| Title | : | An Artful Murder (DS Sara Hirst #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1804054003 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781804054000 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 302 |
| Publication | : | First published July 8, 2022 |
Sara has dealt with murder before, but nothing so bizarre as this. A dead body forced inside the top of a funerary urn — on the lawn of a remote country manor — with a toy llama carefully balanced on its head.
A few days later, the body of a woman is found, tied to a gothic-style chair with her throat slashed. There’s a llama with her too.
The two victims were part of the ‘Famous Four’, a group of friends who studied at the University of East Anglia back in the day. Three of them still work there. And now two are dead.
The team’s new DCI, Helen Hudson, is convinced the prime suspect is Dom Wilkins, a member of the Famous Four and one of the victims’ old flames.
Sara worries she’s overlooking something obvious. And she has a growing suspicion that her boyfriend is keeping something from her. Sara must keep focused if she’s to unmask the killer before they strike again.
An Artful Murder (DS Sara Hirst #4) Reviews
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Detective Sara Hirst along with DI Edwards, were called to the site where a body had been found, stuffed into a large urn with the lid on the ground some distance away. The strange murder was made more strange by the sight of a toy llama in the urn with the body. Joe Stephenson was finally identified, and once investigations were well underway, Sara and her colleagues discovered he had been part of a group who'd called themselves the Famous Four, while they were in Uni. Another member of the group, Taryn, was distraught about Joe's death as they'd become more than friends just recently. But when Taryn was also found murdered in another set of strange circumstances, Sara and her team, including their new DCI, Helen Hudson, commandeered more team members to help out.
Hudson seemed on the wrong track and the old team could all see it. Sara continued with the investigation, coming closer to the truth than she realised. It was when she was informed of an accident twelve years prior, that things started falling into place. Now they knew the race was on and if they weren't quick about it, more lives would be lost...
An Artful Murder is the 4th in the DS Sara Hirst series by Judi Daykin, and once again I loved it! Fast paced, intense and full on, with characters who work for the truth well together (until the new DCI arrived) Set in the rugged countryside of Norfolk, a place I'd love to visit but never will, I'm looking forward to #5 already! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Publishers for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. -
This was the first book I read from this series and it stood up very well as a standalone novel. Good story, good writing. The story is written from the perspective of the detective and then the killer, so not a whodunnit but enjoyed all the same. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.
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This is the fourth book in the Detective Sara Hirst series.
We find Sara is now well settled in her position with the Norfolk Police Serious Crimes Unit following her move from London.
When a report comes in that a body has been found, forced into a large terracotta urn on the lawn of a country manor in North Norfolk, she and DI Edwards head out to the site hoping to quickly confirm the identity of the corpse.
On removal from the urn, they find that along with the man is a toy llama.
A few days later, a young woman is discovered tied to a gothic style chair, her throat has been slashed. She too has a llama beside her.
As the investigation progresses they discover the two victims had been friends since university and they along with two others were known at the time as the Famous Four.
The murders are clearly related, are the remaining members of their group in danger? What could be the motive?
Although aware early on of the killers identity this does not spoil the investigation as its not until later the reason why is revealed.
An entertaining read that I enjoyed and left me looking forward to DI Sara Hirst and the Norfolk SCUs next case. -
An artful murder by Judi Daykin.
Detective Sara Hirst has moved from London to the Serious Crimes Unit in beautiful Norfolk.
SARA FACES HER TOUGHEST AND MOST BIZARRE CASE YET.
The first body is found forced inside a huge terracotta urn on the lawn of a country manor in a remote corner of North Norfolk.A few days later, a young woman is found, tied to a golden chair with her throat slashed.At both crime scenes, the killer leaves a bizarre calling card.The victims were part of a group of friends at university back in the day. Two of them are dead. Two are still alive — but for how much longer?
The team’s new DCI, Helen Hudson, is convinced the prime suspect is Dom Wilkins, one of the victims’ old flames.
