A surprisingly well written novel with intriguing characters and a fast paced twisted plot. The storyline is a complex mix of police corruption, drug smuggling, people trafficking, graphic child abuse and the complicated personal life of Temple.
I haven't read the first book in this series but will now and look forward to the next.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Loved this book! Dead of Night is extremely addicting and impossible to put down. Clear your afternoon and start reading now!

This is the second book in a new series featuring DI Temple, a detective working in Swindon, Wiltshire, and although it could be enjoyed as a stand alone I think the reader will get so much more out of the story if the books are read in sequence. Temple is still unpopular with the brass, stitched up by Chief Supt Harker and DS Sloper, and under investigation for the death of a suspect, so he has been sidelined into an office of fellow bad boys where he is back in uniform and looking into missing persons. Home life is no better for him, with the shocking arrival of a three year old son that he knew nothing about. With the death of the mother and sad echoes of his own past, Temple has no option but to take in the boy, a move guaranteed to drive away his wife Leigh with whom he was recently reconciled. A new missing person is reported by her school friend, that being 14 year old China Lewis. Her alcoholic mother and violent brother insist she is not missing but clearly haven't a clue where she is and Temple begins to suspect she is in real danger. Drug dealers in London have been using ever younger children as runners and Temple wonders whether she may have been lured in by the promise of easy money. Unknown to him two other girls are missing, and as the story progresses gradually all the strands weave together as he pursues a solo investigation, fearing at least a police mole and maybe even a corrupt officer. In the background to all this, a slaughter man named Brian Porten appears to have a bit of a side project running in the dead of night. This story has a faster pace than book one, with the added advantage of the familiarity of a lot of the main characters, and I found myself coming to like Temple a lot more. There is a good and intricate plot which kept me engrossed all the way through to a very dramatic conclusion. With a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end, I am very pleased to hear that Temple will be back in book three. 4.5*

I didn’t realise this was the 2nd book in the series, so I did struggle at times. I often find procedurals get lost in unnecessary detail and sadly this was the case. Sadly I didn’t finish it.

DEAD OF NIGHT starts a few months after the end of WATCH HER DIE. DI Temple has some major changes in his personal life .. and in his professional life.

China Lewis is a 14-year old who has been reported missing by a friend. Upon investigating, he discovers that she might be in much more danger than anyone thinks.

To top it off, two more young girls have gone missing.. and it's personal this time. What he finds is corrupt police, major drug dealers, human trafficking.

Forced to work in the shadows, who can he trust to help him find these girls ... before it's too late.

I actually enjoyed this one more than I did the first in this series. DI Temple has been expanded and is much more likeable as a character. There's lots of actions, some of them nail-biting episodes. The suspense just doesn't let up until the very last page.

There is a very small cliff hanger, so keeping fingers crossed there is more to come from this series.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions/ Netgalley. I received a digital copy of this crime fiction at no charge, I am leaving this review voluntarily. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

4.5 Stars

Detective Temple Book 2

A fourteen year old local girl, China Lewis has been reported missing by her friend Amy. DI Temple is sent to investigate. But the more Temp,e discovers about China, the more danger China is in. But when Temple's past catches up with him and two more girls go missing, it becomes personal.

The pace is fast from the beginning. The investigation reveals trafficking, abuse, drug dealing and corruption within the police force. There are some twists to keep you guessing what's going to happen next. It's both gripping and addictive. This is the second book in this series but it could be read as a standalone. A good read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Deborah Lucy for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everything I dislike in a lot of British police procedurals is gathered here. There's jumping around with a lot of unnecessary details about the victims, most of the suspense comes from internal affairs in the police and the crime (human trafficking) is exaggerated to the max.
Luckily, the book is well written, the characters are good, and I suppose a lot of readers like this stuff.

It's clear that Deborah Lucy has a lot of experience in police work: that this was a crime novel was evident. DI Temple, though not really a sympathetic character, felt flawed and real enough to fit in with any other literary cop. And the writing is fine--it's the no nonsense prose typical of a lot of crime novels.

The plot is fairly simple and convoluted at the same time. Overall, a fourteen-year-old girl goes missing and troubled British DI Temple must find her. His investigation uncovers a sex trafficking ring. That is clear enough. But there's also a subplot about Temple's mother's unresolved murder and one of a serial killer kidnapping homeless people (and turning them into meat?). The mother I understand--it's good backstory to give Temple dimension. But the serial killer is unnecessary--it feels like it belongs to another book entirely. There are also a lot of characters to keep track of, which isn't bad in and of itself. But almost all of them have their own point of view. Which leads to a lot of head hopping from paragraph to paragraph that pulls the reader out of the narrative.

I like that the plot reminds me of Taken, a movie I enjoyed, though there's a heavy handedness in reminding the reader that "evil Eastern Europeans" are kidnapping all of Britain's teenage girls. And though the tone is gritty like many other books in the genre, it quickly becomes extraordinarily bleak--making England look like a desperate place and one no one would want to step foot in.

Thank you Joffe books, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

😲Gripping tale of crime and abuse with a persecuted British cop to save the day!
😳 A real page turner! What with drug running kids, ruthless criminal gangs into human trafficking, a serial killer with a loathing for the homeless and the lead character cop's imploding career and beleaguered domestic life, this thriller kept me fascinated from start to finish.

Good writing and a twisting plot with building urgency and action made this story a winner in my book. 😊👍👍

I read a complimentary advance copy provided through NetGalley; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC. This book was previously published as Dead Meat.
It starts with the owner of an abattoir who abducts homeless men and slaughters them...glad I'm a vegetarian!
DI Temple is looking for a missing 14-year old girl, but not having much luck. His private life is in shambles, he's on the verge of a bitter divorce while living with his little 3-year old son Ben ( born after a 2-night stand and the reason for losing his wife and young daughter) and the au pair in a cramped cottage. His past is catching up with him and not in a good way...Work is tough, he's up for a disciplinary hearing and his bosses have it in for him and if that isn't enough, 2 more girls go missing.
This is a fast-moving story with some difficult topics that were a bit uncomfortable for me. I didn't really feel much for any of the characters; Temple isn't the most sympathetic of men, he should keep it in his pants!
It was mildly enjoyable, and I give it 3.5 stars.