| Title | : | Ruthless Crimes (DCI Sophie Allen #9) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published September 9, 2020 |
A man is found stabbed to death on the Southampton morning commuter train.
But why can’t Detective Sophie Allen’s team find out anything about his history? And why was he staying in a house that seems to be owned by a government security unit?
Then there is another stabbing, this time in a refuge for abused women. And again, Sophie can find very little about the victim’s life.
How does all this connect to desperate migrants arriving on the beaches?
The Dorset-based detective team discovers duplicity that reaches to the top echelons of government in this twisting tale of treachery, tragedy and hope.
Discover a captivating crime mystery which will have you gripped from start to finish.
Ruthless Crimes (DCI Sophie Allen #9) Reviews
-
I’ve read a few books from this series and they have all been very good. This book is no exception. It starts with the arrival of a boat on a deserted Dorset beach one dark night. The boat is filled, overloaded really, with asylum seekers. But as it struggles through the waves breaking on the shore the overloaded boat tips, spilling its human cargo into the water. Four out of the original 30 refugees drown. The boat skipper (people smuggler) jumps out at the first sign of trouble and disappears swiftly - the refugees are on their own!
Police swoop on the scene and try to organise some of the chaos. Meanwhile a couple of bodies have turned up dead in what police later discover are so-called safe houses. But who runs them, who were the residents hiding from? It’s all very hush hush as the spooks and the home office get involved. Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen and her team struggle to make any headway after after having doors figuratively slammed in their faces, but they persevere. What they uncover is a ruthless organisation mopping up its mistakes. There are many red herrings, dead ends and misdirection though. Can the police prevent more killings and can they catch the culprits?
I can’t say more about the plot without spoilers. What I can tell you is that is was a satisfying and meaty mystery that was a lot of fun to try and solve. It was quite intricately plotted and the characters were credible. I guess it also showed how easy it could be to exploit desperate refugees for profit without caring one iota for their welfare. Sadly this is all too common. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good, plausible police procedural or putting a jigsaw together, because that’s what this puzzle was like. Many thanks to Netgalley, Joffe Books and Michael Hambling for my copy. My opinions are my own. -
DCI Sophie Allen #9
A man has been stabbed to death on a train. A woman has been murdered in similar circumstances in a woman's shelter. DCI Sophie Allen and her team have been tasked with solving the cases. Theres also a capsized boat full of immigrants. Some of them have already died.
This is a really good police procedural series. The pace flows along smoothly. Sophie have yo track down whoever's is behind the two murders. This is a twist filled, well written book. Theres lots going on but it's not confusing.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #MichaelHambling for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
At different times, two people are found stabbed to death.Detective Sophie Allen and her team are called in to investigate. What they find is ... nothing. These two seemingly unrelated have no pasts that can be found. There are no clues, no DNA, but there were two people who may have witnessed the first killing ... but they also have disappeared.
When migrants arriving on the beach, there is an awful accident. The boat capsizes and several adults and children were killed. One little boy, a survivor, has his camera which he has used to document the trip from his home country. Sophie is surprised to see pictures of the witnesses .... how do they connect from the stabbings to the desperate migrants who were paid to deliver them safely?
As their investigation continues. Sophie and her team find that the government knows more than the top dogs are sharing with anyone. Sophie will need to walk very carefully through the maze that may ultimately cause her to lose her job ... or her life.
RUTHLESS CRIMES features a complex plot, full of twists and turns. There are also many characters to follow, some are easy to follow .. some are more complicated. Sophie and her team are like old friends if you've followed this series. If not, this one can easily be read as a stand alone, but starting at the beginning will give the reader more information as backstories. There's lots of action and it's hard to put down once started.
Many thanks to the author/ Joffe Books / Books 'n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expresses here are unbiased and entirely my own. -
This is the 9th book in the DCI Sophie Allen series by author Michael Hambling. I really enjoy police procedural books and although I already have so many series that I already read, I just couldn't resist one more. Starting at book 9 in the series is probably not the best idea but I was able to read it as a stand alone. Although I only gave it a 3 star rating there was enough to make me want to know more about these characters and I have already purchased the other 8 books in the series.