But Detective Sara thinks she’s missing something obvious. Can she stop a serial killer before they strike again?
Brilliant read. Love this series. Sara is my favourite. Written differently but I liked it. 4*. -
A wonderful page turner of a read! A body has been found in an expensive art piece in the grounds of a lavish manor house- a garden funerary urn. Strangely there is what appears to be a toy llama peeking out of the top. Could the artefact be significant to the murder or the victim? The victim is one of a group of four former students- three still working at the university. Detective Sara Hirst is used to solving murder crimes but this one does appear rather off. When there is another murder- again one of the four there is clearly a link. Is one of the two remaining of the group out for revenge in some way and what is the motive and significance of the toy?
Although book four in a series this happily stands alone (I haven't read all of the others). I quickly liked Sara and her determination both in the crime and in the political work arena. Agnes is also a great character I would love to know more about. This is a wonderful easy read, paced well and I found myself turning the pages easily. Highly enjoyable and I look forward to the next in the series -
A great "Who did it?" Mystery. Set in the UK, the murders begin in an expensive art urn and as the book continues , more murders ensue...but who is behind them? As you start to lean towards one suspect, the book does a fast paced twist and has you reading the last few chapters breathless as you learn the true murderer. There are several terms that leave the English reader wondering the context,but never fear there's a term list at the end. Thank you Netgalley and joffe books for the ARC of this book. The author also has three books previous to this one you can also read- but not necessarily needed to follow in any order.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC.
A revenge killer hiding in plain sight, whose signature is to leave a toy llama at every kill.
A police force working against the clock to find the killer before another body drops.
Four friends are at the center of it all.
Who will live to tell the truth?
This was a solid 3.5-star read for me. It's the first book by this author that I've read, though it’s the fourth book in the DS Sara Hirst Series. This was a decent read for me. The story unfolded well for the most part, and while I did enjoy reading it, there was no shocking who-done-it and why like what I had been expecting. While marketed as a mystery, there's no real mystery to it. Daykin introduces the killer very early, along with their motive, so readers know the who and why by the end of the book's first third. Despite this, I found that knowing the who and why didn't fully detract from the storyline. One thing I liked was reading about how the investigation evolved and seeing the interactions between the team members. Though I think it was a bit strange that things were revealed so early in the story, the way that Daykin weaves it made it turn out well. She's a hell of a storyteller.
This is a very character-heavy book, as in there are a lot of them, but it's not difficult to follow. Despite being the fourth in a series, this can definitely be read on its own without having to read the first three books. The significant bits about the characters are mentioned, so readers won't get lost in knowing who everyone is.
One thing I found hilarious is that at the very end of the book, Daykin included a glossary of English terms for US readers. For those who are not familiar with England English terminology, this can be helpful if there are terms that you may not know. For those who are, it may bring a smile to you and maybe a little giggle.
In the end, this was a good read; Daykin weaves the storylines throughout this one very well and doesn't leave any plot holes or loose ends. There are a couple of things that will likely be brought up again in future books, but nothing that ties back to the murder investigation in this one. Based on this book, I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the DS Sara Hirst series.
This review will also be posted on NetGalley, Functionally Fictional, and Fathoms Amidst the Lines. -
Lacks Focus!
Although generally well-written, this novel lacks focus. There are way too may protagonists, and none is described in any great amount of detail. I suppose the primary protagonist is supposed to be Detective Sergeant Sara Hirst of the Norfolk Constabulary. Unfortunately, the author chose to spend as much or more ink describing the other members of her detective team as she did Sergeant Hirst. We see a lot of description of her boss DI Edwards, her new boss DCI Hudson, DC Noble, DC Bowen, and Aggie, the team’s civilian admin. In addition, we see a lot about the chief suspect, Dominic Wilkins, as well as Rose Crawford, Personal Assistant to Professor Chandler.
