Plain Dead

Unfortunately this book was just ok for me?! UT had light suspense, drama , intrigue and a pretty good who done it! But I just couldn't get into it?! UT didn't drag me in or leave me waiting to see what happened! It was worth reading but just ok! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This is the 3rd book in the DI Henry Ford series by author Andy Maslen. I have read this series from book 1 where I instantly drawn to both the writing and the interesting characters. I thought at the time that the lead characters were well set out and promised a lot more in subsequent books which has proven the case.

Ford lost his wife in a climbing accident that he caused and has hidden the truth from his son Sam ever since. Ford struggles to satisfy the needs of his son while trying to carry out his job serving the police in Wiltshire. His latest case surrounds a young female soldier who is found on Salisbury Plain, her throat cut and a bloody knife in her dead hand. The common opinion is that she killed herself, but DI Ford is not convinced. Contrary to fierce opposition from the army and his own superiors, Ford decides to investigate the possibility of foul play. While dealing with the investigations Ford is still struggling with guilt and whether or not to tell his son the truth about what really happened to his wife. There is an added problem for Ford in that the victim’s regiment are due to deploy to Somalia which will mean all suspects and evidence could disappear. The clock is ticking and Ford has a matter of days to discover the truth.

Great characters, well written and plenty of suspense make this an entertaining read.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Secrets and murder drive the plot of Plain Dead, the third in the excellent D.I. Ford series by Andy Maslen. When the body of Private Rachel Padley is found on the nearby Army base, both the military command and Ford’s superiors are eager to wrap this case up as a suicide. Ford has doubts. Misogynistic Army officers, grieving parents who seem to have destroyed all traces of their daughter, pompous police officials and a judgmental local minister all try to hide truths from Ford and his colleague, forensics expert Dr. Hannah Fellowes. Ford is working against a deadline: Rachael’s unit is soon to be deployed to Somalia. Will he be able to solve the case before the killer leaves the country?

This series just keeps getting better. Ford is a likable, flawed character, still grieving the tragic death of his wife and trying to balance the needs of his career with those of his teenage son Sam. The relationship between Ford and Hannah Fellowes continues to grow. Hannah, with her brutal and comedic honesty that results from Asperger’s Syndrome, is a unique and enjoyable character. Plain Dead is a powerful, character driven thriller. 5 stars.


Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Andy Maslen for this ARC.

Plain Dead by Andy Maslen

A young female soldier is found on Salisbury Plain, her throat cut and a bloody knife in her dead hand. Everyone assumes that she killed herself. But something doesn’t feel right to DI Ford; the whole scene seems staged. Convinced of foul play, and despite fierce opposition from the army brass and his own superiors, Ford launches a murder investigation.

This is the 3rd in a series following DI Ford , but the first one I have read.
I enjoyed the storyline , but felt I was missing out a little by not reading the previous ones, although this does stand up ok as a stand alone title.
I will certainly go back to the first ones and look forward to reading others.

Another engaging instalment in this series of quirky characters. This is ultimately a really sad case with the interesting addition of a military angle.

I loved this! I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous two books in the DI Ford series and this certainly did not disappoint. I really liked that I actually didn't have any idea who the killer might have been until about 75% of the way through. It was gripping, easy to follow and a very quick read - I was done in about three sittings.
I look forward to more from the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
DI Ford is called to the death of a young soldier on Salisbury Plain, She was found with a knife in her hand and her throat cut. It looks like a suicide but Ford isn't sure. Despite his superiors insisting on him calling it a suicide and close the case he delves deep, suspecting it to be murder.
In his personal life, he and his son Sam are getting along better and he finally finds closure regarding his wife's death, thanks mostly to Hannah. Hannah is my favorite character, I love her!
I thought this was the best in the series and look forward to the next one with more of Hannah please!

