With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, which I have enjoyed reading.
This is the second book in the DCI Rachel King series based in Manchester and once again it is an engrossing and interesting storyline. Two women are found dead in a building plot and the team need to find out who killed them and why. The building site is owned by Jed McAteer, who featured prominently in Book 1.
There are also young teenager women, who are believed to be part of people trafficking involved in the storyline and the Salford police force are also interested in the young women and the clubs. Then there is Rachel’s two girls who also managed to be involved in parts of the story.
I look forward to reading Book 3 which will also involve Jed McAteer and Rachel once again.
Highly recommended.

Two Victims is the second book about Manchester-based DCI Rachel King. I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but bought and read the first one as I like to read series in order, then needed a bit of a break, so this review is a bit late.
You do get enough backstory to skip the first one, although events and characters from it are frequently referred to, without significant spoilers, so it depends on how much this would bother you.

Set a few months after Next Victim, this has Rachel investigating the murders of a young girl and an older woman, both shot in the head and left in a ditch on a building site owned by Rachel’s shady ex, gangster turned businessman Jed McAteer, but at different times. There seems to be a connection to a dodgy club where girls from Eastern Europe are kept in squalid conditions, but Rachel can’t believe Jed would be involved in trafficking.

I wasn’t particularly enthused by the first book, an unoriginal police procedural with a predictable plot line, but initially was more enthusiastic about this one, until it’s revealed that once again Rachel’s teenage daughter is linked to one of the suspects, and then Jed is implicated again. I could accept this if it were set in a tiny village but Manchester is a large city and all these coincidences just felt like cheating.

I also don’t like Rachel as a heroine, she’s stroppy, arrogant and thin-skinned, and is also a terrible mother. Everything has to be about her, and while her daughters are equally obnoxious, you can’t blame them for hurting that she picks the job over them every single time. At least her team were better developed this time round.

The writing was competent, I didn’t guess the motivation or identity of the killer and it was well paced, and not too long. I certainly wouldn’t call it a massive twist. The ending leaves things open for the next book, but the mystery kingpin has been so well signposted that it’s unlikely I’ll bother with it.

Both books have a lot of 4 star ratings from reviewers who clearly enjoyed them more than I did, so don’t let my lukewarm assessment put you off if you like this sort of thing, I just think there are much better police series out there.

Having read and recommended this author's other series I looked forward to reading this book. As always from Durrant a well written and disturbing read but I found it impossible to like or care about Rachel.

I have been a fan of Helen's work for quite a while now. I have read and loved each and every book that she has written. Each time she releases a book, I grab myself a copy, shut myself away and I don't re-emerge until I have finished. Well her most recent book is called 'Two Victims' and it was released on 31st July 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Two Victims' but more about that in a bit.
What can I say about Detective Chief Inspector Rachel King? For starters, she is one hell of a kick ass detective. Rachel is a hard working and skilful career detective. She has a close working relationship and a genuine friendship with her work partner, who is a Detective Sergeant. He is the only one that she has allowed into her life and that she has told some of her secrets to. Rachel leads from the front and she does more than her fair share of the workload. She wouldn't ask anybody to do anything that she wouldn't be willing to do herself. Rachel has been in some pretty dangerous situations but she has come through okay. Rachel King has to balance her career with her home life and one often dominates the other despite her best efforts. She has a bit of a complicated person life. She is the single mother to two girls, who are now grown up. Her ex-husband lives in the house next door but they have a relatively amicable relationship and they work together for the sake of their girls. However, that could be about to change for reasons which may become apparent as you read the book. Rachel's life is complicated by the fact that another ex-partner just happens to be one of the most infamous gangsters in the neighbourhood and he is also the birth father of one of her daughters. Talk about a conflict of interests- she fights crime but she has had a child with a criminal, who certainly hasn't mended his ways.
Oh my days, Helen has done it again and written one hell of a thrilling, unputdownable and downright brilliant read, that had me gripped and on the edge of my seat throughout. I couldn't get enough of the story and I refused to be parted from the book for fear of breaking the hold that the book had developed over me and for fear of missing out on some vital clue or little nugget of gossip. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story panned out steadily grew. All too soon, I reached the end of the story which I was so disappointed about. I wasn't disappointed about how the story ended but I was disappointed in the fact that I had got to the end of the book far quicker than I had intended to.
'Two Victims' is superbly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Helen H. Durrant. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and once she has you in her grip, she won't let you go again until the end of the book. That's how I felt at any rate. She has written the chapters in such a way that encourage you to keep reading. You could say that she ends the chapters in a 'duff duff' (think the very end of an episode of EastEnders) moment and those who can't wait for the next episode (like moi), just keep reading. I love the character of DCI Rachel King, although I went to school with somebody of the same name and it took me a while to separate the two. Helen writes so realistically and uses such powerful descriptions that I really did feel as though I was another member of the team and some of the team were like friends of mine.
In short, 'Two Victims' is another winner from Helen H. Durrant and it is sure to soar to the top of the bestsellers list which is nothing less than she deserves. It's' a cracking second book in the DCI Rachel King series and I have a feeling that the series will continue to go from strength to strength. I would definitely recommend this author and her books to other readers. I can't wait to read what comes next from Helen H Durrant. Here's hoping that we don't have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Great read. Interesting main characters and a really good plot. The short chapters add to the suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is the second book in the DCI Rachel King Series by author Helen H Durrant following on from 'Next Victim'. And just like the first book this is a good book as well. I enjoyed the storyline and love the rapport between DCI King and her team. The storyline is intriguing and fast paced and a very easy read. But to be honest, I am still unsure about DCI Rachel King. She's a good police office but a poor mother who has no clue about her daughter's life till said daughter is arrested and needs to be interviewed. And Rachel, to be honest has temper issues and she flies at people at the drop of a hat without even caring that her temper is just or unjust. And she has a big chip on her shoulder about her past and she whinges and moans too much about it. That just made the book a bit of a struggle for me. But other than this, the story was quite intriguing and I enjoyed that aspect of the book. Finally, a big thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me this wonderful book in exchange of my honest review.

