He Is Watching You is the first book in a new series by Charlie Gallagher and it is another fast moving police procedural.

DS Ives is moved from Manchester to the South of England after her undercover work is finished and the first part of the book is scene setting as she tries to settle into a new force and team.

Despite being shunted into a none job she uses her experience to reduce her boredom to find a missing woman

Eventually others recognise that this might not be the only missing person.

The book moves at a pace once it going into its stride and kept me entertained throughout

Recommended

This is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. The tension increases and increases and then you crash back down, change direction and begin the climb all over again.

Harry Blaker is a curmudgeonly older detective who works long hours chasing down those responsible for major crimes in the Canterbury area of Kent. His motivation is clear, and the fact that he works within the rules rather than being the ever popular maverick cop in no way diminishes his character.

Maddie Ives on the other hand isn't as easy to read. Reassigned for her own safety she finds herself moving from a high powered undercover roll to one which could be done by a far less experienced officer. Her first case soon links her to one of the more confusing major crimes and she and Harry Blaker have to work together to foil a serial killer.

This is a well constructed, tightly controlled novel that is very hard to put down. The uncovering of the killer is as gradual in this fiction book as you would imagine it is in the factual world Charlie Gallagher usually inhabits. I was able to read an advanced copy of this excellent novel thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review and am delighted to note that this is the first in a new series by this excellent author who in my opinion must qualify as one on Britain's top crime writers.

I thought this was a good start to a new crime series. Maddie I liked, having to start afresh in a new area and role, definitely not easy and even Maddie is struggling as to whether this new job is for her.

Harry seems to compliment Maddie and I can see the great making of a strong working relationship between the two. Harry definitely feels more in the lead in this novel with Maddie finding her feet.

The story grabs the readers attention from the start. The killer is definitely sick and twisted and there seems to be no bound to how low they will stoop. I loved the build up to the killer being identified and as with any good crime thriller, it becomes a race against time, sending the pace of the story to full throttle.

He Is Watching You will grab you and hold you right from the first page. I enjoyed there being a strong male and female lead which we don’t always see in a crime detective series. There was definitely a few shocks and chills throughout the story ensuring I wasn’t going anywhere and having to read just ‘one more chapter’. Looking forward to more in the serious.

This is the first book I have read from this author and it won't be the last, I really enjoyed it, I found it to be a great book with an excellent plot and a gripping page turner.

If you like a good, hard to put down read then this is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read this excellent page turner which I thoroughly recommend.

Gallagher is an outstanding author whose background gives his writing a rare authenticity. This new series is no different. Fast paced, twisted and gritty with the right amount of humour and interesting, relatable characters. Looking forward to the next instalment already, a definite 5 star read

I’d like to thank Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘He Is Watching You’ by Charlie Gallagher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DS Maddie Ives has been working undercover in Manchester when she makes a fatal error and is transferred to Lennockshire in Kent as the Missing Persons Co-ordinator where she’s not wanted, made only too clear by her new boss DCI Julian Lowe. It’s not until she’s asked to look into the disappearance of a woman who nobody’s interested in as she’s well-known for drinking then disappearing, that Maddie realises something isn’t quite right. She joins forces with DI Harry Blaker of the Major Crimes Unit in an attempt to discover who’s deliberately run over Ron Beasle and could also be responsible for the missing woman.

As this is the first novel of the DS Maddie Ives series, the early chapters introduce us to Maddie and explain why she’s ended up in a dead-end job that nobody wants. It’s gritty and fast-paced with a strong storyline and interesting characters which bodes well for more novels featuring Maddie and Harry Blaker. The descriptions are excellent, especially that of the women’s flesh being eaten alive by insects which even now is making my skin crawl just thinking of it. It’s an excellent thriller, nerve-wracking with lots of twists and turns, and a shocking conclusion that kept me gripped to the very end. This is the first I’ve read by Charlie Gallagher and it won’t be the last.

5 stars

I read the Kindle edition.

This book is told from three points of view: the police, the latest victim and the killer.

A nefarious evil-do-er is caught by an elderly man while on private property. He acts suspicious, but the elderly man decides to come back later. The bad guy was storing a body in a metal box rigged with cameras on the property. He narrowly makes his escape, but decides to “take care” of the old guy anyway. He then torches his pickup.

The woman in the container is not yet dead.

Meanwhile DS Maddie Ives is transferred to another constabulary. She has worked undercover for ten years. She is now in major crimes and is supposed to supervise the missing persons inquiries. She meets her supervisor DI Harry Blaker. So far they are not very impressed with one another.

Harry goes out on the burned vehicle report. Something feels not quite right about the “accident.” When Harry discovers that the man’s dog was tied to a tree, he suspects that the man was lured to the road so someone could run him down. At the same time, Maddie goes out to search for a missing woman who has had an alcohol problem and has been reported missing fifteen times. She has a very young daughter that lives with her ex-husband. The other cops think it’s a waste of time to look for this woman.

Maddie and Harry discover that their cases are related. They begin to work together, albeit rather grudgingly. Together they identify a solid suspect. They track him down together. In an exciting, dangerous and action-filled denouement, the story is brought to a close.

Wow, just wow! What a great book! I’ve read Charlie Gallaher’s previous books and this one tops them all! I really like the George Elms character, but I like Maddie and Harry too. I appreciated the way their relationship grew and changed over the time it took to work on these cases. The way Mr. Gallagher writes his police officers is so true to form – warts and all. They tease, they get angry, some are lazy, some can’t sit still; they’re all there. Although I live in the US, these officers are so like the ones I’ve known in my own life. This book is extremely well written and plotted. It moves along seamlessly from event to event. The transitions are well done and smooth. I am very much looking forward to reading more about Maddie and Harry.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

All you want to do is live. DS Maddie Ives has been given a choice to either leave or be transferred. She can't understand why her boss says that she is burnt out, she did what she had to but she has blown her cover. She is shipped off Lennockshire to get herself sorted and try keep herself safe. As being undercover has made her name known and who knows who will come for her. She really hates being here, she is staying in a hotel and her fellow officers don't really seem to worry about her. So she finds herself drew into a case that starts out as a missing person. Maddie knows that the young woman is missing and she didn't just wander off this time. But can Maddie get Major Crimes to have a look? She has to get Inspector Harry Blaker to believe that there is a case here and that she can help. Harry has enough on his plate, he is looking into a hit & run that looks like a murder. And he really doesn't have time to babysit a kid. But he allows her to help and they find out that the both cases have something in common. But are they too late? Can Maddie bite her tongue for once and let Harry help her to gain the trust of the others? Or will she have had enough a leave? Harry knows that she is a good copper just takes everything to personally and he knows that she will go far even only she would listen. Can Maddie just focus on the case and find the woman before they are too late? A good read. Kept me turning the pages. They work well together as a team as they both want the same thing, justice. Hopefully Maddie learns from this but I why about her past and that she has opened that door and that can only mean that danger will follow. Can't wait to read the next one as they have many stories in them. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house a copy in exchange for my honest review.