What a fast pace booked,absolutely brilliant.

From all the characters on the team to the shocking middle loved it.

A new addition to one of my favourite series and this story certainly does not disappoint. Read in order to get the best of all the back stories. Highly recommended.

This is the 11th book with DI Helen Grace and they are still brilliant. I love that the character is flawed but is still successful.
This one revolves around home invasion murders. The murders are also described in first person do you get to know something about each victim whilst they are still alive.
Helen also has a psychopath from a previous case stalking her.
It was a fantastic read and I continue to look forward to this series.
Thanks to Orion publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#CatAndMouse #NetGalley

I am grateful to the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.
That was my first encounter with DCI Helen Grace, a complex character full of demons and seemingly hell-bent on defying authority figures at every turn.
Throw in a killer with no apparent motive and a boss who seems determined to be rid of her, and Helen has her hands full.
The story moves at a cracking pace, although, at times, I felt bogged down in the emotional psycho-drama. Still, that's what makes our lives the way they are, and so for me, it added to the reality of the writing.
I also thought that a better understanding of Helen Grace's back story would have helped in getting to grips with this book sooner.
However, that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story, and I would highly recommend it to lovers of the police procedural genre.

Cat and Mouse is the 11th D I Grace novel and continues straight on from the previous novel Truth or Dare. DI Helen Grace leads the MIT in Southampton but she is no herself, on edge, wary and over vigilant because her life is in danger and she doesn’t know where or when the unknown assassin will strike, but she knows they will. With all this playing on her mind DI Grace now has the brutal murder of a young other, killed on her own home whilst her baby slept in the next door room. There doesn’t seem to be any reason why the killer would have targeted this family. Once again the whole team is working night and day on this new case when another body is discovered, this time a young boy also alone in his own home. As the team ramp up their investigation DI Grace is having to deal with distraught families, a distrustful boss and an attacker who keeps appearing and attempting to murder her.
This is the fabulous 11th novel in this series and it is another roller coaster ride of a read, The tense dark serial killer and the deeply flowed but brilliant detective all wrapped up in this incredible psychological thriller that just gets better and better as the series continues. Cannot wait to see what the next instalment will bring.

A killer is stalking the well-to-do areas of Southampton, breaking in with impunity and murdering the defenceless. For DI Grace and her team there is a race to catch the perpetrator before they strike again and they think they have their man. However it's not so simple and Grace is also having to watch her back professionally and personally.
A new addition to this series of novels is always a treat to look forward to. Arlidge is a master at writing gritty and addictive crime novels with a contemporary setting and (relatively) believable characters and this is no exception. I am a huge fan

What can I say! As always Mr Arlidge has written another banging book with ups and downs, twists and turns to satisfy even the most jaded palate.
I love the Helen Grace series with her flawed personality but instinctive way of policing Southampton’s serious crime/murder squad.
Yes there are references to previous books but this book could also be read as a stand alone too.
I’m greedy so am already waiting for the next one

I have read a few of this series but definitely want to go back and read them in order. It read well as a standalone, as did the others, but I think the reader would benefit from the backstory, as little bits are mentioned.
As always this is fast- paced, gritty and exciting. Fantastic,detailed writing really gets your imagination going as well as your heart!
Can't wait for the next installment!

I didn't like the beginning of this book and it was hard to carry on. One sentence someone has got into bed with Martha the next it goes onto a motorbikes tyres have bit onto the tarmac and is speeding away all in the same paragraph and thats how the book went jumping from one thing to another telling half a story then going to the next scene.

Better than the last book in the series which i did not finish. I like the murder stories but find the vendetta between high ranking police officers utterly far fetched and it ruins the book for me. The early books in the series were brilliant but unfortunately the last few seemed to have dropped in quality.

My first M J Arlidge book and I really enjoyed! Classic sort of crime detective feel which I liked, and it was a gripping plot. Definitely looking forward to read more of his previous works now

You pretty much know what you're getting with an M. J. Arlidge crime novel - a high body count, scary and gruesome murders, lots of twists and DI Helen Grace doing her maverick thing along the way! This one is no exception and it's a satisfying addition to the series.

In this book, a killer is targeting people in their Southampton homes - attacking when they are alone or vulnerable. DI Grace and her team are called in to investigate, but immediately struggle with finding the link between the victims. As the murders continue, the police investigation seems to be going nowhere and the stakes continue to rise. With DI Grace in danger herself, it's a race against time to stop a killer.

