A thrilling roller-coaster of a book which is gripping from first page to last. The Helen Grace books are always dark and thrilling and this one is no exception. Well worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book., Cat and Mouse by M J Arlidge. This is the latest in the Helen Grace series of books, set in Southampton where a seemingly random series of murders is happening. Helen not only has to take on the murderer but she is also facing problems with her boss who seems determined to end her career. Fast moving and well plotted this is another in what is turning out to be a very good series. Recommended.

Detective Inspector Helen Grace is the head of the murder investigation team in Southampton. She is a brilliant detective but a flawed human being. She has a difficult relationship with her superior officer and a tendency to do things her way despite what he might say.
When a young mother is brutally murdered in her home the police are sure that the man who stalked her and caused her so much anxious must be the killer.
Helen quickly finds him and brings him in for questioning. But something feels off and when there is another murder she has to start again.
During all of this her own safety is at risk because as per your adversary has promised to kill her.
Adding to her troubles is her best friend and fellow officer DR Charlie Brookes who is off her game but won't confide in Helen.
This is such a readable series and the latest addition shows us again that Helen Grace is one of the crime novels stars.

Thank you Orion and Netgalley I needed this book.
Wow wow wow not what I expected. This kept me hooked from the start and Helen what is going on!! No spoilers from me.
Great to have another instalment of a Helen Grace and what a great storyline very different.
Highly recommend and I now need the next one quickly please 🙂

Done it again! Welcome back DI Helen Grace I have missed you! I don't know how the author has managed to continue writing fresh stories about the same character but they have and done it well. Helen is still a bit of a maverick where her bosses are concerned but she gets results. When she gets suspended while looking for a serial killer she has to rely on herself and her colleagues and friend Charlie Brooks. There are a couple of crimes that move along together. A good read.

I’m always excited to read the next Helen Grace! An edge of the seat read which was twisty and had my heart racing. Helen shows her vulnerable side when she finds she’s the hunted and when something happens which could end her career (much to her superior officer’s glee). As ever, she’s driven to find the person who is targeting those home alone and why. A gripping read.

An unputdownable book about a Police Force and DI Grace, DI Grace is a formidable copper, one you’d definitely want on your team. The story starts off at the scene of a murder, and follows with the investigations. You are constantly wondering who the murderer is, with a few clues along way, I love the book, the style of writing and DI Grace, there are some references to previous books in the series - so of course I’ve bought those and can’t wait to discover the previous case and the history within.

Oooooof.

That's the best way to describe my reaction to this book.

Arlidge delivers yet again with a fantastic addition to the Grace series. Police procedural, anti hero, whatever buzz words you want to use, just read this book.

I didn't realize I'd missed a few out of the series so I've had to get them on Amazon. That didn't matter though, the story was written well enough to be a standalone book or part of a series.

Helen Grace is a slightly "off the books" but still straight shooting detective. A real likeable character and it's great to see strains on relationships in an obviously difficult workplace.

Story, character and background building was fantastic. Plot twist was brilliant! Just perfect. 5 stars all round, hope you get an ITV drama out of it.

Cat and Mouse is another outing for DI Helen Grace and her team as they hunt a serial killer before there’s another victim. It’s a series I’ve followed since the start and I like the way the characters have developed with more and more insight into their backstory with each book. They’re very well depicted and bounce well off one another. Grace is a strong female lead as a character and plausible as a. Police officer and in this story, there’s emphasis on all team members as well as the chase to catch the killer.

It works well as a police procedural and psychological thriller. Chapters are short and snappy and quite a few end on a knife edge so you have to keep reading to find out what happens next. Intricate plot and twists along the way, it delivered everything I wanted. Really enjoyed this return to the series.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

What another fantastic read by this author never disappointed. Would highly recommend to others who like this author.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A great book by M. J. Arlidge. This book kept me hooked from start to finish. I'll definitely be reading other books by this author.

There was a lot about this book I loved and certainly up to about the three quarter mark I was hooked. However after a few over the top fight scenes particularly one on a boat ( can’t say more or it will give the plot away) I rather lost interest and just wanted to get to the end. There were many more unlikely scenes of fights/escapes/chases and eventually and thankfully the end came. Long and winding storymuch of it good but not enough for me to score mor3 than four stars and it would have been three and a half if I could chose that option.

I enjoyed this one, nice short snappy chapters consistent with the rest of the series. Lots of touch and go moments for Helen grace and - of course - once again, she saves the day! I liked at the end how Charlie had her back, as did the rest of her team.

