I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Helen Grace is back and what a fantastic read! So complex, so gripping, sooooo good!

The ending simply make you want to beg for more!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future!

MJ Arlidge is back with another dark, twisted and disturbing thriller featuring the formidable DI Helen Grace: Truth or Dare.

DI Helen Grace is not the kind of woman to shirk her duties or balk at any challenge which her job throws her way. She is used to being in the thick of it and to finding her back against the wall, but her latest case might just prove to be her toughest one yet. A crime wave is sweeping through the city and nobody is safe. The police simply cannot keep up with the plethora of crimes that are taking place all over town. From carjacking to arson at the docks to murder, DI Grace and her team have certainly got their hands full. Are these individual crimes isolated incidents? Or is there something sinister that connects all of them? With no clues or leads to go on, Helen and her team have certainly got their work cut out for them. And with the crime rate increasing with each passing day, there simply seems to be no end in sight.

Helen might be overwhelmed, overworked and stressed out, but she refuses to give in. She will keep on digging until she gets to the bottom of this crime wave and as the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place even Helen is shocked when she realises just how ingenious and complex this web of crime actually is. Can Helen manage to find the answers she so desperately seeks to ensure that justice is served? Or will this be an investigation that will end up leaving even the redoubtable Helen Grace completely and utterly perplexed?

MJ Arlidge’s Truth or Dare is white-knuckle rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns that will leave readers with their jaws on the floor. A deftly plotted and brilliantly written thriller from a true master of the genre, Truth or Dare is a gritty, gripping and compulsively readable chiller I simply couldn’t read fast enough.

DI Helen Grace is, as always, smart, intelligent, forensic, meticulous and flawed. She is a heroine aficionados of the genre cannot get enough of and I simply cannot wait for the next title in the series.

Fast-paced, highly-charged and captivating, MJ Arlidge’s Truth or Date is crime fiction at its unputdownable best.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Not my favourite in the Helen Grace series but I do love the characters and I really hope the series never has to come to an end as it is one of my longstanding favourites.


Personally, I felt a lot of the story was drawn out, but I did really love the ending, how it all linked together and the cliff-hanger we were given makes me excited to read the next instalment in this series.


I missed Charlie’s character presence in this one as I love the relationship her and Helen have and look forward to seeing her return from her maternity leave and seeing what Arlidge has install for the duo.


Despite it not being my favourite, this one definitely made me feel all the emotions, in particular the chapters with DS Hudson. Testament to Arlidge’s writing skill as I felt so angry, I kept putting the book down and returning to it later when my frustration level had calmed down!


4 Stars – An Intriguing Cliff Hanger!


Publication Date: 24th June 2021


Thank you to #NetGalley, #Orion, #OrionPublishingGroup and #MJArlidge for an ARC of #TruthOrDare in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I bought a physical copy of this book, I would still like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just love this series!
While the earlier books are still my favourite, this is another Helen Grace installment that had me guessing from start to finish! With a gripping murder case, compelling characters, and the added bonus of a Joseph Hudson stirring up trouble, I can't wait to read the next!

Truth Or Dare MJ Arlidge
I love this series, so was happy to dive into this book. The body count starts to build, and tensions rise within the station, which added to the tension of the storyline.
I loved the cat and Mouse feel to the story, and already looking forward to the next installment.

I love the DI Helen Grace series and Truth Or Dare is no exception. It’s been a while since I caught up with Helen Grace and her team but it was a pleasure doing so, despite the obvious disharmony in the ranks. This unrest added an extra layer to a very engaging plot.

There are several suspects and victims in Truth Or Dare which gives Arlidge a chance to show us a large number of characters. They represent different groups in society and it was interesting to explore the issues they faced including racism, homophobia and addiction.

Truth Or Dare has a very complex plot and at times, it was impossible to see how it would all come together. However, I was very impressed by how tightly the novel was constructed and how the different parts of the story were connected. There is a strong undercurrent of tension that runs the whole way through and the very short chapters and changes in focus make it very fast paced. I could not wait to see what would happen next.

