Sadie Nicholls has been found dead, brutally and strangely murdered, in her South East London flat. Her little boy is missing. DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen know that, in the case of a missing child, it's the first 24 hours that count.

What a great synopsis. The Hunting Ground was absolutely fabulous my favourite book of the year and one of my book club recommended reads for 2022. My 5 Stars are rare and have to be well earned and boy did Will Shindler smash it.. Having read the other two books in the series, I felt this book went up a level. The plot was complex and finally a book with a cracking ending. Although that just made me want to dive in and get into another case for Finn and Paulsen. The clever writing gave me greater empathy for DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen and their lives, especially Mattie and facing up to the unfair realities of her father afflicted with dementia.

Book 3 in the DI Alex Finn series. A great addition to the series that has you guessing with lots of twists and turns. Looking forward to the next one in the series

The Hunting Ground is the third book in the DI Alex Finn series, and it seems to be getting better with each book. After leaving an event that she was working at Sadie Nicholls is brutally murdered in her own home and her young son goes missing. Not only do Alex and DC Mattie Paulson have to try and work out what led to her murder, but they have a race against time to find the child and time is running out if they hope to find him alive. As they dig into her life and the community she lived in they discover that a similar crime happened in the exact same property 20 years ago. What they have to work out is if this is a coincidence or something much worse.

Finn and Paulson definitely have their work cut out this time and neither one of them seems on top of their game. Alex is still suffering from the loss of his wife and after meeting some of the residents where Sadie lived Mattie finds she has something in common with them and it is pushing her family’s health worries to the forefront of her mind and making her face up to what lies ahead.
You can really sense the frustration of Finn and the team as they struggle to find a motive for the murder of Sadie Nicholls. There is more than one suspect but each of them somehow manages to have an alibi for the time of the murder and they just can’t shake the fact that the old case has something to do with it, but with the killer in that case in prison they are coming up against brick walls.
The pacing of this book never wavers, and you are sent down many different paths before the killer and the motive is revealed and it is definitely not what you are expecting. With characters hiding secrets that may or may not have a bearing on the investigation you are drawn into the story and the lives of everyone affected. We are really starting to get to know Finn and Paulson now and what makes them tick as their personal lives are revealed further. They are very different from each other, yet it is those differences that bring out the best in them and make them a good team. Even though this is a series you can easily pick up and read the books as standalones. I am looking forward to what comes next for them and cant wait to see if they have managed to come to terms with their own issues

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This is the third book featuring D.I. Alex Finn and once again it is a brilliant book, it has a great story with lots of twists and some well drawn characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

Down on her luck and in need of some money, Sadie Nicholls finds herself playing waitress at a high society dinner attended by the great and good of British business. When the hand of one attendee wanders a little too far, Sadie chooses self-respect over a payday and packs it in, heading home to her young son. Before the night is over, Sadie will have been brutally murdered and three-year-old Liam will be nowhere to be found. DI Alex Finn catches the case and descends upon the tight-knit community with his team, where they find more than enough suspects, and not a few petty rivalries. When they discover that a similar crime took place in the same flat almost thirty years earlier, it changes the whole focus of the investigation and Finn is now looking not just for Sadie’s killer, but for a man who has already escaped justice and sent someone else to prison in his place.

As I get older, I find myself with less and less stamina to deal with long-running series. Some of my older favourites have long since fallen by the wayside. Two of the most obvious (to regular visitors of Reader Dad) exceptions to this, for now, are Cara Hunter’s DI Adam Fawley series and the more recently-started DI Alex Finn novels from Will Shindler. Both, in their own way, stand out from the background noise of a crowded genre, and in either case, the characters are the main reason for this. The Hunting Ground is Shindler’s third novel and puts us back in the care of Alex Finn, his DS, Jackie Ojo, and DC Mattie Paulsen as they take on this particularly gruesome case which goes from bad to worse as the story progresses.

Readers of Shindler’s previous two novels will know what to expect from The Hunting Ground. This is gritty British crime at its finest, but it’s the examination of the lives of these officers – on and off the job – that sets Shindler apart from his contemporaries. Finn, recently widowed, is a man on the verge of a breakdown, having suddenly stopped hearing the voice of his dead wife, and unable to deal with the sudden silence. His colleagues – and even his boss – can see where he’s headed and, despite whatever is going on in their own lives, are determined to help him get through it. Finn pulls a couple of stunts during this investigation that seem very out of character for him, but both readers and colleagues understand – more so than Finn himself does – exactly what’s happening, and can feel some relief at the outcome of this particular thread – not a “happily ever after” by any means, but a satisfying outcome nonetheless.

