Truth or Dare by MJ Arlidge
I give this book 4 stars

A crimewave sweeps through the city and no-one seems safe. What connects all these crimes without causes, which appear to leave no clues?
But then it suddenly becomes clear to D.I Helen Grace just how twisted and ingenious this web of crime really is, and that it may be impossible to stop it . . .

Another great addition to the Helen Grace series,but can easily be read as a standalone to.
A fantastic pacy thriller involving interesting and strong characters which draw you in.There’s drama at the station and several seemingly random crimes.Super twisty plot that has the reader trying to piece it all together as they race through the chapters…. and an ending that leaves you wondering how long you’re going to have to wait for that next instalment!!
With thanks to Netgalley,MJ Arlidge and Orion Publishing Group for my chance to read and review this book

A crimewave sweeps through the city and no one is safe. Crimes without motive, without suspects, without leads. Each crime is a piece of a puzzle - with many more pieces still to come. And as they gradually fall into place, Detective Inspector Helen Grace comes to realise just how twisted and devious this web of crime is - and how impossible it will be to stop it.

I was not aware this was part of a collective series, however, the book does stand alone and stands alone very well. This is a very well written murder mystery and thriller. It is full of suspense and tension and is just a perfect read. I will be definitely be looking at the other books in the series.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

MJ Arlidge returns with the latest in the Southampton based crime series featuring the flawed, biker DI Helen Grace, this is a dark, tense and fraught addition set in the Covid 19 pandemic era. The police are facing a rising tide of violence and brutal crime in the city, including arson, carjacking and murder, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it and so apparently random. Struggling to find motive, Helen and her team need to be at the top of their game to get to grips with what is happening, but the fractious police team bubbles with discontent, leaks and conflict. At the heart of this web of intrigue and malice lies the disgruntled and vindictive DS Joseph Hudson, intent on destroying Helen, his grudge driven by his personal history with her, but he is so out of order, and is aided by the nightmare that is the reporter Emilia Garanita.

With best friend and colleague, DS Charlie Brooks, on maternity leave, Helen, who finds it difficult to form close relationships, finds herself dangerously isolated and exposed, with pressure to solve the crimes coming from above, with her boss unable to be as supportive as possible because of other issues. There is plenty of drama in this fast paced and twisted crime read, and it is going to require Helen to come at the crime wave with fresh eyes before the pieces slowly start to come together. Arlidge develops Helen's character further here with the pressure of the set of complicated circumstances she is placed under professionally with the case until she eventually comes to grips with it whilst having to endure the machinations of Hudson.

This will appeal to Arlidge's existing fans and other crime and mystery readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A Helen Grace book, the first one I have read, but the quality of the writing is superb, so it will not be the last. An absolutely compulsive read, which I could not put down until the very end, with very well drawn characters. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance copy of this book to read.

Another excellent episode in the D I Helen Grace Southampton based series. A series of seemingly unconnected murders and her relationship with her ex boyfriend are the features of this complex twisting tale of control and hidden vengeance’s. Lots of thrilling action sequences all build to an open conclusion that means the hunt will continue in the next episode. Good stuff!

Another brilliant unputdownable book, read in one sitting. You always wonder if the next book in a series is going to live up to its previous instalments and this absolutely does. Helen Grace is one of the best female detectives I’ve ever read about even if her methods in catching criminals are sometimes a little bit rogue. In this instalment the police department are dealing with many seemingly unconnected murders and deaths. There is subterfuge within the department and we say goodbye to a long-standing character. The book leaves us on another nail biting cliff hanger and not sure how I will wait for the next book!

A solid four star read. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing .The sudden ending leaving me wanting more. Definitely will read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I absolutely adore MJ Arlidge's writing, and get so excited every time a new book comes out - particularly a new book within the Helen Grace series. This is a series I have been engaged with right from the very beginning!

This book once again has Helen Grace trying to put the pieces together of a murder. This book has a lot less of her personal life in, which is a shame as I always enjoy getting to know Helen Grace when she is away from the job. It was also disappointing that her best friend and colleague Charlie was not working with her with this particular case - as she was on maternity. She is mentioned, and appears briefly though.

Normally with MJ Arlidge's books I'm engrossed from page one, and do not dare to put the book down as I must know what is happening! However, the pacing of this book is slightly slower, and despite starting with a bang - it took a little while for me to get into the major plot line of the case. Too much seemed to happen too quickly and I struggled to get my head around it, and struggled to remember where we left off in the last Helen Grace book. Nevertheless, once my brain caught up - I was hooked!
I really enjoyed this book, and enjoyed going on the wild goose chase of the case.

One of the main things that bothered me is the character of Emilia. She has been a sub-character in this series since the beginning, and the more the series goes on, the more she is becoming a caricature. She has become the 'badie' from the Scooby-Doo series. She has this vendetta agains Helen Grace, and every single book she is just out to get her. I'm over this subplot now!


Overall I did really enjoy this book, and I'm so pleased that MJ Arlidge is writing the Helen Grace series again - I'm slightly disappointed with how quickly this book ended, but it just gets my hopes up that there will be another book to come in the series.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I've enjoyed the previous DI Helen Grace books, so was excited to be given the opportunity to read the latest instalment. I hadn't been as invested in book 9, but 'Truth or Dare' was a return to form (even though I missed DS Brooks). The story was well-paced and intriguing, and the tension created between two characters was palpable and utterly gripping. I enjoyed the thread the book was left on, with the loose ends already leaving me excited for the next novel in the series.

