This is a fantastic addition to this longstanding series. It is a fast paced book. Lots of action with good characterisation.

Bayliss and Calladine are back to investigate when the body of 16 Noah Crosby is found, with links to drug and gang activities. The post-mortem identifies a mark left by a serial killer called The Shadow who attacked the same estate twenty years earlier. But with gangs, no one will talk and the pair face a wall to identify the killer.
Worth while reading previous books to fully understand the detectives and their relationship. An enjoyable read and part of a great series.

Another great read from Helen Durrant.
Real characters and a gritty storyline.
Can't wait for the next installment.

Complex thriller featuring Detective Tom Called one and his team. Characters are excellent and it was a fast paced,thrilling story.

Another excellent book by Helen Durant featuring Detective Tom Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss. A foot belonging to Noah Crosby is discovered by a woman whose cat brings it in and a body is found in amongst the rubbish in an alleyway. Would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent read with great characters and a really good storyline. I would recommend this book.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Helen H Durrant is back with an electrifying Calladine and Bayliss crime thriller readers will read in one sitting: Dead Real.

Lisa Woodley has just moved into the Hobfield Housing Estate when she gets the shock of her life. Her cat has just come through the door with a human foot in its mouth. The foot belongs to sixteen year old Noah Crosby, whose decomposing remains have been found in a rubbish strewn alleyway. Who would want to kill a sixteen year old? And why was Noah specifically targeted and so brutally murdered? The police have ruled out robbery because Noah still had his expensive gold watch, designer trainers and top of the range mobile phone. How did a sixteen year old come by such luxury items? What was Noah involved in? And could looking into his secrets lead the police to finding his killer?

There are worse shocks to come for the police when they discover that Noah had the letter X carved into his chest. Twenty years ago, a serial killer who had never been caught used to do this. Is this a copycat killer? Or a dangerous and ruthless predator who has been waiting for two decades to exact their revenge? Calladine and Bayliss will leave no stone unturned to find this killer. But it’s not proving easy. They keep going down one dead end after another. Nobody will talk and everyone is too scared to speak to them. But when Calladine’s girlfriend is targeted, this case hits far too close to home for the detective.

Time is running out for Calladine and Bayliss. Will they manage to find the answers they seek? Or is it already far too late?

Helen H Durrant is a phenomenal writer of crime fiction. Her books are fast-paced and full of tension, menace and suspense and Dead Real is her latest nail-biting Calladine and Bayliss thriller which kept me reading till the early hours of the morning. From its jaw-dropping beginning to its climatic ending, Dead Real is a dark, twisty and disturbing thriller that is so enjoyable and entertaining readers will very happily forego sleep.

Addictive and engrossing, Helen H Durrant’s Dead Real is top quality crime fiction at its best!

This is the twelfth book in the series featuring Detective Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss. Tom is returning to work after having time off after collapsing and he is thrown into the deep end with a complicated case. Rival gangs are trying to claim control on the notorious Hobfield estate. Tom and Ruth are called out to a body that has been dumped for a number of weeks in an alleyway on the estate. It is the body of a 16 year old boy Noah and they realise that they have a lot of enquiries to make about him as when he was found he was wearing an expensive watch and trainers which he couldn’t have possibly afforded. When Tom discovers a x carved on him he wonders if it is the work of a serial killer from 20 years ago. On investigating they learn that Noah had recently worked for Ricky Spooner, leader of one of the gangs but had left him to join the rival gang run by Luke Barton. Luke is then a victim of a knife attack but no one on the estate is willing to talk. As the case progresses Tom and Ruth realise that this is a much bigger case than they had anticipated. This is a brilliant series of books and certainly didn’t disappoint. It is a gripping and captivating read, full of great characters and many plot twists as the investigation progresses. I can’t wait for book number 13.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Loved the book. Enjoy the characters. An enjoyable series which I look forward to continuing. Great police procedural series

I really enjoyed this book , the story was really well laid out and kept you very intrigued on every chapter were you couldn’t leave it down,. A great story were you feel you really get to know the characters and are working along with them. Would highly recommend this book and a great read .