This could have been an outstanding story. Unfortunately, there are way too many characters. They add confusion to the plot, and I believe that the story could have been told with nowhere near as many characters, or as much detail about them. I also thought that the conclusion was a bit ragged and anticlimactic.
The editing is generally quite good. I noted no major inconsistencies in the story, and no loose ends seem to have been left dangling. This author clearly knows how to handle the English language. She is a skilled writer. She should, however, reduce the number of described characters and make a single character the primary focus of the story (even though it is a police procedural). This will make the quality of the works greatly improved, in my view. The story is slow-paced, which detracts from its overall attractiveness. It could have been a bit shorter without losing anything at all. All in all, this is still a four-star effort, and that is what I award. -
This is book 4 in the Detective Sara Hirst series and they do work well stand-alone but you miss some of the history and background. The author does make a good job of making sure that doesn't affect your enjoyment of the book or bore the readers who have read the earlier books with boring catch up so whether you have read any or none of the earlier books you are guaranteed to enjoy this one so go ahead and get reading.
A young man is found in a funerary urn but this urn was a historical artifact not something that was intended to be used so how did he get in there and why was he then murdered? And why was a stuffed llama with him?
As Sara and the team begin investigating they are knocked for six when they are told they have a new DCI and Edwards has been sidelined for someone new. Hudson storms in with her new broom making changes and alienating the team. Can they pull together to solve this very difficult case while dealing with the massive changes being made to the way they work?
This is a very intriguing book made all the more so by the background stories that make the characters more human. The familiar characters continue to grow and develop while the new ones bring other qualities to the book.
The story is unique, revenge and hurt join forces with overpowering personalities to create a story that has the reader gripped from the first page to the last.
Thank you to Joffe Books for the advance digital copy of this book. My review is unbiased and my own personal opinion -
This is possibly the best book yet in this police procedural series featuring Sergeant Sara Hirst. She is becoming more settled in her new role in the serious crime unit when a bizarre murder occurs. The unit begin to carry out investigations when they are disrupted by the arrival of a new DCI who immediately takes control. The first murder is followed quickly by another both linked by the placing of a toy llama at the scene.
This isn’t a whodunnit as the reader knows from very early on who is carrying out the crimes and what their motive is. However, the plot twists and turns keeping the reader’s interest throughout. The tension builds right to the end as the reader has no idea whether the crime will be solved before the murderer has finished carrying out their plan. The final scenes were gripping.
As before, the setting is in Norfolk and a good part of this book is set in the real life Sainsbury Centre which I now have a definite desire to visit. I really like the character of Sara and her growing relationships with her colleagues and neighbours feel very believable. The other characters are well written and come together to make a really enjoyable read.
I definitely recommend this and am very grateful to Net Galley and Joffe Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. -
This is book 4 in the DS Sara Hirst series set in Norfolk where Sara is a member of the Serious Crimes Unit. Told largely from the perspective of Sara and the killer and mainly in the present this is a well written police procedural in which the reader is given the identity of the killer at a very early stage in the book. We then get to watch as the team try to untangle the mystery. Alongside the case Sara’s personal life is a concern as her job, and his amateur dramatics, is making it difficult for her and her boyfriend to see each other.
Briefly, when a body is found inside a massive and very expensive garden urn with a toy llama Sara and her team are handed the case. They think it couldn’t get any stranger but early into their investigation the victims girlfriend is found tied to a gothic style chair, previously used in the movies, with her throat cut and another toy llama. Clearly the murders are related but are there more to come? And what is the motive?
A good easy read, flowed well and at a good pace throughout. I liked the characters, and there were quite a lot of them, and particularly the SCU team who seemed to gel nicely - even the new DCI in time. Whilst my normal preference is a whodunnit this was a very good read and I couldn’t help but have some sympathy for the killer albeit her actions were a bit excessive! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -
An Artful Murder is a perfect title for this excellent police procedural. The first victim is a man found in a funeral urn, an art installation in a collector’s private garden. The next body is that of a woman, an exhibition curator. What do they have in common? They both are affiliated with the same University. Oh, and they were both posed in death with toy llamas.
