Forgotten Victim is the fourth instalment in the Detective Chief Inspector Rachel King series, set in and around the city of Manchester. The prologue opens with friends 12-year-old Finn Kendal and 11-year-old Jack Handley tentatively exploring nineteenth-century Shawcross Mill in Ancoats, a crumbling, decaying building from a bygone era, when cotton was big business, which is said to be haunted. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Spider, as he's known locally, is coming their way with his cronies. It's well known that he uses the remote location for his drug dealing. As a violent and ruthless criminal, Finn and Jack decide the best course of action is to find a spot to hide. But they get caught. Luckily one of Spider’s associates persuades him to let them go and so they run pell-mell back into the mill but the rotten floorboards give way to reveal a bricked-up tunnel under the floor in which they discover the remnants of a body. DCI King and Welshman DS Elwyn Pryce are called to the scene where forensic expert Dr Judith Glover informs them the corpse is that of a man and that he appeared to have a gunshot wound to each knee and excruciatingly had been left there to die. It's also noteworthy that he was clutching a solid gold St Christopher pendant in his hand; could it have been ripped off the killer's neck in the struggle?

As they wait for more detailed forensics and post-mortem report, the pair visit the boys to gain further information and begin to interview those associated with the land, including Mathew Shawcross, whose family still currently own it. Who would have motive to kill and dump the body in that location or is the area the corpse was found merely a coincidence? This is a compulsive and absorbing crime caper and it held my attention easily from start to finish. I loved the team dynamic and we gain more backstory for the individual members, including Rachel and Elwyn, and I found it all added to the compelling nature of the story. In this episode, Rachel is 3 months pregnant with her ex Jed McAteer’s baby and has only entrusted Elwyn with the information, so it'll certainly be interesting to see how it plays out in future. It all gels and makes for an interesting read. One of the aspects I absolutely adore about these books is the fact that they are told in such a straightforward, linear and no-nonsense manner, which makes it impossible for you to not get sucked in and become effortlessly immersed in the excitement leading to a more enjoyable experience. With an addictive, atmospheric and well-crafted plotline, this is a pacy and suspenseful page-turner I highly recommend.

I’d like to thank Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Forgotten Victim’, the fourth in the Detective Rachel King series written by Helen H Durrant, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As two young boys explore Shawcross Mill they fall through rotting floorboards into the basement below and looking for a way out they come across the remains of a body. DCI Rachel King and DS Elwyn Price are called out to investigate and their new boss, Mark Kenton, gives them just a week to identify the body and solve the crime but Rachel is struggling as it becomes clear that those involved are keeping secrets and don’t want to tell her the truth.

I’ve enjoyed all of the books in the DCI Rachel King series as they’ve always been gripping with lots of action and excitement, but ‘Forgotten Victim’ seems to miss out and concentrates too much on Rachel’s pregnancy, her family and her on/off relationship with Jed McAteer. The closing of the case is rushed, and finding the vital bit of evidence to charge the killer to finalising the investigation is only mentioned when Rachel visits her team three months into maternity leave, the conclusion squeezed into a couple of lines in the epilogue. I’m disappointed but still look forward to reading the next thriller by this author.

Wow!! Fabulous read, bloody brilliant in fact. Really good book, I love this series and this didn’t disappoint. Had me engaged so far that I read it in one sitting. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Rachel in the next book. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, it totally deserves five stars.

Another great book by Helen continuing the life of detective Helen King who is pregnant again but keeping it secret from her colleagues, the only one in the know being DS Elwyn Price and they are investigating the death of a body discovered by two boys in the cotton mills in Manchester which closed in the past. From the first page to the last, it keeps one enthralled, and I look forward to her next book!

I really do enjoy catching up with Rachel, Jed and the rest as it is always an interesting adventure. There were lots of plot strands and I enjoyed finding how they would develop. Once I worked at the culprit I then wanted to work out why and how the strands fitted.

Always a good read - I also learn a bit about Manchester which I have never been to so I like learning new things.

