Dark Trade is an easy enough read to while away a few hours, unfortunately it is not an exciting or very interesting read. It's difficult to say why without giving away spoilers, and I'm sure looking at other reviews readers have enjoyed this book very much.
My reason being it was so glaringly obvious what was going on, all the facts were there but these detectives just seem to flounder around and that in itself was annoying, they knew as much as the reader but, just took too much time to put it all together. The relationship between DCI Greco and his DC Grace Harper distracted rather than added to this book.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

This is a fairly short but fast-paced crime thriller. It is the second in a series of novel which feature Detective Stephen Greco. He is now a DCI.

It is a crime thriller which deals with a fairly gruesome subject. I won't say any more as I don't want to spoil the plot.

The police procedural aspects of the story are fairly convincing. Then ending suggests that there may well be future Detective Greco novels to come.

The best thing about this and Helen Durrant's other series featuring DI Calladine, is the swift pace within the plot lines.

Once again I give thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for a copy in exchange for this review.

3 stars

A young boy is killed; stabbed through the heart. The killing looks to be professional. Is it drugs? As yet he is unidentified. DCI Greco is begins the investigation.

He is heading up a team that is falling apart at the seams, and with personal problems aplenty and the case is a tough one. The police discover that the young boy was an illegal immigrant. This is a second killing done in the same manner, and the cops have taken to calling him the “Knifeman.”

I had to wonder at times just how Greco got to be a DCI. He seemed clueless at times. I think Ms. Durrant’s other books in this series were better. They were better written and plotted. Perhaps I just didn’t like this one as much…

I want to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

This was a quick read for me as I love this authors books and as a continuing saga from the police characters perspective I always fall straight back into the next case. I was surprised to see quite a big spoiler in this book relating to Dead Nasty (Calladine and Bayliss series bk6) as another series by this author it would mean reading both series together in publication order to avoid plot reveals but as there are characters that cross over between both police teams I could see why the information had come up.
In this book we find Stephen Greco with a reshuffled police team taking Grace Harper and Jed Quickenden from his old team and adding some new team members giving us some fresh characters to learn more about. Their case begins with a teenage boy being stabbed in a very clean professional manner and as the investigation progresses more bodies appear and a wider link as to why they died emerges...there were times I'd guessed things ahead of time and wanted to shake some sense into the police team but at the same time there were things I expected to happen that played out differently.
I'm certainly looking forward to the next instalment and dare I say it Greco may be overtaking Calladine and Bayliss as my favourite.

I love both this series and the author's other series featuring Calladine & Bayliss. They are nice quick easy reads for me. Yes, they are your basic, bulk standard Police Procedural genre-wise but they are very good examples of them in terms of the crimes involved. In this one we travel a rather murky path when DCI Greco investigates the deaths of a couple of illegal immigrants. The lid definitely comes off the worm can as he and his team delve deeper into the whys and wherefores of these crimes as they make connections to the underworld. And exactly where does the plastic surgery clinic come into things? Greco has his own issues to contend with (best to read the previous two books in the series for the full picture) and is having a bit of a hard time juggling his personal and professional lives, hampered in a way by one of his colleagues.
Firstly, and I have to mention it as it is a bit of a bugbear of mine, there is quite a bit of padding at the back of the book. Other books by the author, a character list and a glossary of English slang. The version I read stopped at 92%. Ok, some author's / publishers do that and that's OK, I just need to be pre-warned about it as I do notice % as I read and get a bit grumpy when I think I have more to read and then it ends. Hence me mentioning it here in case my comment helps others. It also does end on a cliffhanger but the main story is complete and the reveal at the end didn't leave me feeling cheated, it actually had the desired effect of leaving me wondering what will happen next for those involved. So all's good there.
The story in itself, the crime being investigated, was very well handled. It kept my interest and although I had a few inklings of what was occurring, I wasn't completely right as the author did manage to fool me a couple of times on my journey.
Characters were, as always, very well drawn. I am still umming and erring about Greco but he is starting to come together nicely, apart from his personal relationships that is, that still irks me a bit but, by the end of the book, when a new spin is added, I am slowly coming around to the author's way of thinking and ready to accept it for what it is.
All in all though, a good solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed and a good addition to this author's pretty impressive back catalogue. Can't wait for the next one, need to find out...

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

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Dark Trade, the third novel to feature the newly promoted DCI Stephen Greco.

The novel opens with a bang as it describes the murder of a young man. The reader learns immediately that the killer is called Mickey but not much else about him. When the body is discovered Greco and his new team swing into action. As the bodies pile up they gradually uncover what and who are behind this spike in the crime rate.

I enjoyed Dark Trade but I feel the plotting is a bit thin. There are plenty of bodies but very little investigation as the team seem dependent on information acquired from new character DI Leah Wells's snout. How he comes by this information or if it's true is never questioned, just accepted. It is also fairly apparent early on to any seasoned crime fiction reader what is happening but not to the police.

