Come and Find Me (DI Marnie Rome Book 5)

I can't recommend this highly enough. There is a creeping unease throughout the book which makes it almost uncomfortable to read. A sort of dread that slides off the page and chills your soul. Loved it!

So 3 hours and 24 minutes of reading time later and I’m done with Come and Find Me – Marnie Rome book 5 (How the heck did THAT happen, I still have my much loved little proof of a certain book called Someone Else’s Skin) and with this one Sarah Hilary has belted it out of the ballpark and all the way to the moon.

For me this was the best one yet, all the sense and the feeling that you have come to expect with an added darkness that is intriguingly gripping – I devoured it, felt it in my bones from the moment I started reading until the moment I reached the emotionally traumatic end game…

It’s not so much about who did what but about the underneath of everything – how looking at something doesn’t mean you see it, not only within the events of the novel but within the characters. A prison riot, an escapee, an obvious line to follow but even more so than the previous Marnie stories the psychology of it all comes into play with devastating results. Things also move on for our main players, in REALLY TRAUMATIC WAYS and if you are reading this Sarah Hilary we may have to have words about that bit at the end. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN don’t try and hide. I’m still slightly sobbing.

The writing is divine, having a quietly impacting resonance, the plotting is taut and somewhat terrifying, your sense of the people and the places gaining momentum with each passing chapter. It is addictive, unpredictable and criminally clever, there’s not that many writers writing at this level out there.

I don’t really want to call the Marnie Rome book police procedural’s anymore – although the series seems to generate that genre tag – if I had to describe them, in a vacuum, I’d call them psychological crime drama’s. In fact why WHY this is not a tv show already, I really can’t understand, it would lend itself so well to the screen, almost as well as it does to the page.

(As an aside, I spoke to Chris Whitaker earlier when I was concerned I couldn’t find the words to say how good Come and Find Me is. He said “Just tell Sarah I love her. That’s all she needs to know” I said I’d put that in here and now I have…)

Come and find Sarah Hilary’s novels if you have not already. And if you have and are waiting for this one then batten down the hatches. You ain’t seen nothing yet…

Highly Recommended.

Having devoured the first four books in the series, I was delighted to receive a review copy of book five. The first book was a recommendation for a reading challenge and Marnie Rome has fast become one of my favourite detectives. This is another cracker from Sarah Hilary. A riot in a prison results in the escape of prisoner, Michael Vokey, a seemingly dangerous man. Other prisoners are maimed and injured during the riot and the subsequent fire, including the man responsible for the death of DI Marnie Rome's parents.

I was a little disappointed at first as I found it a bit slow, especially the chapters told from the perspective of Ted Elms, Vokey's cell mate . However, the various threads of the plot began to come together and the book took off as it suddenly became apparent there was much more to the story than was it seemed at first. The author has also further developed the characters of Marnie and Noah, and their angst at personal family issues adds depth to the book.

I am feeling quite bereft at having to part ways with Marnie and Noah again, especially after that ending. When is book six due?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Come and Find Me, the fifth novel in the DI Marnie Rome series.

There's been a riot at HMP Cloverton and dangerous inmate Michael Vokey is missing after setting fire to the wing and seriously assaulting some fellow inmates. Marnie and her team are called in to investigate but are struggling to find clues or much trace of Vokey.

I thoroughly enjoyed Come and Find Me which has an unusual format but is no less compelling for it. The novel alternates between a comatose Ted Elms' thoughts and Marnie's investigation. Ted Elms is Vokey's cell mate, injured in an attack by him and unconscious so all he can do is muse on how he got there and what led up to the current situation. It means that the reader gets a different appreciation of Vokey than the police but as he has disappeared every impression is just someone's opinion. It makes for a fascinating read as the team try to sift through the lies, self delusion and hazy facts to establish Vokey's whereabouts.

Vokey is quite an elusive character. He is obviously violent, having been sent to prison for attacking a woman he followed home, but he is also manipulative and attracts admirers. He has two women writing to him and sending him photos of themselves. They are the police's first port of call when Vokey escapes in case they are in danger.

I found the prison escape a bit difficult to swallow but I can't fault the rest of the novel. Ms Hillary has created a wonderful ensemble piece with a variety of believable characters and actions. I found Ted Elms' narrative warm and inviting (despite the subject matter), the tale of a quiet man doing his best to share a cell with a violent psychopath and I loved the ring of authenticity that Vokey's victim Julie recounted of her treatment after the trial. All through the novel Vokey touches people's lives and influences their actions and yet he never appears. It's a tour de force.

Come and Find Me is much more than a police procedural with its examination of motives and human frailty and makes for a fascinating read. I have no hesitation in recommending it.

