Wow, what a rush. I think this may be one of the best books I've ever read. I loved all the detectives and the way they interacted with each other, some really good characters there. Then there was the back story involving Eve and Sanders and I thought the author really kept the tension ramped up by only releasing a little of this story at a time. Last and by no means least there is the story of the serial killer who is terrifying the women of Aberdeen and how this story relates to the flashbacks spread throughout the book. It's hard to believe that this is Deborah Masson's debut novel and I think there will be a few bestselling authors out there watching out for her in the future. I know, as a reader, that I can't wait for her next book.

I never repeat the blurb. Interesting and gripping procedural here, The reader is thrown into the midst of current story with past history and past crimes intertwined. Surprising twist and a satisfying ending. Good stuff.

I've never been to Scotland even though an ancestor of mine came from Aberdeen. And having read 'Hold Your Tongue', I'm not sure I'll be visiting my Scottish roots any time soon! In all seriousness this is a fantastic debut from Deborah Masson. Set in a very cold and snowy Aberdeen, this story chilled me to my core. The opening prologue sets the tone of the book so we know we're in for a tense read.

I loved DI Eve Hunter and her team. For a debut, they come to the reader as a fully-rounded cast of characters and the back story is complex enough to provide depth without overwhelming the main plot. And such a creepy plot! Women are being murdered in a most horrific way - their tongues are removed. There doesn't appear to be any connection between the women making the motive complicated. Little evidence is left behind at the scenes so Eve knows that she's dealing with a very clever murderer.

Although Eve is the main protagonist, we hear from other characters including the murderer. Although it's a disturbing voice, Deborah Masson has handled it carefully.

There's great detail in how Aberdeen is portrayed so if I did ever visit I'd be able to pick out some of the sights. I know little about the town apart from its oil industry so it was good to find out more about the place.

Overall, this is a great start to a new series. I can't wait to read more about DI Eve Hunter and her fellow officers.

This... is one of the most gruesome books I have ever read in my life. I was quite taken aback, but really, with that title, what else should I have expected? Either way, this dragged on more than I would have liked. There is potential for sure, but I could barely wait for it to end.

After an accident that caused significant injuries to DI Eve Hunter, she is forced to take a six-months break. Circumstances have required her to undergo treatment. During this period, she drowns herself in guilt and the determination to redeem herself. Eve gets her chance when she is finally allowed back to work, and is thrust into a bizarre murder case. A woman has been killed and mutilated. Pinned to her clothes is a newspaper cutting with a blazing headline that is connected to the victim herself. With little to no clues, we find the detectives at a loss. A woman is found dead every week. Surely they'll be able to capture him before the next one dies?

The author dove straight into the case. Straight-forward. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but my first impression of it wasn't good. It felt too technical, going very much in detail about police work; a tad boring, even if the crime scene is very interesting. I thought at first this was going to be a mystery book with not much development to its characters, but then it proved me wrong. I began to appreciate Masson's style, enjoying as I learnt more about Eve and her other subordinates. I could understand Eve's remorse and the frustration towards those who remained nasty towards her because of the accident. There was a significant number of pages used to describe it all, but to say that it dampened the story would be untrue.

What did dampen the story was the series of events that led up to how the murderer was found out. It's a seriously loooong chain of events, I tell you. They couldn't find a clue about who it is even after the fifth victim. Like Cooper constantly mentioned in the book, they always return to where they started. They are frustrated — so am I as a reader. And this isn't a short book. How is it that every single scene didn't leave a clue that is easy to track? It dragged too long.

But as a mystery novel, it definitely did its job with all the twists (even though some parts are pretty predictable, with foreshadowing and stuff) and creepy vibes. It's written in multiple POVs in the second-person, the murderer's included. Recommended to all mystery fans who don't mind much of a slow read!

Now this really is a chilling psychological thriller! A police led drama with many twists and turns that keep the police as well as the reader guessing right up until the absolutely sickening final confession of the killer. If you like gory murder mysteries you are going to love Hold Your Tongue.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ecopy of this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK - Transworld Publishers, for the ARC.

Well, DI Eve Hunter and her team in Aberdeen have entered our literary world spectacularly in Deborah Masson's debut novel. What a start to (I hope) a new detective series.

Eve has returned to work after 6 months recovering from a brutal attack inflicted on her and her partner Sanders. Eve's damaged leg has given her a limp and she needs painkillers. Sanders was most badly hurt in the attack and is now back home but wheelchair-bound due to paralysis from her broken back. Eve visits Sanders regularly, but they have little to say to each other.

With Eve attending weekly appointments with the Police Psychiatrist her boss DCI Jim Hastings has backed her return to duty, but she needs to prove she is up to the job. DCI Hastings assures her the attack was not her fault, but Eve is consumed with guilt about the circumstances that led up to it, and concerned how her team, including Sanders' replacement - Jo Mearns - will receive her return.
Her Sergeant, DS Mark Cooper, will always stand by her; DC Scott Ferguson can't bear to look her in the eye (but then, perhaps he's got something to feel guilty for about that attack?).

A couple of days back into work Eve attends a murder in a hotel room in the city. Melanie, a beautiful would-be model, has been gruesomely killed and a newspaper headline attached to her. The investigation begins, but a week later another woman's body is found with another headline attached, the two murders displaying alarming similarities.
Do they have a serial killer on the loose?

This book gives us intermittent rather chilling narratives from the point of view of the killer who is no nearer being caught despite several suspects being questioned and eliminated. What's the meaning behind the newspaper headlines and means of death?

