Fantastic next instalment in the series - I love Augusta as the main female character but I think I might love Seraphine more!! She is written brilliantly and although we are probably supposed to dislike her, I can’t help but find myself championing her during this book!

Loved the way this book developed and culprits of the book were linked! Unlike anything I have ever read in a crime thriller (trying not to give away any spoilers!) and absolutely loved it from start to finish! Easy 5 stars!!

This is the fourth instalment in the Bloom and Jameson series and is another series that keeps getting better and better!!


I often find myself scanning early release titles to hopefully find another addition to the series has been released, because it really is that good!


When I first read “Gone” I was hooked on the characters and the storyline. At first, I thought Seraphine Walker was just a character for that first instalment’s storyline, but I am ecstatic that she has been kept in the other instalments as a main character, albeit on the side more often than not.


I’m not sure you are meant to love a psychopath as much as I do, but I personally feel this series wouldn’t have the same pull if her character wasn’t included, especially the way she interacts and gives more character depth to both Augusta Bloom and Marcus Jameson.


Please keep the stories coming Leona Deakin!


4.5 Stars – Great Series!


Publication Date: 24th November 2022


Thank you to #NetGalley, #RandomHouseUK, #TransworldPublishers and #LeonaDeakin for an ARC of #TheImposter in exchange for an honest review.

Fourth instalment in the criminal psychologist Dr Augusta Bloom series. Asked by the police to make sense of a string of sinister murders linked only by a matchbox embossed with an eye left at each scene. Augusta also locks horns with arch-nemesis Seraphine Walker, who plunges her into the dark underworld of psychopaths. The plot twists in this gripping thriller reach all the way to the last page.

Fourth book in this series featuring Augusta Bloom. Lots of puzzle pieces to fit together. An intriguing read.

The Imposter/ The Fall Guy by Leona Deakin I'd #4 in the Augusta Bloom series - something I didn't realise and would really like Netgalley and similar places to label! At least then I'd have the choice to read something in an already established series.

Because of this, my engagement with the characters was lacking - I'm sure if I knew the ins and outs of the relationships between the protagonists that I would have enjoyed this book more - and that I would have been more invested in the story because of that.

Deakin does really well with the writing and the plot. The pace is on point, and the twists are worth it, but it fell a little flat for me because I didn't have the connection to the characters.

Needless to say, I think those who've read the previous installments will love this one, and I hope that fans shred the shelves!

Star Rating: 3.5

CAWPILE Rating: 7.36/10

Characters: 7.5/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing: 7.5/10
Plot: 7.5/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 7.5/10
Enjoyment: 7.5/10

Many thanks to the author, Random House UK and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*PUBLISHED AS 'THE FALL GUY'*

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G

Now this, this is what you call a page turner! I literally loved every single thing about this book.

I have this strange fascination with D.I.D syndrome and have read and watched many things about it so to actually read about it in a fictional sense was fantastic. Leona has so obviously not only done her research but researched it to it's full capacity.

This was the fourth book in the Dr Bloom series and they are just getting better and better. This does follow on from the previous book so would definitely recommend reading the first 3 books to truly understand this one and the relationships between Augusta, Marcus and Seraphine.

Dr Bloom is called upon with her profiling and psychology expertise to a recent murder case. Seeing links between this case and others of men all killed in different ways, Dr Bloom starts looking for patterns but something doesn't quite add up *no spoilers*

The characters are exceptionally written and have grown with each book. The pace was fast enough to keep me on my toes bit not to the point I was losing track.

I won't go into details as this would 100% give the game away but if you are after a book that will throw you on every direction whilst spinning you around at the same time then this is the one for you!

Huge thanks to netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC.

"The world was nowhere near fair or equitable enough and the masses went along with it like compliant sheep. They needed a shock to waken them to the truth and nothing grabbed people's attention quite like a serial killer."

A series of bodies is found across London. The victims were all murdered in different ways, making it appear as if they've been killed by different people. But there is one thing linking them all: burnt matchsticks are found next to the victims. They all appear to have been wealthy. But what could be the link between them? Is a serial killer at work? More than one?

Psychologist Dr Augusta Bloom is called upon to help police find out what is motivating the perpetrators. Together with her partner, ex-spy, Marcus Jameson, she begins to look into who could be responsible. Might it be her former patient, the psychopath, Seraphine? The police think it could be, but they might have a blindspot where she's concerned.

