Class Murder by Leigh Russell.
Geraldine Steel is reunited with her former sergeant, Ian Peterson. When two people are murdered, their only connection lies buried in the past. As police search for the elusive killer, another body is discovered. Pursuing her first investigation in York, Geraldine Steel struggles to solve the baffling case. How can she expose the killer, and rescue her shattered reputation, when all the witnesses are being murdered?
Really enjoyed this book. I did like Geraldine. 5*.

Playing catch up on a series I loved but had fallen so behind on.
Class murder was just as good the second time of reading as the first. Once started it was so familiar but there was parts I couldn’t remember so I carried on to refresh myself of what happened.
Great read and the characters became familiar again. Looking forward to being able to read the rest of the series and catch up with great characters.

A great book, with a really engrossing plot and characters. I did find the ending strange, or different than I expected but overall a good book.

Yep. It's another hang my head in shame moment. My first Geraldine Steel. What have I been thinking? In fairness, as introductions to the series go, this has been pretty blinking fantastic so I can't complaint, and think of all the fun I can now have going back and catching up. That said, and for the benefit of others who, like me, may not have read the other books, there are some very key elements of this book which give a little away of what may have happened in the previous book, enough to not leave the reader hanging, but perhaps not so much that it can spoil enjoyment of the book should you go back and read it.

At the start of this book, Geraldine has just transferred to the Major Incident Team in York and now finds herself working back with her former Sergeant, Ian Peterson. Being new to the station Geraldine is finding it hard to get the measure of her co-workers, not helped by the fact she is thrown straight into the thick of a murder investigation, barely giving her time to catch her breath let alone unpack. With her personal life complicating her professional life, you'd think the case would be a welcome distraction but not necessarily. Disturbing in nature, the violent murder of a young woman has the whole team stumped with next to no forensics and a rapidly diminishing pool of suspects. When a second person is murder in an equally violent way, the team think they have a connection and yet they struggle to prove it. And for once Geraldine finds her instincts are not as readily trusted and getting her new peers and superiors on side is proving a very big challenge.

Despite knowing very little about the characters or the series, I found myself pulled into the story from the off and unable to back away until I had finished reading. It is an extremely compelling story, if somewhat disturbing in terms of the style of murder, and form the very beginning Leigh Russell sets out to give the reader a kind of insight as to the mind of the killer, if not a clue to their identity. it is clear from the very start what kind of person they are, and with chapters littered throughout told from their point of view, it makes for quite a chilling read at times. I loved it.

Geraldine is a character I immediately felt drawn to. True, in this story she has a lot on her mind and some of the confidence she may otherwise have shown has been worn away by her current circumstances. But she is a determined woman, if somewhat insecure throughout this book, and I couldn't help but root for her from the start. It can be hard coming into a series so far through, but not here as author Leigh Russell has done a great job of scene setting without giving too much away. Geralidine has a kind of intuition and a bravado you cannot help but admire, jealousy of her peers, particularly of Naomi and her easy friendship with Peterson, especially as she is so uncertain of where they now stand both personally and professionally. Their's is a partnership which is perhaps not fully explored in this book, a little stilted, reflective of the new status quo, but yo can tell that there is a still a spark there. I'm intrigued to see how this develops.

The story itself is both twisty and twisted, the motives of the killer well hidden until very near to the end, even though it is clear from the off that someone knows more than they are letting on. I love the way in which the intrigue and tension are built, the way in which the author takes you right to the very edge of your seat without quite letting you fall off, at least not until she gives that final twisted push at the end and all you think you know will happen is turned right on its head. The narrative flows so smoothly, the story is so absorbing, that you will easily lose hours of your life reading and not even notice or, dare I say it, care.

I'm completely annoyed with myself that I haven't discovered the series sooner as I have totally been missing out. If you are already a fan of Geraldine Steel then you will absolutely love this addition to the series, marking the start of a whole new chapter in Geraldine's life. if you are new to it all, jump on in and get started, you won't regret it.

