Set in Leeds and the surrounding area, this is a gritty noir style police procedural with an originally crafted detective. Joe Romano believes in justice for all, and for him, that includes criminals that are murdered. Seen from the point of view of the murderer, this story is disturbing and gritty, but it gives the reader insight, into the antagonist's motivations, from the onset. The story then follows Joe's viewpoint as he investigations a missing person case turned to murder, in a hostile ethos.

This is a twenty-first-century police investigation exploring political extremism and vigilante justice. Trial by social media is also an issue. It has an engaging pace and plot that keeps the reader turning the pages.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Right to Kill is the first instalment in the brand new Detective Sergeant Joe Romano series set in Wortley, Leeds and against the backdrop of Brexit Britain “where racism and drugs are rife and the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen”. English-Sicilian DS, Joe Romano is trying to get his life and work back on track after a misguided stint at Interpol, which caused his career to take a nosedive. Now back in his hometown of Leeds, he’s working dead-end cases, like the disappearance of a local drug dealer. It’s a case on which nobody but Romano wants to waste much time – until the dealer turns up dead. Romano is partnered with the straight-talking DS Rita Scannon-Akhtar, and the pair delve into the murky world of right-wing activists and drug dealer rivalries, while social media begins to mount in favour of a killer seen to be cleaning up the streets.

This is a riveting and original police procedural with complex plotting and an ingenious concept behind the murder. It's an absorbing albeit chilling piece of writing in which the pace steadily rises and is filled with twists and misdirection. It’s always a pleasure to read a book set in your neck of the woods and John’s realistic and gritty portrayal of Leeds is a timely breath of fresh air. Right to Kill is a heart-stopping thriller with a good dose of Yorkshire wit, but it also scratches beneath the surface to expose the realities of our fractured Northern communities. I was gripped from the start by this tightly plotted vigilante novel and how addictive it was, and I can't help but feel that this is a series to watch. An absorbing, immersive and thoroughly entertaining thriller which even features some trademark northern banter. Highly recommended.

Right to Kill is an intense, intelligent, and totally absorbing British police procedural - one of the very best I’ve read in a long while.

From the first pages of this book we are dropped into a situation that quickly unleashes a horrifying and deeply chilling homicide, told from the POV of the murderer, and we, along with the detectives on the case, begin the crazy race to identify the killer before another crime can be committed. And the pace never lets up.

i was immediately taken with the character of Detective Sergeant Joe Romano, a touchingly real and perfectly crafted “regular-guy” cop (one who I am hoping we will see more of in future books by this author). Smart, committed and deeply honorable, Joe is also a kind and compassionate man, clearly out of place in the alpha-male cockiness typical of his police colleagues (both male and female).

We meet Joe, (and Joe meets this case) at a crossroads in his life - as someone who has recently dealt with humiliation, failure and loss, both professionally and personally, Joe is feeling out-of-kilter, floundering, adrift and disconnected from his habitual “boldness’, his ‘former instincts for a case”, and the sense that things would always get resolved.

With help from the rest of the CID team, including the wonderfully tough and take-charge DS Rita Scannon, Joe finds himself embroiled in a dangerous and disturbing chase with more suspects including organizations of right-wing extremists and vigilante crime fighters.

Along the way, author explores some interesting themes, including:

How do we maintain compassion when faced with those who commit terrible acts? Should we even try?

Is vigilante justice ever warranted? Should victims of crime who are themselves criminals be handled any differently? Is an individual-initiated killing ever “right” or acceptable, or even understandable?

I won’t tell you more details of the plot (no spoilers here!), but this book will keep you guessing right to the end, and rest assured, the ending is a doozie!

A big thank you to the publisher HQ, and the author, for the opportunity to join the #HQblogtour for #RightToKill

@John_Barlow_LS9 @HQDigitalUK @HQstories #bookreview @SianBaldwin

A really great book. Enjoyed every page.
DS Joe Romano comes back to Leeds having been in France with Interpol for a year. He returns with a failed career and failed marriage.
Joe gets placed in missing persons at Elland Road Police unit where he gets involved with a missing young drug dealer who no one really wants to know. Something doesn't add up to Joe. The young lad ends up murdered .This starts a search for his murderer that Joe feels is known and local..
Twists and turns, and with Joe's job on the line he goes after the killer when another body turns up.

Love the characters, so many personal problems it feels so real No Inspector Morse here just tired and worn out Police Officers trying to keep their head above water and their brains intact.
A dark story ,not mant laughs or smart wity conversation but it moves quickly as a realisation where it is going, and boy, is Joe in trouble.

