After reading The Art of Death, the first in the Grace Archer series, it seemed like an awfully long wait for the follow up, See No Evil. It wasn’t, but I was so eager to read this one, I was champing at the bit.

D.I. Grace Archer is a great character; a police inspector with a terrible past to overcome – a past that still disturbs her sleep on a regular basis. She’s still making enemies within the force – for all the right reasons – but that isn’t doing her reputation any favours. D.S. Harry Quinn, solid as a rock is by her side, but he too sometimes feels like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.

Grace has tenacity and courage, but Fennell also shows us her caring, compassionate side. She is the detective who, in the midst of a personal and professional maelstrom, still takes the time to pick up the phone to someone who got dealt a wrong turn and it is Grace who understands the importance of letting that person know what action has been taken to redress the imbalance. She is caring and compassionate; worries about her closest relative and she is a driven and relentless workaholic.

David Fennell’s books are distinctly on the dark side of crime fiction and this police procedural deals with another set of inventive and sadistic deaths at the hands of a clearly depraved killer. See No Evil is full of the kind of characters who set your teeth on edge; you know the ones – so creepy that you can hear their fingernails scratching down the blackboard just to make you wince.

David Fennell offers up lots of dodgy characters, including a couple that I just loved. He is quite a cinematic writer and it’s easy to visualise all his characters and the settings which made it feel like I was watching a film as I was reading. His plotting is tight and the use of the present tense gives the book an immediate, fast paced feel that really propels it forward.

The storyline involves all kinds of nasties from religious cults to Grace’s own past and as we get to know Grace better, and care more about her, so we need her to triumph over the evil that she battles on a number of fronts. Fennell complements her character with a team of people around her who we are also coming to better understand; not all of them, however, are Archer fans.

Verdict: See No Evil is gruesome and both tense and intense in all the right places. The fiendishly clever, multi-layered plotting has very quickly meant that this addictive series has earned its place in the list of crime series I can’t live without.

DI Grace Archer and her sarcastic sidekick DS Harry Quinn have been put in charge of a gruesome case involving two bodies found in Battersea Park. One has been modelled in the form of a crucifix and has had his eyeballs removed and placed on the palms of his hands.
The hunt is on for a sadistic killer and things go from bad to worse when more dead horrific bodies are found. Archer and Quinn are soon embroiled in London’s underworld. With a group of religious fanatics, lead by a mysterious leader called Aaron Cronin, and, with Archer having to face her own demons, she is going to have to be at her best to find the evidence she needs if she is to solve these heinous crimes.
This is a wonderfully dark and chilling novel. It’s a highly intense and atmospheric story, with a great cast of characters and haunting scenes from the authors brilliant imagination. This is a book I found impossible to put down. It’s wonderfully gruesome and superbly written. A stunning follow up to his debut novel.
David Fennell is certainly an author to watch out for and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. I absolutely loved it.

This is a twisted and gripping thriller where the police has to find a serial killer, who is marking the victims with the eyes removed and a crucifix on them. Are they searching for a religious killer that selects their victims randomly or is a vengeance with a more twisted story?
The Detective Inspector Grace Archer and DS Harry Quinn will have a very complicated case in their hands; because all the victims seem related to a weird church; with a very creepy “leader” and dangerous followers. Could they be the killers they are looking for?
But this is not the only plot of the book, there will be some background from Archer’s past; related to the case and to her father’s death. But the personal relation she has with the case makes her more focused and centered to discover the truth.
This is not the first book with DI Grace Archer, but you can read it as a standalone. There are some mentions of her background and past, all detailed making the reader never feel lost.
This is quite an addictive read; impossible to not try to discover who is the killer before is revealed. Also, I have to say that the author leaves the reader with a little cliffhanger at the end, so I can’t wait to read the next book!
Are you ready for “See No Evil”?

I really enjoyed The Art Of Death, so when I saw the new book in the series, I had to read it! It exceeded my expectations!

DI Archer has a lot going on. Her PTSD is worse than ever with the @nonymous killings triggering the events from the past coming to live. She can't rest and get help, she needs to catch another murderer. And the bodies keep appearing!

Dark past, weird religious cult and ritualistic murders. In the background, an old unsolved serial killer case from decades ago. What not to love?