This bizarre case will not be easy to solve. The victims, Joe and Taryn, were members of a foursome self titled the “Famous Four”. The other members, Juniata and Dom, are immediate suspects. But Juniata is a lawyer living in London so suspicion falls on the hot-tempered, jealous Dom. Will an arrest stop the killings?
This series just keeps getting better. The rural Norfolk location is a vibrant setting. Judi Daykin is a master of description: the University of East Anglia and the art gallery are so real you feel like you can walk into them. The plot is character driven. Sara must deal with her private life as she investigates and members of the Serious Crimes Unit grapple with disappointment as they are passed over for promotion. Deft plotting quickly reveals the identity of the murderer but not the reason for the crimes or the link to the not so famous four. I’m looking forward to the next in this compusively readable series. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Judi Daykin for this ARC. -
3.5 stars
It was a dark and stormy night... or thereabouts. Set in a small university town somewhere in the UK this book brings with it a lot of gloom. Dark nights, slightly Gothic murders, the chill of revenge makes it a great book to read when you are in the mood for some murder.
The author had come up with a very elaborate murder staging, so if you're in the mood for serial murder with enticing staging you'll love reading those scenes. I'd rate them at about 3/5 on the gore scale so if you aren't into intricate scenes or reading over your lunch break this book will be fine
I do tend to prefer my police procedurals to be whodunnit rather than voiced perpetrator. The character has an identified perspective (character by name) quite early in the book. The result is the book hovers a weird line between police procedural and thriller that it doesn't perfectly capture. The story fell a bit flat at the end when the crime resolved itself pretty straightforwardly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for a review. -
Detective Sara Hirst has moved from London to Norfolk Police’s Serious Crimes Unit. The discovery of a body in a funeral urn sets the unit in motion and leads to a group of friends who call themselves the Famous Four. But a new boss threatens the unit's cohesiveness and ability to get work done. Will they be able to solve additional bizarre murders related to a local art gallery and discover the identity of the killer?
I was appalled at the killer's behavior, but I also really liked the murderer as a person. The reason for their actions made sense to me and broke my heart.
Sara undergoes quite a bit of personal drama in this novel. I found myself glad she was able to stand up for herself with courage and confidence.
While this book is the fourth in a series, it can be read alone. I felt like I missed out on important details, though, I would have known if I had read the previous books.
The writing flows well, and the dialogue is engaging. I even felt the characters' emotions as I read, and that's one sign of a good book!
I would read more books in this series for sure! -
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This 4th in the DS Sara Hirt series and another really good book, so enjoyable!
Sara moved from London to Norfolk and hasn't looked back. This time there's a strange murder; someone killed a young man by slitting his throat and stuffed his body inside a garden urn with a stuffed llama. He was part of a group of 4 friends, who call themselves The Famous Four. A 2nd member of the 4 is murdered shortly after, throat slit with a llama at the site of the body.
The team have to try and stop the other 2 from suffering a similar fate and realize the case has tentacles in years past, which will lead them to the motive.
Sara's love life is stuttering but I was so happy when her neighbor brought her a kitten, just what she needed... loved that!
Highly recommended! -
Another great instalment in the Sara Hirst series.
I loved this one from the beginning, despite knowing very early on who was responsible. This book was all about the back stories and the reason this terrible series of “arty” murders was happening.
It was written from an unusual perspective with the reader being aware of who was the murderer and watching the police team trying to put the clues together, under the eye of a new boss who didn’t appear to listen to her team.
It was a quick read for me as I didn’t want to put it down!
It could be read as a stand alone book but I’m glad I read the previous three as I personally like to read books in order so I’m familiar with characters and backgrounds.
