Book 20 in the DI Geraldine Steel series. An easy read but a really weak plot. I just didn’t find it gripping and it was really unbelievable in parts.

Another puzzling and complex case,in this the twentieth book featuring Detective Geraldine Steel. Intriguing and engrossing,a great read.

The twentieth in the D.I Geraldine steel series
And another one that doesn’t disappoint
Hooked from the first page to the last
If you want to read a new series this is a must
Thanks NetGalley

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

when girls go missing from york at first the police are mystified, there is no evidence of foul play no clue as to where they have been or where they have gone to..they are just missing

its not till a young girl who had gone missing turned up on the road side covered in dirt and unconscious that the police had something to work with but even then it didnt lead to anywhere

there only hope was dna....

a macabre read that gives you chills just thinking about it...

It’s hard to believe but this is book twenty in the series. Still each new story feels fresh and exciting, and this one is no exception! At the very start of the story, DI Ian Petersen is confiding to his partner DI Geraldine Steel that his friend Jason’s girlfriend Lucy Henderson has vanished without trace, and that this is now the fourth girl to have disappeared in recent weeks, just as the reader meets George, a killer who is happily working on his garden “project”, three girls already dead and buried, and a fourth just waiting to be put into the soil. Happy at least until he returns to the spot and finds his latest victim has escaped, and then in shock as he learns from his intensive care nurse wife that a girl was brought into her ward and later died from a head injury. He prays the doctors will see nothing suspicious in her death but it’s not long before Geraldine is called in to investigate the suspected murder. For Ian’s sake Geraldine desperately hopes she finds enough other evidence to prove Jason innocent and despite two possible other lines of enquiry, it’s not looking good for their prime suspect. Then another young woman is reported missing and the investigation is turned on its head as they realise they have no clues and have to face the possibility that a dangerous killer is still on the loose.
Although not essential, I would definitely recommend reading this series in order to get to grips with all the history which has shaped Geraldine’s life and career so far, including finding out she was adopted and helping her newly discovered birth sister escape the clutches of a drug dealer which led to her getting demoted from the rank of Detective Inspector to Sergeant as a result. She moved to York and found herself working for her former sergeant, DI Ian Petersen, the man she has secretly been in love with for a long time. Now a DI again herself, they are happily living together and for once everything is lovely for the pair, although she still bears the guilt of how her birth sister’s life has been so different and much harder than her own. Geraldine is as dogged and tenacious as ever, working well with the team but always listening to her very reliable hunches and going the extra mile to solve a case, even if it’s trying to prove someone innocent rather than guilty as in this story. This indeed is quite a dark tale as the gruesome gardener goes about his crimes and there was plenty of tension and suspense knowing what had happened and watching to see the detectives making sense of the evidence to catch up with a very bizarre killer. A smashing ending and another hit for this series!

Never read this author before but this book was really good . Loved the bit of a twist at the end . Would recommend reading this book it was very good . I will read the next book this author writes .

I'm sorry to say that I was a bit disappointed in this book and it has left me wondering if what has been a great series has had its day. One of the most enjoyable parts of any crime thriller for me is trying to figure out who the killer is so the fact that we know that person's identity from almost the first page really spoiled things for me. I also thought the motive for the killings was quite frankly ridiculous. Finally I was hoping that we had seen the back of Geraldine's parasite of a twin, Helena but oh no up she pops again like the proverbial bad penny and you just know she's going to start causing trouble for her very patient sister. I'd have knocked her on the head with a blunt object long before now. I think Leigh Russell needs to consider leaving Geraldine, Ian et al behind and trying a new series.

Well I feel I am well acquainted with Geraldine and her team by this stage in the series but this one definitely had me chortling. This is absolutely the daftest reasoning for a serial killer I’ve ever come across but it made for a great light read and a good antedote for the stark and gruesome murder mysteries that I normally read. Leigh has a lovely easy to read manner and pace with her stories and some great descriptives, sometimes verging on over describing and trying too hard like your English teacher has given you a tutorial recently but nether the less it’s a goon one. It is a bit like looking at the book version of a detailed painting with loads of intricate detail as an overall experience.
As I mentioned, not too gruesome and a bit tongue in cheek so a nice cosy crime like Sunday night tv rather than a peek between your fingers scare fest, but it definitely has its place. I liked the slight twist at the end and the clues that alluded to us throughout, pointing us gently in the right direction. The developments in the lead characters’ personal life was good too, although I’m surprised, as a detective, she didn’t twig on sooner. Enjoyable, thank you.

