If you enjoyed the other books in this series you will no doubt enjoy this one. It gives you everything you would expect from a Max Wolfe novel. The crimes threads that run through it are a mixture of some fairly straightforward ones and some with twists that will surprise. However I felt the main theme of the novel was the relationship between Max and his daughter Scout. Her transition to difficult teenager and his coping strategies remind me more of earlier Parsons books such as Man and Boy. The themes of change, growing up, death and life passing by quickly impact on the various threads in the book and take it beyond a mere crime novel.

Max Wolfe is back and on fine form as always.
He finds himself embroiled in the aftermath of a case that involved his first arrest way back when. He does have a knack of inadvertently coming across bodies so I am glad I don't frequent the same places as him.

His daughter Scout is now 12 and showing signs of teenage rebellion which is all new to Max. I am surprised that he gives her as much freedom as he does around London at night especially given his job and the sights he sees.

Is it plausible that someone would come after an arresting officer years later? Maybe but I would hope not.

Lots of twists and turns in another enjoyable book by Tony Parsons.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the DRC.

This is a great series of books. Max is my favourite London detective. Perfect balance of police procedure and single parenting with Scout now approaching the difficult teenage phase. Superb story as usual. Tony Parsons delivers great stories which are easy and fun to read.

This book makes me sigh contentedly. Max Wolfe is a perfect London detective. Crime, violence and single parent family all rolled into one. My hero. Long may he reign x

Pacy Max Wolfe thriller. As a young copper Wolfe arrested Emma Moon at the screne of a robbery where two men were murdered. The rest of the robbers were never caught and Moon never talked or gave their identities up. When she is released from prison men suspected to be amongst the robbers start to die and the gang of robbers believe she is scaring the men to death. Wolfe will need to work through not only the murders happening now but also get to the bottom of what happened on that night decades ago. Good pacing and an entertaining read.

This was my first Max Wolfe thriller and I really enjoyed it. Max's work as a detective and his concern as a single parent for his daughter give extra tension and the mystery of different murders is finally revealed and was totally unexpected. Very compelling reading!

Murder for Busy People by Tony Parsons is #7 in the DS Max Wolfe series and sees Wolfe reintroduced to Emma Moon who was his first arrest as a fresh faced young Police Constable earlier in his career.

Moon was found by Wolfe at a house where a criminal gang had stolen the safe to open back at their safe house later. Also at the location are two dead bodies so Wolfe had to detain Moon to protect the scene and as a potential suspect. Moon pleads with Wolfe to let her go, as a young mother whose troubled son wouldn’t survive without her. As Moon only answered the Police questions with ‘no comment’, Moon was sentenced to life imprisonment for joint venture murder.

After serving 16 years and never speaking a word about the crime, or the other parties involved Moon is picking up the pieces of her life when members of the gang thought to be guilty of the theft start dying. Is Moon meting out her own justice on those who left her to lose the best years of her life in prison and for a son who she correctly predicted an untimely death. Also, is Wolfe himself at risk as the arrresting officer years earlier, who ignored her pleas and put his job first?

An interesting plot, some good twists and doesn’t get too tied up in police procedures. A nice easy reading ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for fans of the series, but one which doesn’t necessarily need to be read in order.

Advanced copy provided by Net Galley before the January ’25 release date in exchange for an honest review.

It’s good to have a new Max Wolfe book, although this one is pretty dark.
It addresses toxic relationships inside, and outside the Met, and the current issue of corrupt police officers.
Alongside this, Max is having problems with his fast-growing, and maturing, daughter Scout.
The murder of a homeless woman near Max’s apartment is set alongside a complex investigation involving a recently-released prisoner.
Needless to say, both are resolved, not without a few unexpected twists along the way.
There is some trademark black humour, good music, and hope for Max and Scout (and Stan) by the end.
This series just gets better and better.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read this book.

