Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I keep getting tricked into requesting procedurals when I just want a thriller. The crime/police aspect is not my cup of tea. But the characters were amazingly developed

Great thriller which kept me turning the pages well into the night. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend to others!!

This book reminded me of something like line of duty. It was written well; the characters were great and I felt like they were really well developed and I felt like I knew them in real life. It wasn’t the most thrilling book I’ve read really, I’ve heard that others in the series are better, so maybe I will try those first and then re read this one. I love the main character sophie so feel like I’d like to know more about her. It did have the mystery I needed but could have been slightly less predictable. Still worth a read

Thank you Netgalley. Mr. Hambling writes wonderful police procedurals with well developed and interesting characters. I enjoyed this book in the Sophie Allen series very much and recommend it highly.

I really enjoyed this book all the way through. It had a really good plot, great main characters and really keeps you hooked on the plot. I would highly recommend this book.

Topical mystery full of a wide variety of characters. Took for ever to get going,didn't hold my interest.

Ruthless Crimes is the ninth book in the Sophie Allen series. As usual, I'm coming into the series at this book having not read the previous books.

A man hurrying to catch a train for work finds a body in one of the carriages. The authorities are called and the dead man identified. problem: he doesn't seem to exist. The team begins digging around. I was a bit confused, because while this is tagged with Sophie Allen as the presumed lead of the series, she doesn't show up until chapter four.

As they trace the dead man, with Allen talking to the higher-ups as it seems the dead man may have been an undercover operative, a woman in a secure facility in another jurisdiction is killed by someone acting as a nurse. As with the dead man, the dead woman seems to also be a ghost. The teams intersect and there is more talking with intelligence types, who think this was some kind of off the books operation dealing with immigrants landing in the country.

During all this, an overloaded boat of immigrants is making its way to shore, capsizing as it gets into the breaks at the shore. Several people die, including a couple of children. The rest are taken to the hospital.

The authorities continue to investigate. The head of the off the books op is apparently kidnapped, held for several days, and manages to escape. She can't think of any leaks, etc., via which anyone would know about the op or who is running it, and seems a tad sketchy.

More dead bodies show up - they seem to be part of the smuggling crew rather than random murders.

Eventually, it all comes to a head and the perps are caught.

I did not like this book at all. Not because of the content. That was fine, even with the author throwing his politics into things via long monologues by characters. There are more nuanced ways to do this that don't involve the book pausing so a character can preach a the reader. It simply was not captivating in a way a book should be: too much politicking, as noted, too much characters telling one another the story and telling each other things they already know, just so the reader will. There were also some odd moments where the cops didn't seem to be terribly smart: in one very striking instance, one of them wonders how criminals could have obtained falsified passports. Seriously? An officer offers to resign because a woman she had interviewed during the course of the investigation turns out to have been one of the bad guys. Not a happening thing. A house they've taped off for forensics is described as deserted, almost neglected, yet one officer has his service weapon out. Why, if the place is deserted and only other cops are present?

Speaking of -ly, I have never been one for the hard and fast rule of going through a manuscript and ejecting all adverbs. At the 80% point in this book, I was ready to embrace it fully. for this book, though, because by that time I was supremely annoyed by this book.

There was far too much telling versus showing in this book. Don't tell me "(Name) could see something was wrong as (Other Name) came toward him." How? Were they frowning? Brows furrowed? Walking briskly? Running? Scanning the surroundings for a threat? Just ending a phone call? Who knows? This happens A LOT. Like the deserted, almost neglected house above. A couple of paragraphs after that, the author does give some details as to how the place looks. Dump the tell-y "looked deserted" line and just go with the description, as that will show the reader the same thing, instead of telling the reader and then showing it.

The author gets points for diversity, and for having a mystery involving current events like immigration and systemic racism. I just think the story could have used another developmental editing pass.

Two and a half stars out of five, rounded down to two.