Yes, I did find the first half of this book to be rather on the 'slow side' - lots of narrative describing Eve's guilt, her battling to get the cooperation of all members of the team and her need to prove she is still a good and competent detective. The story really picks up in the second-half as truths are revealed and respect for Eve is restored.

Now, I usually reduce my 'stars' if I feel a lot of 'slow-ness' is unnecessarily written-in to lengthen the content; however, on this occasion, I really felt, on finishing the book, that the first 'slow' half thoroughly represented how Eve herself felt - tentative, unsure and guilt-ridden; the second half picked up as her confidence grew and her demons were addressed. There's lots of red-herrings and a very major twist which I absolutely never saw coming!

I loved all the characters, their flaws and misconceptions as well as their loyalty and honesty.
Really looking forward to the next instalment.
Thoroughly recommended.

DI Eve Hunter has just returned to work following a serious injury from a criminal attack. She is wracked with guilt as her partner, Sanders was even more seriously injured in the same attack leaving her with total paralysis. Will Eve be able to regain the trust of her team or will they refuse to cooperate? Almost immediately she is thrust into a horrific case where a beautiful young woman is found mutilated and with e newspaper headline pinned to her.

This is a somewhat gruesome story of a very disturbed serial killer and how Di Hunter and her team eventually bring the cases to a conclusion. Hunter is an interesting character with demons of her own and I imagine this is the first in a series about her. A satisfying read all told. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was a gripping thriller and what I hope will be the start of a ‘DI Hunter’ series. It had lots of twists and turns and I certainly didn’t guess the ending. Some of it could have been a bit ‘sharper’ but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would definitely want to read more!

I enjoyed this but felt that the story was dragged out.
The writing and pace were good
The characters lacked some depth
An ok book

I thought this was a promising debut novel,with some interesting characters.I think the characters need to be fleshed out more and I assume they will be in future books, I am assuming that this is the start of a series, it should be.The murders were gory and who did what wasn't obvious.I did find the book overlong and think it would have benefited from being a bit sharper, but still a good start.Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

DI Eve Hunter has been recovering from a vicious attack and returning to work where her team don’t trust her and she has something to prove. When bodies start to turn up missing a vital part of their anatomy can her team get past their issues to work with her?
This was a great start to what I hope will be a new series. The characters were believable and tartan noir crime is getting better and better with books like these. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review:

Meet DI Eve Hunter from Aberdeen who is returning to her post after a horrific case that left her scared physically and mentally and her DC paralysed.

With everything to prove Eve is thrown into the deep end when on day three of her return a young woman's body is discovered when a week later another body is found it's clear to see a serial killer is at large.

If you want your debut novel to have an impact you could learn a lot from Deborah!!

This had me gripped throughout and kept me reading well into the early hours, great characters, lots of twists and turns, this book did not disappoint.

A brilliant debut novel can't wait for the next one.

Meet Eve Hunter, a detective in Aberdeen who has come through an appalling series of events. Vilified by her peers for the incident that left a suspect dead and her partner paralysed, Eve returns to work with plenty to prove. However, while some of her colleagues are supportive, others, including the replacement DC Mearns, are judgemental and unforgiving. Eve hits the ground running as the body of a woman is discovered, the precursor to a series of killings.

This book is really well written and takes the reader through the investigative processes as the team try to solve the murders before more victims are claimed. The characters interact really well, and this provides a good background to the investigation. The plot develops very naturally, and is well handled. The final denouement doesn't cheat by introducing a red herring at the last minute, but actually feels believable and is also very surprising. The novel is pacy and keeps the reader's attention.

I can't to read more of this series. Really good.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Corgi for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a debut book by this author and I think she has a long and bright future ahead if this book is anything to go by and I cannot wait to read the next one.

Hold your tongue is a brilliant debut and one that most authors dream of. It gripped me right from the start. I wanted to keep reading and wish I had saved it till holiday as I'm sure it would have been a read in one sitting book.

It had just the right amount of gore, detective investigation and then the POV from the killer. The crimes were in a way classy, well as classy as crime can be. The author didn't make you feel sick or expose too much blood and guts. Theh seemed on par with the novel, I think anymore and it would of been too much.

The writing style reminded me of Chris Carter who as we all know is my favourite author. The writting was short, snappy and to the point. Short chapters made it a just one more read, and this is exactly what I did. There are hints to a back story which at first makes you think you have missed a book but just stick with it an all will be explained.

I made my guess on who the killer was, I was wrong and didn't see it coming. So many twists and turns that you can't help but get drawn in and involved. Cannot wait for the next one already.

5 stars

Hold Your Tongue is incredible!
When I first started reading I wasn’t sure how I was going to review this title since it seemed a little slow but holy hell when the plot picks up you’re in for a treat!
Deborah Masson....I’m going to need a sequel! (Please)
5/5

Wow, what a page-turner! The book centres around Eve and her return to work to investigate a serial killer on the loose. Written at just the right pace to keep you interested and wanting to find out who the killer is. Deborah Mason's debut novel does not disappoint.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Hopefully this is the first in the series of DI Eve Hunter. A fast paced, unputtable down read. Would recommend.

This book is absolutely stunning. You feel like it is a bit slow in the beginning but it is setting the scene and introducing you to all of the characters. But then it gets going. A woman is found murdered. The plotting of this book, and the info it reveals at crucial moments is absolutely stunning. It never gives away just that little bit too much information and keeps you guessing. I love a book that answers all of your questions at the end, and this one certainly did not disappoint! Every single one answered. I cant wait to meet Eve and her team for another adventure!

With the synopsis offering the promise of a brutal detective based thriller I have to say I wasn’t disappointed! An immaculately executed fast paced thriller that had me gripped from start to finish! Would thoroughly recommend!

Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.