The novel also allows the author to dig a bit further into Mattie Paulsen’s personal problems. One of this novel’s main characters – and suspects – is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and Mattie finds herself bonding with his adult daughter, a kindred spirit who knows exactly what Mattie is going through with her own father. Against the backdrop of such a gruesome crime, these tangents shouldn’t really work – should, in fact, have us screaming at the author to get on with it – so it’s testament to Shindler’s talent that he can make these personal stories as gripping as the main reason we’re here.

The Hunting Ground holds a mirror up to our modern society by focussing on a small community in London. In many ways the street where Sadie Nicholls lived and died is very close-knit – everyone knows everybody else, and the local pub acts as a sort of community hub – but in other ways it’s a community stuck in the past, in all the wrong ways: old geezers missing the glory days when they were someone to be listened to, to be obeyed; and it’s an area where racism is still very much in plain sight. Shindler also shines a light on the class issue, touching on a very topical issue prevalent in today’s British politics, through the charity dinner where we first meet Sadie, which makes the news in the background for all the wrong reasons.

The Hunting Ground is an excellent addition to the Alex Finn series and Shindler’s writing continues to go from strength to strength. Like the previous entries it’s dark and can be difficult to stomach at times, but the journey and the payoff are both well worth the read. Detective Inspector Finn and his colleagues are characters that feel like old friends each time we encounter them, and we find ourselves interested not just in how this book will change them, but in how they have evolved since the end of the last book. One of British crime’s finest authors and series, there’s nothing for it now except to wait for Book Four early next year.

The third in the crime series featuring South London detectives Finn and Paulsen. Taut and chilling the story kept me gripped til the end. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Book three in this police procedural series featuring DI Alex Finn. A single young mum is found murdered in her London flat and her son is missing. Can Finn find him? Then he finds out a similar crime happened in the same flat 20 years ago, coincidence? A clever, engaging and emotional page-turner.

This was an interesting murder story. Sadie has spent the evening working at a dubious event, which she leaves prematurely and comes home to her son. Next day her body is discovered and her little son is missing. Sadie has an impeccable history, only trying hard to make ends meet for her family. Has she borrowed money from the wrong person? Has her partner returned and they have had a fight? But where is Liam?

DI Alex Finn, fighting his own demons after his wife's death, takes on the case. And quickly discovers that a similar murder of a woman happened in the same house years ago, but then the child was also killed.

The plot then becomes very convoluted as we follow the strands to determine motive and means for these attacks. It makes for a good read as we try to unravel all the strands and find out what has really happened, both in the current and historical attacks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a series I love and this the best installment in this series so far: gripping, riveting, highly entertaining.
It was an exciting ride that kept me hooked and on the edge till the end.
Solid plot, excellent character development and storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen again join forces in this third book in this series, and it doesn’t disappoint, an outstanding thriller will lots of intrigue and twists. Looking forward to the next book by Will Shindler

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the electronic copy.

This is Book#3 in this series starring DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen; it reads well as a standalone if you're new to the series - there's enough background information to bring you up to speed (although I would recommend you to enjoy the first two).

Sadie Nicholls, with 3yr-old son Liam, rents a flat in Lewisham, South East London; its "an unremarkable backstreet lined with terraced houses on both sides and a pub that had seen better days at the far end" Desperately trying to make ends meet, Sadie takes a waitressing job at a 5* West End Hotel. It's a Knights Association charity dinner. However, she soon realises it's not the sort of work she wants to be involved in and, for her son and for her principles, she walks out and gets home early. The next morning Sadie is found murdered and her son is missing. Is this something to do with the previous evening?

The main characters from the neighbourhood are gradually introduced and brought to life. Alex Finn and his team have no shortage of possible suspects - although everyone seems to have an alibi - and no one seems to really have a motive. What of Liam - was he scared and wandered off alone or was he abducted? Time may be running out.

As information is gathered it comes to light that at No.18 where Sadie was murdered, almost 30 years before Vicki Stratford and her 4yr-old son Ben had been murdered; however, Dean Rawton was still in prison - do they have a copycat? If not, then their killer is still free.