DCI Greco is not a particularly loveable character, he is compulsive, fastidious and appears cold but he is smart, dedicated and shy outside of work. I like him in the "safe pair of hands" way you come to like some characters. This is why I find the whole "relationship" thing with his subordinate DC Grace Harper ridiculous and out of character. She is looking for more than a friendship and he feels he is not ready so rebuffs her but she is convinced he wants more and is a bit stalkerish about it. It takes up far too much time in the novel. There is much more I could say on the subject but don't want to issue spoilers so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Dark Trade is an easy way to pass a few hours. It is not particularly profound but it will hold your attention.

Another gripping read by Helen H. Durrant, this 3rd in the DCI Greco series starts with the very professional murder of a young man, expertly stabbed in the heart. He looks to have been living rough and Greco and his team are having a difficult time understanding who the boy is and also why on earth would anyone sanction a hit on him? As the case progresses at a much slower pace than Greco, with his OCD, would like, 2 interesting characters come into the picture, Slicer and Costello, Manchester top villains, as well as a high end medical centre where the rich and famous get nipped and tucked. Something a lot more evil seems to be going on than the drugs and people trade the team suspected to be at the core of this case. With a surprise ending, I sincerely hope the author quickly comes out with no. 4 in the series!
Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for an unbiased review.

Another fantastic read from Helen. What is a little different about this book is not all the questions are answered by the end. I wasn't initially sure how I felt about this, but it's making impatient for the next instalment. Will poor Steven ever find happiness? Fab book, thanks Helen 👍🏻😀

Dark Trade by Helen h durant.
Another fantastic read from Helen. There hasn't been a book of hers I haven't liked. In this one the body of a teenage boy is found. Her has been stabbed through the heart and it looks professional. Detective Stephen Greco and his team are on the case. They learn the boy was an illegal immigrant. This had me on the edge of my seat. I loved stephen he was my favourite character. 5*. Would give more if I could. Thanks to Joffe books and netgalley.

Once again Helen H durrant has stopped my daily routine, as I have not been able to tear myself away from this book! As always I loved it and I'm going to be keeping lookout for more.

Brilliant as usual, absolutely love this series. What an ending, cannot wait for the next installment!

This is a good all round read. It is the 3rd in a series of DCI Greco books. This i read as a stand alone having not previously read any other books by this author. I will however be keeping an eye out for more of these books by her. As a stand alone it works well, there is mention of relationships and characters from previous books but nothing that detracts from this story.
The story is set in Manchester. The book gets straight into a murder, no hanging around and no nonsense. The story progresses quickly and several characters are introduced, some new to the murder team and some hand picked for the case. As one murder is being investigated, another has occured with the same characteristics as the first, then a third murder seemingly unrelated and so it continues. A newspaper reporter Tony Rouse is caught up in the investigation, and after being asked questions he disappears. The Rashid Clinic is a reputable cosmetic surgery centre has ties to the local mob gang, through one of its gambling addicted doctors. A Romanian lorry driver with a really bad attitude and an illegal sweat shop are also thrown into the mix.
What begins as a drug and gang related issue soon turns into something much more deadlier and darker. Things start to fall into to place. The detectives have to travel to Brighton from Manchester, have boarder control and Illegal Immigration Officers involved. There are so many things going on this book, but not once did i feel i was getting lost in the details or the plots. It is very well laid out and explained right through, the characters are memorable and each has their own unique aspect to them such as nickname.

I would recommend this book to other readers for the fast paced plots, the ease of reading, the great characters and the well written story.

I am a massive fan of this authors books so I was delighted when I was able to get a copy of her latest release. This one had a lot of dark undertones and it was a real page turner for me. I really enjoy reading about the lives of the main characters and whilst I did guess some of the plot, there were still plenty of twists and turns to keep me entertained and engaged - another 5 star read - very highly recommended, definitely one of my favourite authors!

Another decent instalment in the Greco series with a complex case that keeps both the team and the reader on their toes. A great cliffhanger ending too.

I waited so impatiently for this book as I do all of Helen Durrants books.
This one didn't fail to keep me turning the pages. I love the non relationship between DI Greco and DS Grace Harper, she's always had a soft spot for him but he's a damaged man with a fair bit of baggage.
2 young men from the same background have been found dead, stabbed through the heart by a ruthless hit man. Is this the work of his old enemy Vinny Costello or Slicer Shaw? Or is it something darker? The investigation leads them into the world of human trafficking.
DI Greco has a new team and his relationship with DS Harper getting more complicated by the minute.

Thank you Net galley. A good "time-pass" police procedural. The book lacked the punch of other books by the author. It is as tho she can't make up her mind on the D.I. Greco series. The lack of clarity makes the narrative choppy and the characters' stories don't mesh well. Durrant is capable of better.

A really great read, love this series and each book just gets better and better. Couldn't put it down. A solid 5 out of 5.

Detective Stephen Greco and his team Investigate the murder of a teen boy that turns into so much more,
many murders, illegal immigrants, stolen body parts, sweat shops, gambling.
Stephen suffers with ocd and is still dealing with the death of his ex-wife. He feels he is not ready and so
tries to ignore his relationship with DS Grace Harper becoming personal.
The plot is strong and the story flows at a good pace. The characters are well-developed and, as they are getting to know each other as a new team, you can feel the connections being made. I felt the ending of the book was left to open. Rather than a series, for me it felt like a "to be continued" ending. I did enjoy the story to that point so I recommend you give it a read.