📚Book review📚
Max Wolfe is back and let me just say this, if you’ve not read any of the other six books in the series, it doesn’t matter, you can still hop on board with @tonyparsonsuk and won’t feel like you’ve missed anything. I did enjoy the latest book but was kicking myself that I missed the twist in the story and as a parent, Max is a lot more lenient with his daughter Scout than I’ve ever been with my two girls! If you’re a crime fan lover than jump on board this series and enjoy the dark side of London. Thanks to @netgalley and @centurybooksuk for the proof copy. This is also a very visual novel and I’d love to see it on tv someday. I wonder who would play Wolfe?

“Emma Moon is out.
She’s served 16 years for a notorious armed robbery that left two men dead – and enriched many more.
But Emma Moon never talked. She kept the code. She never revealed who was with her on the day of the robbery. She never told who killed those two men.
And now she is free – and everything has gone. Her family. Her share of the money. And her faithless husband.
So Emma Moon is in a hurry. Because it is payback time. And after all those years inside, she has friends who will do anything for her.
As the bodies of the innocent and the guilty pile up, only one detective stands between a career criminal and her quest for revenge.
The same man who, as a fresh-faced policeman, arrested her all those years ago.
Max Wolfe is back.
Single parent to a teenage daughter, owner of an ageing dog, music lover, hopeless romantic - and a murder detective who has his own code of honour.“

Emma Moon went to prison for her part in an armed robbery where two men died. She was the only person who served time as she did not rat out her gang.

She is now out of prison on licence and suddenly the other suspected members of her gang start dying, is she responsible or is someone trying to frame her?

The officer who arrested her is investigating the death of a homeless woman and a gang of police officers who are abusing their power. Will he solve the murders or is on the murder list as well for arresting her?

It was a good book, took me longer to read than I wanted it to but I was recovering from flu and my attention span was not great but the book keeps you guessing 70th the end.

This was a fairly standard police procedural, which is one of my favourite easy reads. I thought the case to be solved was well plotted but I felt that the storyline or back story about the detective and his young daughter was interesting but inconsistencies with reality jarred with me. For example he left his child alone and allowed her out late at night in central London. This did affect my enjoyment but it was a good read

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another first-class book from the wonderful author Tony Parsons. Brilliantly written, full of twists and turns, great characters, and a great plot, it is a must-read.

I really enjoyed reading this book which was by an author I have never had the pleasure of reading before. The story was very well plotted and fast moving and the characters in the story were very well described.

Sixteen years previously a very fresh-faced new Police Constable, Max Wolfe had arrested his first murder victim, Emma Moon ,and he had never forgotten her or the impression she made on him. He had been called to a house where he found two murdered men and an empty safe. The only person remaining in the house was Emma. She had been sent to prison and had never said anything about the main culprits, the Gatti brothers, in all her years inside. Terry had been her common law husband and they had had a son David, however he had moved on with a new wife and family.

Move forward 16 years and Emma has been released. Her son, David had unfortunately committed suicide previously and Emma is out for revenge or so it seems. One by one the people involved in the crime die under suspicious circumstances, all of the accomplices until the only two people left alive are Terry and DS Max Wolfe.

She’s served 16 years for a notorious armed robbery that left two men dead – and enriched many more.
But Emma Moon never talked. She kept the code of silence. She never revealed who was with her on the day of the robbery. She never told who killed those two men.

And now she is free – and everything has gone. Her family. Her share of the money. And her faithless husband.
So Emma Moon is in a hurry. Because it is payback time. And after all those years inside, she has friends who will do anything for her.

As the bodies of the innocent and the guilty pile up, only one detective stands between a career criminal and her quest for revenge. The same man who, as a fresh-faced policeman, arrested her all those years ago.

Max Wolfe is back. He is a single parent to a teenage daughter, owner of an ageing dog, music lover, hopeless romantic - and a murder detective who has his own code of honour.
Once I started this book I just had to read it until the final paragraph. I regret having not read any of the authors previous books but I will certainly check them out. I strongly recommend this one.
My thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the advance review e-copy.

Thank you RandomHouse Cornerstone and Netgalley for the ARC.

I have read the whole of the Max Wolfe series and it gets better and better.

I was hooked on this one as it went back to the past in some respects when Max was a young PC.

As always it was very well written and kept me hooked (stayed up until 2am last night to finish it!!).

Highly recommended and more please.

Read it, enjoy it, I couldn’t put it down.. For the full review go to https://www.tumblr.com/joebloggshere/772042680597463040/murder-is-for-busy-people-max-wolfe-7-by-tony

This time I felt disappointed with the book by Tony Parsons. Most of his other books I have really enjoyed.

