Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.
This was an engaging read which feels like it could be the first in a series. Laughton Rees is estranged from her police commissioner father, but is pulled into an ongoing murder investigation. She finds herself threatened and in grave danger during the ongoing investigation. There is quite a twist at the end of the novel but the ends are tied up quite nicely.

Having loved Simon Toyne's previous Sanctus Trilogy (Dan Brown territory hut way better) I thought I'd give Dark Objects a go and so glad I did. Toyne ventures into crime territory and the police investigation keeps you hooked! Another winner from Toyne!

Wow - what an absolutely brilliant thriller. I couldn’t read it fast enough- I was completely gripped. The writing is exceptionally good, If I could award more than 5 stars I would. Definitely the best thriller I have read all year. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to this novel.

An author at the top of his game,this writer just keeps on getting better and better.
A gutsy main female character but with flaws and family issues, a riveting story line.
Enthralling and spell binding I loved reading this book.

Oh, how I enjoyed reading this book. It is really a great feeling when you get a few pages into a new book and realise that it is going to keep you engaged until the very last word. Dark Objects certainly did that for me and I believe that it will for you too.

An excellent choice to have very, very close to the top of your reading list, it is that good.

This book is so, so good.

The plot is dark, creepy and utterly intriguing. Having the chapters from the killers point of view add an extra intensity.

I was hooked from the very first page and read late into the night. It's fast paced and the drama doesn't let up til the very end. I did not expect that ending!

Absolutely brilliant 5 star thriller.

Having read The Sanctus Trilogy I was looking forward to this new book and it’s a great read.
A woman is found murdered in her home and when the Police arrive, they realise some strange objects have been placed around her body.
One of these items is a book by forensic professor, Laughton Rees.
DCI Tannahil contacts Laughton and asks her opinion on the crime scene. Whilst she doesn’t normally work on live cases, this one pulls her in.
This is a gripping crime thriller with several layers that definitely kept me guessing who the killer was.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I really liked this one! I read this book in one sitting because I just struggled to put it down, I don’t think I ate (or went to the bathroom) for the 9 hours it took me to get through this one. The plot was gripping, and while I did see a few of the reveals coming it didn’t take anything away from the story!

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me a copy!

An excellent read from Simon Toyne.

It gripped me from the opening scene and the tension and suspense continued until the very end and even then there was a total twist that surprised me completely, but which also made absolute sense.

I’d like to think that there may get be a second novel featuring the 2 main characters in which to get to know them better, but I’m guessing that this is a one-off as I’m not sure that Toyne could develop as situation where they could join forces again.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
The first publication I've read by Simon Toyne.
If this the standard of book he writes then it certainly won't be the last.
Without doubt the best book I've read so far in 2022.
Fast paced, with unexpected twists and two extremely likable but very different main characters.
If you're a fan a crime thriller genre, then you won't be disappointed with this one.

I really hope that this is going to be the first book in a series. The author has developed two fantastic characters . Dr Laughton Rees and DCI Tannahill Khan as the lead investigator.
This book has you gripped from the very start. A woman found murdered in a luxury mansion. Near her body is a book by Dr Lees.. Who is this dead woman and where is her husband who is obviously the prime suspect for her murder.

As we begin the investigation more comes to light on Laughtons past and her estranged father.

Could her life also be in danger?

This is a great police procedural story which will hold your attention until the shock of the ending. I imagine this book would also be very good translated onto the television

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

This author is a first for me but it won’t be the last time I pick up one of his books. A police procedural story where the author seems to actually know what they are writing about, excellent!

From the start the plot was fast paced and very readable. The settings were good and the characterisation superb, I really hated the characters I was supposed to hate!

The story starts with a murder at a luxury mansion, and the continuing plot definitely keeps the reader interested. There was a little too much padding at times (the gym springs to mind) and the ending, though really well written was a little far fetched, but still very enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley.

