This is a great crime thriller.
I’ve only read one other book in this series and I’d say this is fine as a stand alone.
DS Maeve Kerrigan is a great character and DI Josh Derwent is great as her colleague.
They both get more than they bargained for when they are asked to move in together and act as a couple undercover.
There has been a death in a quiet close and they are asked to keep an eye on the neighbours and one house in particular.
More than one neighbour has secrets and Maeve and Josh have their hands full trying to identify the killer.
This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Another absorbing read from Jane Casey. Her two detectives, DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent, are credible characters, having very intense moods and periods of secrecy, which we gradually come to understand and even forgive. They are particularly badly suited to this latest assignment of living undercover in a suburban close to check on the illegal activities of a local resident, as they are thrown together despite recent problems in their respective home lives, and the resulting claustrophobia serves to exacerbate their working and personal relationship. However, this increases the tension in the house as they investigate other serious crimes they become involved in. I liked the perspective of a watching and unidentified suspect alongside the detectives' work, which heightened the suspense of the final reveal. I really enjoyed the book, which worked as a stand-alone read as well as part of a series.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Close’.

I love this series by Jane Casey. The main characters are particularly well constructed, and have grown throughout the life of the novels

The relationship between Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent has a new light shone on it this time, as they're sent undercover to the 'Close' of the title.

Their relationship is dissected, picked up and looked at by the author, then put back together or changed in subtle ways. It really is like watching someone take a couple apart, all their emotions and psychology, and putting these building blocks back together in a different pattern. It's incredibly skilful, especially considering there's a gripping murder mystery (or two or three), wrapped around all this.

Easily readable as a stand alone, this series deserves to be read in it's entirety, as readers will get so much more out of each consecutive novel.

A masterclass in character driven, police procedural, murder mystery, relationship analysis writing! Looking forward to the next one. Easy 5 stars from me.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Close’, the tenth in the Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent series written by Jane Casey, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As DS Maeve Kerrigan investigates the discovery of Dr Hussan Dahwoud’s body in the hospital car park, DI Josh Derwent chooses her to go undercover with him following the death of a young man he believes to be connected to one of the residents living in Jellicoe Close. Just as these two cases come to a conclusion Maeve ends up catching more criminals than she’d anticipated.

‘The Close’ is a well-written and extremely gripping police procedural thriller that has loads of suspense, intrigue and twists and turns that’s kept me glued to my Kindle from page one. The characters from Jellicoe Close are a mixed bunch but perfectly described as Maeve gets the feeling that something evil is lurking under the surface. I’ve enjoyed reading of Josh and Maeve’s relationship as they share a house and am left puzzling whether they will or won’t finally get together. This is an excellent book that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and can wholeheartedly recommend.

An engaging police procedural, The Close is an enjoyable instalment in a gripping series which provides a much-needed update for its brilliant characters.

There are two investigations going on here, and both are very intriguing. One takes more dominance over the other, and I loved the concept of having Maeve go undercover in a small community, getting to know the neighbours and trying to figure out whose involved in the crimes going on.

I couldn't predict how either case would wrap up, and there are some great twists along the way. However, the investigations do take a backseat to the domestic drama in this instalment. Maeve went through a lot in the last book, so Casey appears to be taking the time here to give her a slight break, some time to come to terms with her issues, and for her to figure out how to move forward.

The story can be read as a standalone, but there are a lot of hints to what happened in the last book. Maeve does recap the events more fully closer to the end, but readers who haven't read a book in this series before may not understand her state of mind or relationship with Derwent so they may find this instalment too domestic, so I definitely recommend reading The Cutting Place, at least, to get some needed context.

Fans of the series are sure to love it, though, to have Maeve back, to see her relationship with Derwent develop, and for the promise of a lot more to come!

The Close Jane Casey
4 stars

I have only read 2 of the Maeve Kerrigan books before but this book was fine as a standalone.

