This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

In book 5 we have an escaped prisoner.
But who helped him escape?

This is the book I really loved in this series that really did have me guessing

This is the 5th book in the successful Marnie Rome series, and whilst it can be read as a stand-alone, several of the main characters do have back stories that play an integral part in the series.

I personally found Come Find Me slightly slower than the previous 4 books and less crime/police procedural. However what I did realise whilst reading this book is what a phenomenal author Sarah Hilary is. This book has incredible character depth and enables the reader to feel and breath each characters emotions, fears and actually hear their voices. (Note: I don’t actually hear voices in my head).

Come Find Me is more than a crime novel, it’s a perfect example of bringing characters to life, weaving a beautifully constructed plot, keeping the reader emotionally hooked and leaving us in tears.

Well I am a little bit surprised by how I feel having finished this book. I am a huge Sarah Hilary fan and have loved the previous 4 books, however...yes you guessed it, I wasn't overly keen on this one. Sometimes no matter how much a fan you are, some storylines you just can't get into and this book was one such case.

For a start I picked up and started this book 3 times which is unusual for me, but every time I got the first couple of chapters in I found I didn't want to read on. So on my third attempt I ploughed on and as with most books before you know it you are halfway through. The premise involves a riot at Cloverton Prison and a prisoner escapes, which leaves all sorts of problems in its wake and some of these problems involve Marnie Rome's foster brother, Stephen Keele. Marnie's sidekick Noah (who I love by the way) is back again and he and Marnie must find the escapee Michael Vokey before he does more damage.

I'm not going to delve any more into the storyline because the synopsis tells you that but in one way I almost felt like I had read this on its own without knowing who had written it Sarah Hilary would have been the last person I chose. I feel like her writing style is somewhat different to previous books and it almost felt like it could be read as a standalone book, even though there are some things that involve past events. I just can't put my finger on what exactly it was but when you are part way into a series and have loved all 4 books, you have a certain expectation for book 5. I almost feel like having read this, somebody got it wrong and this isn't the correct book by the right author...does that make sense.

If I look at it as a standalone book, yes it's certainly not a bad book and I am sure thousands of people will love this. However, for me I really couldn't move away from a middle of the road rating because it is just too far removed from the others in the series. Having seen many other reviews, I feel like maybe I am in the minority and maybe (sometimes this happens) my head wasn't in the right frame of mind. I think my conclusion would be certainly not a bad book, just not what I was expecting. I think I may we revisit this in a few months just before Book 6 being released and see if I feel differently about it.

The DI Marnie Rome books are my favourite crime novels, Sarah Hilary is SO GOOD at sucking you into her novels and this was no different. Five books in and I still haven’t had my fill of Marnie Rome. Here’s hoping book 6 is on the horizon, because I will be reading it the day of its release.

A sadistic prisoner, Michael Vokey, has escaped, from the same prison where DI Marnie Romes brother Stephen currently resides. His escape is shockingly violent so the pressure is on even more than usual to find him. The only real leads are two very different women, both infatuated with Vokey who have been writing to Vokey and each in their own way feeding his sick fantasies. They are both obviously of great interest to Marnie and her team, the question is which are they? Possible victims or collaborators?

The Marnie Rome series is a bit of a cut above your usual crime fiction. Despite it being one of my favourite genres I'm well aware that there's definitely a formula for these novels and a distinct style that many of the novels have in common. But with this series it feels a bit meatier - there's more to sink your teeth into. They never feel rushed, Ms Hilary has a story to tell but she'll tell it in her own good time thank you very much. So as much as I enjoyed this it felt a little slow initially but I very much trust the quality of this series and that was justified as all the pieces came together and it became apparent how the framework had been placed for a fantastic conclusion. The arc following Marnie's relationship with her foster brother Stephen also takes an interesting turn, one that we were kept waiting for a while! But despite that been frustrating it definitely works in leaving you wanting more!

What a stunning read from the pen of Sarah Hilary. I've said this before and I will say this again, if you're not reading this series, you're missing out on an absolute treat.

