I went to an event last summer as part of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival hosted by Graham Bartlett in which various members of the audience were set the challenge of interviewing a suspect in a murder. It was great fun and fascinating to watch what happened. I’d not read any of Graham’s books at that point, but added him to my list to check out.

And so earlier this year I was asked by the lovely folk at Allison & Busby if I’d like to read a copy of his latest book, City on Fire. It’s the third in his DS Jo Howe series, but can be read as a standalone (I’ll be going back to read the earlier books now!).

Chief Superintendent Howe is a driven policewoman, determined to eradicate the drug gangs that run the streets of Brighton. Her treatment scheme appears to be working, getting help to the addicts. But of course this riles up the drug dealers, and a certain local billionaire pharma lord is taking it quite personally.

The action pretty fast, and you have to hold onto the edge of your seat as Howe tackles both the drug gangs and the shady Big Pharma characters pulling strings at the highest levels. Chaos quickly ensues as Sir Ben’s machinations result in police shortages across the county and the drying up on the supply of the synthetic drug substitute that Howe’s drug treatment program relies on. It’s not just Jo’s work life that’s under attack, as her husband is facing issues of his own.

A taut police procedural, City on Fire is a cracking read.

City on Fire by Graham Bartlett is published by Allison & Busby in March 2024. Many thanks to the publisher for the advance copy of the book to review.

Third novel in this Brighton-based police procedural series. Chief Supt Jo Howe finds herself in unexpected peril. Her trailblazing 'Operation Eradicate' is effecting the profits of the local drug trade and causes unimaginable consequences. A brutal and riveting read.

One thing guaranteed from the author is authenticity, the policing, their actions and communications feel right, but without being dragged down by an obsession with procedure. The action is given every chance to develop and flow. Its not just the policing though, where he writes about the inter-agency work, the voluntary sector NGOs and prisons it comes over as though from experience rather than research. What a great asset when a writing a novel such as this.

If you have read the earlier novels in the series, you will know Jo is a strong and determined woman who is respected and admired by her peers. In this story she is really put through the wringer, dropped into heaps of jeopardy both personal and reputational, such that it almost brings brings about her complete mental destruction. A woman who is schemed against but also making poor judgement calls when under extreme pressure, which is both understandable and realistic.

It starts with a betrayal, from her loving and understanding journalist husband of all people. It is a professional one, forced to do it by editor, rather than a relationship betrayal with another woman. Once under the media microscope the pressure starts to mount, and Jo’s professionalism comes into doubt. That is merely the start as officers face threats and personal attacks causing support for Jo to dwindle and an increase of sick leave. When the supply of the synthetic drug dries up (thanks to carefully planning by Sir Ben) the streets boil over.

A fabulous description of a cold and calculating plan being executed step by step. Sir Ben has the contacts, the wealth and he also has the dirt on people and is not averse to a spot of blackmail to get his way. There is a suspicion amongst the public that some within the establishment can orchestrate cover ups, but here we can see such power wielded to destroy an individual. Something truly chilling to read.

It is the motivation of Sir Ben that interested me. Here we have a hugely successful businessman, one who enjoys the trappings of success, who is willing to destroy lives just to earn his drug development costs back. Apparently heartless, but then we learn of his poor mother, suffering from early onset dementia, whom he cares dearly for and lives at his house. There are some very touching scenes where he is comforting her which I am sure some carers will recognise. A real dichotomy of a man. I would have liked the relationship with his mother developed more, as we never discover how the dynamics were forged. Was she domineering, was he repressed, there is no mention of a love life for Sir Ben.

His obsession with finding a cure for his mother leads to a magnificently dramatic confrontation, one that has building up from the start. Action fans you are well catered for too, with bursts of aggression, bloodshed and personal jeopardy as momentum and tension are skilfully built up and released throughout, and at times you have to catch your breath.

At the core of the story is the notion that drugs companies just want to treat patients, to alleviate their symptoms rather than cure them. For them it’s a high stakes gamble to develop a drug, but being corporations, they want to earn profits and not just benefit mankind. What begins as an unlikely concept becomes a chilling possibility the more you think about it.

