“There was something addictive about his guilt. He savoured it in secret moments. He assured himself it was harmless. No one else was ever going to find out…”

“Deep Cover” by Leigh Russell is the sixteenth book in the successful Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel series, which began with “Cut Short” in 2009 and was short-listed for the Crime Writers’ Association New Blood Dagger award (for the best crime novels by first-time authors).

***Be warned, some of the below contains spoilers for earlier books in the series!***

The opening of this book immediately plunges us into a new case, with DI Geraldine Steel working with newly transferred DS Matthew Bailey on the suspicious death of Pansy Banks; a sex worker known to her clients as Luscious. In a desperate attempt to avoid being held responsible, her killer has dumped her body in the woods where she is soon discovered by the inevitable group of ramblers (I wonder how often walking groups suffer this in real life – it certainly afflicts them frequently in fiction!). But the killer’s problems are only just beginning, as he receives an anonymous note stating “I know what you did”…

Meanwhile, DI Ian Peterson is playing his own dangerous game down in London. Recently split from Geraldine following his actions in the previous novel “Evil Impulse”, he is now working undercover with the drug squad. As Ian continues he gets drawn deeper into a potentially fatal double game; trying to reconcile his own plan with that of the undercover team, who are none the wiser that Ian has a mission of his own to win back Geraldine.

This is a cracking read in the crime thriller genre. The story is told from three points of view; Geraldine, investigating the murder of two women in as many weeks in York; Ian, taking on dangerous undercover work with the drug squad in London; and Thomas, whose efforts to keep secrets from his wife spiral quickly out of control. I found Thomas to be a really interesting character – the author brilliantly portrays his panic, denial and descent into delusion as the book progresses.

Having not read any of the previous books in the series, I really enjoyed DI Geraldine Steel as the main protagonist. Geraldine is hugely skilled and dedicated to her job, but far from perfect; balancing her own demons (anger with Ian, fear of loneliness, frustration with the case) as she tries to unearth the killer. I look forward to getting to know her more.

Although “Deep Cover” obviously contains some spoilers for the previous titles in the series – with the relationships, actions and their consequences of the earlier books continuing to play out – I was able to enjoy it immensely as a stand-alone even though I’ve not read the earlier books (yet!). That being said, if you’re a fan of police procedurals and crime thrillers and haven’t yet come across this series, it would probably make sense to start at the beginning – I’m sure I’m going to find plenty there to enjoy!

“Deep Cover” was released in the UK on 24th August 2021. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publishers No Exit Press, and of course the author for providing an ebook copy.

This is now the sixteenth adventure for DI Geraldine Steel, and the series remains every bit as fresh and gripping as the very first story. As you can imagine, there is quite a bit of history now and Geraldine's life has been varied, finding out she was adopted and helping her newly discovered birth sister escape the clutches of a drug dealer which led to her getting demoted from the rank of Detective Inspector to Sergeant as a result. She moved to York and found herself working for her former sergeant, Ian Petersen, now a DI and a man she has secretly been in love with for a long time. Still keeping things secret, Ian moved into her flat but she has thrown him out again after finding that he has put her sister Helena (her only blood relative) into hiding to protect her from her pusher without consulting Geraldine first. She is furious with him even though he really had no choice in order to keep her sister alive. So at the start of this story, Ian has temporarily joined the Drugs Squad in London, working undercover, and hoping that once the dealer is off Helena’s back, Geraldine and her sister can be reunited. Of course, Geraldine doesn't know where he is or what he is doing and wonders if he is ever coming back. Meanwhile Thomas seeks out the prostitute he has picked up a few times in the past. Knowing she will soon be moved on, he wants to make his last time special and persuades her to come back to his house. A misunderstanding over money leads to a fight where she falls and dies. Panicking, he devises a plan to dump her body in the woods where it is found the next day by ramblers. But then, while Geraldine and the team of DCI Eileen Duncan, DS Ariadne Croft and new colleague DS Matthew Bailey replacing Ian investigate the death, it looks like someone has seen what Thomas did and threatens him, making him even more paranoid and unpredictable. Ian quickly ingratiates himself as the new bodyguard to major drug dealer and strip club owner Tod Lancaster and reveals his plan, a dangerous game which may mean Geraldine won’t see him or her sister again if it goes wrong. Then another body turns up.
There is plenty of action and tension in this great twisty and riveting plot as the two storylines proceed in parallel while all the time Ian and Geraldine are uppermost in each other's thoughts. Ian took me a little by surprise as he emerged as incredibly tough, fitting in seamlessly in the brutal and seedy world he was tasked to infiltrate, whilst Geraldine is her old tenacious and determined self but struggling to cope as she realizes what she may have lost. Completely absorbing, I think this is one of the best stories in this series – long may it continue! 5*

