Another riveting instalment of the DI Isabel Blood series with the disappearance of a young single mother after a works party; there is a locked room vibe to this story that has numerous suspects, a few unexpected twists and a detailed police investigation. Set in Derbyshire with an authentic setting and believable cast of characters, this is an immersive reading experience. The characters are relatably flawed with secrets. I enjoyed working out the connections between characters and their pasts.

The investigation unfolds realistically, with false leads and partial stories before the final unexpected conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Last Seen Alive is another engrossing instalment in Jane Bettany's D.I. Isabel Blood series.

Lauren Talbot becomes worried when her best friend, single mother Anna Matheson, fails to show up to collect her five-month-old son Benedict, who Lauren's babysitting whilst Anna attends a work function. Police are called and D.I. Isabel Blood's CID team are soon brought in to investigate the disappearance of the normally reliable Anna. Against the backdrop of a Derbyshire heatwave, they question Anna's mother Christina and her colleagues at her workplace, Allwood's Confectionery. The shape of the investigation is affected by D.C. Lucas Killingworth's connection to the Allwood family. When Anna's body is discovered in nearby parkland by the ubiquitous early-morning dog walker, the case becomes a murder inquiry and pressure mounts for Blood and her team to identify a perpetrator.

Investigations uncover a complex web of relationships and connections between the victim and various witness-suspects, both in the present and in the past. Shocking revelations expose multiple potential motives for Anna's murder as the detectives' attention focuses in upon a particularly remorseless criminal.

This is a series I find especially enjoyable to read. The crimes are realistic, without ever becoming gory and its setting in the fictionalised town of Bainbridge (which the author notes is inspired by Belper, where she grew up) well developed. While the mystery plot provides the backbone of the novel, the strong characterisations, particularly of D.I. Blood, her family and police colleagues, are what sets the series apart from other mysteries and police procedurals. Unlike many protagonists in the genre, Isabel presents a psychologically stable, dedicated and approachable persona. She has her personal and professional challenges, but on the whole balances the demands of her work reasonably well with other aspects of her life. Her team members, at various levels in the hierarchy are also three-dimensional and intriguing characters, and its rewarding to see each of their development over the course of the series so far.

One aspect of Jane Bettany's writing that I find particularly impressive is her attention to detail as far as police and forensic procedure and her adherence to "real life" restrictions on police behaviour. As in the first book, In Cold Blood, an officer with a personal link to the victim or one or more witnesses/suspects is required to withdraw to "desk duties". This is a fundamental requirement to avoid potential conflicts of interest and/or undermining a future prosecution, but seems to be ignored all too frequently in crime fiction. Similarly, Bettany is meticulous - without ever becoming overly detailed - in her depiction of crime scene procedures. You won't find Isabel Blood tottering into a crime scene in her uncovered high heels and ordering everyone about, as you might in other series!

While I'd happily endorse the series as a whole, I believe that Last Seen Alive would also be enjoyed as a standalone read. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary police procedural mysteries in a traditional "whodunnit" mould. Readers who enjoy Ann Cleeves, Jane Isaac and/or J.R. Ellis would find this right up their alley.

My thanks to the author, Jane Bettany, publisher HQ / HQ Digital and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title, which was released on April 15th 2022.

Last Seen Alive is the third  book by Jane Bettany featuring the Derbyshire copper DI Isabel Blood. The story begins when Anna Matheson, a single mother who works at a large confectionery firm, fails to pick up her infant son from the child minder after a social event at work. Lauren Talbot, the child minder, raises the alarm late at night, but precious hours elapse before morning comes and the police are able to start making enquiries.

I wonder where crime stories would be without the ever-reliable assistance of dog walkers? Inevitably, it is one such who makes the grim discovery of a body which turns out to be that of Anna Matheson. She has been strangled, but there is no evidence of sexual assault. Isabel Blood's team begin their investigations at Allwoods - the successful firm where Anna was marketing manager. The firm is jointly owned by Fay Allwood - widow of Barry - and their son, Ross. Suspicion initially falls on a member of the management team, James Derenby, who has been unsuccessfully trying to date Anna for some time, but this is, apparently, a blind alley.

Isabel Blood is convinced that the key to the mystery lies in discovering who was the the father of Benedict - the dead woman's baby son. Anna Matheson had steadfastly and consistently refused to reveal his identity - even to her own mother. What follows is an intensely complex voyage of discovery for the detectives, as they encounter what becomes almost a criminal version of Who Do You Think You Are? Old secrets are revealed and - like creatures scuttling away from the light when a large flat stone is lifted - many people try to avoid their past indiscretions being made public.