DI Marnie Rome is called in to investigate a prisoner on the run in the shape of violent convict Michael Volkey. A prisoner who happens to be in the same prison as Rome's brother, Stephen Keele. Volkey is a nasty piece of work and so many assumptions are made on his behalf as to the whys and wherefores of his escape. But should the police be making such obvious assumptions? What follows is a brilliantly constructed novel that will have you gripped. The characterizations are cleverly brought to life. Hilary has a wonderful knack of capturing human nuances, I don't know how she does it?! Many a time I would read a line, stop and reread and think to myself 'I wish I could write like that!' Artwork features fairly heavily in this piece and I found myself actually wanting to see the pictures, so brilliant was the descriptive prose.

On a personal level and only readers of the series will understand, I want to see Rome's potential relationship developing elsewhere. I have to remind myself that this is a book series and not real life but heck these characters are so realistic they may as well be!! And it matters .... and I care!! Why oh why these books have not been optioned for tv I don't know. I think I'm someone who knows her crime fiction fairly well and I'm putting it out there .... Rome should be on tv! It's crying out to be!!

Ok, enough gushing. This is a great read from an author that is growing in her craft. Go on buy a copy, you won't be disappointed.

A tightly-plotted novel full of twists and turns. A police procedural detailing the manhunt of an escaped prisoner during the chaos a prison riot. Plenty of red herrings and mis-directions along throughout.

A bit too heavy-going at times, making for a stop-start kind of narrative that struggles to really keep you within the world of the book throughout.

Fantastic book which would read well as a stand alone but I'd recommend reading the earlier books - firstly because you're missing out on a treat as they are brilliant and secondly as they give background to the events in Marnie and Noah's personal lives.

Skilfully written as always, the characters are well drawn, the plot and pacing are spot on and the research into our prison systems and the mindset of officers and prisoners alike shines through. Come and Find Me is a Deliciously dark read, where little is as it seems, with intriguing relationships between inmates and their 'fans' and a chain of events which give a current of unease through out the book.

Highly recommended and I'm now impatiently waiting for the next in the series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book!

A gripping and ‘WOW’ of a book,it has made me want to red the first 4!!!! Tense and gripping and definetly a book you can read in one sitting

An overcrowded prison is a tinderbox waiting to explode and when HMP Cloverton does so the outcomes are devastating. Prisoners dead, brutally attacked by other inmates, several prisoners in hospital suffering from the effects of smoke from the fire and one escapee. Michael Vokes is a talented artist and known psychopath, although he had not been convicted of anything more than aggravated burglary his former cellmate hung himself and Vokes has a string of women writing to him. Marnie Rome is tasked with finding Vokes and after visiting his home her team is in a race against time. However it is hard to work out who wants to harm Vokes and who wants to help him.

This is a slightly different episode in the series and works incredibly well. The emphasis is less on the team and more on the psychology, the way people are manipulated by words. The twist was flagged up fairly early on but Hilary managed to keep the crucial point until fairly late on. I particularly enjoyed the parallel tales about Rome's parents murder and the questions being put in her head alongside the questions being asked by the people under Vokes' spell. This is a really strong series of police procedurals and it is only getting better.

Woah! Well that was a book completely unlike the rest of this series but utterly compelling, and still completely brilliant.

There is good progress made on some of the overall series story arcs, especially Marnie's feelings towards Stephen Keele, her foster brother. Noah's story continues too, with regular updates on Sol, Noah's brother.

But the main story this time felt like a game of hide and seek. We know what the big chaotic violent event is, but we don't know exactly who did what and why, but the suspicion is the man that escaped must be to be blame for it all.

In amongst the police work, we get chapters from the only person able to give an accurate eye witness account of just what happened at the prison, and the run up to the large amount of chaos, and the story is revealed in small sections. What is apparent early on is that this is being told by someone critically ill who can't speak, and that they are in hospital.

The whole book felt a lot like it was smoke and mirrors, the more you thought you knew about the case and the many they are looking for, the less you really did seem to know. At no point in any of it did I have any suspicions to the truth.

This book pulls you into many different directions, and you are never sure what is a red herring or key evidence. The readers know not much more than the police in this story and I loved the pacing and how the whole book was written.

