I flew through books two to six in order to get this one and couldn't wait to get stuck in. Reading the other books so quickly together meant I had built up a relationship with Maeve and Josh and was dying to know how things worked out from the ending of book 6.

The book opens with Maeve being promoted, meaning she had a rookie to look out for and mentor. This added something new to the whole work dynamic and shook things up a bit but there's not a lot you can do to keep Derwent away from Maeve! The murder the team is investigating isn't a simple one. 18 year old Chloe has returned home early from being at her father's, only to find her mother gone and the house covered with blood. With no body and no leads, it's a tricky case. Chloe stays at best friend's Bethany's house and everyone in that house is trying to protect and silence Chloe, which frustrates Maeve. Dodgy characters crop up everywhere and all Maeve needs is for one person to break their silence and she'll have a lead.
Casey does a great job of writing these books, I'm always left guessing about who was behind the crime. The real reason I come back though is because of the Maeve and Josh dynamic, it's always interesting to see how they're getting on. I am warming more and more to Derwent but he's so tiring at times! Though this time around, it was Maeve that was tiring. After all they went through at the end of book 6, she STILL doesn't feel like she can trust Derwent and I was really let down and disappointed by that, it feels like Maeve hasn't grown up from first few books if she really still thinks like that. I think this is part of the reason this book felt a bit off for me compared to the others, the other reasons being the new role Maeve is in and the strangeness of the plot (there being no body to investigate). I did still enjoy the book though, like I said Casey is a fantastic storyteller and it kept me gripped, I couldn't put it down. I do encourage anyone wanting to read the Maeve series to start at the beginning though, you can jump in where ever you want but there are background stories and character developments so it's well worth reading the entire series.

Wow!
If you are looking for a Can't Put It Down thriller then look no further. It is well written and fast paced with characters you will love and hate and enough twists to have you guessing until the end.
I highly recommend it.

Well- written page turner. Well drawn characters and an original story line. Recommended.

I had never read a Maeve Kerrigan book before, so was a little concerned I wouldn't be familiar with the ongoing themes that usually run through a series, but although it worked as a stand alone story, all it has done is whet my appetite to go back and start this Detective series from the start! (I've already read #1 and thoroughly enjoyed it.).

This novel starts with a shocking discovery – 17 year old Chloe Emery returns home after a few days away with her estranged Father and her Mum isn't there to greet her. What is there though is a house full of blood, signs of a violent struggle, a frantic cat, but no answers.

Detective Maeve Kerrigan and her team throw themselves in at the deep end to try and answer the questions facing them – the problem being that without a body, what are they really looking for? Where is Chloe's Mum? Has her estranged Father got anything to do with this? Why are the neighbours (the nosey Norris's) so interested in what is going on and why is Chloe's behaviour so erratic even in the face of the terrible events that have enfolded her? The team must find the answers if they are to find the person(s) responsible and stop them harming anyone else.

The dynamic between Maeve and Josh is good and punchy, there's an obvious chemistry between the two, and with the rest of the team & a feisty new female officer creating some tension, their shared determination to get results is infectious.

Some of the characterisation with felt a little overplayed, perhaps a little cartoonish, particularly between the Norris brothers. Some of the interaction between characters didn't ring quite true and felt a little bit leading, but not so much that it detracted from the plot or spoilt the experience.

Casey's writing is sharp, descriptive, punchy and engaging - so much so I read this book in a few sittings over around 24 hours. The plot is clever and whether you are new to the Maeve Kerrigan series, or have devoured each instalment as it appears, I'm sure you will enjoy this latest offering.

