The Catch by Michael Leese is the third book in the Martha Munro Crime series and the first book within this series I have read. "where have I been?" I loved this book from the very beginning till the very end and loved the way Michael writes. This book will have you gripped from the very beginning and will have you turning these pages over to find out what happens next. I found it hard to put down.

Now, for years, Martha Munro has dreamt of taking down her own mothers killer. The killer is the very charming but rotten
to-the-core, DCI Tony Green.

Martha has exposed his corruption and all the crimes he has tried so hard to hide.

But, now he’s back and is gunning for Martha has he has a new chilling new obsession: burying Martha for good!.

First it started with a string of threatening letters lands on her Victorian terrace doorstep. These were all scrawled in red ink, and the message is always the same: "Die, bitch. Die." 🥹

Now, it has become a game that has on between Martha and her old adversary! But, now Tony’s playing dirtier than ever.and he want her DEAD!!! 🥹

As time goes by Martha realises that someone who is close to her, is leaking secrets etc to Tony.
These secrets that only those closest to Martha could possibly know about her.

Tick Tock, the clock is ticking and Tony is not giving up. . . . . . . Will she survive or will Tony kill her?

WoW. . . . . Slow down. .. . . .I can't keep up!

This book was excellent, especially as it was full of twists and turns that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Superb read. 5⭐️ read. Now going back to read the other 2 in a few months!!!

Here is my review for The Catch by Michael Leese

I found this to be a scintillating read which I really enjoyed as it was a great crime novel. I got into it straight away right from the start. Detective Martha Munro exposed the corruption and crimes caused by DCI Tony Green. He’s now back with a new chilling obsession in mind which is killing Martha! He’s trying to break her spirit by sending threatening letters but Martha just puts them in the bin. She is staying strong and making plans to try and bring Tony Green down again! The book is brilliantly written plus it’s full of suspense and tension. The characters have been well thought out and Martha is a superb feisty main female character fighting to keep her and her family alive with the help of her friends. She won’t give up easily. The plotting is great with lots of corruption involved. I like the author's writing style which I found very easy to get into. The story kept me captivated throughout the book as it was a pacy story. Martha and her friends were plotting how to take Tony down while Tony was clearing house then thinking how to kill Martha. I would like to read more of this author's books and look forward to the next book in the series.

Blurb :

Meet the Met’s Detective Martha Munro, in the most pulse-pounding page-turner you’ll read this summer.

First comes the win. Then comes the catch . . .

For years, Martha Munro dreamed of taking down her mother’s killer. The charming, and rotten-to-the-core, DCI Tony Green.

Martha exposed his corruption. The crimes he tried so hard to bury.

Now he’s back with a chilling new obsession: burying Martha.

A string of threatening letters lands on the doorstep of Martha’s cozy Victorian terrace. Scrawled in red ink, the message is always the same: Die, bitch. Die.

It’s game on between Martha and her old adversary — and Tony’s playing dirtier than ever.

Before long, Martha realizes that someone is leaking secrets to Tony. Secrets that only those closest to Martha could possibly know.

Can she hunt Tony down? Before he catches her first . . .

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Catch' by Michael Leese


This may be the first book I have read by this incredible author but it most certainly will not be my last!! It is also the third book in Michael's 'Martha Munro Crime Mysteries' series but can be read as a standalone.

What an absolutely gripping, addictive and action packed book in what promises to be an explosive series!! I cannot WAIT to read the previous and future books in this series!!