Another fantastic read by this author,she always delivers.
A volatile bad guy,a gutsy detective this book has it all.
Great storyline,kept me on the edge of my seat and heart in mouth to the end.
Totally compelling read.

Deep Cover is the sixteenth instalment in the Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel Thriller series set between York and London. 40-year-old Geraldine is called in to investigate when the body of a prostitute is discovered in dense woodland in her hometown of York. Middle-aged Thomas Hill had decided to hire a hooker loitering under a street lamp next to a disused brewery while his wife was out of town for the weekend and his son had gone back to University in London. He invites her back to his house and manages to convince her to accept, despite her reservations, by claiming he will pay her double, but once at home, a fight ensues when she requests payment upfront.

Thomas says he will pay her once they're back in the car as he's left his wallet in there. She then attacks him and he ends up punching her several times resulting in her smashing her head against a coat rack and falling to the floor. Dead. He knows the police may not find his self-defence story believable, so he decides to circumvent them by wrapping the corpse in dirty dust sheets, buying a rusty van and transporting her body to its final resting place: a small clearing in Acomb wood. But someone had seen what he had done and starts to blackmail him to keep quiet. Unfortunately for Geraldine, the case goes cold, but it is given a new lease of life when another body is found smothered in the same DNA.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, 39-year-old DI Ian Peterson has moved to London after Geraldine ended their relationship, but as he hasn't told her that he has taken an undercover assignment with the Drug Squad, she is concerned about him seemingly going missing, which is making it difficult for her to maintain her focus on the murder cases. He's undergone extensive psychological testing as well as focused training and is set for whatever the job brings. Based out of North London, Ian will be mostly working with an undercover team conducting surveillance on members of a highly dangerous drug ring. He hasn't been able to tell anyone where he is or what he's doing due to the nature of the work.

This is a compulsive and enthralling addition to a series that doesn't seem to even be beginning to flail despite being 16 books in. It's full of nail-biting tension, drama, double-crosses, life or death danger, secrets and mystery and intrigue aplenty. It's fast-paced and the chapters alternate between Geraldine and Ian’s initially separate cases before Russell adeptly and cleverly weaves and interconnects them as the book progresses. Divorced and courageous Ian still pines after his ex and Russell does a superb job of describing the peril, seediness and corruption of the gangster underworld. Geraldine is as intelligent and empathetic as ever, but she is distracted by the breakup and regrets it immensely. A riveting, absorbing and thoroughly entertaining thriller. Highly recommended.

This is something like 16th in the series - which shows no signs of flagging. Probably cos the author does like to mix things up with regard to Geraldine and Ian. A lot! They do have a lot of history and, on occasion, dubious back stories, so to get the best from the book and indeed series as a whole, you'd be better off starting from book one and reading in order. I appreciate that's a lot of books but they are all worth the effort!
So, Geraldine has her work cut out for her in her endeavours to catch the killer of a known sex worked, found dead in a wood. Unusually there's loads of evidence to be found, including DNA, but sadly, no suspect to compare against. We the reader know who the bad guy is as we were witness to his crime. Meanwhile Ian is missing in action as far as Geraldine is concerned. Actually he's gone undercover, in London, to try and right a wrong he did by Geraldine at the end of the previous book...
I think this is probably the weakest book in the series thus far. That said I did really enjoy it as it managed to progress a few series arcs that had been bubbling under and brought a few things to their resolution. Hence my earlier recommendation to read the series in order. I feel that it wouldn't be the best introduction to both author and characters.
The dual plots both kept my attention nicely and got on with themselves at a fair lick with no superfluous padding or waffle. Which made for a nice quick easy, but meaty, read for me. Ok so some of what happened I had to take at face value and wasn't wholly convinced by everything, but I was happy to take one for the team and accept some stuff along the way. Characterisation was goo. Familiar series characters all acted as they should and progressed well during the book, and new characters were all well drawn and played their parts well.
All in all, not the best in the series but it wasn't too taxing to read and it did move the series arcs along. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Geraldine Steel returns for the 16th book in the series, her partner Ian leaves after an argument and goes undercover in a London gangland but Geraldine doesn`t know where he`s gone and is worried for him.
Geraldine investigates the death of a sex worker and another death that seems to be related.

