Book #11 in the Maeve Kerrigan series and it still thrills me, still excites me and still keeps me hooked!

The story starts with Helena Marshall waking up, with an unexplained sense of dread and with a head full of jobs that need doing, she checks on her two teenage sons and then heads downstairs to start her tasks. It soon comes to light that Rosalie, her 9 year old daughter is missing. For some reason Helena hadnt checked on Rosalie, not wanting to wake her! Presumed dead by drowning in the river at the end of their garden and with no witnesses, no clues and no answers, the case goes cold.

Fast forward 16 years and Sergeant Maeve Kerrigan and her boss and partner DI Josh Derwent are called to a murder scene. Two bodies, one suffocated, one shot dead... it all points tona murder suicide, until things don't quite add up and they class it as a double murder. The victims names... Helene & Bruce Marshall.

Starting to investigate the case, Maeve's gut feeling is that the cases are connected. *no spoilers*

As with every book in the series so far, the characterisation is exemplary. Jane Casey has such a talent for bringing every character to life, not just by visualisation but also emotion. She is so clever and not only extremely succesful and bringing these two main characters complex lives and personalities to the forefront but also navigating their even more complex friendship/relationship.

This is one hell of a head spinner. The plot flings you on every unexpected direction and has you not only second but third and fourth guessing everything. There are constant plot twists and the tension is palpable.

I love how sensitive the author was around the topic of adoption and the explanation of how this would and could have affect Rosalies behaviour and demeanour.

This is definitely one of my go to series but I personally felt like this installment was more about the ongoing characters than the actual plotline. I'm not complaining as we are now at book #11 and still holding our breathes when it comes to Maeve and Josh, so hearing more about them is always exciting but I did feel a little more emphasis was worthy of the actual plot.

Whilst I wouldn't say this was the most memorable case that the duo have investigated, I absolutely loved this installment and cannot wait for book #12!

Huge thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

4.5⭐ (rounded to 5)

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins UK #HarperFiction #Hemlock Press publishers for an #ARC of #AStrangerInTheHouse for an honest review.
This book is the newest installment in the DI Maeve Kerrigan series. I have not read the other books in this series.
I enjoyed this book, I got a little confused with a time jump early on, but other than that I couldn't put the book down. I felt like I was solving the case along with the police.
The only real criticism I have regarding the book is around Maeve and her colleague Josh, where there is a mutual attraction. I found it annoying and slightly unbelievable the the strong, confident woman melted into a simpering mess around him and the idea of him. Other than that I would highly recommend this book and I will be going back to the start of Maeves story. 4.5 stars

A Stranger in the Family is book 11 in the Maeve Kerrigan series. This is the second book from this series I have read and they read very easily as stand alone stories. There were plenty of twists and turns throughout that kept me guessing right to the end and I love the relationship between the two characters, Kerrigan and Derwent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

An apparent case of murder - suicide.

But of course, it's not that easy for Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent.

For these are the parents of nine year old Rosalie Marshall, who has been missing for sixteen years. And they've been keeping secrets...secrets someone is prepared to kill for.

Maeve needs to find out what happened to Rosalie if they have any chance of solving the double murder

Another great addition to this excellent series

Two books in one here, one a fantastic mystery, the other, the latest installment in the greatest 'will they won't they' saga since Maddy and David went Moonlighting. Dedicated readers will be thrilled, new readers will want to go right back to the start

Jane Casey never disappoints and she has become one of my favourite writers! A stranger in the family was a gripping thriller featuring my two favourite coppers, Derwent and Kerrigan. I am so heavily invested in their relationship… and that ending was something i definitely did not expect! Already counting down the days until I can read the next book.

Maeve & Derwent are back where they need to be - or are they? I’m a huge fan of Jane Casey & was thrilled to be given an opportunity to see what happened to the pair of them after The Close.

Sixteen years ago, a young girl disappeared in an unsolved crime. Fast forward to the present day & her parents have just been found dead. What happened & who did it are the obvious questions, but the answers take some finding out, especially with characters who are not telling the truth.

I have to admit to a degree of frustration with the relationship between the protagonists & don’t get me started on the epilogue! I hope Jane Casey is sitting at her desk & sorting things out right now!

Bruce and Helena Marshall, an elderly couple, are discovered dead in their beds. Is it the murder/suicide it first appears to be? DI Josh Derwent and Sergeant Maeve Kerrigan quickly discover that it is not, nor is this a simple case. Sixteen years ago, their adopted daughter Rosalie vanished from her bedroom on a summer night. There was not a ransom note and no body was ever found. Could her disappearance be linked to this double murder? Derwent and Kerrigan painstakingly review Rosalie’s case. There were many suspects but the detectives find what the previous investigators did not. However, it is what they miss now that is most dangerous. While Josh and Maeve work together, their growing attraction to each other is noticed by other members of their team. Josh is still in a relationship with another woman, although he is unhappy, and Maeve doesn’t think they have a future together. However, no matter how much they try to or are advised to avoid each other, the passion is there. Jane Casey then leaves readers with a completely shocking epilogue.