Maeve is investigating a murder of a surgeon whose body has been found in the hospital car park in his car. However she is suddenly asked to take part in an undercover investigation which involves moving to a small village and living in a cottage with DI Josh Derwent whilst pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend.
One of the inhabitants of the village, Judy Thwaites, is suspected of harbouring destitute people in order to traffic them. One of the men who had been staying with Judy had been discovered dead in a derelict building in London. However as this person was the brother-in-law of an important person the crime needs to be solved.

When Maeve moves into the village she finds it full of, on the surface, ordinary couples, however nothing is as it seems and Maeve finds herself drawn into their lives and their secrets. When Gillian Holding, an elderly lady suffering with dementia is found dead in the lake a murder investigation is needed which Maeve and Josh cannot get involved in without blowing their cover. Added to this is suspicions of abuse both physical and sexual and this seemingly peaceful village is anything but!

There are many twists and turns before the murderer is revealed but the other predominant theme of this book is the relationship between Josh and Maeve. It is obvious that they have feelings for each other but Josh is in a long standing relationship and is very attached to his girlfriend’s son. Having not read the previous books I am not sure if this situation has been bubbling under for some time but the sexual tension between them pervades the book and I found this a little too much and it detracted from the main story. Having said that I will look out for the next book in this series as I did enjoy this one.


Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

The Close is book 10 in Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series. I've read one of the others and felt fine to dive into this one after a gap - you could just as easily read it as a standalone. Saying that, I think you'd gain some benefit in being more familiar with the characters and their history.

Why? Because The Close is as much about the cops and their relationships as it is about crime. DS Maeve Kerrigan is persuaded to go undercover, 'house-sitting' in a residential close that may or may not have seen someone taking advantage of vulnerable adults. But for safety and to be convincing, she needs to house-sit with DI Josh Derwent. Forced to spend time together, a will they, won't they situation soon develops.

There are some nicely tense moments as they establish themselves undercover. The neighbours are a mixed bunch - some creepy, some alpha males, some eager to judge. One specific house is under suspicion but more than one neighbour has dark motives...

I enjoyed the book - I know streets like the one depicted here well - and its crime plots but I find it difficult to rate. The 'romance' wasn't resolved enough for me to make it truly work in the context of a single book. For me personally, it took away somewhat from the very good mysteries the author has created. However, if you're a long term fan of the whole series, I can see how this might be something you've been waiting for for a long time! 3.5 rounded up to 4.

A gripping Read with plot within plot that gets your Grey cells working overtime at points . Not one to really read at Bedtime as it leaves you puzzling over things rather than resting & sleeping ,rather like one of the Police Detectives in the story.#NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

It was because of Rula Jacques that DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent were living together in Jellicoe Close.

If you're a regular reader of the Maeve Kerrigan series you'll have read that sentence twice and wondered if it's a massive spoiler because there is a delicious sexual chemistry between the two which seems very, very real. But (there's always a 'but', isn't there?) Josh has a partner and he dotes on her son, even if the relationship with Melissa can be a little rocky. As for Maeve, she's just come out of an abusive relationship which has left her more than a little uncertain.

So, how come they're living together and what has the woman who's assistant to the mayor of London got to do with it? Well, the body of her thirty-three-year-old brother-in-law has been found and so far his death has been written off as another homeless man whose emaciated body had turned up in a derelict building. Case closed. Rula is not going to accept this. Davy Bidwell had spent some time living with an old lady on Jellicoe Close and no one seems to know what happened when he left there. There had been half a dozen men of a similar age who'd done exactly the same thing and no one knows where they are, either. Kerrigan and Derwent are undercover in this lovely suburban street where the bin men coming early caused a scandal.

Only, it's not actually the way it seems. When you look carefully - and that's what Josh and Maeve have to do to see if another lodger turns up - there are a few things which they'd follow up on in other circumstances. They can't though: Josh's cover is that he's a security consultant who works from home and Maeve is his stay-at-home girlfriend and they're dog-sitting for a friend whilst she's away on business. So - they've got to be convincing in those roles and appear to be in a romantic relationship, which they might both actually quite like - or not - but which, for professional reasons, can't come about.

