Kate is called back from leave to investigate a grisly murder of a man connected to a man directly in her chain of command who she suspects of connections with the case that caused her breakdown and possibly even set the trigger for that breakdown. This is a nasty twisty case changing directions and delivers some nasty shocks. ( )

Detective Inspector (DI) Kate Young is home on leave suffering from PTSD after a flashback occurs on a train in the presence of her Superintendent. At first reveal the reader is not fully aware of why a previous incident on a train had such impact on Kate's life. But months at home seem to be increasing her dependency on medication, the flashbacks are continuing, and favored routines of the past remain in the past. Family friend, mentor, and current supervisor Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) William Chase unexpectedly visits Kate at home with news that Superintendent John Dickson wants Kate to return to work as lead with a small team of her choice to solve an important new case. Kate has been shaken to her core. Can she lead a team? Can she solve the case? Can her team trust her decisions? Will she stop taking the medication that gave her the initial relief or is she now an addict? Will the flashbacks ever stop or is she a danger to herself, her team, and possibly even the public?

As a first introduction to the writing of Carol Wyer I was immediately engrossed in the police procedural novel. There are many police procedural novels but there seemed to be equal intensity being given to Kate's professional and personal lives. In some the personal side is merely that the detective goes home to shower and change and/or catches a few hours of sleep or has missed another family celebration. This armchair detective unraveled the clues of both storylines and it was fascinating to read as they became more and more intertwined. I was impressed by the author's writing style that deftly added the indicators. There are twists, turns, and red herrings but even untangling the twists or deciphering the signals this is a captivating novel. It was also intriguing to discover a suspicion became the cliff-hanger that leads to Book 2.

A gripping and dramatic read that is well executed. I'm looking forward to DI Young's next steps! ( )

I received this book as part of a free set in honor of World Book Day. I dislike the thriller genre, so I do not intend to read this novel. Most reviewers suggest that The first half of the novel is tedious with repeated mentions of the traumatic "train incident" which led to the protagonist being on leave. While traumatic events undoubtedly leave emotional scars, I have no interest in experiencing this through a character's eyes in my fiction reading. And someone still with a compromised mental state would not be allowed to return to duty as a police officer.

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
Quality characters and writing that make the reader almost feel part of the story. A Police procedural but much more, there is a psychological part that builds as you read with plenty of surprises and twists along the way, eighty percent into the book and I thought I knew the killer, and what do you know around about the same time our heroine agreed. Slightly disappointing end in one respect, but presumably that continues into book two and perhaps beyond.
Heartily recommended. ( )

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have previously read and enjoyed the Detective Natalie Ward series by this author, appreciating a competent protagonist whose personal life was sometimes difficult but which she managed to keep from affecting her work. This novel in contrast portrayed a police officer who somehow managed to solve her case while suffering from appalling mental health problems and an addiction to some sort of prescribed medication.

The plot moved along briskly, but included distressing scenes of violence, and the plot was a little unoriginal if you read as much detective fiction as I do. I worked out who the murderer was early on by the time honoured method of wondering why on earth this character had been included in the story. Finally, I think the author uses the word microscopic to mean small, whereas I have always assumed it meant 'only visible with the aid of a microscope', and this caused me confusion early on. ( )