Cracking debut! A twisty tale, loaded with emotion, and characters you can easily engage with, you will instantly be rooting for Sheridan Holler to get to the bottom of what really happened seven years previously, ensuring you keep turning those pages.

With a tragic background of the unsolved murder of her brother when they were children, there's a lot to keep you invested in DI Holler, now and in the future.

Absolutely loved this book, the way the story unfolded was amazing, all the characters were so relatable and you really felt you were along with them on this trip. It had everything you wanted in a brilliant who done it . Kept you guessing to the very end of who was the guilty person . Even to the last few pages you were shocked. Really highly recommend this book as a must read.

I love a good crime thriller and this was was a good one.

Although it was medium paced, it set up the characters for future Detective Sheridan Holler books. I loved how it intwined the past and the future to create a story.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Being a huge fan of crime thrillers, and *Long Time Dead* definitely delivered. It's one of those books that you can't put down.

The plot is super suspenseful. A cold case gets reopened when a body is found in a cemetery. The detective, Sheridan Holler, is determined to solve the case, and she's got a lot of personal reasons for wanting to do so.

The characters are really well-developed. Holler is a strong, complex woman, and I really liked her. The other characters, like her partner, DCI Michael Byrne, are also interesting and believable.

The author does a great job of building tension and suspense. I was constantly guessing what was going to happen next, and the twists were totally unexpected.

There were a couple of parts where I felt like the pace was a little slow, but overall, I thought the book was really well-written. I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

Thank you Netgalley, T M Payne and Thomas & Mercer for the eArc of Long Time Dead.

This is the first book in the Detective Sheridan Holler Series and what a cracker of a debut novel in the Crime/Mystery/Police Protocol for T M Payne. I couldn't put this down and swapped between the eArc and the audio version as I wanted to find out where and what was going on. Sheridan Holler is a strong female lead and T M Payne made that very clear with her character building. I felt really connected to her and she felt real and well fleshed out. The characters throughout the book ( and there are a few) are built into. the narrative really well. You do have to pay attention as there are 4 female leads and they are very diminishable in their personalities. Look out for Morde the cat, so very cute !

The plot is medium paced with a few threads of storylines running through it which makes this book an intriguing and gripping read. The pay off near the end, I felt was edge of the seat stuff. Makes me want to read more about the cases that Detective Sheridan Holler is going to pick up next!

Heather Bleasdale narrated Long Time Dead and loved the voices she did for each character. She has a lovely, well paced voice and did a great Liverpudlian accent, which further added authenticy to where the book is based.