Wow!!!! Just flipping wow!!!! What an absolutely epic page turner!!! Well done Michael Leese!! How on Earth have I never read any of your books before? Absolutely smashed it!!!!!!! This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions creating the perfect atmosphere for the storyline. The book cover and synopsis works perfectly with the book plot and I am most definitely looking forward to reading more books by this fantastic author. I have absolutely no idea how this is the first time I have read one of this incredible author's books but I am so glad I have rectified that problem and I cannot wait to get hooked into more books by the incredibly talented Michael Leese. WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! One thing I have got to say before getting into my review is clear your schedules as once you start this book you will not be able to put it down! This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline. I absolutely loved the unique storyline and I will tell you now you may as well stop wasting your time reading this and grab your copy of this book now! I will not say anything about the storyline as the publisher has done a fantastic job of this in the synopsis and I do not want to run the risk of giving anything away but if you want to know more then grab your copy of this gripping suspense packed thriller today and I can GUARANTEE you will not regret it!!! With a storyline absolutely RAM PACKED with drama, action, mystery, crime, family, suspense, revenge and so so much more What Are You Waiting For?!! Michael's brilliantly evocative descriptions will have you feeling every emotion the characters are from anger to fear, shock to tension!!
It is one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read!! Michael's evocative writing skills sucks the reader straight into the storyline with the characters and surroundings coming to life around them. This is just one of those rare books that words just cannot express how powerful and emotional it is. When I was reading this book I could feel my heartbeat speeding up as I was getting a dark sense of foreboding the deeper into the book I got!! It is one of those books that I just simply could not put down and I walked around everywhere with my kindle glued to my hands. Every chapter ended in a way that I had to know what was going to happen next and then it would move on to the next chapter and do the same so I blew through this in one sitting. Reading this book really does make you feel that you are standing with each of the characters and going through their anger, pain, sadness, fear and much more. I absolutely loved getting to know Martha who was one heck of a kickbutt woman along with her brilliant friends and team Harry, Julie and Justin. I adore the fact that she is a Mum and my heart went out to her with the worry for her daughter Betty, being a Mum myself I cannot imagine what she went through previously as well as was going through in this book, Each of the characters were perfectly written and each had their own unique and strong personalities with individual strengths, weaknesses, quirks, flaws and more. I really cannot wait to meet them again in future books and also going back to read the first two books which are called 'The List' and 'The Trap' to seeing how it all began. As I previously mentioned this is the third book in the series, I had no problem reading it as a standalone but I am looking forward to going back to the beginning while I am waiting for Michael to ,hopefully hurry, write the next book. You need to clear your schedules because you will not be able to put this book down. AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ!! The characters were all very strong and realistic and Michael's writing ensured they jumped off the pages at me. They all have their own unique personalities and I enjoyed discovering their histories as the story unravelled. Michael's fantastic evocative writing skills really bring each of them to life. Pick up your copy of this book today and meet these fantastic characters yourself.

Congratulations Michael on an absolutely gripping, gritty, explosive and must read page turner!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is the reason I would definitely like to welcome you my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an absolutely unputdownable, action packed, addictive and explosive MUST READ!!


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It all began with the list, a secret diary owned by Martha Munro’s father John, a former senior commander in charge of anti-corruption who had a rather unconventional approach to his work, detailing all the people he paid for information. The biggest rat of them all was DCI Tony Green, a bent cop of the very worst kind, now exposed and on the run, and he’s back in London with two aims. Whilst avoiding all his enemies, he is determined to amass his millions in cash, cars, paintings and jewels before fleeing to a safe country, and also to kill Martha, something he is making very plain to her. But Martha has the best help, amazing friends that she can really rely on. The former enforcer of the biggest crime gang in London, Harry The Hat, who promised John Munro to protect Martha at all costs, Julie, the formidable woman who accepted the task of keeping Martha safe in prison when there was a price on her head, and Martha’s ex-husband, IT expert Justin. The four of them make a plan to take on Green and deal with him once and for all. Martha and her people versus Green and his team. A dangerous game. And it will be a battle to the death.
This has been a fantastic series so far, and I would really recommend reading the books in order. I immediately loved the wonderful Harry in the first story, with his mob of “elderly maniacs” and huge Julie makes an incredible addition to the team, with the interaction and humour between them a joy to read about. Together with Justin and Martha, they make a brilliant force to be reckoned with, and this is another superb story in the series. I do hope there will be more featuring these incredibly likable characters!

This is the first book I’ve read by Michael and felt in order to fully understand everything, I needed to read the first two books in this series in order to completely understand hay was going in. I felt like I was missing pieces, important ones at that. But I did enjoy the book despite that. Martha starts receiving letters at her home after exposing DCI Tony Greene. Now he’s out for revenge, killing anyone who knew his plans and Martha is in that list. She’s trying to take him down for killing her mother. This was truly a cat and mouse chase. But who’s helping Tony? Will Martha be able to catch him before it’s too late??

The Catch by Michael Leese is a gripping and high-stakes thriller that plunges readers into a deadly game of cat and mouse. With a relentless pace and a chilling antagonist, this story follows former DCI Tony as he descends into a dark obsession for revenge, targeting Martha—the woman who exposed his crimes.

Leese crafts a tense and tightly plotted narrative where the threat is constant and the danger feels personal. Tony’s transformation and descent into further violence, including identity manipulation and murder, adds a disturbing edge to the plot, keeping the reader on high alert. Martha, in contrast, is a resilient and compelling character, making it easy to root for her as the suspense builds.

The tension escalates steadily, with well-timed twists and an undercurrent of psychological intensity that drives the story forward. The pacing is strong, and the stakes feel increasingly urgent, compelling readers to keep turning the pages.

The Catch is a well-constructed and absorbing thriller that delivers on suspense, character development, and narrative payoff. With a sinister villain and a strong heroine, it’s a gripping read for fans of psychological and procedural thrillers alike.

A good back story with a strong lead character, this book is part of a series but can be read as stand alone. I agree with other reviewers that the dialogue needs some work - it does not read naturally and therefore disrupts the reader’s engagement in what would otherwise be a fast paced story. The story itself is a good one and I liked the main characters.