DI Ford is torn when his son wants to go with friends hiking.
A friend put an app on Ford’s phone to know son’s location
Really didn’t help he kept watching and the anxiety got to him.
The truth how his wife died, son hasn’t been told, and the guilt by not
Death of a young soldier, he feels not suicide, time limit is short
To figure out before they are sent to Somalia, and evidence lost
Good characters that pull you in, a touch of the personal life of DI Ford
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion for Net Galley
and Amazon UK. Releases November 25, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I found this to be a good and enjoyable read, although it didn’t quite hit the mark with me as much as the two previous books did. Ford and his team investigate what appears to be a suicide at first glance. Ford isn’t convinced of this though and faces resistance from the Army during his investigation and is under pressure from above to solve the case quickly. I do like the main character and his work colleagues, especially Wix who has really grown on me. I thought this was a well written book which was nicely paced, and had a good plot line. I loved the little glimpses into Ford’s personal and home life and his relationship with his son. At times it felt a little overly long though and just didn’t wow me. I guessed the murderer before the reveal and found the last 10% of the book a very tense read as it raced to a conclusion with all ends tied up nicely. I’ll definitely want to read the next book after the ending which I hope sets up the next book.

PLAIN DEAD – REVIEW
Date Started: 27/09/21
Date Finished: 01/10/21
Rating: 4/5

This book is the literary version of NCIS and I love it.

Plain Dead is an intriguing, suspenseful, easy to read, mystery novel. It is well written with the exact right amount of description. It is also a tiny bit gory. It is mostly plot-based but when there were chapters about characters and character development, I didn’t feel bored or removed from the story.

I absolutely loved that there were so, so many female characters. Particularly women working in STEM. I didn’t know who all the characters were at first as this is the first book, I have read in the series, but I caught up quickly. I believe that it may have spoilers for a previous book, though, so you may want to read in order.

I learnt a lot about the British military, and it was all presented in a way that was very easy to understand.

The format of this book was very classic and possibly overdone (I mean, there are 19 seasons of NCIS), but the plot remained new and suspenseful with plot twists.

I loved the plot but could not give this book 5 stars as the ending was not very surprising, it didn’t really have an ‘AHA’ moment. I understand that this can be difficult to do in first person detective stories as the detective can think “I suspect it is this person” and then we see them prove themselves right. Although, I guess the alternative is an unreliable narrator where the detective does not share their thoughts. And Andy Maslen does a good job of tackling this dilemma. The plot is still really captivating without the final ‘Aha!’. The ending was satisfactory, but it also just made me angry at Ford.

I definitely look forward to reading more of Maslen’s work. Just maybe not his Henry Ford stories as I found him very cynical, and I did not agree with many of his actions. You can tell a story is well written if you can dislike the main character and still love the book.

I enjoyed this, as the characters are growing on me as I read more in the series. Interesting setting too as the storyline meant dealing with the army. Looking forward to reading more in the series

As a long time read of Andy Maslen's books, seeing a new title is always something to look forward to.

Especially a D.I. Ford one, as this new series is still bedding in as we get to know the characters and what makes them tick.

It is evident in the writing that the main characters are starting to exist as "real" people to the author as their personalities develop.

Plain Dead is a brilliant addition to the series and to my mind, is one of the best, if not the best, books that Mr Maslen has released.

Detective Ford is given a case that the Army has classified a suicide of a young female soldier. Searching the evidence at the scene, Ford is sure it's a murder staged to look like a suicide. But, how can he prove it's murder with the Army and his superiors pushing him to say it's suicide. As Ford is reaching a deadline given that the Army is sending it's troops from the dead soldiers unit to Somalia in days, his thoughts of guilt in the death of his wife years ago keep interfering with his trying to tie up what he knows is murder.

DI Henry Ford is called to an army base where private Rachel Hadley has apparently slit her own throat, committing suicide. That's the view of the army, anyhow. Ford thinks not, and throws himself into an investigation with a deadline: Hadley's unit is shipping out to Somalia before month end. Is it really suicide? Perhaps a lover's quarrel gone wrong?

So we have a ticking clock, and several unbelievable things.