Despite enjoying Max and his relationship with his daughter, dog and all the people he worked alongside the book lacked something and left me feeling very flat. There was not enough bite and excitement to the plot.

It was too lightweight and needed spark. I did however finish it……I never like leaving a book unfinished.

Murder for Busy People is the 7th book in the DC Max Wolfe series by Tony Parsons.
In short, Max Wolfe is back & Emma Moon is out after serving 16 years for a notorious armed robbery that left two men dead. But Emma Moon never talked, never revealing her accomplices and the missing money and now the men involved start to die in suspicious circumstances…it’s looking like a targeted hit list and Max is said to be on the list as he was the young policeman that arrested Emma Moon all those years ago.
This is the first book I’ve read by Tony Parsons, now I’m hooked and will be looking at reading the previous Max Wolfe books.
Murder for Busy People is a smart, gritty crime novel…it’s fast, hard and yet at times exposes the vulnerability in people during dangerous and chaotic times, it’s a story that doesn’t let go until the very last page and I loved it.
Big thanks to Tony Parsons, Random House UK and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

I have read and enjoyed other books by Tony Parsons but not any from the Max Wolfe series. Murder For Busy People does work as a standalone story but it lacked the tension you'd expct from a police drama. I enjoyed Max, his daughter Scout and Stan the dog and even Mrs Murphy and her family, his long term friendship with Jackson Rose and his burgeoning relationships with Sita and Bear but the crime aspect just fell flat in my opinion. It still made for an easy, interesting read but I really didn't care who wa frightening these people to death.

I have read and enjoyed quite a number of books written by Tony Parsons both from this series and his standalone ones but I am really unhappy to say that this fell a bit flat for me unfortunately.

I love the character of Max Wolfe, his relationship with his daughter, dog and colleagues and I love the style of Tony's writing but this just didn't seem to have the thrill or tension that I was expecting nor did it have me gripped like his books usually do.

Whilst the main story was intriguing and had me guessing, there were times when I felt it was quite repetitive and, I'm sad to say, boring. I did however finish it and it certainly won't put me off reading Tony Parson's work in the future or more in the Max Wolfe series as I am rarely disappointed.

I may be in the minority here if other reviews are to go by so don't take my word for it and give it a go and I must thank the author, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the latest outing for Max Wolfe.

I was sent an uncorrected advance proof copy of Murder for Busy People by Tony Parsons to read and review by NetGalley. I have to say I was rather underwhelmed with this novel; it didn’t seem to have any of the tension found in the one other novel I have read by this author, which was not a Max Wolfe story. Having said this, the book, although rather repetitive in places, was readable enough for me to finish it. The final chapter however, I found totally unnecessary and out of character with the rest of the novel. I understand of course that this may have changed by the time the book was published.

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling and Engaging
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 January 2025
Tony Parsons has written another riveting instalment in the DS Max Wolfe series with Murder for Busy People. The novel’s set in Shoreditch and Islington in London. It follows Detective Sergeant Max Wolfe as he navigates a complex case involving emma Moon, a woman recently released from prison after serving nine years for an armed robbery.

Emma Moon’s release sets off a chain of events that ties back to the heist from 16 years ago. Despite her silence about her accomplices and the missing money, Emma is now on a quest for revenge.

As incidents mount, Max Wolfe, bridges the challenges between being a thorough detective with being a single parent.

The character development is superb. The portrayal of Wolfe as a dedicated detective and a concerned and loving father is terrific. Emma Moon is a compelling antagonist, her motivations and actions drive the story with intensity.

The descriptions are engaging and ensure that it’s easy to visualise the settings and tensions.

The novel explores themes of justice, revenge, and the complexities of relationships. There’s exploration of moral ambiguities, particularly Wolf, who explores professionalism set against his personal moral compass.

Murder for Busy People is a gripping read that will appeal to fans of crime fiction and those who enjoy a well-crafted mystery. Tony Parsons thrills but more importantly it’s the reader’s relationship with the characters that once again ensures that there’s an emotional depth to the thriller.

Emma Moon was arrested by Max Wolfe years earlier will she get revenge. Good well realised characters and well plotted this book kept me up till the early hours with plenty of twists. Although it the seventh book in the series it can be read as a standalone. Thanks to Random house Cornerstone and Netgalley for this review ARC.

This is a series about Max Wolfe, I’ve not ready any, but it’s easily readable as a stand-alone. Emma Moon who Max arrested at the start of his career is let out of prison and bodies start appearing, she’s dying so it can’t be her, but who? I enjoyed this detective book and liked how the author made Max be a single dad and have a full time job. The story is set in London. I’d give it 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

This is an enthralling read, it certainly kept holds of my attention. Max is a good lead character (with a few irritating traits), as are the police officers he works with. Some parts of the cases Max is working on are straight from real life, tragically, and not fiction, making the book all the more plausible. I recommend this book and will be looking out for the next in the series.