I hope you've got all that clear because you've got to add into the mix that Maeve is actually trying to do her normal job remotely. Currently, she's investigating the murder of a hospital consultant, Hassan Dawoud, whose body was found in his car in the hospital car park. She's doing this through DC Georgia Shaw, who talked as if she was paid by the word.

It's a book to binge on: I couldn't stop reading. I loved the characterisation: Casey handles what occasionally seems like a cast of thousands with aplomb. Kerrigan is a brilliant character but I was most impressed by Derwent. He's arrogant. You suspect he could be dangerous to be around but the tension between him and Kerrigan could be bottled and sold with a cork that needs a wire cage. The plotting is perfect: I had no idea who was going to end up on the wrong side of the law until it was there in black and white and despite all the clues being there. The story is exquisitely put together. When it's said that we're currently in the second golden age of crime writing, this is one of the main series that's driving the thought. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

You could read this book as a standalone but you'd get the most out of it if you started at the beginning.

Having read The Killing Kind and loving it, I was happy to be approved for The Close. Sadly, it was a DNF at about 30%.
No matter how many books I read, I will never ever read a book with a male on the cover without his shirt on and covered with tattoos. And while Josh Derwent probably had no tattoos, and the cover of the book is quite nice, I couldn’t escape the feeling that this book is more about the sexual tension between Maeve and Josh than anything else. There is a suspicious death; a young man is found dead in his car and his husband is a suspect but he has a strong alibi. Maeve has to find out what happened, along with her younger colleague Georgia. Maeve isn’t doing a lot more than worrying about Georgia, whether she’s up to the task or not. Only a day into the case, and Maeve and Josh have to go undercover in Jellicoe Close because there is another suspicious death.
So now we have Maeve who’s worrying about Georgia and Josh who’s worrying about his marriage and his feelings for Maeve. And a street full of people who made it their hobby to know everything about the neighbours, without knowing that one of them may be a killer.
Too many names… there are so many names of potential suspects, the book could have done with a list. And a map, to better understand who’s living where. I lost track soon and that didn’t make reading this book easier. And then the tension between Maeve and Josh which felt more as two teenagers with too many hormones than two adults who apparently been like this for nine books already. I like it when there is a certain chemistry between characters, and it can add a lot to a story, but in this case it took over the story.
This will not withhold me from trying another book by Jane Casey but I will not be running to the bookstore for any more books in this series.
I can understand why this series is so popular, but it’s just not to my taste.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this review copy.

I’m a big fan of Jane Casey’s books, and The Close is another brilliant release from the Maeve Kerrigan series. It’s a book that feels quite different to others in the series, because a lot of this book takes place as Maeve and Josh go undercover in a suburban neighbourhood near London, pretending to be a married couple house-sitting for a friend to infiltrate the community there. This means there’s plenty of sexual tension between the two on top of the investigation and mystery. We also have two investigations taking place simultaneously – the one they’re undercover for, and another serious case involving the death of a surgeon.

Though Maeve feels out of the loop at times, the danger levels in Jellicoe Close – the street they’re both pretending to house sit in – get higher and higher, so we still get plenty of high stakes and mystery alongside Maeve and Josh’s interactions.

There’s lots of history in this book so I’d recommend starting earlier in the series if this is your first book – I haven’t read all of the series but have read enough to know what was going on and appreciate the development in Maeve and Josh’s working and personal relationship.

I hugely enjoyed this novel. I don’t want to give anything else away but just say, if you’re a fan of this series, The Close is a must-read!

Maeve is investigating the murder of a Consultant when she is asked to work with Josh, her Boss, undercover, to uncover why the assistant mayor of London's brother in law was found dead in a derelict house The investigation takes them to Jellicoe Close, where they pose as housesitters. They are specifically targeting one house, but other things are going on and when one of the neighbours is found murdered, they face the dilemma of whether to reveal their identities. Working closely alongside Josh, Maeve finds herself facing another dilemma. A nice pacey read.

