I never repeat the blurb. This was OK, although the red herring was a little too red and the writing style superficial in the extreme. I shall not be reading further instalments in this series. There's far better in the genre out there.

I've read Leigh Russell before and liked her work, but just couldn't get into this one. I read over 50 per cent, but finally gave up in frustration. It almost seemed like the book was written by two different people--some parts flowed smoothly, and others seemed more like a detailed outline. I did like the many different threads that the author picked up and was looking forward to seeing how they would come together, but eventually couldn't take it any more.

(review copy from NetGalley)

This is book 13 in the Geraldine Steel series but there is enough information to read this as a stand alone. Covering the topic of homelessness, it is a fast paced and well written police procedural by one of my favourite authors. Plenty twists in the story and a surprise ending. Although not my favourite book in the series, I enjoyed the read.Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Whilst I did enjoy this, I found myself distracted and annoyed by the complete and total incompetence of the police except for Geraldine who seemed to be the only one with more than one brain cell available to process correctly what was happening.

I thought it was the person the author led me willingly to believe, when the big reveal came I was who?

With thanks to NetGalley and OldCastle Books for the pre read.

3.5 stars, rounded up for sentimental reasons!
Although admittedly not the strongest episode in the series, this book was still a very decent read that kept my attention nicely throughout and left me satisfied. Obviously being the 13th book in the series and with Geraldine having a rather, shall we just say, interesting past, it's best to dive in with book one and read in order. The main story however is self-contained so it could, at a push, be read stand alone.
We start with the death of one of the homeless community. Although Geraldine values all life alike, there are those who consider this death to be low on the radar of importance and as such the investigation is initially passed over for other crimes considered to be more important. But then another body is found, another homeless man killed in a similar manner and this forces them to ramp things up. But given their lifestyles and the struggle to even identify the deceased men, the investigation falters, coming up against dead end after dead end. Until after a third body is found, one that doesn't quite fit with previous victimology and Geraldine starts to make connections. But given her place in the team and the events that lead up to where she now finds herself professionally, can she persuade those higher up to listen to her?
I say that it's not the strongest in the series. I think that's more due to the plot being slightly weaker rather than anything else. But it also marks a turning point for Geraldine both professionally and personally, so it could be that the author needs this platform to base the direction that the series will continue on in future books. I won't give anything away but I do have to say that the police in this book were woefully inadequate in their investigations, grasping every tentative link and pursuing it to within an inch of its life rather than sitting back and looking at the big picture. Bad procedure indeed, especially given the prevalence of red-herrings to be found throughout, smacks a bit of desperation. But, that aside, I was interested enough to keep reading and was rewarded when they eventually got to the bottom of things. I do think however that if this was my first encounter with this series I would probably not have continued. But I've been through a lot with Geraldine over the years and I am not about to sack her off after one bad case! Besides which, her personal life looks like it may get a bit more interesting...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the first book in this series that I have read, although it can be read as a stand alone novel I did feel a little bit disadvantaged in not knowing the backgrounds of the characters. This the 13th book with DS Geraldine Steel, so I feel I do have some catching up to do. Not knowing characters relationships and how they have grown is something I am not keen on. I like to know how they normally work.

Geraldine Steel has been demoted from DI to DS, she had no choice it was her only way of keeping her job. She is back working with DI Ian Peterson working in the Serious Crime Unit. Geraldine has previously worked with Ian, she had hoped they would fall back into a previously comfortable working relationship but it doesn’t seem to be working that way. We also see her boss Eileen and her team mate and friend Ariadne. The team don’t feel great but this could be down to Geraldine's demotion or the fact that she has just moved to York.

A homeless man is found strangled in York city centre, initially Geraldine was annoyed that the case was not being taken seriously, mainly because it was a homeless man, so it gave the impression of what does it matter. But Geraldine was determined to get justice for this man regardless of his status. But when investigating going to homeless shelters, someone confessed to the murder, in the teams eyes that’s it crime solved, but Geraldine isn’t buying it. A week later another homeless man is murdered in the same way, meaning the person who confessed couldn’t have been telling the truth. A third body is then found in a van which had been stolen and found abandoned in a car park. At first it looks like this person was homeless as well, but it turns out that it is the body of a music teacher Mark Routledge. But are these killings linked?