Excellent. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the references to place I know and the characters were believable. I didn't guess the ending and there were lots of twists and turns. I would thoroughly recommend and look forward to the author's next book.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

The story opens in a a luxury home in North London. The cleaner arrives and punches the codes in the complicated security system. She begins cleaning the house from the bottom as usual but when she climbs the stairs she finds one of her employers, Kate Miller, stabbed to death and laid out with various articles about her body. The police are stymied because they can find out nothing about Kate or her husband Mike. Before a year ago this couple appears not to have existed. Their passports and driving licences are newly issued and all bills and dealings with the house are done through an offshore company. Who are they and why have they been killed?
Amongst the objects found by Mrs Miller's body is copy of Laughton Rees' book about how to keep a murder scene clean. Laughton is reluctantly pulled in as a consultant on the case because she needs some extra cash to help her daughter move schools. When Mr Miller's body is found a few days later, yet more evidence appears that seems to tie Laughton in to the case in some way.
This story pulled me in right from the start. The setting was unusual and the characters quirky. The writing is good, easy to read with just enough description but keeping the plot flowing well. There are several well thought out and complex changes in direction as the story twists and turns and a few moments of humour as the neighbours frantically message each other about what is going on.
I very much enjoyed this novel, which pulled me in straight away and I would definitely look out for more books by this author.
With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

A cleaner arrives at her employer’s house to find her dead and her body deliberately presented in a disturbing way, with a book by Laughton Rees on the floor. Laughton’s own mother was murdered and she has resented her father for this ever since. As more bodies are found, Laughton realises she is involved in this somehow. She is also contending with her daughter’s teenager years and trauma. DCI Tannahill is investigating and trying piece together what has happened. I enjoyed the parts with her daughter and felt this was well written. The murderer was creepy and the police procedural part was good. I found the ending a bit unbelievable. Still, I enjoyed this and read it quickly. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

This book captivated me from the first page which starts with the killer watching the cleaner discover the body of a millionaire after she has been brutally murdered in her London mansion. Her husband is missing.
I absolutely loved the writing style and immediately connected with the story. The short chapters with lots of cliffhangers kept me reading on everytime.

Laughton Rees, is still recovering from watching her own mother murdered at a young age whilst now trying to raise her own teenage daughter. Laughton blames her father, the police commissioner as he failed to protect them. Her book on forensics is one of the four key pieces of mysterious evidence that the murderer left at the scene.
But how is she connected to the recent murder? Why is the killer emailing the press with key information about the murder? Can Laughton help DCI Tannahill solve it?
I loved the central characters and could really emphasise with Laughton who was trying to come to terms with her past whilst trying to help her troubled daughter. The Laughton/Tannahill duo made a great team and I would love to read more books with these 2 central characters. It would make a great series! The cryptic clues left by the murderer were a great element of the story too.

All parts of the book come together brilliantly by the end to reach such a satisfying ending. There was a shocking twist too which I hadn't seen coming.

I will definitely be going back to read all the previous books writen by this fantastic author.
An atmospheric mystery thriller that I would highly recommend.

4.5 stars.

The book opens with the discovery of a shocking murder. Kate Miller is found brutally stabbed to death in her luxury home, she is surrounded by an assortment of strange objects - a stuffed unicorn toy, a couple of old medals on a ribbon, a set of keys and a small book - How to Process a Murder by Laughton Rees.

DCI Tannahill Khan is the lead investigator. Dr Laughton Rees is a renowned criminologist who also happens to be the daughter of the Commissioner of police. Khan tries to recruit Laughton as a consultant on the case. She is reluctant but when it becomes apparent that she will not be left alone she reluctantly agrees. Laughton is estranged from her father since the death of her mother at the hands of the Masked Monster when she was 15. She blamed her father and has had nothing to do with him since. The killer, McVey, was eventually caught and imprisoned and has since died but current events are bringing his name back into the public eye as journalist Brian Slade ruthlessly chases the story.

Kate’s husband, Mike Miller, is nowhere to be found and is the chief suspect until he is also found dead in a similar tableau to his wife. After that the pace of the story goes nuts. And it seems that Laughton is central to whatever is going on. The story starts to take on really dark overtones and there is a sense of creeping menace as Laughton and her 15 year old daughter, Grace, appear to be in extreme danger.