Archer and Quinn are called to an unusual murder scene, and it's just the first one. Whenever they find the clue and connection, everything comes to a cult leader Aaron Cronin and his church - The Blood of Lamb, and the drug dealers connected to Archer's dad's death.

This fast-pace book is dark and fascinating. The plot perfectly written, I didn't see the ending coming and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I loved this book. I like my killers dark, my heroes flawed & there to be trouble brewing throughout.

I love police procedural books & this one ticks all the boxes for me. In DI Archer there's a strong lead with an interesting past, her team are loyal but have issues of their own to deal with. There is tension amongst the unit they all work in & not everyone likes them. Grace's grandad is a wonderful supporting character & really brings a human element to the stories.

The action itself is brilliantly written, killings with a grisly twist & an undercurrent of what's to come in later books, as well as nods to the last book, throughout. Although See No Evil is a complete story the ending has left me wanting the next book as soon as possible please, there is drama coming & I'm totally here for it!

I'm liking DI Archer thriller and this one was quite good even if a bit too much on the grisly side.
The plot is gripping and I was glad to catch up with the characters. There's plenty of twists and I was on the edge till the end.
My only note is a part in the middle of the book that drags and I skimmed a bit.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another absolutely riveting read from David Fennell, I enjoyed the first book in this series and was so excited to get to read book 2.

It certainly didn’t disappoint, DI Grace Archer is still trying deal with past trauma’s by @nonymous and well as the kidnapping of her at 12 by Bernard Morrice. Her nightmares have started up again.

She is trying to look after her grandfather who she lives with and who has dementia. As well as working full time as DI.

She doesn’t have long to worry about things she can’t change as they have a new case, Two men have been found mutilated in Battersea Park by the park keeper, not a nice scene for him to have come across. But these deaths are just the start but who wants these men dead? Why?

The only link they find is with that of a man called Aaron Cronin who runs a cult like group who call themselves The Blood of Lamb Church. Archer doesn’t like him, she knows he is hiding something after all he knew all the men, but when questioned on there deaths he denies knowing them. Or that he only knew them very briefly.

I love the tension, the characters, the glow of the writing. Everything works and falls neatly into place. With plenty of red herrings to throw you off the scent of the real killer.

All of the crime scenes are very dark, certainly not for the faint hearted. To add to Archer’s worries Frankie ‘snow’ White the man who killed Archer’s father is released from prison. This is the last thing she needs right now. He is a big drug dealer and it seems being in prison hasn’t had much impact on his business.

This book will have you hooked from start to finish, I couldn’t put it down. Despite it being book 2 in the series it is easy to read as a stand-alone novel although if you want to know about the characters it’s always good to start at the beginning of a series. But that’s just personal taste.

The author set this up nicely for book 3 and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to #netgalley and #the publishers for an eArRC if this in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This is the second book in this series and it follows on nicely from the first. I love the characters, they are realistic and well written. DI Grace Archer has a back story that's believable and not over done like a lot of troubled officer written in books. The story is thrilling and dark, if you like the grizzly murders then this book is for you. The ending set the scene for other book which I can not wait to read.

This is a good read.
Grace Archer is still reeling from the last case but soon has her hands full when a body is found with the eyes gouged out and the face disfigured.
Investigations start off well but soon they are left with no suspects and more people killed in the same way.
Grace is persuaded to speak to a therapist and whilst she’s not keen at first, she soon realises it will help her.
There is a bit of a slow patch in the middle of the book but the ending makes up for it.
A gripping crime thriller.
Thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Well ... if you like your crime fiction dark and your murders grisly, then you definitely need to be checking out David Fennell. It's safe to say that he doesn't hold back when it comes to executing the most deliciously devious murders. Literary only of course. I hope ... See No Evil is another humdinger of a crime story, seeing DI Grace Archer faded with another vicious killer, one who seems to want to send a very clear message, if only they are able to work out what it is and who it is for.

I really enjoyed the author's first novel, The Art Of Death, but this one, for me, just takes things up a notch. He is clearly settling into his stride and getting to know his characters really well. Whilst he established Grace and her partner in crime fighting Harry Quinn, well in book one, I do feel as though I have a much better understanding of them noth now, in part because we explore a touch more of their backstory in this book, especially Grace who has extra reason to be watching her back as the investigation progresses. With worries at home as her grandfather sinks further into his dementia, and pressures are work too with colleagues who resent her presence and her history with the team, she has it coming at her from every angle. Add in a face from the past and a certain amount of personal anxiety linked to her experience on her last major case, it's a wonder she is still so focused. And yet David Fennell has created the perfect balance, allowing us to see Grace's vulnerable side when appropriate, but also allowing her to turn it to a strength when required. It is not something mentioned once and glossed over, it is constant, and I was mindful of it as I read, but it informed rather than inhibited her character in a way which made her ultimately very likeable and relatable. Very human.