City on Fire is a convincing police procedural where a chilling businessman is determined to destroy the lives of those who get in his way.

This is book three in the DS Jo Howe series and the first one I've read. Ik keem uit om die 21st of March and I received a copy from Allison and Busby via Netgalley.

Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is leading Operation Eradicate, which uses undercover tactics to finish drug circles while also providing treatment services to victims of drug abuse. However, not everyone sees this as a positive development. Sir Ben Parsons, a billionaire, sees this operation as a threat to his business. His empire relies on addicts who survive on substitute drugs. Connected to the highest levels of government, media and organised crime, Sir Ben attacks Jo wherever possible. Will she be able to withstand these attacks and get to the bottom of it all?

As this book 3 the story has already developed quite a bit. Unfortunately for me this was the first book I read so I had some difficulty getting into the story as the characters were already made familiar in the previous books. After I got into the book and the characters, it was a great read with a great storyline. It was an intense and interesting story with a decent pace that kept me going. I only wish I had read the first two books before I read this one.

4/5 ⭐

contemporary, drug-enforcement, drug-trafficking, drugs-issues, due-diligence, procedural, personal-issues, overdoses, perspective, investigations, interference, law-enforcement, politics, action, intrigue, intimidation, family-history, secrets, lies, conspiracy, England*****

An excellent police procedural pointing out the realities of greed in the pharmaceutical industry and its effect on policing and the addicted population.
*Not TTS enabled for those with visual challenges.*
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Allison & Busby via NetGalley. Thank you!
#DSJoHoweBk3 #PoliceProcedural

City On Fire is the third book in an excellent series to feature Detective Jo Howe. I really like the developing characterisation, although I really disliked Sir Ben, and the plotting was very topical. Based around finance, a pharmaceutical company and drug addiction, it is a hard topic to read, however it is dealt with sympathetically. A gritty, fast paced and very believable read, which I can highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Sometimes, I long for the simple pleasure of picking up - and paying for - a book by an author whom I have never heard of. Comforted by the knowledge that, whether I ended up loving the book or not, I'll freely be able to write what I like about it. But then something like this happens, and that pleasure has to be put on hold for a little while longer.

Through his fellow Brighton-based crime author, Peter James, I knew of Graham Bartlett before he even started writing. I knew that he is a former police Detective-Superintendent, and that his predecessor is credited with being the inspiration behind James' own character of Roy Grace. I knew that he had co-written, with Peter James, a book about real-life policing in Brighton (called Death Comes Knocking) and that he now makes something of a living running crime writing courses and providing advice to other crime novelists about police procedures. And more recently, I was fortunate enough to meet Graham at last year's Harrogate Crime Fiction festival, where he gave a fascinating inside into the techniques used by both police officers and criminals during interviews.

This was easily enough to mean that, as soon as I became aware of a blog tour to promote Graham's own book, City on Fire, I signed up eagerly. And only later stopped to think: oh, blimey. I really, really hope I love the book after all that.

What I didn't know when I started reading was that this book is the third in a series, and that was a slight problem for me in the opening chapters. I think it would have been a help for me to be more familiar with the characters of Jo Howe, her colleagues and her journalist husband. As it was, being introduced to them at the same time as a whole host of other characters was something that my brain initially struggled to process, to the extent where I occasionally had to pause, flick back a few chapters and remind myself: who is he/she again? Let me be clear: this didn't make the book hard to read, nor did it didn't stop me from breezing through the first third of it in a single evening. But after I'd put it down, I remember feeling a little confused.

But I picked it up again the next night and, holy cow.

I'm not sure whether I was in a slightly better mood on the second day and able to better appreciate the writing, or whether I just happened to put the book down on a turning point. But what I do know is that I absolutely devoured the rest of the book in a single sitting, finishing it in the small hours despite it being a work night, and when I came to the end, feeling almost that I needed to gasp for air. The action is relentless, with - and I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to say this - people dropping like flies and yet, this book is anything but a simple action thriller.