Love the storyline with Geraldine but Ian`s undercover work was a bit unbelievable so marked it down a point.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Leigh Russell has published 24 novels since 2009, mostly featuring DI Geraldine Steel (this is the 16th in that series and the 3rd published in 2021); an average of two per year. Geraldine’s colleague and erstwhile (they have unharmoniously split up) lover, DS Ian Peterson, features in some of her earlier stories and has his own series (of 3 books). In this book he features in a separate story, making this two short novels running in parallel.
In Geraldine’s story, a street prostitute in York s accidentally killed by a punter, who makes a hash of disposing of the body. He has been seen by someone who then proceeds to blackmail him. As the police flail around trying to identify the killer, he slowly becomes more and more paranoid that his wife will find out and hand him in. Geraldine is distracted because Ian has disappeared although a replacement DS looks like a potential love interest
In Ian’s story, he has gone undercover in London, penetrating a drug ring. The secrecy involved means that Geraldine has no idea where he is or what he is involved in. She also doesn’t know that his motive for applying for this role is to trace a particular dealer and persuade him to stop terrorising her twin sister so that the latter can come out of witness protection. He has to take significant risks including faking deaths, as he tries to preserve himself and his colleagues, one of whom is his supposed girlfriend and a potential love interest.
Fans of the series will probably lap it up, but neither plot is particularly original or surprising, nor are they excitingly written to maintain tension in the reader. In particular, the background to the split between the lead characters and the situation involving the sister are rehearsed at several points breaking up the flow without advancing the story.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

5 stars are not enough for this book! I absolutely loved every minute of this and was completely hooked from the first line. A fan of The Geraldine Steel series from the first book and a member of the ‘Bring Back Ian Peterson’ gang I was looking forward to reading this but there is always the risk, as often happens in long running series, that it will be a bit ‘meh’. Nothing meh about this! Number 16 in the series and I think quite possibly it is the best one yet. The book is like a double bonus as we follow Geraldine in York as she investigates a case of a dead woman and Ian in London as he goes undercover with the drugs squad. The two stories are told in alternating chapters, all the while the two characters think about each other. Both plots are excellent and gripping. I used to think Ian was a bit of a wimp and Geraldine was the strong character but he certainly shows his worth here. Nice developments in the subplot and the introduction of a new character which I hope we see more of in the future

This books follows two cases DI Geraldine Steel is investigating the case of a murdered sex worker whilst DI Ian Paterson is working undercover in London on a ganglands drugs bust.

The two plots where very separate and it felt like was reading two books at times.

A British crime series full of drama, this is a well established series however I haven't read any of the others in the series so have no comparison to other editions.

Another corker of a Geraldine Steel book.

As usual she is in the thick of things. This is a well written book and number 16 in the series. It is easily read as a standalone but can equally be enjoyed as part of the series.

She is assertive and brash as usual and is always on the ball.

This book is fast paced and, for me, was a quick, easy read. It was thrilling and included plenty of suspense and drama.

Recommended, 4 stars from me

Another very good read in the Geraldine Steel series. Set in York and London it's an interesting plot with good characterisation and plenty of drama. Although part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. Not my favourite book in the series but worth a read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is my second outing with DI Geraldine Steele, and like before, I struggled to get my teeth into it. On paper, it sounds like a fascinating police procedural, but somehow it dragged and some parts needed a serious suspension of disbelief. I was initially intrigued by the killer's perspective being included in the story, but I wasn't that keen about the narrative alternating between Geraldine and her ex Ian. Also, Ian's undercover adventure was rather over-the-top.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I love the Geraldine Steel series of books and have read them all. This one does not disappoint. Geraldine is a very strong character and the twists and turns of her life make for a good read. The crimes that she is solving are always very good too.