The novels are set in Dorset with the lead character Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Allen. 42 year old Sophie is in charge of Serious and Violent Crime Unit and lives with her husband and daughter in Wareham. There are other members on the team but I will have to read more to discover the history to these characters. Like most series the characters get better with familiarity and hopefully I will find this on reading the other books.
When a man is found on the Southampton morning commuter train little can be found out regarding his history other than he staying in a house owned by a government security unit. This murder is shortly followed by another stabbing in a refuge for abused women. Again little can be discovered about the victim.
A good police procedural story and hopefully the start of another good series for me personally. I am planning to read book 1 shortly.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Joffe books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. -
Detective Sophie Allen is called to investigate a murder on a commuter train. The victim appears to have no past, his home no personal touch and his murder no motive. Further investigation reveals links to a Government security unit. Then there is another murder.
This is a very complex story involving trafficking of immigrants, tragedy and secrets. Can Sophie and her team work their way through the cover ups and lies to uncover the truth?
A very gripping story which not only gets the adrenaline running but also plays with the emotions. I couldn't put this down it is a very realistic story one that could be playing out as we are reading and that makes it all the more gripping.
Sophie and her team have developed over the course of the series but apparently they have a lot more to give and I felt I got to know them a lot more during this book.
An excellent read and well worth the 5 stars.
Thank you to the author and Joffe Books for the advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not biased in any way. -
Ruthless Crimes is the ninth book in the Sophie Allen series. As usual, I'm coming into the series at this book having not read the previous books.
A man hurrying to catch a train for work finds a body in one of the carriages. The authorities are called and the dead man identified. problem: he doesn't seem to exist. The team begins digging around. I was a bit confused, because while this is tagged with Sophie Allen as the presumed lead of the series, she doesn't show up until chapter four.
As they trace the dead man, with Allen talking to the higher-ups as it seems the dead man may have been an undercover operative, a woman in a secure facility in another jurisdiction is killed by someone acting as a nurse. As with the dead man, the dead woman seems to also be a ghost. The teams intersect and there is more talking with intelligence types, who think this was some kind of off the books operation dealing with immigrants landing in the country.
During all this, an overloaded boat of immigrants is making its way to shore, capsizing as it gets into the breaks at the shore. Several people die, including a couple of children. The rest are taken to the hospital.
The authorities continue to investigate. The head of the off the books op is apparently kidnapped, held for several days, and manages to escape. She can't think of any leaks, etc., via which anyone would know about the op or who is running it, and seems a tad sketchy.
More dead bodies show up - they seem to be part of the smuggling crew rather than random murders.
Eventually, it all comes to a head and the perps are caught.
I did not like this book at all. Not because of the content. That was fine, even with the author throwing his politics into things via long monologues by characters. There are more nuanced ways to do this that don't involve the book pausing so a character can preach a the reader. It simply was not captivating in a way a book should be: too much politicking, as noted, too much characters telling one another the story and telling each other things they already know, just so the reader will. There were also some odd moments where the cops didn't seem to be terribly smart: in one very striking instance, one of them wonders how criminals could have obtained falsified passports. Seriously? An officer offers to resign because a woman she had interviewed during the course of the investigation turns out to have been one of the bad guys. Not a happening thing. A house they've taped off for forensics is described as deserted, almost neglected, yet one officer has his service weapon out. Why, if the place is deserted and only other cops are present?
Speaking of -ly, I have never been one for the hard and fast rule of going through a manuscript and ejecting all adverbs. At the 80% point in this book, I was ready to embrace it fully. for this book, though, because by that time I was supremely annoyed by this book.
There was far too much telling versus showing in this book. Don't tell me "(Name) could see something was wrong as (Other Name) came toward him." How? Were they frowning? Brows furrowed? Walking briskly? Running? Scanning the surroundings for a threat? Just ending a phone call? Who knows? This happens A LOT. Like the deserted, almost neglected house above. A couple of paragraphs after that, the author does give some details as to how the place looks. Dump the tell-y "looked deserted" line and just go with the description, as that will show the reader the same thing, instead of telling the reader and then showing it.