Graham admits in his author's note that 'Operation Eradicate', a drugs reduction operation that is the subject of the book, is firmly based on a similar - and successful - operation that he himself worked on, and also that he consulted with some clinical psychologists over how Jo's character might change if she were subjected to the stresses that he puts her under. Both the storyline and the main character feel authentic, and that's probably because they are. And I think it's because of that authenticity that every other character and every other scene feels relatable. Even the ruthless Sir Ben Campbell is given a simple and yet poignant dimension that reminds us he's still human. We don't excuse what he does even for a minute, but we do sort of understand why he does it. We're also given a somewhat frightening insight into the outsourcing of some work that the police need - think recovery of crashed cars, as an example - to private contractors.

So to sum up: the beginning of the book had me just a little confused, but hopefully if you read the two other novels in the series first you won't feel that way. But the middle and the end were so engrossing that they had me not so much glued to my kindle as chained.

It leaves me only to do what Graham Bartlett himself probably had to sometimes do in his career as a police officer, and give the suspect the benefit of the doubt. And as a result, award the book a resounding five stars.

My thanks to Allison and Busby for including me on the blog tour, and to Netgalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The book was instantly gripping, hard to put down and well thought out it was pure reading enjoyment! This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone.

I stumbled across this author and I’m so glad I did as I’m now a firm fan! I can’t wait read more of his books. The authors previous role in the police is very evident as you move through the story which makes for an excellent police procedural book.

Overall, a fantastic and highly addictive book I really can’t wait for the next one!

I have been wanting to read a Graham Bartlett book for ages and I finally got round to it, it was worth the wait. Although this is the third book in a series I didn’t feel like I had missed out on too much beforehand (although I will definitely be catching up with the previous two). I am also really looking forward to the next one already. I find the main character, Jo Howe, to be really relatable- I love her no mess attitude but she also shows her vulnerability which makes her human. Graham’s knowledge of the Police force and Forensics really shines through and the main story running through this was something original and I found it totally fascinating (and a bit frightening!). All the extra details he adds make it so realistic without ever making it boring.
Jo Howe’s big operation on drugs OP Eradicate is put under scrutiny and threatened to be shut down after several controversies surrounding it, these effect Jo both professionally and personally. During the book she has to fight to save her Operation, her team and her family whilst having the most unusual dilemmas thrown at her, I raced through to find out whether she managed it or not.

I love this series: gritty, twisty, and it never spare punches. There's plenty of twists, rage, action and adrenaline.
Well plotted, excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the third in the Jo Howe series &, somehow, they just get better & better. This could be read as a standalone but as it’s only book 3, do yourself a favour & start at the beginning.

Jo has launched Operation Eradicate - an initiative to reduce drug deaths & rid the streets of addicts. Initially, Eradicate is very successful but then it spirals in the wrong direction. A local businessman who produces a synthetic drug to aid addicts is very unhappy with Jo’s stance & uses his connections to try & get the operation stopped. No matter the cost.

The author’s police background is more than obvious in the writing & this third instalment is a heart stopping story; it leaves little room to breathe. Jo is a brilliant main character &, despite what she faces personally & professionally, her integrity never wavers. A fabulously gritty read. Again.

I loved reading City on Fire and was shocked to learn that parts of the story have really happened! Jo sees her life turn upside down when she refuses to stop Op Eradicate. There's an extensive conspiracy going after her and muddying leads that might unravel the whole thing. A lot of emotions are mixed in the story, some want justice, streets clean and free of drug dealers and drug addicts, others are greedy, looking only for more riches and power. The story is well-written, fast-paced, with relatable and likeable characters. Highly recommended!
I thank Mr. Bartlett, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Another gripping read in this cracking series!

Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is desperate to reduce the drug deaths in Brighton - not least because they claimed her sister's life . On the other hand, those who see their income dropping because of her initiative want to scupper her plans. There is more to this than meets the eye and when it gets too close to home, Jo has the fight of her life on her hands.

It's fair to say that I read quite a few crime novels and I suspect that this series is nearer the truth than most. Written by an ex-senior officer in Brighton who doesn't shy away from the dirty political side of what's happening on our streets, this kept me hooked right to the bitter end and I really couldn't see how it was all going to play out. Never a dull moment in this - and absolutely worth every one of the five shining stars I'm happy to give it, along with my recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review..

