I was looking forward to the second in the Christine Caplan series and this doesn't disappoint.
Well plotted, fast-paced with characters you care about and a really good storyline.
The twists were excellent as Caplan struggles to work out her emotions during this investigation. It's a tricky one for sure and somehow Ramsay managed to keep us on tenterhooks right till the end.
Very powerful and emotional subject matter dealt with sensitively.
Great read

Second in a series and better to read the first one first although as a standalone it just loses the background's for the characters. The main police detective, DCI Christine Caplan, is a strong minded woman with family problems (haven't they all?); she's back with her team and is investigating an apparent suicide from the local bridge. The dead man is a respected psychiatrist, happily married and allegedly at a conference in Leeds. On top of this there's the release, under new name and location, of 'Girl A', now 18, convicted of murdering three children when she. herself, was a child. The story is how the two are linked via child abuse, serious mental health issues, remote communities, coercive behaviours and an awful lot more. There are issues of confidentiality given the "new life for Girl A although someone has found out, torched her new accommodation and attempted to kill her but Caplin is still not allowed to know any details, confidentiality after all. There are some seriously sick people in here and some equally serious subjects tackled. An uncomfortable yet engrossing read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Christine Caplin has got her rank back as DCI after the events of 'The Devil Stone' case. She is working in various places when she is called back to the West Coast. A body has been found. It looks like it might have been a suicide, the victim having jumped from the Connel Bridge. However there is some doubt. There are suspicions concerning a young woman who recently came out of care. Known only as Girl A, she had been sentenced for killing a younger sibling. Along with her dog, she had escaped from her 'Safe House' after vigilantes had set it on fire. Has she returned to her roots? and if so why?

I read this book straight after finishing 'The Devil Stone' & wished I could dive straight into a Book 3 as I am really enjoying this series! The characters are well written & knowing the setting of the books makes it all the more enjoyable. There are plenty of twists to the tale to keep the reader guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- bring on Book 3 quickly please!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC
This book had me totally engrossed. DCI Caplan has, personal and work related problems, when Gillian Halliday has been found in witness protection Caplan and the team need to move quick to find her, as she has supposedly killed both of her sisters ??????
A strange family living in The middle of nowhere, cottages been rebuilt to house the whole family. Are they hiding something???? Did Gillian do what everyone is saying she did?, have a read to find out, definately lots of twists, most definately recommend

In Her Blood is the second book in the DCI Christine Caplan series and it picked up the thread from book one whilst I have also read and book two didn't disappoint.

The characters in the team are starting to take shape and Christine is a tenacious stubborn dedicated character.

The team are tasked with an apparent suicide but not all is as it seems and then there's Gillian a victim of a villain?

A intense thought provoking read a well deserved five stars!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author this eARC.

After really enjoying The Devil Stone in this authors DCI Caplan series I had high hopes for this book. I was not disappointed, and found this to be a gem of a read that really hit the mark with me. I was drawn into the story quickly and this very absorbing read held my attention from the first page to the last. I think the story is well written and flows really well and I could picture the scenes and characters in my mind from the authors descriptive writing, especially the remoteness of the Halliday home. DCI Caplan and her colleagues have started to grow on me and I enjoyed seeing Craigo in a very different light. This is, at times, a thought provoking read covering teenage mental health issues, the release of child killers into society with protected identities, and coercive behaviour/control. The author dealt with these issues very sensitively and with a lot of thought and care. I honestly thought I knew who was responsible and sussed everything out and couldn't have been more wrong. I really liked the ending, it gives the best closure to what is a very difficult read at times.

Overall, a very, very good read that I'd recommend.
If you like police procedurals you'll like this. You're best to read The Devil Stone first so you know the characters from the beginning. I look forward to the next book in the series.

5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

DCI Christine Caplan #2

"Girl A" was convicted of murdering three people when she was a child. Now she is missing, and a man is dead. The clock is ticking for Scottish detective DCI Christine Caplan to bring her to justice - but the truth may be even darker than even she fears....

When a body is found in the water at Connel Bridge, the police assume it's an open-and-shut case of suicide. But when DCI Christine Caplan is called into take a closer look, she discovers that darker truths lurk beneath the surface, and suspicions begin to turn a young woman recently out of care, known only as Girl A, her identity remains anonymous, protected under law. Her violent past includes an allegation of the murder of a young sibling, so the timing of this new death seems too coincidental. Then a vigilante sets her home on fire, and she flees, so the "child killer" is now on the loose - and at risk to herself.