First, Charlie, the army SIB officer who is the liaison between the civilian police Ford represents and the army. Let's just toss in every other soldier who looks at the scene, up to and including Hadley's father, who is a colonel, and also in charge of her unit. Anyone who knows anything about human anatomy - and especially anyone who has been involved in a war, as the colonel will assuredly have been by now - can tell this is not a suicide. People bleed. A ton. Even minor papercuts can bring out an amount of blood that looks a bit scary. But the army people tromping all over the scene don't seem to notice that there's very little blood by the body - and ergo, that it is not the scene where this happened, and Hadley has been posed there, knife in hand.

Speaking of falling down on the job: Ford does not order, nor does CSI think of, apparently, a search of several outbuildings that are near where Hadley is sitting. It strains suspension of disbelief that neither would have a light bulb moment about the lack of blood, look around, and say, "Gee, maybe we should have a look over there." The blame for this is placed on a live-fire exercise due to take place in just a few hours that cannot be canceled, which also strains credulity. Of course it can. Exercises and patrols and invasions are cancelled all the time for various reasons, and a dead body on a live fire field could certainly be one of those cases.

Once the investigation gets moving, it reads like a script from NCIS. Coroner: check. Forensics: check. And so on. It isn't lightning the world on fire, but most investigations are not exciting - they're fairly tedious, truth be told.

It doesn't take much to pick out the villain in this. I was disappointed that with all the representation going on that no one picked up on the name of a book found in Hadley's room on the base - and that unless it's a very old, used copy, the author's pen name would not be on the cover, not now. The author's real name would be. Even without that, nobody can pop on to Amazon and read a description of the book? Or, is that yet another thing they didn't think of?

It sounds like I hated the book, but I didn't. It's an easy read. There's a good camaraderie between Ford and his team, although not so much Ford and his superiors, one of whom he actually cusses out. Ford's immediate boss is more forgiving, and a lot more likeable. I really liked Hannah, the forensics expert and "walking wikipedia", who clearly has Aspberger's Syndrome. I'd be willing to read anything where she was the lead.

Overall: a solid three out of five star read. It moves along, and there are some good moments between Ford and his son, Sam.

Thanks to Amazon UK/Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the reading copy.

DI Ford is investigating the death of a female soldier on Salisbury Plain after it has been made to look like a suicide as she was holding the knife in her hand to slash her throat. But Ford is up against the Army and his superiors who want it to be a suicide. A good police procedural novel and lots of personal angst for Ford over the death of his wife and his relationship with his son. A good read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Plain Dead, the third novel to feature DI “Henry” Ford of the Wiltshire police.

When Private Rachel Padley’s body is found with her throat slashed everyone is keen to write it off as suicide, except Ford who thinks she was murdered. He opens a murder enquiry in the face of stiff opposition and finds himself under intense pressure to find the killer before the brigade ships out.

I enjoyed Plain Dead, which is a straightforward police procedural in the sense that one clue leads to the next in a logical progression and it is told entirely from the investigative point of view, mostly Ford. His investigation, on the other hand, is anything but straightforward with official opposition, a lack of budget, time pressure and remarkably tight lipped witnesses. Just what I like, a good mystery and lots of permutations to ponder. Even better, I came up short as an investigator so the novel held my attention throughout.

The investigation won’t get the pulses pounding or the reader tense, because it’s a slog, trying to uncover clues or even assemble a victimology, but Ford gets there in the end. I think the solution is the least plausible part of the novel, but it’s not unbelievable.

Ford is still trying to come to terms with the death of his wife seven years earlier and his guilt over it. His friend, Hannah, tries to help him and does some good, but his deteriorating relationship with his son doesn’t help. This is a recurring theme throughout the series and it’s getting old quickly. Otherwise Ford is a typical detective who spends too much time working. Hannah is the best character in the book, a real breath of fresh air with her direct approach.

Plain Dead is a good read that I can recommend.

I received this book from Amazon publishers UK via Netgalley for a review. A good police procedural the third in the 'Henry' Ford series a solid story with good characterisation and Ford's own back story.

