"Dead Sorry" by Helen H. Durrant is a gripping and intense crime thriller that deserves every bit of its five-star rating. Durrant weaves a complex and suspenseful narrative that not only explores a chilling murder but also delves into the haunting repercussions of a decades-old crime.

The story opens with a powerful hook—a mother of one of three bullies involved in a traumatic attack on a schoolgirl twenty-five years ago is found murdered, the word "sorry" scrawled in her blood on the wall. The connection to the past creates an immediate sense of intrigue and sets the stage for a riveting mystery.

Detective Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss, the dynamic investigative duo, are faced not only with the challenge of solving the current murder but also dealing with the threat to Calladine's family and the high-stakes subplot involving a valuable hoard of Celtic gold. Durrant masterfully intertwines these plotlines, creating a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The characters in "Dead Sorry" are well-drawn and compelling, each with their own complexities and motivations. The emotional depth given to Detective Tom Calladine adds a layer of authenticity to the story, making the reader invested not only in the mystery but also in the personal struggles of the main characters.

The pacing is relentless, with twists and turns that keep the suspense building throughout. The thematic exploration of bullying, its long-term impact, and the quest for justice adds depth to the narrative. The writing is sharp, evocative, and creates a vivid picture of the small-town setting and the darker corners of human nature.

Durrant skillfully connects the threads of the past and present, creating a narrative tapestry that is as intricate as it is thrilling. The tension builds steadily, and the resolution is both satisfying and surprising, providing a fitting conclusion to the mysteries at hand.

"Dead Sorry" stands out as a stellar example of the crime thriller genre, delivering a well-crafted plot, strong character development, and a sense of urgency that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. Helen H. Durrant has crafted a masterful tale of murder, revenge, and the enduring impact of past sins. This book is a must-read for fans of gripping crime fiction and earns its five-star rating with ease.

A really great read, I’ve read a few by this author and her crime novels are brilliant, each one better than the last.

Leave it to crime writing superstar Helen H Durrant to write a heart-pounding police procedural that will have you reading all through the night. Brilliantly plotted and packed with twists and turns, her latest Calladine and Bayliss novel, Dead Sorry, is simply unputdownable.

Twenty-five years ago a schoolgirl had been ambushed by three bullies in the house she shared with her granny. Viciously attacked by these three thugs who took great delight in torturing and hurting their victim, the poor schoolgirl didn’t stand a chance. Yet, what nobody could have possibly imagined was that this violent incident nearly three decades ago was going to have serious repercussions upon the present as Detectives Tom Calladine and Ruth Bayliss quickly found out…

When the mother of one of these bullies is found murdered on the Hobfield estate, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary murder investigation – especially as scribbled on the wall is the word sorry written in the victim’s blood! When Calladine and Bayliss discover a link to some old bones at the house the young schoolgirl had been attacked in twenty-five years ago, they both realise that long-buried sins of the past and dangerous secrets are about to be dragged into the light plunging them both in deadly danger…

Then there is Calladine’s arch-nemesis threatening his granddaughter and a horde of gold coming to the local museum. With the pressure well and truly on, will Calladine and Bayliss crack this case…or crack under the pressure?

A white-knuckle rollercoaster ride, the pages turn themselves while reading Helen H Durrant’s Dead Sorry. As ever, your attention is captured from the get-go and putting this book down is simply not an option. Calladine and Bayliss are on superb form in this first-rate thriller that will have you reeling with twist after twist leaving your jaw on the floor.

Helen H Durrant is very much in the top tier of crime writers writing today and with Dead Sorry, she has penned a top-notch thriller you will not want to miss.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

This one sticks with you. It is deep and complex from the jump and really doesn’t let up the whole time. Definitely one to pick up if you like the mystery/thriller.

Another enjoyable book in this series. A great storyline with some brilliant characters. I didn't guess the ending and found the book to be very well written.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts So here is the deal. I didn’t realize this was part of a series and then to realize it was the 11th in the series made it a bit difficult to read. I felt like I should have known the characters already but didn’t. That being said, the suspense of it can be read as a stand alone.

I hadn’t read anything by this author that I can recall so I was unfamiliar with the flow of the author. So when I thought I had it figured out and kept thinking “How do they not know?” I was pleasantly surprised to realize I actually didn’t know at all. And that makes me like a book

I think I would really enjoy this series and plan on reading more.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

25 years again a school girl was attacked by classmates. Now the parent of one of these girls is found murdered. There is something at this crime scene that makes DS Ruth Baylis connect the 2 incidents. Detective Tom Calladine and the team starts to make more links and discovers there was more that happened 25 years ago that wasn’t investigated.
It’s good to have Calladine and Baylis back, an great pairing and can easily be read as a standalone book if not read any previous books. They are both likeable characters with their own past. Never a dull moment for the duo!