Second in the DCI King series and it's another brilliant read full of suspense. The characters have developed well and the writing is exceptional. I read it in two sittings which could quite easily have been one if life hadn't got in the way. I eagerly await the next in the series and highly recommend this book to anyone hooked on crime thrillers.

A really good, well written, detective story with interesting characters and plot.
Good pace, easy to read, keeps you interested until the end.

ARC received through NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another great novel from Helen Durrant with Rachel King at her best. Two separate crimes with great story lines, leading to a fascinating finale. Difficult to put down once started reading, a great read.

I read the first in this series Next Victim, at the beginning of the year, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first, it can be read as a stand-alone.

A woman’s body is found on a building site and Rachel is tasked to investigate. What she didn’t count on was a second body being discovered underneath it!

The building site is linked to her old flame and crook turned businessman Jed McAteer but did he have anything to do with the murders?

Two Victims is a great addition to this series, which seems to be going from strength to strength!

Rachel is rapidly becoming one of my favourite characters. She’s a no nonsense kind of person, who can seem a little abrasive at times but that’s only because she wants justice for the murder victims. She also has to deal with her rebellious daughters, one of which has just turned eighteen and is determined to push her mum’s buttons.

I will warn you there is some tough subject matter covered in this book, including human trafficking and torture, which may not be to everybody’s taste.

Two Victims is really a must for anyone who loves a fast paced police procedurals with a tenacious female lead.

Two Victims by Helen H Durrant was just Brilliant. This is the second book in the Detective Inspector Rachel King series.

WoW what a book this was. Detective Inspector Rachel King and her team are called to a woman's body found on a building site. Whilst they were there, they find another decomposing body underneath the first body they found.
The first body was of a practice nurse at a GP surgery, called Agnes Moore. She been an angel to young women from the streets and who may be homeless, who needed her help and medical advice.

Are they contacted?

And How?

Detective Inspector Rachel King is trying to piece the murderers together as well as juggling her private life from her past. An ex-criminal Jed McAteer, who keeps on popping up in her life, is the father of one of her children called Mia. A big secret she doesn't want to come out on the open.

How long can she hide this big secret?

Will her past catch up with her?

Will she connect the two murders before anyone else is murdered?

I highly recommend all of Helen's Books. I just love them and they are an easy lovely read.

One thing I love about Helen's books: they can be a stand a lone book or read as a series progresses.

