I got this as a review copy from Netgalley. This was Book 11 in the series and I had previously read Cut Short, Book 1. There is no need to read in chronological order although it probably would help to fill in some of the gaps that have affected Geraldine's career. I felt there was more suspense in this book than Book 1 and Geraldine is a detective that grows on the reader. I won't spoil this for other readers by saying why. The books are well written and easy to put down then come back. I have two further books on my kindle which I will endeavor to read while on my summer holidays. To be truthful, the book was enjoyable but not one that I couldn't put down.

DI Steel's story have been building for 10 novels so far and I feel like I know her personally by now! This book reads nicely as a standalone, but I would recommend you read the previous books. Why? Why wouldn't you want to???
Geraldine gets involved in an investigation of a young man, that was thought to have taken his own life, however his sister insisted that not to be the case. This book is a great example of police investigation done by the best, and keeps you gripped from the beginning of the book until the very last blood drop is spilled.
I enjoyed the book, and can't wait to get stuck into next one!
Recommended.

While I have loved all of Leigh's previous books about Geraldine I just could not get into this one at all. It was so slow and didn't really grip me enough to carry on reading to find out what happened to the man who supposedly committed suicide.

My review is written with thanks to Katherine Sunderland at No Exit Press for inviting me on the tour and for my copy of the book through Netgalley.
When a woman enters the police station adamant that her brother did not kill himself, Detective Sergeant (DS) Geraldine Steel is allowed to investigate, but only on her own time. However, when two other members of the same family are also discovered dead, Geraldine's team realise that the deaths could be suspicious. Can they find out who is responsible before their own lives are in danger?
Having reviewed Class Murder in March, I was pleased to read more from this series. Geraldine Steel is determined and works on her instinct, often putting herself in dangerous situations to solve the crimes she investigates. She also has a vulnerable side, and I am pleased that Russell allows the reader to see this, as this makes her a more accessible character that I felt able to root for, even if she does sometimes break the rules!
For the first half of Death Rope, the case looks fairly cut and dried. But, as anyone who reads crime novels knows, that wouldn't make a good plot! There are some small clues placed strategically throughout the novel, but even so, I was racking my brains to think who could be responsible. As the investigation reached its conclusion, Death Rope became a tense race against time and I was gripping the edge of my seat reading on to find out what happened.
As with Class Murder, Death Rope is set in York. Having lived in York myself, I recognised several of the locations and enjoyed Russell's descriptions of these.

First book that I have read in the “Geraldine” series and it was a great chance to get to know the characters. Clever storyline that kept me interested until the end.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Oldcastle Books, No Exit Press and the author, Melinda Leigh for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Death Rope in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I found the storyline to be well thought out and written. It was fast paced with a twist that will have you thinking "how did I miss that clue". I loved it.
Definitely worth a read.

Good characters,good story. Enjoyed the next chapter in Geraldines story. Fast paced mystery where the victims kept coming and no clue who dunnit!

An excellent police procedural thriller. This was the first I had read in an ongoing series featuring the recently demoted Geraldine Steel. Having previously been a DI in London and now a DS in York, life has changed dramatically for Geraldine.
Geraldine clearly has a very sharp mind and instinct and it dreadfully woeful to see her being treated with disrespect and ignored when she has something of interest to say (due to her senior officers treating her as the ‘newbie DS’ and forgetting her years of experience as a DI.
Leigh Russell writes so very well keeping up the pace and tempo of this excellent storyline, where what appears to be a straightforward suicide, is investigated by Geraldine (who is the only one who believes the sister of the deceased that there may be more to it than it seems at face value).
There is enough information given about Geraldine’s back story given, mentioned in passing by Leigh, to make the book suitable for a first timer to the series like myself, whilst not overdoing it to make it repetitive for the longstanding fans of this, the 11th book in the series.
I will certainty be reading more in the series and other books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Charlotte discovers the body of her husband Mark hanging in their hallway. Everyone believes it was suicide - except his sister Amanda, who persuades Geraldine Steel to look into it. It won't be the last death which is less than straightforward....

