EXCERPT: An engine rumbled outside the window and he rushed to look; he would have to make a run for it if it was them back from their holiday. A white van had turned into the street and was pulling into Amanda's drive - looked like a couple of builders. He couldn't carry on trashing the place while they were parked there. He studied the two men in the front seat for a moment before noticing the gun on the dashboard. The hairs on the back of Jason's neck stood on end when he realised they were watching the boy who was still cycling up and down the street on his own. What he had assumed were beanies revealed themselves to be balaclavas as the men pulled them down over their faces.

Should he call the police? That would land him in a whole heap of shit. He couldn't just let this happen though. He picked up a sweater off the floor and dialled triple nine before wrapping the sweater around the mouthpiece in an attempt to conceal his voice. He knew his phone was untraceable. It was something his brother made him promise: always use pay-as-you-go phones with disposable SIMs; don't let anyone trace where you are. That's how they'd got Luke on his GBH charge - by finding his location through his phone.

As Jason spoke to dispatch, refusing to answer the questions that might give him away, the engine on the van started again, one man exiting the passenger side and sliding open the back door. Jason felt powerless as the boy cycled towards the van. He knew what was going to happen next, but it still made him sick to his stomach to watch as the scene played out before his eyes.

'Please, you have to hurry. They've taken him, the little boy across the road. They grabbed him and put him in the back of a white van. Forty-six Golding Road.'

ABOUT 'TRICK OR TREAT': A stranger. A child. A liar who will stop at nothing…

When six-year-old Marcus is taken from outside his house on Halloween, there is only one witness: a frightened teen determined to keep himself hidden.

After an anonymous tip off, Detective Imogen Grey is called out to an expensive Exeter street, caught up in the buzz of the holiday. But when the police visit Marcus's house, his parents claim everything is fine. Imogen is sure there is more to the family than meets the eye. But just how much more, she could never have imagined…

What has happened to little Marcus? And will he ever come home?

MY THOUGHTS: A rather mundane police procedural that focuses more on DS Imogen Grey's life with her ex-copper boyfriend, Adrian, than it does on the abduction of young Marcus Carlyle.

There were a lot of things in Trick or Treat that just didn't add up for me, the major one being that the person behind the kidnapping had previously been in jail, and so you would think that the fingerprints would be on record, and had they taken fingerprints for elimination purposes, they would have discovered an anomaly.

The other thing that really irritated me was the author's constant use of 'said'. Sara said. Imogen said. Adrian said. Peter said . . . It was really grating on my nerves by the end.

There were several things that weren't explained to my satisfaction, but going into them would give away spoilers, so I am not prepared to do that.

I seriously considered not finishing this once or twice. I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters, even Sara. This book could have been greatly improved by hearing from Marcus; his view of what was happening to him would have made the story far more interesting. We have absolutely no idea what happened to him while in captivity.

A lacklustre narration didn't help either. The narrator has a limited range of tone, and certainly wasn't expressive. She could have been reading the telephone directory.

Trick or Treat was a disappointing experience for me.

⭐⭐.4

#TrickorTreat #NetGalley

I: @katerinadiamondauthor @harpercollinsuk

T: @TheVenomousPen @HarperCollinsUK

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #familydrama #mystery #policeprocedural

THE AUTHOR: Katerina Diamond was born in Weston in the seventies, and her parents owned a fish and chip shop in the Greek community. She moved to Thessaloniki in Greece and attended Greek school where she learnt Greek in just 6 months. After her parents divorce, they relocated to Devon. After school, and working in her uncles fish and chip shop, she went (briefly) to university at Derby, where she met her husband and had two children. Katerina now lives in the East Kent Coast with her husband and children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio for providing an audio ARC of Trick or Treat by Katerina Diamond for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I was so excited to read this book and I loved it. A little six year old boy called Marcus is taken away from his home at Halloween, but who has taken him and what do they want with him? Will he ever be found? A teenager witnesses the abduction while he is committing a crime, but will he hand himself in and tell the police what happened to the child? Detective Imogen Grey and her boyfriend Adrian are the main characters in this story and I really liked them both. Adrian has gone through a major trauma, which he keeps to himself for as long as possible. I was upset to read about what he went through, but it is good that the book has highlighted this male trauma. Imogen and Adrian make a good team, but they are going through a rough time. Will they resolve this and get back to being close again? Will Imogen find the missing child? Read the book to find out! I just loved this story and I found it so interesting, fast paced and exciting!