The story is told through different points of view, Geraldine as she is investigating, the killer/watcher leading to the first kill then planning the next, and of a family Ann, David and Mark. And the complex relationship going on there.

I enjoyed the story there are a number of red herrings thrown in, to distract you, I realise I am missing quite a bit of back story which I did feel, I enjoyed the police procedural parts, showing the way they try and put all the pieces together. It’s also good the way the writer highlights the perils of being homeless, because so many people just walk by, it’s like they are invisible people, if you ignore it it will just go away, when of course in reality it’s not as simple as that. So many things can lead to homelessness, breakdown in a marriage, loss of job and income, addictions, being thrown out of your home, abuse. Homelessness is not always a choice. So I like the fact that it was addressed in this story.

There were a couple of bits I didn’t get why they were there, like Molly who had witnessed one of the murders, but it looked into her homelessness and how, but the she just seemed to be then gone, I couldn’t work out why that was. Thinking it was going to be more than her being a witness. It did just feel like padding as it didn’t really add or detract from the story.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Oldcastlebooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I have read most of the Geraldine Steel series of books but not the last three. Events that happened in these books are referred to in this one, although this book can still be read on it’s own. DS Steel has been demoted and is working in York, back alongside DI Peterson. Two tramps are murdered a short time apart and DS Steel is investigating these murders. Two more murders follow and when someone confesses to the murders, the case is considered closed. DS Steel has her doubts about the confession of the culprit and relies on her gut instinct which lead to more questions and suspects. The book is told in parts by different characters which I liked. I felt the book read well, it flowed easily and was an absorbing read although it could have been a little shorter, especially towards the end where I felt it started to waffle a bit. There were lots of twists and turns in the story, and all loose ends were tied together nicely. A surprise ending which I expect will be explored more in the next book. I will want to read the next book and try to catch up on what I’ve missed in this series.

The novel begins when a homeless man is found one morning strangled in York city centre and I enjoyed the opening couple of chapters where Geraldine was annoyed that people weren’t taking the case seriously since the victim was homeless. It was a good social commentary on how society in general views the homeless and that Geraldine was determined that there was going to be justice for this victim despite his unfortunate circumstances.

You are also introduced to her colleagues DI Ian Peterson, who she used to work with before, her boss Eileen and teammate and friend Ariadne. Maybe it is because Geraldine has recently just moved to York after being demoted that the team doesn’t feel connected. They just don’t seem to work as a plot tool. Yes, Russell has tried to portray Geraldine as being the lone voice of the team, the only one that is seeing things from a rational point, but it is more than that. I think these sections of the novel need work. Its a police procedural and there should be more from that aspect. Also, there were glaring plot holes that could have been addressed. One of the victims had been restrained for over a week and somehow the on the ball pathologist missed this. Also, it is clear from the circumstantial evidence used that the various suspects that were arrested to begin with would never have passed the evidential threshold that the CPS would have used to allow someone to be charged. But yet each time the ‘team', minus Geraldine I must say, thought the case was closed.

Throughout the book, you learn about a character called Molly and her home situation, which is the reason she ends up on the streets. Molly is an important witness in the case as she sees one of the murders taking place. However, that is all she is. There isn’t really a reason for all her background and once she has fulfilled her purpose of being a witness you don’t really get an ending for her character as it's felt very rushed. To me, it feels like padding in the book, something that didn’t really add to the narrative and was totally superfluous. It would have made more sense to develop the character of Aimee instead as that would have been a good hook to see the thought processes of Ann and David.