I love Helen Grace and was so excited to read this, I finished it in a day as couldn't put it down. Helen is trying to figure out what is happening in Southampton, numerous seemingly unrelated events happening, are they linked and if so how!! During this she has to fight to keep her leadership as she is undermined constantly by a bitter colleague who's trying to bring her down.
The ending leaves you hanging for the next one!!!

I really enjoyed getting lost in this book. It was fast paced and full of twists and turns all the way through. The characters are well written and I had strong feelings about who I did and didn’t like. The storyline was truly gripping and I really loved the concept.

Although Helen Grace has never been the most professional of detectives I have generally enjoyed the books and thought they were very good. Paying to get beaten up was not something I liked (this stopped in an earlier book) and despite being a bit maverick I did enjoy the stories.
This book was a bit EastEnders meets Stranger on a Train. Far too much back stabbing/political shenanigans/unprofessional behaviour. I'm glad one person got their comeuppance and the dressing down at the end was completely justified. Charlie is the only really likeable character now. The Graniata woman is vile and Helen is rapidly becoming incompetent with dealing with her. The ending (sorry a pet hate) a recurring bogey man is just boring and dare I say it, a bit lazy. Beloved of the US market I guess that's a factor. It's a shame but this series is developing "long series syndrome". And the dog- minus 1 star - I don't do animal cruelty. It looks like I am alone in my views so the author needn't worry too much. The jury is out until the next one

Another cracker of a book from this prolific author.

This is number 10 in the DI Helen Grace series and it's a corker. It does work as a standalone, but, I'd highly recommend you read the series in order to understand the back stories and key relationships.

This is a well written murder mystery, with a number of events happening in and around Southampton that, at first, completely baffle the team of police officers as there appear to be no connections. This is intertwined with a connecting story that involves police politics and a vendetta against the DI Helen Grace. The latter part is frustrating at times, especially for those of us who feel so strongly for the lead character and hate to see her position belittled and undermined throughout. However, it's a measure of the writing that you stick with it and Helen as she fights on, both in searching for a link to the crimes and her own personal battles.

There's a cliff hanger ending that is both frustrating and very clever and I look forward to seeing what / if / how?

Overall, a strong 4* fabulous read and I'm very grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview another great read in this series.

The book starts with Helen and her team dealing with a crime wave in Southampton and no clues about the perpetrators. Joseph Hudson is being openly hostile towards Helen and behind the scenes he is manipulating things so make Helen look bad and getting members of the team onside.
The story is what we have come to expect from this author, fast paced and seemingly separate acts woven together. My only disappointment was that it is left very open ended. Otherwise a good read.

Another great read from this author..have read them all and love character helen grace.
The authors first book was what led me on to read the rest and this along with all the others won't disappoint. Can recommend.

4*
#10 in the Helen Grace series.
I am a fan of this series, but I haven’t read the books in order.
DI Grace and the team are inundated with a crime spree, which escalate into murder.
Helen feels that the team isn’t cohesive, feeling her authority is under threat. She is a lot less confident. Not the DI Grace that I’m used to seeing. Not sure I liked this version of Helen.
The power play politics added a different dimension.
I felt that it’s a slow burn at the start with the story being told from several points of view,and several threads unfolding.
It took until 50% for it to really grip me. Once I was hooked it’s riveting. The tension towards the end was really ramped up edge of the seat stuff.
I thought I’d worked out the main perpetrator early on, but I was very wrong, which I’m gutted about.
Well what an ending!! Is all I can say.
On reflection it’s a book of 2 halves, a really enjoyable read, but not one of my favourites in the series.

Another great story from MJ Arlidge. I love the Helen Grace stories, and this one is brilliant. The parallel stories of the crime investigations, and Helen's relationships with her colleagues are so gripping, I couldn't put this down!

Southampton. Lawless. In the throes of a major crime wave which the police just can't get on top of.

Added to this, DI Helen Grace has to battle both an internal leak to the press and being seriously undermined by one of her team

Intriguing

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This story is part of the DI Helen Grace series, and it’s one of the best series I’ve ever read. Helen is a flawed copper working out of Southampton Central in the MIT department. And during this instalment we see the crime soar post covid. There seems to be an endless stream of car jackings, vandalism, thefts, and murders, and Helen can’t seem to find the culprits for any crime. Helen’s team also seem to be falling apart at the seams, as her continued feud with her deputy, Joseph Hudson, makes the rest of the team silently pick sides. Helen is determined to crack these cases, all the while Hudson follows his own leads, further creating problems within the team. Eventually we see Helen go back to the start of the crimes with fresh eyes and treating it as a new crime. These crimes all seem to be more than Helen can handle, but reordering the team is the only way forward.

This series is the best crime and police procedural set of stories I’ve ever read. I think Helen Grace makes the perfect leader, she’s unorthodox and does things her way, but she also gets brilliant results. I enjoyed the story of her and Hudson running throughout this book as we also get to glimpse the other side of Helen that worries and can be slightly vulnerable. These books always have short chapters, which make even better reading. The story flowed really easily, and the writing, as always, is excellent. I also live in Southampton which makes the visualisation of the story in the minds eye much easier. I would hugely recommend the whole series of these books to anyone who enjoys crime and police procedural with a good, strong female leader.

This is another winner in the Helen Grace series. it's a well woven story, told from different points of view, and filled with interesting characters. An intricate plot, with several murders, has Helen's team racing in circles to find the killer. There is plenty tension and drama, making this another great read from the author. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.