Book four in the Detective Catherine Bishop series starts off at a slow pace. The plot was a bit difficult to follow at times but the book was well written with plenty twists and a few suspects. I would recommend reading the other books in the series for background detail but this can be read as a stand alone. A good crime thriller. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

DS Catherine Bishop is returning to work after a (presumably) harrowing and traumatic incident in a previous book. This is book four in the series, but it stands well on its own as a standalone if you're coming in somewhere in the middle (or current end) of the series, as I have.

Bishop has returned, and is immediately thrown back into the field. There's an arsonist roaming around, randomly setting things on fire, and Bishop is sent out with another detective to stake out a business.

In the midst of their arson problem, the police are presented with another issue: two people, a man and a woman, killed in their flat. Murder-suicide? Possibly, since the couple argued often, according to the nosy neighbors, but the clues don't point to that, as the woman has been shot and the man has died of brute force trauma to the head.

We have the usual tropes that show up: the previously mentioned nosy neighbors, the pissed off family members of the dead woman who wanted to get her away from this abusive partner of hers, interveiwees possibly hiding something, and so on. However, they are not intrusive, and are more along the lines of what readers expect in the genre.

Adding to the problems DS Bishop and her colleagues is yet another arson, this time with someone crisped by the fire - but with a twist I won't mention.

There's a secondary story about Bishop and her relationship with Isla, a woman on a specialized department who may or may not be heading to London to go with her superior officer in a promotion of sorts. There are times when the remarks by some of her colleagues are annoying, but overall, the feelings Bishop has about a new and long distance relationship come through as authentic.

There are twists and turns galore, tons of suspects and people to question, and perps that can be guessed, but there's a situation with the secondary perp at the end that is a hold your breath and then breathe a sigh of relief that's well done.

Overall, I can rate this book in this way: after I finished it, I went and bought the first three in the series, so I can catch up. I don't do this often, as first novels introducing characters have to carry a lot of baggage to get the series underway.

A solid four stars out of five.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the review copy.

Police thriller with plenty of action. Dogged detective work unravels all the twists. Good characters,enjoyable read.

A solid four star read. Good premise. Great characters. Enjoyed t writing style. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. It even had a twist that I didn’t see coming. Definitely look forward to her next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Wow this was a great book, I really enjoyed it. A complex plot full of twists and turns keep me engaged and entertained. I really got into this book and had a hard time putting it down. It’s my first by Lisa Hartley and it won’t be the last! A great book which I highly recommend and do t hesitate to give it 5 stars. Bloody brilliant!

Intense reading from the very first chapter! The newest release by Lisa Hatley is a must read. Catherine Bishop is struggling to come to terms with trauma she endured on her last case. Returning from a medical sabbatical she is thrown into a diabolical case, that just might beak her. This book had me so invested in it, I was devouring it, as much as I was reading it.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley
#homefiresburn

A really great crime story with some nice twists along the way which you don't always see coming and then a surprise finale!

Another brilliant offering by a very talented author. There was twists and turns galore, and the book was thrilling until the end. Recommended.
TB

Brilliantly scripted, intriguing storyline, lots of twists and turns kept this reader well and truly hooked and puzzled. Totally didn’t have a clue who committed these crimes and was totally surprised at the end. Congratulations to Lisa Hartley and look forward to reading more from this author.

A highly (and sometimes overly) detailed police procedural involving 3 bodies, an arsonist and an incredibly complicated web of lies.
While I enjoyed the banter between the team I found this book to be just OK overall.

I never repeat the blurb; I cut to the chase. Not read any of this series before but, unlike some other series, it didn't make too much difference. Likeable main characters and a plot which, mostly, kept you guessing to the end. If I get a chance, I'll go back and read more.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

DS Catherine is still recovering from her last case when she returns to work she thrown into a murder case and arson case that maybe related.

As she and her team investigate the cases it becomes more then they realize and they are determined to solve it before more victims comes to light.

This was well written it did took me awhile to get into it but it became enjoyable as you follow along.

289 pages

4 stars

DS Catherine Bishop is still trying to recover from her last case when she rejoins the police department only to be assigned to a murder case and a particularly horrible arson spree.

A man and a woman are dead in a home where the neighbors hear their two young children crying. The bodies are then discovered. Murder/suicide? Intruder murder? What happened here? No sooner than they begin to view the bodies and she and the rest of her team are called to another arson fire.

The cases turn out to be particularly trying and complex. Perseverance and determination see the team through, however, in solving the cases. But not before some terrifying incidences occur.

This book is well written as are all of Ms. Hartley's novels. The plotting was a little difficult to follow at times, but careful reading does the trick. I enjoy this author's books and will continue to read her works.

I want to thank NetGalley and Canelo for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.