Hope to hear more of Joe Romano.

A good debut novel. It got off to a flying start but then seemed to lose it's way. I can't put my finger on why but I'm sad to say it didn't grip me as I hoped it would. Joe seems an interesting character and I'll be interested to read the next one to see how he develops.

This is a seriously impressive debut from John Barlow, as he writes his story of DS Joe Romano.

When a murder of a local drug dealer takes place, no one is really bothered, police, locals, who cares? Scums been wiped out.

Joe cares. Because that’s his job. That’s what he swore to do. Be it white black or grey. Joe Romano treats everyone the same.

This debut read is really quite superb, as Joe and his colleagues worth the case, there’s a very genuine authenticity to the police work.

A good partner in Rita adds the humour but she takes a back seat as this book is very much about Joe and his investigation.

There is much to like about this extremely solid crime thriller. It’s well crafted, pacing is good, chapter size great.

Guessing the killer early doors can disappoint a little but being a veteran of more than a 1000 books it takes something to surprise, but what I will say is that the killer is very well concealed and it’s done well at the reveal.

Entertaining Crime writing, up there with anything I’ve read this year, a highly promising start to a potentially blockbuster series.

🔥🔥🔥🔥

A new author for me to read and I look forward to reading more books featuring Joe Romano.
A drug dealer is murdered and while many may think good riddance, Joe Romano looks into the murder as with anyone else.
Gritty novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

Enjoyable but frustrating start to a new series set in West Yorkshire. I live in the area, which meant I had the satisfaction of recognising significant locations but also being distracted by the unlikelihood of someone who’d lived in Leeds for most of their life being surprised by the name of towns within 10 miles… much attempt made to stress he was a city boy and didn’t get out into th country but it really put me off!

Anyway, plot wise it was solid enough, although the culprit seemed obvious too early on for my liking. Nice mix of characters, although I think I’d be more interested in some of the supporting characters coming to the fore and less on Romano who is a wee bit of a cliche (troubled, family issues, likes a drink, so far so familiar).

Fair romped along though, and I’d pick up a second part.

DS Joe Romano is a hit with me. The missing person / murder case of a drug dealer with some saying he got what he deserved and it should be forgotten. Bringing in DS Rita Scannon worked a treat and he thought provoking segment on vigilante was written superbly I never saw the killer till they were revealed but it all made sence and am looking forward to more of this believable character

One of the best opening scenes to a thriller I've ever read. Joe Romano is a welcome addition the the crime acene genre. If you like police procedurals this is for you.

John Barlow begins a new Leeds based crime series featuring DS Joe Romano, who has returned after a stint at Lyon, France, working for Interpol that went badly both personally, his marriage to Jackie broke down, and professionally. He is missing his 19 year old son, Sam, who has left to become a medical student at Edinburgh University. He is handed a missing person's report, that of 25 year old small time drug dealer, Craig Shaw, and decides to visit his mother, Jane, to find out more. The missing person case soon becomes a murder case, when Shaw's body is found in a burnt out car at Broadyards Country Park. No-one is expressing much in the way of sympathy for the victim, either within the police or on social media. In fact, there is the strong feeling that the victim deserved it and the killer has provided a community service and should be lauded for it.

We are given a glimpse into the mind of the killer, for whom Shaw's rudeness had triggered the unplanned and opportunistic murder. Far from feeling guilt, the killer feels they have found a sense of purpose, and is going to continue on this path that feels so right. Romano does not share the view that little effort needs to expended on this murder inquiry, every life matters, and he particularly feels for the grieving Jane who has suffered such a devastating loss. He follows several leads, including Shaw's student girlfriend, Lisa Cullen, and that of her parents, Danny and Karen. Danny Cullen, the charismatic leader of the far right English Patriot League, aided by lawyer, Leon Turner who runs the Lobster Pot, they are actively going after drug dealers. As a second murder is discovered in Kirklees with a similar MO, Joe works with the irrepressible DS Rita Scannon in the hunt for the killer.