Casey is a master of British police procedural. Her characters are well described and spring to life as they confront professional and personal problems. Rosalie and her tragic life will break your heart. And as for that epilogue…write quickly, Jane Carey, write quickly!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Jane Casey for this ARC.

What initially looks to be a case of murder-suicide of an elderly couple soon has Maeve Kerrigan and the rest of the team investigating a years old missing persons case involving the couple's nine-year-old daughter, a case that was never solved.

A little over a year ago I read The Close by Jane Casey not realising it was book 10 in a series. Since then I was determined to read the rest of the books in the series before book 11 was published. I'm pleased to say that I managed to read them all, along with the spin-off, The Outsider, which is set in the Meave Kerrigan universe and takes place between books 10 and 11.

I really can't recommend this series highly enough. Every time I've read one of the books I'd comment that it was better than the last. Each one is brilliant on its own and would be a satisfying standalone read but if you really want to understand the motivation of the characters I would suggest reading the series from the beginning. If that sounds like too much then possibly read The Close before you read A Stranger In The Family.

One of DS Maeve Kerrigan's strengths is noticing little details that others may miss. So when the team is called to a flat where it appears an elderly man has murdered his wife and then taken his own life it's Maeve's observational skills that make them realise that a double murder has taken place. The team quickly realise that the couple are the parents of Rosalie Marshall, a nine-year-old who went missing from home sixteen years previously and has never been found. While half of the team investigates the murder, the others, including Maeve, look into the cold case to see if there are any links.

The focus on a sixteen-year-old missing persons case makes this more of a mystery story compared to other books in the series. The story flits backward and forwards between now and the days in the run-up to Rosalie's disappearance. We meet characters involved in both time periods, none of whom come across favourably. Even Rosalie herself is a strange character, one of those children who is wise beyond their years and is not above manipulation to get what they want.

The murder investigation seems to be plodding along, with little progress in either case, until a startling discovery is made. Things then progress quickly, showing how dangerous assumptions can be, and leading to a bittersweet conclusion.

It's not the crime itself that the vast majority of fans will be interested in though, it's how the relationship between Maeve Kerrigan and her boss, DI Josh Derwent, has developed since the events in the last book. For a variety of reasons Josh has tried to distance himself emotionally, he even appears to be the one who is a victim of jealousy this time around. Josh seems to be in an impossible position, he's trying to keep everyone around him happy and making himself miserable in the meantime. The usual brash and insensitive veneer Josh displays is rarely seen. Maeve is wary, she can sense that Josh is conflicted, and wants to be a supportive friend, but she can't deny the sexual tension between them. Author Jane Casey keeps the reader on tenterhooks with the constant "will they, won't they" scenarios. Since my reviews are always spoiler-free I'm not going to tell you if they do or they don't. What I will say is that the epilogue will leave you in suspense, wondering how the author can leave fans with those final words and how long will it be before we find out what happens next.

Sixteen years after a young girl disappears from her bed on a summer night, her parents are found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. But why would this happen so long after the initial event?

As it turns, out the parents of the missing girl have been protecting their own secrets...

This is a gripping story, describing the investigation undertaken by DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent, as they follow up various leads in different parts of the country.

Casey has come up with an excellent pairing of characters with Derwent and Kerrigan. A well-written police procedural with plenty of twists and turns, the book effortlessly holds a reader's interest.

Love the Maeve and Josh novels. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

The much anticipated eleventh book in this series did not disappoint. An intriguing investigation linking two current murders with the disappearance of a nine year old girl many years earlier that takes Maeve, Josh and the team the length and breadth of England as they attempt to untangle the various strands that present themselves.
I loved the twisty way that Casey plays with our preconceptions and leads us along certain paths only to pull the rug out from under us at the last minute.
Filled with a comfortable mix of action, police procedure, high adrenalin moments and, of course, the ongoing 'will they, won't they' Maeve/Derwent situation.
I read this quickly and although I should have expected the twisty, cliffhanger at the end, I didn't.
Brilliant series!

I love this series, so a new story is always a must read for me.

This focuses on a new case that unravels an old case. Two elderly people are found dead in their flat, could it be suicide or murder? We scroll back to the family history and their daughter who went missing, aged nine, sixteen years earlier and was never found, dead or alive. Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent are tasked with what initially seems a straightforward case but, inevitably turns into something dark and complex.

The joy of a series is returning to detectives who we have watched developing and seeing what they have been up to since we last saw them. I found this episode was as deeply invested in the protagonists and the team as the solving of a crime, sometimes I felt it was too much. Whilst the plotlines were well interleaved I found the imbalance irritated me. The dialogue between Kerrigan and Derwent was clunky and, at times was too contrived for me. If I wanted this level of romantic engagement I would choose a different genre of book to read. I know this trope appears in many crime novels - I am particularly thinking of Ruth Galloway and Harry Nelson in the Elly Griffiths series, and there are many more but I just question the intensity of the "seepage".