DI Blood is an interesting character. Lord knows, there are probably as many Detective Inspectors in crime fiction as there are real ones, so what makes her stand out? Thankfully, she is happily married, comfortable in her own skin and, praise be, we don't have regular updates about her CD collection. Like many of her fictional counterparts, she is constantly being admonished by her boss for becoming too involve with cases and doing more investigating than inspecting. Another reason for the empathetic portrayal of the Derbyshire detective is, I suspect, that she and her creator are in more or less of the same age and, perhaps, family circumstances.

Last Seen Alive is elaborately plotted, totally convincing, and as good an example of a contemporary English police procedural as you are likely to find. It is published by HQ Digital (Harper Collins), is out now in Kindle, and will be available as a paperback on June.

When Anna Matheson fails to collect her son from the babysitter after a works party, the police are swiftly called. Anna is a stickler for time and a good mother – she would never abandon her baby. Her disappearance is totally out of character and DI Isabel Blood and her team soon suspect foul play.
CCTV footage shows Anna was last seen at precisely 11.11pm, as she collected her coat to leave the party. But the cameras outside the venue have failed to pick up her exit from the car park – how could she have vanished in plain sight?
Rumour has it that Anna was set to make big changes in the workplace, and Isabel can’t help but think someone wanted her out of the way.
Everyone at the party is a suspect, and all the clues point to murder…

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary

Last Seen Alive is the 3rd instalment in Jane Bettany's DI Isabel Blood of Bainbridge CID series set in Derbyshire. In this novel which works as a standalone, 58-year-old Isabel is investigating when a woman, Anna Matheson doesn't arrive to pick up her son, five-month-old Benedict from her babysitter and very close friend, Lauren Talbot's house. Lauren phones the police at 1 am and they despatch PC Will Rowe to see if Anna has gone AWOL, or is missing. Anna, a marketing manager, had been at a works party and was last seen just after 11 o'clock and unlawful occurrence is suspected.

Isabel is smart and capable and also has issues in her personal life to deal with, including her grown-up son, Bailey. An intriguing, well-plotted and rich with secrets, enjoyable read which has tempted me to pick up a copy of the series début.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Last seen alive by Jane Bethany.
A DI Isabelle Blood novel.
When Anna Matheson fails to collect her son from the babysitter after a works party, the police are swiftly called. Anna is a stickler for time and a good mother – she would never abandon her baby. Her disappearance is totally out of character and DI Isabel Blood and her team soon suspect foul play.
U really enjoyed this book. Great story and characters. I had no clue who the killer was. 5*.

Last Seen Alive by Jane Bettany is a police procedural featuring a missing woman named Anna Matheson. PC Will Rowe goes to the home of the person who called it in at 1 am to ask some questions. Lauren had been babysitting Benedict, Anna's infant son. Anne was always prompt and said she's be here at 11:30. She's been at a party at Allwoods Confectionaries, her employer. She had arranged the party and was to leave after the speeches. Eventually they found her, well, a bird watcher found her. Now it was a murder investigation. After a couple of days they still had no solid leave, but things were happening. They wanted to figure out who Benedict's father was, thinking that may be a lead, so they took his DNS. They also got DNA from a couple of people that Anna worked with. When Benedict's came back, it found he was a cousin to one of their officers: Lucas, who had only at the beginning of the investigation disclosed that he was the cousin of Ross Allwoods, although they had never met. While waiting for the other DNA samples, the team started conjecturing; the baby was moved from Lauren's house to the home of Anna's mother; and the super was all over the investigation, demanding a suspect.

Murder is so personal. DI Isabel Blood was supposed to lead the team but she liked to investigate, no sit behind a desk. Everyone's stories matched up. It was frustrating. Different teams interviews many of those peripherally involved and nothing changed. Then a break: Benedict's father confessed, to being the father. He had a rock solid alibi. DI Blood's son accidentally allowed their dog to escape. She was gone for a couple of days. That certainly added to the stress. Anna's mother was hit by a car; that added to the stress, as well. Everyone was on edge as small clues trickled in. Most of them meant nothing. This was a good portrayal of an investigation and the stress the police are under. A good book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Last Seen Alive by Harper Collins, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #HarperCollins #janebettany #lastseenalive

I've read lots of thrillers but I've never been this thrilled. First of all, these detectives are so realistic. It was like watching one of those crime movies. I liked how the book started simple and as I went on turning each page, it became complicated. I was like, what the hell is going wrong? Who did this? What does this mean?
This book is definitely a page-turner. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Last Seen Alive. It was fast paced and had plenty of twists and turns. It kept me turning the pages, wanting to know the outcome. It is the first book I have read by this author but is the third book in the Detective Isabel Blood series. I enjoyed it so much I have now purchased the previous books in the series and look forward to diving into those.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

A cracking read! Have you ever read a book where you don't want it to end but you simply can't stop because it's just too damn good? Well written and easy to read, I flew through this in just a couple of days. The characters all have such rich backstories that you really find yourself immersed into their world. I love a good mystery and I'm usually pretty good at ruining the twist of a book for myself by guessing it straight away, but my oh my did this have some twists and turns; some of which had me completely shocked! After reading this, I found out that this book is in fact the third installment in the DI Isabel Blood series. Not to worry though, as you can read them out of order. Does it mean I'll be reading the others? Most definitely. Jane Bettany is now a name I'll be looking out for in the future! Simply superb.