Thank you to Joffe’s Books for the ARC of this book. -
"...Mrs. Deacon took a teetering step backwards on her Jimmy Choos." This being my first Judi Daykin/Sara Hirst, I was very impressed. Lots of detail, well written and very suspenseful. I liked the character of DI Hirst, her counterparts and their interactions. Their boss becomes their colleague about half way through, so that's a bit of a curveball for all involved. It's a race against time as the detectives try to identify the killer before she/he finishes the job. Our villain is a bit sympathetic, too. Loved the way Daykin weaves art into her plot. Well done, highly recommend.
P.S. Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC. -
A procedural series following our character Sara who is faced again in a murder case which head her into a turnaround plus an added new DCI who wants to take control of the case.
Two murders right from the start of the story which has a distinct way of being linked as one because of the certain clue toy llama placed in the murder scene. A typical murder character but with a minor twist which towards the end will you'll have an idea who may have done it and the motive which at the midway of the story already laid out.
An average read for me. Theme of the story is easy to follow and can finish the book in one sitting.
3.4/5 stars
Thank you Joffe books & Netgalley for the ARC. -
A dead body is found stuffed inside the top of a funerary urn with a toy llama balanced on it's head. Fair to say that Sara has never dealt with something this weird. A few days later, another body is found with a toy llama. The two dead girls used to be part of a group of friends at university, the "Fantastic Four". One of the members of the group, Don, quickly becomes a suspect.
This mystery is book 4 of Detective Sara Hirst series, but the first I read. The premise is good, told in dual POV (Sara and the killer), and the characters are good. I will go back and read the first books in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
When life imitates art in this solid police procedural it does so in a truly gruesome way. An Artful Murder is Judi Daykin’s fourth in the Detective Sara Hirst series, but the first I’ve read. Sara and her team -including a new DCI- are called to a spate of murders involving a group of college friends with a secret. Posed to resemble modern art from the local Art Institute, the victims present a puzzle Sara must solve before all the witnesses are dead. It’s been a while since I enjoyed a good detective novel, one of my first reading loves. Hirst has mastered the balance of good policing and good plot twists. I’ll be searching out the previous three novels in this series.
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I won't be rating this story because I never finished it.
Perhaps it was because it's the fourth story in a series and I hadn't read the first three. I had issues connecting with Sara and her co-workers. I knew who the "perp" was early in the story. I enjoy reading police procedurals where there's a fair amount of tension between the main protagonist, the villain and the atmosphere of the storyline. I never felt this.
I will attribute it to 'it's me, not you' and leave other fans to follow this series. Thank you to NetGalley, Judi Daykin and Joffe Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
3.5 stars, rounded down. A police detective mystery set on Norfolk, the first half of this was fairly slow for me and it was hard to get into. It was obvious very early on whodunnit, we’re practically led to it in neon lights, so the only thing to figure out is the motive. This didn’t really endear the book to me - but the second half picked up a bit and the ending pulled it all together, so that I’ve increased it from 3 to 3.5 stars on Storygraph. I’d possibly check out other books if this is a series, I think.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this. -
I found this a really compelling read. It is written superbly well and the pace flows well and definitely holds your attention.
This is book 4 in the series and the first I had read. I feel it does work well as a standalone. The murder is an odd one and Sara and the team must unravel many secrets. There is twists and turns a plenty and is certainly a "page turner" Although there are references to events in the other books I didn't feel I was missing out by not reading from book1. I was truly engrossed in the whole plotline. Highly recommend to Police thriller lovers. -
I realised this was book four so quickly read the first three. It works just as well as a stand-alone too. I love the characters and of course set in my home county (which seems to be scarily popular with Crime writers!😯) the format of this story is a twist.. the trope where the reader knows early on the killer is, and learn more as the story develops. I love this, as it turns the genre on the head, and gives a whole new tension to the narrative waiting for the police to work it out. A great series of book’s especially for lovers of Elly Griffith’s Dr Ruth series.