Barlow explores the right to kill and vigilante phenomena when it comes to murder victims that so many in the community feel got what was coming to them, a view that is shared by many in the police force here. The surprising killer is finally revealed, a sympathetic character, given the trauma and sorrow of their past. I liked the character of Joe, but for me the person that holds centre stage with her brashness and attitude is local Yorkshire woman, DS Rita Hridi Scannon-Aktar, and it is the thought of encountering her again that makes me look forward to the next in this promising series. An entertaining and engaging crime read. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Right To Kill by John Barlow is a marvellous contemporary murder suspense that had me glued and guessing.
The story opens with murder and we ‘hear’ the perpetrators voice for the first time. Periodically throughout their voice returns, but who is it?
The police forces work together to solve the crimes. Social media is not always your friend and threatens to derail. At other times it is a useful tool.
It soon becomes apparent that there may be a vigilante on the loose. Public opinion is divided but many prefer this thought to that of a serial killer.
Tragedies happen from which there is no recovery, no escape.
All the action takes place in the Leeds/Bradford area. Having family living up there means I am familiar with the locations which enhances the reading experience.
All the characters are well drawn and realistic.
Right To Kill would translate perfectly into a television series. I really enjoyed it.
I received a free copy of the story from Harper Collins via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

The story focuses on The Right to Kill. Does anybody have the right to kill? A drug dealer has been murdered but should the murderer get away with it. Should the police be even bothered about? It's one less drug dealer on the streets. How many times have you read where someone has done something terrible and there has been a comment based on should be hung, give me 10 minutes with him etc. This story is about that person who did do something about it.

Set in Yorkshire. The author touched on place names, all of which I'm familiar with so I found an instant connection to the storyline. I liked Joe, he's made a few wrong choices with his career and is now on the missing person's team. He seemed a bit fed up with life so when the rest of the police don't seem too interested on the murder he goes out of his way to give the victims mum some closure.

It's a cracking start to the series and I'm so looking forward to the next book. It had me hooked from the beginning trying to work out who killed him. Its gritty, its not afraid to tackle subjects. I loved it.

I found this had a rather slow start. The first half of the book was depressing, describing all that had gone wrong previously for the main character. I would possibly have given up then if I wasn’t reading for NetGalley. The second half of the story, picked up and began to move along more quickly. However, in spite of the strategy to choose the least likely candidate for the crimes, I picked the right person so the twist was not so dramatic.The focus on the errors made was a different approach!

A really well written thriller from this author, featuring DS Joe Romano, who is a very interesting character. It's fast paced, well plotted and the start of a promising new series. There are plenty twists and some dark humour and it's easy to read. I like the writing style and the dialogue between the characters and it held my attention to the end. This is bound to be a winner, which I highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A new writer to me, a brand new series full of rich promise. Great characters, excellent depiction of the area, in this case Yorkshire, and an intriguing plot. I eagerly await further contributions from John Barlow.

This has been a read filled with tension and suspense and I have been completely hooked. I have adored the way this has been written and fully engaged in this novel.

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

John Barlow is a new author to me and I thought the premise of this book looked interesting and my kind of read. I was right, and this book really hit the mark for me. I found this to be a very well written and engaging read that held my attention from start to finish. I really liked the main character here, he had a good, believable background history and investigates a missing person case which becomes a murder investigation. I loved the authors writing style, and found some of the scenes with certain characters and the banter between them very realistic and full of dark humour. There are quite a few twists in the story and a good, well thought out plot line. I read this book in just over a day and finished it having empathy for the killer! Overall a great read and a good start to what I hope is a new detective series. I will definitely want to read a second Joe Romano book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Right to Kill, the first novel to feature DS Joe Romano of the Leeds Police.

Joe takes a report on a missing person, Craig Shaw, whom his mother hasn’t seen for two days, so when his body is found he takes charge of the investigation. He works with DS Rita Scannon to uncover the murderer.

I enjoyed Right to Kill, which has an interesting plot with a few twists. It isn’t a long novel but manages to pack in a fair amount from drugs to white nationalism and sundry other points. It doesn’t do much in detail, but the brush strokes are broad enough to cover the basics. The plot held my attention as Joe hones in on a suspect, someone I didn’t suspect until it becomes obvious.

The novel is mostly told from Joe’s point of view with the unnamed killer making a few appearances at the beginning to set the tone. I’m undecided about Joe Romano. He’s obviously smart and has good instincts, but he’s not all that likeable, being individualist with a chronic inability to follow orders and he never seems to relax or unbutton. Rita is more fun.

Right to Kill is a good read that I can recommend.

A new detective character DS Joe Romano is introduced in this murder tale set in Leeds. A drug dealer initially reported missing then found in a burnt out car is the start of the investigation that involves racism in the form of the English Patriot League and an organisation called Lobsters but as it becomes more complex and another murder is discovered Joe and a colleague from the neighbouring force combine. Personal histories are revealed all relevant to the exciting action as it all builds to the surprise ending. All in all an excellent whodunnit.
S