I was very much looking forward to reading this book as I love this type of crime/thriller. Love the title and the cover - very commercial and arresting. The premise is really good and I am sure this book will do very well. However for me it was overall a bit of a mess. Too many characters would be my number one gripe - so many in that when the eventual reveal happens I had to stop and think 'who' - for me that obviously spoilt the overall feel of the book. The actual plot I think is well executed with a great storyline but at times it did drag a little. Will no doubt do very well though as like I say I think its a commercial package.

My Review

This is without a doubt the best police procedural I have read in a long time.From page one the author hooked me in and I was gripped, there was no let up until the very last sentence. For a debut novel this was outstanding.

I find with some police procedural's that chapter one is always gripping and then the action dies off a bit and it goes a bit flat for a while but not with this book. We are launched into the story at the scene of a crime taking place twenty years ago and are swiftly led to the present day to meet DI Eve Hunter. She is in therapy and awaiting confirmation that she can go to back at the job she loves. A traumatic event has led to her being placed on long term sick leave. Eve just wants to get back to it but there are still a lot of scars that needs to be healed.

Eve’s story is hinted at from the word go but it’s not until the story progresses that we find out what led to her being off work. It is cleverly threaded together with hints and secret little nudges before the full picture is revealed. I loved the character of Eve, of course she is a strong DI but she shows lots of weaknesses which made her very enjoyable to learn about.

Eve, is thrust back to work and straight into a murder scene. A gruesome discovery of a young woman brutally slashed with her tongue removed. With a new colleague to contend with, DC Mearns, the road will be far from easy. Her colleagues blame her for the incident that led to her being off work and the new DC is wary of her and puts up her guard.

Eve’s colleague Sanders was injured terribly in the line of duty and the chapters where Eve visits her to try and lay the ghosts to rest are very emotional and touching. At times these sections brought tears to my eyes.

As the number of murders ramp up we are soon looking at a serial killer and with very few leads to go on this is pulling the team apart but when things start to spiral out of control, Eve is the first one to piece together the puzzle and sets out on a dangerous night to save the last victim.

The chapters that flick to our killer are dark and disturbing as we glimpse into his murky past and start to learn the tragic story behind why he does what he does.

The very best thing about the book was not once did I guess who the killer was. I went through the book mentally convicting each and every one that I came across so It was very satisfying to keep reading and find out the ending that the author had clearly and very sinisterly planned. I haven’t put too much detail in this post about the plot and story line as I really don’t want to spoil anyone's reading pleasure and discovery of this.

I really hope there is a follow up to this book as I would love to know just how the characters would deal with life going forward and deal with the next grizzly murder.

Thank you for my ARC

I will posting on my blog this review closer to the release date.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.
DI Eve Hunter returns to work after suffering serious injuries during the course of her work. Her colleague Sanders came off even worse ,with life-changing injuries. Many feel Hunter should not have returned and she has a major job on her hands to change their minds and gain their confidence and respect.
However, that’s not the only problem she has. Someone has decided that people must pay for telling lies and sets out to seek revenge. Hunter thinks she knows who is the culprit Is but a clever twist proves her wrong, with almost catastrophic consequences.
Look forward to reading more from this author as the DI Hunter series progresses.

Great book with twists and turns throughout. Relatable characters with interesting back stories that comes through well in the book. I hope they make it a series, would love to read another story.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Hold Your Tongue’ by Deborah Masson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The body of a young woman is found in the bathroom of a hotel after having been drugged, her face cut and tongue removed, and a newspaper article attached to her clothing. This is DI Eve Hunter’s first case after returning from sick leave following a brutal attack on herself and her partner DS Sanders. As the number of bodies increases Eve is again working with DS Mark Cooper and DC Scott Ferguson, and Sanders’ replacement DC Jo Mearns, to try to find the connection between the victims and the identity of the person responsible.

‘Hold Your Tongue’ is a gritty and very exciting police procedural thriller set in Aberdeen and if this is the first in a new series I can’t wait for number two. It’s been cleverly written, with drama, intrigue, twists and turns, and I was completely gripped from page one trying to guess the killer but unable to, with a climax that was shocking yet strangely satisfying. It’s an excellent novel, one of the best I’ve read, and shows what an amazingly talented writer Deborah Masson is.

I really enjoyed this book, Eve Hunter is back to work after a serious accident six months previously, in which she hurt her leg badly and her colleague was left paralysed.

On her first day back to work she has to investigate the death of young girl who is found in a hotel with her tongue cut out, this is only the start

Was a really good read, but not for the faint hearted as fairly graphic in parts.

I look forward to the next instalment

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.
First publication from Deborah Masson, featuring Eve Hunter and her team of detectives in Aberdeen where a mass murderer is on the loose.
Now I normally like this genre of book, but as a native of Aberdeen this book had even greater attraction for me.
Thought I'd seen through the plot around 2/3rds of the way through it but I was proved to be totally wrong.
Having read all the books by Stuart McBride featuring Logan MacRae and set in Aberdeen it is great to see that Mr McBride has some competition from Ms Masson.
Good strong characters, not all of them instantly likeable but they do grow on you.
Can't wait for the next installment

Hold Your Tongue is a fast paced, gritty thriller that you can really sink your teeth into. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m really impressed. From the first page I was kept enthralled and entertained as the plot gathered pace. Well written and highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and the author for the chance to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.
First publication from Deborah Masson, featuring Eve Hunter and her team of detectives in Aberdeen where a mass murderer is on the loose.
Now I normally like this genre of book, but as a native of Aberdeen this book had even greater attraction for me.
Thought I'd seen through the plot around 2/3rds of the way through it but I was proved to be totally wrong.
Having read all the books by Stuart McBride featuring Logan MacRae and set in Aberdeen it is great to see that Mr McBride has some competition from Ms Masson.
Good strong characters, not all of them instantly likeable but they do grow on you.
Can't wait for the next installment

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were really well written and the suspense was kept high throughout. I had not guessed who the killer was and the last couple of chapters were brilliant. Highly recommended.

