This was OK, but I can’t say I feel the urge to look up any of the other books. I hadn’t realised this was book 9 in a series (my fault!), but it does explain why I felt there was a lot of history that was mentioned but I had no clue about! Bit of an odd with the main mystery of the dead driver with the dead man in the boot, which I can’t say I totally buy the explanation for. The missing daughter felt shoehorned in for padding, and the cold case was a bit of a drag too. Unfortunately not one for me.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.

A great addition to the Tom mariner series. Liked the insight we got into the younger Tom and the excitement of both cases being worked.

Thoroughly enjoyed this latest book by Chris Collett in the series featuring Detective Tom Mariner and his crew investigating the remains of an eighteen year old girl called Robina found on a campsite. She was missing in 1976 and Tom had met her when he was there on holiday with his mum Rose and had a short courtship. I would recommend Midnight Lies to anyone who likes a good mystery thriller.

I found that there was quite a lot happening in this book and at times it was hard to keep up with. The idea was there but I think it just lacked in the execution. Thank you.

This book was engaging and well written. It featured Tom Mariner, Birmingham, England police inspector and two cases he was involved with, one personally and one on the job. This book was fast paced and action packed. I highly recommend it to other police procedural readers.

Would really recommend this book, it was a brilliant twisty suspense read that was hard not to put down. The characters in the book were so well thought out and written that you thought you were with them and knew them. I loved the story and the psychological thriller of the book. Was glad to see there are other titles under this series of books which I will definitely be reading.

I have been a fan of Chris’s work for a while now. I absolutely love the Detective Inspector Tom Mariner series. ‘Midnight Lies’ is the ninth book in the series and it’s a cracking read, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I saw the name of ‘Chris Collett’ on the cover of a book that I hadn’t read before, I knew that I was in for a treat. The synopsis of the book drew me in and the story between the covers of the book sealed the deal as it were. I had picked the book up only intending to read a couple o chapters to say that I had made a start. The only problem was that I ended up becoming so wrapped up in the investigation and in the lives of the main characters that I was still sat there over an hour and several chapters later. I loved the way in which we learnt a bit more about Tom’s past and how the past is impacting on the present. I couldn’t turn the pages of the book quickly enough I as worked my way through the story. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to see if my suspicions were correct or not. I reached the end of ‘Midnight Lies’ and I had to say goodbye to Tom and his team. I found ‘Midnight Lies’ to be an unputdownable page turner of a read. I found this to be a tense and dramatic read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Midnight Lies’ is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing else from Chris Collett. She certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draws them into what proves to be one hell of a story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Midnight Lies’ felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you think that you could take a minute to gather your thoughts and take a breather then off the action would go again. I love the way in which Chris makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Midnight Lies’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Chris’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is the ninth book in the brilliant series featuring Detective Tom Marriner of the West Midlands Police. Tom is called out to a traffic road accident where Victor Paszek, an elderly man, crashed his car and gone into a ditch but discovers a body in the boot of his car. The body in the boot appears to be a Vietnamese man with horrific injuries. Whilst following this up a body of a young woman has been discovered in Norfolk and appears to be Robina Scanlon, a sixteen year old girl who went missing forty years ago. The detective investigating this case uncovers evidence that Tom knew this girl as he had a holiday romance on a camping holiday just before she went missing. He agrees to travel to Norfolk to assist their enquiries and recall all the memories from his youth. As well as the two main plots, there are various sub plots happening. This makes for a gripping read, with plenty of twists and turns and shocking revelations making it a book I couldn’t put down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first book i have read in the Tom Mariner series, but this did not affect the story line at all. A very easy to read, stand alone book which trapped me from the beginning and kept me guessing to the end.

3 seperate story lines are woven into this book.
Tom is under internal police investigation following the pursuit of a criminal who fell from a height during the chase and is blaming Tom for having pulled him down.

Tom takes this time to travel to Norfolk to asisst with the investigation into the body of a woman who has been found. The victim is linked back to Toms teenage years and a summer holiday and his first proper romance.

Meanwhile his own team are faced with 2 dead bodies in a crashed car, the driver, an gentleman in his 80s who seems to have experienced a heart attack at the wheel. However, discovered wrapped in sacking is the unidentified body of a younger gentleman. Investigations into the deaths lead down a twisted path of possible immigrants being worked illegally.

Highly recommend a read of thos book and i will definetly be looking for others by this author.