This story starts slowly and then quickly builds its pace, suspense, and tension, into a gripping read. The case is complex, as we also learn of the case of "Girl A." There is a thread of mental health issues woven into the story. There's an extended family that all have secrets. DCI Christine Caplan has her work cur out as she was the only one who believes the death that occurred at the bridge wasn't suicide, plus she has her own problems. There are plenty of twists, but watch out for the red herrings along the way. This book can be read ass a standalone.

Published 1st August 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #CannobgateBooks and the author #CaroRamsay for my ARC of #InHerBlood in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a light read: it's harsh, sometimes hard to read (child/animal abuse), dark and gritty. But it's a hell of novel, a wild ride into the heart of darkness.
A gripping, well plotted and enthralling novel that kept me reading and turning pages.
A dark page turner I loved
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

You can always expect a decent read from Caro Ramsay and although, in my opinion, not up there with her best. It is still enjoyable.

This is the second in a series of books about DCI Christine Caplan, a Glasgow detective working now in the Highland village of Cronchie – I haven’t read the first book but there was enough information on what had happened to get her and her family for that to never feel like a problem. The story here revolves around the recent release of Girl A, responsible for the murder of several children when she was herself a child, and the death of a psychologist working on a book about her.

I really enjoyed this read – the pace is kept up from the first page and the characters and sense of place were all very well written. The plot was very well done and I was genuinely interested to discover exactly what had happened. The story involves some upsetting subject matters and I’m not a fan of gore but this manages to maintain an excellent balance of detail.

For anybody who enjoys a fast paced thriller with strong characters, this would be a superb summer read and perfect to pop in the suitcase.

Enjoyed the second of the Christine Caplin novels. Good descriptions of settings. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

When a discovered body looks like a clear case of suicide, the police generally don't look too closely. Unless you're Christine Caplan.

Focus soon switches to a girl with a protected identity, recently out of care. Can Christine find a link?

This is the second in Caro Ramsay's marvellous Scottish crime series featuring the tenacious DCI Christine Caplan, and a truly dark and twisted case that reunites her with the team at Cronchie police station. It offers a opportunity for Caplan to develop stronger ties with DS Finnan Craigo, a quirky, vulnerable character who blossoms under her leadership. Caplan is called to an apparent suicide at Connel Bridge, Lora Falls, but wonders why her presence is required. It turns out the dead man is Dr Edward 'Ted' Maxwell, a well respected psychologist, a man who should have been at a conference in Leeds according to his wife, Cordelia. So why was he here instead? Could he possibly have any connection with 18 year old 'Girl A', the most hated woman in the country?

Assumed to be guilty of killing children as a young child, the evidence against Girl A was never tested in court, instead under the Tollen Protocol, her well being was prioritised, as she received treatment and therapy. Deemed to no longer to be a risk to anyone, she was recently released under a new name. However, her location was leaked, leading to vigilantes torching her home in which she was seriously burned rescuing her dog. She discharged herself from hospital and has since disappeared. It is Caplan's task to find her, but the Tollen rules means she has to do so with virtually no information and no official documentation, although it turns out there is plentiful office gossip that lifts the lid on Girl A's real identity. Worryingly, Killagal's blog on the dark web boasting of her murderous past has acquired a large following.

In a case where very little is as it appears, Caplan's inquiries go where she least expects, pushing her to re-evaluate how Girl A was perceived to be a murderer. Against all the odds, Caplan, with practically no support other than her tiny team, races against time in her efforts to seek truth and justice. The talented Ramsay provides a brilliant sense of the wilderness, a location experiencing challenging fierce stormy weather, with Caplan living in a damp caravan until her remote dilapidated cottage is renovated. This is a wonderful addition to the series, with its focus on miscarriages of justice, family, and mental health. This will likely appeal to fans of the author and those who love well written gritty Scottish crime fiction. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

In Her Blood is the second book in the DCI Christine Caplan series by British author, Caro Ramsay. With her children safe on Skone, DCI Christine Caplan is heading to Glasgow where her long-term unemployed, depressed husband has hopefully done something constructive about selling their house. They have bought Challie Cottage at Kilnlorn, which will need quite a bit of work, and the caravan isn’t very liveable, even in April, but it’s closer to where their children will be.

