Gripping and well written, I requested this to see if it would be a Christmas present.

A happy reader, and a happy gift receiver. Thoroughly recommend.

I enjoyed this book, enough twists and turns 'to keep it exciting', didnt guess the ending amazing, poor crawford- what a good detective!

Under the Marsh was a thrilling read that keeps you guessing but also a plot with a lot of depth so also keeps you thinking about what you are reading.

I have read all of the books in this series, and this was an enjoyable read but not my favourite of the series. Reliably page-turning though.

Firstly, reading about a book set where you live is one of the best things about reading. I live very close to where this book is set and I was able to picture the places and people so well.

There are twists and turns that keep you guessing all the way through. What I would say is that it may be beneficial to read the first 2 books before this one as there are lots of references to past things that I know nothing about.

Great crime story, fantastic setting and I will definitely look to read more by this author.

The third book in this series
Another one in the D.I Monica Kennedy books
Another that had me hooked from the very start till the last page
Thanks NetGalley

I’ve read the previous books in this series and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately,Under the Marsh fell a little flat for me. The investigation wasn’t as engaging as the previous ones. The relationships of Monica, the protagonist, were rather stilted & this made the book a bit of a chore. Hopefully this is a one off as I would be interested in reading more.

One of the big cases that helped DI Monica Kennedy's career was the conviction of serial killer Pauline Tosh. She has been locked away in Carselang prison in the Highlands & has not really crossed Monica's mind much since. When Pauline asks to see Monica & gives her a map showing where a body is buried. Monica always thought that they hadn't found all Tosh's victims but this map throws up more than her & her team expected.

This series is set is the Scottish Highlands round Inverness which is what drew me to it in the first place. (It is always nice to be able picture the setting of a story) Although this is the third in the series it would would work well as a stand alone as there are links to previous events throughout. I enjoyed the previous ones but it's been a while so I was glad of the catch up. The characters are interesting & the story moved at a good pace. I hope it's not too long before we meet these characters again.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I have enjoyed all the books by this author featuring this detective and her colleagues. I have found them to be very good and certainly hold my interest. This one was no exception and I look forward to more of them in the future.
You know by the opening few pages whether a book is going to be good and this one certainly was.
I hope that this is not the end of Monica and Crawford.

A very twisty crime thriller - I enjoyed the pace and characters in this one.

Apologies for the brevity of my review - I thought that I'd reviewed it months ago and have now forgotten many of the finer details. I do remember enjoying it though, and although I haven't read the first two in the series, it worked well as a stand-alone thriller.

I read and liked all the books in this series. This one is the best so far: it kept me guessing even the author played fair.
Great characters, gripping plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to #NetGalley and #VintageDigital for the advance copy of #UnderTheMarsh by #GRHalliday
Do you know how sometimes you know just from the first page how good a book is going to be. This was one of those books.
It’s the third in the Detective Monica Kennedy series and although I hadn’t read the first two it was easy to pick up.
When a serial killer that Monica put away 12 years ago wants to see her, Monica hopes it’s to give closure to a family missing a loved one, but nothing ever that straightforward.
A terrific read that grabs you from the first page.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading this was like watching one of those highly addictive tv police dramas. I can’t help but binge them and reading this was no different, I couldn’t put it down!

After finishing this I was a little confused that there had been hints throughout the book to the MC’s past with no conclusion….imagine my surprise when I Googled it and found out it’s the third book in a series 🤦‍♀️ Despite me going straight in with the third book I really enjoyed it and it worked pretty well as a stand alone; I bet it’s even better if you’ve read the first two books first though 🙈😂

This was so good! A serial killer is locked away and essentially admits to another crime when she reveals the location of a body...But all the evidence is pointing to her not having been the killer for this one. In what seems like a small community, everything is intertwined and keeps you on your toes!

