A Bloodstained Coat (Raine and Hume #2) by Stephen Williams

A Bloodstained Coat (Raine and Hume #2) Reviews

• 
  Valleri

  Thanks to both Joffe Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a copy of A Bloodstained Coat, by Stephen Williams.
  
  Detective Inspector Mary Hume reckons she’s seen it all. But she’s never seen anything like this! It all starts with the discovery of a broken body in a lift shaft in an old Victorian warehouse, and from there becomes a breakneck ride! Hume is aided in the investigation by her partner, DS Echo. Hume's former daughter-in-law (and ex-police officer) Raine, is chasing the crime from a different direction. As I read more and more, the separation between the two lessened, leading to a crashing finale!
  
  I didn't read the first book in the series,
  The Skin Code, but I feel A Bloodstained Coat works well as a standalone.
  
  Bottom line: LOTS of suspense and intriguing characters ... but also violence and abuse.
• 
  vince weldon

  ADVANCED KINDLE READER REVIEW
  
  
  If you've followed my reviews before you might know that sometimes the simplest things distract me...unfortunately for this book it happens from the opening sentence as "Julie" - the prologue victim - has the busiest hands I've come across outside a Raiki session, or double shift in a massage parlour...they clamp over her mouth, wrap around her, rub against her flesh, participate in a crawl, feel along dark walls, search for gaps in those walls, grasp for air when she finds one, then feel for walls and doors in the darkness until they latch one closed....so that's a page worth of handicraft....hopefully things will improve as I cannot envisage two or three days reading time being given over to this style of writing...for completeness, and not really a spoiler, we close the prologue wirh her fingers reaching into her wound for more blood, again, again and again!
  
  Into Chapter 1 (of 43) and  I'm continuing to struggle with the authors - Stephen Williams - style...and his attention to detail...our lead character, Raine, enters a nightclub wearing (Mr Williams does like to describe what his characters are wearing) "combats" which a sentence later are "steel toe capped boots"...could have been better presented to my mind. Too picky? She gets a full police response within minutes of a phone call to a sometime partner in crime (literally - she's a PI, he's proper Met)...well organised response at that - stretched credibility given if they'd not arrived she'd have likely had quite a pasting...
  
  Chapter 2 introduces us to "her" houseboat...to emphasise who owns "the/this" boat we are told four more times before the end of the chapter...in addition we learn of her laptop, she takes off her clothes (like being alone she could undress someone else?)...though my "favourite" piece is ..."...loosened one of her teeth though.She probed her mouth with her tongue..." who elses oral equipment would one use FFS!
  
  Chapter 3 brings the other half of the series into play, DI Mary Hume, at a potential crime scene. It almost got me back on board BUT turn the page to Chapter 4 and we are back to Raine and "her" boat being battered by rain... There are 87 words in the opening paragraph, seven of them are "her"... 8% sounds excessive to me, and these little things are adding up to making this a tough read... So sadly I resorted to skimming so that i could fulfill my obligation to the publisher who's entrusted me with an advance copy for review purposes.
  
   My first impression is that I get less annoyed at the sections which are not Raine led ...Hume descriptives don't seem to obsess on single words, they read more coherently, as does Chapter 5 where, for the first time since the Prologue, we focus on victims...it read well, I even slowed the skim as some nastiness unfolds...and I began to be dragged in to the narrative...there were still things annoying me, especially brief references to characters and incidents that came and went without clarifying if they related to things that occurred in the first book of this potentially ongoing series, (it takes until Chapter 13 to learn about the Raine/Hume relationship connection for instance) but the basic plotlines were of interest - trafficking, murder, mystery...(wo)manhunts?
  
  If I'd not been given advance access to this book for review purposes I'd have given up after three, maybe four chapters but by Chapter 10, when Raine and Hume get together and link what's gone before into the narrative I'm engaged.
  
  The novel/series suffers, for me, from a  lack of credibility over the way the amateur sleuth gets easy access to official police information - maybe its just me, but I don't see modern policing working in the same way as it did in the past for Lord Peter Wimsey, Paul Temple or Poirot...scrutiny and public / media attention being what it is, the Chapter 13 revelation offers an explanation but I'm not seeing where the "expertise" would sit that allowed such behaviours...suspend the credibility and the tale gathers pace to the end...going to some dark places along the way.
  