But her return is delayed when she’s called to an apparent suicide at Cronchie: someone has jumped off the Connel Bridge into the turbulent waters of Lora Falls, where the River Etive meets the Sound. But things don’t look quite right. His wife is adamant that forensic psychologist Dr Edward Maxwell would never take his own life. Nor, despite being meant to attend a conference in Leeds, would he have an affair. So why was he in Cronchie? And, when the post mortem unequivocally concludes murder, whom did he meet on the bridge?

In Glasgow, Caplan’s sometime friend, Assistant Chief Commissioner Sarah Linden tells her to be on the lookout for Girl A who, as a child, possibly murdered two of her sisters and a friend, and has been released from the mental health facility at eighteen, cured. She has a new name, but a dark web blog attributed to her has given away her secret location, resulting in a vigilante arson attack, burns and a self-discharge from hospital. She’s in the wind.

Linden points out that, even if she’s a psychopathic killer, Police Scotland owe her a duty of care. “Girl A had the right to confidentiality both over her medical past, and to her whereabouts” but “She needs to be found for her own safety.” While her treating doctors remind them “Girl A was a patient, not a convict” who “the right to live in peace as a free individual”, Linden is not convinced of her innocence: “She’s untouchable and the little bitch knows it.”

Apparently her team at Cronchie are very familiar with Girl A’s case, knowing much more than Caplan has been told. When it is revealed that Ted Maxwell had a special interest in youngsters who kill, and was probably writing a book on the subject, possibly a whistle-blower exposé, people start drawing conclusions. But are they adding two and two to make five?

Ramsay’s exploration of the balance of rights is interesting and thought-provoking: “Could those children, who were so damaged that they were compelled to damage others, ever be healed? It was the old argument of nature versus nurture, the rights of the individual versus the rights of society.”

Once again, Ramsay gives the reader an excellent police procedural, with a gripping plot into which she throws in some terrific red herrings and twists to keep all but the most astute reader guessing right up to the final reveal. She develops several of the Cronchie regulars into the characters with whom the reader will be happy to spend more time.

Unresolved is a Glasgow situation involving some missing evidence, Christine’s other good friend, PC Lizzie Fergusson, and a clandestine association with a member of one of Scotland’s biggest crime families, leaving plenty for a third instalment that will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Canongate books

Thanks to Caro and NetGalley for allowing me to read In Her Blood.

This is the second book in the series and it involves the very topical and controversial issue of children who have been convicted of serious crimes being released into society with a new protected identity.

The author wastes no time in setting the tensions high.
The short prologue starts with an idyllic scene of children playing in a field and within a few sentences, has the reader gasping in horror as a train thunders past.

Christine Caplan has been re-instated to her rank as DCI.
She is puzzled when she is called to what appears to be a suicide, until ACC Linden shares minimal information about the missing Girl A.
Caplan finds herself navigating the bureaucracy which exists between the services involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of a child convicted of a serious crime. She realises that she is the only member of her team who is in the dark about Girl A and they have been warned that they cannot reveal what they know to anyone.

It is an intriguing story with secrets and lies aplenty and so many twists and turns as to leave the reader dizzy.

This was a complex murder mystery which focusses more on the past crimes of Girl A, an eighteen year old who has been in a secure hospital for a number of years after drowning her friend and has just recently been released. After a man has been found drowned near where Girl A now lives DCI Caplan and her team are tasked with discretely finding out if there is a link to her. This was quite unusual as murder investigations go as there was a lot of research into Girl A but there didn’t feel to be much happening with the murder investigation in a sense. Although you do get a genuine feel there’s a link somewhere I think I did get a bit frustrated with the Girl A story as it felt to drag on a bit. The ending was fantastic, some surprises amongst them but some elements were hinted at throughout the book so it did tie all that together well. The characters were good with interesting dynamics between them and the location atmospheric really helped with the ambience of the story. There were a few times though I couldn’t help questioning quite what the police who originally investigated Girl A were playing at though as it didn’t quite make sense somehow. 7/10