The author gets points for diversity, and for having a mystery involving current events like immigration and systemic racism. I just think the story could have used another developmental editing pass.
Two and a half stars out of five, rounded down to two.
Thanks to Joffee Books and NetGalley for the review copy. -
‘Ruthless Crimes’ is the ninth book in the bestselling series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Allen. I haven’t quite caught up with all of the books in the series but I have read a few and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I read the synopsis for ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and it certainly sounded like a read and a half. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn into the story from the synopsis alone and starting to read the story just sealed the deal as it were. I found it nigh on impossible to put this book down for any length of time. There was that much going on in the story that I feared I might miss something if I put the book down. To say that reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would read way more than a couple of chapters. I was intrigued by the story and I had to keep reading to see how the story concluded. I soon got to the end of the book and I had to say farewell to DCI Sophie Allen and her team.
‘Ruthless Crimes’ is well written but then I have thought that to be true of all of the Sophie Allen books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. In Sophie, Michael has created a strong female lead character who is impossible to dislike. In fact I took to Sophie Allen so well that she began to feel like a friend. He grabs your attention from fairly early on and he entices you into the story. ‘Ruthless Crimes’ has a few different strands to the story but the strands tie up and feed into the main story. I thought that I might get confused with who is who and which bit of the story they fitted into, but I needn’t have worried because the different strands interlinked well and the story flowed seamlessly. This was one of those books that gripped me from start to finish and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Michael certainly knows how to keep the readers guessing. At times, reading this book felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Michael’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*. -
"A continuing high standard"
I've read the Sophie Allen series from the beginning and the story lines are always true-to-life and thrilling. This one is topical, full of twists, and the full cast of characters that the author has introduced to support Sophie Allen are given full rein.
That's what makes readers keep coming back. No detective could run the case on their own, they need a strong support team, Sophie has that team and each book gives the other team members their moment in the spotlight. Watching them grow is the fascination. I can't wait for the next one. -
This is number nine in the series of books featuring DCI Sophie Allen and her team working in the Dorset Police Violent Crime Unit. This time they are joined by detectives from Hampshire CID and the Metropolitan Police in a case that spans counties and even crosses the English Channel involving a large number of personnel. I was extremely grateful that a list of these characters features at the front of the book so I could keep track of who’s who. The story begins with the discovery of a man’s body on the early morning Weymouth to London train. Stabbed to death, it seems he came into the station on the previous evening and has been there all night. An elusive couple were spotted in the vicinity. Sophie’s close knit team of DI Barry Marsh, newly promoted DS Rae Gregson, recent addition DC Tommy Carter, Dorset uniforms Sergeant Rose Simons and Constable George Warrander and Weymouth CID’s DS Stu Blackman are all involved in the investigation into the murder, but even once the man has been named and an address found, very little else comes to light about him at all. When his rented house shows up on a list of Government owned properties they start to wonder whether he could have been living there for his own safety. They discover a number of these similar houses but no one in special branch seems to know exactly what they were being used for. The theory is that, all being on the coast, they may have something to do with the war against gangs smuggling migrants across from France. A second murder occurs in Hampshire where DCI Jack Dunning and Barry’s partner DS Gwen Davies attend the murder of a woman living in a supposedly safe women’s refuge. Again recently moved for her own safety by someone involved with the Home Office, she has been killed by a woman impersonating a nurse who clearly had inside knowledge. Connections are made between the two murders and the teams join forces. The situation soon becomes more complicated when a packed boat of illegal migrants overturns on a beach and many are killed or injured. A third murder victim with connections to the smugglers soon lands on Sophie’s books and the mysterious couple appear again. The story escalates to include government departments and ministers, refuge charities and intelligence services, with the problem that some can’t or won’t divulge exactly what has been happening and who all seem to have very differing agendas. Despite not knowing who can be trusted in all this, the detectives slowly piece together what little evidence they do have to track down the ruthless killers. All the main detectives featured were pretty straightforward and likeable, and it was nice to see the cases being solved as a joint effort amongst a number of officers and teams as would happen in real life. As the initial case opened up, the various strands of the story became quite involved and there is a lot of content to take in. The plot is complex and with lots of turns in the story it was hard to decide which of the many characters was guilty and who was innocent. Add in a government group shrouded in mystery and official secrets and it was no wonder the detectives were baffled when so much was being kept under the radar. I very much enjoyed this story. It highlights the current problem of people trafficking and illegal entry into the UK of migrants and asylum seekers, and very much sympathises with the people fleeing their own lands in fear of their lives, although it does raise the valid question of whether they should seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive at. I did however find the ending rather abrupt and would have liked a fuller and more rounded explanation for some parts of the story. 4.5*
-
A man waiting for the doors to open for the early train finally gets in the car. When he gets to the seat in the back, he finds a dead man on the floor. Detectives from the Violent Crime Unit, Rae and Stu. Sophie Allen is the boss of the unit. They interview the few others in the station, and find that there was a couple with wheelie suitcases on the platform for about five minutes who were no longer there. They search the grounds of the station, and find there is a bike in the car park near where the stabbing must have taken place. The dead man had lived in a rather sparse apartment. He had kept to himself, and had no passport. Finding more about him or who owns the apartment is quite difficult.