Thanks to Joffe books and Netgalley for this eARC.

Michael Leese’s The Catch returns with the 3rd Detective Martha Munro, as she continues in her determination to take down her mother's killer, the charismatic and clever DCI Tony Green.

Now that Martha has captured his attention, she has put herself directly in the killer's cross hairs.

The Catch is a quiet, methodical thriller that understands the power of silence and suggestion. However, I found this particular entry would have benefited with a strong editing session.

Book 3 in the series featuring Martha Munro is a very good thriller. Although the pace was quite slow it picked up towards the end but the ending left a few unanswered questions and came to an abrupt end. The dialogue was a bit unrealistic, but it is fiction, and the characterisation was just a bit unbelievable. I liked Harry, he is loyal and steadfast and Julie was quite amusing at times with her friendly punches! There were a few touches of humour throughout and I would recommend that readers catch up with the first two books in the series for background information. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Detective Martha Munro #3

For years, Martha Munro dreamed of taking down her mother's killer, the charming, and rotten-to-the-core, DCI Tony Green. Martha exposed his corruption. The crimes he tried to bury. A string of threatening letters lands on the doorstep of Martha's cosy Victoria terrace. Scrawled in red ink, the message is always the same - Die, bitch. Die. It's game on between Martha and her old adversary. - and Tony's playing dirtier than ever.

Ex-DCI Tony Green was corrupt and killed Martha Munro's mother, and this is a multi-layered, well-written story. Martha does not know who she can trust. Martha's father. Commander Munro, had ran the Met's anti-corruption unit, but that meant he had plenty of enemies, and it seems Martha has inherited them from him. Tony Green has resurfaced in London with a new identity, and a plan for revenge, and to recover years worth of criminal profits, then disappear again. This is a gripping, fast-paced and tense read.

Published 3rd July 2025.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #MichaelLeese for my ARC of #TheCatch in exchange for an honest review.

Part of a series best read in order. Interesting bunch of characters,gritty story Set in London with an evil villain

2.5* Full of stilted, uncolloquial, non-contracted speech that belied any urgency in this tale.

I'm new to this series, which sounded pretty good, especially as Martha was a working mum and police officer. Unfortunately, I never felt any aspect of danger, as the whole posse seemed to drink endless tea, make meals together, sit around the kitchen table chatting, and the 6yo child came home from having been kept safe??

Harry was the most interesting character, reminding me of the Harry Brown character played by Sir Michael Caine in the film of the same name.

Dialogue was pretty awful and unrealistic. At the end of the tale, Martha's newly back ex-husband rushes to hug her and their daughter, saying 'I'm so pleased you are both safe.' - where's the passion, fright, relief? There's more, but this felt the most out of place.

The physical telegraphing of Martha's plan of attack should've been obvious to an ex-copper like Green, after all, we'd been privy to his recollection of body language and what he'd been taught, and there's no way he'd have been distracted the way he was and allowed her to get the jump on him. Just no way. The tale fell apart in the final 5 pages, for me. It lost all credibility, especially where not a single one of the posse saw the writing on the wall when one character went awol just before their part in the plan extraordinaire that wasn't.

Unfortunately this book needs a good edit and dialogue needs to be looked at. No one talks like that, especially not as if there's all the time in the world.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Joffe Books for my reading pleasure.

A very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters. Interesting, pulse-pounding plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Enjoyed every minute of it!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

The Catch by Michael Leese is the latest installment in the Detective Martha Munroe series. Martha’s late father, Commander Monroe, once led the Met’s anti-corruption unit—an uncompromising role that left behind dangerous enemies, many of whom now target Martha. Her father’s former “consigliore,” Harry, now watches over her, alongside her fiery and fiercely loyal friend, Julie, who can hold her own in any fight.

Meanwhile, former DCI Tony Green resurfaces in London with a new identity and a ruthless plan: to recover years’ worth of criminal profits and disappear into luxury. But to do so, he must eliminate Martha—the very officer whose actions exposed his corruption, cost him his job, and destroyed his public image.

What follows is a gripping battle of wits between Martha and Tony. Will Tony’s brutal campaign succeed? He’s eliminating anyone who might reveal his secrets. Can Martha, with her close-knit circle of family and friends, bring him down before more lives are lost? Can she expose the rot inside the police force and reclaim her hard-earned reputation?

The story is packed with drama and tension. However, the author’s lengthy but detailed opening may feel overwhelming for new readers, and without having read the earlier books, I felt something was missing. That said, the narrative is compelling, and the characterizations—especially of Julie—are larger-than-life, perhaps a bit over the top at times.