As with the previous books, DI Grace is a likeable but extremely unconventional police officer - she may be effective, but she also does things her way and places herself in danger. In true action-hero style, she often is involved in perilous chases and conflicts which does make for an exciting read, even if it is slightly over-used at times. She also doesn't take orders well, something that makes her role as a Detective Inspector a bit shaky as she takes on superiors who don't appreciate her methods.

One of the things that makes this book a page-turner is Arlidge's inclusion of the murders in the narrative. We 'meet' a character in their home, see them going about their routine and then - shock - a murderer strikes. The violence is often quite graphic and the creepiness of the killer surveying their victim makes for a terrifying book. There were bits where I could not take my eyes off the page, even as I was dreading what would happen! I certainly wouldn't be reading this on my own at night.

Although this is part of the DI Helen Grace series, I think it would work as a standalone. There are elements of the plot that rely on the back-story of some of the characters but I don't think this makes it hard to follow at all.

I'd recommend this to those who enjoy an action-packed police procedural. It has plenty of twists and turns to confound the reader, plus the sinister killer-as-stalker bits which unnerve and horrify in equal measure. This is one book that you won't want to put down until DI Grace has worked her way through to the surprising and lively finale.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

There is a murderer on the loose in Southampton. He is breaking into homes when he knows Women are on their own, and killing them in their beds. The attacks are not sexually motivated, very few items are stolen, and the Women appear to not be connected to one another. Are these attacks random, impulsive acts?...
A well written page turner of a tale..

Not having come across Arlidge as a writer before, I find it hard to believe that this thriller represents the eleventh book in the DI Helen Grace series, as the writing is so clear and intense. Perhaps too clear and intense, as in her depiction of horrific and brutal scenes, the author leaves nothing to the imagination. In this novel, Grace hunts a night-time killer in Southampton who pounces on his victims in their own homes. Things are particularly stressful for her as she is also fighting for her job, with an unsympathetic boss and an increasingly stressed DS compounding the issue. Also thrown into the mix is journalist Emilia Garanita who seems determined to discredit Grace – or is she?

I thought the many gory murder descriptions in this novel were gratuitous and quite insulting to the thriller reader’s imagination and intelligence. The plot and character insights, however, were very good. I have not yet decided whether I will go on to read earlier books in the series, but I can see how this instalment will appeal to Arlidge’s loyal fan base.

Another breathless ride with Helen Grace. I was getting so made at Peters trying to bring Helen down and there were a few wow moments in the story where it felt like she was on the ropes. I really enjoyed the crime element of it this time with the story really keeping me guessing and the storyline with Alex Blythe hanging over Helen added another element to it. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first DI Grace book and while knowing the full background between Grace, Hudson and Peters would make some scenes clearer it is a perfectly good standalone read.

A rollercoaster of a book, with DI Grace taking full advantage of her nine lives!!

Already look forward to the next instalment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for letting me review this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thrilling roller-coaster of a book which is gripping from first page to last. The Helen Grace books are always dark and thrilling and this one is no exception. Well worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book., Cat and Mouse by M J Arlidge. This is the latest in the Helen Grace series of books, set in Southampton where a seemingly random series of murders is happening. Helen not only has to take on the murderer but she is also facing problems with her boss who seems determined to end her career. Fast moving and well plotted this is another in what is turning out to be a very good series. Recommended.

Detective Inspector Helen Grace is the head of the murder investigation team in Southampton. She is a brilliant detective but a flawed human being. She has a difficult relationship with her superior officer and a tendency to do things her way despite what he might say.
When a young mother is brutally murdered in her home the police are sure that the man who stalked her and caused her so much anxious must be the killer.
Helen quickly finds him and brings him in for questioning. But something feels off and when there is another murder she has to start again.
During all of this her own safety is at risk because as per your adversary has promised to kill her.
Adding to her troubles is her best friend and fellow officer DR Charlie Brookes who is off her game but won't confide in Helen.
This is such a readable series and the latest addition shows us again that Helen Grace is one of the crime novels stars.

Thank you Orion and Netgalley I needed this book.
Wow wow wow not what I expected. This kept me hooked from the start and Helen what is going on!! No spoilers from me.
Great to have another instalment of a Helen Grace and what a great storyline very different.
Highly recommend and I now need the next one quickly please 🙂