This book will not let its readers go from page one to the end. It is a superbly crafted story with believable characters and an intriguing plot. Robin Lyons, formerly of London, now back in her native Birmingham as a DI is a complicated individual. She works for a senior officer who was once her lover; she has a teenage daughter in need of seeing more of her than her job allows; she is estranged from her parents and particularly from her singularly unattractive brother Luke. All of that adds to her effectiveness in her job giving her a strong compassion and understanding for the victims of crime. Here she is responsible for solving the murders of two young women. As the story unfolds, the reader is treated to further revelations that help to solve the murders. The scope of the book is unusual and it also includes important issues such as white supremacy and racism to give the book depth and social significance. I strongly recommend it.

An engrossing murder mystery, cleverly intertwined with details of DCI Robin Lyons personal family dramas.
Written with empathy, the plot is uncomplicated but with lots of interesting content reflecting modern day society. There is a surprise ending which I could never have anticipated and leaves me looking forward to the next installment.
Can be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading the previous book in the series to get the best experience and understanding of Robin and her family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for my digital copy.

DCI Robin Lyons is a strong character: she’s needed to be, as a single parent and a hard working police officer but one who made a very public mistake. She’s now back in her home town, working for her first love, Samir, who is happily married to someone else. She has everything to prove to her new bosses, and she’s handed a case that looks almost impossible to solve.

Although this is a stand alone read, I think I would have liked to have read the first book in the series before this one, but that really is my only criticism. This is a fast paced, action packed murder/ thriller. Robin is a flawed, dedicated, sensitive character, trying hard to bring up her daughter on her own, but also putting everything she’s got into doing the best job she can for the victims of senseless crimes. Her friends, family members and colleagues are all believable and realistic characters, all adding to the realism of the investigations and life going on around them. The story is very well plotted and written. Although I did guess a couple of bits, there were some nicely intriguing plot lines that came as a surprise. I look forward to see how Robin gets on with her life and next investigations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Phew. How intense! A spellbinding murder mystery with characters so real, you feel like you are there.

Lucie Whitehouse has the inimitable knack of holding you spellbound till the very end.

A young woman, brutally killed and unknown to records.

A young man, knifed to death in the street.

Robin is the dci in charge of the first murder, and with very little to go on, she has to try to make sense of the killings. At the same time, a racist group is seemingly driving the narrative. Are these linked, and will she find the killer before they strike again?

I would definitely suggest reading the first installment of this series before this one. I didn’t know it was a series and while I found it a great, quickly paced police procedural with a brilliant female lead. Robin Lyons is a brilliantly written character, a strong woman working hard and dealing with the complexities of a difficult family and a teenage daughter who is just as clever and strong willed.

‘Risk of Harm’, Lucie Whitehouse’s second story in her DCI Robin Lyons series is both tense and topical. Already known for making Robin’s life as difficult as possible, her brother, Luke, ups the anti in this novel, even though he owes Robin a good deal, one way and another. Not only does Robin have a trying sibling to contend with; she also has a messy personal life, a beloved teenage daughter who is both tough and vulnerable, and aging parents who do not always agree with the way in which Robin is living.
That’s before we are taken into the complex and distressing cases that DCI Lyons has been tasked with solving. Two teenage girls, brutally murdered. Who are they? What are the links? What are the motives? Who could be so callous? Whilst Robin and her team struggle to find answers to these questions, Birmingham’s toxic far-right instigator of racist bile, Ben Tyrell, posts negative messages, questioning police competence, and stirs up his aggressive followers. Robin is at breaking point: how can she possibly focus on her work and cope with her increasingly difficult personal life?
This is a welcome addition to Whitehouse’s exploration of Robin Lyons. It can be read as a standalone but a good deal more is gained from reading ‘Critical Incidents’ first. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I found this a smartly paced traditional detective story. I hadn’t realised that it was a sequel and I felt that it was a handicap, that I had not read this. There are many references to the previous story which continue throughout and this was particularly difficult when getting into the book in the first few chapters.
As the story unfolds it becomes more complex. The tension develops and the crime is solved gradually as the facts are revealed due to the determination of the main character, including her conflicts over job versus family. I found her management of these conflicts surprising at times.
Racial issues are tackled along with solving the crime, although the sudden escalation of the white supremacists was unexpected.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

Standalone or following on whichever it is this is a great read and I loved it from the first page till the last, the only complaint there wasn't another to pick up and read about DCI Robin Lyons and Co.

Knife crime is on the rise and Birmingham is no different to any other city in the UK. 3 murdered in close Succession is no shock or 2 in 1 night. Robin gets one of the 2, a girl late teens early twenties (18...) who can't be identified and another similar one soon follows but they know who she is which is a help. There are plenty of complications a teenager to look after 15 year old Lennie , a troubled family her brother Luke and her parents. But at work her boss Samir also her ex from many years ago before they were coppers have to cope with many other tasks as well as solve 1 murder or more. The press their media obsessed not pleasant boss and sexist I feel its safe to say. Plus a rather right leaning blogger.

The other murder on that 1st night was an Asian man or rather of Asian origin and its solved very quickly much to the Discussed the far right local action group who along with the press make hay. They have some interesting and troubling followers for our team certainly.

Not only is Robin trying to find the murder they have a tough time trying to discover who her victim is, it takes a special skill bit of luck to succeed in this job skill Robin has It's fair to say. It's also fair to say Robin's life is complicated and that's part of what I love about this mystery thriller it's more akin to reality but still let's me escape from real life at the same time. Confusing but don't we all have that to a degree or 2? Robin seems settled in many ways back to the Brummie life since been at the Met the previous 20 years and her daughter and parents are loving getting to know each other so it's not all hassle but it's certainly fun or is the word interesting a better one. 😊.
So the story is fascinating the characters interesting some great others not a few irritating we all need something or one to boo at. 🤔 but altogether this is a very well deserved 5 stars in my view and desperate for the next installment which I really hope there is, or anything written by Lucie Whitehouse.

Risk of Harm is a gripping police procedural with cracking characters and a good plot. Robin Lyons has returned to work in the police service in her home town of Birmingham. Her high school sweetheart, Samir is now her boss. A body is found in a derelict warehouse but with no identity it's going to be hard to solve the case. Robin is put in charge of this and two days later, another girl's body is found. Robin comes under attack from the press and things soon heat up for her.

I'd love to see this as a TV series. Robin is a really sympathetic character and the dynamics of her family would make excellent TV. It's very up to date with the loathsome far right making an appearance. I thought all in all it was an excellent read. I'm off now to see if I can get hold of the others in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for the ARC.

Birmingham. DCI Robin Lyons' home town.

A young woman's body lies in a derelict warehouse. How did she get there? And who is she?

That's not the only problem Robin has. There are other deaths which need solving.

And then there's the problem of her family....

The best yet in this series

It was satisfying to read another book in the Robin Lyons series and it was a well plotted crime thriller with plenty of background story on the main characters to keep my interest in them. The interweaving of the past and present, the family issues and divided loyalties all added depth to the storyline.