A good start a new series, this gritty debut at times was gruesome with the murders being described effectively to give the reader the feel of being there. I even winced when a certain scene was played out in the page.
DI Eve is back at work after 6 months recovery due to a run in with a local bad family. The repercussions of the run in have not Just’s impacted her life they have totally changed the lives of some of Eve team. Feeling the pressure and the lack of support from some of her team, Eve is thrown straight back in with the need to prove she is a good DI, who can catch a killer.
The characters were well rounded, I felt I warmed to some and not to other, also at time I felt a little annoyed by the main character having so many issues with the now and her past.

Great read. Suspenseful and intelligent writing. Premise was good and some great little twists throughout. I’ll be looking forward to reading the next instalment. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review.

A gritty detective novel. Quite gruesome with the descriptions of the murders that come thick and fast. I found that the story did not hold my interest all the time and this is possibly due to the author trying too hard? The characters were well rounded but not necessarily likeable.

DI Eve Hunter has returned to work after a 6 month absence and straight away has a gruesome murder to investigate and as if that wasn’t enough to be going on with, it’s the start of a series of murders. The details of the incident that led to her absence is teased out over the course of the book and maybe I’m short on patience but I’d rather have known sooner. There are some horrendous scenes described here which if it had been on the tv I may well have looked away. I think it’s bold to have your debut novel labelled as first in a series but as well as being a good read in its own right this did a great job of setting up the characters ready for the books that will follow it.

#Hold Your tongue # Netgally
OMG 😲 I can not believe this is a debut novel at all. It is a addictive from the first page to the last. I am absolutely thrilled to say what such ingenious storyline this is I found it impossible to put down a fantastic and outstanding book by far. One of the best of not the best I have read this year. The twist and turns just keep coming and coming. No matter how tired my eye where becoming. I just had to keep reading. I will be defiantly keep my eye out for further book from this extremely talented author. I can not express enough how good this author is. I suggest really I do that anyone who !liked a good thriller to read this. Also the ones who do not normally read thrillers give this one a go you honestly will not be disappointed. Seriously. This is one book I encourage you to read. If you read only one book this year make it this one.

DI Eve Hunter has just returned back to work after a brutal attack on her and her partner Sanders which left Sanders paralysed and Eve with problems with her leg.
First day back on the job and she is thrown start into a horrific murder of a young woman who has had her tongue cut out and a newspaper clipping attached to her clothes.
The first of many murders.
Can DI Eve Hunter catch this serial killer before she loses everything.

Thank you to #netgalley #deborahmasson and the #publisher for sending me this ARC. I simply loved it. I can't rave enough about this book. If you love crime novels and #whodunnit that'll keep you guessing this is the book for you! Wonderfully layered and complex storyline and an excellent example of how to achieve a second narrative that works brilliantly. I loved the characters - their insecurities and flaws laid bare for us to relate to. I loved the depth and intricacy of the lead up to the killer, the hidden clues, the red herrings, the fact that right up to the last moment I thought I had it figured and I just didn't. This is an excellent first in what I'm sure is going to become a long and successful series for this author, I'll be first in line to get the next one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ through and through.

I was intrigued by the title, description and cover of Deborah Masson's debut novel and excited to be given the opportunity by NetGalley to read this ahead of its publication. I immediately thought I'd made a big mistake as this is quite violent and unnervingly descriptive from the very first page, making it quite uncomfortable reading in places. I'm not sure why it shocked me as the clue is very much in the title " Hold Your Tongue" referring to the serial killer removing his victims' tongues whilst they were still alive. Anyway I took a deep breath and carried on and am so glad I did as it turned out to be really rather good.

I really enjoyed the style of writing which is short, snappy and to the point. It's really easy reading with the fairly short chapters continually tempting you to just read one more, particularly as the story starts quickening to its explosive ending. The narrative is principally the voice of the lead investigative detective, DI Eve Hunter, but interspersed with the odd chapter or section by the killer and other members of Eve's team which kept things varied and grabbed attention.

Following the police investigation is definitely my favourite style of crime writing as it provides a fascinating insight into police work. I always feel like I am a member of the team examining the evidence, looking for clues and trying to solve the crime alongside the characters. The best thing by far about this novel, however, was my total inability to guess the identity of the killer, due almost entirely to the author's clever misdirection throughout.

What's more Deborah Masson has a unique gift for characterisation. The four main characters, the police officers, are all flawed but still relatable and on the whole likeable. And, it's these flaws which make for such a captivating dynamic between the characters as they resent, distrust, dislike, compete and grieve with each other whilst trying to work together as a united front. Again it's the author's talent and incredible writing that enables you to put yourself in every character's shoes, understanding why they are and act the way they do - even the mentally disturbed killer.

A nice touch was that the book didn't end with the big reveal, instead it continued briefly exploring the aftermath of the case. We saw how the four main characters were coping and working towards putting their past and strained relationships behind them in order to move on as a supportive close-knit team.

Not for the squeamish but I really recommend this - a great debut from an exciting new author. I would've given it five stars except for the gruesomeness of the tongue scenes.

This is a brilliant debut novel. It is gritty and dark and full of suspense. A bit too graphic in places but it still had me hooked the whole way through. I liked the characters and their back stories. Well developed characters made everything more believable.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Creepy and dark thjs story was an easy read but a little too graphic at parts but I enjoyed it. Well written and an easy read