Soon, a woman who has been placed in a hostel for abused women is found killed by someone dressed as a nurse who had come to dress her wounds. The police have trouble finding out about her as well.
Then there is a boat overloaded with refugees which tries to land on a Dorset beach and flips in the high waves. The parents of an Iranian family try to help rescue those who were still in the boat after they get their son Kamal and daughter Arshi almost to shore. Several of the refugees die, including the children's father. Their mother is badly injured. They are taken to a hospital. The police are anxious to find out who is running these trips for refugees. Kamal has taken many pictures with his camera, and he gives the camera to the police who befriend the children. Fortunately, they were coming to join relatives who help them.
Sophie's team soon realizes there is a connection of the first to deaths to migrants coming to England, and there may be a political connection to the criminal activity. Sophie and her team have a lot of work to figure everything out and catch culprits before they get away.
This is a very readable book with likeable police who you want to win. There is surprise and suspense. Now I can't wait to go back and read the first 8 books in the series. -
This is the fifth book in the Sophie Allen series that I have read. Although this is the ninth book in the series it is a standalone story so you don’t need to have read the previous books to be able to enjoy this one.
The good thing about this series is that the books are fairly short (between 250 and 300 pages) but a lot of story is in those pages which means that the book is fast paced and a very quick read. The plot is never too dense so you don’t have to think too hard while reading this.
Also this series focuses on more of a team of police detectives rather than the standard one detective going it alone, which is interesting and makes for a good dynamic to read. All the characters are extremely likeable and there is good LGBT representation in this book with one of the detectives being transgender.
My only negative about this book is that there does seem to be a lot of characters in this book and it can be quite confusing at times to remember who is who (there is a glossary at the front to help but it does then take you out of the story). This also wasn’t helped by the fact that two of the main characters changed last name twice in the book which was also extremely confusing.
I definitely plan on continuing with this series and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police detective stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy this book to review. -
I’ve loved the previous eight books in the series. The characters in the team and their relationships are the backbone of the stories as they investigate some pretty horrific crimes. Sometimes there’s a personal element to the crimes, which only raises the stakes and tension.
In this ninth outing, it takes the team a while to piece together some apparently random killings. First a man stabbed on a train. No past, no information, plenty to interest Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen. Another body with no history is found in a refuge. Then a group of refugees wash up on a beach. With an overcrowded boat and a wicked tide, some end up dead.
And suddenly the team get some traction with their investigations. Rae in particular shines in this story, while Sophie goes across country to London and Oxford as the investigation gathers momentum.
The people trafficking aspect is well portrayed. It’s shown through the eyes of a young refugee and shows the predicament, dangers and difficult choices people on the run face. There’s also the criminal side, where criminals make a fortune from misery.
However, the investigation seems to be scattered all over the place, and I found it difficult to keep track of events and people at times. The climax when it came was a little lacking in tension and action, which meant the story didn’t quite give me the buzz and excitement of previous novels. -
256 pages
4 stars
Robert Bunting was stabbed and after he made his way onto a train collapsed and died there. The only clue the detectives have is that there were two people with small suitcases at the train station that no one can locate now. They proceed to Robert's home. There is nothing of Robert there: no passport, hardly any personal items, just a few clothes.