  The skim reading early chapters notwithstanding I found myself page turning through more than half the book...wanting to read (properly) what was coming next...there are some galling bits (Chapter 38 - scene of crime officers detecting " ...over a dozen different possible victims kept there, according to the DNA evidence..." - really, that fast, in a rural jurisdiction away from the Met that Hume works for?) but I find myself enjoying the experience as new threads unravel...
  
  Everything gets wrapped up in the closing chapters, with the one obvious loose end setting things up for a future case - with again a suspected nod to the opening book in the series...and as the cover says there is a big twist, but to be honest I had thought it might be the case somewhat earlier in precedings (possibly around Chapter 13)
  
  So to sum up - despite the annoying style of the opening chapters I really enjoyed this grim tale -  3* review feels both right AND tight. I'd be kidding myself given the awful start to score it higher, but I'll not begrudge the less picky being more generous than this curmudgeonly old bachelor 🤔
  
  Well worth being given a chance. Thanks for the opportunity to review Joffe. 
• 
  Paula

  A Bloodstained Coat by Stephen Williams is a crime thriller with a surprising twist ending. A Bloodstained Coat is book 2 in the Detective Inspector Mary Hume and former police officer Raine series.
  
  I loved the characters. I liked the interactions between Raine and Hume and the sarcastic banter that Raine exhibits. The partnership between Echo and Hume is also good. And I love Bitz. She is such a fun character, even though she only has a small part in the book.
  
  The storyline and plot were well thought out and developed. The characters are all different and bring their own unique aspects to the story.
  
  The story begins with the discovery of a broken body in a lift shaft in an old Victorian warehouse. The post-mortem reveals the bloodstains on the dead man’s coat belong to three different people. DNA identifies one of them as Julie Cross, whose body was discovered six months earlier, covered in horrifying wounds. Ex-police officer Raine was hired to look for Julie. She didn’t find Julie in time. But she’s determined to find out who killed her.
  
  The duo Raine and Hume are in a race against time to uncover the truth before more young women die.
  
  A very good mystery with a sensitive subject of torture and abuse. A gripping story from page 1 to the end. I would recommend this book. I cannot wait to read more. Five out of 5 stars.
  
  #ABLOODSTAINEDCOAT #NetGalley @joffebooks
  
• 
  LJ (ljwritesandreviews)

  This is the second in the Raine and Hume series, but it works well as a standalone, something I can attest to having not read the first. I might get myself a copy now that I've finished this brilliant book.
  
  What a gripping and gritty read A Bloodstained Coat was! It had all the things I love in a police procedural, a fast pace, intriguing mystery and plenty of twists along the way. Be warned though, it's not for the faint of heart!
  
  A tortured man is found dead at the bottom of a lift shaft on a building site. His coat was covered in the blood of three missing women, one of which was discovered a year earlier in an abandoned hospital. DI Hume and PI Raine are pulled into this terrifying case, which puts Raine in the crosshairs.
  
  I loved the characters. Mary Hume is a detective inspector, who on the surface seems like a tough, no nonsense kind of police officer, but she got a soft spot for Raine. Raine is a former police officer turned tough streetwise PI. She seems to always be getting into trouble with a bit of a death wish and has a tendency to take cases personally. Still, you'd want her on your case as she never gives up.
  
  The story really kept me guessing throughout, finishing up with a shocking and pulse pounding ending.
  
  A Bloodstained Coat is a wonderfully written police procedural which I'd highly recommend if you love the genre.
  