Still, I highly recommend this book. It’s a fast-moving, intense, and well-crafted thriller that keeps you turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

loved meeting Martha in this book what a compelling character. bold and powerful she pulled me into her story and made me care about her instantly. i haven't come across this series before(why!?) but the author did a fab job of catching me up and still making me feel included enough to enjoy this one from here. and i will be trying my best to rectify my mistake of not reading the others.
but my problem now is how much i enjoyed this book so much and the way it ended made me realise i will have to go back to read the others but also wait for the next one to come out!
it was such a smartly delivered read. it all slots together in a readable and believable way.
Martha has had a lot come her way. not least the darkest of all being the corrupt ex colleague of hers. Tony Green.
but this book brings her back within that circle of vulnerability. because people are aiming harm her way once again and she is not sure who she can trust. but she will stop at nothing to find out because she has people she needs to protect. she has people she needs to show they will never beat her down.
she does have her loyal team now though. doesn't she?
does Martha even know what Tony or his associates look like now. where they all are? because he is definitely back and hes vowed to do harm and worse to Martha and her daughter.
but Tony likes to taunt. hes a showman criminal and hes not afraid to let his ego come to the fore when he makes his mark.
its all goes to bring tension and menace throughout the book. you are constantly gripping the book waiting for whats coming or to be revealed next. and hoping against hope that those there for Martha or those she can trust. or those i now want to be able to trust!
this book is not tied up in a neat ribbon. and it left me gaping for the ending. i needed to know everything was going to be ok. and i didn't. darn you Michael!

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Written by Michael Leese and published by Joffee Books, London in 2025, this is a simplistic crime novel set in the environs of London, England. To me, the plot and story line looked like something I might have seen in a comic book when I was a kid.

Tony Green is a master criminal. He is a former police detective at Scotland Yard who has recruited a significant number of police members to his criminal enterprises. Martha Munro is a Detective Constable at “The Met” (Metropolitan Police/Scotland Yard) who exposed Green and sent him on the run. A number of Green’s associates were arrested and convicted but Green escaped to South America, where he received plastic surgery to alter his appearance.

Now he is back! And he has vowed to kill Martha and perhaps even her five-year-old daughter, Betty. He is also arranging to ship his stockpiles of loot to a secret location abroad where he expects to retire after killing Martha. Green is a showman, so he makes it a point to murder in spectacular fashion, and to warn his victims ahead of time with taunts. Martha has two very close friends: Harry, a retired police senior officer who knew Martha’s father, and Julie, a very large, strong and tough woman, both of whom have committed to protecting Martha and Betty. Another protector, a woman named “Lucy” is hired to help protect the house and its occupants. Green has been taunting Martha, going so far as to show up at her house and allow her to see his new face. The danger is very real!

Green murders a Russian Mob banker and takes over his huge mansion, which has multiple underground floors. This will be his headquarters until he has murdered Martha and Betty and then left the country to retire abroad. Through his contacts, Harry learns where the mansion is located, and Met officers, in conjunction with MI-5, will attack and capture him. All does not turn out as planned, however, and the story ends abruptly and unsatisfyingly.

I did not like this novel. The dialog is stilted, the metaphors are ill-fitting, and the plot is simplistic. Loose ends abound. I’m sorry, but I cannot recommend this novel to others. Of the available five stars, I award only two.

The Catch is the third installment in the Martha Munro series, and even though it’s the first book in the series I read, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on too much as the author did a great job of providing their backstories.

The story picks up with Martha and her team tracking the return of Tony Green, the corrupt former DCI and now full blown underworld kingpin, who’s back in the UK and apparently planning one final move. That move? Kill Martha and disappear for good.

I absolutely loved the steady building of tension here: threatening letters arriving at Martha’s doorstep, the feeling of paranoia intensifying, and I was so ready for the tension, and the cat and mouse game. It felt like watching the pieces of a puzzle being slowly, methodically moved into place.

Now, I’ll admit that the pacing does drag a little bit. There’s a whole lot of waiting, planning, and positioning as DCI Martha and her team anticipates his next move, which makes sense given the type of threat they’re facing. Things do pick up toward the end, and the final chapters hint at more to come, so I’ll definitely keep following the series.

It was quickly obvious that there had been previous books that I had not read but the story did not suffer because of that. I found the plot and most of the characters a bit over the top. However, I enjoyed the twists and turns and I thought it was a decent read.

I feel like I really need to read the preceding books to fully appreciate this story which is clearly brilliantly written/plotted. Detective Martha Munro faces an old adversary, a corrupt copper, who threatens everything and everyone that matters to her. This is one of the few and rare series where the prior insight is so key to future stories. Thanks to the publisher & author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Spot on police procedural with plenty of action and intrigue, a solid team that you will really be rooting for, and a bad guy that you really want to see get his just deserts. A lot of tense moments will keep you turning the page.