This appears to pick up not long after the events of Gallowtree Lane. If you haven't read that it's not too important. It starts with the trial of Ryan Kennedy who has killed a Police Officer, Kieran Shaw. After he has served his sentence he is paroled to a small town on the Welsh borders.
A county line has sprung up there and the Met get involved at first not realising that Ryan is there. A fifteen year has been reported missing and his disappearance leads to the same town.
All things converge on there and there could be another bloodbath if the police don't neutralise the main players in time.
A pacey read, but just lacks something.

I really tried to like this book but really couldn't get into it. I gave up in the end. Maybe it was the gang culture detail, I don't know. So I'm sorry but I couldn't enjoy it but I do appreciate the opportunity to read it.

At 15 years old Ryan Kennedy kills a Detective and is sent to a young offenders’ institution followed by time spent in an adult prison.
The death of the detective left his colleagues in shock. The mother of his son, Lizzy is struggling to cope. His colleague DI Sarah Collins has moved from the Met to the country for a quieter life.
Then, when a missing teenager finds his way to Sarah’s patch she will find herself drawn back to the life she thought she had left behind.
This complex, dark novel takes you into the world of county lines drug gangs, a world where youngsters are disposable and the threat of police means nothing.

Excellent read had me hooked from start to finish the story and characters really bring this book alive the reader I can highly recommend this book 5*

15-year-old Ryan Kennedy shot and killed a Police officer. Whilst in prison he has learnt to keep mouth shut so he can get an earlier release. He has also been looked after in the prison. DI Sarah Collins, however, has left the met after the shooting and decides to take a ‘quiter’ post in rural countryside to work in Missing persons unit. But when someone goes missing and ends up on her patch. Times at the met come back to haunt her when she must get her old unit involved in her latest case.
Thank you Atlantic/Corvus for a copy of ‘The Misper’ from Kate London is a gritty, relatable police drama that I enjoyed. I thought this was an original and realistic story that is current today. How teenagers and abducted and turned into drug pushers of the hierarchy in gangs. The only downside of this and others have said. There are no gaps or new paragraphs for each character in this story which sometimes made me a bit confused in what was going on. 4 stars from me.

This book started off really well. A fifteen year old has shot and killed a police officer during a county lines raid. He knows he will be looked after on the proviso that he keeps his mouth shut about the operation. Sounds good but I found it very hard to get into the story. The writing style was haphazard and the story did not flow. I did finish this book but it could have been so much more.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.

This is a very authentic and compelling read by the author. Great characterisation, especially Lizzie, believable plotting and plenty tension, as well as being thought provoking. It's about gangs, drugs and county lines told from different points of view. A first class police procedural, with current topics, which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book

A fast paced, well written book showing the difficulties faced by both the police and the families of the youngsters targeted by the criminals running County Lines, The story is all too realistic, relevant, believable and at times hard to read but well worth it. The characters are fully developed having met Sarah and Lizzie in The Tower, and you can empathise with Asha, terrified as to what will happen to her family. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!. This was is one of the best books I’ve read in long time. This book was so captivating; one word WOW! It was a fast paced and kept me wanting to find out what happens next a perfect book for psychological thrillers fans alike; from the very first page I drawn in and couldn’t put the book down! The book explored the topic of county lines and this was done extremely well. The characters were likeable also my favourite was Lizzie.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book another cracking book by Kate London. I can’t wait for the next one! 😊

These novels by Kate London are not only police procedurals, but look at the wider impact of drugs dealing on the youngsters caught up in it, Set mainly in a fictional countryside town, the action is edge of your seat at times, has believable characters and an climatic ending. If you've not read any of her novels previously do start on the previous books in the series and if you are a fan, well you are in for treat!

Kate London’s The Misper is a continuation of her previous books picking up with the aftermath of not only the death of a police officer but also the subsequent court trial.

The Misper, whilst still a police procedural, is more of a what happened next and is an enjoyable book although probably more enjoyable if you have read the previous books by this author.

Overall a good read.

This follows on from London's other books which I have read but I really struggled to remember what had happened. I thought this needed a refresher which I do not normally think but the recap in this was not good enough and I spent the first half of the book trying to remember previous events. Towards the end, events were explained and fleshed out but it was too late and the book had already lost me. This had an okay ending but the rest was too confusing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy of The Misper, the fourth novel to feature DI Sarah Collins.

