A short, sharp police procedural that is well-written. Although the latest in a long-running series that I have not read before, I did not feel as though one had to be up to date - a solid standalone. There was a nice interweaving of the two main plot lines.

The Magnificent Seven?
DC Gary Goodhew current association as a detective in Cambridge appears to have finished. The author has taken us on a wonderful journey and Cambridge Black will bring his career to an end.
All fans of police procedurals dread the 'retirement' of the lead detective; is there life before Morse?
Some authors have looked at their police officer's earlier career in uniform like Arnaldur Indriðason acquainting his readers with a much younger Erlendur.
Retirement rarely works it seems; some just finish them off literally and fans grieve their passing.
What would Alison Bruce do? The author had a young detective at the start of his career how could she set him aside and resist demands to return later amid fans demands?
Well like me you will have to read this wonderful story marking the end of an era, leaving everyone at a crossroads. She has promised a new standalone shortly and is toying with a new series.
I am so pleased that Cambridge Black follows so closely on from her last novel, The Promise. It allowed Ratty to be buried with some dignity. "It was the funeral of that murdered homeless guy today .....”
However, a new reader wouldn't have guessed since the story is routed historically in an arson for which a man served his time in prison and his fresh start trying to make up for lost time with his daughter Amy. When he is rushed to hospital Amy tries to make sense of his life and her relationships with him and her Mum. This is quite brave since it is the first 10% and then what fans have been waiting for....."Sue Gully had curled up on Goodhew's sofa....”
No spoilers.
But don't rush these opening pages to resume Goodhew's story, this start is the crux of the novel and brilliantly lays the foundation for three inter-connected cases that Goodhew will represent on his wall as three circles like an upside triangle.
The clock is ticking, Marks is due to retire. DS Kincaide is plotting, trying to drive Gary out. Fortunately we find out Kincaide is not as clever as his Wife but he will stop at nothing to boost and save his career.
The heart of this story isn't just a swansong for Gary Goodhew but his jukebox remains centre stage. We could have 7 great albums if the soundtrack to each album was released. At its heart is a story about lost relationships between parents and their children. How each character balances their roles ultimately can mean the difference between life and death for them. Amy appears to enter the Lion's Den as she searches for proof of her Father's innocence she becomes more exposed and in danger as the truth about the fire is as relevant now as it always was and some secrets remain hidden. Amy has choices to make, be grown up and try to prove she is more than her immediate gene pool.
Meanwhile Gary is allowed one final chance to find out about his Grandfather's death before Marks leaves the force. How can he make a difference where others have failed to resolve this cold case, but then Goodhew is different, a loner, and a one off. More like both of his Grandparents then he thought and he was a witness to the crime, hiding under the bed.
This clever author launched Goodhew's story like a film script and as she travels around the locations of Cambridge you sense she has walked in everyone's shoes. In a classic movie tradition she has taken us from Blue to Black as the picture finally fades to black.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group, UK for an advance copy of Cambridge Black, the seventh novel to feature DC Gary Goodhew of the Cambridge police.

Gary is finally getting somewhere in his quest to find out who murdered his grandfather in 1992 when his grandmother and his boss, DI Marks reveal what they know. He finds links to an old case of an arson which killed a young couple and, coincidentally, Amy Laurence is trying to clear her father's name as Robert Buckingham was convicted and served time for it. The case takes another turn when a peripheral figure to these two crimes is found murdered.

Cambridge Black is an extremely convoluted novel which reaches deep into the past. The plot is very interesting and held my attention throughout although I, personally, found some of the characters' motives hard to believe or realistic, not least DS Michael Kincaide's pathological hatred for Gary and need to do him harm - it's only work.

There is a sense of finality to this novel with Gary finally finding out what happened to his grandfather and moves for many of the team. I see some reviewers state that this is the last in the series and it may be but it would be a pity if it is the last we see of Gary Goodhew as he is an appealing character, wayward and intuitive.

As I said Cambridge Black is an intricate novel with layers of lies, deceit and unpleasant characters so I found it quite difficult to summon up much enthusiasm for their plight. This intricacy will hold your attention but not your investment in the outcome. I think 3.5* is a fair assessment.