Big Thank You to NetGalley, the Publisher Joffe Books, and Helen H Durrant, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the second in the Detective Rachel King series from Helen Durrant where on a building site, the body of a middle aged woman is found murdered, shot in the head. Matters are exacerbated when a second body, that of a teenage girl is found buried in the same place, it has been there for some time, also killed by being shot in the head. The first victim turns out to be a local nurse, Agnes Moore, but the second body is much harder to identify. Rachel has a complicated and fraught personal life with her ex-lover, crime boss Jed McAteer, who had promised to go straight. It turns out he has connections with the victims. Rachel struggles to balance her private life with her professional career, she has two daughters, Megan at university and school age Mia, and her ex-husband Alan lives next door, which makes some things easier but moving on a trifle more difficult. As Rachel clashes over the investigation with another police officer, DCI Mark Kenton, she finds herself in a case that involves trafficking, the sex trade and drugs. An entertaining and tense crime read. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

This is a new author! After googling I’ve realised she’s written many books and more in this series. It was a very quick and easy book! With simple language.. it did keep me interested and had a twist at the end. Wouldn’t rush to read anymore this other authors do detective series better!

This series is becoming addictive.

The second in the DCI Rachel King series has a girl on the run, and a murder. DCI Rachel King continues to find juggling home and work life difficult. Thankfully her ex-husband is there for the girls, but now he seems on edge, just when she Rachel starts another murder case. Rachel's ties with a supposedly reformed organised crime boss, continue to plague her, threatening the status quo both personally and workwise.

This is a well-written police procedural, with strong, and realistically flawed protagonists, and menacing antagonists. People trafficking vice and drugs themes dominate this story. There are crossovers to Rachel's case, that bring her into to contact with DCI Kenton. They clash over their cases, and Kenton knows more than Rachel would like. Final plot twists set the scene for the next book in the series, and I can't wait to read it.

I received a copy of this book from Joffe Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Building on the successful first book featuring DCI Rachel King "Next Victim", this is the second book and it is a fine sequel. Rachel King is a working mother of two argumentative teenage girls, student Megan and schoolgirl Mia, with the strange living arrangement of having her ex-husband Alan living next door. Handy for childcare and home-cooked meals but sometimes she feels trapped by the past. Also looming large in her past is local crime baron Jed McAteer with whom she had an affair years ago resulting in Mia, something that has only come to light recently. Jed is making a big deal about becoming legit but can Rachel or anyone else for that matter really believe that? Stationed at East Manchester CID Rachel runs a small team of DS Elwyn Pryce and DCs Jonny Farrell and Amy Metcalfe. Elwyn is also a good friend to her and the only one who knows her secret about Jed. Their patch is not the nicest or most affluent although there is a lot of new housing being built to improve the area, and it is on just one of these sites that the body of a woman is discovered, hardly cold and killed by a gun shot to her head. Unfortunately whilst gathering evidence of this killing, a second older body is also found. Whilst the first woman is easily identified as a local nurse who tried to help homeless girls, the second proves much harder to identify and with apparently no motive for either killing Rachel and the team are struggling to link the victims or find a suspect. A possible witness also disappears and the detectives are left with many tangled threads and clues all waiting to be unravelled and put together, hopefully before anyone else dies. The author keeps up the pace and delivers a great plot covering very current crimes with an ending which leaves the reader eagerly awaiting book number three. This story works fine as a stand alone but I would recommend reading book one first, not only for the history but also so you don't miss out on a great read! This is shaping up to be a favourite series of mine. 5*

This is book 2 in the DCI Rachel King series set in Manchester. We first met Rachel and her team in Next Victim which was a brilliant introduction to the series.

Rachel's domestic life adds an interesting vein to the series as does her past. Divorced (with her ex husband living next door), Rachel is trying to juggle a demanding career with the problems that come with bringing up 2 teenage girls. Megan is at university and that brings its own issues whereas Mia is still at school., suffering from Type 1 diabetes and also nearly losing her life in a kidnapping it is understandable that both Rachel and Megan are protective of her.

The book itself is fast-paced with the suspense beginning on the first page and building all the way through. There are several things going on the keep the reader totally engrossed in the story.

The body of a young woman is found in a ditch. She has been shot and while forensics are searching for clues another body is found, this one a teenage girl. To add to the issues faced by Rachel and her team the bodies are on land being developed by Jed McAteer. Jed is a loveable rogue from Rachel's university days who keeps popping up where he isn't wanted. Rachel and Jed share a secret, one that could destroy Rachel's life and career.

