This is a good police procedural. The characters are interesting and well developed.
A great book in this series

While I haven’t read any of the previous books in this DCI Helen Lavery series, I feel like it can be read as a standalone and easy to follow the process of the investigation and  the story overall.
The story starts with a big suspenseful moment where a woman is chased into a dark forest and we get to read about her fears and the stalker/ criminal.
 
I always find it fascinating to read detectives stories because the crimes they have to investigate aren’t easy at all and they have to balance life and personal choices and believes while maintaining the positions they are working on and following the course of the procedures.
Add in that the main character is a single mother of two and her job is one that she has to risk her life at times to solve the crimes and catch the villains. And that’s the case in here. The author has intertwined both sensible topics and the normal police job descriptions.
 
Some scenes are really unexpected and the ending kept me on a high expectation for the last shoe to drop.
A great  mystery/thriller story that many fans of the genre will enjoy

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Evil Intent by Jane Isaac is a pretty standard police procedural. The story revolves around DCI Helen Lavery, who is hunting down a serial killer. The serial killer has been murdering women in the rural town of Hamptonshire and carving them in a shocking way. Can Helen track down the serial killer and take him off the streets for good? Or will the serial turn the tables and start hunting her instead?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue:

"Across the dark fields, Shauna runs. Where stones in the soil pick at her stockinged feet and clods of earth conspire to throw her off balance.
Footfalls thud the ground behind her. He doesn't speak, doesn't call out. But she's already seen the hunger in his eyes, the visceral determination.
The tall firs of Blackwell Wood loom in the distance. It's her beacon, her chance for safety. Somewhere t o think. Somewhere to hide."

Overall, Evil Intent is a pretty standard police procedural - no more and no less. I've enjoyed books in this genre, such as the Unsub series or the Slayton Thrillers series, so I was expecting to enjoy this one. But maybe because of the predictable nature of police procedures in general, I was rather bored by this one. Nothing - not the characters, not the plot - really grabbed my attention. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!

A series of murder leaving markings on the victims. An intense series that keep you going and following the experiences of each women and the intent of the murderer behind those crimes.

I didn't know this was a series from the DCI from Helen Lavery which actually I'm not familiar, however this book I enjoyed reading. Though the plot is not uncommon but can still enjoy the overall timing of the whole story.

3.5/5 stars.

This is the fourth in the DCI Helen Lavery series. Its rare I don’t read all books in order, but even though I’d not read the previous three, I still felt I understood the storyline and it didn’t affect enjoyment. It’s made me want to read them all because of how sophisticatedly this novel is written.

It is similar in content to many other crime thrillers with a police procedure theme however this was a slight cut above some others I’ve read. I could really feel the police procedural element shine throughout the novel in regards to description and police policies which were very real and authentic.

It’s excellent plot really pulled me in with its very interesting MO. The serial killer engraves a pentagram into his victims which really added to the suspense of the scenes.

The parallel storyline is really intriguing and I’m looking forward to seeing where that leads.

If you are looking for a new crime series to follow, make this it.

Police procedural featuring DCI Helen Is very and her team. All good characters who interact well. Lots of twists and turns,well written.

I love a good story with a vampire in it, but I like one with angst and forbidden romance as well. This book was an average retelling of Dracula in his castle. I needed some more from this book.

Evil Intent is Book #4 in Jane Isaac's DCI Helen Lavery series, but you don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy it (I hadn't, but I plan to now!). It's a tightly-written police procedural with especially good cliffhangers at the ends of most chapters which kept me reading far longer than I should have. Isaac does a really nice job of balancing the case at issue--catching a murderer who carves pentagrams into the bodies of his victims--and following the private lives of her detective team. A fast-paced, enjoyable read--definitely recommend!

This is the first book I have read by Jane Isaac what an author, DCI Helen Lavery and her colleagues are racing against the time to solve the murders of young women who have a pentagram carved into their bodies, the serial killer is getting bolder, this book really takes into account the pressure the police are under and also the victims families especially when the history of the victims surface a really great crime mystery book

This is the fourth book in the series featuring DCI Helen Lavery and it certainly didn’t disappoint. As well as being a DCI Helen is a widow bringing up two boys with the help of her mother who lives with them. Helen and her team are facing a tough case. A woman’s body is found with a pentagram carved in her chest. Whilst they are investigating more bodies of women are found with the same carving on their chests. They realise that they may have a serial killer on their hands who seems to know what he is doing as he doesn’t leave any DNA on their bodies that could incriminate him. Helen’s personal and professional lives collide as she discovers her son’s new best friend is the nephew of a crime boss who has a grudge against Helen and her family. She soon finds herself in danger as she races to find the killer. This is another fantastic read in this gripping series and I can’t wait for book number five.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I had not read a Helen Lavery book before, but I will surely read another one. Helen is a single mother and, and, in this book, an acting detective superintendent on a British police force. I liked Helen as a character, the mystery was well done, and I appreciated the focus on the trauma of the family when someone is murdered. Well written and sensitive story.