15 year old Ryan Kennedy shot and killed a police officer and he knows that if he keeps his mouth shut for his short sentence he will be looked after on his release. DI Sarah Collins left the Met for a quieter life in the aftermath of the shooting, but it might not be so quiet when a missing person turns up in her area and leads her right back to the Met and Ryan Kennedy.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Misper, which has a fairly unique approach to storytelling and stands out in a crowded field. I was in two minds about my rating as the style is a definite 5/5 for me, but I’m less than enthusiastic about county lines drug dealing and the exploitation involved as I find it unremittingly depressing.

The novel is told from various points of view including several police officers, the missing person and their relatives and, initially, Ryan Kennedy. This gives the reader a wide perspective on events as no two people see things in the same way. The net result is that the novel is extremely strong on the characters’ thought processes and feelings. It’s not quite stream of consciousness but it’s close and it gives the novel a sense of realism that many novels don’t have. It’s not always pleasant reading, but neither is life, and the background of drugs means that violence is never far away, especially when it is used to coerce children into the gang.

The Misper is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I really enjoyed the author's debut novel The Tower and so was looking forward to reading The Misper. The novel begins with the arrest of teenager Ryan after he kills Met Police Officer DI Kieran Shaw and goes on to explore the subject of gangs and county lines.
I usually love police procedurals but I found it difficult to engage with The Misper. For me, the writing didn't flow and although it's an important subject I wasn't drawn into the plot.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I struggled with the code names and the timelines and had to go back over some of the story a few times, this is something I have always struggled with and it not down to th author.
An excellent story and I became drawn in with Ryan to start with. Well written and would recommend.

The Misper, by Kate London, is the fourth book in a series that started with The Tower (dramatised by ITV), though it works well as a stand-alone read. It follows the fortunes of convict Ryan Kennedy, who killed a Metropolitan Police officer, Detective Inspector Kieran Shaw, while being arrested and is on trial. DI Sarah Collins is determined to convict Kennedy and provide justice for Kieran’s family, including his young son, Connor. Connor’s mother, Lizzie Griffiths, is also serving officer, and she is on desk duties as she struggles with her grief and the challenges of being a single parent.

When fifteen-year-old Leif disappears from a London estate, his mother and little brother are anxious. The police explain they would look for him, but they lack resources and statistically he will probably turn up soon. What they don’t yet know is that Leif has been pressured into doing a little job by his local drugs gang. When what he was carrying is stolen, he finds himself in debt to people he didn’t want to work for in the first place. They have plans for him and make it clear: if he wants to survive – if he wants his family to be safe – he’d better do what they ask. Even if it means risking everything.

Kate London does a fantastic job of creating flawed-yet-believable characters and it says a lot about her skills that even the criminals seem to deserve some compassion. Her writing draws on her experience as a Met Police homicide officer and she also acknowledges the help of other serving officers, making this a truly believable novel. There are fascinating insights into the lives and psyches of the many complex characters that the author has brought to life. Her detailed descriptions of locations are perfectly judged to build up the tension and I felt thoroughly invested in the outcome by the end of the book. The Misper is recommended for anyone who likes thrillers and police procedural books, and anyone interested in human nature, because all life is here.

This is a gritty, authentic police procedural thriller, although as it picks up immediately after the end of the author’s previous novel, Gallowstree Lane, I would recommend reading that first for full impact and understanding. If you really feel like treating yourself, read the two previous books in the series as well! This one concerns county lines gangs selling drugs and fighting over territory, and features the return of key characters Sarah Collins and Lizzie Griffiths, whose lives have been changed by the repercussions of an undercover drugs sting which ended badly and hangs over the team as they deal with the fallout. The missing boy of the title and the reactions of his mother realistically depict the risks and temptations which young people can face in contemporary life and how hard it is to protect your family, and the police investigation is as always fascinating- Kate London worked for the Met, so she has the insight to make the narrative ring true. The main characters are very different and flawed in their own ways, but you will engage with them and be rooting for them. A great addition to an unmissable crime series.

Sometimes a little confusing and disjointed but a fair attempt at a Police procedural and crime thriller without setting the world alight.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Atlantic Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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

I found this to be an enjoyable book to read. At times though the writing was very disjointed and went from one character or scene onto the next without a break in the writing (I hope these issues will be resolved by publication date) which, for me, made this a harder read. I think the story itself is very good though, the plot line is very current with themes of gangs, drugs and county lines and follows three police officers whose friend and colleague is murdered, the person charged with the murder, and a young missing teenager. I think the author has given a very detailed account of gang culture today, how young people are drawn into it and the effect this has on family life. At times this was a very gritty, realistic and descriptive read where I could picture scenes in my mind from the authors writing. If you're a fan of police procedurals I'd say give this a go, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