A great read
A page turner from the First page to the last
The twelfth in this series
And the books are still as good as the first one
Thanks NetGalley

An estate's bad reputation deteriorates further when a cat comes home with a human foot. A body has been left rotting for weeks and Calladine is afraid that an old serial killer has returned to the streets...
Dead Real is the 12th book in Helen H. Durrant's Calladine and Bayliss series. The personal storyline continues and makes reference to events in previous books but there are no spoilers about older cases.
Things are tense on the Hobfield estate as rival gangs try to claim control. The death of Noah brings things to a head as the police investigate. But no one on the estate wants to risk their safety by talking to the police. Tom Calladine finds himself frustrated as he seems to be thwarted at every turn by characters refusing to cooperate.
On the personal front, Tom has issues with his current girlfriend Kitty. Her work premises are attacked but she also doesn't want to involve the police. Meanwhile Tom's old flame is back in town and causing him to consider his true feelings.
The case has links to a murder spree from the past whilst also having the current concern of stolen goods and gang. This provides many plot twists as the investigation progresses. My interest was maintained in the mystery of the crime aspect to the story as well as the development of the personal elements to Tom's life.
Dead Real is an engaging police procedural novel with good lead detectives.

A good police procedural, though a little confusing at times. Few clues to start off with and quite a few strands in the crimes which do eventually come together. Realistic, the main character has a confusing past, some of which is documented here, some not. Some of the others seem a bit too one dimensional.
It was a good read and the weaker points of the book would not put me off reading more of the series
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

On the Hobfield Estate abandoned by authorities, an estate where drugs are easy to find,kids run wild and a dumping ground for everybody's unwanted rubbish lives Lisa Woodley single mum of 2 and new to the estate, complaining of a smell she is fed up with council promises to investigate but nothing can prepare her for what her cat returns home with in his mouth

Part of the Calladine and Bayliss series

Another good story by Helen H Durrant. Plenty going on in both police and personal life. How can a convicted murder - who is still in prison - be committing murders again? Is it a copycat, but there are details that weren't released to the public that are copied - or have they locked up the wrong man.

Loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Even though it was intensely dark and terrifying, I basically inhaled this book in less than two days, and was amazed at the plethora of emotions it generated in me. Till the very end of the book, I was second-guessing everything in the story along with the narrator.

I have loved Helen's novels and once I start I cannot stop, however this one was different. I love the characters of Ruth and Tom and their lives are entwined, they work well together and support each other personally. However this story was nowhere near as good as her usual books. I find the storyline uninteresting and for me it didn't flow with the usual excitement I feel when I read these books. That is just my personal opinion on this book and I will continue to look out for more by this author.

With a slow start, this in the twelveth of the Calladine and Bayliss series is another well-written police procedural with a Ms Durrant's signature twists and turns. Somewhat more gory and gruesome details presented in these cases. Wondering what #13 will bring into the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Supposedly easing himself back into work gently Calladine finds himself thrown straight into a murder investigation.
A body has been discovered in an alleyway on the Hobfield Estate.
Although decomposing it is quickly identified as 16 year old Noah Crosby.
It looks like he had been beaten and had his throat cut approximately three weeks ago.
Rumour has it Noah once worked for Ricky Spooner leader of one of the gangs vying for control of the estate, though it seems he changed sides and aligned himself with Spooners rival Luke Barton.
The investigation has barely begun when Luke Barton is also attacked with a knife.
No-one on the Hobfield is saying anything, everyone is running scared.
During the post mortem on Noah a connection is found to a series of murders some twenty three years ago.
Could the so called Shadow Killer be back?
With the discovery of another corpse it isnt any wonder no-one is talking.
Not only do Calladine and Bayliss have their work cut out with the murders, it seems someone is now targetting the shop belonging to Kitty, Calladines girlfriend.
Shes as unresponsive to his questioning as everyone else.
What exactly is she hiding?
This may well be number twelve in the series but I enjoyed it as much as all the others.
Just love the two main characters Tom Calladine and Ruth Bayliss.
An easy recommendation for me.

I'm really on the fence with how I feel about this one. On one hand, I thought the story was well executed, and I enjoyed seeing how all of the different threads were tied together in the end. I also enjoyed seeing Tom and Ruth back in action as I always enjoy their dynamic together. Having Tom's ex Amy thrown back into the mix was an unexpected surprise, as was the sub-plot involving him and his current paramour Kitty.

However, I felt something was definitely off with Tom in this installment. Instead of his usual cynical self, constantly questioning everyone and everything, he readily accepted things at face value (especially things said to him whilst interviewing potential suspects). I'm not sure why the author choose to suddenly have him act this way, whether she is planning to wrap up the Calladine & Bayliss series to focus on her series involving Alice, or perhaps Tom is going to retire and become something of a consultant while Ruth steps up to fill his shoes? Whatever the reason, it didn't seem like I was reading Tom Calladine at all, so that was very disappointing.

Of course, if there are more novels put out in this series, I will read them (although, at this point, Amazon is showing this as being book 12 of 12), and I do recommend it to those who enjoy well-written police procedural novels. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.