Another excellent addition to the series

Book eleven in the very popular Geraldine Steel series, and things have not gone well for her. She is now living and working in York as a DS, moved from the Met and demoted from DI after trying to help her newly discovered birth sister escape from her drug dealer. Not only that but one of her former sergeants Ian Peterson is now her boss! She is finding it hard to take orders again after her demotion and still acts at times like she is in charge of the case. Fortunately her senior officers show some faith in her and let her work in her own time. The case only turns into a murder investigation part way through the book but Geraldine has had one of her famous hunches right from the start and pushes the case along to its conclusion with twists and turns along the way. The entire series has been consistently great (one of my favourites) and I am already looking forward to book 12!

4.5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this police procedural novel and the ongoing story of Geraldine Steel. It reminded me of old fashioned police work with intriguing characters.

I hadn't read anything by Leigh Russell recently however this has reminded me what I've been missing!

Looking forward to catching up on the couple of books in the series I've still to read.

I love the Geraldine Steel books by Leigh Russell and I know they will never let me down as they are such great reads and this one has to be up there as one of the best.
When Mark Abbot is found hanged by his wife it is assumed he committed suicide but when his sister Amanda goes into the police station to tell them that she is sure it was murder it is DS Steel that she sees. Geraldine doesn't quite sit comfortably with taking the back seat in investigations due to her demotion and even though she and her boss DI Ian Peterson work well together she decides to work on this in her own time. We get an insight of her new home life now she has moved to York and seems to be settling in quite well but true to form Geraldine gets herself in a tricky situation that she hopes her backup will get her out of but will this be the time her recklessness has just gone too far?.I was totally surprised when the culprit was uncovered. This is a great book and can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the book.

Geraldine's story up to this point has been, shall we just say, interesting. To say that she carries a lot of baggage both personally and professionally is a bit of an understatement! With that in mind, although there is enough catch-up in this book to get the general gist of things, my personal recommendation is that, if you are new to the series, it would be beneficial to go back and start from book one and read in order. If you are planning on doing this, it's also best to stop reading this review as it may contain spoilers from what has gone before.
So, after her demotion and connected move to York to serve as Sergeant under her previous subordinate Ian Peterson, Geraldine is still trying to find her feet. She is mostly struggling with her lack of freedom to investigate things that she feels key but that others dismiss. She seems to be getting there but there is still this hole that she needs to fill. Her interest is piqued when, one day, Amanda Abbott comes into the station, determined for someone to listen to her. She finds an ear in Geraldine and proceeds to regale her with the story that she believes that her brother Mark did not take his own life despite appearances and subsequent ruling. Geraldine literally jumps at the chance to re-open the investigation but resistance comes from the powers that be. Resistance that swiftly falls away when Amanda herself goes missing, forcing them to take another look.
This is, on the face of things, your bulk standard Police Procedural. But this book, along with the rest of the series, is a notch above the best of the rest in the way that it is written and executed. The author manages to write the genre with some really great investigative work, including enough twists and turns but without having to resort to the tricks and gimmicks that other authors tend to find necessary. She also keeps a good balance between Geraldine's professional and personal life (another thing that can sway off course in series books). Yes, she has a bit of an interesting background with one sister who isn't really her sister and another who is actually the twin she never knew she had. The latter being mostly responsible for Geraldine's fall from grace. Both of which placing different demands and expectations on what Geraldine means to them. But all of this speaks both for character definition of Geraldine herself as well as providing some pivotal series plot points so, in this case, their ongoing inclusion is wholly necessary.
Geraldine's struggles at the position she is now find herself in at work is also very cleverly handled and executed. Her connection with Peterson throughout the series has waxed and waned as the ongoing story has developed and they remain tight in this book. There has been a shift in this lately, for obvious reasons, and they do sped a fair bit dancing round each other but nothing that feels contrived or out of pace. There's a new balance of power and it needs to find its level.
The plot itself is very intriguing and follows the usual path you would expect from the genre. We have secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour and the obligatory twists, turns and misdirection that kept me on my toes throughout. All culminating in an ending that I only saw coming just before it was actually revealed. Very refreshing!
All in all, another great addition to an already favourite series, roll on the next one! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the eleventh book in the Geraldine Steel series and we follow Geraldine as she settles into her new position in York.