This is an excellent fifth book in this series, and I'm highly curious what direction the author will take her characters in next. One this is for sure if Come and Find Me is anything to go by, there will be more incredibly cunning and twisted villains to come, and be found.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I just didn't seem to get along with this book as much as the others. it seemed a bit bland and not very exciting compared to the rest of the series.

Come and Find Me is the latest instalment in the DI Marnie Rome series and it’s pretty full on from the beginning. It’s tense with some great twists and will keep you hooked to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and the author for the chance to review.

DI Marnie Rome is back and, for me, it couldn’t come a moment too soon as I was in need of a book in my favourite genre that left me feeling completely satisfied and a lot less grumpy that I been with recent reads.
I love Marnie because, whilst she’s go baggage, she’s also normal. Her past bothers her, colours her present, but isn’t all consuming. She still manages to have normal relationships with her partner and her team and she doesn’t go running off on her own every two seconds to prove something to herself.
She is a well-balanced character and I like that. I can relate to her and I like her. She is also well-written. Marnie jumps of the page and into my head. I can picture her and I can picture her team. I could also clearly picture the man at the centre of this book, Michael Vokey, who has escaped from prison after supposedly starting a riot and killer several prisoner.
I say supposedly because nothing is as it seems with Come and Find Me. It is full of twists and turns as the story, unpicked by Marnie and her team, but also helped along by one of the prisoners telling his version of events, slowly reveals himself. Slow is a good way to describe this book too, but not in a bad way. Nothing is rushed – but it is never boring. Focused is another word I would use. The story here is like a laser. There is one focal point, finding Michael, with no distracting sub-plots.
Like I said at the beginning, I really couldn’t have asked for more to get me out of my reading grump. Thank you Sarah Hilary!

Fantastic as always! I think DI Marnie Rome has to be my favourite character in any crime / thriller series. A thrilling rollercoaster ride of a story!

So here we are on Rome and Jake book number 5, yes 5! How did that happen? Well, I'm not sure, but one thing that is for sure, is that Sarah Hilary has written another cracker of a novel.

Detectives Marnie Rome and her colleague Noah Jake are once again thrown into an investigation that no copper in their right minds would want to be part of. This time its the case of escaped prisoner Michael Vokey.

Vokey is sadistic, violent and extremely dangerous.

Lara Chorley and Ruth Hull don't see him that way though. Neither is aware of the others existence, but both are lonely women writing to Vokey as an inmate of HMP Cloverton before his escape. Which consequently makes them very interesting to Rome and Jake.

Because even with prison riots at the forefront of the national news, it seems implausible that a prisoner such as Vokey could have escaped a jail like Cloverton. He must have had help. Could even have someone hiding him...

These thoughts are disturbing, but must be tackled to help Rome and Jake to find their man. Even if he very much doesn't want to be found.

As I think is usual for one of Sarah Hilary's novels, there isn't too much more I can say without spoiling it for others. Just to say that there is a very unique darkness to this novel which sets the scene beautifully for some very unsavoury characters. It is intense and gripping, and may just be my favourite in the series yet.

Come and Find Me by Sarah Hilary

A riot at Cloverton prison has left several prisoners fighting for their lives after a fire swept through the cells. One convict, Michael (Mickey) Vokey, has escaped, leaving in his trail two severely maimed prisoners. Detective Inspector Marnie Rome is called in to head up the hunt but, for Marnie, this is personal. One of the prisoners in intensive care is Stephen Keele, her foster brother, the young man who slaughtered her parents but with whom she continues to have ties she cannot break.

Two women, Lara and Ruth, were obsessed with Mickey, regularly sending him letters from the outside world, believing in him, maybe even loving him. Then there’s his sister. When his sister suffers a dangerous fall, Marnie is left in no doubt that the answer to where Mickey is now lies with one of the women in his life. As Marnie builds up a picture of Mickey’s life, desires and crimes, she realises that she is no closer to even knowing what he looked like. Everyone has a different memory or perspective. It’s like chasing shadows. And there is no knowing where they will lead her.

Come and Find Me is the fifth novel in Sarah Hilary’s fantastic Marnie Rome series and, while I have loved each and every one of them, it’s fair to say that this could be my favourite. Come and Find Me is spectacular. The writing is of the highest order, as it always is, but what makes this novel stand out is the sheer quality of its clever plot and the way in which we watch characters unravel before our eyes. Nothing is certain. We need Marnie Rome to explain it to us, we need her insight, her empathy and her eyes. And slowly but surely the truth will be revealed.