That said, the story was well layered and the clues and evidence well hidden to keep the reader guessing. There were some fascinating hateful characters and the tension was beautifully crafted to compel the reader forward. The plotting and the reveals along the way were managed so deftly that it is a full immersion read!

With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review

Outstanding detective thriller which centres around a family riddled with tragedy. 16 years ago Helena's adopted daughter Rosalie disappears without a trace while the family sleep. The case is never solved but the murder of Helena and her husband throws a new light on the mystery. Is there a link with what happened all those years ago and what really went on behind closed doors.
Sergeant Maeve Kerrigan and DIJosh Derwent are sent in to investigate and find the culprit before more bodies mount. During their search we are treated to some rather unsettling taboo subjects like child abuse, toxic relationships and lies which threaten to destroy everyone who is linked to the family. It is not only the Marshalls however who have been hiding secrets. The two officers are also attempting to hide their own romantic feelings for one another albeit not very successfully but there is plenty of tension as they dance around each other.
This had a strong plot and Casey knows how to deliver quality writing to keep the pages turning. The cliff hanger, how I hate those devices will no doubt have me returning to this saga. In the meantime thank you NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this exciting piece of work.

Rosalie disappeared from her family home as a young child. Years later, her parents are found murdered and Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent are on the case. Short of early leads the further they look the more they find to suggest it must be in some way related to Rosalie's disappearance. Its a complex and clever plot which moves at pace and comes to a thrilling (and bloody) conclusion. I'm not sure that the constant will they/won't they of Maeve and Derwent's relationship adds to it, he's not painted as a nice enough man that you actually want them to get together.

I absolutely love this series, and this eleventh instalment is a superb addition - I didn't want to put it down.

DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are called to the scene of a double murder. Helena and Bruce Marshall's nine year old adopted daughter, Rosalie, disappeared sixteen years ago and was never found - surely, the unsolved mystery must link to the murder of her parents. The more we learn about the past, the more desperate I was, like Maeve, to find out what happened to Rosalie.

Gripping though that storyline is, the two main characters and their relationship is at least equally important. The simmering sexual tension between Maeve and Josh is stronger here than it's ever been, but it's also the definition of complicated.

This was a fantastic read which kept me totally engaged throughout (and had me, surprisingly, in tears at least once). That cliffhanger ending, though. Wow. Hurry up and write the next book, Jane!

This is book 11 in the Maeve Kerrigan series and it's one of my absolute favourite police procedural series that I frequently re read.
Maeve and her colleague Josh Derwent are drawn into the case of the Marshall family; 16 years ago nine year old Rosalie Marshall disappears one summer night and in the present day her parents are found dead in what at first appears to be a murder suicide. In order to solve the case Maeve and Josh need to discover what happened to Rosalie all those years ago.
Oh wow this was definitely one of the best in the series so far. The combination of the increasing intensity in Maeve and Josh's relationship and an excellent plot kept me rapidly turning the pages and I read this over the course of 24 hours. For those familiar with this series, all the familiar characters return and we follow the relationship between Maeve and Josh after their undercover case in the previous book. Jane Casey is excellent at building up the tension in the relationship for the reader and leaving us wanting more. Alongside this, there is a strong plot and I was really drawn into the toxic Marshall family dynamic and the mystery of what happened to Rosalie. I cannot wait for book 12 and would highly recommend this- if you haven't read this series before I would suggest starting at the beginning, you have such a treat in store!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Yes finally I got to read it. Love this series and this one was a winner too… A captivating psychological thriller that delves deep into the minds of its characters. Prepare to be haunted long after you finish the last page. Brilliant just brilliant

“A Stranger in the Family” by Jane Casey is the 11th book in the Maeve Kerrigan series and is an excellent addition to this riveting serial. It seems such a long time since I read the last book in this series and it was good to get back into it.

When nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall vanishes from her bed her family is tore apart and left with unanswered questions in the sixteen following years. Now Rosalie’s mother Helena Marshall is found dead which at first sight appears to be a murder-suicide alongside her husband. Once Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are called to the scene the quickly realise that all is not as it appears especially with the Marshall family. Their investigations uncover deception and secrets that have remained hidden all these years and lies and betrayal that threatens to devour them all.

As per usual with this series I was fully emerged in the story from the very start, strong characters with more than a few issues that help make this series an excellent read. The characters just improve the more books you read in this series and although this novel can be read as a standalone why not treat yourself to the whole experience.

This is a very good read, full of twists and emotion and excellent characters that kept me gripped from start to finish.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Another cracking read by Jane Casey.

Book 11 in the Maeve Kerrigan series. Sixteen years ago Rosalie Marshall vanished from her family home. Now sixteen years later her mother Helena and husband are found dead in the bed. Maeve and Josh are investigating the case. Are the deaths linked to Rosalie's disappearance? Another great read in the series.