A cracking read!

Emma Moon has served her time - and now she's free. She kept her mouth shut about everything but now she's out it all seems to have gone - family, faithless husband and, most of all, the money. As she sets out for revenge she once again comes up against Max Wolfe the man who, as a young fresh-faced policeman, arrested her all those years ago. Will she manage to get her revenge - or will he stop her?

This isn't a series I've followed (but I wish I had); however, this seventh novel is an excellent stand-alone read. The characters are finely drawn and really come alive on the page. I was quickly pulled in to the story and found this to be a hard book to put down. Gripping, exciting and unpredictable, it's one I both thoroughly enjoyed and heartily recommend. 5*.

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

It’s so good to have Max Wolfe and Scout back - but Scout is growing up and is fiercely passionate about homelessness and the environment. Max can feel her growing away from him and the arrival back of her mother seemingly wanting to have more of Scout in her life is just making that gap grow. Stan their dog is still an unbreakable bond between Max and Scout, but he’s also getting old.

Meantime the woman that a very young Max arrested for her part in a high profile robbery and two murders is being released from jail. Things start to happen to the other members of the gang and the two brothers who headed it up - one of them her now ex husband - are scared she’s coming after them. Hardened criminals want Max’s help!! The members of the gang are literally being scared to death, but Max doesn’t find Emma scary, he finds her as alluring as when he arrested her.

What exactly is going on with Emma Moon, are her rather odd friends who are completely in her thrall, helping her murder the rest of the gang? She’s not well enough herself, is she? She appears to have terminal cancer, which Max doesn’t really doubt.

Meantime what is going on with Scouts mum? Why is Scout retreating from Max and making him feel even worse about the homeless girl on his street who was also murdered? It’s looking like there might be bad actors in the Met, grooming girls and Max is hoping his old friend on the firearms team can help, but he’s reluctant to believe that his mates are capable of such a thing.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable but slightly more melancholy outing for Max and Scout, ably telling the ongoing story of the single father detective and his daughter while weaving a genuine mystery of sex and murder around Emma Moon and a local story of sex and murder, too. I thoroughly enjoyed it and continue to hope that we hear more from this series - but I worry about Stan!!

5* - ADVANCED REVIEW COPY - NET GALLEY

Tony Parsons was one of THE music journalists of the mid-to late seventies when such things mattered...each week I'd look to see what he, Julie Burchill, Charles Shaar Murray and Nick Kent had to say about bands and tunes that meant
so much.

He and Burchill wrote the memorable expose of rock n roll "The Boy Looked At Johnny", originally released in 1978. I loved his work.

We drifted apart over the four decades since then, but I think, on the strength of my first Max Wolfe novel (the seventh in the series), that I'd like to catch up as it was that rare thing, an unputdownable read.

There are twists and sub-plots throughout, an interesting cast of characters, red-herrings and reflections on life, life choices, relationships, parenting and of course, crime.

When time allows I'll go back and read the six preceding novels because I'd like to see how Max Wolfe has evolved - there are mentions of previous events but knowledge of them is not mandatory to enjoy this read, which I would encourage
any fan of contemporary British crime to do.

Not entirely sure why I nabbed this from NetGalley as I’ve not read the other Max Wolfe books before and my only experience of Tony Parsons’ work was a psychological thriller that just didn’t work for me as it was a psychological thriller that was, to be honest, not really in my genre. But this seemed to be more my sort of thing, so I thought I’d give it a go. And I’m glad I did.

It's a decent police procedural but it is far more than that. Parsons does a great job of bring Wolfe and his daughter to life, making the reader care about their tribulations, without ever feeling as if it’s getting in the way of the story.

Actually, that should be stories as there’s a second plot that’s not mentioned in the blurb, namely the death of a homeless girl who Wolfe had been helping and the ties to corrupt police officers. That’s one strand that I thought was a tad depressing – it does seem that the majority of police officers in this version of London are corrupt, untrustworthy and sexual predators. I’ll admit, I have little experience with the Metropolitan Police and I hope it stays that way, but I wouldn’t recommend this book to their PR department. And I really hope it’s not true.

The story of Emma Moon, and her cult of celebrity, is very well done – another character who you really feel for, and it comes to a very effective conclusion. The plotter in me thinks that the murder method working every time does show some real luck on behalf of the killer and I did think that one character’s role does pivot a bit to make the finale work, but when this only occurs to you in hindsight, I think that means the author got away with it.