A digital copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Private Rachel Padley with the black watch is found with her throat slashed and a knife gripped in her hand. Everyone says it is an obvious suicide, but DI Ford thinks otherwise.
This partially takes place at Imber, a military training facility. Rachel's father is also in the Black Watch. Her mother is a devout religious woman who recites Bible verses. Her mother's Pastor is haughty and the Colonel is sexist. Ford is getting push back from the ACC to close the case and he refuses to send and innocent person to prison. With the troop being deployed to Somalia, he is losing time and hits roadblocks from the military. This is a fast paced detective novel.
Thank you NetGalley, Amazing Publishing UK, Thomas and Mercer and Andy Maslen

Another great read in the D.I. Ford series. This time with the army as background . A young woman is found dead, army officials want to get the investigation out of the way quickly and a possible murderer is identified fairly quickly. Ford's gut feeling says it is some one else. The investigation is interesting, believable and contains a couple of twists and turns along the way.
I like the characters, descriptions of the places and the background info about Ford's personal life . Looking forward to the next installment
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Not having read this author before i was dubious, however from the first page i was gripped.

Called to an army base where an apparent suicide has taken place, D I Henry Ford is not convinced and despite the findings of the Army he makes it is mission to uncover what has happened

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/11/11/%f0%9f%8e%a7-plain-dead-by-andy-maslen/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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I started this  <strong><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/302465-detective-ford" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Detective Ford</a></em></strong> series, because Steve West was narrating, but a British police mystery is a favorite genre as well. The main character is a single dad, who lost his wife in a tragic accident six years earlier.

I love a story with layers.  We are in DI Ford's head and getting the story from his point of view. There is a combination of the police work which absorbs nearly all his time,  the time with his son who is growing up now, and the bits of personal life he has avoided.  He continues to feel his grief and guilt.

The case is on a military base which means working with their police.  The military wants to cover it up as a suicide but when it is clearly a homicide, they want to arrest the first plausible suspect and be finished.  His own command structure agrees since investigations cost money and they want them solved quickly.  Luckily, his own superior wants the actual killer charged, but Ford has a really hard time with all the restrictions and pressures which are in opposition to what he believes about the killer.

Personally,  his son is growing up, doing more on his own, even thinking about girls!  Ford is worried about both loosing him to normal teenage issues but also his judgement on how his mother died.  He struggles to give him space and support.  His forensic scientist co-worker is an ally but also fancies him.  He likes her but isn't really considering a relationship with anyone.  I'll be interested to see how his personal life progresses. There was some growth in <strong>Plain Dead</strong>.

The case is a pressure cooker. Nobody is happy with him.  Ford does gather the evidence and finds the killer.  It's a very dangerous process but I always enjoy the police strategy and procedures.

Book Review: Plain Dead (DI Henry Ford #3) by Andy Maslen
(Published by Amazon Publishing UK and Thomas & Mercer, November 25, 2021)

★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars)

IMBER, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND.
Ten miles due northwest of Stonehenge, the prehistoric archeological wonder at Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, lies the abandoned village of Imber, appropriated in 1943 and made famous as training grounds for American forces leading to "Operation Overlord" on June 6, 1944 - also known as D-Day. Subsequently used for "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, etal, Imber serves in the present day as an artillery practice range and live-fire urban warfare training center complete with mock-up town structures and shanties akin to what be may encountered in the Arabian sands.

THE BLACK WATCH REGIMENT.
At Imber, a distinguished Highland regiment in the British Army called the Black Watch is training in full gear in preparation for deployment to Somalia. The origins of the Black Watch come from the "watch" companies organized during Scotland's Jacobite rebellion in the 1700's.

ON THAT COLD SEPTEMBER DAY AT IMBER, in front of a whitewashed mock-up building called the "Baghdad Marriott", Black Watch soldier Rachel Padley is found sprawled dead, slashed at the neck. She appears to have cut her own throat. But there also appears to be blunt-force trauma to be back of her head.

