This is very much a character driven book. The book starts slow paced and then the pace builds up. This is a compulsive and thrilling book

Teenager Amie Slade is isolated at school and has a distant relationship with her mother and brother, though hero-worships her dad. Someone says at one point, "This is a complicated family", and that about sums it up - indeed, it's putting it mildly.

When Amie makes an allegation of sexual assault against a member of staff at her school, DS Veronica (Ronnie) Delmar gets involved - but that's just the start of the story.

I liked Ronnie, but I wasn't sure of the point of a storyline whereby she is suspended following an anonymous complaint, of which I don't think we ever learn the actual substance. This didn't really seem to go anywhere, unless the author plans to pick it up in a future book. The blurb talks about "uncanny parallels to her [Ronnie's] own life" in the case- but if they're there, I must have missed them.

The story is well written and felt quite original, and it definitely did keep my interest throughout. Amie is an interesting character. The twists however are not hugely surprising (I can't imagine anyone was shocked by the Elisa one).

An enjoyable read. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy.

A detective sargeant is called to investigate the case of Amie Slade, a young teenage girl abused by a caretaker at her leafy suburban school. Hold on to your hat and don't kid yourself that you'll be doing anything other than reading on the day that you start this one.

Gripping and tense, this domestic crime thriller had me gripped from the start with its portrayal of family angst and hidden secrets. Centring around a vulnerable teenage girl who doesnt feel that she fits in to her family or with her school friends, and a dodgy caretaker at the same school, the twists and turns were well pitched and left me second guessing.
Well worth a read

Thank you so much for the publishers for sending me a copy of this book.
This book pulled me in from the very first chapter. I did get slightly confused with the parents, but that soon passed!
The book introduces us to the dysfunctional Slade family
We are also introduced to Ronnie, the new detective on the scene

The book is correctly paced and full of twists and turns. I did not guess the ending and the book was a real rollercoaster
The writing was suspenseful and flawless. The book was a real page turner and I hope this is the beginning of a new series!

An engaging read that had me transfixed a relatable read of family lives and the drama that faces so many

I thought I had this one figured out many times but was proven wrong and outwitted by this fabulous author.

Thanks to Lucy and NetGalley for allowing me to read Stop at Nothing before the publication date.

Since her husband left 2 years ago, DS Ronnie Delmar has been a single parent to teenage twins, Eddie and Tilly and a support system for her sister, Serena.
Her senior officer, Lydia, is focused on budgets rather than crimes, making a difficult job even more so.
The ambitious new DC Baz Munro makes Ronnie feel that he might be angling for her job.

On the surface, the Slade family have it all. Maeve keeps the home like a show house.
Doctor Stuart is busy, between visiting his mother Edith in a care home and spending time with Andrew.

15 year old Amie feels that she is ignored in favour of her older brother, Andrew.
In an attempt to be noticed, Amie tries to please everyone, trying not to step on the cracks to keep everyone happy. Meanwhile she is isolated and bullied at school.

Daniel Foster, the 22 year old school caretaker, uses her vulnerability to sexually assault Amie.
DS Delmar and DC Baz Munro investigate the complaint, resulting in Foster being convicted

On his release, the Slades have to be informed and made aware of the conditions which apply to Foster.
It is obvious that the family have suffered greatly during this time and Ronnie is determined to support them, going beyond her remit.
Amie is transferred to a new school where she is being shunned by her peers. When Elisa befriends her, Amie is happy, despite the fact that Elisa is controlling and leads Amie into trouble.

The Slade family secrets begin to be exposed. When Stuart’s girlfriend, Celia goes missing and her toddler son found abandoned in her car, Ronnie has to make decisions which will put her career on the line.

This is a real psychological thriller and page turner.
I particularly enjoyed the way that Lucy has used personification to describe a derelict building.

How far would you go to get what you want?
Amie Slade's sexual assault feels too close to home for DS Ronnie Delmar. Forced to face the demons of her past, she vows to protect the family at all costs.
But everyone's got a secret in this leafy suburb and when a child goes missing and a woman's body is found, it becomes clear that this perfect family hides a sinister reality.
Someone here will stop at nothing to win, but can Ronnie beat them to it?

