks thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
A pleasure to read any book by this author. Highly recommended.

This is the fourth instalment in Marion Todd's Detective Inspector Clare Mackay series, set in St Andrews, Scotland.

Thirty-three-year-old Alison Reid and her late-night visitor are celebrating New Year with a bottle of wine. For Clare and DS Chris West, it brings with it the suspicious suicide of a woman found in her bathtub. However, the striking similarities between this case and the death of another woman are enough to alert the police that a serial killer may be on the prowl, drugging the victims. In a complex case, Clare and her team hunt for the killer before they can claim any more lives.

I have to say I was completely and thoroughly hooked by this compelling story right from the start. I think What They Knew would be fine as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first ones in the series as you'd be missing out if you didn't! I thoroughly enjoyed What They Knew, an extremely engrossing read which is composed of multiple threads and several great twists. The narrative resolutely remains with Clare's point of view. I fell right into this well-crafted and absorbing tale and I felt as though I was shadowing her as she worked at chasing her leads and following her instincts. Marion Todd's writing-style continues to be impressive and noteworthy as I tried to second-guess along the way until the big reveal. Clare is a more than competent DI who always strives to look after her team and cares about getting justice. Her personal life is interconnected with her professional one as she despairs about ever being in a long-lasting relationship and is ridden by regret about a prospective relationship with DCI Alastair Gibson. This is a Scottish crime series that I have found highly appealing and engaging, and I look forward to reading the next instalment.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Canelo via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

After using a dating site to meet a future partner, Alison is sat watching New Years Eve tv when a late night guest arrives bearing a gift, this visitor ensures that Alison does not see the New Year alive
Left to DI Clare Mackay and her team to identify the murderer they soon come face to face with more victims who have met their death following a knock at the door

Fourth in the series and although slow at first it soon picks up leaving you wondering what is happening and will the murderer be caught

Police procedural with likeable characters who work well together. Lots of twists and turns which will keep the reader guessing.

A new year for Claire Mackay & a new body. When a woman is found dead in her bath at first doesn't raise suspicions, but when another is found in a burn with some similarities it looks like the year is off to a violent start. This series of books set in St Andrews first appealed to me because of the setting. It is always nice to be able picture the places. It is not the reason I've carried on reading them though. This is a well crafted police procedural series with very likeable characters along with some good baddies! The story kept me guessing throughout. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I'm already looking forward to the next in the series!

Excellent, what more can I say, this is fourth book in the series from Marion Todd and all of them have been excellent which can be read as one offs or as part of the series. This book sees the team return after the Christmas break when a suspicious death is reported. Alison Reid a young woman in her 30’s is found at home in the bath, her neighbour hadn’t seen her over the festive period and was worried. The young PC who attended and entered the house noticed some bruising on the victims neck and called in Detective Inspector Clare Mackay to investigate. When the post-mortem is carried out it is found that she had Rohypnol the date rape drug in her bloodstream so the team set about investigating how she had died.

Another enjoyable and engrossing read with DI MacKay and her team dealing with murdered women, dating agencies and life. Well thought through police procedural and I especially like the positive relationships between the members of the team - they all support each other with respect and humour and, thank goodness, show little of the back biting that has become too much embedded in this type of novel.. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

When DI Clare Mackay and DS Chris West are called to investigate the death of Alison Reid, who's body was found in her bathtub after welcoming a guest into her house. When another woman's body is recovered from the Kinness Burn, it becomes apparent that the ways in which both women were killed is too similar to be a mere coincidence.
The race is on for Clare and Chris to find the killer before anyone else is harmed.
This book was so incredibly thrilling and had me hooked immediately. What they Knew is a sequel to Lies To Tell and picks up where that story left us. The storyline is fast paced and full of drama, suspense and truly keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I loved the many twists and turns that the story lead us through, keeping us guessing right to the very end. The characters were realistic and well developed, each of them having their own stories which add to the plot.
A definite must read for those that enjoy a fast paced police thriller!.

4.5 stars. This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all. It is a fantastic series that I would definitely recommend. Great bunch of characters and a gripping storyline. Cant wait for the next one.