The case itself of complex and full of unexpected turns. So many varied and untrustworthy characters who caused me to switch up my certainty over who was, or wasn't, guilty on many occasions throughout the book. It kept me on my toes, kept me guessing and second guessing myself and kept the mystery bubbling along whilst the story, suspects and bodycount built up around it. It was clear that certain characters had a much larger part to play in the whole mystery than it first seemed, but just how was unclear until precisely the right moment. The pacing was perfect, ratcheting up when the tension peaked, and being just fast enough to keep me engaged when the team were engaged in the more mundane elements of the investigation. Not that this is a book which lends itself in any way to the mundane. The ritualistic nature of the murders, the strange sect like community in which some of the victims had been embroiled and the overwhelming sense of threat facing Grace make this anything but routine.

I do love the way in which the author led us very carefully to the climax of this story. I was blindsided by the eventual reveal of the killer, although not entirely surprised by some of the final links that were revealed. The clues were set out for us to follow, it's all down to how much attention you are paying. And then the ending - sets us up nicely for the next book and undoubtedly a whole heap of trouble for Grace.

Fast paced, deliciously dark storytelling, with brilliant and very three dimensional characters you can't help becoming invested in. Seeing the growing camaraderie between Grace, Quinn and new resident analyst, Klara, rand that ultimate sense of threat that ekes out of the conclusion to the novel, really makes me look forward to seeing what dark paths Mr Fennell leads us down next time. Definitely recommended.

Detective Inspector Grace Archer and Detective Sergeant Harry Quinn find themselves on the hunt for a particularly sadistic serial killer when the bodies of two men are found, one of them having had his eyes removed and placed on his open palms. Investigations lead them to Ladywell Playtower, a religious commune led by Aaron Cronin. Archer knows that Cronin is involved but with watertight alibis, has no way of proving it. With issues in her own life crossing over into the investigation, this case has suddenly become personal…

David Fennell’s The Art of Death was one of my favourite books of last year and I had been really looking forward to reading the follow up. I am pleased to say that it was worth the wait as the author has written another gripping story that kept me engrossed right to the end.

Grace Archer is a great character, her dark and troubled past giving her empathy towards the victims she encounters. I love the relationship she has with her grandfather, a character who despite his aging years really comes to the fore in this book, giving us an idea of where Grace gets her tenacity from! Harry Quinn is the perfect partner for Grace, their complete trust for each other showing when the detective has reason to doubt a member of her team.

The descriptions of the murders are, at times, quite graphic but this is essential in showing you the depravity of the killer. David Fenell’s descriptions in general are superb and I found it easy to create images in my mind of the places and people I encountered during my reading.

The seed for a new book has been sown at the end of See No Evil so I am already looking forward to book three! If you are looking to start a new series, one that is still at its start, then you will not go wrong by reading See No Evil or The Art of Death. Well-written and gripping with great characters and engaging plots, this is definitely becoming one of my favourite series.

Book 2 in the series. If you like gruesome serial killer thrillers you'll love these books.

Full of tension and drama that keep the pages turning. There were twists and turns and some I really didn't see coming.

David Fennell is fast becoming one of my go to author's. I highly recommend this book.

This was a really great crime novel. It had one of the most intriguing introductions to a main character that I've read in a while, and while it started a little slower than I would have preferred, it picked up quickly and had a fantastic premise and a real mystery at the heart of it.

4/5 stars

If you enjoy fast paced, gripping police procedurals, then you need to read David Fennel’s Detective Grace Archer series. I loved the first book so I couldn’t wait to start reading the second book in the series, See No Evil. Grace Archer is such a fascinating character with a dark and mysterious past. This time around she and her team are on the hunt for another sadistic killer, following the discovery of two mutilated bodies of two men in Battersea Park. Do they have another serial killer on their hands?