I love this series. Starting a Geraldine Steel book is like catching up with old friends and knowing you’re going to be enthralled by their news and boy did that happen in this, the 20th book in the series.
An intriguing main plot, with a very unusual motive for the murders and a development in the subplot that’s exciting but really no surprise as we’re given hints all the way through. For a brilliant detective Geraldine is a bit slow on the uptake in her personal life. That said the development will take her and Ian on a totally different path that I genuinely never thought they’d take and I’m so looking forward to joining them on it in the next book.

Another excellent read in the Geraldine Steel series, with the usual cast of characters to catch up with. The plotting is the high standard we have come to expect from the author, with missing girls, murder and a slow build up of tension. I am loving the developing relationship between Ian and Geraldine and I loved the revelation at the end. It's 5* all the way from me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Just what does it take to get the perfect garden? And what lengths would you go to, to ensure that your garden is just that. Perfect.

In an area of the city of York, four young women have gone missing. Without trace.

There is no apparent link, nothing to tie them together. No plausible reasoning. Apart from the fact that they are all missing.

I read this in two sittings. It would have been one, but sleep was calling me.

It is really easy to read, the characters and plot are really strong. Mind you this is the first time that I have encountered this series (but it is the 20th outing for the lead).

The plot flows. It doesn’t deviate from its course. It stays true to what it is.

And I can’t imagine just how much time, and building for the characters has gone into them. They must be like family to the author.

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.4/5.0

The next instalment featuring DI Geraldine Steel. I couldn't put it down it is utterly gripping. When her partner askes her to check on the girlfriend of a football team mate who has gone missing, she reassures him that its unlikely that anything has happened to her. However when she turns up to a the murder of a young woman all that changes!!! Of course Ian's friend is a suspect, but then another woman is reported as missing....A cracking read, Geraldine is a compelling character and the series goes from strength to strength. Plot very well done and enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.

A new book in the Geraldine Steel series is always a treat. Leigh Russell has delivered another engrossing read. The murderer is revealed to the reader early on, although I find the reasons for the murders quite bizarre. The interest in the book lies in following Geraldine and her team as they piece together the clues to convict the right suspect. At the end of the book Geraldine reveals a piece of personal news that will no doubt be explored further in a forthcoming title. I can't wait!

Thanks to Netgalley, Bedford Square Publishers and Leigh Russell for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Really interesting storyline which I thoroughly enjoyed. Really well throughout and well written introducing the murderer at the start, and then Geraldine and team were faced with the complicated task of putting all the evidence together to achieve a conviction. I was really gripped and intrigued how the story was going to unfold. Can’t wait for the next one.

i loved this book and it is the first time I have read a book by this author. The story flowed well and I liked the characters. The twist at the end was excellant and I really could not guess it. I can not wait to read another story by Leigh Russell, especially since I am familar with the characters

A young woman is found injured and unconscious in a street and later dies in hospital. She had been missing for a couple of days and her boyfriend is the prime suspect however Geraldine Steel is not totally convinced he's responsible. When another girl goes missing no other suspect appears. As Geraldine and the team investigate she increasingly feels unwell and her relationship with partner Ian is under strain.

Another great read in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bedford Square Publishers and Leigh Russell for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Another great book in the Geraldine Steel series. This book is just as good as all the previous ones. How can you investigate a crime with no crime scene is the dilemma that face’s Geraldine this time. I love all the characters that are familiar now like we really know them. A slow suspenseful storyline that ends on a cliffhanger so can’t wait for the next instalment. I highly recommend this book and author/series.

How can a body be found on a suburban street, and yet show all the signs of being buried alive? This is the latest problem to tax Geraldine Steel, right when she's looking into the disappearance of the girlfriend of her partner's football team-mate.

But how do you investigate without a crime scene?

Another excellent addition to the series

When her partner Ian asks DI Geraldine Steel to help his friend Jason look for his missing girlfriend, she has no idea of the complicated case this request will bring. Although her DCI Binita is convinced that, although the distraught Jason reported her missing to the police, he is main suspect in Lucy’s disappearance and tragic death. Geraldine is not sure. Several other young women have gone missing in the same area and she thinks the investigation should be broader. Then there’s another disappearance and Geraldine and her team are searching for one of the most disturbed killers ever.

The talented Leigh Russell has delivered another excellent thriller in Without Trace. Familiar characters, Geraldine, her sister Helena, Ian and Sam, mix with new. Suspense slowly builds in the complicated plot, leading to an electrifying conclusion with a surprise to be explored in the next in this outstanding series. 5 stars.

Thank yo to NetGalley, Bedford Square Publishers and Leigh Russell for this ARC.