** spoiler alert ** Well the author really doesn't like Dani no matter what he says cause why would he do that to her even more if he did. I have no idea how to take Ben, is he remorseful or is he really a psychopath? I understand completely why Dani wants to know the motive to the killings. Though as most say you really can't understand the why only the killer can. This book is left on a cliffhanger for Dani not the case. I hope there is another book as I want to know what happened to Jason and who the woman is. This is a great thriller/mystery and once I hit half way I couldn't put the book down.


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

Dani Stephens is still coping with a traumatic brain injury—the consequence of her serial killer brother’s attack. Her personality changed in the aftermath, leaving her prone to mood swings and impatience but she is slowly improving and her concentration is better. That is until her brother intrudes in her present case.

Sophie Blackwood is waitressing at wealthy couple Henry and Caroline Redfearne’s notorious annual summer ball. The salary was worth the hassle though and Sophie had her own way of dealing with it. The Redfearne’s son, Oliver, rescued her from one encounter and they walked to a beauty spot in the grounds of the estate. The following morning Dani was called in when Oliver was found brutally murdered and Sophie missing. A earring and a blood trail were found at the scene. Then a second brutal murder took place.

Ben, Dani’s twin, wants her to visit him in prison. Although extremely reluctant to do so, Dani has to investigate his claims that he has knowledge about the murders. Ben is desperate for some contact with his ex wife, who he also attacked, and their children and offers information in return for Dani’s help in securing visits.

The Rules of Murder is told from the perspectives of Dani, with intermittent short chapters from the killer, who is identified quite quickly. I wasn’t totally convinced by these segments, I’m not sure why and, of course, I have no idea how someone with obvious psychotic issues would plan and carry out murders. Talking of the murders, there are some really gruesome scenes in the book which were a bit too much for me.

Apart from that, I enjoyed the thriller aspect of the story very much, the race against time as the team try to catch the elusive perpetrator as well as find the still missing Sophie—they don’t know whether she is alive or dead. The psychological thread, as Ben tries to manipulate Dani into giving him what he wants in return for information adds another layer. Dani’s relationship with Ben can’t be anything but complex and she still has no knowledge about why Ben snapped and did what he did. Ben refuses to talk about it, frustrating her further.

It’s a very fast moving, action packed plot, well written with characters that are becoming more developed. Dani and her ex policeman boyfriend, Jason, are in a stable relationship, giving glimpses into her personal life. Jason has always supported her, and even when Dani did everything to push him away he didn’t give up. Dani is a sympathetic character fighting to get her life back on track.

Not all the threads are tied up, leaving scope for the next book.

Second book in the DI Dani Stevens series. And what a cracking read it is too. The horrific murder of a young man and the disappearance of a young woman is the beginning of the murder investigation. Once again Dani's twin brother, who is currently in prison for murder and also attempting to murder Dani , claims he has information but at a cost. As more murders occur , can Ben give them answers. As the investigation is trying to find any link to the subsequent murders Dani and her colleague DS Easton are certain that the murdered young mans's parents are holding something back . This fast paced crime thriller is a breathtaking read.

This is the second installment in the DI Dani Stephens series. I was certainly not disappointed! This book had me gripped from the beginning. It's action packed, full of suspense and a total page turner. I can't wait for book three!

This book incorporates many different issues, mainly murder, but it is so darn interesting you have to keep reading, The book is titled as a mystery and a horror novel with some dirty language. . So, if very expletive murders and scary books with bloody scenes entice this is one you should read. I have not read the first book of this thriller but based on this book the first one must be incredibly exciting.
This book starts with Oliver Redfearne (his parents are hosting the annual charity ball ) and his companion, Sophia Blackwood, Sophia is presumed to be helping with the ball but she slips away with Oliver. Later people in the ball started looking for Oliver and Sophia. Unfortunately, Oliver is found brutally murdered and Sophia missing. Oliver’s parents call the local police explaining that Oliver has been murdered and maybe Sophia is the one who murdered him since no one can find her either.
Although she is injured, Di Danie Stephens is called in to lead the other officers in this case. Danie is a strong person but she also has just returned from medical leave so she is not thrilled to be in charge of this issue and where is Sophia did she really murder Oliver? If so, why did she murder Oliver?
Who killed Oliver and where is his companion?

DI Dani Stephens Book 2

A young man was brutally murdered in the grounds of his parents home. There had been a party the previous night but a young woman is also missing. DI Dani Stephens and her team have been called in to investigate. But this is just the start as another murder has taken place.