Thanks to Joffee Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

An enjoyable read although there are many characters with whom to come to grips. Various murders, apparently unconnected, come together as does a large range of police groups not to mention some rather dodgy politicians. People trafficking and asylum are at the heart of the story but they are nowhere the only aspect. Plenty of strands which come together rather abruptly at the end but a good read nonetheless. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

RUTHLESS CRIMES is part of a series but works great as a standalone novel. It's a fast paced, gripping and immersive read that really keeps the tension.

Book 9 of DCI Sophie Allen series. Once again DCI Allen and her team go after the person that has killed a man at the train station. Then another problem is a boat of refugees that has arrived but some of the passengers have been killed on the arrival when the boat overturns. Then a woman is killed in a safe house. How are all of them connected?
This is a great series that always keeps me coming back for more.

A fast paced and complex crime story from Michael Hambling set in Dorset and involving more than one police team investigating, including that of the Dorset Violent Crimes Unit led by Detective Sophie Allen. The body of a man is found on a train and a woman is killed in a refuge, but the police struggle to find information on the victims. In a story with multiple threads that eventually begin to connect, with leads that point to the home office, and people trafficking. This is a crime novel that I raced through, finding it tense and suspenseful, with characters that held my interest. An engaging and immersive experience, and a series that is likely to appeal to many crime fiction and mystery readers. Many thanks to Joffe Books.

I love Sophie Allen! What a great character and her story is so skilfully told. This book has many twists and turns but I was still satisfied at the end that the mystery had been solved - hate it when there are too many loose ends. This book reminded me of Robotham and Billingham at their best, which is no small compliment. I’m looking forward to more from this talented author.

This well thought out crime thriller starts with a man’s body is found on a train at Weymouth, Dorset followed by an audacious killing of a woman in a refuge. The Dorset Violent Crimes Unit led by Superintendent Sophie Allen, assisted by Hampshire Police, follow a trail that leads them to the Home Office, an under the radar security group and people trafficking.

I really enjoyed this well written and intricately plotted novel. It starts in such a way that you are immersed in the storytelling immediately. The pace is good and ramps up as it goes along. There is much to ponder here too, as it makes you reflect on the desperate, life threatening and risky lengths that people take if their homeland situation is terrible. This is very topical and it’s heartbreaking and we see this through the perspective and character of Iranian Kamal and his family. The police team in Weymouth is a good one although there are a lot of characters to get your head around and a lot of characters called Charmaine! I like how it raises issues of trust - who is the wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Overall, this is a good, enjoyable and thought provoking read.

With thanks to NetGalley and Joffre Books

This is the fifth book in the Sophie Allen series that I have read. Although this is the ninth book in the series it is a standalone story so you don’t need to have read the previous books to be able to enjoy this one.

The good thing about this series is that the books are fairly short (between 250 and 300 pages) but a lot of story is in those pages which means that the book is fast paced and a very quick read. The plot is never too dense so you don’t have to think too hard while reading this.

Also this series focuses on more of a team of police detectives rather than the standard one detective going it alone, which is interesting and makes for a good dynamic to read. All the characters are extremely likeable and there is good LGBT representation in this book with one of the detectives being transgender.

My only negative about this book is that there does seem to be a lot of characters in this book and it can be quite confusing at times to remember who is who (there is a glossary at the front to help but it does then take you out of the story). This also wasn’t helped by the fact that two of the main characters changed last name twice in the book which was also extremely confusing.

I definitely plan on continuing with this series and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police detective stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy this book to review.

A Most Disturbing Case....
Book nine in the Detective Sophie Allen series. A series of stabbings are just the start of a most disturbing case for the Detective. Exploring topical, heart wrenching and controversial themes, well written with a likeable protagonist and a solid supporting cast of characters. A worthy addition to the series.

Lots of little plots in the Dci Sophie Allen series and number 9 already. A man stabbed to death on a train,a woman murdered in a refuge and a boat full of immigrants has capsized on a deserted beach

Tasked with solving all these cases they are soon at a loss trying to gain background knowledge on their victims,why do they have no history,who really are they and who would want them dead ?

