The tenth in the Maeve Kerrigan series. Rula Jacques has reason to believe that something seriously bad is happening in Jellicoe Close and she wants something done about it. Rula is the mayor's right-hand woman with influence that means DI Derwent is tasked with doing the something and the something involves moving into the Close undercover to watch the suspect.

Anyone who has read a Maeve Kerrigan won't be surprised that she's the one Derwent wants as the other half of the undercover happy couple.

There is plenty to keep the reader guessing, the story is well plotted and told. The crime side I enjoyed but a will-they/won't-they relationship in such a scenario probably inevitably had me wondering at times if I was reading crime fiction or if it had tipped into romance.

This is my second Maeve Kerrigan book and I am now going to go back and start from the first one!
I feel like having read book 9 really helped me to understand the complex relationship dynamic between Josh and Maeve. I am convinced that reading the others will add even more depth. Plus I need some Kerrigan/Derwent content while I wait for book 11...
Georgia as a character is really developed in this book and she is growing on me more and more. All of the other characters felt really well developed too.
I need more Maeve and Josh in my life though!

Great fast paced writing, engaging plot and characters who feel so authentic. I did guess one outcome but, for some reason, it doesn't bother me as much as in other crime books. Maybe because of the character storylines that run alongside the main plot?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
Marvel is recovering from her ordeal in the last book and it has taken its toll. She and Josh are undercover in a suburban street because it has been linked to the death of a member of the Mayor’s advisor’s family. The characters in the street are great to get to know and the everyday events seem very believable although there is obviously something very sinister going on in secret. I will give no spoilers but will say that I enjoyed this very much although not quite as much as the last book where the tension was gripping.
If you haven’t read this series, please start at the beginning.

This is such a stunning book, I felt bereft when I finished it. Maeve and Derwent make a brilliant team of detectives, going undercover in a quiet rural close. The plot is tensely plotted and moves quickly. The experience changes them both, and the book is as much about this as the crimes being investigated. I can’t wait for the next one in this series!

Maeve is back! More importantly is Josh...

After the events of the year before Maeve has lost her mojo, just about going through the motions so when a case requires for some undercover surveillance work a worried Josh bullies Maeve into volunteering. Leaving her latest case in the almost-capable hands of Georgia, Maeve and Josh pose as house sitters in an affluence middle class close, keeping a watchful eye on one of the street's more elderly residents their only link to a possible forced labour ring. But there are secrets behind the whitest of picket fences and Maeve and Josh's arrival may just stir up something - or someone's - darkest desires.

Meanwhile Josh and Maeve have to live in close quarters posing as a couple in love which may just bring their own simmering secrets to the surface...

The latest Maeve Kerrigan installment is fun, inventive and full of tension, sexual and sinister. Highly recommended - and bring on the next soon please!

I was incredibly excited to be invited to read an advance copy of The Close. I'm a huge fan of Jane Casey and of Maeve and Derwent in particular and I was keen to see how their relationship (working AND professional) would evolve.
And oooh did I enjoy the tension! There was a great blend of police procedural and will they won't they which has both agonised and entertained me over the series. The story zips along and I had that feeling in the last few chapters where you want to know how everything turns out but you also don't want it to end.
I loved everything about it. I very rarely give 5 stars but this was worth it!

This is a clever story, and the interlinking of the various storylines was done well. However the "romantic" element really didn't do it for me, and spoiled what would otherwise have been a very enjoyable book.

I'm kind of on the fence about this one. I'm a massive thriller fan but I'm not really one for romance books and this felt like it spent a lot of time focusing on the fake non relationship between the main characters and all the tension and will they/ won't they..... which I didn't care about lol. Its well written and quite slow to start. There tense atmosphere is built up throughout and there's plenty dodgy folk around to confuse matters and all woth their own secrets and such. The thriller side of it was well written and cleverly done so as not to give anything away to early and always keep you guessing. Overall I did enjoy it but.... the romance aspect was just a bit too focused on for me but I imagine for those who've read the series and are invested in the characters then this will be exactly the direction they've been waiting for!!!

I haven't read any of this series yet as I didn't realise this was book 10 at first but thought I would give it a go anyway. A fast paced storyline with some twists and turns and plenty of simmering sexual tension between the two main characters. Although I enjoyed the book I think it would have been better to start at the beginning to get the background story so I will look at reading the series from the beginning.

The Close by Jane Casey


This book is the 10th in the series by the author , and what a read it is. We once again join up with the duo DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent . My only question is , Why hasn't it be picked up for a t.v. series ?
A hospital consultant has been found dead in his car.
Meanwhile , Maeve and Josh are on an undercover job , and have to pose as a couple living in a street to observe and gather evidence.
In this book we really get to know them , especially Maeve , and finally how their work balance / private life may go.
Brilliant.

