I struggled with this one. It is such a slow starter and then when you think it’s getting good it just blows straight past gripping to ridiculous and over the top. I was not a fan of the ending. However, the who/why was a surprise.

I also thought the chapters from Steven Grant made some parts too obvious. He had to be important otherwise we wouldn’t be reading from his POV. I struggled with the main characters as well and didn’t really care about either Dani or Jason which was a shame.

All in all it’s an okay crime thriller but definitely didn’t wow me.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

"He’s your attacker.

He’s a murderer.

He’s your twin."

Just with those lines I knew I would love that book! I wasn't wrong!

Well written, interesting, a really good start to Rob Sinclair's new series. I loved it from page one!

Hard to put down.

Beautiful cover as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first in the new Dani Stephens series. she has quite a back story with her twin brother being a murderer who also tried to kill her. Dani is just returning to work after spending 2 years recovering from a TBI. The TBI adds to her erratic character. The mystery interesting though it did wind up rather quickly at the end and honestly left some questions for me. I did suspect one of the murderers but he does try and lead you in a few different directions. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Imagine that your evil twin brother tried to kill you and it’s your first day back at work, still healing, and you are thrown right into a serial murder case which no one can solve and you have to analyze your twin to see into the mind of another killer. Yep, that’s what happens to Detective Dani Stephens. Seems the sibling crime happened in an earlier book (which I should read) but doesn’t interfere with the reading of this tight, well written police procedural set in gritty Birmingham. I wasn’t familiar with this author but checking out his biography on Goodreads he is very popular and prolific. I can see why judging by this book. I’m expecting book three in the series soon.

If you know me you know I love a good police detective book! Well if i’m honest I love a good detective series which is why my eyes were drawn to this book. Police detective, murder and the beginning of a series. Well yes please.
In this book we follow DI Dani Stephens, who has just returned back to work after a horrific attack which almost ended her life. On her first day back at the ‘office’ she is called to a murder scene and thrown back into it as she tries to get into the mind of the killer to find out who it is as there are not a lot of clues left behind.

I enjoyed not being able to tell who was good and who wasn’t. As it was the beginning of the series you really were just learning about the characters and seeing them develop and you really couldn’t trust anyone which kept me guessing! I even made myself a note stating, ‘I’m constantly thinking ‘oh you must be evil’ or ‘you don’t feel right” and this wasn’t just one character it was a whole host and I enjoyed the guessing.

It really is an enjoyable read and DI Dani Stephens is a fascinating character, I am looking forward to seeing the next book and how it develops as a series.
One thing that did confuse me though was the use of the last names to refer to the people in the book. It confused me but that might just be because I read it as an ebook so couldn’t flick back and forth easily!

The scene has definitely been set for the series and I am looking forward to seeing it unravel and how the books develop in general.

Welcome back, DI Dani Stephens!

It’s DI Dani Stephens first day back after the long rehabilitation she’d had to undergo after the severe head trauma injury she'd received when her twin brother tried to murder her. She was hoping that it would be a quiet day, one to get re-acquainted with colleagues and just settle in. Instead, she’s thrown in as SIO when a young girl is found murdered. The unknown victim was stabbed, and her wrists and ankles show that she had been restrained.

Dani has a new partner, DS Aaron Easton. He's new to the Birmingham Homicide team. In fact, Dani must come to terms with lots of changes within the team after her long absence.

What starts off as a single murder, soon develops into a full-blown hunt for a serial killer. However, Dani is the only person who thinks this, no one else accepts her point of view, even though numerous young women have disappeared. Has Dani fully recovered? Is she still capable of doing her job?

In my opening line, I say, "Welcome back DI Dani Stephens", the last time we encountered her, she was lying on the floor with her head bashed in thanks to the violent attack by her brother Ben, because she’d worked out that he was a serial killer. (Dark Fragments – a brilliant novel!).

This is a new series from Rob Sinclair which I’ll be avidly following. Dani Stephens is finally back on the Homicide team hunting down killers after a forced absence of two years rehabilitation from her traumatic head injury. The attack she suffered has left scars, not only physically but also psychologically. These scars make Dani vulnerable, but still as feisty and determined as ever to do her job, catching dangerous killers.

This is a very dark, twisted novel, with brilliant characters, but possibly the most outstanding part of the book is the research into a killer's mind that the author has added.

This is not just another novel featuring a woman detective, this is a storyline that makes you think. I had no idea who the killer was until the shocking end. Rob Sinclair has ensured that his readers will not get bored, there are excitement and drama throughout the book. I also found it fascinating that we get to know Dani thanks to the diary she kept while in rehabilitation and now, back on the job. It added a very personal dimension.


Thanks, Rob Sinclair – I remember thinking that Dark Fragments was one of your best books, but you've managed to surpass all expectations with this brilliant tale.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Dark, twisted and extremely shocking! Crime based thrillers have to be just right for me there’s so many average reads on the market but The Essence of Evil is not one of them!
Characters are realistic, storyline is brilliant and there’s a few shocks along the way that got my blood pumping.
A strong 4/5

Excellent psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! Well-developed characters and plot. Highly recommend!