This is the eleventh book in the series featuring Detective Tom Callandine and his partner DS Ruth Baylis. This is a great series of books and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Twenty five years ago Millie, a young schoolgirl who lived with her grandmother at Gorse Farm, was attacked by three others girls who are bullying her. Tom and Ruth are called out to the notorious Hohbfield Estate to investigate the discovery of the body of Jade, who has been brutally murdered and the word ‘sorry’ written in blood on the wall. We discover that Jade was the mother of one of the girls who attacked Millie. Ruth recognises the word ‘sorry’ from a previous case where remains were found at Gorse Farm and they were thought to have been Millie’s. Meanwhile Tom is worried that his old enemy Lazaro, a renowned gangster who has sworn revenge on Tom, is targeting his daughter Zoe and granddaughter Maisie. This series has everything, brilliant characters, a well thought out plot and lots of red herrings. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A gripping and well written thriller, full of twists and turn, that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I found the mystery solid, the character fleshed out and interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

A good book
These two detectives work well together
These are really well written books
This book is the 11th in the series
If you love this book make sure you read the rest in the series
Thanks NetGalley

When it comes to British Mysteries, I tend to find them a hit/miss but as this one featured my favorite tropes of past cases resurfacing I was intrigued and as the book read on, I was hooked. This book starts with the case of Millie who has been bullied by Jade and her friends, one too many times and Millie freaked and attacked Kaz and Jade whilst Sarah ran. Now Twenty Five years on, a woman at the Hobfield Estate which is like the UK slums and poor people estates has been found dead. Next to her body is a picture of a heart and in the middle, the initials MR are written in blood with the word Sorry. The woman killed is the mum of the girl who was involved in the incident twenty-five years ago with Millie and the same message was left. After the day twenty-five years ago, Millie has never been seen again and now a set of bones have been found matching a teenage girl. Calladine and Bayliss's Book #11 was an action-packed thriller and was filled with a couple of interlocked storylines from Drug lords to Past/Present Murder and PI's with an added hint of romantics suspense to the story as Calladine finds himself with a potential love interest in Kitty Lake. I am now looking forward to going back and checking out the rest of the series. The other thing I loved, is that each book can be read as a stand-alone tale.

A well written thriller with more than one storyline and lots of twists and turns. The less characters are interesting and work well together. The different strands are gradually brought together to a good ending.

I LOVED this book. You absolutely cannot miss with Helen H. Durant. This series is a must read. The storyline is outstanding and the characters are so real. I would recommend this book to mystery fans everywhere.

This is the eleventh book in this series (although only my second one). I have to say the two lead detectives are interesting characters and do make a great team. The book was much better when they were working in tandem.

This is an excellent detective story, mixing events from an incident from 25 years ago, alongside a murder that has just occurred. It begs questions about what happened in the past, and was the original victim correctly identified. Alongside this we also have someone who Tom Calladine has come across before targeting him and his family, and trying to muscle into the drug racket in the area. If this wasn’t enough we then have a mystery lady who seems to have Calladine in her sights romantically. Is she all she seems?

All this makes for a great read which I read in a day, and had a great ending to it. I did sort of work out who may well have committed the murders but that most definitely didn’t spoil my enjoyment. I am now hoping to go back and start again from the first book in the series and get to know these characters even better. Definitely highly recommended if you like good fast-moving detective stories with great leads.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book for me, for an an open and honest review.

Calladine and Bayliss are back in No 11 of their stories. Plenty of twists and turns for the lead characters in tying together a cold case bones with a murder of a woman in the dreaded Hobfield estate. Add to this with the return of an old enemy makes this a good read but expect the unexpected. Calladine has his usual 'picks the wrong girl to be the new girlfriend' event which is getting a little tiresome but otherwise the characters feel real and human. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was just the perfect book for me! I loved all the twists and turns and the fact that it kept me guessing. I was in a bit of a reading slump until I came to this one and it just had me captivated. Trust me, you will not be able to put this one down!!

A big fan of Helen Durrant and this book continues to hold me as a fan .An intriguing storyline modern day murders and drug related Eastern European criminals connected to a murder in the past a great story keeps the reader Involved until the end.u

A great addition to the Calladine and Bayliss series by Helen H Durrant. This one really kept me guessing until the end. The discovery of human remains at an old house leads to a teenage girl years before who seemingly vanished. The historic case then becomes linked to a current murder investigation. Twists and turns a plenty - thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This was a very well written book. The plot was very enticing and I couldn't put the book down. This was a new to me author and I definitely cannot wait try another book by this author.