We find out who the killer is early on in the story, but he always seems to evade capture. We learn more of Dani's backstory and her relationship with her twin brother. The race is on for Dani and her partner DS Aaron Easton to find the link connecting another similar murder that took place outside their jurisdiction. They also need to find Sophie before anything sinister happens to her. The pace is fast and the plotline is believable. The conclusion is satisfactory. This is a food police procedural series.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Canelo and the author Rob Sinclair for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first DI Dani Stephens book to the point where I was watching Sinclair’s social media waiting for the cover reveal . It should be no surprise then, that I was absolutely thrilled when offered the chance to read and review Sinclair’s latest book The Rules of Murder (thank you Canelo)! Book one really focused on Dani, her recovery and return to the force. Changing the play in this book, Sinclair launches readers straight into a grisly murder. While the POV stays primarily with Dani and the investigation, every once in a while readers peek into the killer’s mind and it never failed to disturb me. Sinclair manages to make each of the voices completely different and authentic. Ben, Dani’s brother, played a smaller role in book one but there was no mistaking his role in book two.

The mystery surrounding the murder was gripping. I even found myself gasping out loud at a particularly surprising part, startling my husband and toddler, and found myself unable to put the book down. As Dani races to catch a killer, readers feel that sense of urgency and desperation pouring out of the book.

Sinclair wrote a charmingly flawed, strong heroine that continues to push past obstacles. I’m completely invested in Dani’s story and am itching to pick up book three to find out what is going to happen with the Ben and Dani arc. Highly recommended!

**Reviews have been posted to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookbub, Dream Come Review (Blog), and Goodreads

Absolutely brilliant book!
Loved the research obviously done by Rob, fascinating insight into criminal psychology, great work.

I liked Dani Stephens in the last book, Essence of Evil and in this one, she has just grown as a Detective, her intuitive actions are spot on and her grit and determination are second to none. I am intrigued by her relationship with her brother and I look forward to seeing where this goes next.

A standalone book, but it has the beginnings of a series that I am wanting more of.

Thanks to NetGalley, Canelo and Rob Sinclair for his brilliant writing.

This is a solid thriller from a talented and experienced author. There's violence, but it serves it's purpose in the plot, with has good pacing and twists. The DI is of course flawed, but that helps keeps thing interesting. The ending is pretty satisfying, and helps create anticipation for the next book. Recommended for thriller fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

An absolute page turner! Finished this book in two sittings, from start to finish I was absolutely engrossed!! Praying there is a sequel

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

A really enjoyable psychological thriller! Some gory scenes so not for the faint hearted but so right up my alley.

"I'm soon left with a lump of flesh and gristle and blood in my mouth"

The body of a rich kid is found the day after a raunchy party at his parents mansion. He was brutally murdered. What happened to him and also to the waitress he was last seen with? Is she the killer or has she been kidnapped?
DI Dani Stephens is called in to investigate.
Another body is found and there seem to be similarities between the 2 murders. Soon they have a suspect identified but what is the link and will there be more killings?
What does Dani's brother know who is in jail for trying to kill her? Will the fact that's she's been a victim of a serious crime help her to solve this murder before it's too late.

I loved the cliffhanger ending! Dont know how I will be able to wait for the next book to see if my suspicions are right!

Very well written with good action and some good insight into the mind of an deranged killer.

Thank you to #netgalley and #canelo for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder most foul.

It started out as the annual Summer party for all the rich and famous friends of the Redfearne family. It ends up as a crime scene when the body of the Oscar Redfearne is discovered. A further search reveals that one of the young waitresses, Sophie has been kidnapped.

DI Dani Stephens and her partner DS Aaron Easton must try to unravel how this murder could be linked to another similar murder that has taken place outside their jurisdiction. They are going to have to work fast to not only stop the killer but also to try to save Sophie if she’s still alive.

Rob Sinclair has captured something that few authors manage, the soul of his protagonist. In this second book in the series, we start to understand Dani, warts and all. Her complex relationship with her demented brother and trying to establish a “normal relationship with her partner Jason, now retired from the police. Dani must still try every day, to come to terms with her damaged persona. It’s a fascinating read and if you are at all interested in how minds’ work then this series is the one to follow as we see Dani and her remarkable team unravel the intricacies of murderers’ minds while trying to keep their own lives as “normal” as possible.

I have a question; do any of us who read crime novels ever stop to think what police investigating shocking murders must see and feel? Dani Stephens has made me look at the dedicated officers who have to deal with horrific crimes with far more sympathy and understanding.