A gripping, absolutely gripping read. I couldn't put this book down once I'd started it. The dirty tricks, the manipulations and threats to life , all evolving around drugs. Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is facing backlash to her project . Some will go to the extreme to stop her. A fast paced roller coaster read .

Book 3 in the excellent Chief Superintendent Jo Howe series. And what a book it is! The dark, violent plot had me hooked as the tension built and built to that heart stopping finale. I read way past my bedtime as there was no chance of me stopping until I read every single word. A brilliant book I will happily recommend to everyone. Loved it.

After losing her sister to a drug overdose, Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is desperate to tackle the world of drugs that consumes the shadowy backstreets of Brighton. Operation Eradicate is her response, deploying undercover tactics to collapse drug circles while also providing treatment services to victims of drug abuse. But not everyone sees this as a positive development …

The man behind Respite pharmaceuticals, billionaire Sir Ben Parsons, views Operation Eradicate as a threat to his business. His colossal empire relies on burgeoning numbers of addicts who survive on their substitute drugs. With connections in the highest levels of government, media and organised crime, Sir Ben unleashes a brutal counterattack on Jo. The question is, how will she survive this fierce onslaught?

When it comes to writing authentic, gripping and devastatingly believable crime drama, Graham Bartlett simply cannot be bested.



Here he outdoes himself, yet again. In this book the stakes couldn’t be higher for Jo Howe, her colleagues and her family.



Everything comes together as the tension builds to a truly fantastic finale!

Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is on a mission to reduce drug use in Brighton and Hove. Through her radical Operation Eradicate programme, Jo hopes to reduce demand and help users get clean. But there are some who are not happy with the plan, especially when it hurts their pockets.

What starts as a fairly calm situation quickly escalates as the higher echelons on Brighton's society turn against Jo, in increasingly dangerous ways. The storyline will unnerve you, both in terms of the drug culture, which can be seen on every street in Britain, but also the lengths that people will go to to protect their interests. In the Acknowledgements, author Graham Bartlett says that he sought psychological advice on how Jo's character should evolve under the pressure of what she is facing. This comes across so well in the book, and is much more realistic than her emerging as a superhero. The fact that she doesn't completely collapse and sit rocking in a corner is admirable in itself.

This has been my favourite of the Jo Howe books so far, it was eminently gripping and uncomfortable in equal measures.

In Brighton, Operation Eradicate is the latest initiative to tackle the drugs problem.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees it as a good thing...

Just how much of a toll will it take on Superintendent Jo Howe's personal life by sticking with it??

Excellent

I loved Bad For Good and Force of Hate so I’ve been eagerly waiting this third book in the Jo Howe series. I was thrilled to get an ARC. City on Fire certainly didn’t disappoint. Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is implementing an experimental programme of policing drug crimes in Brighton by treating rather than criminalising drug users. The programme seems successful until dark forces try to derail it. Jo is left trying to hunt down the villains while fighting for her career and her family. There is a real sense of jeopardy as Jo finds herself isolated. Graham Bartlett is an excellent writer and City on Fire is an exciting and pacey thriller. What I enjoyed most is the setting of the vibrant, sometimes seedy city of Brighton and the exploration of the political issues facing the police service now.

The author has undeniably created an exhilarating and unpredictable read! The story centres on Op Eradicate, a police operation aimed at eliminating drugs from the city streets. Chief Superintendent Jo Howe and her team face the challenge of removing the drug supply in Brighton. The way the characters are portrayed is exceptional, making them truly believable. I found the book to be riveting and very true to life. Graham applied his personal experience as a police officer along with his knowledge of police procedures. The book is both dark and gritty, making it impossible to put down! The utilization of Brighton and the diverse towns in this book is something I really appreciate. I would have liked to begin with the first book, but I already bought the first two. While I value character development, "City on Fire" can still be enjoyed as a standalone. This book is definitely worth recommending!

Many thanks to Graham, Allison & Busby & NetGalley for the opportunity to review it.