This is masterly stuff. We meet several powerful personalities whose words cannot be trusted. Everything is rumour, or it’s told through letters and hearsay. Several of the witnesses are prisoners and they are far from being reliable. But neither are the people who guard them. Who to believe? Who is to say who is innocent and who is guilty? And where is Mickey Vokey?

I love the way that the narrative is structured. For much of the time we follow the investigation by Marnie and Noah, but there are other times when we’re taken into Cloverton and we’re given a picture of life in this intimidating place. Fear thrives in Cloverton and we’re made to feel it.

Marnie Rome is a marvellous character and so too is her partner Detective Sergeant Noah Jake. Jake has a lot on his plate at the moment as well. To understand this fully, you need to have read the other books in the series – this also applies to Marnie’s complicated relationship with Stephen – but this isn’t dealt with heavily. After the last novel I was ready for Noah to have some breathing space and I’m glad to see he finds it here. Likewise, the Marnie and Stephen storyline is treated gently in Come and Find Me. This also means that if you haven’t read any of the other novels you will be able to enjoy Come and Find Me on its own. Although I think you’ll then want to read the others.

The emphasis in Come and Find Me is on this cleverly presented and told investigation, which goes to the heart of one’s assumptions and expectations. There is a wonderful elusiveness to the story, a real mystery to it, and the result is an extremely sophisticated and rewarding novel. Sarah Hilary’s novels are essential reading, in my opinion. It was Sarah Hilary’s books that brought me back to reading crime fiction after years away from it and I look forward to reading them for many more years to come.

Other reviews
Someone Else’s Skin
No Other Darkness
Tastes Like Fear
Quieter than Killing

Okay. I give in. I cannot review this book. Why? Because it is a) too good and b) impossible to discuss in the way I want to discuss it without leaving spoilers. Therefore I am just going to do what I threatened on Twitter the other day and say

It's bloody brilliant. Just bloody read it!
What? You think I'm joking? I'm seriously not. Not at all and those who have read it will understand what I mean.

I am a fan of Sarah Hilary's work and a fan of Marnie Rome. Somehow Sarah Hilary manages to tap into the very base fears that we have, find a way to capture that raw emotion of both her protagonist and their antagonists, while captivating the reader, dragging us to places we may not always want to go and reflecting ourselves, in varying degrees, straight back at us whether we like to admit it or not. No, we have not all been dangerous killers, well at least I know I haven't. I can't speak for you lot ;) However, inside of each murderer, each convict, each police officer, there is a human being and much of what makes them tick we can recognise in our own personalities. We don not always act upon it, certainly not in the ways that Ms Hilary portrays in her books, but we are certainly aware of it and certainly see these kinds of situations played out in society day after day.

I think this is probably the reason behind the success of the Marnie Rome series. It is grounded in reality. While certain circumstances may be exaggerated for the sake of 'entertainment' -  engaging the reader in the game of what it -  it is not beyond all belief that the kinds of stories Sarah Hilary creates could actually happen out in the real world. They already are. And this is perhaps what makes this latest story so chilling. It is in no way grotesque or violent and yet it is clear from the outset that violence has occurred. There is just enough detail provided and yet the core events, the things which precipitate this story, are kept off the page, protecting the reader to a certain extent. In doing this Sarah Hilary allows the reader's imagination to take over, and often this is a far scarier place than any writer could dream of. Strange but true.

In simple terms what the reader is faced with, what Marnie Rome is investigating, is the escape of convict Michael Vokey. Vokey is a man who instills terror in those around him and yet he remains a chameleon. Many things to many people but someone who they struggle to get a clear description or picture of. Is he man or monster? Does the legend and reputation which surrounds him come from truth or fiction? Rather cleverly this confusion is captured in the story as the reader never really gets a clear picture of what Vokey is accused of, not before, during or even after his escape, not until much later in the story. Marnie and Noah's investigations lead them to a strange place, one where women and men alike hero-worship Vokey whilst others live in fear. But who or what are they worshipping or fearing?