An easy, enjoyable and light read - perfect for those you don’t like their crime fiction too gory or sensationalised.

I’ve not read a book by this author before, but when it was recommended to me by another reviewer with similar tastes I jumped at the chance to find out more.

Jane Bettany’s style (with this novel) is light touch crime fiction. You’ve got some richly developed characters and a single mysterious crime. The way in which the investigation unfolds focuses on police procedures and interviews with those closest to the victim. In some ways I felt that the actual investigation didn’t solve much. A lot (if not all) the revelations were through interviews or all-out confessions which made me wonder how Isabel and her team would’ve solved the case otherwise.

Jane Bettany has gone as far as to flesh Isabel’s character and home life out to a point that she has a lot of gravity to her. She’s not some jumped up, super cop that is rising through the ranks. She’s already ‘at the top’ but where her work life is pretty much in order her home life is a disorganised mess. In some places I felt the home life drama was competing with the actual crime. The dog going missing was unfortunate but a bit too dominant when there was no links or ties to the main story.

Overall a fast paced, engaging read and one which I think will suit a a lot of tastes whether you’re just starting out in the world crime fiction or, like me, a died hard fan of the genre.

Thank to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book! Loved the characters, loved the story, loved the suspense. I kind of guessed the ending but I still enjoyed reading it.

I love Isobel Blood' and her team as they're a group of realistic and down to the earth detectives. Normal life, interesting cases.
This fast paced story kept me hooked and I read it in one afternoon. There's a lot of secrets, suspects, and surprises.
I guessed some twists but the solution surprised me.
it was a gripping and highly entertaining read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well-written, fast-paced, plenty of twists and turns. A recommended read.

This is #3 in the DI Isabel Blood series, and I really, really hope that there are going to be many more! It can easily be read as a standalone; I’ve read them in the wrong order, and it didn’t make any difference.

Anna Matheson is a totally devoted and adoring mum to 5-month-old Benedict, and she works locally for a large confectionery business. Leaving her son with her best friend, Anna attends a big party at the factory that she’s organised. When she doesn’t arrive to pick up her son from her friend Lauren’s house, Lauren is very worried because it’s totally out of character. The police are soon involved in the search for Anna with DI Isabel in charge of the case.

Meanwhile, at home, Isabel’s son is lazing around aimlessly because his plans for the future have gone awry. This book includes just enough about the DI’s family to make it interesting but not overpower the main storyline.

A brilliant read that I found difficult to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ/HQ Digital for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

4.25⭐

Last Seen Alive is my first introduction to D.I. Isabel Blood and author Jane Bettany, and what a great introduction it was. As this is a police procedural that's not only full of detail but had plenty of twists too.

And I really enjoyed the characters, the setting, the pace and the way the story kept me guessing and even though a couple of my guesses were right I still had no clue who the killer was; and as mysteries go this was a really engaging one.

And I'd definitely read more from this series and author in the future. I would also happily recommend Last Seen Alive to others.

Book 3 in the DI Blood series. This is a cracking page turner with twists galore. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking of this book trying to work out what was going on.

I can't recommend this series highly enough. I read all 3 in 4 days.

Jane does it again with another gripping read.

I read this one in 24 hours and had me engrossed from page 1.

What I love about Jane's writing is that you never feel like you are reading a story but that you are there in the scene, there were so many on point references to the pandemic that it really did make it more realistic.

I had so many suspects floating around my mind, none of which were correct (to say I'm a cooper's daughter I really didn't inherit the detective gene 🤣)

I'm really hoping that there is a book 4 in the DI Blood series, I've read them from book 1 and have become really invested in them.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This bill is absolutely fabulous. Read it deep into the night. Then before breakfast and in my breaks and lunch etc etc till I had finished it. Then felt disappointed because I had finished it! Was just superb. Well written and so easy to read. Characters were well drawn and I just can’t tell you come good the end was. Brilliant!

DI Isabel Blood and her team are called in when Anna Matheson disappears after a work party. The party seems innocuous enough, but as the police investigate it's anything but! . Anna, it seems, was making big changes company wide and ruffling many feathers within the organization..
Before long, everyone at the party is a suspect and Isabel has her work cut out for her! This is a psychological thriller that from the opening chapter managed to set the stage and pull me straight into the given narrative capturing my attention and compelling me to keep heading forward. What a ride this book was to read. I sailed thru the pages and had a great time reading it.