The pace in David Fennell’s books is spot on and I’ve raced through both of his books. He knows how to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and as Grace’s investigation into the brutal killings moves forward, I had to know who was behind them. Throughout the book I was constantly questioning the motives behind the killings, and I could never quite work out the real truth behind the motives. This was what made it such a tense and intriguing read and it kept me turning the pages. I really wanted to know why the victim’s had been killed, and if they’d done anything in their past, which meant that someone wanted to do this to them.

David Fennell explores some intriguing themes in this book, including religious cults, which adds to the depth and mystery of the case Grace is investigating. The sense of danger is there as Grace attempts to find out more behind one particular cult, which has links to a series of murders that took place several years earlier. David Fennell raises the stakes as the book progresses and we can see just how much danger Grace is putting herself in, especially with more revelations about her past are brought to light, which is very intriguing.

You know right from the very first pages that you are in for a nail biting read, and David Fennell does not disappoint. I thought the reveals which came towards the end were clever and they were very satisfactory. The final chapter in this book ends on such a chilling note. It has made me desperate to get my hands on the next book in the series as soon as possible.

See No Evil is an addictive and a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you love a good police procedural series then you need to give David Fennell’s books a go. I highly recommend them.

Ritualistic killings in London lead DI Grace Archer, DS Harry Quinn and their team to a local "church" which has recently been set up in Lewisham. All the victims bar one had links to an organisation called the "Jesus Army". This no longer exists but a former member, Andrew Cronin, is the leader of the "church". Archer is rocked by the news that the person who ordered the assassination of her father is being released from prison and is surprised to find a link between his family and her current case. As the case progresses and they get closer to the truth it becomes clear that someone is taking revenge on Cronin.

The Art of Death by David Fennell, also featured Archer and Quinn, was one of my top reads of 2021 and this next instalment in the series didn't disappoint. Fantastic read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bonnier Books and David Fennell for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bonnier books for a copy of See no evil by David Fennel which is the second instalment in the Detective Grace Archer series. I read the previous novel The Art of death which I really enjoyed So; I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one.
When two bodies are found severely mutilated near Battersea Park it is Grace and her team job to find the killer before other bodies turn up. When they investigate, they discover that the killings are the same M.O as some cold case killings that happened 15 years ago and a link to cult leader called Aaron Cronin that had links to the case.
Grace is also dealing with her own problems. Trying to cope with her tough job and her grandfather’s dementia and finding out the man that killed her father is being released.
See no Evil is another fabulous book by the author and a great continuation to his first book. This is a gripping multi-layered story with lots of twists and turns and like the first book a bit gruesome in parts. I really enjoyed this. It has a great storyline and can’t wait for the next instalment to see what comes next 5 stars from me.

See No Evil is the second book in the Detective Grace Archer series, and what a thrilling series its shaping up to be! If you’re asking yourself why you should invest in another series when the market is saturated with crime thrillers, here’s your answer….it’s a series that’s well-written, with the most deliciously dark plots, and pretty gruesome crime scenes which is always a plus for us die hard crime thriller lovers!


Two mutilated bodies are discovered in Battersea Park. It’s Grace and her teams job to investigate the crimes and bring the killer to justice. Everything seems to point to a newly established cult and its charismatic leader, Aaron Cronin. One of the strengths of this series are Grace and her sidekick Harry Quinn, they compliment each other perfectly. Grace has a horrific backstory, and threads from her past collide with the present. I like how the author incorporates Grace’s own story alongside the investigation as the two blend together perfectly and ensure there’s never a dull moment.


David Fennel draws you in from the off with a shocking opening scene, and he continues to keep you in his clutches all the way to the thrilling conclusion. The crimes scenes are vividly described giving the reader the sense that they are part of the ongoing investigation, the who? And why? are wrapped up in misdirection and red herrings creating a read that’s exciting and unpredictable. See No Evil is a fast paced, tension fuelled read that made for an exciting, binge worthy read.

The second book to feature Detective Grace Archer…. Kept me up well past my bedtime, I could not put it down.
So many thrilling twists and turns… Just could not put it down… highly recommend!

A fast paced storyline and a killer I didn't see coming. I thought I knew who it was, yet there was a twist. I raced through it in a day as every time I went to stop reading, there was another death so I had to continue.

A really good read, it was well written with a gripping plot and well developed characters. It was twisty and unpredictable and kept me guessing. I look forward to reading more by this author.