This was a gripping thriller, fast paced, with multiple plots and interesting realistic characters. There were lots of twists and turns and I liked the ending. Recommended.

This was a really engrossing read and I thoroughly enjoyed having an update on the characters that I have enjoyed in the previous books in the series.

Moved into a close in a lovely neighbourhood Maeve Kerrigan is undercover with her boss and they have to try and make the residents feel they are a real couple. After her previous ordeal Maeve feels she will never trust or live again and struggles with her feelings for her boss. Can they find the killer on their midst and potentially uncover other secrets in their neighbourhood?

Well written, good characters and by far the best book in the series so far.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved being back in the world of Maeve Kerrigan. So much so I read this straight through in one day. The set up was brilliant - a modern slavery racket is suspected and Maeve must get close to one of the conspirators, an unlikely criminal. The mayor of London’s assistant has brought a sad case to their attention. A young man called Davey who died after suffering neglect, starvation and physical abuse. He was the perfect target for slavery, an easily influenced man with learning disabilities but physically strong and capable. Strangely, there have been other young men go missing from the system after using the same address, that of an elderly lady in a normal suburban close. There needs to be close surveillance so Una Burt puts her best officers on it, Maeve must move into the close with Josh Derwent as her boyfriend, pretending to dog sit for the usual occupant. Josh thinks Maeve needs a break from her normal routine, because after the court case convicting her partner of domestic abuse Maeve has been drifting and not herself at all. Similarly, Maeve thinks Josh could do with a break away from his live in girlfriend Melissa. How will they fare as a couple on the close and will they be able to flush out the conspirators in the slavery case?

I loved the tension between Derwent and Maeve in this story, close together in the house and away from all their usual distractions it brings their chemistry into focus. Every time they behaved like a couple it felt completely natural, until it was imagining them going back to colleagues was unthinkable. They have had so many obstacles in their time as friends, always something preventing them from becoming more, so could this be the perfect timing? At times the tension in their house was more unbearable than the tension in the case! There are parts of Derwent that I don’t like, but I can see ways in which he’d be good for Maeve and vice versa. They ingratiate themselves with the neighbours easily because they sense this chemistry, they seem like a real couple. The elderly lady in question is tricky, seemingly an innocent and kindly woman but if she is involved with mistreating these men, her kindness is all a front. She reveals that she does provide a bed for young men with disabilities from time to time, but doesn’t elaborate on whether it’s an official arrangement. When Maeve discovers there’s a oreviously unknown son, whose wife runs a care home, the chain starts to come together. However this isn’t the only crime lurking under the respectability of suburbia. The author uses short chapters narrated by a man who is very unpleasant and possibly dangerous. He lurks after dark watching through the windows of those who don’t close their curtains, even Josh and Maeve. He has a very incel vibe, so could he be a lone male with little female attention and experience, or is he hiding his feelings about women under the veneer of a happy family man?

I enjoyed watching these people through Maeve’s eyes as her instincts are usually spot on and her insight seems to be coming back to her as the novel continues. This break is exactly what she needed. Her interactions with a lady with dementia in the close are brilliant because Maeve doesn’t dismiss what she claims to have seen just because of her illness. Maeve knows there are moments of lucidity and keeps thinking about what she’s said and trying to interpret it. When she goes missing in the dark Maeve is desperate to find her, but so is our unknown man and it’s a real heart pounding part of the book, hoping against hope that Maeve gets to her first. It’s clear that this seemingly happy and respectable close is anything but, with the men hiding all sorts from irritating foibles to murder. Towards the end I was powering through the pages to find out who was hurting girls in the close, whether Maeve’s fire and copper’s instinct was returning, but also whether Josh and aMaeve were going to confront their feelings for each other. This was an addictive thriller, focusing on one of my favourite fictional police duos and I loved seeing them in a different environment, but still flushing out crime.