Her death falls on the purview of the Bourne Hill Police Department.

-----

// "The tissue is prima facie evidence of the square root of fuck all!"
- DI Ford, in his unabashed, no holds barred style //

PLAIN DEAD (DI HENRY FORD #3)

Enter Bourne Hill major crimes team leader Detective Inspector Ford, no first name deemed necessary, nicknamed "Henry" for you'd-know-who, blues guitar player and crooner whose single most prized possession is a '62 Fender Stratocaster in fiesta red; single dad of 18-year-old Sam. Ford still has nightmares over ten years removed from the sudden death of his wife in a climbing accident at the crags of Pen-y-Holt Bay, Pembroke.

DI Ford's team and inner circle - Jan, Mick, Jools and Olly, all work under the aegis of Detective Superintendent Sandra Monroe.

Ford's team also includes deputy manager, Dr. Hannah Fellowes, nickname "Wix" for Wikipedia, the department's own breathing and walking fountain of knowledge, a senior CSI with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience and expert in forensic psychology - the psychology of lying - on top of her adjunct teaching experience at no less than the FBI Academy in Quantico.

Front and center in DI Ford Book 3 is the issue of the integration of women into ground combat roles, along with the lingering matter of "don't ask, don't tell" and the tenets and strictures of Christian fundamentalists.

And DI Ford finally comes to terms with the truth in the death of his wife at Pen-y-Holt.

-----

I've read all three DI Ford novels, and, along with compelling, well-developed characters, British mystery writer Andy Maslen never fails to deliver the most interesting topics and settings for his police procedurals - with a fixed spotlight on a place described by the Sunday Times as a "... best place to live, - remains a divinely attractive and welcoming place".

Salisbury Plain, southern England.

Well-crafted, British police procedural at its best!

Review based on an ARC from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley.

I really enjoy reading this series because if you ignore the crimes, the other aspects of the stories are like our daily lives. In Plain Dead, Ford finally realizes that Sam has grown up and he needs to spread his wings, which is going to have an impact on their relationship. The main point is, is Ford ready and prepared for that? There is no doubt he will have to confront his demons.
The crime in this story is one of hate and incapacity of people in dealing with those who are slightly different, A mother who is a fanatic and has her life totally molded in accordance to the church and her duties for them. A father who is devoted to his job in the Army. Both were unable to keep a family together as they had little contact with both - a daughter and one son.
The plot is extremely well put together, has lots of action, and gets the reader from the beginning.
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A vey interesting procedural that's the latest in a series I've not read- and I enjoyed this as a standalone. DI Henry Ford has a lot weighing on him, mostly with regard to how explain his wife's death in a climbing accident to their young son. He's not so distracted however that he doesn't recognize that there's no way Rachel, a solider found with her throat cut, committed suicide. Not only does he have to fight upstream to find the truth, he's also got to do it on an abbreviated time line. I'm sure fans of the series will see nuance I missed but Henry's an interesting character and the plot zips along. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a good one.

I want to like this series and there are times when I’m captured by the story but by trying to over humanize the main character I feel that it just muddies the story line. It’s a relatively quick read with a number of red herrings. So I guess it’s just an entertaining read on a rainy day and nothing more.

Plain Dead sees the return of DI “Henry” Ford in the latest book by Andy Maslen and it is another well written, well paced and hugely enjoyable police procedural with a complex suicide or murder investigation at the heart of the book.

The story moves along at a good pace and the pages keep turning. There is also time for the series arc of the death of Ford’s wife to progress

Overall a definite recommendation.

Plain dead by Andy Maslen.
Detective Ford Book 3.
Suicide or murder? DI Ford is sure there’s a killer to catch, but time is running out.

A young female soldier is found on Salisbury Plain, her throat cut and a bloody knife in her dead hand. Everyone assumes that she killed herself. But something doesn’t feel right to DI Ford; the whole scene seems staged. Convinced of foul play, and despite fierce opposition from the army brass and his own superiors, Ford launches a murder investigation.