Another fantastic instalment

A man waiting for the doors to open for the early train finally gets in the car. When he gets to the seat in the back, he finds a dead man on the floor. Detectives from the Violent Crime Unit, Rae and Stu. Sophie Allen is the boss of the unit. They interview the few others in the station, and find that there was a couple with wheelie suitcases on the platform for about five minutes who were no longer there. They search the grounds of the station, and find there is a bike in the car park near where the stabbing must have taken place. The dead man had lived in a rather sparse apartment. He had kept to himself, and had no passport. Finding more about him or who owns the apartment is quite difficult.

Soon, a woman who has been placed in a hostel for abused women is found killed by someone dressed as a nurse who had come to dress her wounds. The police have trouble finding out about her as well.

Then there is a boat overloaded with refugees which tries to land on a Dorset beach and flips in the high waves. The parents of an Iranian family try to help rescue those who were still in the boat after they get their son Kamal and daughter Arshi almost to shore. Several of the refugees die, including the children's father. Their mother is badly injured. They are taken to a hospital. The police are anxious to find out who is running these trips for refugees. Kamal has taken many pictures with his camera, and he gives the camera to the police who befriend the children. Fortunately, they were coming to join relatives who help them.

Sophie's team soon realizes there is a connection of the first to deaths to migrants coming to England, and there may be a political connection to the criminal activity. Sophie and her team have a lot of work to figure everything out and catch culprits before they get away.

This is a very readable book with likeable police who you want to win. There is surprise and suspense. Now I can't wait to go back and read the first 8 books in the series.

‘Ruthless Crimes’ is the ninth book in the bestselling series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Allen. I haven’t quite caught up with all of the books in the series but I have read a few and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I read the synopsis for ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and it certainly sounded like a read and a half. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn into the story from the synopsis alone and starting to read the story just sealed the deal as it were. I found it nigh on impossible to put this book down for any length of time. There was that much going on in the story that I feared I might miss something if I put the book down. To say that reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would read way more than a couple of chapters. I was intrigued by the story and I had to keep reading to see how the story concluded. I soon got to the end of the book and I had to say farewell to DCI Sophie Allen and her team.
‘Ruthless Crimes’ is well written but then I have thought that to be true of all of the Sophie Allen books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. In Sophie, Michael has created a strong female lead character who is impossible to dislike. In fact I took to Sophie Allen so well that she began to feel like a friend. He grabs your attention from fairly early on and he entices you into the story. ‘Ruthless Crimes’ has a few different strands to the story but the strands tie up and feed into the main story. I thought that I might get confused with who is who and which bit of the story they fitted into, but I needn’t have worried because the different strands interlinked well and the story flowed seamlessly. This was one of those books that gripped me from start to finish and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Michael certainly knows how to keep the readers guessing. At times, reading this book felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Crimes’ and I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Michael’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I’ve read a few books from this series and they have all been very good. This book is no exception. It starts with the arrival of a boat on a deserted Dorset beach one dark night. The boat is filled, overloaded really, with asylum seekers. But as it struggles through the waves breaking on the shore the overloaded boat tips, spilling its human cargo into the water. Four out of the original 30 refugees drown. The boat skipper (people smuggler) jumps out at the first sign of trouble and disappears swiftly - the refugees are on their own!

Police swoop on the scene and try to organise some of the chaos. Meanwhile a couple of bodies have turned up dead in what police later discover are so-called safe houses. But who runs them, who were the residents hiding from? It’s all very hush hush as the spooks and the home office get involved. Detective Superintendent Sophie Allen and her team struggle to make any headway after after having doors figuratively slammed in their faces, but they persevere. What they uncover is a ruthless organisation mopping up its mistakes. There are many red herrings, dead ends and misdirection though. Can the police prevent more killings and can they catch the culprits?

I can’t say more about the plot without spoilers. What I can tell you is that is was a satisfying and meaty mystery that was a lot of fun to try and solve. It was quite intricately plotted and the characters were credible. I guess it also showed how easy it could be to exploit desperate refugees for profit without caring one iota for their welfare. Sadly this is all too common. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good, plausible police procedural or putting a jigsaw together, because that’s what this puzzle was like. Many thanks to Netgalley, Joffe Books and Michael Hambling for my copy. My opinions are my own.