First of all, a confession. For the first time I have missed a Geraldine Steel out of the series so her current situation came as a surprise to me.

Demoted for the rest of her career and sent north to a new area she is once again working with Ian Peterson. A girl is murdered and the crime scene is clinically clean leaving the police almost nothing to go on. The case struggles on when a second murder is committed in the small rural area but there is almost nothing to link the crimes together. With the size of the population the only link seems far too tenuous to be substantial. Then the press find the link and start to make a story out of it. Then there is a third murder...

Russell has really returned to her roots with this story. We enter the head of the murderer without finding out 'why' and learn his cold, psychopathic thinking - and hating him more each time. Rooting for Steel and Peterson but we find Peterson wants to play 100% by the rules and do everything that's expected of him while Steel pushes her neck further and further out to the point...

Does their previous friendship have any real meaning anymore? Is Steel really now alone hundreds of miles from home?

Russell at her very best and Steel crying out to be turned into a TV series. I loved this book as much as any of the previous 8 out of 9 that I've read. I really can't wait for number 11.

This is the first DI Geraldine Steel book (there are 10 now) I had read and found the character to be interesting, flawed (in a good way) and human. She has been demoted and moved out of London and has insecurities regarding where she fits in and how to interact with the new team she is part of. All this while attempting to solve a number of murders of old school class mates. Well written. A n enjoyable read and will go back to read previous Geraldine Steel novels.

Class Murder is the 10th book in the Geraldine Steel series . Geraldine has relocated to York after she was forced to leave the Metropolitan Police in London . She's working with her old colleague DI Ian Peterson when a woman is murdered and more bodies pile up . The killer starts targeting them . The plot was well written with engaging characters . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review .

It's been far too long since I have read a Geraldine Steel novel so I was looking forward to catching up following on from the last book. For those people who intend on reading the series in order, you may want to stop reading my review as it will inevitably contain spoilers if you haven't read the whole series.

I was keen to see how things were working out for Geraldine. Following her demotion she has now got a bitter pill to swallow by working as a Sergeant for none other than Ian Peterson. I am thrilled that these two are now working together although the dynamic sure has shifted. Geraldine seems a lot more vulnerable now that she has the added pressure of demotion, a twin sister in rehab and an adopted sister who could do with Geraldine's support. That's all without the actual job so Geraldine's life certainly seems to have taken a few steps back. Ian Peterson is also another one that has changed and in the first half of the book you can tell that both he and Geraldine are struggling with the new arrangements of him being above her in rank. That said, the two of them are starting to get back to normal the more the story continues.

As for the storyline, it seems that bodies are turning up and they seem to be linked through a group of schoolfriends. Geraldine and Ian are part of the team investigating the murders. Their new colleagues leave a lot to be desired I must say. I spent most of the time wanting to slap their colleague Naomi who obviously has a crush on Ian, and couldn't warm to the new boss Eileen. I think the reason I loved this book so much was that it felt like the series has been given a massive shake up and everything is topsy-turvy. Overall this was an absolutely cracking read and certainly one of the best I've read with Geraldine for a while, I literally cannot wait for book 11!

I got this book through NetGalley and didn’t know it was the tenth book in a series. However, for once, it didn’t bother me while I was reading. It could totally stand on its own and I didn’t need to have read the previous books to perfectly follow the investigation or the intrigue relative to our main character.
Both were, by the way, really well done and kept me on my toes from beginning to end. However, the ending was underwhelming, I was really disappointed.
Still, I enjoyed getting to know Geraldine and might read some of the previous books in the series.

I had no idea this was so far into a series until right before I was about to start! I don’t want to jump in at this point so I didn’t finish it.