This is a really absorbing investigation. I always enjoy the interactions within the police team.
Alex is still grieving, two years on, for his wife Karin, but is trying to put on a front for his colleagues to disguise his emotional turmoil until he frighteningly reaches rock bottom.
Mattie Paulsen's father is in the early stages of dementia and this plagues her mind as she sees how residents Tom Daws and his daughter Abi deal with this.

A very good, intriguing read.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book which was the 3rd in the series, but the first that I have read. I look forward to reading more.

Reading a Will Schindler is like seeing one of your favourite aunts or uncles. You know they're only going to visit you once a year but you also know you are going to have an absolute ball of a time and saying goodbye is always sad.
This is definitely one of my favourite series! Not only is their brutal crimes to be solved but there's also a lot of depth to the characters.

This is the third instalment in the series but you don't have to read it from the beginning to absolutely love the story. There is enough of the backstory for you to understand the characters.

Sadie Nicholls is struggling financially and because of that, she took a job as a waitress at the Knights Association dinner. A dinner attended by men with waitresses that are all female and young.
Soon it becomes clear that more is expected of her and although she needs the money to look after herself and her son she decides to hang up her apron and go home. Sadie is brutally killed just after she got home and her son goes missing. Does this have anything to do with what happened at the dinner or is it something more sinister? Is there a link between this murder and the murders that happened 30 years before in the same house and are the neighbours all who they seem to be or is there evil lurking close by......
Finn needs to figure this out very quickly but it is also two years since his wife Karen died and he hits rock bottom. Will this affect his work?

Another brilliant read! I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gripped from the opening scene…. Having loved the two previous first 2 novels in the DI Alex Finn series, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into book 3 The Hunting Ground,with a clever, twisty plot and great team dynamics, The Hunting Ground is highly entertaining tale.Talented author Will Shindler again delivers yet another masterpiece,that is unique and breathtaking.

I absolutely love this series. This is Book 3 with DI Alex Finn and Dc Mattie Paulson. The characters now feel like friends in this book I went through all the emotions with Alex Finn as he still trying to cope with the death of his wife two years earlier, there was a part of this one that just had me in tears as I felt the emotions, so brilliantly written. Alongside this he is having to run the team who are investigating the death of a young woman Sadie Nicholls and her missing three-year-old son Liam.

Sadie is a single parent, she had a waitressing job at a function for the Knights Association Dinner, unfortunately the men attending this function felt that the women were there for them to grope and sexually harass. Sadie wasn’t taking anymore of it an by eleven o clock she decided to leave, but not before having an altercation with a person who had got her the job. Her friend asked her to text her when she got home safely, which she did. So how did she end up dead in her home later and where was Liam.

Who would want to harm Sophie? Who would take her son? Everyone in the neighbourhood said what a pleasant friendly person she was. There seems to be no motive for anyone to want her dead. The team are at a dead end. Except for they found an old case where a woman was murdered in the same property along with her child. Could these crimes 30 years apart be linked? Is the man who has spent the last 30 years of his life in prison innocent?

In the story one of the characters has dementia, Maggie’s father is in the early stages of dentist and she sees what she may have to face at some stage in the future. All the characters within this series are likeable, relatable and believable, especially if you have read the first two books in this series. This book is readable as a stand-alone and would work well, but if you want to know some of the back story it helps to have read the other two but it’s not necessary. I just personally like to read a series from the start. There was a mixture of characters that were suspected to have committed the crimes, but as each one was eliminated with alibi’s the story kept you guessing. Just when you think you have it another curveball is thrown. With a surprise ending I never saw coming.

The writing is clever, the plot complex, a multilayered story that will grip you from start to finish. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Hodder&Stoughton for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

The Hunting Ground is the first book in the DI Alex Finn series by Will Shindler that I have read despite having previously bought copies of The Burning Men and The Killing Choice which I had planned to read in order but sadly time ran away from me. And having finished reading The Hunting Ground, the only thing I potentially missed out on was some background information on the personal lives and working relationships between Alex Finn, Mattie Paulsen and the rest of the Major Incident team who we meet during the course of this book.