4 stars

This is the first of Jane Casey’s books I’ve read, and although it is the seventh book in the series, this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel at all. There were references to past events, but nothing that interfered with the story at hand.
Police procedurals also aren’t something that I go out of my way to read, but I liked the sound of this one and thought it as worth a try. And I’m really glad I did. This is a fast-paced, clever read, with sympathetic characters that are engaging and interesting and with a plot that has lot of twists and turns that are well conceived and completely believable.
The dynamic between Maeve (who is a great main character - a woman that is intelligent, career-orientated, but certainly not perfect and very, very human) and her ‘partner’ Josh works very well indeed. And the investigation itself has lots of very different and interesting aspects. The religious neighbours were intriguing and very unsettling, and the whole issue around Kate and her daughter Chloe was really well done.
My only gripe was that I felt the ending was a little rushed. Without giving too much away, I wanted to know more about what had driven the perpetrator, and the consequences of their crime.
All in all though, a really well-executed novel. I’ll be reading more from Jane Casey.

This isn't the first time that I have received and read a book from an author which wasn't the first in the series. Whilst I may have missed out on some of the background, it didn't make this book any less thrilling. What is has done is make me absolutely certain that I must search out the other 6 books from this talented author. There were sufficient twists and turns that kept me intrigued through to the final pages and I'm now looking forwarding to going back to book one in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It doesn't seem that long ago when I was embarking on the Maeve Kerrigan journey and here we are at book seven a few months later!

Chloe Emery returns home to find she can't find her mum and there's blood everywhere. What could have happened and where is Chloe's mum? That's the mystery that Kerrigan is called in to investigate which she does with the rest of the team. Leading her to look more closely at the neighbourhood and their residents.

We have less of a body count in Let The Dead Speak and more of a missing person story as shady characters are put under scrupulous attention with Kerrigan doing her best in trying to uncover the truth in and amongst the web of deceit. I'm a big fan of this series with the relationship between Derwent and Kerrigan being the biggest draw. This is not my favourite so far but it's still a good solid read and fans would not be disappointed.

I look forward to the next instalment ..... because there's always room for Derwent!! And would like to thank all those involved for my review copy.

Recommended.

The above is my review as posted on Goodreads and Amazon. Thanks again.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for this ARC, which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Chloe Emrey has been staying at her Father's house with him - Bill - his wife and her two sons Nolan and Nathan. However Chloe leaves early to return home to her Mother Kate. She is offered a lift from the station by her friend Bethany's Father - Oliver.
Chloe opens her front door and finds before her a scene of carnage. Blood splatters the walls and carpet. The police are called and DS Maeve Kerrigan arrives at the scene. There is one problem though, there is no body and Kate is now missing presumed dead.
A tale of religious fanactics and secrets emerges. Is Kate dead or alive? Does Chloe or Bethany really know what has happened?
DS Kerrigan and her team have to do a lot of digging to uncover the truth, but have they found the whole truth? Is someone involved not telling the police the whole story? Can the dead really speak and shed a light on what has happened?

I enjoy a really good thriller and this was no exception. The book is quite fast paced and at first glance there appears to be a lot of characters. Despite that all the characters have a definite purpose and the book is easy to follow. I had no idea "who dun it" and I really enjoyed the last chapter.

This is book 7 in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series. I have not read the others and this works well as a stand alone book.

read this in a couple of days - daren't put down in case I lost the plot - lots going on and kept me guessing right up to the end

Gripping read from the start. Real page turner! Highly recommended

Let the Dead Speak was a fab book that I could not put down. Another great book by Jane Casey. I was hooked from the first few pages and ended up reading it in a day it had me hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this release. This is the first time I have read anything from the Maeve Kerrigan series and my first encounter with author Jane Casey, for that matter.

Let the Dead Speak is the gripping and suspenseful story of a murder without a body. Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery arrives home from a visit to her father's to find her mother, Kate, missing from their London home and blood smeared all over the house. Before long, the house becomes a crime scene, swarmed by London police, Detective Maeve Kerrigan and the homicide squad. Maeve and her team begin to unravel the twisted web of lies before them, focusing primarily on the overly-religious Norris family across the road, and young William Turner, a bad asthmatic with a criminal past. But how can Maeve point any fingers in this murder investigation when there isn't a body?