• 
  Staci Quigley

  Thanks to NetGelley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I would like to give this one a 4.5. I really enjoyed it. I've never seen anything by this author before and it looks like this is the second book with the main characters (private detective Raine and police detective Mary Hume). I definitely plan to track down that first book and read it. I really liked the two main female characters, especially Raine and her acerbic wit and sarcasm. Well-written dialogue that came off with the intended levity. She's a tough-as-nails protagonist that you do not want to mess with. The case she's involved in with Detective Hume (and her fellow detective Echo) is a brutal one. The story involves missing, abducted women and the depraved abuses that they can be subjected to. Nothing is too graphic, but the severity is easily understood. The race is on for the most recently abducted woman named Louise. The chapters go from Raine's perspective, Mary Hume's perspective and also Louise's perspective. There are also some good secondary characters that help move the plot along. The ending was good because it hints that we're going to see more of Raine and Mary Hume in another book! Looking forward to it!
• 
  Louise Wilson

  Raine and Hume Series Book 2
  
  Detective Mary Hume reckons she's seen it all. But she's never seen anything like this. It begins with a broken body in a lift shaft in an old Victorian warehouse. The post-mortem reveals the bloodstains on the dead man's coat belonged to three different people. DNA identifies one of them as Julie Cross, whose body was discovered six months earlier covered in horrifying wounds. Maverick ex-police officer Raine was hired to look for Julie. She didn't find Julie in time. But she's determined to find out who killed her.
  
  This well written book has a well written plot with a little humour thrown in throughout. The discovery of a man's body at the bottom of a lift shaft is linked to a case from six months ago. This turns into a gruesome read. DI Mary Hume of the Met and PI Raine are both investigating, they work well together. I don't want to say much more as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. Although this is the second book in the series, it does read well as a standalone.
  
  I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #StephenWilliams for my ARC of #ABloodstainedCoat in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Books 'n' All Promotions

  This is book 2 in the Raine and Hume series and is an adrenaline pumping story that works well as stand alone but you will enjoy it all the more if you have the background from book 1.
  
  Raine is ex-police a woman battered by life on a mission to take down the bad guys no matter what. She cares little for herself and is a one woman fighting machine. She has history with Hume a shared loss that links the women.
  
  A man is found at the bottom of a lift shaft in an empty building. He has been horrifically tortured but who is he? Forensics reveal his coat has the blood of 3 other women one of which is a young lady, Julie, Raine has been trying to find. What is the connection between the unidentified man and Julie?
  
  This is a very complex story with a lot of strands it takes the team quite a while to work out just what they are investigating and even when they think they have worked it out as they join up the dots they suddenly realise that the actual truth of what is going on is more horrific than any of them ever imagined.
  
  An absolutely gripping story that I found difficult to put down. The suspense starts at the beginning and doesn't let go. The ending is totally mind blowing but I love how the author wraps everything up so completely leaving no unanswered questions.
  
  Well written with unique characters that develop well and all different personalities that work well together to 'make' the story.
  
  A brilliant read, thank you to Joffe Books and Netgalley for the advance digital copy of this book. This is my unbiased review.
  
• 
  Vicki - I Love Reading

  A BLOODSTAINED COAT
  by Stephen Williams
  
  When I spotted this book I thought it sounded really interesting. On investigation I discovered that it's actually the 2nd book in a series. So off I went to good old Zon and got the first book. Which i read right before this one. I love when you can finish a book that you enjoy and then dive right in to the next one.
  So this, the 2nd book in the series was a super read.
  Another new author for me, i'm loving all these new authors i'm finding at the moment. Loving reading a new series and getting to know the characters. This series we are getting to know DI Mary Hume of the Met and Private Investigator Raine.
  They work well together, and you know from early on that there is something that bonds these two character.
  When the body of a man is found in the bottom of a lift shaft, it soon becomes quite an intricate and complicated case.
  Great characters with believable and engrossing story line. Once started you will find this book difficult to put down.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Raine and Hume Series.
  
  Book 1: THE SKIN CODE
  
  Book 2: A BLOODSTAINED COAT
• 
  Rhea

  Stephen Williams takes us in a ride-a-long with Detectives Hume and Raine. Each detective races against the clock to solve separate horrific cases dealing with blood, torture, and trafficking of women. Are the cases linked, or are the players dipping into multiple rings? 🤔
  
  This is the second novel in the Raine & Hume series. Even though it's 2nd in the series, I would still consider it standalone within the series. There are a few references to the first novel, but Stephen gives ample explanation while not giving away the story. You can go back to read it the first book if you so choose.
  