I have been in the biggest reading slump ever this past month or so. I just cannot pick up a book and focus. I needed something super gripping, something I wouldn't be able to put down, something to remind me why I love reading so much.

So of course, I turned to my all time favourite crime series by M J Arlidge.

And at first I thought it wasn't working. I started this book in October and have just finished it almost a full month later. I was reading a few pages here and there and there were so many different characters and so much going on that I just couldn't get drawn into it.

Until around the halfway mark where it really grabbed my interest and low and behold, I ended up reading pretty much the other 50% of the book all in one go!

It's fast paced and adrenaline inducing. There's lots going on and it's hard to figure out where it's going, it's certainly full of surprises. I'm now so excited to read the next book in the series, Cat and Mouse, and not just because that means I'll be finally caught up with this series…for now!

Unfortunately I really struggled to connect with this book and after multiple attempts have had to mark as dnf.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

Absolutely love this author. He always pulls a hit out the bag. Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

I didn't realise that this was in the middle of a series. I wasn't so sur eon the book when I realised that, however, reading a little but of it made me realise I wanted to catch up with the series!
It was good on the most part and I enjoyed the characters once I got to know them!

Truth or Dare is our 10th trip to Southampton to catch up with DI Helen Grace and her team. This time they are trying to solve a sudden spate of seemingly unrelated murders. But with growing dissent within her team, Helen is going to find this one even harder than usual.

It's always good to be back with Helen and the team, but with the unrest growing and Charlie still on Mat leave, Helen is feeling even more solo than usual for this case while constantly feeling the need to watch her back.
This was a tense, fast-paced thriller that really kept me reading. Although it probably could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the whole series to get the full back story, plus they are great!

An interesting and intriguing book with characters that I found easy to follow and a story full of turns and twists. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series but I had no problem in getting into it. It’s a great suspenseful story that many readers will enjoy as much as I have.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Yet another fantastic instalment in the DI Helen Grace series!

Whilst this can be read as stand alone it definitely works better as part of the series.

With twists and turns you aren’t expecting and certain characters you really want to get their comeuppance from the get go, this book is just as good as it’s predecessors.

I can’t wait to see what happens in the next Helen Grace book as this one left it with no one Helen could trust!

Another really well written book by a great author but even though I’ve been obsessed with this series I’ve finally decided I’ve had enough. Grace has managed to survive one too many crazy situations so I actually DNFed this one at about 50%.
Il always recommend the first few books in this series though!

Another great book by MJ Aldridge, the more I read the more I’m sucked into Graces life please keep them coming

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Orion for approving me for an ARC of this book.

I am a huge fan of this series and I was very excited to read this one. When the audio became available on Borrow Box I jumped at the chance to listen to the audio. Whilst this could be read as a standalone I would recommend reading the whole series to get to know the reoccurring characters.

M.J. Arlidge always delivers a fast paced, action packed and gripping read. The short snappy chapters always make me want to keep reading or in this case listen. I devoured this audiobook in a day as I was desperate to see how the story unfolded.

First of all I want to give Joseph Hudson and good talking to (and possible a punch wouldn’t hurt). His vendetta against Helen was both irritating and futile. He literally took the term woman scorned and made it his motto. The driving force behind my constant listening was seeing if he would get his comeuppance! I am very keen to see where his story leads next.

The investigation itself was very interesting and I myself was struggling to see if there was a connection between all the different crimes and if so why were they happening? There were the usual red herrings and revelations along the way, it was fascinating watching the team join all the dots.

I am very eager to read the next book in the series as Mr Arlidge left us with a mini cliff hanger that has got me hooked!

I absolutely loved this, this series is one of my favourites and I am always excited for the next instalment. This one was no different to the last and had the same twists and turns and perfect writing style. I find I get immersed in these and fly through them so quickly. A perfect mix of characters and a punchy storyline.