As the team begin investigating they uncover more wrongdoings and a DCI from another station starts to muscle in on the action. People trafficking, sex slaves and worse are all thrown into the mix. As cases become entwined can Rachel hold on to her suspect and find justice for the dead?

This is a twisty turny book that had me hooked at the very first page and kept giving all the way to the totally unexpected ending. An absolutely brilliant read. I cant wait for the next book in this series.

Two women found dead in a pit of a construction site, 1 a young girl the other a middle-aged nurse, both shot through the head. DCI Rachel King has her hands full with the murders of these two very different people. who would want to kill a young girl and who would want to murder a nurse who only; wanted to help those less fortunate? This case grows into a wider scope when the investigation leads them into trafficking of human beings; modern day slavery this is what the case is opened up and it's from today's headlines. young girls being brought from foreign countries opened up by the fall of the Berlin Wall and now they want to come too somewhere they think freedom means they would have a chance at a better life ;yet the people telling them that are certainly not trustworthy. The other person's brought into the investigation is another DCI named Kinnon, and Rachel's ex-lover Mac. Is Mac capable of selling people, and using them in a slave trade for sexual purposes? This is a really good story straight from today's headlines. I read this past year that at the super bowl this year, is where the most money is spent on young girls and young boys being brought in from who-knows-where and paid millions of dollars by people who abuse these children! And God only knows what happens to them!
I highly recommend! Thank-you netgalley!
carolintallahassee. com

Thank you net galley. I enjoyed this book very much. I think it is better than the first one in the series. A great read in the best of Ms. Durrant's style.

This is the second book in the DCI Rachel King Series by author Helen H Durrant following on from 'Next Victim'. This book can be read as a stand-alone.
DCI Rachel King is a divorced mother of two teenage girls and lives next door to ex husband Alan in the Cheshire village of Poynton, just outside from central Manchester. Rachel is good at her job and juggles the strains of her job, her teenage girls and her secret of former lover, a well-know villain Jed McAteer. In 'Two Victims' Rachel is faced with investigating the death of a local nurse, Agnes Moore, found buried on a building site with a bullet in her skull. But this is increased to a double murder when another body is found buried in the same place. The building site is owned by Rachel's ex lover Jed McAteer.
This is another well paced, no nonsense crime novel that delivers. Interesting characters and good sub plots.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Joffe Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Two Victims by Helen H. Durrant is the second in the Detective Rachel King series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Joffe Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



Series Background:  (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DCI Rachel King is with the serious crime squad for east Manchester. Her team consists of: DS Elwyn Pryce, her long-time colleague and friend; DC Jonny Farrell, the newest member of the team, and still a little green; and DC Amy Metcalfe, who shows potential, but is a bit unreliable.  Rachel went through a somewhat amicable divorce and her husband bought the house next door in order to help raise their two teenage daughters. Although Rachel knows she cannot have a relationship with her first love Jed McAteer due to his criminal background, he is hard to forget.  Only her partner knows of their relationship, and the fact that her youngest daughter is actually McAteer's.



My Synopsis:   

Two bodies are found in a building site that Jed McAteer is developing into housing.  Both shot in the head.  One, Agnes Moore,  is a local nurse who seems to be helping homeless young women every chance she gets.  The other young girl is harder to identify. 

When Rachel's investigation leads her to another dead body, she steps on the toes of DCI Mark Kenton from another district, who insists on taking over.   Apparently he is working on a human trafficking ring, and has been doing so for a long time.   Rachel doesn't want to let go, but her boss seems to be siding with DCI Kenton.

Rachel, of course, pushes back, and continues to do whatever she wants.



My Opinions:

This was another fast-paced story, and a very easy read.  

I am still unsure about Rachel.  She's definitely a hard worker, but.... I still think her parenting skills are lacking, and her temper is a little out there.  She seems very unprofessional in her work.  Overall I am having a hard time liking her, which makes the books a little off-putting.   I rather like the supporting cast (Elwyn, Jed, her daughters) better. 

The plot was good, and although I did guess the perpetrator early on, I could not determine the motive. 

Again, there was an appendix at the back of the book showing a list of British slang, which, as a Canadian, I find helpful (sort of wish it was at the beginning of the book).

Overall, it was only an okay read, but I'm going to stick with the series, if only to see where it goes from here.