Let the Dead Speak is a tangled tale of seduction, infidelity, manipulation and murder. Although it took me longer to get through than I anticipated, I did find the plot compelling. Casey is a craftswoman of the crime genre, for sure. I imagine the fact that she is married to a criminal barrister has allowed her to keep her finger on the pulse of criminal law, and this certainly shows in the confidence and execution of her writing.

There were certain aspects of the narrative that irked me in this novel, in particular some of the interactions between Maeve and her colleague, Derwent, and between Maeve and the Norris men, Oliver and his brother. I felt some of the characters were too quick to give away their stories and motives, although the pace in general was more or less on point. Casey's writing is sharp and her plot certainly keeps you hooked. Maeve as a character is engaging and authentic, and I would be encouraged, from this book, to read another of Casey's offerings.

Overall, a good read. Compelling enough to keep you hooked; a confident crime novel.

I loved this book. I had never read this author before, and I am so glad that I did (as I certainly intend to read the rest of this series!) The author gives a clear view of the interaction of the main character Maeve Kerrigan, with her colleagues, and this helps to develop the story. The "suspects " are many and with each chapter I became convinced that I knew who the culprit was, only to find myself wrong again. I followed the author throughout the tale as she leads us on several dead ends, and I found the final result both interesting and satisfying.
If you love a good crime thriller, this is definitely the book for you, and although it is book 7 in a series, it is perfectly suitable as a stand alone read. Highly recommended.

I read this book and was thoroughly gripped from the beginning. I now intend to go back and read the others, as this was the first book of this author I had read - although this did not detract from the book at all. Very cleverly written.

When I had finished this book, I had a look online to see if the author had written anything else and was surprised to find this is one of a series. Yet the book and the characters felt fresh which is a sign of a good author. I read this as a stand-alone novel and it was not diminished by having no previous knowledge of the leading characters. The procedural aspects of the investigation seemed convincing and the less glamorous aspects of police work gave a realistic feel to the book. Most of the characters were pretty unlikable which made sympathy for them difficult, but overall I enjoyed it.

I often find that as you get further through a series the plots become quite 'samey' however I have not yet found this to be the case with this author. I really look forward to reading about the characters again and what will happen next to them. However, it will also stand as stand alone novel, so you could dip in and out of this series quite happily.
After a few chapters I was on the edge of my seat and felt that the suspense was very well generated and maintained. None the less the author manages to weave in clever wit and humour. I hope I don't have to wait too long until book 8.

Police investigation at its best, LET THE DEAD SPEAK was the kind of thriller I didn't even know I was looking for. With DS Kerrigan's voice, this was the realistic investigation process I liked. Sort of like the tv show CSI-which I also like and try to watch whenever I catch it- this book had an intriguing case that had a pretty big suspect pool. Kerrigan's voice was easy to follow, she was a competent yet very human character who made choices that anyone in the profession would and could have made. As the storyteller, I was never bored with her, her insight into the case, her opinions about facts and people, her reactions to certain situations were such a joy to read. The story was fast paced, with a lot of suspects to distract and confuse us. I have to admit, the ending was more than satisfying.


I definitely enjoyed reading Kerrigan's story, her partnership with Derwent, her general psyche. They all added to the story's easy flow. Plus, they most certainly made me curious about their past cases, about how they came to be as such good partners, and how they ended up being the being they were in this seventh book of the series.


Those who like an interesting murder case, tv shows like CSI, or an all access to an ongoing investigation via the main officer, would enjoy this one.


I'm adding five big spoonfuls of this story into my hodgepodge, and taking a note of the rest of the series.

Quite a complex story; I had to concentrate to fully get to grips with the plot, but an enjoyable read. Would definitely read another book from the same author.

Ooooooooo I liked this book having read nothing from this author previously so had no idea what to expect. I wasn't dissatisfied I really enjoyed this book and liked the writing style and it. 18 year old Chloe's mum has gone missing, there's blood but no body!!! An investigation ensues but it's not an easy or straight forward one and the more you read the more you see that, cant say too much else I'll spoil it....cannot wait to read more!!!!!