I had a lot of issues with this one. To begin with when I requested this book, I did so not only because the synopsis sounded interesting, but because it was billed as a brand new crime thriller. It wasn't until I looked at GoodReads until I realized it is not actually a new series as Netgalley made it seem, but actually book number eighteen in an established series.

Of course, this made it hard for me to keep track of all of the different officers working alongside Horton, especially since there wasn't anything really identifiable about any of them that made one stand out from the rest which I thought odd for a series with this many books. There were also some references to other people and events that I assume happened in the prior novels, but which made no sense to me coming in this far in. Where it gets tricky though, is we also were introduced to a bevvy of other characters on top of the police force. I'm talking victims, members of the families Juliette had performed services for, and other characters that filled various other roles (including ones just on the periphery of the story). It all made for a jumble of names that meant more often than not I had no idea who was being spoken about, or what their role in the story was meant to be.

I also feel as though a good chunk of this novel could have been edited out as there were parts that dragged on and weighed the story down. Two examples of this that come to mind are during the investigation when the cops sit around speaking on what happened as though they are speaking facts, when it's only their suppositions without any facts to back it up. Another was at the very end when everything had wrapped up, and yet pages went on where Horton sat with one of his other colleagues (the normal medical examiner who had been on holiday) and she went on and on about how one of the deaths might have been accidental vitamin overdose. It was unnecessary as the story had already been wrapped, and nothing was gained by including it. There were also many other instances of there being just too many details (or story-lines that were happening on the periphery) that again added nothing to the overall story.

If you are a long-time fan of this series, I can see where you would enjoy this story. But if you're brand new like me, I highly suggest skipping it and maybe starting back at the beginning so you decide if the author's writing style is something you enjoy without the hinderance of everything already being so well established.

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.

This is the first book I have read from this author and did not realise it was apart of a series. . I found that the backstory throughout was difficult to fathom
asI had no clue of its bearing. There were plenty of twists in the storyline to keep me reading. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for my copy of The Chidham Creek Murders by Pauline Rowson
When I picked this book up I didn't realise it was number 18 in a series. But I soon caught up on the back story and it worked well on it's own,
Set in the Portsmouth area Andy Horton is a DI with a difference, living on a yacht and driving a Harley-Davidson Andy is not your typical copper.
When it comes to solving cases he is instinctive and doesn't stop until he has caught the culprit. This may have been my first book in this series but it won't be my last.
A good read.

Juliette, a funeral celebrant, is found dead in her home. It's been staged to look like a suicide, but the police are skeptical. Apparently, Juliette was very different from what she seemed, and had a rather shady past, which is gradually revealed as more people die in this somewhat slow-moving story line. I’ve enjoyed this author’s writing before, but didn’t realize that this novel was part of a different series—maybe I wouldn’t have had so much difficulty keeping track of the many characters if I had read the earlier DI Andy Horton novels. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A secretive celebrant. A multimillionaire heir. A staged murder. The house smells of death. Not rotting flesh, but a mustiness that wraps itself around Detective Andy Horton as he enters. He makes his way to the living room and rapidly takes in the scene…. Good book!! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a good who done it and a few twists and turns! The story was interesting! It was definitely worth reading but not one of my top favorites! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books for sharing this book with me!