But things are not as they seem. The Millers are not really the Millers and the killer is not who you think they are either. The ending is a jaw dropper and I’m sure that the killer’s intentions got out of control. Laughton, who for so long had sought anonymity and sough to shelter her daughter found the strength to face her demons and finally be open with Grace. Khan was a wonderful professional character who is the sort of person you would want in a police officer. The writing was excellent and kept me glued to the pages throughout. I would be keen to read more from this author. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the much anticipated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Cecilia Barnes is a cleaner for the Millers who is live in a modern glass fronted house, secluded in the grounds of Highgate cemetery. She does not know what they do for a living but must be good to live in a home like this. It is her usual day to clean. But when she enters the home, she finds Karen Miller dead with several objects around her. It is a gruesome site, and the blood will not be able to get rid of easily is Cecilia’s first thought as the room is all white. One of the objects at the scene is a book written by Laughton Rees a forensic professor ‘How to process a murder’. The author’s father is a police commissioner, but they are both estranged from one another. Somehow the killer has taken note of the instructions in the book and when they process the scene it is hard to find any evidence of the killer.
Straight way they think that the killer must the husband Mike Miller as he seems to be missing. But further into the investigation run by Tannahill Khan from the North London Murder squad and with the help of Laughton Rees the find that this is not the case. They also discover Mike Miller’s body in a different location. Tannahill wants to know why the Millers where targeted? When they fin dout who the Millers really are suddenly it starts to come clear.
Thank you, Harper Collins, for a copy of Dark Objects by Simon Toyne is the first book from the author that I have read, and I found it a fascinating read. I can’t wait to discover the other books that this author has written. Dark Objects is a well written and plotted story that a first is a slow burner but gets more interesting as things are revealed. They may not be the most likeable characters but are well developed and Tannahill and Rees work well together. I understand this is a standalone thriller, but I do hope the author re-considers and continues this story because I would like to see how it develops. 5 stars from me.

I've not read this author before, but when M.W.Craven tells you this is his favourite book so far this year, you rush to read it.

A tense killer thriller, with a meticulous killer who doesn't leave a trace, but carefully places cryptic objects as clues around the brutally slaughtered victim.

I was grabbed from the start. I loved the style of writing.

The main characters Criminology academic Dr Laughton Rees, (who immerses herself in studying historical crime scenes to blot out her own past) and DCI Tannahil Khan make a great team, and I hope there'll be more to come.

Imagine Michael Robotham quality characterisation with the cold, slightly detached style of Will Carver and the urgent threat and tension of TV's Luther or A.A.Dhand's Harry Virdee series. It's a powerful and winning combination.

I raced through it, and couldn't stop thinking about it when not reading.

Overall it excels on the characters and style, rather than the plot, but a thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended read.


Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK

The London mansion was as secure as it could possibly be. Surrounded by security cameras, entry required both a lengthy code as well as a fingerprint check. Yet inside, a woman lies dead. Brutally stabbed, she is found lying on the floor – posed, it seems, surrounded by four objects, one of which is the bible of forensics written by Dr Laughton Rees.

Laughton lives a troubled life. After witnessing the murder of her mother, she has struggled to get back on track, if only to give her own daughter a chance at life. Working at university, she only works on cold cases – until she becomes part of one.

Now it seems that Laughton is integral to the killer’s plans. Past sins cannot, it seems, be forgiven. But many people carry such a burden…

And the short straw for “Next book after a blooming masterpiece” goes to Dark Objects. It’s a new novel by an author who I’ve not encountered before. Why this one? Well, I was a little lured in the blurb which hinted at a locked room mystery. Hinted, rather than claimed, otherwise I’d have blasted that aspect to high heavens, as it’s obvious how the killer got in. But it’s an aspect of the plot that isn’t particularly important, so we’ll give that a free pass.

There are a couple of particular reasons why I can recommend this one. First of all, there was a point about a third of the way through. I suddenly realised that not an awful lot had happened, plot-wise, apart from the initial murder, and despite this, I was enjoying the book. It never felt like it was moving slowly, even when, with regard to the investigation, it was. The second is the ending, which I did not see coming at all.

All in all, it’s a good read. There are a couple of moments when the author takes the opportunity to get on his soapbox about knife crime and how it’s dealt, but as I basically agree with everything he says, that’s not a problem for me. One thing that I didn’t think necessary was one chapter where the newspaper reporter who’s an integral part of the plot shows just how unpleasant he is. Given that overall subject matter, this is a great example of providing darkness without ever having to be explicit – apart from this one chapter. It came across as a little jarring against the rest of the narrative.

Overall though, this is a very effective thriller, a real page-turner, with some excellent choices at the end. Readers who buy it from the Amazon description of “A gripping new 2022 crime thriller with an Irish detective and female investigator” might be in for a bit of a shock with the “Irish” bit though.