4.5 rounded up
Maeve Kerrigan #10

DS Maeve Kerrigan and DC Georgia Shaw observe the body slumped half in and half out of the BMW sports car in the hospital car park. The victim is Dr Hassan Dawoud and after extensive enquiries his killer remains elusive. As if a hard to solve a murder isn’t enough the team are instructed by the Mayors office to look into the death of a vulnerable adult, Davy Bidwell, discovered in a derelict house in Acton. Davy’s family believe Judy Thwaites, who Davy lodges with for a few days, is exploiting vulnerable people. An undercover operation is planned and DI Josh Derwent insists Maeve works with him on this. So the pair arrive at Jellicoe Close, West Idleford as a couple and dog sitters for a very lively pooch! Such a cute dog!

There’s so much to praise in this immersive novel. First of all, Derwent and Maeve! I love the sparky banter, some is very funny and well, I won’t spoil it for readers but it is crackling with tension! These two are such great characters and the pages are never dull when they’re on them. Georgia really grows on you in this one too.

Secondly, it’s a fantastic portrait of the neighbourhood and the neighbours, it becomes clear that something very dark is lurking at its heart. At the very least this lot are harbouring secrets, the dynamics are certainly intriguing and yet it’s obvious there’s more……. Maybe it’s a conspiracy or is it pure evil? Josh and Maeve are closely observing them all and it’s a fascinating unfolding situation with some startling discoveries.

Thirdly, this novel has multiple layers and yet it all blends together with the tentacles of the surveillance operation spreading far and wide into areas that are truly shocking. The pressure, including high pressure, builds on several fronts building in intensity. The tension at times is sky high, there are creepy claustrophobic moments which raises the hairs on your arms and sends prickles down the back of your neck and spine. The revelations are such a surprise as your suspicion antenna has twitched in other directions - well played! I love the ultimate end, I’m so intrigued and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that number 11 is underway as my breath is baited!

Finally, I haven’t read all the series but I have read the last few and although it’s not vital to have read number nine it does help you to understand some of the things that are mentioned in this one. This is another cracking read from Jane Casey and one I can recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/ HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Post on GR and Twitter 14/11/22
Post to Amazon and Waterstones 2/3/23

There was a crime or two going on here somewhere, but to be honest, I think we will all be focusing on the Maeve and Derwent story line.
It sizzles at times.
It's the biggest tease to anyone who's read this series of books, and frankly, I'm all for it.
It was good to see Maeve getting back to herself.
The crime is a very slow build, the new characters all seem a bit dodgy, and the pacing really ramps up at the end.
A thoroughly enjoyable installment, that's just left me wanting more. Right now. Please.

I love this series by Jane Casey - I've read a few, but not all of them, and not in order, and I've now resolved to go back and read them all in publication order. First, though, The Close, which is the tenth and latest in the Maeve Kerrigan series.

In this instalment Maeve and her colleague Josh Derwent go undercover, posing as a house-and-dog-sitting couple to run surveillance on the residents of the titular Close, following suspicions around the death of a young man. (I'm not sure I buy that this would really happen, but I'm not complaining.)

The "fake relationship" is of course a popular romance trope but it's quite fun to see it in this context. Not surprisingly, the sexual tension between Maeve and Josh reaches boiling point while they're living in a house together pretending to be a couple. There's plenty else going on around the Close, however, and it's not quite as quiet and uneventful as it appears...

A great read and I loved the relationships not only between Maeve and Josh but with other colleague Georgia, which hasn't been without its problems in the past.

Now going back to embark on a read of the whole series in order!

The Close is Jane Casey’s tenth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. It’s been over two years since the release of her utterly gripping The Cutting Place and fans of the series are not only in for a treat with The Close but a FEAST.

The Close is chock-full of the content that I’ve come to expect from Jane Casey; seriously good crime fiction, compelling storytelling, gripping character development, and, of course, some long-awaited, deliciously unforgettable moments concerning our main character, DS Maeve Kerrigan, and her senior officer, DI Josh Derwent.

We begin The Close with the murder of a young doctor whose body has been found stuffed in his car in the local hospital car park. Maeve and team launch their investigation, and as fans may have expected, we find Maeve dealing with the aftermath of the awful events of the previous book wherein she suffered a horrible assault at the hands of her then boyfriend, Seth Taylor. Seth is now behind bars serving a well-deserved jail sentence.

As the first few chapters of The Close take off, it’s clear Maeve has been suffering; she’s numb, despondent, and not performing at her level best at work (which is obviously totally out of character for our diligent detective). Derwent, exceptionally attuned to Maeve, recognises that she is not herself and, with a push from DCI Una Burt, offers her the opportunity to go undercover with him and pose as a couple in Jellicoe Close. Suspicious activity is afoot and Maeve and Josh must act the part, blend into the neighbourhood, and delve into the lives of Jellicoe’s troubled residents.

Miles away from work and their normal lives, it’s an opportunity for Maeve to take a break, recharge, and experience a complete change of work and scenery. Cue our undercover detectives in full fake dating mode, a very frequently scantily-clad Derwent, and a Jack Russell-cross by the name of Pippin to keep Maeve and Josh on their toes.

I can say I absolutely devoured The Close within hours – the palpable tension and scorching heat surrounding our two main characters and the eternal question that has circled them throughout the series (more intensely, in my opinion, since Book #4, The Stranger You Know), raises the stakes higher than ever before. A special moment featuring 80's hit "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles in one particular scene was especially apt.

