D.I. Kate Young – is in her mid-thirties and heads a specialized crime unit for the Staffordshire Police based in Stoke-On-Trent. Earlier in the year Kate underwent a very traumatic experience when a gunman opened fire in a train resulting in many casualties. Since then Kate has been off work after suffering a breakdown. Now, she is asked to return to work, but she still relies heavily on medication and experiences flashbacks to that dreadful day on the train. She is eager to redeem herself in the eyes of her team and her superiors. Methodical in her approach to crime, she is respected by her two detective sergeants, and in turn she respects their diligence.

D.S. Morgan Meredith – a hard-working officer who respects Kate, but worries that she came back to work too soon. He has observed her taking pills and muttering to herself on several occasions.

D.S. Emma Donaldson – is in awe of Kate and a little star-struck. She views Kate as her mentor and knows that despite recent events Kate can teach her a lot. Emma is an expert in martial arts so is an asset to the team.

D.C.I. William Chase – Kate’s immediate superior who was a close friend and colleague of her late father.

Superintendent John Dickson – the man who put Kate on extended leave after the train incident, and also the man who now requests Kate return to work when an acquaintance of his is found murdered. Though this is a very high-profile case, Dickson doesn’t allow Kate to have any more officers, so it will be just the three of them. Kate wonders if he is trying to sabotage her efforts. She doesn’t trust him…

It is always a delight to discover a new and promising police procedural crime series. Already, I know that this is one I will be avidly following.

I was not familiar with Carol Wyer’s writing, but now, looking at her back catalogue, I realize I have a lot of catching up to do.

This police procedural features a strong policewoman, yet one with overflowing baggage and personal demons. These factors make her interesting and I enjoyed how her colleagues viewed her, some with caring concern, others with suspicion.

The serial murders within the novel involved torture, yet the scenes were not that uncomfortable to read. The plotting was ingenious and included great characterization. Misdirection and red-herrings abound, and the reveal of the serial killer came as a surprise to me.

Throughout the novel, Kate is battling her own demons, trying to solve a high-profile case, and wondering if her superiors are trustworthy.

The ending of this novel is a tad precipitous, but lends itself well as a ‘cliff-hanger’ which makes the reader eager for more Kate Young. I for one already have the second book in this series loaded on my Kindle. Highly recommended!

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Thomas & Mercer (Amazon Publishing UK) via NetGalley.

Publication date: February 1, 2021    Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

ISBN: 9781542020985       ASIN: ‎‎ B087Q1DKMR        426 pages

A former teacher and linguist, Carol Wyer is now a USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award. Her crime novels have sold over 1 million copies and have been translated into nine languages.

January 2017, saw her move from humour to police procedurals with Little Girl Lost, the first in the DI Robyn Carter series. The books, set in Staffordshire where Carol has lived for over 30 years, earned her acclaim as a crime writer and in 2018, a new team lead by DI Natalie Ward was introduced to her readers.

February 2021, saw the release of the first in the much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young. An Eye For An Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia.

As well as writing crime, Carol also still writes comedies because as the ex-stand-up comedian claims, “Laughter is the best medicine”.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

Follow Carol Wyer on Twitter @carolewyer