Rony

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

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

This is the second book in the DI Dani Stephens series. It had a great start and I was drawn into the story immediately. I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and thrilling. A young man is horrifically murdered in the grounds of his parents house following a party the previous night, and a young lady is missing. DI Stephens and her team investigate this, and the murders that follow, trying to find a link between them. The book has mostly likeable characters who work well together as a team to solve these murders. It touches on Dani’s difficult relationship with her twin brother and their past history, and has glimpses into her personal life. You find out who the killer is, and that he is always two steps ahead of the police. The book raced to a conclusion, with all loose ends tied up except one. I thought the book was compelling read which I had difficulty putting down as I wanted to know what happened next. I read it in just over a day and now look forward to the next book. 5 stars

Wow!! What a read! The book launches with an intense hook and never lets up until the last page. I finished this book in one day, it was that interesting an intriguing. Rob Sinclair is at the top of my go Author list.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley
#therulesofmurder

Really good story. This is a well thought out riveting read. I read this book in one sitting. I was gripped the whole way through. I liked the characters and thought that the whole story was very well written.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Wow, what a ride from start to finish, this is the second book in the series with DI Dani Stevens, this can be read as a stand-alone novel, I haven’t read the first one but now have it to read as I need to know the back story from book one, what led to Dani getting a serious head injury and Jason to quit the force. There are a great team of characters in this book Dani’s partner DS Aaron Easton, I liked D.C. Constable, the name reminding me of the character Captain Captain in the novel catch 22. This team works well together, and boy are they very busy in this book.

Who killed Oscar Redfearne and took 18 Year old Sophie Blackwood, from Drifford House the Redfearne’s home, on the night they were having a party, was there more going on at this party than anyone is letting on. But when Oscar is found butchered in the garden and no sign of Sophie, it’s up to Dani and Easton to work out who is behind this killing. In the meantime Dani gets a call from her twin brother Ben’s lawyer asking her to come to the prison, but when Dani gets there she is surprised to find the meeting is just between her and Ben, this angers Dani, after all her brother had tried to kill her, his children and partner. Now he wants to make a deal claiming he knows who could have murdered Oscar, and he can help her stop more murders if she will help him with his deal, which is for Gemma to bring his children in to see him. Dani makes it clear that will not be happening. But Ben is pushing it.

This novel is not for the faint hearted, as plenty more deaths follow, but what do all these people have in common, or who?. This is a fast paced, gritty, engaging, engrossing read. I was hooked. If you like your crime stories, police procedurals on the more gory side then this read is for you. It’s not a cozy murder mystery. I love the relationship between Dani and Jason, and the working partnership with Dani and Easton, although at one stage I was in tears during this story.

I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3 now, a great read by #Rob Sinclair I would like to thank #netgalley and #CaneloHera for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This is the second book in the DI Dani Stephens series and after reading the first last year I knew I wanted to read this one as well. The thing that gripped me in book one continued in book two. Dani is a badass female who fights crime, what more do you need!
This book starts off with a bang, a murder and disappearance... Dani then get a call from her twin brother from prison letting her know that he has information about the incident, but will give it to her on his terms. What should Dani do?

This book is attack packed, creepy and filled with the best kind of tension! Bring on book 3!

suffering side effects from a brain injury suffered at his hands.

In Rules of Murder, it kicks off straight away with the murder of the only son of a very wealthy couple (Caroline & Henry Redfearne) who were holding their annual party at their house, anybody that is anybody attends the event as if Dani’s job isn’t hard enough as it is, she has to contend with questioning people who believe they are beyond questioning!!

A fast paced gripping thriller with the murder scenes leaving you little in your stomach from the gruesome descriptions, word to the wise, not for the faint hearted but this will have you on the edge of your seat, plenty of twists so try to keep up. Told from two POVs, that of the killer and then of course our main character DI Dani Stephens who we know has demons/issues of her own.

Highly recommend this series and looking forward to the next instalment…..

I love Rob Sinclair's work, however diverse the subject matter and this one is certainly a return to form in this genre.
Gotta love Dani who, despite being knocked several times throughout the book, always gets her man.
Great police procedural thriller, up there with the best of them.
Loved it and will look out for more.

The story started with a good premise, the investigation also proceeded on correct lines, but suddenly the author gave away the perpetrator about 50% through. Then what followed was only more predictable killings and the police always two steps behind, making it a tedious read. The DI character has been portrayed as weak and insecure always under influence of pills. How she was cleared for active duty is questionable. The story could have been tighter with a few alterations and a bit of shortening in the final third.