Years on from his wife’s death, Ford is still struggling with guilt and whether or not to tell his son the truth about what really happened. When his CSI partner confronts him about the tragedy, he knows he has to confess sooner or later. But the living can wait; the dead are calling. With the victim’s regiment due to deploy to Somalia, taking any suspects and evidence with them, Ford has just days to apprehend the killer.

His career on the line and his relationship with his son in the balance, Ford has to work fast if he is going to bring justice to the dead—and closure to the living.

I enjoyed this book. Great read. Believable characters. Well written. Good plot and action. Everything you need in a book. 5*.

The book started with a great suspense and solid investigation. Somewhere along the way it got lost and the police were found chasing their tails towards a foregone conclusion. Didn’t really catch my interest.

Plain Dead is an exciting and very well written crime thriller, with a thrilling plot.

The body of a young female Black Watch soldier is found at a test site for warfare. The authorities at the local army base, even at the police station are in a hurry to declare the death of the young woman a suicide, but DI Ford doubts it.
Is perpetrator ‘one of the lads’ from the Black Watch, or perhaps a member of the deeply religious community to which the victim’s family belonged?

With Ford - a single parent with a teenage son - the writer has given the "hard-boiled" DI a vulnerable and deeply human face.

***** 5 stars

Plain Dead is a cleverly crafted police procedural with an absorbing plot and compelling characters.

DI Ford and his team investigate what appears to be a suicide of a young female soldier, but is it really suicide? The investigators are up against a deadline as the army unit is going abroad, and officials are keen for Ford to wrap things up.

Though most of the story focuses on the police work, there are some really touching sections describing Ford’s relationship with his son and his grief over the loss of his wife.

Anyone who enjoys police procedurals should love this addition to the DI Ford series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Plain Dead.

The previous book in this series left open the possibility of a rift between Ford, his son and Hannah. In this, the third book in the series, it all comes out, but only after the mystery at hand leads Ford and his team in different directions, as they get to many clues, but not enough suspects. I think this might be my favorite of the series, as I think the main characters are finally showing their true personalities, and working together and not against one another. It's an interesting installment, and makes this series totally bingeable!

This is the third book in the DI Henry Ford series. Ford finds himself called to a local army base to investigate the discovery of Private Rachel Padley’s body. He finds himself under pressure from both his superiors and the Army to accept that Rachel took her own life but something about the case doesn’t stack up and a murder investigation begins. Determined to find justice for Rachel, and to prove his worth, he sets out in a race against time to find her killer before the regiment travel to Somalia for their next deployment.

As if the pressure of the investigation isn’t enough, Ford also has to contend with the anxiety of his teenage son being away from home on a climbing trip. Ford and his late wife had been keen climbers and it was during a climb that she lost her life – a tragedy that haunts Ford.

This is a series that just gets better with each instalment. The character development of both Ford and Hannah – the deputy chief CSI – is very well written, with each book unveiling more about each. The relationship between the two is developing well on both a professional and personal level. Maslen has the pace just right and I’m keen to see how it plays out.

Overall, this was an excellent read with a gripping storyline, great characters and a unexpected twist.
Highly recommend this title and the series to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.

Many thanks to Andy Maslen, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley UK for the review copy.

A young woman is found with her throat cut in an off limits area used by the army for training purposes. She is a member of the Black Watch & initially this looks like suicide but DI Ford is not convinced. It takes a great deal of persuasion to allow him to follow his suspicions but his time is limited as the unit is set to go abroad in a matter of days. Along with his investigations he is struggling to allow his teenage son more independence as well as realising that one day he will have to tell him how his mother died.

This is the third book in the series & I would recommend that it is read in order. I like Ford & the team around him- particularly Wix the CSI. This was another enjoyable read that kept me guessing & I'm already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Brief Synopsis: A young female soldier is found dead on an Army base. At first glance, it appears to be a suicide. But DI Henry Ford launches a murder investigation because he has a gut feeling that things are not what they seem.