Some astute detective work shows that Robert's house was owned by the Home Office. It is a safe house. The boss needs to talk to Special Branch about Robert.
Another stabbing, this time one Louise Bennett at a hostel, a women's refuge called Beechwood. This time there is a witness. A woman masquerading as a nurse visited the house. The same information is available about Louise as was Robert – exactly nothing.
More murders and kidnapping occur. The investigation grows in size. More detectives from different districts join the search for the killer(s).
This is a well written and plotted police procedural. I liked DS Rae Gregson. She was competent and dedicated. She ferreted out the truth no matter where it led.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. -
This 9th book in the Detective Sophie Allen series opens with Sophie called to the discovery of a mans body in a commuter train.He was stabbed and died of his injuries..
Having identified the man they have been unable to gather more information about him or his life.
Enquiries reveal he has no past and his home holds no clues. It is rented and seems to have been owned by a government department, possibly a safe house?
A call comes in from a womans refuge, a woman Louise Bennett is killed in the same way, connections to the same government department are uncovered.
Add to this a boat full of migrants capsizing on a local beach leading to the death of 4 of them and the team have their work cut out.
Slowly they begin to make links between the two stabbing victims and a secret government task force that was set up in Whitehall to tackle the illegal importation of migrants across the Channel.
This is a complex story, a realistic story that could actually be happening now, this makes it even more gripping.
Another excellent read and I can definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Joffe books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC in return for my honest review. -
I started this book not long after 27 refugees had died in the English Channel when their overloaded boat had sunk, so it almost felt like non-fiction. The beginning of the book really grabbed me and then later there was the ‘leak’ about Sophie’s personal life that has been hinted at in many previous books.
My problems with the story began to mount when it became clear what was going on, but even though there were numerous clues, nobody did anything about it until it was nearly too late. I found the second half of the book a bit frustrating, the author wanted to make the plot complex, but he seemed to do this by making the police stupid. At the end the author has Sophie say, she had already guessed but didn’t have enough evidence, but she never gave any indication of this to any of her team.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars. -
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Detective Sophie Allen is back and embroiled in a case so convoluted she doesn't know if she and her team will ever solve the 2 murders they're investigating. They're on the hunt for a ruthless, experienced killer female with a possible male accomplice. When an overloaded boat full of fleeing refugees arrives and several drownings occur, they figure out The British Home Office is involved and it's all about people trafficking. It's a nasty, deadly business, but very lucrative...
A twisty thriller that's another good addition to the series, I definitely recommend this book. -
This was a sad story about refugees and despicable criminals. I liked the way the story had multiple points of view so that there's a tale from every angle. The characters suited the plot, while the plot had some twists and turns. Like most of the stories in this series, for me, it didn't take long to work out whodunit.
The writing style was fast-paced with an easy flow. I did enjoy the British policing drama and how it brought to light how women /alternative lifestyles /refugees continue fight for rights in this supposed modern age.
Recommended. -
Another good read from Michael Hambling. This one takes on politicians, refugees and people traffikers. A very good story - that makes you think about the values of the powers that be in this country.
Loved it - I even tried to stay up late reading it last night - until my husband told me to turn my phone off.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion. -
I just finished the Sophie Allen series. Now I will have to wait and hope for another book in the series.
This is a bit like Joy Ellis books. I am always thrilled when another one appears, but sad when it has ended.
I highly recommend this book and all the others in this series. The storyline is always well thought out. The crimes seem complex. If you like police procedurals, you will enjoy these. -
Too woke for me
I have read other books about Sophie Allen and had enjoyed them. I was enjoying this one too until I got the first woke preaching about religion. I skimmed a bit more of the book to see if there was any more left wing tripe.
Since there was I didn't bother to finish the story. It is not worth it to wade through all that stuff to find out who did it.
I read a mystery to be entertained and not to be indoctrinated by the far right or left.