M.J. Arlidge has been a mainstay on my bookshelf for years, but I'll admit I've had a complex relationship with the DI Helen Grace books.
I stopped reading a couple of books before Cat and Mouse as I didn't feel as invested as I had before, but I missed Arlidge's writing style and I missed DI Grace, so I took a chance.

I am so glad I did.

Cat and Mouse is a triumph, and such a welcome return to a series I once loved (so much so I'm making my way back through the books I've missed).

To write and develop such a complex set of characters like Helen, Charlie and the rest of the surrounding team, is nothing short of a crowning achievement. To keep a series going for 11 books and to still be so strong at book 11 speaks volumes.

What really shined through most in Cat and Mouse is there was much more focus on the team as a whol.e and personal histories, rather than just the nitty-gritty of their day job catching serial killers.

I have read all the Helen Grace series and loved them all. This one was no exception- but I have to say my heart sinks whenever Emilia turns up - I don’t like her character at all. Recommended

Ooh another excellent read from @m_j_arlidge
Such a fan of this series and just love the rollercoaster of emotions the reader faces. There’s frustration, guilt, hopelessness, frustration and absolute hatred, and that’s just D.I. Helen Grace! Loved Emilia’s journey in this too. Darkly, wonderfully, brilliant 🤩

A silent killer stalks the city, targeting those home alone at night - killing without pity or remorse. As panic spreads, D.I. Helen Grace leads the investigation, but is herself a hunted woman, her every step dogged by a ruthless killer bent on revenge. As she tracks the murderer, Grace begins to suspect there is a truly shocking home truth that connects these brutal crimes.

#bookstagram #books #mjarlidge #catandmouse #libraries #orionbooks #crime #policeprocedural #thrillerbooks #police #detectives #southhampton

I cannot lie, this was a big disappointment for me! The first book I have read by Arlidge and my first introduction to the character of DI Helen Grace, Cat and Mouse seemed very promising. A serial killer on the loose, an out and out cat and mouse chase but, ultimately, this missed the mark!

This was a long book, or at least it felt long to me as it was so drawn out. Yes, it had very short chapters which made them quick reads but there was around 150 which was just a lot to get through. If the plot was a little more bound together, I wouldn't have minded but it felt so scattered to me! One second this is happening, the next something completely different, and then different again. And not just that but I found it a little complicated at first with identity characters. Many were introduced in a short time, it left me a little befuddled. The opening of this book was intense and gripping, it held promise and it's what I thought would have me hooked but then reading on, it very quickly lost its momentum.

Overall, it was an average enough read, with average characters and an average story but nothing I'd go out of my way to read again. Would I recommend it? I honestly don't think I would which is disappointing but the truth.

*Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

M.J. Arlidge is one of my favourite authors, and I’ll read anything they release without even checking to see if I’m interested in that particular novel, and that’s because he writes such interesting characters and engaging plots. So although I’m biased, there’s a reason for it.

Cat and Mouse is the 11th novel in the Helen Grace series, which sees the Detective Inspector on the hunt for a silent killer who keeps striking people who are home alone. On top of this, there is another killer who is hell bent on taking Grace out. Can she escape one killer while trying to catch another?

Arlidge’s world is so fully developed with realistic characters that you can’t help but be interested in. Finishing one book in a series is always melancholic because I’m always reluctant for it to end, but then picking up a new one is like going back to catch up with old friends.

Most crime novels are formulaic and because I’ve read a few, they’ve become somewhat predictable and unoriginal, but Arlidge novels are never like this. He still manages to shock, add in twists you don’t see coming and create really readable books.

This is the same for Cat and Mouse. Just when I thought I had a handle on where the novel was going, I was wrong. The premise is interesting, the pace is non-stop and you constantly just want to read one more chapter.
Helen is a fascinating character and you can’t help but get drawn into her life, and personally wanting some of her courage! Some of his characters are so annoying that I am often left super frustrated, but all very intentionally – he wants you to dislike these characters. Everything he does is crafted and deliberate and that’s what makes his books so readable.

It’s perhaps not as dark as some of the other books in the series, and it does focus on more personal issues of some of the characters, which I know some might not enjoy. However, it still packs a punch and is as graphic as ever.

I’m sure it would work as a standalone, but do yourself a favour and read the series, it’s worth it.

This book is so good. I was gripped from beginning to end. The way it is written adds to the suspense as it smithereens characters. It was tempting to rush ahead and find the next part about Charlie or Helen Grace but I resisted. There are so many twists and turns you can't help but be hooked. Excellent reading and now I want to find other books in series. You won't be disappointed if you try this book. I can't recommend it more highly.