Thoughts: Though this is book three of the DI Henry Ford series, it can be read as a standalone novel. The characters are realistic, the storyline is believable, and there is a linear flow to the events. The narrative was well researched which made the scenery and drama come to life. It almost reads like an NCIS episode. It is a police procedural storyline (both civilian and military police). The suspect pool seems slim and bountiful at the same time, which makes guessing the suspect (if there is one) tough at times. Politics, Christianity, leadership opposition, minimal resource availability, and a race against time are all incorporated to bring a decent level of suspense. I was engaged throughout but at times it felt like such a slow read. I never lost interest, but it truthfully felt like I was reading it for far too long.

Thank you to Andy Maslen, Amazon Publish UK, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a police procedural storyline or anyone who enjoys NCIS.

Plain Dead is a book that is packed with mystery and misdirection, and which sees Ford and his team drawn into the sphere of the Ministry of Defence, the victim being a serving soldier who is murdered upon one of their ranges. Due to the nature of the location, the cast of characters who might feasibly be brought forth as suspects, and the very fact that the whole regiment are due to deploy within days, there is a real sense of urgency to the story, one which drives the action and makes it a tense, charged and often fractious ticking clock kind of mystery. Many want to dismiss the case as suicide, Ford is far from convinced, but time, and the commanding officers, are definitely against him if he intends to prove otherwise.

The book looks carefully at a very difficult, but still very relevant subject, one which once uncovered, really starts to make the story make sense. It explores the issue of women in frontline roles in the military, and the inherent prejudices and limitations assigned to the role. But those prejudices are not always directed from where, or whom, you might expect. The author plays it very canny, not coming down on either side of the argument but carefully presenting the for and against in a way that makes you realise that perhaps there is no easy answer, and that what might be easily dismissed as old fashioned misogyny, is perhaps a little more complicated. There are many other issues addressed, ones which are perhaps a little more overt and whilst not acceptable or accepted, sadly almost expected, even now. It led to a very sorry conclusion to the investigation, one which can still shock but that was probably not surprising after all.

I've really loved getting to know DI 'Henry' Ford and Hannah Fellowes over the course of the three books. Ford is a complex character, suffering a touch of PTSD after the death of his wife, which means that sometimes his judgment can be brought into question. Fellowes has her own quirk of character which makes her interpretation of a situation often quite literal and always to the point. They make a brilliant duo, and compliment each other in terms of personality and skill set. They need all of that combined cunning in this particular case, but with Ford also distracted by personal matters, you can see his past trauma's coming to the fore. Andy Maslen has done a great job of weaving this into Ford's day to day life, driving the conflict and infusing Ford with even more determination to prove all he asserts is true. It made me more invested in the story, trusting Ford's instincts far and above where the evidence may initially lead. Seeing the conflict between Ford and his son, his hesitance in allowing him to follow his own dreams, for very obvious reasons, adds a really touching and emotional aspect to the story that I really enjoyed seeing explored.

Another tense, complex and enthralling instalment in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Called to an army base where an apparent suicide has taken place, D I Henry Ford is not convinced and despite the findings of the Army he makes it is mission to uncover what has happened….suicide or murder?

Third book in this series best read in order. A murder/suicide on army ground lots of twists and turns and a determined detective who also struggles with issues in his personal life. A good read.

DI Ford is back and I loved visiting these characters again. The mystery was very good with writing rich in detail.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a fast paced detective/crime thriller. Although this book wasn’t the first in the series it did work as a stand alone for me. It gave such a good insight into the characters and good introductions that I wasn’t lost at al. I enjoyed the army side of the investigation - it gave me NCIS vibes but UK based. I really enjoyed the different relationships behind the characters too. This had some great diverse characters, it also covered religion and sexuality and had some great themes throughout. I’m definitely going to go back and read some more of this authors books!

I read the previous two following this series and they have captured my imagination and I have enjoyed getting to know the main characters. I particularly like the back story as sad as it is, I think it makes him a better DI.
Looking forward to the next one