Wow. What a read. A book that I devoured and thought I had it figured out early on! Being book number 4 in the DCI Helen Lavery, I didn't feel like I needed to read the first 3 beforehand. I have, however, ordered them to read anyway!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A meticulous, tricky police procedural veering into thriller territory. Well plotted and paced, it starts with a bang and follows through with a compelling story. A series of murders of young women found naked with a reverse pentagram carved into their chests and forensically clean.
This is number four in a series starring DCI Helen Lavery (now Acting Superintendent). However it reads as a stand alone while enticing the reader to hunt out the previous books. I like that compassion is shown towards the bereaved and understanding as to how they are affected. We are also given a sense of the almost boring, though important, day to day investigative process which intersperses the sometimes terrifying moments. A great read.
Thanks to Legend Press and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Evil Intent, by Jane Isaac. Helen, Pemberton and Marnie were awesome. I was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed the twist and turns from each clue that was given for the different scenarios of finding the killer. The writer did a wonderful job with replicating the detectives and the corners dialogue.
The terminology that’s involved in the police field was easy to understand. I loved Helen’s character. To me she appears calm, cool and collective. She stands back to monitor what’s happening around her. She then gathers her information to puzzle it together, then she has her answer.
Pemberton is a good sidekick. He doesn’t talk much during interrogations, but he’s always on point if someone needs something to drink. I would to have like to read some of the book from the killers point of view in the book. Until next time my fellow readers… read on!

Well written with a compelling storyline, well developed characters and a atmospheric setting made this a good read. It was twisty, unpredictable and fast paced. An enjoyable read.

When a series of women’s bodies are discovered in the heart of rural Hamptonshire with a pentagram carved on their chests, DCI Helen Lavery is forced into a cat and mouse chase…. The constant action means there is never a dull moment
Good book!

A good thriller which would benefit of taking its time. An interesting setting with ritual murders give this book an undeniable appeal. The writing is pleasant enough but the story leaves you feeling like you have missed a previous episode. It remains a good gripping and sometimes tense whodunnit which even though not memorable is enjoyable.

This is the fourth in the DCI Helen Lavery series; it is the second I have read and enjoyed. Although part of a series, I think Evil Intent would be fine as a standalone.

In this case, a series of dead bodies of young women with a pentagram carved into their chests is investigated by Helen’s team. In addition, the half brother of a notorious criminal who was the nemesis of both Helen and, before that, her father, has turned up in town and his son has become a close friend of her son’s.

This is not only a solid police procedural, but it also focuses on the affects of violence on victim’s families, as well as the impact of policing on an officer’s family. It moves along at a good pace and I did not want to put it down!

Helen is a strong, confident female character. I’ve read too many authors with female leads who have flaws in the their personality make up. Helen is an emotionally mature individual and I look forward to reading the next in this series. Are changes coming? As the story ends, Helen, who is Acting Detective Superintendent is about to say goodbye to her Assistant Chief Constable who has taken a job with another department.

Evil Intent opens with a woman running through the forest, doing her best to escape capture from the person chasing her. She knows the area well and finds what she hopes is a hiding place, where she can wait it out. Sadly her body is found the next day by a jogger, the body has been descecrated with a pentagram carved into her chest.

This is a fast-paced opening to a book and was mostly an enjoyable read, a couple of small issues, one, an awful lot of text sometimes when it wasn't really needed, also I hadn't read the previous books before, but I managed to get characters sorted, etc, the constant mentioning of "Chilli" made me puzzled, I got there was the history between him and Helen Lavery but not the whole context. Didn't spoil the book, just made me puzzled!

A solid read. Thank you to NetGalley and Legend Press for allowing me to read the book in exchange of an honest review.

Evil Intent by Jane Isaac is the fourth instalment in the DCI Helen Lavery series but reads quite well as a stand-alone. The police procedural takes place in Hamptonshire, where the DCI and her investigators are on the hunt for a serial killer of young women. His gruesome signature is the upside-down pentagram that he carves on his victims’ chests. The book deals with Helen’s personal life and the day-to-day investigative work done to solve these horrid crimes. Jane Isaac brings a humane touch to this violent story by showing that the victims’ families are treated with compassion and personal attention. The characters are varied and interesting and the resolution of Evil Intent is developed slowly and logically but remains a surprise for the reader till the end. This police procedural is a great way to spend a winter day. I look forward to reading more mysteries written by Jane Isaac. Highly recommended. Thank you to Legend Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.