Good start to a new series, strong plot surrounding a serial killer. I thought the main character took me a while to like. The only downside to the book was the ending which kind of let it down for me. However this would not stop me picking up the next book in this series.

We see the return of DCI Dani Stephens in this second book. She is struggling to get better after her brother tried to kill her in the previous novel and she suffers a TBI (traumatic brain injury). She returns to work and is immediately plunged into another murder case of a young woman stabbed in a front garden. When another woman is discovered to be missing, Dani has to interact with her brother Ben and with a university lecturer who subject is murderers. A thrilling story with lots of characters. I tried to guess who it was, to no avail. Too many twists and turns, but made a thrilling read.

The Essence of Evil is my first time reading Rob Sinclair’s work and yet I know it definitely won’t be my last. Carefully crafted with tension in spades, Sinclair has given us a complicated heroine to root for in DI Dani Stephens. Dani’s strength and intensity are clear within the first few chapters as are her flaws and insecurities. Alongside Dani’s present POV and diary entries, we are also introduced to Steven Grant, a criminology professor with a difficult past. What seems like a fairly straight forward scene and investigation to most has Dani seeing something more organized and sinister.

I can’t delve too much into what I loved about this exceptional book but I do love how Sinclair brought me to the point that I had no idea who I could trust out of every character, including Dani. My top highlight for this thriller was Dani Stephens and her struggle with adjusting to life with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). As frustrating as some of her outbursts could be, I was tied up in knots wishing that her recovery was easier. My only complaint is I wanted to see more of DI Easton.

Honestly, I loved this book. Dani is an easy protagonist to root for as the investigation heats up and her emotions struck me as authentic. The mystery was carefully plotted and kept me guessing for far longer than I expected and I was worried that I had lost my “sleuth sense.” Rob Sinclair is definitely one to watch and I hope we get to see more of Dani in the future. Maybe, a bit of DI Easton! Now I’m going to track down a copy of one of Sinclair’s other books.

**Reviews have been posted to B&N, Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Dream Come Review (blog)

An exciting start to DI Dani Stephens.
A lot of research by Rob Sinclair into serial killers which were delivered by University Lecturer Stephen Grant.
Lots of flashbacks building the story around Dani reading them you can't help but want Dani to survive and a few times reading about her Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) I found myself feeling lots of sympathy towards her.
All in all a great beginning and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Rob Sinclair is the author of the action thriller series James Ryker. Which I am a massive fan of. The author has turned is hand at writing a brand new series, where we meet DI Dani Stephens. Which made me feel nervous and excited at the same time. Thinking can Rob pull this out the bag?! The answer is hell yes…. he has totally nailed it.

Rob Sinclair just got a whole lot darker in this gripping and twisted read.

I love the fact that the story is set in Birmingham which is local to me and would not surprise me at all if this plot was to actually happen there. So I found it rather fitting to say the least.

After having time off work due to an attack DI Dani Stephen returns and quickly dives into a horrific case, where she finds herself having to get inside the mind of a killer, so turns to her twin brother to help….oh my days how exciting…..Did I mention he’s your attacker he’s a murder he’s your twin! OMG what a tag line.

So can you image having a twin who’s a murderer? No neither could I,until I read this book. This story is full of tension and suspense not forgetting the OMG moments, I read this in one sitting I couldn’t put it down.

I am always on the look out for that character who has that something different about them and with Dani’s past that is woven into the story she is a winner and so is this story. I loved her.

This is an excellent start to a new series and I cant wait to read what the author has in store for us next.

Thank you Tracy Fenton for the blog tour invite

This was a great mystery I thought. I had no idea who the killer was until the end. I kept thinking it was one person than another than another and then going back again. It takes almost the whole book to actually like Dani. She is such and angry, jerk of a person that it's hard to like her. How Jason wants to still be with her I have no idea. She is a brilliant detective though if you can get past her personality. As this is the first book in a new series I am interested to see where this series goes and how Dani develops more.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!!

The cover and blurb about this book IMMEDIATELY caught my eye... I mean.. "he's your twin".... ...

and it's true.. her twin brother murdered his first wife and disappeared.... then he tried to kill his second wife AND Dani - his twin sister. She suffered serious injuries from the attack.... but the strong woman fought her way right back into the job. It's found that Ben [ the murderer/twin ] has schizophrenia. He ends up in prison.. and Dani actually consults with him in regards to a new string of murders occurring...

This book is great.. it has great characters.... a fantastic and unique storyline.. and is just plain brilliant.

With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Essence of Evil is Rob Sinclair's first foray into the crime genre. The book will be the first in a series featuring DI Dani Stevens. Dani`s twin brother Ben had murdered his first wife and was never discovered. Years later he tried to kill Dani and his second wife. The attack left Dani with devastating brain injuries and was off work for two years. Ben was found to have schizophrenia but Dani thought he was just evil

On her first day back at work Dani was called to the murder of a young woman found stabbed in a front garden. It appeared that the woman had been held prisoner nearby and was murdered trying to escape.

Dani discovered that another woman of the same age had gone missing in the local area. In desperation she visited Ben in prison to see if could advise what the killer would do next.