Geraldine Steel is back, reunited with her former Sergeant Ian Peterson, having relocated to York after having to accept a demotion due to recent events with her recently discovered twin sister. Although she is grateful to still be serving on the police force, she is struggling to come to terms with all the upheaval involved, what with their role reversal, being Ian's Sergeant instead of his Detective, the move to York, being among unfamiliar faces and apart from her Step Sister Celia and niece.
On her very first case in York, two bodies are found, seemingly with no connection. While they try to uncover some sort of common ground to lead them to the killer, another body is found. Being thrown in at the deep end, and keen to impress her new boss, Geraldine is really struggling with loneliness, wondering whether she has done the right thing by accepting her new position. She is also doubting whether she and Ian's friendship existed, or whether they were just colleagues.

I can't think back to when I first started reading Leigh Russell;s books, but having devoured everything she's written, I know each time I see another new book by her, I am always quick to pre-order it, and have never been disappointed!

Class Murder is a well written, easy to read page-turner about a series of murders. The link between the victims becomes clear early on in the story, but the motive for the murders remains baffling. Without a known motive, the elusive killer manages to continue his killing spree. Even when his identity is discovered, the killer employs a variety of clever strategies to outmaneuver those who are after him. There is an unforeseen twist at the end of the novel which adds to the excitement. Thanks to Oldcastle Books No Exit Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the tenth book in the Geraldine Steel series and one that I was looking forward to reading and it certainly didn’t disappoint! I have been an avid of Geraldine since book one. It can also be easily read as a standalone. Geraldine is now based in York after being demoted to DS. She is involved in the case of the murder of a young woman and a young man who were at school together years ago. She needs to find the killer before he strikes again. The book is told from different viewpoints which only adds to the enjoyment. There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming but it was a gripping read and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for book 11 in the series,
Thanks t9 the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow! Are we really on book 10 of this series? With not a single sign of the series going stale I can hardly believe it. Obviously, like all series, it is best to start from book one and read in order. Although the main story contained within this book is complete, Geraldine is a rather complex character with an interesting backstory and a lot of personal development through the series so, even though there is sufficient catch up included for what happens in this book to make sense, it is always best to read the full story so I would recommend you do play catch up if you have time.
With the events and aftermath of what happened towards the end of the previous book, Geraldine is lucky that all she has had to endure is being busted down to DS and relocated. The positive side of things is that she has moved to York and has been reunited with her former DS Ian Peterson. The negative being that she is now DS to him being DI. Talk about a switch of power. Luckily, there are few in her new team that know of their shared past and, as our story begins, she is on the whole, doing mostly OK in the early days of her new, more subordinate role. This doesn't last though as not long after starting, she is thrown into a murder enquiry. a young lady is found dead in her own home. Geraldine struggles to find her new place in things as she is no longer in charge. Having to take orders from Ian isn't the easiest thing to handle as well as try to do her job. As the body count rises, Geraldine's work life overtakes her personal life and, now living far from her family, she struggles to keep the balance between work and home life, especially made more complicated by her new sister's reliance on her which is made harder by the distance. But Geraldine is strong and tenacious and it takes a lot more than what has been thrown at her thus far to put her down.
I really loved that Geraldine and Ian are back together but I think, like the two of them, it may take me a wee while to get to grips with their new relationship. There's also the fact that Geraldine's way of doing things isn't always strictly by the book and she has a new DCI to build up a relationship with too. I'm sure she'll find her feet in due course though. Hope so anyway. But it's quite interesting to see this side of her. Sometimes when series go the length of time this one has, they get stale. I think that this one has remained fresh and this has as much to do with the character development as the actual stories being told. This new spin on things, reuniting DI with DS but the opposite way round is simply genius and something I can;t remember happening before in a series (and I read a lot of this genre). I really can't wait to see what happens next.
The story itself is rather intriguing. Yes, there's quite a lot about Geraldine's transition in this book but there are also crimes to be solved. As the murders are quite local, there are certain connections that could be just coincidence. Geraldine believes there is more to it than that and tries to steer the investigation but sadly, she doesn't have the same influence as before and so things drag and the body count gets higher until eventually she does what she needs to to do to get to the truth. And what a truth when all is said and done. I really didn't see all that coming. It really was the book that kept on giving, but all actually pretty credible at the end of the day.
All in all, a different direction to the series but one that I am really quite enjoying. I wonder what book 11 will bring next time, really can't wait. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Class Murder is the tenth novel in the Geraldine Steel series by Leigh Russell and I can’t believe that I have only discovered this series now. I started reading this book during my lunch break at work and I did not want to put it down, if I could have stayed reading all afternoon I would have.