The book opens with us meeting the victim Sadie alive and well at work. She finds herself in an uncomfortable situation but despite the fact that she'll lose out on some much needed cash to look after her little boy Liam, she sticks to her principles and leaves early and makes her way home. But sadly this decision ultimately costs her as the next morning Sadie is found dead and there is no sign of Liam. It's down to Alex Finn and the team to find out what happened to Sadie, but more importantly to try and find Liam as everyone knows the first 24 hours following a disappearance are the most crucial.

The Hunting Ground is so much more than a whodumnnit, it's a perfectly balanced tale between the serious crime, a look into an old case that happened in the same house that bears striking similarities to this current investigation, as well as getting a glimpse into the everyday lives of the community where these events happened. We also get insights into the personal lives of Alex and Mattie which is where I might have gained a little by having read the previous books but I was able to gather enough insight from the snippets provided to see how Alex was coping with his personal loss and how Mattie had a connection with one of the neighbours as both have fathers suffering from early stages of Alzheimers.

So many books set during this period have chosen to completely ignore the situation we have been living with during the last couple of years so it was refreshing to see brief mentions of the pandemic, lockdown and the impact that it had on their lives. The fact that they have ultimately had to change their daily routines, loss of income and the impact it has had on their lifestyles.

Every time I thought I had figured it out and came up with a potential motive, something else would come along and throw all my theories out the window. So many of the neighbours seemed to be hiding secrets from their loved ones, friends and neighbours that I had multiple potential suspects to try and eliminate. The more I learned about each of them, the more I tried to work out what could possibly have been the reason for the murders, both in the present day and in the past, and was completely floored when the eventual truth was revealed. I went through a whole cauldron of emotions, from sadness to anger, when various snippets are revealed about incidents in several of the characters pasts that have shaped them to be who they are today.

The Hunting Ground is a thought-provoking read that had me on the edge of my seat whilst reading and I think from about the midway point I don't think I moved an inch as I was so eager to find out the truth, and even asked myself 'what would you have done in that position?' multiple times. And as for that ending... I was definitely not expecting that.

Now if only someone could invent a time machine to make our free time longer so that I can go back and catch up with the rest of the books in this series as I hope they are just as brilliant as this book was.

This book was as much about the lives of the main characters and the personal trials that they were facing as it was about the brutal murder of a young mother and the disappearance of her son. Both were explored in some depth with the mental health aspect probably more intriguing than the crime itself. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book.

The author says in his notes that writing this book kept him sane during the various lockdowns, well it has at least given me one reason (probably the only reason) to be glad of the lockdowns. It really is a very enjoyable read with a very well developed plot and interesting if not always likeable characters.
There is enough other stuff going on along side the actual crime but not so much that the main thread gets lost.
I can happily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good British based crime thriller.

Sadie Nicholls has been found dead, brutally and strangely murdered, in her South East London flat. Her little boy is missing.
DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen know that, in the case of a missing child, it's the first 24 hours that count. They don't have many left to find out where Sadie's son might be and the identity of her killer. Why would anyone want a struggling single mother, loved by many, dead?
But when they realise a similar crime was committed at the same house nearly 20 years ago, a question is on everyone's lips: is this more than just a coincidence?

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
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 action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

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

The Hunting Ground is the third book in the DI Alex Finn series. I have been reading this series since the first book came out and it just keeps getting better and better. I love the character of DI Alex Finn. He is relatable, honest, and well-developed. Two years after the death of his wife Karin, he’s still going through the grieving process and, in this book, it reaches an important and breaking point.

DI Alex Finn and his team are called on the scene of a murder. A young woman, Sadie Nicholls, has been found murdered in her flat and her three-year-old son Liam has disappeared. Sadie was a single mother with money problems, but everyone loved her. With not many suspects and in a race against time to find Liam, Alex starts to wonder if Sadie’s murder is somehow connected to a double murder that happened twenty years earlier in that same apartment…

While the story focuses mainly on the murder case and it is suspenseful and full of surprises, the detectives’ personal lives also take center stage adding a more emotional side to the story. DI Alex Finn’s grief is well-written and it feels authentic. It makes this character more realistic and human and I really felt for him as he grieves not only for his wife, but for the future they won’t have together. DC Mattie Paulsen is one of my favorite characters in the series. I love how determined and strong she is, but in this book we see her struggle with her own demons as she faces the reality of her father’s Alzheimer.

The Hunting Ground is a book that kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a gripping and engrossing story, at times even emotional. Highly recommended!