I was provided with an advance copy bu netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest and fair review which I have done.

A great book. So many appealing characters, a solid mystery and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I really liked the detail of the various relationships across all aspects of the book - personal, professional and within the community which was the context of the investigation.

Another solid instalment in an established crime series with well developed characters (although Rachel's constant complaining about how hectic her home life is can get a bit monotonous; with her ex husband looking after the kids 8feel its overplayed at times).
For me the perpetrator and motive were obvious as soon as the character was introduced but still a worthwhile read.
Will this be the last book in this the series?

Secrets Abound....
The fourth in the Detective Rachel King series. When a decomposed body is discovered in a local cotton mill King, who is keeping her own secrets, is called in to investigate what is clearly no accident. Compelling read and a worthy addition to the series.

I’ve enjoyed all of the DCI Rachel King books so far. I always say that they get straight on with the action, and there are no wasted words on recapping the past books. It is one of the things I have enjoyed in the past about this series. However, this one simply wasn’t as good and had lost the perfect formula.
The crime itself was fascinating as always, but I felt like not enough of the time was devoted to this side of the story, and there was too much else going on. Rachel has her personal life with her kids and Alan (who appears to have had a complete personality change). There is her on-and-off-again relationship with Jed, and then there is another aspect added with her parent’s death from years ago. So much was being covered that it all felt rushed, and there wasn’t the time to really delve into any aspect enough for it to feel as if it were a fully-formed story.
Elwyn was being very annoying and kept repeating the same thing over and over. Rachel was trying to concentrate on the investigation, but he kept blathering on at her to sort her personal dramas out. It became monotonous. The storyline with her parent’s death felt tacked on; I’m not sure if it is a leading story for future books, but it just didn’t flow or make much sense.
The ending of the book was very rushed, and the investigation was wrapped up in record time and without much of a flourish. I was very disappointed.
This is the second Helen H. Durrant book I have read in the past couple of months, and I’m afraid her quality of writing has dropped somewhat. After the previous bad experience, I was sceptical about reading this one, but I thought I’d be safe with the Rachel King series once again as I’d enjoyed them in the past. However, I’ve decided not to read any more of this author’s books as I’m just not enjoying them anymore.

At Shawcross Mill Ancoats Manchester, DCI Rachel King and DS Elwyn Pryce, are investigating a body sealed up in a tunnel under the floor it looks to be a murder the victim has been shot in both legs and left to die, Finn Kendal and Jack Handley were fleeing from someone when the stumbled across him as they broke through the bricks he was also holding a St Christopher Necklace on a chunky chain.
The mill that use to be cotton over the years has had firms in units trying their luck to make money after a car repair service shut years ago its remained empty. Mathew Shawcross owns it and the terrace houses so he is the first one to be questioned.
Rachel is pregnant by her ex Jed McAteer but keeping it quiet Elwyn is the only one that knows and the decision alone is down to her.
Inside the victims coat a credit card is found belonging to Rita Pearce who runs the Spinners Arms pub but she lost it three years ago but is not saying nothing else.
This is one proper page turner to read, I loved all the turns and chills as you read, and it will leave with a massive twist, right up till the ending that will pull at your heartstrings.

I have read lots of this authors work this year after purchasing a complete series earlier on in the year and find the books well written and good characters and believable plots. This book is the 4th book in the Detective Rachel King series. I have read the previous three so was already very familiar with many of the characters that obviously helps when trying to get into a book.

This case revolves round a decomposed body that is discovered in the depths of a disused Manchester cotton mill. Detective Rachel King is asked to investigate and discovers that the victim had gunshot wounds to the knees proving this was no accident. Rachel is aided by DS Elwyn Price as they try to uncover the killer of what looks like it could be a gangland killing but Rachel is not convinced.

Rachel is three months pregnant and has told no one other than her trusted ally Elwyn. The father to be is Jed McAteer who's past is far from angelic and Rachel must soon make her news common knowledge. A good crime plot with a few twists and turns and plenty of back stories to make it another entertaining read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Joffe Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review