This book was okay, it was incredibly well written and I loved the mystery/thriller aspect, I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait for the killer to be revealed. The criminal investigation was so intriguing and suspenseful. However this is the tenth book in the series, although it can be read as a standalone and I was not confused at any part of this book, a lot of the book was a "will they, won't they" and seemed to be more romance at time with a lot of repetition between Maeve and Josh being undercover and not a lot of investigation going on. I think if I had read the previous books I would have enjoyed this more because I would feel closer to the characters and want to learn more about their relationship, but because I didn't I just wanted it to be more focused on the crime aspect and the investigation. I would have rated this higher but because I could not fully connect with a lot of the story I have to give it a 3.5.

DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are sent undercover to Jellicoe Close posing as a couple.
Tensions run high in the close with everyone having secrets. On the surface it seems a typical English suburb but soon events leave the Detectives searching for answers. and someone has evil on their mind.

Undercover work can be tedious, and reading about the mundane and boring non events even more so. However, Jane Casey has managed to make her characters Kerrigan and Derwent make their fictional romantic partnership into a real life drama whilst living in a crime scene.
Moving into a small cul de sac together, the two police officers integrate themselves into the community to discover that this desirable area holds more secrets than anticipated.
I realised part of the way through this book that I had encountered these characters once before ( and enjoyed that story) but this novel drew me in and made for a compelling read. I enjoy crime novels which focus on the detective as much as the crime and perpetrators and this one certainly filled that criteria.
A really good read.

This is the 10th book in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series and it’s every bit as good if not better than the previous 9. As well as two absorbing crimes, it also takes us deeper into Maeve’s confused and complicated relationship with her boss and landlord, DI Josh Derwent.

As the book begins, Maeve is suffering the after effects from the trauma of her violent previous relationship. She knows she’s just going through the motions of the murder investigation of a doctor whose body is found in his car. But that’s ok because DC Georgia Shaw has lost none of her keenness.

Meanwhile, following political intervention, Josh is tasked with investigating the death of a homeless man. Josh is aware Maeve has lost her motivation and decides she needs a break. Investigating the death of Davy Bidwell requires he and Maeve should work under cover in Jellicoe Close as a couple dog sitting while one of the residents goes away.

The Close is a close knit community that seems idyllic on the surface, but of course it’s quickly clear that very little is as it seems. As Josh and Maeve observe their target, they are aware there are so many other dramas taking place in Jellicoe Close.

The investigation of Davy Bidwell is intertwined with Maeve supervising Georgia’s investigation of the doctors death from afar. This works really well and allows Casey to control the tension that’s building up in the Close.

After a slow build up, Maeve’s relationship with Josh is front and centre in this book - her confused feelings are mixed up with the ‘couples in love’ play acting and trying to second guess Derwent’s motivations. But, and this is where Jane Casey is a genius, the relationship elements only enhance the detective part of the story. It is very cleverly done on so many levels and not least the choice of plot.

I was engaged in both crimes - the doctor’s murder seemed to lose focus and then come back and the Jellicoe Close mystery kept me guessing to the end. And while I was concerned the Maeve/Josh element would overshadow the story, I can confirm it doesn’t. Whether you read The Close for the crime or the sexual tension, you won’t be disappointed.

The Close was masterfully crafted and I’m keen to know where Jane Casey takes Maeve (and Josh) next.

Definitely 5 stars and my book of the year so far.

I’m grateful to Netgalley UK and Harper Collins Uk for an advance copy.

It was great to meet up with DS Maeve Kerrigan and her book DI Josh Derwent, in this, their tenth outing. For a change the detectives aren't based in the office but instead are carrying out some surveillance in Jellicoe Close.

This quite street seems to be a lovely area with all the neighbours getting along, it would seem that the two detectives have fallen on their feet with a cute little dog to look after. To blend in the pair need to act as though they are a couple and I can't be the only reader to wonder if the acting would spill over into real life... However they find even more dark goings on than their brief indicated and the pair find themselves torn between that and more recent discoveries.

This was a fantastic read, I have enjoyed the series from the beginning and I'm already looking forward to the next!