Nothing in this book is as it appears. We are led up blind alleys, fed half-truths and kept in the dark, just as Marnie and Noah are in their investigation. Sarah Hilary skilfully twists the story, omitting key information, creating a world in which nothing can be believed and the most honest of interactions and reactions can easily be disbelieved. Whilst the main part of the action follows the various threads of the investigation, there are chapters which are memories told from the point of view of Vokey's cellmate, a man who was caught up in the violent and deadly events which led to Vokey's escape. Events which also see Marnie's foster brother Stephen's life in danger. These memories inform the action but slowly and surely, building a clearer picture with each page turn of what actually came to pass.

I loved catching up with Marnie and Noah again. Both are wonderfully diverse characters who I have grown to love over the past four books. Both have their demons - Marnie with her brother Stephen, a conflict which looks set to be forced to an abrupt end - and Noah with his bother Sol, a young man who Noah had to betray in order to try to save him. Their complicated personal lives cannot help but affect the choices they make in work and yet do not stop them from pushing themselves to their limits in order to discover the truth. Their conviction and determination makes them highly relatable and their humanity, ultimately likeable.

Okay. So maybe I did lie just a little. I have found some word but believe me, they aren't enough. Not what I really want to say. I can't say that without you working out the crux of this book. But I will say that this is a book which will challenge you, much as it challenges Marnie and Noah. It will force you to think about perception. What we see versus what we think we see. It will make you think about the words which are not said. The truth which hides between and behind the lines we draw. And it will bloody well entertain you and suck up several hours of your life as once you lose yourself in Marnie's, and even Vokey's, world, you won't want to walk away. Not until you have to.

By book five in this series featuring DI Marnie Rome you’d have thought I could come up with something a little more eloquent than ‘even better than the last one,’ but I can’t – and it is. I do love books that can be read on more than one level, and Sarah Hilary has produced just such a book in Come and Find Me.

For those that haven’t followed the series DI Marnie Rome is a single-minded police officer, scarred and yet spurred on to deliver justice by the murder of her parents by her younger foster brother Stephen. We have seen her battle Stephen for the truth of why he did it to no real avail and now, there has been a riot at the prison where Stephen is being held.

Michael Vokey the man at the centre of the riot has disappeared leaving in his wake a trail of destruction with several prisoners in hospital and the rest seemingly mute on the subject. As Michel Vokey was imprisoned for an assault on a young woman with her child present, DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake are on the team to find him and put him back behind bars but they are struggling to find leads.

In between the police investigation we hear the thoughts from one of the prisoners, in a coma in hospital. His appreciation for the nurse who cleans him and cares for him despite the fact that he is in fact chained to the bed, in a room by himself. These excerpts slowly build into a picture of not only what happened the day of the riot, but the events that led up to it.

The most obvious theme in this book is that of obsession. We have DI Marni Rome’s obsession with her brother, the women who wrote to Michael Vokey display another type of obsession as does the prison officer who was unwisely interviewed about the riot. But the other theme is the relationship between mothers and their sons, and vice versa. This is an interesting one as the mothers and sons who fall into this category are all varied and yet they have something in common. In addition to that the book once again turns to the reality of a psychopath, a man (or woman) with some part of their personality missing, someone who has to learn how to behave by copying others. All fascinating stuff, well-developed enough on the page to make the reader think, but in no way presented as a lecture, my favourite type of reading matter.

All of the themes are only possible because of the depth of characterisation that Sarah Hilary provides. These are real people, we may not like many of them, but it’s hard to ignore the prospect that they could exist. The author goes out of her way with the descriptions of prison to lump all prisoners into one easy bucket, there are nuances to their behaviour, and offending, that raises this author’s work head and shoulders above much of the competition. This is crime fiction with a level of complexity that makes for really satisfying reading.
I’d like to thank the publishers Headline for allowing me to read a copy of Come and Find Me prior to publication on 22 March 2018. This review is my unbiased thanks to them and to Sarah Hilary for another riveting tale.
Previous books in the DI Marnie Rome Series:
Someone Else’s Skin
No Other Darkness
Tastes Like Fear
Quieter than Killing