Max Wolfe is back ! Just a brilliant read as always. I just love this series - give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Further adventures of Detective Max Wolfe, trying to do the right thing at home and at work, somehow succeeding and failing at the same time.

This London metropolitan police story centers around a single male parent, his twelve year old daughter and the various problems encountered in the inner city. A robbery, sixteen years ago, and the repercussions in present time, is the central to the story and the author brings to life the characters in a realistic manner. Recommended.

Quite engaging and a straight forward story, but suffered from a completely ridiculous medical facts, particularly how some people died. Too many coincidences as well. Saved only by a nice twist at the end.

I just loved this book, a right page turner.

Return of Max as detective. An arrest of over 16 years ago comes back to haunt him big style. Was she innocent or were others to blame and she took the hit? Love of her life, really?

A single parent raising a daughter and a dog makes this a compelling read.

It took me a while to get into this book - I almost gave up but I'm glad I persevered as the plot got me interesting and the suspense increased. I'm glad I read to the end.
What I loved:
- The descriptions of London and it's various characters - it made me feel as if I was there.
- The plot twists - it got very exciting in the last third of the book.

What I didn't enjoy:
- The constant reference to people's accents - I understand why the author does it but it became a bit overkill.
- The beginning just didn't get me hooked - it all seemed a bit fragmented compared to the rest of the book.

When Emma a young woman was released after serving 10 years in prison for being caught on the scene of a bank with two dead bodies after refusing to give any defence at her trial; mysterious deaths occur one by one of the men of the gang involved. The investigating officer is the same as one the one who arrested your in the first place. Being convinced that it was her taking revenge for being abandoned at the scene of the robbery his investigations seemed to lead nowhere but how could it be?

Book 7 in the Max Wolfe series but can easily be read as a standalone.
It was great to catch up with Max, his daughter Scout, and Stan the dog,we find the relationship between father and his teenage daughter through strong is at times very delicate.
The plot line is so well written you feel for the characters and the gritty and dangerous sides of London are captured brilliantly.The story has multiple plots with Max confronting a case from the past that has links to a new investigation as well as dealing with some rouge colleagues.
You can't beat a book where the culprit just isn't on your mind, and then the bomb drops, and it's a big OOH moment.
This is a well crafted thriller that grips from the outset.
Readers are in for a gritty intriguing read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.

I was really looking forward to this book as I've enjoyed the rest of the series but was disappointed. It wasn't bad but definitely not great. It's a run of the mill detective story. Predictable and not particularly exciting.

I really enjoyed this book. Emma Moon has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for armed robbery where 2 men were murdered. Her fellow criminals escaped the scene and she carried the can alone and refused to give any names. Now she is out and people who were involved in the crime have started to die. Is Emma taking her revenge? DI Max Wolfe is certain that he is on the list as he was the young officer who arrested her all those years ago. This is a real page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is a well plotted detective mystery relating to a series of murders, whose victims are all linked to an armed robbery that took place two decades earlier. The finger points at Emma Moon, recently released from prison after serving time for being an accomplice, and infamous for not revealing the names of the perpetrators. Detective Max Wolfe, the arresting officer all those years ago, is now investigating the current murders, whilst also dealing with his own domestic issues relating to his 12 year old daughter.

This was an enjoyable story, with compelling and surprising sub-plots and believable characters.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me sight of this ARC

I think I’ll have to start reading book descriptions more carefully, because once again I had not realised this was part of a series. I found it difficult to understand Max’s relationship with his daughter until late in the book, and I’ll never know why a father (particularly a policeman) would think it acceptable to let his 12-year-old daughter out very late at night, alone – especially on London’s back streets. The story itself was well-written, intriguing and multi-layered with multiple characters. Quite a few red herrings and twists and turns kept up my interest most of the time, but there seemed to be lots of repetition and times when I felt the story dragged. All in all it was a good read, upped from 3.5 stars to 4 because of Stan! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.