4.5 stars for Netgalley, Rounded to 5 for Goodreads, Amazon and Netgalley

A gripping debut and a great start to a new series. The novel blends suspense, intricate plotting, and deep character development. DI Holler’s relentless pursuit of justice is inspiring.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Long Time Dead is T.M. Payne's debut novel and the first book in her DI Sheridan Holler series, which is just as well as otherwise I'd be forced to pester her to write more! I love discovering new authors, especially when their books are as satisfying as Long Time Dead – I already know I'm going to be a long-time fan of this brilliant series!
I was hooked right from the prologue, which opens in December 1997, with an amusing conversation between a mother and her young daughter. However, their outing is suddenly shattered by an event which will rip apart several lives, as a gunman roars into the supermarket car park on his motorbike and opens fire. As the shoppers flee in abject panic, two women are left for dead, and seven years later, DI Sheridan Holler is going to have to reinvestigate a case which had seemed cut and dried.
We're introduced to Sheridan in the courtroom as she faces the defence barrister in a domestic violence case. It's immediately clear that she isn't averse to bending the rules to secure a conviction but she is evidently motivated by compassion and a desire to protect the vulnerable; Sheridan is far from being a corrupt cop. Detective Sergeant Anna Markinson obviously has her back, and one of the strengths of this novel is the relationship Sheridan has with her colleagues. There's a real sense of camaraderie between them, from top to bottom, and I particularly enjoyed her interactions with her boss, DCI Max Hall. T.M. Payne's own experience in the criminal justice system shows and the workplace banter flows naturally and is believable throughout.
Their hopes for a quiet Christmas are scuppered when a body is discovered in a cemetery. Of course, that in itself isn't unexpected – but this body is a murder victim found in somebody else's grave. He is soon identified as being John Lively, the man suspected of the shooting seven years ago, which resulted in the death of a police officer and left another woman with a life-changing brain injury. Lively had been a small-time drug addict, and with apparently strong evidence linking him to the death of PC Kate Armitage, there are a number of people who could have wanted him dead. However, it becomes clear that things are quite so straightforward and the gripping plot is full of twists and turns before the truth is finally revealed.
As Sheridan and her team examine this hot again cold case, they are desperate to find out whether the other victim of the shooting, Ellie Sands can shed any light on what happened. Unfortunately, Ellie's brain injury has rendered her unable to communicate and she now resides in The Gables Nursing Home. The scenes set within the home introduce some more characters who become integral to the storyline; most notably the kind, perceptive Joni, who takes a special interest in Ellie. Away from the home, Joni's friend Sam moves in with her and I loved their friendship. It would be remiss of me not to mention Sam's cat, Maud here too – I adored Maud and I'm sure I won't be the only one, she really is quite the character! Sam herself is fabulous too and without giving too much away, I was thrilled by what develops here and look forward to seeing her return in the next book.
While Long Time Dead is a compulsive, gritty mystery, it is also infused throughout with genuine warmth. The empathetic portrayal of the characters' personal lives adds a further layer of richness to the story, ensuring I became invested in them as well as intrigued by the investigation into both John Lively and Kate Armitage's deaths. Sheridan joined the police after a tragedy in her own childhood and she is still haunted by her brother's murder. There's a fascinating subplot here which promises to be expanded upon further as the series progresses. In the meantime, it gives us the opportunity to understand a little more about what drives her to so resolutely strive for justice.
The sense of place is impeccable and although never rose-tinted, is a real love letter to Liverpool. Dark, twisty and poignant yet imbued with humour and full of heart, Long Time Dead is a superbly absorbing debut from an exciting new talent. I loved it and I can't wait for more!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.

This police procedural is a tense read with an intriguing storyline - lots of different threads bound up together. I liked the way the author let the reader piece together the story from the different timeslines and POVs. Having said that, it was a struggle, particularly at the beginning, to keep track of all the characters and some are fairly one-dimensional. This is the first of a new series, and I will be interested to see how the author builds on this beginning.

DI Sheridan Holler is used to solving crimes on Liverpool’s streets, but after a decayed corpse turns up in a cemetery, she finds herself reopening not one but two cold cases. Seven years earlier, two women were gunned down and the only suspect, small-time drug dealer John Lively, was never seen again. Case closed. Until the body in the cemetery is identified as his. Holler needs to work out if Lively was killed out of revenge, or was just a victim of the criminal world he inhabited. When shocking evidence is revealed about the murder weapon, Holler’s cold case starts to look hopeless once more. Brilliant debut mystery. Kept me engrossed until the very end. Looking forward to more DI Holler soon.

Long Time Dead is a good solid read that kept me interested from beginning to end. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC.

I recently read Long Time Dead, a captivating police procedural that follows Detective Inspector Sheridan as they investigate a cold case that has remained unsolved for years. The author's writing style is engaging and descriptive, bringing the story to life with vivid descriptions that make the reader feel like they are right there. The plot is well-crafted and the pacing keeps the reader engaged throughout. Overall, this is an excellent read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys police procedurals, mysteries, and thrillers.

I liked this debut novel and also a good start to a series. While reading I was invested in trying to put the pieces together and find out what happened. The story flow was good, and the characters were all well-built and unique, I also have to say that the scenes and descriptions are pretty vivid and made an impression. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment of the series.

A good police procedural with a strong female lead (DI Sheridan Holler) and an intriguing storyline. There are a lot of characters which made it quite hard to keep track in the early stages, especially with short chapters. But it's still a really enjoyable read consisting of new crime and cold cases intertwined. Some other good characters; Joni was very well written, Anna Markinson whose backstory will hopefully be expanded on in future books, and obviously, Maud (the cat) who I hope makes another appearance. It had the right mix of seriousness and humour for me, as did the acknowledgements which gave a super insight into this author.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC.

First time I have read this author. Brilliant, loved all of it, grabbed your attention straight away. If you like British police drama, then this is for you. Kept you guessing all the way through. Can wait for the next one.

Great debut with a well rounded cast of interesting characters, a multilevel plot, and a satisfying resolution.

DI Sheridan Holler became a police officer to try to solve the murder of her brother, but decades on she is no near to finding the truth. A cold case investigation was opened and found nothing new, but she refuses to give up.