We see Maeve and Derwent like never before and in close quarters, with nosy and watchful neighbours never too far, the sexual tension, heat, and attraction between them ramps up and up and up.

The Maeve Kerrigan series has given us some really stand-out Maeve/Derwent scenes over the years; Maeve's rescue and subsequent hospital scene in The Cutting Place; the spine-tingling hair-washing scene in Cruel Acts; the flirtatious dance scene in The Kill – I could go on and on.
Book by book, Jane has done a fantastic job of gradually progressing their relationship without it feeling rushed or inauthentic. The Close, however, is on a whole n’other level because the scenes between Maeve and Josh in full dating mode are absolutely TO-DIE-FOR.

The domesticity and a taste of what life would be like for Maeve and Derwent living as a couple was an absolute joy to read. There were also many laugh-out-loud moments; Derwent and Chris Pettifer exchanging mutual affection in the office tearoom, a hilariously cheeky moment between Georgia and Derwent, and a paddling-pool scene featuring a shirtless Derwent and an eagerly investigative Maeve.

The character development is, as always, Jane’s forte. Maeve, Derwent, and even Georgia undergo some interesting and welcome character development which I’m sure will impact the series at every level going forward.

I honestly didn’t want The Close to end and I am deliriously excited to see where Jane takes the series next.

I would like to sincerely thank Netgalley, Jane Casey, and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

This was a really enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. It was well written with a gripping storyline and well developed characters. It was fast paced, twisty and full of sexual tension which made for a great read.

Well, how have I missed this outstanding series?!! I am in the minority - I have not read any of the previous books in this series and therefore can rate as a stand- alone book and it worked for me. No, I didn't have the past history of Maeve and Josh but the author cleverly hints at past experiences (meaning I will go and explore them) and not knowing the past events did not detract from my enjoyment of this book. I really enjoyed the premise of setting up surveillance of a neighbouring property and unravelling the lives of the neighbours and trying to work out who are the good guys and the who are the villains. Obviously, a large part of the pull of this book is the sexual tension between the main two characters but this is skilfully intertwined with the crimes.
The only issue I had, was that in places it was difficult to differentiate when the narrator changed to the unknown person rather than Maeve, but this is probably due to formatting for a kindle and hopefully a space is left on publication or the font changes when the narrator changes.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the e- advance review copy

I absolutely love the Maeve Kerrigan series so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Close, the 10th in the series.
We are reunited with DS Maeve Kerrigan, DI Josh Derwent and the rest of the team. Initially Maeve is working on the murder of a hospital consultant whose body is discovered by his neighbour outside his hospital. Running alongside this Maeve and Josh are sent to work undercover at Jellicoe Close- a suburban street that may hold some dark secrets.
This is one of my favourite crime series- so engaging and compelling with a strong and likeable female character in Maeve. In The Close the mystery element was weaker for me than in the previous novels and it's the relationship between Maeve and Josh that takes centre stage here. This is definitely what Maeve fans have been waiting for and I loved the build up of the tension in their relationship set against the backdrop of a hot summer and the tension in the suburbs.
Recommended if you're already a fan but if you're new to this series I'd suggest starting with book 1.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Suburban Secrets…
The tenth outing in the Maeve Kerrigan series finds Maeve and Josh taking an undercover role. Jellicoe Close seems the perfect neighborhood - a suburban street, nice homes, chatty neighbours and the typical perfect lawns. Dark secrets abound here, however, and the duo are determined to seek them out. A tense and well crafted addition to this series with a well crafted cast, taut plotting and an immersive storyline. A satisfying read.

It’s the tenth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series and it seems like Jane is just getting better and better with the novels. In this new read, DS Kerrigan and her immediate boss and sometime friend, DI Josh Derwent must go undercover in the perfect picture of suburban glory: Jellicoe Close. If you can imagine (for the most part) chatty, friendly neighbours, immaculate gardens and everyone getting along swimmingly, you’re halfway there. However, within all that perfection is a disturbing business deal, at the heart of which, lies a dangerous criminal. Maeve and Josh have to pretend to be a loving, thriving couple – but can they convince the Jellicoe Close residents that they should fit right in, at the same time as doing their jobs? Will professional and personal lines blur? Ooh, let’s hope so. You’ll laugh out loud at some moments, and Maeve’s dry humour is very entertaining, as is this often uncomfortable plot.

Book 10 in the Maeve Kerrigan series and did we get what we've all been waiting years for? 🤐 not telling.

Maeve and Derwent are posing as a couple and living at Jellicoe Close to perform surveillance on neighbours and find out what really happened to a young boy who turned up dead.

The Close is basically a police procedural crossed with a fake dating romance (if couples end up together EVERY time in romance books, I wouldn't know and this doesn't mean they do here). I loved the mix of genres and all the suspense.

This book probably won't work for you if you haven't read the earlier books in the series. But if you have, make sure you have time to binge it in one sitting - you'll want to 😍

The "new" characters were not likeable but it didn't change how I felt about it - I literally only cared about Maeve and Derwent.

Expected Publication Date: 2 March 2023

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.