This is the thirteenth book in the Geraldine Steel series and I have read a couple of these over the years and enjoyed them. However, in this case, I found this book very unstructured and for a police procedural over half the book was not related to the ‘police’ points of view. The book for me was full of cliches and the plot was not complicated at all. All through the book, you knew what the next stage in the case would be, that the red herrings were indeed that. The main bugbear for me was that the killer had not been introduced as a character until Geraldine meets them for the first time and realises straight away it is them. It doesn’t allow a reader the main joy of reading a crime book - guessing the killer before it's revealed. Maybe I am just becoming a very picky reader!

This is another great Geraldine Steel crime novel. Geraldine has always had a great working relationship with DI Ian Peterson but it is good to see her getting close to her female colleagues too. Her experience and her natural instinct really come to the fore in this book and I love the way she doesn't back down when she thinks the facts don't fit. She always fights her corner even when her opponent is a senior officer. Anyone wanting to write a great British police procedural would do well to look at this series to see how it is done. I can't wait for the next one.

The 13th book in the Geraldine Steele series, it can be read as a standalone but as I always say, you gain a depth to the characters and background if you read them as a series. A police procedural that has Geraldine, the main character investigating a death that she feels is cruel but her fellow officers are sceptic about. She carries on relentlesly as Geraldine does and realises its leading her to places she wouldn't have imagined. Such a good read as I always find with the Geraldine Steele books. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Although I have not read any other books in this series and as this is 13th in the series, Deathly affair can be read as a standalone.
Geraldine Steele has just been demoted from DI to DS in the Serious Crime Unit in the town of York. When a homeless man is discovered murdered by strangulation in a doorway. Thinking that this is one-time only incident another murder is committed. A man is arrested for his murder but, it soon turns out that he is not the killer. Soon after, a van who has failed it’s MOT has been reported a stolen turns up with a body wrapped up in a carpet. Could all these murders be linked in some way?
Thank you NetGalley and No exit for a copy of Deathly affair. I quite enjoyed this. This police procedural that I have read, has had the most red herrings I have ever read it in a crime novel. It was mad. But, saying that, it had a great storyline and characters with lots and twists and turns that made it more interesting. I will be looking out for more books from this author. 4 stars from me.

I’d like to thank Oldcastle Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Deathly Affair’ by Leigh Russell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
A homeless man is being followed on the streets of York, a noose is put around his neck and he’s strangled to death. When a second homeless man is killed in an identical manner DS Geraldine Steel and DI Ian Peterson work together to discover who would want to murder two harmless men. Their investigation soon leads them to more bodies giving credence to Geraldine’s belief it could be the same killer.
‘Deathly Affair’ is an exciting action-packed thriller which has kept me glued to my Kindle. The story is gripping, the characters convincing, and although right from the beginning I thought I’d guessed the identity of the killer, I was half-way through the story when there was a massive twist and then another, casting doubt on my earlier assumption. This is the thirteenth in the series and although I’ve not read them all there’s enough background information given so that I don’t feel I’ve missed anything. We’ve been left with a cliffhanger on the final page, will Geraldine and Ian friendship progress to anything further? I can’t wait to find out in book fourteen.

#DeathlyAffair #NetGalley
Story is ok but execution is not upto the mark. It didn't conpell me to read it till the end. However i read it and overall this story is good for thriller fans.

This was my first read by this particular author and have to say I am so glad to have been able to read this book. The characters were instantly formed in my mind to engage with them especially Geraldine. The plot flowed well with twists and turns making it difficult to put down. Really kept me drawn into finding the truth by getting to the end pages. Would strongly recommend as this was a very compelling read.