Geraldine has recently relocated to York after she was forced into a position to leave the Metropolitan Police in London. She knows that she has no chance of promotion and is now working alongside her old colleague, DI Ian Peterson, but their roles have switched. As she is beginning to adjust to her new life in York, she is thrown into a murder investigation when a young woman is found dead. And soon more bodies begin to turn up, but the suspect continues to evade them and the police come under fire from the media. But there is something there that links the individuals, why has the killer targeted them and are there more people on the killer’s hit list?

When I first started reading this book, I really found the reversal of roles between Geraldine and Ian a really interesting idea. I was curious to see how this would work out between them and if there would be any tensions from Geraldine’s side as she is the one who is now taking orders. It left me wondering how Geraldine would get on working up in York and if, whether or not, she would stay to stick it out. 

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book, and I’m sure that I’ll return to previous books in the series as Leigh raised plenty of questions about Geraldine’s life which I want to find out more about. Geraldine is definitely the kind of officer who you would want working on your case, she is determined to see results and she is willing to put all other matters aside, including her own family who become increasingly frustrated with this idea.

The plot of the novel was engaging, the novel is also told from the viewpoints of several other characters, who were once all students together. Leigh also tells the story from the viewpoint of the killer who remains in the shadows. When it becomes clear that the killer is targeting them they come together to try and work out who it is that is behind this and what they can do to try and protect themselves. This is where the tension in the novel escalates as they begin to fear for their lives. 

Leigh’s writing is highly engaging and she pulls you into the story without effort. A really enjoyable read. Thank you to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and to No Exit Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book to read.

Its great to have Geraldine Steel working with her old colleague Ian Peterson although it is a role reversal Ian is the DI and Geraldine a DS and she has now moved to York where Ian was working. Geraldine doesn't know what to expect but she hits the ground running when a body is found and at the crime scene it seems the old cameraderie is stilted and she will have to try and reign herself in as she gets used to her new role. When the second body turns up Ian feels the pressure from his superiors to give results but what kind of strain will that put the rest of the team under. It seems that the old partnership may still be as efficient as before and you are willing them to find the killer before he/she strikes again.
I loved this book and my only disappointment is that I have to wait for the next one. Thank you NetGalley for my kindle copy.

Initially I thought I had read this book before. It seemed predictable and even cliched. But then the plot "thickened" so to speak and the credible female detective built the suspense. The family-plotline added little to the story. Possibly there to add dimension to the character, it was a weary distraction. The character is strong enough alone. An enjoyable and neat read!

Book 10 in the Geraldine Steel series and still up with the best of police procedurals. Geraldine is demoted and moved to York when she is thrown into a murder case. This book is told from several points of view and is very well written. Good character development between Geraldine and her sister Helena, also her best friend, Ian Peterson. An excellent plot, good pace and a very unexpected ending. Hoping that book 11 is on the way sooner, rather than later. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads and Facebook.

Gritty police thriller,with two separate storylines. Good, interesting characters who interact well.

Eagerly awaited and certainly not disappointed to find that Geraldine and Ian have been reunited in book ten of the series. Geraldine has been demoted to sergeant but thinks herself lucky to be still on the force and to be working in York with Ian as her D.I. This is a gripping crime thriller and the author delivers her usual formula to keep the reader riveted right to the last page. I loved it thank you for the ARC