The new case she is assigned to, of a body found buried inside someone else's grave, has links to the murder of a police officer. But the evidence they discover raises more questions than it answers.

Looking forward to the next installment in what promises to be a great series.

When DCI Sheridan Holler is assigned two cold cases, she has to follow the evidence until justice is served.

I thought this was a solid start to a new series. The book was a little too long. Solving two cold cases made it confusing. I had to remind myself who was who and what happened when. But overall, I'm looking forward to book 2.

Long Time Dead is the first, in what I hope will be a long running series, by debut author TM Payne.

A body is discovered buried in a cemetery. On the surface, this seems unsurprising; but this did surprise the grave digger who was making space for Brian Walters to join his wife Heather.
DI Sheridan Holler and the team, hope the discovery of John Lively’s shallow buried body, will finally close the cold case of a police officer who was fatally shot 7 years earlier. Suddenly having two cold cases to work, just days before Christmas is far from ideal.

There are certain ingredients that a favourite, long running police procedural series need in my opinion. (TM Payne nailed these)
1. An eclectic and interesting ensemble cast, with touches of humour.
2. A central character you root for.
3. An adorable cat/dog, with a personality and great name.
4. Tantalising snippets of what lay ahead for the characters.

Sheridan and Anna both have really interesting backstories, which I look forward to learning more of as the series progresses; and I really hope we haven’t seen the last of Maud either. I live with a cantankerous and strong minded cat too, who never ceases to amaze or entertain us either.

Sometimes it’s the tiny details in books that make me feel really imbedded in a story. Reading that a character refuses to dye her grey hair on principle, or knowing I could get served in The Black Cat, as long as Red served me. These details tell me all I need to know about a character.

I loved the epilogue, giving a thorough wrapping up to the characters’ stories. The acknowledgements were great fun too, I always make sure to read them. Cookie Dude sounded like the best cat, and I definitely have an affinity with the author, as I can’t abide beetroot.

I think Long Time Dead is a great debut. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast moving, engaging storyline. Fans of JD Kirk and SJ Richards will love this book, with it’s rich characterisation and strong back story. I’m already looking forward to the author’s second book in the series, This Ends Now, which is being published in October. If you’re looking to start a new police procedural series, you won’t be disappointed by choosing this one.

This was a cracker of a story.

Detective Sheridan Holler has personal demons of her own. At thirteen, her younger brother was murdered and the killer was never found. This was the reason she joined the police. Now a decayed corpse found in a cemetery goes back to a cop killer and the case is opened up once again.

The twists and turns of the enquiry are unimaginable. Every person linked to the case has history and secrets, hidden agendas and much more. You couldn’t put this book down until it was done. Even at the end when suspects were sentenced, and where one felt one had been taken aback enough, a final surprise was revealed from the most innocuous of characters.

I don’t to spoil the surprise factor here but if one does like mystery murders, and police detective stories this is a must.

Seven years ago two women were gunned down outside a Liverpool supermarket, the suspect was believed to be drug dealer John Lively but he was never caught and the case remained unsolved, that is until now, when a body discovered in a cemetery is identified as the missing suspect. DI Sheridan Holler and her team now need to figure out when and why he died but, when new evidence comes to light about the murder weapon, it throws both cases into turmoil. Alongside all this Sheridan is desperate to find out who murdered her brother when he was a child and she won't rest until she does, but these cases must be dealt with first before anyone else is killed.

Long Time Dead is the first in this detective series, it's a multi layered plot with plenty going on and the author throws in a few twists along the way just to keep us readers on our toes. I felt, at first, that it was a bit too descriptive but as the story went on that seemed to settle down, picking up a good pace and I was hooked for the rest of the book. This was more than just a crime novel though, the author injects a certain level of comedy into her writing too, which shone through in the chapters involving Maud, the cat. There are some great characters in this novel, I particularly liked Sheridan and look forward to getting to know her, and the rest of the team, better in the next book. A great read from a new to me author and I can't wait for book two!

I'd like to thank Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

WOW this book Long Time Dead was amazing and I'm so glad I read it as now I have another great author to add to my must read list, its hard to fathom that this is a debut novel as it feels like T. M. Payne has been writing for ages, I could not put it down. All the characters are great and there is plenty of scope to add more to their own stories within future novels and I have to give a shoutout to Maud, although she only has a small part, she totally steals the show for me. Brilliant and roll on the next one.