Nice , easy to read , good storyline . interesting plot , well written . Twists and turns , keeps the reader interested

There was a lot happening in this book, from jumping back and forth timelines, 2 different mysteries to solves, and lots of different details, which oftentimes made it confusing to follow. For me, it just didn't hold my attention and I kept waiting for the story to just be over. While this was a miss, I'd be interested in reading other books from the author to see if they are any different.

This is book 9 in the DI Mariner series and can be read as a standalone novel. In this book, Mariner:
- is under internal investigation for an injury caused to a suspect while he was attempting to detain him.
- is helping his team investigate a fatal car crash, one that contained a dead body in the trunk.
- is helping another jurisdiction solve a cold case involving the murder of a friend he knew long ago.
- is assisting his team in locating a missing child.

Thoughts: This is a complex book, with multiple layers, and a lot going on. I had to focus heavily on which characters were which. That said, the characters were realistic and the storyline was believable. The text is easy to read, and the descriptive writing allowed me to vividly picture the scenery. All of the cases Mariner and his team are working on are solved, leaving no cliffhangers which is something I enjoy.

Thank you to Chris Collett, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for access to this! If you enjoy a police procedure with multiple crimes to solve, this ones for you.

I'm very particular about writing styles and this one did not do it for me. It read like a manuscript of a terrible NCIS episode. The dates read like "22 June" and it overall was not engaging. I could not for the life of me get into this book. It was so boring and simplistic...

I got to 27% before I decided to stop reading this book. There was a few jnstances of stereotyping Asian people and that's where I drew the line. As an Asian person I found this extremely offensive and it really showed how ignorant the author was.

Also the romance in this book was just gross. I care about the case, not people's booty calls. It was overly sexual for no reason and the main case they are trying to solve ends up feeling like a subplot.

A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, edgy thrill ride full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. A MUST for fans who thrive on high octane. superbly-written, unputdownable thrillers!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so. #MIDNIGHTLIES #NetGalley

A nail-bitingly tense crime mystery that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. This book needs to be on your radar! I love it so much!

An interesting police procedural involving different crimes. At first glance none of the solutions are obvious, but the clues come together and there are twists and turns along the way. Set mostly in the West Midlands, the historic case took place in Norfolk , a link which was not immediately obvious to me.
I liked the characters and the writing style. The plot is well thought out and believable.
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the remains of an 18 year old girl are found in Norfolk at an abandoned campsite you think that this is the start of a gripping thriller but i was disappointed and i don't know if the plotline just didn't flow or if i just could not grasp it but worth a read

Once again Chris Collett delivers an excellent read in the 9th entry of the Detective Inspector Tom Mariner series. In this book, we have 3 cases running concurrently - two modern mysteries on DI Mariner's patch and one cold case which takes Mariner back to his misspent youth.
The author weaves back and forth between the three crimes with an expert hand. This book isn't just about Mariner solving the crimes, his team is really the focus on the two modern mysteries and the characters are really fleshed out. Mariner is kept busy as a witness in the historical cold case - a young woman who had disappeared after the end of a holiday romance with a young sixteen year old Mariner. The book ends on a cliff hanger and I, for one, can't wait for the next book.

Another engaging instalment in this well established series with the return of several characters and a particularly complex plot with extra, personal twists along the way and a true cliff hanger conclusion...... Will this be the last book in the series??

This book covers two time lines, one modern day, and the other set many years earlier, in Norfolk.

DI Tom Mariner is called in to a road traffic accident because a second body is discovered in the back of the car. The body of a young East Asian man was found in a bag, and was due to his horrific injuries, was unidentifiable. They did however, find a photo in his pocket of a man, woman & child, so they came to the conclusion this was their victim. His injuries were not consistant with a RTA, but of a fall from a great height, so what was he doing in the back of a car?
Meanwhile, the body of Robina Scanlon is discovered in Norfolk, many years after her disappearance. Tom Mariner was only 16 at the time, and was in the area, camping with his mother. Robina was his very first love interest, and they spent as much time together as they could. However, Tom had to leave to go back home, and a week later Robina went missing. After the discover of her body, Tom is called in to visit Norfolk and help with the modern day investigation.
There is a lot going on in this book, including another missing child, and at first I got a little confused with the characters because the author flicked between using their first & last names so I had to peep back to see who he meant. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book. Although this is the 9th outing for Tom Mariner, it is the first one I have read. I will certainly look out for the other in the series!