I have read and enjoyed all of Sarah Hilary’s DI Marnie Rome books and this was an excellent addition to the series. Although it is possible to read it as a stand alone there are a lot of references to the earlier books and I would suggest reading them in order- a real treat for those of you who like a well written mystery with a great female lead.
‘Come and Find Me’is about the hunt for an escaped prisoner, Michael Vokey, who has absconded from prison during a riot. As the novel progresses we hear more about his unpleasant nature, how he has attacked a young mother and terrorised others around him.
As well as following Marnie’s investigation into Vokey’s disappearance we also hear from Ted, one of the prison inmates injured in the riot. He talks to the reader from his coma in a hospital bed and throughout the majority of the book the reader is not sure exactly what to make of him. He seems rather creepy but also a victim of Vokey so there is some sympathy for him.
Lying in the next hospital room to Ted is Stephen, Marnie’s foster brother and murderer of her parents: he has also been injured in the prison riot and his life hangs in the balance making a difficult situation for Marnie who is conflicted and still does not know why he commited such an atrocious act. There will be no answers for her if he dies.
We also hear about Marnie’s assistant Detective Noah Jake, estranged from his Mother after his wayward brother Sol’s arrest.
This is a real page turner with an interesting plot. It also examines the theme of motherhood and the lengths a mother will go to protect her child. We see the sometimes difficult mother and child relationship with all the main protagonists. Marnie looks at her feelings for her dead parents, whilst. Noah feels bereft with his mother blaming him for Sol’s difficulties. Prisoner, Ted and prison guard Darren have strong attachments to their mothers and even victim Julie is only doing the best for her daughter Natalie.
This book is a great read that is more than just a police procedural. We really get inside the characters’ heads as Sarah Hilary is so good at descriptions. We learn more about Marnie but the key to her past still eludes her.
As with any good book I was sad to get to the end and even more upset that I will have to wait a while for the next Marnie Rome book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Big fan of the Marnie Rome series, and this one did not disappoint. Marne and Noah are such a great pair to lead the reader through a very well structured plot. Love the dynamic of their relationship at work, then the separate splinters of their personal lives that show the more vulnerable side to them both, One of the best series out there at the moment in my book.

I hate to start a series midway so when I was sent this to review I was excited but I realised I would need to read the first four before I got stuck in. I've had such a treat this last few weeks feeding on the entire back catalogue. That said come and find me works well as a stand alone story. I'm a little bereft now that I'll have to wait for the next installment. Highly recommended treat yourself.

I have read all the books in this series and loved them all. This new one does not disappoint. I found the storyline was exciting and the main characters were brilliant. There were plenty of twists in the story to keep the reader entertained. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Hilary for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

So, DI Marnie Rome book five, it still doesn’t feel very long ago when I read Sarah Hilary’s debut Someone Else’s Skin which for me really began my passion for crime fiction. Sarah’s writing is utterly absorbing, her characters are very real and I have been hooked on Marnie and her backstory since I read her debut. I was left reeling at the end of this book which was a powerful and a very emotional piece of writing in many ways. All I can say is, the moment you get your hands on Come and Find Me, put everything else aside and read it!

Sarah opens book five with a prison riot in HMP Cloverton, where Marnie’s foster brother, Stephen Keele is currently serving his time for murdering her parents. Stephen has been rushed to hospital but the main focus is on prisoner, Michael Vokey, who has managed to escape during the rioting. Marnie and her team launch a manhunt to apprehend him and send him back to prison as soon as possible. How could a man, as dangerous as Michael Vokey, been allowed to slip out, unseen and unheard? As the investigation to track him down progresses, we hear that several women, outside of the prison have been writing to him, sharing with him intimate details about themselves, including their addresses. Marnie beings to realise they may be in danger from Vokey, or an even more disturbing realisation is that one of them maybe hiding him. And what about Michael Vokey’s victim who put him in prison?

Sarah Hilary’s novels are always smart and impeccably researched and there is always a strong sense of realism in her plots. Whenever I read one of her Marnie Rome novels, I can never quite pin down who the culprit is and this is one of the aspects about her books that I find really enjoyable, that she always manages to surprise me, and that she always keeps me guessing. The subject of the prison riot in her latest novel is a very topical issue at the moment. I've seen many cases in the news recently where prisons in this country have been subjected to such riots so I could easily picture the scenes in my mind.

Now that I've finished reading Come and Find Me, I really can't wait to find out how the series will progress from here. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book to read.

This is a sensational addition to Sarah Hilary's stellar London based series featuring DI Marnie Rome. It all begins with a bang with a fully fledged riot at HMP Cloverton, assumed to be instigated by the dangerous Michael Volkey, who manages to escape. The fallout has Volkey's cellmate, Ted Elms, on life support, experiencing locked in syndrome whilst in a coma. Marnie's foster brother, Stephen Keele, responsible for the murder of her parents, has acquired life threatening injuries in the riot, leaving her in a quandry, if he dies she will never learn what happened and why. As DI Rome, and her team are called in to investigate the riot, they find themselves encountering the intricacies and complications of being a prison inmate, and the fear, threats and lies that underpin prison life, spilling to the outside world too.

Michael Volkey's crimes have attracted a strong fan following from women, including Laura Chorley and Ruth Hull, two apparently different personalities, communicating via letters with their deepest fears and secrets. As Marnie, driven by her demons, leads the hunt, she fears for the women as Volkey is expected to head their way. There is the blackest of humour as the house packed with old items becomes known as the 'Antiques Roadshow Massacre'. The narrative is delivered from a number of characters including Ted Elms, although primarily Marnie and Noah. The multiple story threads slowly begin to connect, leading to the totally out of the blue ending. Along the way, Hilary expertly places a number of twists.

Hilary has done impressive research on prison, the problems of the prison system that exacerbate the lives of inmates, highlighting life inside with authenticity and realism, providing us with her customary social and political commentary. What drives this series is the ongoing character development of DI Marnie Rome, her troubled personal history and obsession with Stephen Keele, mirroring the women who obsess over Michael Volkey. Noah has his own family travails with his mother blaming him for his brother, Sol's problems. If you have not come across this series, I strongly urge you to acquaint yourself with it. A brilliant and compulsive read, cannot wait for the next in the series. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.