Whilst investigating she visited infamous criminologist Professor Steven Grant. Years early a serial.killer had become obsessed with Stephen and kidnapped him from his own home. In the aftermath Stephen wrote a best selling book about serial killers. Dani thought it was the work of a serial killer but her superiors did not believe her.

When Dani believes someone has been in her flat, she is not sure if it's the killer or her own imagination.

I think The Essence of Evil was a brilliant introduction to Di Dani Stephens. The plot was gripping as she became more paranoid I feared for her sanity.

I liked her ex boyfriend DI Jason Barnes who seemed to have infinite patience, especially when Dani treated him so badly.

There were red herrings galore. I would guess the culprit and then something would happen to change my mind. However I was disappointed with the closing chapters in the warehouse. I thought it was ridiculous and more suited to a gory horror film.

I look forward to see what happens next for Dani.

This is my first experience with this author - and probably not my last! The tagline about a killer twin drew me in (will I ever get over Margo/Nora and their obsession with the Wakefield twins??). But the killer twin here provides the backstory to the main character, DI Dani Stephens. The book opens two years after her twin brother bashed her head in and left her for dead. But the book opens up on her first day back on the job for the West Midlands police on the scene of a grisly murder.

And though physically recovered, the real question is just how well Dani has mentally and emotionally bounced back. The book alternates between Dani's perspective and a local criminology professor who has his own baggage. The story moves along quickly and it's a fast and engaging read. Though I did enjoy this, I had a hard time connecting with Dani - but as she tends to isolate herself, this only reflects what a great job Sinclair has done in making her really come to life. I had fun reading this and the plot contains some genuinely unexpected surprises! I think that the ending is quite exciting - though not completely satisfying in some ways, but I am looking forward to seeing what comes next in the series!

It’s always interesting to see a new police procedural series set in a city outside of London. This is the first in a series set in and around Birmingham and local colour is something which sets this apart from the start. That and the fascinating twin premise and the fact DI Dani Stephens is the victim herself of a brutal attack from her twin brother which has left her with brain injuries.

A case comes up where an attack on one woman looks like it’s linked to a few missing women in the area. This is the main thread of the police procedural story but to me, the novel was more about DI Dani Stephens and her having to adapt to this brain injury in her every day life and work. This gives the novel a mysterious and unexpected edge as you and Dani never knows how she will react and adapt to events as they unfold. She’s an angry (not surprisingly) woman who is seeking answers in every part of her life.

This first book seems like it’s setting up the next ones in that there’s a lot of information and analysis of Dani and her injury and less police procedural. Having said that, it’s a good and unexpected mix and it’s a good solid start to I think is going to be a very unique set up.

I am a big fan of this author's other series which lean more towards Action than this type of crime. But Police procedurals are my bread and butter genre so...
So, we have all the elements that you would expect from a series book of this genre. A wounded main character, DI Dani Stephens, with a dubious past, still struggling in her present with the aftereffects. She suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) two years earlier at the hands of her own brother and has just returned to work. Obviously she still bears the scars of this, both physically and mentally and, aided by excerpts from her recovery diary, interspersed throughout the main story, we get to know this side of her very well. The crime being investigated does rather fall second place behind Dani's issues but that's more/less to be expected from a first in series where there is always a bit of setting-up to do. It's a fine line to keep this balanced but I felt that Dani did overshadow the crime a bit and, tbh, the crime is where it's at for me with this genre book. But, that said, the plaster has been ripped off now so hopefully future books will lean more towards Dani as a copper rather than Dani as a victim/survivor.
Pacing was good, other characters were just as well drawn as Dani and developed well during the book. Plot was tight but a tad underdone compared with Dani's story but it was well written and got on with itself nicely. This was ably assisted by the use of short, punchy chapters making the book extremely hard to put down.
All in all, a solid opener which has hopefully laid down all the foundations necessary for future books to be a bit more crime related. Looking forward to seeing what the author has in store for Dani's next outing. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of The Essence of Evil, the first novel to feature DI Dani Stephens of the Birmingham police.

Two years earlier Dani’s twin brother, Ben, tried to kill her and left her with a TBI (traumatic brain injury) from which she has slowly recovered. On her first day back she is called to investigate the stabbing death of an unidentified young woman. Dani believes there is more to the murder than a simple stabbing but she seems to be the only one.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Essence of Murder which is a tense read with a few twists and turns, especially in the final scenes. The novel is all about Dani, her investigation, her struggles with the TBI and her spiky relationships with others. At first it is a bit overwhelming as she’s really in your face. She is angry, rude and closed off but she is also unsure of herself, unable to control her moods or outbursts. The novel is also intercut with excerpts from her diary over the past few years detailing her struggles to recover. She is extremely well drawn and I came to love her as the novel progressed although I would like to see her in future novels with less emphasis on the TBI and more emphasis on her investigative prowess.

Obviously with all the attention on Dani the investigation is a little underdone. It is still well thought out and exciting in parts but it seems like a series of incidents rather than a steady accumulation of facts. It is, however, a good start to what I think will become a favourite series. Time will tell.

The Essence of Evil is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.