  I loved the mystery and suspense. There were subtle clues dropped throughout, keeping you engrossed in the story. I'm incredibly familiar with the thriller genre. It's hard to have twists that I don't see coming. I picked up on a few things. But, the big twists, I did not see coming. Also, the end cliff hanger was subtle, just enough to make you come back for a 3rd book.
• 
  Gordon Johnston

  The second in the Raine and Hume series is another excellent thriller. Like the first novel, DI Hume and her team face a baffling series of linked murders. The clues are there but can they out them together?
  
  Meanwhile former detective and now PI Raine is, as always, doin her own thing, Deep into London's underworld she is on the trail of some very dangerous criminals. But can she learn to ask for help before she takes one chance too many?
  
  A Bloodstained Coat works as a standalone as well as developing the series. DS Echo, the Maori tech whizz, is a fascinating character and plays a key role here, Overall this is a fast paced and violent thriller with some very disturbing themes.
• 
  Julie

  Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the copy of A Bloodstained Coat by Stephen Williams. This is the second book in the Raine and Hume series. I loved the first book so of course I read this one! I loved Raine and Hume’s relationship and how they help each other. Raine is a real kicka$$ main character and I can’t wait to see what she does next. The story is horrifying so if you are sensitive you should beware that it can be hard to take. Luckily, that’s a small part of the book and how Raine and Hume figure out what’s going on is intriguing.
• 
  Martha Brindley

  This is a page turner of a book which had me enthralled from the first page. It sets off at a blistering pace which continued to the last page. Raine is a great character, a former police officer, the book is well written with touches of humour throughout, despite the dark content. A well thought out plot, with a surprise ending which left me wanting more. I loved it, an easy 5* read which thriller lovers will definitely enjoy! Thanks to Joffe Books for my ARC.
• 
  Jan

  Grim. Too believable.
  DI Mary Hume and former police officer PI Raine have differing lifestyles and modes of employment, but the same sense of justice. The publisher's blurb is excellent and so is the writing of this book. The settings are very clear, the characters very realistic, and the emotions of the victims and the main characters are spot on. Excellent procedural.
  I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
• 
  Chloe Scarlett

  This book felt different to other regional detective series. The two main characters are not partners, instead a police officer and a private detective, but they do have a deep and heartbreaking connection. I loved this book, it was a joy to read!
• 
  Dizzy Bee

  Raine your the ultimate Detective in this book. Brilliant. Totally gripping book 📕
• 
  Beaux

  Loved it! Longer review to come
• 
  Mary Johnson

  Gave up at 48%. Found the premise of the two main characters unbelievable. Also, can’t bear ‘gung-ho’ male or female characters.
• 
  Misfits farm

  Raine works in the shadows. She is ex- police and is hired for different jobs, this time she finds herself in a rather seedy club where it looks like women are being literally sold. DI Mary Hume has a body case- one found at the bottom of a lift shaft on a building site but further investigation proves it wasn't an accident. The man's coat has the blood of several others on it. Meanwhile there are two girls chained up in a cellar, the other side is a large cage where dogs patrol. Who has killed the man and why, and what on earth is happening with the girls?
  
  This is quite a complex case (but easy for the reader to follow as the differing parts are chapter separated so easy to tell the who’s and why’s). A gritty, cleverly thought out, rather dark at times story line showing a (hopefully not based on fact) depraved fights and the things some will do in order to make money from others.( There's not too much description, just the outline and scars explained). A tale of the streets and the determination of two feisty admirable women who are so tenacious with good reason. I liked the interaction between Raine, Hume and Echo- two requiring tech to be explained and one more than happy to do so.. Loved Echo! A very different read which perhaps makes us appreciate the little normal things in life.
  
  For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
  
• 
  Michael Cordery

  Unlike many reviewers I do not get a book to read and review so I am unbiased in every sense. This was very much a police procedural and because of that I found it an enyoble read. The storyline was well though out. I did not read the first book in the series but I gather a lot went on in it so it might be worthwhile to read that first book. Raine and Horne are two very different characters but they blend well together in the end.
  
  I do not generally give a synopsis of the books but I will say the Bloodstained Coat is a very good read.