I found it really hard to get into this title as I expected much smoother writing. The constant need of the main character to get into a conversation with her dead husband also became annoying after a while.

It did get a bit better at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I think this series just gets better with each book and I really enjoyed this read. DI Kate Young and her team investigate a number of similar yet random murders and are unable to find any connections between the victims. In the background Kate is still trying to get evidence about a corrupt officer and find out who was responsible for her husband’s death. I think this is a very well written and engaging book with strong characters who are realistically and believably portrayed. The main character is flawed yet still likeable and I was rooting for her throughout. I thought the book started off fairly slowly although it soon began to pick up pace. The author captured my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. I loved the many separate story threads here, and the last quarter of the book became a real page turner of a read where all the story threads begin to connect up and the book raced to a thrilling conclusion. Even the one member of the Police team I didn’t like at the start grew on me by the end. And the ending - wow, wow, wow I didn’t expect that. Overall a great read, and the best one in the series so far in my opinion.

I would recommend this for those that like police procedurals and also that you read the books in order.

A bit of a slow starter for me but then it got going and it was a well written book with good characters and kept me on the edge of my seat until the ending.

I can definitely recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for allowing me to read this book.

This book has it all: murder, police corruption, personal struggles, etc. The only thing missing in Kate's life is romance, but as a grieving widow, that is the last thing on her mind. While trying to solve a case involving multiple murders and few clews, Kate and her small team are chasing leads that go nowhere and racing to find the perpetrator before more lives are lost. If that's not enough to keep her busy, Kate is also still trying to find evidence that her boss is corrupt and responsible for her husband's murder. Burning the candle at both ends does not come close to describing her situation, unless it is dynamite instead of a candle. It's an exciting read and leaves us with a cliffhanger. I eagerly await the next book.

A life for a life is the third book in the Detective Kat Young series and what a great instalment it is.
The story starts with a happy family on the way to the airport looking forward to their family holiday. When tragedy strikes and an accident occurs. The wife and the kids died instantly for the father to live but devasted by his loss.
Detective Kate young is called to a young man murdered at a train station he was shot in the head. At first, they think it is a suicide but, after delving further that find that his death is the worse kind. It was a random killing and there is no idea why he was picked. As Kate and her team investigate the killer strikes again. The same random killing and locations and Kate is worried if they don’t find the killer soon, more bodies will turn up. She is also still grieving over the death of her husband Chris and often doubts her own mental health, but she has a great team, and she is up to the task to find the killer.
With all that going on she is also trying to find out who her husband’s killer is. He was killed while he was investigating some corruption in the Police Force. Kate is Brave. She wants to find out who killed her husband, but also must tread carefully as she thinks her boss is involved.
Thank, you once again Amazon for an ARC of Life to Life by Carol Wyer. This is another great instalment in the series. The storyline a bit slow at first to ascertain what it is going on but, it soon becomes clear. This is a great page turner. I like the character of Kate her determination to doing her job but also her vulnerability. And what a cliff-hanger? Can’t wait for the next instalment. 4 stars from me.

Another cracking contribution to the excellent Kate Young series. Once I get past the obstacle of Kate trying to talk to her dead husband, I find this a very good, engrossing and involving series, and A Life For A Life is probably the best instalment. While attempting to solve her current case Kate continues to look into the past of her boss, in an attempt to bring him down. She is tasked here with joining the dots in what appears to be a succession of random killings and the case and its resolution are ultimately satisfying and revealing.

DI Kate Young #3
3.5 rounded up

Happy family group heading to the airport, then a horrifying car crash. Meanwhile, DI Kate Young is seeking the proof she needs to bring down corrupt superintendent John Dickson any way she can and especially desperately for the death of her husband Chris for which she holds Dickson responsible. This runs covertly alongside the hunt for the killer of Tobias Abrahams, swiftly followed by more deaths.

I enjoyed the last book in the series and although this one is good, I don’t think it’s quite as good as that. Kate is a very interesting central character, she comes across as enigmatic, understandably a bit withdrawn after Chris‘s death but she’s still a good police officer, very determined and hard-working. In this the author conveys her many emotions, fury, grief and desperation for revenge and justice, this is done extremely well. You also sense her looking over her shoulder as who can she trust? There’s quite a sinister feel at times, are there eyes everywhere on her? The characters in the team are also very good, some are flawed and carrying baggage but that makes them feel authentic. Emma and Morgan are especially likeable. I like the addition of Samuel the profiler who seems fascinating and he adds an extra dimension.