The narrator of the book was really good and kept the story moving along at a fast pace.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a rollercoaster of a ride!
I have only read the first couple of this author's books and I really enjoyed them, so when I saw this was available as an audiobook I grabbed the opportunity to have a listen.
Wow! I was totally engrossed! This audio made me wince, gasp and even fist pump a couple of times.
Yes it's part of a long running series, but one that I am now exploring to see if I can download copies from the library.
The narrator was very good too, and there was clear definition between the characters.
All in all an excellent crime drama.

More please!

Katerina Diamond once again delivers an explosive storyline, an immersive plot with a great mix of characters for you to love and loathe in equal measure.
Not afraid to tackle sensitive content, but done so with thoughtfulness.
Wonderful narration and great diction.
Great story that has so many twists and turns that you simply cannot stop until you know exactly what happens.

The cover of this book caught my eye and I thought it would be a good read for the run up to Halloween.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good and easy to listen to.

There isn’t much connection with Halloween at all, other than a young boy is kidnapped on Halloween. His kidnap is witnessed by a young guy who ends up far more involved in the situation than he could have imagined.
Imogen Gray is investigating the kidnap and trying to keep her failing relationship afloat.

I didn’t realise this book was part of a series. It read ok as a stand-alone but I think I would have appreciated the back story with Imogen and Adrian more if I’d read other books in the series.

The chapters are nice and short, keeping the story going. I found it took me about half of the book before I felt the story really picked up and I was more involved. This could be because I haven’t read any other books in the series.

Overall, I quite liked this book and it held my interest.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley for a copy for review.

The narration really captured the essence of the story I just had to keep listening to it to keep understanding. I hadn't read the previous books but it didn't really matter that much, I was that engrossed it was that entertaining.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

Really enjoyed this book. Though strange name as Halloween was barely mentioned.

The plot was good. Fast paced. Never quite sure which way the book was going to go next. Mix of characters. The book was well written.

Thrilling plot from start to finish, kidnap, stabbing, bigamy, robbery, sexual violence and messed up families are all covered somewhere in the storyline. The police embark on a kidnapping case only to uncover a very complex chain of events. Well described characters and a crossover from one case to another the story moves quickly, quick read for me. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

What a superb audiobook. I was gripped right from the beginning. The narrator brilliantly brings the story and characters to life. Whilst this is the 7th DS Imogen Grey book, it can also be listened to/ read as a stand alone. It is a pacy read with two key storylines that twist and merge: the kidnap and ransom of a child named Marcus Carlisle and the recovery of Adrian Miles after an horrific attack 14months previously. The hunt for the culprits always seems to be just out of reach. A suspenseful listen that will have you listening well into the early hours. #TrickOrTreat #KaterinaDiamond #Netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and Katerina Diamond for an Audio ARC in return for an honest review.

WOW - what a book. It is perfect reading for Halloween coming up. This book had me gripped from the first page. It is so cleverly written with everything linking in. The narrator was able to add even more tension to the book. The characters were likeable. I also liked the fact that it focused on male sexual assault which is unfortunately under-reported. I feel that anyone who may have been a victim to sexual assault will feel more comfortable coming forward.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers - it'll have you gripped from the first few pages.

I didn't realise this was a book from a series - I will be reading the others now.

This is a fabulous listen for Halloween. The case is a complex child abduction with multiple threads which hooked me right from the start. I was so engrossed that I finished it in one day! This is a great police procedural which is well written and covers some sensitive subjects really well.

I have to admit that before listening to this book (which is the 7th in the series) I had only listened to the first Imogen Grey book. Although it did read ok as a standalone I felt that I did miss out on Imogen and Adrian's back story, and also a story featuring one of Imogen's colleagues. So now I will go back to Book 2 and read the series in order!

Stevie Lacey did a great job with the narration and brought the story to life for me.

A great crime thriller that held me in suspense the whole time. This fast paced, multilayered story was well written. The characters were three dimensional with realistic conflicts and feelings. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next in the series. Apparently this is book 7 and I had no idea because it can be read as a stand-alone.
I highly recommend it and chose to listen to this book on audio. The narrator Stevie Lacey was awesome and this audiobook was 10 hours and 28 minutes long.
Thanks HarperCollins Audio via Netgalley.