A Killing Spree....
The fourth Detective Clare Mackay mystery and a killer is on a spree in St Andrews. An engaging plot, with many threads, populated by credible characters, a likeable protagonist and leading to a satisfying denouement. A worthy addition to the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Canelo for the ARC.

This is another excellent addition to the DI Clare Mackay series, set in St. Andrews, Scotland over the New Year holidays. It's a well-written police procedural with really good dialogue portraying the relentless efforts of Clare and her team in pursuit of a killer. This is fine to be read as a standalone as you soon catch up with the back-stories of all the characters and their relationships, but if you haven't already, do read the previous three books in the series - you'll be hooked.

On the last day of her holiday break Clare is called to a house where Alison Reid has been found, by her neighbour, lying in a bath of water, but some things just don't add up to this being either a suicide or an accident.
Suspicions are confirmed when Clare's attention is drawn to another drowning of Ingrid McKennie; she was found face down in the Kinness Burn. Clare and her team begin to hunt down any connections between the two victims - both found in water - both the same age - both using the same dating website. Is there a killer out there luring young women to their death, and why?

This has a twisty plot line, seemingly two steps forward and then one back, as original suspects begin to be discounted and the team resolve to dig deeper into the victims' backgrounds, throwing up revelations and surprises - not expecting that outcome!

Clare also has to make decisions about her private life - is life actually passing her by? There again, she always has Bengy her seemingly untrainable dog.

Loved it - no wasted narrative, it's fast-moving and atmospheric.

A fabulous example of a police procedural book. I would highly recommend this book and have bought the back catalogue from this author.

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

What They Knew is the fourth instalment in the Detective Inspector Clare Mackay series, set in St Andrews, Scotland. DI Mackay and DS Chris West are called out just after the New Year celebrations when the body of Alison Reid is discovered in her bathtub. She had invited a guest over who brought a bottle of wine to celebrate the forthcoming year and wave goodbye to the last. It had been midnight and Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny was well underway on television. Unfortunately when the corpse is found two days later the scene does not allow the police to conclusively rule either way as to whether it was an accident, suicide or murder. Noting the striking similarities between this case and the death of another woman in almost identical fashion are enough to put the police on notice that a cunning killer may be on the prowl around the town. Does the dating site Attracto have anything to do with the murders? Could the recent spate of shoplifting be connected in any way? The team carry out their due diligence and work on trying to identify the commonalities between the now three dead women.

This is a riveting, compulsive and exciting police procedural with an interesting plot where police must do a whole load of intensive leg work to discover exactly what is going on. I am always a fan of strong female protagonists so to be treated to the great dynamic between Clare and her team is a real treat and learning more about her as a person is always intriguing. Todd, as always, makes excellent use of twists, turns and misdirection throughout bringing some surprises to the narrative and the whole thing moves at a pretty brisk pace. It's a refreshingly original thriller with plenty of suspicion surrounding dating apps and the whole online dating scene particularly it's safety and how it can easily be misused by criminals to find their next victim. An entertaining and enthralling, clever and engrossing tale, which is an easy read. Todd and this series are both going from strength to strength; I find her books to be extremely well woven, she ensures there's never a lull or boring part and crafts it with a whole lot of action. Roll on book five. Highly recommended.

Another great instalment in this series

I can’t be the only reader who approaches each new book in a series with the thought that it won’t be as good as the last one but happily I was wrong. It’s New Year and DI Clare Mackay and her team have another serial killer at work in St Andrews. At book 4 in the series it doesn’t take long to settle in and become reacquainted with the characters. There is a real feel of the characters working as a team and just the right amount of humour to add authenticity. I enjoyed this book and hope there’s plenty more in the series.

Book four in the DI Mackay series is a bit of an entertaining read and the best so far. It just keeps improving and although slow to start, the pace soon picks up as the body toll rises. I love the setting of St Andrews and the character development, as well as the insight into the personal lives of the team. Great plot, beautiful descriptive passages and plenty twists, make this a gripping series which I would highly recommend. Another very good Scottish author to follow. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.