This was a complex book, and I eventually realised, part of a series, so I've since sought out the other ones. I enjoyed the book, once I got my head around the fact that I wasn't just missing information.
The characterisation was solid, and the story was mostly enjoyable with a few little niggles that made me look and think it wasn't quite believable, especially for a police procedural. The relationships were interesting, but again, there were a time or two I thought it might not quite ring true.
All in all though, worth it.

I thank the publisher, and Netgalley for my opportunity to review this book.

I didn't realise initially that this was part of a series, Robin's backstory is incredibly complex so I would definitely recommend reading book 1 first. This was slow paced but worked - it had the standard police tropes ie management thinking not solving crime fast enough etc.

It was a good read

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

A good crime / police procedure book. Great characters and well written. I enjoyed it. Recommended if you like this kind of book.

This was a bit of a slow burner for me, but I'm so pleased I stayed with it as the pace picked up and then I couldn't put it down. A young woman's body is found in a derelict building and DCI Robin Lyons is leading the case to find out who stabbed her but there is very little to go on as her identity is a mystery. Then another woman is also found murdered in similar circumstance. Could this be a serial killer? The plot really develops but I don't want to give any spoilers away!

Really enjoyed this book and the case is gripping. Lots of twists and turns involved. I liked Robin's character and would like to see more of her,

An enjoyable police procedure book. Part of a series but can easily be read as a stand alone. Well paced story.

This was a good solid read. , I didn’t realize the book is part of a series, but it read nicely enough as a standalone. Will read others in the series as well.

This book is totally my cup of tea! A brilliant crime/police procedural novel that is brilliantly written. The story itself is superb but there is pathos and humour in the writing. Well done Lucie Whitehouse!

The second in a series set in the West Midlands. Although well written, I was not invested in the story or characters and struggled to finish.

I enjoyed this book. Very interesting and I loved the characters. Sometimes describes stuff I don't need to know about but overall a very good book.

Sometimes you pick up a book that's not the first in its series and find yourself either totally confused about what's going on, or totally spoiled for earlier books if you ever wanted to go back and read them. 'Risk of Harm' by Lucie Whitehouse is - I think - the second book about Robin Lyons, a detective with the Force Homicide in Birmingham. (Note to self, why is it 'Force Homicide' instead of 'Homicide Force'? That puzzled me. The former sounds like an instruction rather than a service).

I really enjoyed this one. There's nothing outstandingly unusual about the character but she still touched me. Female detective? Yep, lots of those around. Not the greatest relationship with her parents and brother? Yep, that's not unusual either. Single parent with skeletons in her closet? Again, nothing particularly unusual. Let's be honest, people with solid home lives and nothing bad in their past aren't the prime candidates for this kind of work.

The tale revolves around the killings of two young women which might - or might not - be linked. There's also the stabbing of a young black male and a long-term missing person case that's lingering in the air. Throw in a group of racist thugs who think the police are only interested in solving the murders of non-white victims and sexual tension between our protagonist and two men from her teen years, and there's plenty to get your teeth into.

The solving of the mystery of the girl in the warehouse is believably circumstantial and reminds us that no amount of conventional policing can beat a good hunch and a good memory. Sympathetic attitudes to the homeless are to be commended, and the book reminds us that the police spend their days battling as much with the media and keyboard warriors (and sometimes their own flesh and blood) as they do hunting for killers.

I liked Robin and her daughter and I'll want to read about them again.

Thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for my copy.

A very good thriller with lots of complex sub-plots. I wish I'd read Critical Incidents first, but it wasn't vital.

Robin Lyons is now back in Birmingham permanently. She a DCI on Force Homicide. Samir, her boyfriend when she was a teenager is her boss. Oh and there's been some murders....possibly a serial killer at large. But let's not let this muddy the waters of Robins love life, family squabbles and for some reason her breakfast habits and personal life been front page news! I mean correct me if I'm wrong but I cannot recall in my whole life a DCIs love life been covered by the media. And this is the third or fourth book I've read to have a similar plot line. Now don't misunderstand me. I like Robin Lyons. I liked the crime element of this book. I even quite like the simmering longing between Robin and Samir.There's a bloody good book here somewhere. But it's about 100 pages shorter and doesn't have Robins dick of a brother in it nor media stories about who Robin is or has been involved with! Three reluctant stars, would have loved to give it more.

A really gripping read. This is the second book in the series but it did not matter that I had not read the first book. I will however go back and read that one now and look forward to reading more in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. Robin Lyons is back working with Birmingham police in her home town after a stint in the Met. She is a single parent to 15 year old Lennie, and her parents still live locally. When a young woman is found stabbed to death in a derelict building, Robin and her team struggle to find her identity. Then another young woman is found in similar circumstances. Have they got a serial killer on their hands? This is a fast paced story and I liked that Robin's personal life was also an integral part of the plot. Also, I didn't work out the denouement! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Be warned this is a long book and possibly could have benefitted from some judicious editing of irrelevances and repetition. However I did enjoy it more than Lucie Whitehouse’s previous book in this series. This one could be read as a stand alone but I think it could be confusing for a first time reader as there are many characters and not all are explained or grounded.

Firstly, thank you very much, HarperCollins Fourth Estate and NetGalley, for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Lucie Whitehouse's crime thriller is an engaging and exciting read, set in Birmingham and featuring DCI Robin Lyons, a transplant from the London Met, returning to her home town with a complicated professional and personal life.
Lyons has a dark back story, including a boss, who also happens to be the love of her life and her ex-lover, a brother, who is vile and racist, and her role as a single mother.
The storyline begins slowly, and some might feel the focus on DCI Lyons' back story takes too much precedence. However, the pace soon ramps up, with many twists and turns. Is this the work of a serial killer, or are they separate cases? The suspense mounts, mainly because of the mystery girl subplot.
The latter is the best part of the story, as Lyons spread the investigation far and wide before reaching her answer.
I found this a wonderfully intense, complex and thrilling crime read, and I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of Risk of Harm by Lucie Whitehouse by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In this novel we meet Robin Lyons this time in her hometown in Birmingham. She must investigate a murder as well as juggling her home life. It was a slow burner but was good in the end.

This is the second installment of the DCI Robin Lyons series. I haven't read the first instalment but it was really easy to get to grips with the team and catch up on the first book.

I was fully gripped by this one, I honestly couldn't put it down.

The storyline was original, well executed and the character development was fantastic.

The twists and turns keep on coming the whole way through and will leave you guessing right up until the very end.

DCI Lyons is one of those characters that you fall in love with. Shes human, she has faults, her personal life is chaotic and messy and she wants to be loved... shes real!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book and am already waiting on tenderhooks for the next installment.

Huge thanks to netgalley and 4th Estate for the ARC.

Unfortunately I wasn’t aware this was the second book in a series. I don’t know if this was the reason I didn’t completely enjoy this read. I found it a bit of a slow burn to be honest,