The case really challenges the team as they try to figure out the identity of the perpetrator before someone else loses their life. There are plenty of shocks to be uncovered along the way with moments of tension and suspense. The ending is really good and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

However, the start feels a bit disjointed and maybe a bit messy before it gets into its stride and it also becomes quite psychological in tone which causes the pace to rise and then fall on occasions. Despite this, I do still enjoy it as I really like the series and I find Kate fascinating.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Amazon Publishing UK for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Wowsers what a read ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Firstly huge thanks to the author for the ARC.
This is the 3rd book in the Kate Young series. Now this is a perfectly good standalone read as the sub plot backstory is covered well but I urge you, if you’ve not already read the first two, do, you’re in for such a treat and I envy you the back to back binge watch.
This book is told in three concurrent parts. Kate and her team are called to the murder of a young man at a train station, which is quickly followed by further murders, the only single discernible link being the method of dispatch. Apart from this the murders appear random and unsolvable because of their randomness
We also follow the villain as he commits the murders and while we the reader get, after a while, a possible understanding you can feel the sense of hopelessness within the team as they grapple to get any possible clues, and when they do, only to have them snatched from them. It’s a credit to the excellent writing that we feel a sympathy for him too.
Thirdly the sub plot, which is unbelievably brilliant, hurtles along until you think that this has finally got to be the undoing of Kate as she is faced with not only a complete distrust of almost everyone around her, isolation and crippling loneliness, but guilt for some of her methods. An explosive ending leaves her with just one possible real choice, but is it one she could life with?

This is the third police procedural story in the DI Kate Young crime series. In this novel we have two focal points to whet our appetites. The first intriguing case is a series of unfathomable murders, one every day, and always committed in the late afternoon or early evening using the identical method. These slaughters were definitely committed by the same person, but just why the team couldn’t fathom. Not only that, but the modus operandi is exactly the same without any deviances. When Kate and her team are really scratching their heads, a Profiler called Samuel is brought in to help them make sense of what sort of person the killer is. He immediately becomes engrossed with his task, using his skills and perception. Samuel is an eccentric man in many ways, and not always reliable either. The crimes appear to be arbitrary, which is surprising considering the perpetrator plans everything else to the last detail. The first victim was despatched with a Stun gun as he was walking away from the train he had just disembarked from. The murders ratchet up and the team are put under pressure to solve the case before more bodies line up in the morgue. In the middle of all this, DCI ‘William’, her mentor and once her father’s best friend, persuades her to go for promotion. He knows she is talented, determined and a great policewoman. Good luck there Kate.
The second focal point in this novel is the case Kate is managing on her own and with hired knowledgeable but civilian professionals. She has taken this course because she did not know who she could trust in her own station. Kate had taken on this case after her beloved husband was murdered before he could wrap up and present the evidence he had accumulated in the case he was working on: a case about police corruption involving her own Superintendent John Dixon. She is obsessed on completing the work that her husband had died for. Her anxiety levels and mental health issues have seen her having counselling, so devastated to lose her soul mate in such tragic circumstances. Still she ploughs on with both cases determined to bring Dixon down.
The story is set in the Stoke-on Trent area and also on Blithfield reservoir, as seen on the front gorgeous cover of the book. The suspense and tension is ramped up with non-stop action, thrills and spills. There is so much at stake for Kate. The story telling is superlative and the storyboard is managed to maximise the excitement, worry and dread. It is always lovely to read books in a series because you already know the characters and as their story continues you know more and more. However this could easily be read as a standalone novel. I really admire the writing of Carol Wyer, and the good news is that she gets better and better with each story. ‘A Life for a Life’ is richly envisaged and this novel is even more authentic because of the meticulous research and attention to detail. I highly recommend this thriller for you to read.
I was delighted to receive a copy of this novel through NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer after requesting to review it in return for an honest review. These are my own uninfluenced opinions. This is a definite must read if you like novels with plenty of heart, a riveting plot and plenty of suspense.

A breathtaking book. I have loved all the Kate Young series of books and this latest addition was no exception. An excellent plot and ending - please let there be a next one?

I really like Carol Wyer's writing style. I loved the DI Natalie Ward series and it's taken me a little while to warm to this one but I think I'm starting to get there!

I like Kate's team and I really enjoyed following the investigation with them. I love how even minor characters are well developed and realistic, and how well the scenes are set.

The only niggle is that I think the Chris storyline has gone on for long enough and I always find the main investigation much more interesting than the subplot.

My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Uk for a copy of “ A Life For A Life “ for an honest review.

Carol Wyer was a new author to me, when I requested an advanced copy of the first in her Detective Kate Young series of books.She has now become one of my favourite writers
I was particularly interested ,due to “An Eye For An Eye “ being set in areas in Staffordshire that I live by..
How great it was to find that the story itself was really well written , with well rounded characters and full of suspense. The second , “ A Cut For A Cut “ was equally as good .I’ve recommended both books to many readers, who have all had the same opinion as myself.
This third didn’t disappoint, I couldn’t put it down ! The only problem now is having to be patient for the next in the series .

DI Kate Young series by Carol Wyer
This is a fantastic Detective series. Kate Young is a brave, valiant and very human character
She is reeling from the Violent death of her much loved husband
She is also a busy detective trying to investigate a seemingly random and baffling series of murders
Meanwhile the seed of corruption running through the force keeps her up at night
She wants justice!
Nothing will stop her...
I love this heroine. She is very real and you find yourself rooting for her all the way
Cannot wait to see where she goes next
Highly recommended

DI Kate Young is an officer permanently living on the edge. The last year has been traumatic and however hard she tries she knows its not going to get better any time soon. Her team, all three of them, are a familiar presence in her life but even with them she can't relax.