I have recently finished this wonderful story from Katerina Diamond,, its the first novel of hers that i have read/listened too and it certainly won't be the last. There are other stories before this and I wish I had read these first as the novel follows on from a previous book but you can still read it as a standalone, all the characters were superbly written and relatable and it left me wanting to hear more, which is always good. The narrator of an audiobook is often forgotten but Stevie Lacey was also really good and helped bring the story to life.
I look forward to the next installment,

A really enjoyable and engaging thriller!
A child is taken off the street , and Imogen Grey is in charge of the investigation. The story varies in its pace , starting off slowly but gaining pace as the story progresses.
I found the characters amiable and I like the character of Imogen Grey she seems very fair and professional..
Different threads come in to the story and left me wanting to know more and to reach the conclusion..Plenty of twists and turns kept my interest right until the very end.
I found the narration excellent , overall an excellent audiobook looking forward to the next instalment in the Imogen Grey series.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio.

I haven’t read other books by Katrina Diamond, but in Trick or Treat, she delivers an intriguing thriller which kept me engaged. I listened to the audio version; narration throughout is excellent and add to the story.

It starts fairly slowly with the introduction of the central characters; a police officer, her boyfriend and the family of Marcus, the kidnap victim. Initially it seems a little slow, but as the twisted plot develops, it’s clear that the early chapters are the foundation for what follows. At face value, it’s a simple kidnap; a child is taken, the abduction is witnessed and following that, there’s a ransom demand. But scrape the surface and all is not as it seems. Add to this police officers with history and personal baggage and bit by bit, this becomes a complex psychological thriller where it’s difficult to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. Multiple identity, serious sexual assault, murder, sociopaths and more are all ingredients in a mix that kept me listening into the wee small hours.

The plot becomes increasingly complex and the characters are developed as the tale progresses. Wasn’t sure where or how it would end as the teasers misdirected more than once, so I enjoyed it. I’ll look for more from this author.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley

Trick or Treat - Katerina Diamond
Narrated by Stevie Lacey

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

A stranger. A child. A liar who will stop at nothing…

When six-year-old Marcus is taken from outside his house on Halloween, there is only one witness: a frightened teen determined to keep himself hidden.

After an anonymous tip off, Detective Imogen Grey is called out to an expensive Exeter street, caught up in the buzz of the holiday. But when the police visit Marcus's house, his parents claim everything is fine. Imogen is sure there is more to the family than meets the eye. But just how much more, she could never have imagined…

This is the first book I have read in this series; it is a complex case with several different storylines running in parallel. Whilst each storyline has sensitive topics to discuss this is done very tastefully by the author. The plot flows really well and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This could easily be read as a standalone - I found it very difficult to stop listening and just kept playing another chapter, as they were so short. I have no doubts in recommending this book to lovers of thrillers.

Rating: 4/5

Average crime thriller but with some clever and original differences. I thought a lot of the characters were rather a cliche but the author kept a good pace throughout so you always wanted to know who done it and why!

4.25⭐️ gore score 0
I like the cover it has a good Halloween feel to it, and the bike is relevant. The time frame is Halloween but it doesn’t feature heavily in the storyline.
I had the 🎧 audiobook version. The narrator is good with good distinct voices for the various characters, and kept a good feel to the pace and interest.

It’s a crime psychological thriller fusion which has a good plot and character development ratio.
It’s Halloween. Jason is miffed with his girlfriend cheating on him and while they are on holiday trashes the house, during his breaking and entering he sees a neighbour a young boy being snatched. He made an anonymous phone call to the police.
Detective Imogen Grey works with Walsh, but they need outside help for a kidnapping.
There is another couple of threads which runs along side.

There is good character development and depth which makes the characters interesting The characters are likeable. Those who engaged me the most are Jason and Adrian. I felt they were the most troubled, but we see all of their problems, secrets and lies.

The pace is good, getting my attention straight away and keeping it throughout.
There is a good level of tension generated from the beginning, which just ramps up!! There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot.
There’s a lot going on which makes for good interest, but I felt that Adrians choice difficult to accept as it put him in worse danger.

There’s a lot of he said she said identifying the speaker which disrupts the flow of dialogue, and is a bit irritating in the audiobook format especially as there isn’t so much of it used in modern writing.

A very enjoyable light easy entertaining listen. Very little use of bad language. I would recommend it.