Loved the main characters in this book and was really rooting for it to turn out well for them. Great sense of menace too.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

A sex worker dies in suspicious circumstances in York. As DI Geraldine Steel tries to stay focused on the investigation, Her partner, Ian Peterson, risks his own life working undercover in London. A second victim is discovered in York while, unknown to Geraldine, Ian is attacked by an unknown psychopath.

Whilst investigating the murder of a sex worker who had been found in the local woods, there's not much evidence to go on. Then a second body is found. Ian Peterson, Geraldine's former partner is working undercover in London for the drugs unit.

Although the book is part of a series it does read well as a standalone. The pace is fast in this well thought out book. The story is told through Geraldine, Ian and Thomas's perspectives. I did find some of the story a little far fetched in places.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OldcastleBooks and the author #LeighRussell for my ARC of #DeepCover in exchange for an honest review.

Deep Cover by Leigh Russell is the 16th book in the DI Geraldine Steel series, although Deep Cover is my introduction.
In short, DI Geraldine Steel whilst investigating a murder case she finds herself struggling to remain focused due to the disappearance of her colleague and partner, Ian Paterson.
Deep Cover is three stories woven into one, Geraldine’ s murder case, Ian’s undercover investigation and Thomas’s, the killer in Geraldine’s case, self preservation mission.
If you like a good old British crime series and you are familiar with the DI Geraldine Steel series, which has a huge following, then this is probably for you, however, I thought although the story was ok it didn’t wow’ me…unfortunately I lost interest in Geraldine’s case and found myself skipping bits which I very rarely do in a book!! Either this isn’t a series for me or it’s just unfortunate that I read this book first!
Big thanks to Geraldine Steel, No Exit Press and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Detective inspector Geraldine Steel is back - there’s a murder of a prostitute in York, but something isn’t right - it doesn’t feel like a ‘normal’ murder of a working girl.
Meanwhile, Ian Peterson, Geraldine’s ex boyfriend and work partner has gone south to London without warning. What is he up to?
Whilst Geraldine tries to understand what has happened to the prostitute, Ian finds himself in gangland London - working for one of the big guns of the underworld. He has to rely on his new team for his safety - especially when he is told to get rid of one of his new colleagues.
Had me hooked from the beginning - Deep Cover is another great thriller from Leigh Russell.
Thanks to #Netgalley for the chance to read this great book.

This is another book in the DI Geraldine Steel series but works fine as a standalone. Geraldine is in York investigating the death of a sex worker, whilst her colleague (and recently ex-partner), Ian, has been whisked off to London with hardly any notice to work undercover.

A second killing happens in York, which ramps up Geraldine’s investigation, and Ian seems to be at high risk from the drug dealers he’s undercover with.

This had me hooked from the start and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oldcastle Books/No Exit for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A middle aged man , whilst his wife is away . picks up a prostitute and takes her back to his house and having left his wallet in the car , an argument about payment occurs and the girl falls , hits her head and is killed . The man panics and hides the body in the woods . When the body is found Geraldine Steel investigates but keeps hitting dead ends , and then another body is found nearby .Again not many clues , but the same unknown DNA on both victims. Meanwhile Geraldine's former partner (in work and personal life , Ian, after an argument moves to London and goes undercover working his way into a drug baron and strip club boss . He uses his position here to put pressure on another dealer who has been threatening Geraldine's twin sister and forcing her into hiding and unable to see Geraldine . However is Ian (or Archie , his undercover name} , falling for a girl who is also working undercover at the club.. Will he return to Geraldine in York ? Will Geraldine find the killer . You need to read to find out .A good read once again from this author.

Ian has moved to London from York after just 'splitting up' with his girlfriend Geraldine. he ends up working undercover trying to crack a drugs network with the drugs squad. Meanwhile Geraldine is on the hunt for a killer, with no connections to.the two women, the police have nothing to go on. It's only when a van is dumped in some woods that they begin to close in on the suspect.
Ian realises he loves Geraldine and still wants to be with her, so is trying whilst undercover to put things right, then when he gets home to York he hopes things will be back to normal!! He didn't realise just how dangerous these people are, will he get back to York to be with Geraldine or will his new 'boss ' have him.disappear?

Loved reading this book and will be recommending it to friends and family. many thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read it I will be looking out for more from Leigh in the future.