While Bloom investigates, she and Marcus also have to deal with another high-profile psychopath, who want to hinder them. Then, they become targets of the killers themselves.

I think it may have helped if I'd read the previous books in this series, which has more about Seraphine and her relationship with Bloom, and gives the background to part of the latest book. I also found the plot to be a little convoluted at times. I've read many serial killer novels and this just didn't have the same grittiness to it, despite the plot details.

What a gripping story! great plot line to this book and enjoyed the story developing and seeing the pieces of the puzzle coming together! looking forward to reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book and will go back and read the others in the series. Whilst I hadn’t read the previous books by this author, I did enjoy this as a stand-alone novel.

Intriguing, well thought-out and gripping, I enjoyed this book.

Dr Augusta Bloom is asked by the police to assist on a case after the bodies of several men are found in separate incidents. With different modes of death, connections have initially not been made but Augusta and her business partner Marcus Jameson are soon convinced that this is the work of a serial killer and there are bodies yet to be discovered. With events from previous cases still causing problems, this promises to be a very testing case for the psychologist.

The Imposter is the fourth book in the series and while the author has made sure that previous events are discussed, I would advise reading the series from the start in order to fully understand the backgrounds and motives of each of the main characters. There is also a lot of follow-up from the previous book, Hunt, and it definitely helped to have an understanding of what had happened previously.

The relationship between Augusta and antagonist, Seraphine, is a fascinating one and it is this that, for me, sets Leona Deakin’s books apart from others. In The Imposter, we see Seraphine’s character develop and we finally get more of an insight into why she is a psychopath. She is one of those characters that you love to hate and her unpredictability really keeps you on your toes.

The serial killer storyline was gripping and well-written. I have read a series of books with a similar plot and so was angry at myself for not picking up who the killers were earlier! This was cleverly written and the ending was extremely satisfying.

The Imposter is probably my favourite in the series so far and I look forward to seeing where Leona Deakin takes Augusta, Marcus and Seraphine next.

This is the fourth in this series starring Dr Bloom but the first I have read and whilst I feel this worked pretty well as a standalone, I definitely feel I have missed significant backstory and character development which would likely have enhanced my reading experience. Having said that, I found it easy to become engrossed in this engaging story.

There are dual aspects to this which are separate but with some crossover; the hunt for a serial killer and the story of high functioning psychopaths that is clearly the continuation from previous books.

There are quite a lot of characters and this, along with the storylines, means you have to be on the ball and remain focused. I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the parts relating to the serial killer and I loved the twist; the other parts which follow on from previous books, not as much but I think that is more my fault coming in late rather than the author.

Overall, a really engaging read that is well written and I must thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Imposter.

This is book 4 in the most excellent Dr Bloom series and I know I usually bang on about starting from book one and reading in order but I will more strongly recommend you do this with this series as there is so much interconnected and the backstory is so integral to each and every book that, although at a push you could just dive in, there's a lot that will confuse / not make sense / annoy... There is some catch-up but I suspect only really meant for a memory jogger rather tan a full recap.
We start with a trader who plummets to his death from a high rise balcony. On face value it appears he might have fallen / committed suicide, but there's a misplaced box of matches with burnt ones on top. And then there's the body of a Saudi Royal found in a car. Decomposed although he had been seen more recently than that's possible. Someone obviously posed as him in the intervening days. Again, burnt matches are found at the scene. The only thing connecting the victims is their wealth. And with the police struggling, they call on Bloom and Jameson to assist...
Meanwhile, the ongoing shenanigans with Seraphine, once thought sorted, are actually still ongoing... big time as once again she manipulates her way...
I love this series. Especially the dog and cat and mouse shenanigans between our main three characters. There's some cracking mind games and manipulation which I will leave you to discover yourself. Suffice to say that Seraphine is not done but which side of the line is she really on? She comes into her element herein with some wonderful storylines, some which stem from previous books. Hard to say more without spoiling things but, you'll know the drill cos you've read the previous books!
Tidy plotting and expert execution, coupled with scant waffle makes for a story that gets on with itself very well. Throw in some excellent characters, all of whom no matter how big/small their part are well crafted, and you got yourself a winner.
All in all, a cracking addition to what is shaping up to be a very nifty series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

marcus and augustus bloom are once again drawn to a case that stumbles the police but this time they are working with a demoted officer and one that bloom helped to demote

theres a killer about but is it one or two or could be their old nemsis seraphine

the stakes are high with blooms reputation on the line....

an addictive read and it was great being back in blooms world again, i like how she thinks

There was a lot about this book that I admired and enjoyed but ultimately I did feel it would have been much better if I had read the earlier ones in the series.