Geraldine is still coming to terms with her demotion from Inspector to Sergeant when she is asked to look into the suicide of Mark Abbott by his sister Amanda, she is sure he was murdered. Geraldine has her reservations but when Amanda turns up dead she needs to convince her colleagues that it is not a coincidence. As the investigation continues and another death occurs, the team need to tie all the pieces together to find the killer.

Another good book by Leigh Russell, the plot is interesting and has several twists, a really enjoyable read.

Love this series, Geraldine isn't as confident in herself but she always comes through, maybe she will get the balls to act on her feelings for her old friend, maybe not as well, would recommend to anyone who likes police procedural books without all the dreary explanations, great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oldcastle Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this new book by Leigh Russell.
This is a really good book and centres around DS Geraldine Steel (formerly DI Steel) and it is set in York. The book starts off with the death of a man and the fact his sister didn't believe his death to be a suicide. There are little scenes going on in the book and they are all neatly pulled together at the end building up to the final conclusion. They all flowed so well. I was totally pulled in from page one to the last page. Although it is a police procedural book , you are not bogged down by great intricate technical explanations and so the story flows really well which is refreshing. . I also like that Leigh puts a list of acronyms at the front of the book for ease of reference , to save you having to flick through the book trying to find its definition (I wish more authors did that) . I am now off to get the rest of the Geraldine Steel series. Overall this book is really well written, excellent gripping story. Brilliant

I was over the moon when I received this ARC, another great book in this brilliant series, the writing as always is superb and the storyline is unique. I'm so pleased that Geraldine seems to have settled in York and I am still hoping for a love interest with her boss Ian Peterson who seems a little preoccupied with personal matters. Geraldine has had a go at him a couple of times but instead of bawling her out he has just let it go. Leigh makes the characters come to life which is something I love when reading.

This is the 11th book in the series with the author having sold over a million books in the process and you can tell why they have been so polar as the story keeps you clicking onto the next page as the pace never relents.

Yes you could wish for a bit more depth and more accuracy in the police procedural parts of the story but if you want an easy to read, enjoyable story then this is the book for you

Oh I do love this series. Like meeting up with old friends it’s nice to be back in Geraldine’s world. Still working in York and still working under Ian, Geraldine seems more comfortable in her new reduced role than when we last met her. She may only be a Sergeant these days but she still acts like an Inspector and a leader. The sub plot continues to develop nicely in both Geraldine’s personal and professional life
Great main plot and I can honestly say I really didn’t see who the culprit was.
Another brilliant addition to this great series

I would like to thank Netgalley and Oldcastle Books for an advance copy of Death Rope, the eleventh novel in the Geraldine Steele series of police procedurals.

Geraldine is slowly settling in at York but chafes at the lack of freedom to act that her demotion from inspector to sergeant entails. So when Amanda Abbott comes to the station and insists that, despite appearances to the contrary, her brother, Mark, did not commit suicide but was murdered Geraldine jumps at the opportunity to work on her own initiative. She doesn't get far but Amanda's disappearance makes the team look again.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death Rope which is a straightforward police procedural with some great twists. It is told mostly from Geraldine's point of view with other points of view inserted on a regular basis. I must admit that I frequently find this approach distracting and annoying but while I was puzzled initially by their relevance I was so caught up in Geraldine's story that it wasn't so much of a problem. I like the fact that there is no subplot to distract the detectives so both they and the reader can concentrate wholly on the case in hand. It is cleverly done with a gradual buildup of clues and the usual misdirection and held my attention throughout.

The novel revolves around Geraldine. She is a solitary figure with not much in her life but her work. She has a couple of sisters who present their own problems but as they live down south she doesn't see them so often. It's a shame that she is so alone, but some of that is of her own making as she is very reserved and doesn't mix well, as she is warm hearted and has much to offer. More annoyingly she is extremely smart and can see to the heart of an investigation instinctively but now that's she's been demoted her thoughts are often not taken seriously. She struggles with this and her growing feelings for her old friend DI Ian Peterson, growing into what neither she nor I are sure of.

Death Rope is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.