A new investigation begins when a young man is found dead on a small deserted railway station unfortunately with no witnesses or apparent reason for his demise. Someone must know something though, right?  A second killing happens far too quickly for anyone's liking doubling the team's problems and Kate juggles the current workload alongside her obsessive determination to find proof of corruption at the heart of her own police department.

With her mental health issues becoming more apparent once more Kate knows time is running out on all fronts. Does she have any chance of catching a seemingly random killer or will they and those defending the indefensible finally beat her down?

This is the third book in the series and once again Carol Wyer puts her main protagonist through the wringer! The murder investigation is Columbo-esque with the perpetrator and their reasons for killing clear to the reader from the start. The clues to understanding for the team are complex but expertly revealed and keep the pages turning long into night.

Kate and her team work. They are strong together as well as apart and I enjoyed seeing things from their pov alongside Kate's. Her sister is also here once again and showing a different side to Kate which I found lessened the tension for a short whenever she appeared. I hope there will be more from Kate and her team in the not too distant future, especially as once again the author left the reader with a cliffhanger to ponder in the meantime!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent addition to a very good series but the previous two books do need to be read first.

Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.

When a young man is found lying on a station platform with a hole in his head, DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the grisly murder. But the killing is no one-off. As bodies start to pile up, she is faced with what might be an impossible task—to hunt down a ruthless killer on a seemingly random rampage.

Meanwhile, Kate has her own demons to battle as she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s death. And she is hell-bent on exposing corruption within the force and bringing Superintendent John Dickson to justice. But with the trail of deception running deeper—and closer to home—than she could ever have imagined, she no longer knows who she can trust.

With her grip on reality slipping, Kate realises that maybe she and the killer are not so different after all. But time is running out and Kate is low on options. Can she catch the killer before she loses everything?

I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I really did.
This author is now my new favorite and this series I think is also my favorite detective series.
I love Kate so much!!

This is another great installment in the DI Kate Young series. It's the worst type of case - when the crimes are seemingly random, not a single connection between the victims or locations. All she and her team have is the method that a killer is using to eliminate his victims - a gruesome, supposedly humane weapon used with animals. Aside from that, there are no clues at any of the crime scenes, nothing useful captured on CCTV, no relationships between the victims, or anything else that might help the officers determine who could be next. And at the rate the bodies are piling up, they know this killer has no intention of stopping. They make the decision to bring in a profiler, Samuel, and boy is he a character. His methods are a bit unorthodox, but Kate has no other option than to try and understand WHY the crimes are being committed, which may help them determine WHO would commit them.

Kate is also still working to bring down the Superintendent that she believes is responsible for her husband's death. She has a lot of circumstantial evidence, but not the absolute proof that she needs to take what she knows to her superiors. She's trying to locate crucial witnesses to his crimes, but fears they have either disappeared or been disposed of because of what they know. Dickson has no problem eliminating anyone that's even the smallest threat to him. Kate desperately wants to turn to her DCI for help, but she still doesn't know if it's safe to trust William. Especially because her sister Tilly insists that their father was the target of some unsavory accusations, and William was his best friend. She's never heard a word about this, so surely Tilly must be mistaken?

Kate clearly has a lot to figure out and it's safe to say that it's a bit much for her fragile state of mind. She's dead set on justice for her husband, but it may just destroy her in the process. There's quite an ending to this story, and I can't wait to see how it plays out in the next book!

Oh my word, what a thrilling read. Not a whodunnit, but a ‘how can they catch him’ story. I really like the main character and I’m pleased the ongoing story of her husband’s murder has finally been cleared up. I enjoy well written complex characters and this book has a couple; Kate herself, the first victim and the fabulously weird profiler. This series deals with the darkness of being bereaved and, even though it is crime fiction, it reminds you that the murdered characters will have grieving friends and family. Brilliant!

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read many of Carol’s books and they never disappoint. This one was no exception . We follow Kate Young, a detective as she is solving murders and trying to gather and obtain more evidence against police superintendent Dickson. Both storylines weave together seamlessly until the finally climax, and a cliffhanger I didn’t see coming. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, I enjoy that Kate and the other characters all have flaws and how those flaws tie into the storyline.

Overall the book was very atmospheric, which is something I really look for when reading a mystery/thriller. I enjoyed following the protagonist too. Kate Young wasn't unbearable or annoying to read about. I don't have anything bad to say about the story, but I also don't think that it's super impressive.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous ones. I'm getting tired of DI Kate Young's constant obsession with Dickson and her need to revenge her husband Chris' murder. Even the murders committed by someone who, like her is suffering from PTSD and has an unbelievable wish to murder others because of his trauma. It just felt unrealistic. Sorry!