Deathly Affair is supposed to be a police procedural but there is not much procedure in it. In fact, 90% of the time the police is involved, they stumble around, making wrong decisions and coming to the wrong conclusions.
Geraldine is the main character and it may be therefore that apparently she is the only one that doesn’t make mistakes. There are a few murders in this book and right from the beginning we, the readers, get a glimpse of the killer. And guess what? It takes Geraldine and her colleagues a whole 300 pages to find him, in the meantime arresting the wrong person(s). This book is full of cliché’s, so full you can see the ending from almost the start of the book.
There are some strange developments too. There is a girl, Molly, who plays an important part in the book but in the end her story goes nowhere. There is Anna, who at one point in the story wants to call someone but cannot ‘because she didn’t have the number of the home phone’, but who turns out to have the mobile number of that person later… So why not call the mobile number?
The writing style is too much ‘tell’ and not enough ‘do’ to my taste and is also full of cliché’s. All in all: it is not that I didn’t enjoy the book a little bit. It is a very easy read because you don’t have to puzzle; everything is laid out for you and there are no surprises at all. I can fully understand why this series is so successful and while it isn’t completely to my taste, it will attract readers who don’t want complicated plots or characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital review copy of this book.
1 like

I would like to thank Netgalley and Oldcastle Books for an advance copy of Deathly Affair, the thirteenth novel to feature DS Geraldine Steel of the York Police.

When a homeless man is found strangled to death in a doorway the police launch a murder enquiry, fearing that it might not be a one off. Unfortunately their fears are justified as more murders are committed. It is a difficult investigation as identifying the victims is a task within itself.

I have enjoyed this all of this series but Deathly Affair failed to capture my attention or fire my imagination for a variety of reasons. Firstly the novel is told from various points of view, chiefly Geraldine, a housewife called Ann and a homeless teenager called Molly, which is distracting. These points of view are interrupted by the thoughts and actions of the killer which keep his identity hidden but reveal his motive early on in the novel. This gives the reader one less thing to puzzle over and less incentive to get involved. Secondly the emphasis on Ann and Molly’s lives/preoccupations makes less room for the investigation, which I have to say, pushes credibility to the limit. After every murder the seasoned professional police officers are happy to charge a suspect on the flimsiest of circumstantial evidence with only Geraldine having doubts. It’s simplistic, repetitive and tiresome. Lastly there is a fair amount of discussion about homelessness, the challenges involved, the reasons for it and the attitudes towards it. It may be heartless of me but I don’t need it rammed down my throat when I’m reading for entertainment.

To be fair the last quarter of the novel is quite compelling as Geraldine pulls the case together with an action scene and an ironical twist.

I enjoyed the writing style of this, as well as the story. It was cleverly done and kept you guessing until the end. I was in two minds as to whether the final crime needed to be solved and it was written as though the police woman was too... Good detective drama and I would read the author again.

This the first Geraldine Steel book that I have read and despite this being number 13th in the series it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story.

The story was easy to follow, with some great characters
kept me interested till the end.

Another fantastic book written by Leigh Russell. I really like the character Geraldine Steel, a believable person with good morals, when others dismissed the deaths of the homeless as less important than others she didn’t.
This is well written, I could not put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon.

5 Stars from me

Although there is clearly a hell of a back story here that I am missing (I only say that as it is book 13 in a series), I truly feel that A Deathly Affair worked well as a standalone book. Actually, I'm pretty stunned that it is book 13 as it really is gripping and doesn't smack at all of 'just the next one in the series as I've got deadlines to meet'.

I greatly enjoyed the relationships within this book. The husband/wife, the affair that isn't quite what it seemed and also the dynamics within the police force were all very engaging.

I liked the police procedural elements and the methodology behind the investigative routes.

I also really like how the story highlights the plight of the homeless - something which I feel is all too easily ignored, yet most of us are only a few steps away from it at any time. A wrong decision, a loss of income, a relationship breakdown, an addiction, a twist of fate or circumstance can all very quickly lead to homelessness.

Synopsis: Four dead bodies. But who is guilty in this deadly web of secrecy and lies?

When two homeless men are strangled to death, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel is caught off guard by the cold-blooded nature of the crimes. However, her suspicions are raised as two more bodies are found, forcing her to question the motivation behind the murders.

Plagued by countless red-herrings, the investigation drags Geraldine into the lives of three people caught in a toxic triangle of love and dishonesty. Is this a crime of passion, or is there more to this case than meets the eye? 

http://readandrated.com/2019/09/28/a-deathly-affair-by-leigh-russell/