I found the beginning of the book quite slow going but about halfway through it picked up the pace and in the end I thought it was a brilliant read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely did not predict the ending! Leona Deakin worked as a psychologist and you can see it in the writing. It made the story feel very authentic.
You can definitely read it as a stand-alone because I only afterward found out that it's part of a series and I don't think I've missed anything not having read the previous books.

Wealthy people are dying all over the show all in different circumstances and most look like accidental deaths or suicide but what is the meaning of the matchboxes left behind and the matches on top?
Who better than a psychologist and a spy to solve these mysteries but will the interference from Seraphine Walker, a high-functioning psychopath, be the end of them?

Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I never repeat the blurb. Another great installment of the Dr Augusta Bloom and Marcus Jameson duo. Really interesting mystery to solve running alongside the ubiquitous mystery of Seraphine. Good stuff.

Thank you to the publisher and tour organiser for sending me a copy of this book
This is the fourth in the series. A series that I have loved so far and this one did not disappoint
I love the dynamic duo of Bloom and Jameson. They are completely opposite characters but together they work perfect
There are a lot of references to earlier books so the reader would benefit from reading the previous three books
The author delivers a fast paced books with plenty of suspense and twists
This is a great cat and mouse novel and I can’t wait for the fifth instalment in this series!

Rich men are being murdered, but their deaths are being recorded as accidents or suicides. So when a Saudi prince is found strangled in his Lamborghini this is seen as a one-off. However, he was last seen alive at a conference which had been attended by a large number of people including Seraphine Walker. DCI Mizra has history with Seraphine, dating from a previous case where the latter had, in the former’s opinion, been guilty but had been exonerated. Seraphine is a genius, but also a psychopath, and would easily outwit any standard interrogation so Mizra is persuaded, reluctantly, to call in the psychologist and profiler Dr Augusta Bloom to assist; reluctantly because she believes Bloom had contrived to get Seraphine the aforementioned exoneration. Seraphine is clearly not involved, but Mizra remains convinced that there must be a connection.
She maintains this view even when the case focus shifts with the discovery, next to the body, of a box of matches, some of which had been burnt. A similar scene had been noted, in passing, at a previous death which had not been considered as a murder. A check revealed four other deaths with this feature, the earliest having one burnt match while the latest had eight. A detailed examination of photographic evidence from these investigations leads Bloom, in her profiler role, to deduce that there are probably three murderers, which comes as no surprise to the reader since we have known this from early on.
The police procedural elements of the story are laid out in a standard way, but Bloom’s contributions are crucial to the resolution, although it takes Mirza a long time to appreciate this. This is partly because she is right about Bloom’s connection to Seraphine. Underlying, but not underpinning, the murder story we have the continuing investigation into the structure and motivation of Seraphine’s global organisation of psychopaths. We get significant advances in that, as well as more on Bloom’s relationship with her, and into the background of Bloom’s associate, the ex-MI6 operative, Marcus Jameson. Readers of the previous books will also like to know that Gregory Porter is still trying to take over Seraphine’s organisation for his own ends. Lest new readers might worry about all this additional activity, I need to say that the book contains enough links to the past to ensure that it can be read as a standalone, and that it is an excellent murder mystery with a twist that many will find astonishing. I found it a better story overall than the last one, which I rated at 4*, so, with rounding up I get to 5* for this one.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Gripped from the start.

This 4th installment of Augusta Bloom delivers twists and keeps you guessing the outcome.

Hunting a serial killer who leaves matchsticks as their calling card is the main clue as the game of cat and mouse heats up.


Leona has a writing style which makes the story feel realistic. A well written crime thriller.

I really liked the premise to this story and the mystery around the people who were being killed. The unknown reason they were being selected had me intrigued as did various other anomalies over the crime scenes etc.
I did, however, get a little lost and turned off by the vast cast of characters and wonder if this was, partly, because I had not read the previous books in the series.
I also didn’t find the twists and turns very surprising so this was slightly disappointing.
I did enjoy the author’s style of writing and ideas so would definitely give some of the other titles a try.