An excellent book full of twists and turns keeping me guessing and intigued throughout. Loved the character development. Looking forward to Halliday's next book

DI Monica Kennedy, invited to visit serial killer Pauline Tosh in Carselang prison, is given a crude map locating a burial site. But who or what is buried there? Monica is worried that this is just a practical joke, after all it was she who had put Tosh away 12 years ago, but can’t ignore the information. The site yields up the body of a young woman, late teens to early twenties who has died of manual strangulation. This was Tosh’s usual method but otherwise the case doesn’t fit her profile. While the police must initially start trawling through missing persons data we, the readers, may have an advantage because the opening chapter has given us details of the abduction of a young woman, Freya Sutherland, in circumstances that fit with the discovery. Things quickly gets more complicated as the investigation into Freya’s disappearance start to throw up details of her friendship with other youngsters who are now nationally prominent figures. Was Tosh her killer, or was she just playing games with Monica by dressing up snippets of gossip picked up in the prison? And, if it wasn’t Tosh, then who, and why, and how become challenging questions.
This is the third book featuring Monica Kennedy, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. Any background necessary to the case is merged in fairly seamlessly. Quite a lot of previous history about Monica is also provided, bolstering the ‘troubled cop’ trope which is frequently employed in police procedurals. I found that a bit excessive, even a bit irrelevant, but I know there will be fans who relish such detail so I’m not knocking it. Other than that, the writing is quite tight. As regards the story itself, all the events take place in the vicinity of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, although there is nothing very Scottish about it (any rural UK place would work). The plot is nicely convoluted with a lot of possible scenarios to be explored. I did have a suspicion as to the identity of the killer, but it isn’t until very late on in the story that some crucial facts appear, so I really didn’t solve it until Monica did. Many readers will be in the ‘never saw that coming’ camp. Overall, a very sound and competent tale.
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.

A wonderful setting, great characters and fascinating plots. The Monica Kennedy series set in the Scottish Highlands is well written, always engrossing and perhaps underrated. Long may Monica thrive!

When serial killer Pauline Tosh, whom Monica help put away for life, 12 years ago, requests a visit from the DI, Monica is cautious. Is Pauline playing games? But when she hands Monica a map, possibly marking where a body is buried, Monica knows she must check it out. Another one of Pauline’s victims? Sure enough, buried under the marshlands, is the body of a young girl.

This is the third book in the series featuring DI Monica Kennedy and having read and enjoyed the first 2, I was looking forward to another story featuring this highly likable MC. Monica makes for a great character, reasonable normal and relatable, unlike some other Scottish detectives : ) and along with her mum and young daughter, it was nice to revisit them all in this new highly engaging read.

Full of twists, new leads and misdirection plotted by the author, I was soon captivated and couldn’t wait to continue with the story.

We follow Monica as she investigates the murder and learn, through small flash backs from the victim herself about what possibly happened to her years previously. Via these flash backs and as we follow the teams investigations we are introduced to an array of possible suspects and persons whom could have been involved. Plus also Monica partner, DS Conor Crawford is acting incedingly out of character. Is he hiding something??

Wonderful descriptions of the harsh, remote but beautiful settings of the surrounding areas these books are based is also another plus point to these books. The whole pace of the story, flow of the writing and narration of these books is what makes them so easy to read. Grabbing my attention straight from the start and holding my interest throughout, this new novel always kept the story moving yet at the same time always allowing room to get a feel for what the characters were thinking and the progression of our main regulars.

I thought I had guessed the murderer, then generally thought I hadn’t, only to realise at the end I had!

Another great addition to this thoroughly enjoyable Scottish crime fiction series, and one which I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to the publisher for my digital ARC via NetGalley. Under The Marsh is out on Thursday!

DI Monica Kennedy receives a letter from serial killer Pauline Tosh, who she put in prison over a decade ago. Tosh claims she has information and as Monica always felt there were more victims of Tosh's that they didn't find she feels compelled to visit her. Tosh gives Monica a map marked with a cross apparently showing where a body is buried and knows they will have to investigate.
The body of a young woman is found but it's not as simple as it seems. Was the victim actually killed by Tosh and if not, how did she know where the burial site was. To get answers Monica and the team will have to look back to 1994 and the disappearance of a young woman who was never found.
With twists and turns this is my favourite Monica Kennedy book so far.

I am unable to give a full and fair review of this book, as I did not realise it is the third in a series. I find myself unable to follow this story until I can read the first two novels in the series. Well written,but a DNF for me meantime.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.