This is the 7th and last in the series and it does quite a bit of rounding off so, although the main crime is complete within the book and, as such, could work as a stand alone, I would really recommend starting from book one and reading in order to get the full picture. Especially as, in this book, Gary finally learns the truth about his grandfather and what really happened. He also learns more about what exactly his grandparents used to do and this is intrinsically linked to the case that comes to light in this book.
Many years ago there was an arson attack on a house. Two people died. A suspect was identified, convicted and jailed. Fast forward and Robert Buckingham has served his time and has been released. He is on his way to meet his daughter when he is rushed to hospital. On his sick-bed, he tells his daughter, Amy, that he didn't do it. That someone else set that fire. Amy believes him and to facilitate her need to know the truth, gets herself a job with her father's old partner who also happens to be the father of one of the people killed in the fire. Meanwhile, Gary's grandmother tells him more about his grandfather and together they find something in his grandfather's possessions worth further investigation. He approaches Lorraine, a jeweller to ask questions of the bracelet they found, but not long after they talk, she is found dead and Gary is soon on the case. On further investigation Gary starts to realise that this murder could be linked back to the arson as well as having connections to his grandfather. It's time for both his grandmother and indeed DI Marks to knuckle down and tell the truth and allow Gary and his special skills loose on the cold cases.
This all sound rather convoluted and, in a way, it is. Here, the author has managed to weave an intricate story that not only reopens an old, believed already solved, case but also links that to a current murder as well as unearthing the final piece of the puzzle regarding Gary's grandfather's death. And she does it very well. There are secrets and lies, affairs, dysfunctional relationships, love, hate and revenge. And, if that wasn't enough, we have DS Kincaide still being his delightful bullying, nasty self getting his claws into both Gary and Sue. We follow twists and turns aplenty as the police and other characters cut through the lies, uncover the secrets and unearth the truth, all the way to what, for me, was a bit of a shocking ending regarding both the truth of the fire and indeed what happened to Gary's grandfather.
In this book, Gary really comes into his element. I was originally unsure about him as a character but as I finished each book, as I started to get to know him better, as the author allowed him to open up both to the reader and to other characters, I really started to get to like him. He is a bit of a funny fish but he is dogged and determined and won't give up until he gets to the truth. Even if that truth is painful. I am a bit sad that this is the end of the series. I do hope it's not the end of Gary for ever. Not now I know him better. I do believe I will miss him and all his strange little ways.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the seventh and last of this DC Gary Goodhew series set in Cambridge that I have followed from the very beginning. Gary at long last learns the truth of his grandfather's murder in 1992 as his grandmother and DI Marks come clean about what they know. He finds out that his grandparents found missing people and on occasion, helped to ensure their disappearance as is the case with the mysterious pregnant Melanie Franks. He finds a bracelet with what appears to be hair set into it amongst the belongings of his grandfather and sets out to discover who made it. This leads him to a local market trader who specialises in making such jewellery, Lorraine. Hours after Gary speaks to her, Lorraine is discovered murdered in an alley.

In 1991, Theo and Nadine die in an arson attack on the house they were in. Robert Buckingham is convicted of the crime. He is out of prison now and in his hospital bed he tells his daughter, Amy, that he was innocent. Amy is not prepared to let things lie and, with the aim of finding out more of what happened, secures a job with Neil Frampton, the father of Theo and her father's ex-business partner. It transpires that the three cases, Gary's grandfather's death, the arson attack that kills Theo and Nadine, and the present day murder of Lorraine are all interconnected. There are dark secrets, the strongest of emotions, a fear of discovery behind the crimes and present day danger for those involved. DS Kincaide is his usual nasty self as he endeavours to bully Sue Gully and his hatred of Gary has not abated in the least.

The author ties up all the loose ends in the series here. She weaves a compelling and complex set of storylines that keep the reader hooked. It is a well plotted tale that captures human frailties and the blind fury and madness of revenge. There are twists and plenty of suspense. I will miss this series. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

This is book 7 in a series and I would recommend starting with book one, otherwise it may be difficult to follow the characters. The plot concerned a present day murder and two crimes in the past. it moved around between different characters and was a bit complicated. That aside, if you read the first books, you will develop empathy with the characters, especially DC Goodhew. It was well written and I enjoyed it. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. i reviewed on Goodreads and Amazon.

Once I started reading this book I discovered that it was the seventh book in a series and I had not read the earlier books. I felt that this was a definite disadvantage as I did not know any of the characters and I did not really feel any empathy for them as the story progressed.
It was quite a difficult plot to get into as it kept moving around between several different characters. It concerned the investigation of a murder in the present and two crimes in the past which are somehow connected. It is the Grandfather of one of the detectives who was killed many years previously and DC Goodhew, the policeman in question is reinvestigating the case. It seems this crime has always stayed with him whilst growing up and he is desparate to solve his Grandfather's murder.
Another character, Amy learns that her father, convicted of arson when she was a child, did not commit this crime whick killed 2 people. She sets out to find out what happened to try and understand her family background. Obviously the theme of family is a big one in the book.
The plot seemed unecessarily complicated and I found it quite a hard book to get into. I was looking forward to reading about Cambridge but this did not really feature that much in the novel.
I felt that I lacked a lot of the background knowledge on the characters and I really had to force myself to keep reading to the end. I do not plan to read the earlier books as this one did not excite me.
This is only my opinion and of course there may be many readers who are hooked on this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.