This is a brilliant and twisty read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

A young teenager Aimie Slade is abused by the caretaker at her school.
D.S Delmar will do all she can to help,and as she digs deeper and gets closer to both Aimie and her family she realises something is not right within the family.
As Aimie races to protect her dark secrets can D.S Delmar crack the case.
The pace of the story was to slow for me and I had trouble connecting with the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Wellbeck Publishing UK for the ARC

Aimie Slade's life is turned upside-down when she is assaulted by the school caretaker. Knowing how such things can take a toll on the victim & family DS Ronnie Delmar is determined to do all she can. However these smart suburban houses have their secrets & when a child disappears & a body is found Ronnie wonders if she is up to the job.

This was a story with many different strands & it kept me on my toes. I liked Ronnie, she seemed a caring soul with her own demons. Aime was a fascinating character too. Overall it was a good read & I hope this isn't the last we see of Ronnie Delmar. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

The overall writing style of this story was decent enough. I am more of qbthriller/ domestic noir fan and this book wasn't really in that category for the most part. It does get a little faster paced towards the end but overall its quite a slow burn and more about teen angst than some edge of your seat who dunnit. It does need to be taken with a pinch of salt, a lot of the time the events/ actions of characters aren't entirely realistic and clearly this wasn't written with a wealth if background knowledge on police procedure etc. Its not entirely unreadable by any means but perhaps just magae your expectations going in

I enjoyed this book I liked the writing, the characters and the story premise. I enjoyed that it was a slow building thriller that really involved the reader in a world of family drama before the real punches were thrown.
Some of the things that were being described etc in the book did at times seem a bit unrealistic but in reality I think that just added to the atmosphere of the book because how many of us would actually believe things about these circumstances if we were told all the details. Overall it was an enjoyable read

Seemingly Perfect Facades…
Secrets are hidden away behind seemingly perfect facades in this dramatic suspense with a disturbing plotline and a solid cast of characters. D S Ronnie Delmar, determined to protect a family, is ultimately forced to face her own realities when she investigates this potentially sinister case.

Stop At Nothing isn't really a thriller - at least until its final section. Most of the novel is a family drama told from the point of view of a troubled teen.

The pace is slow, with repeated episodes of teen angst and little plot development. The police involvement is minimal, and DS Delmar plays a peripheral role through most of the novel. The procedural elements are unconvincing: Delmar is suspended on flimsy grounds with no process at all, yet retains her warrant card and continues to investigate cases.

The final section sees the pace suddenly accelerate towards the ending, although the plot twists are very obvious. Overall, this is a well written but ultimately unsatisfying read.

Stop at Nothing is a very interesting and thrilling read, if you take everything with a bit of salt.

While the story is compelling, much of what happens borders on the line of unbelievable and almost absurd at times. If you are willing to put up with this, which I was, you will find a very compelling story!

Stop At Nothing by Lucy Martin is nearly very good but I found parts of it unconvincing and there were a couple of parts of the story-line that bordered on extraneous.

Amie Slade is a very unhappy teenager from a dysfunctional family on the verge of imploding. She's a loner who never seems to fit in anywhere and her life gets worse when she's assaulted by the Caretaker at her school. Detective Sergeant Veronica Delmar investigates and takes a personal interest in Amie and her family. Amie's attacker being released from prison coincides with all kinds of personal difficulties and traumas in her home and school life and she's convinced he's out to get her.
Delmar meanwhile has her own problems, the main one being a thread that didn't add much,if anything,to the story. and much of the police dialogue and actions were barely credible.

I found the book quite frustrating,the actual plot is very good but there were a couple glaring discrepancies in the actual telling and after a gripping start I found myself skimming through much of the middle section. When things start to happen again it's not bad at all. I think some tighter editing would have done the book a lot of favours.

A bit of a curate's egg for me, it's very good in parts but it does go flat in places and I didn't really feel engaged with DS Delmar and her colleagues who didn't seem overly-professional or even competent.

Stop at nothing by Lucy Martin.
A detective sargeant is called to investigate the case of Amie Slade, a young teenage girl abused by a caretaker at her leafy suburban school. But in this middle-class town, manicured lawns and picket fences disguise a very different reality. As DS Veronica Delmar digs deeper into the complex case and gets closer to the teenage victim and her family, she begins to discover some uncanny parallels to her own life.
But something isn't quite right, and with Amie's family life crumbling and DS Delmar's desperate attempt to juggle work, single motherhood and what remains of her life post-marriage splitting at the seams, it isn't long before the foundations of their lives begin to collapse. Whilst Amie races to protect her dark and shrinking world, DS Delmar must confront her own demons and the part they have to play in the case before her.
A very good read with some good characters. I did like the cover. 4*.