Tony Parsons writes about relationships insightfully and authoritatively making it easy to empathise with his flawed central characters. ‘Murder for Busy People’ is as much about Max’s changing relationship with his daughter Scout as it is about investigating murders. Both strands of the plot are complicated and enriched by Max’s emotional responses to them. Underlying the actual story is Parsons’ appreciation of how difficult it is to be a police officer in the 21st century when people are quick to find fault with those who try to enforce the law and keep us safe.

Although this is book 7 in the Max Wolfe series, it can easily be read on it's own, although I can recommend the whole series! I love the mix of police life plus the insight into the personal life of Max and his daughter, Scout. There is a good flow to the story and I liked the intricate plotting as well as the interesting mix of characters. There are three separate investigations going on and I loved the unexpected twist at the end. I never saw that coming! I do hope there is a lot more to come in this series and a bright future for Max and Scout. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is my first introduction to DS Max Woolfe, I havent read any of the previous 6 books, however this was not a problem as this book can be read as a stand-alone. If i had read previous books I would have a better knowledge of how Max became a single parent to his daughter.

Sixteen years ago there was a break-in at a grand house. The first constable on the scene found a hole in the wall, two dead bodies, and a young woman. The wet behind the ears constable was Max Wolfe, the hole had previously contained a safe, the bodies were the security guard and the gardener, and the young woman was Emma Moon. After her arrest she refused to name any of the gang, and was jailed for life for joint-enterprise murder. Now she has been released on licence, still saying nothing about the crime or her fellow criminals. It is well known who the latter are, but no evidence has ever been found. And then they start to die and the suspicion is that Emma is killing them, although how is unclear. DS Max Wolfe is suspected to be on her kill list. Max must investigate of course, but not officially because there is no proof that the deaths are actually murders. Meantime, he is involved in babysitting two trainees, investigating corrupt police officers and the murder of a homeless person.
This, the seventh in a series, purports to be a police procedural but nothing in it is actually correct procedure. Quite a lot of it is political commentary on police corruption and social support for the homeless. Max’s daughter, Scout, is twelve going on thirteen and has a social or humanitarian concern for people living on the street, but is also on the inevitable path to independence from her father. This also takes up some of the story, and also presents an interesting dilemma: would any parent, let alone a single parent, let alone a police officer, allow a child to wander alone around London late at night? All of the cases get solved, and one of them involves an unguessable (because I don’t believe it is clued anywhere) twist. There are also too many repeats, reminders, reprises (for example whenever the two trainees appear we are reminded of their position and its constraints). Overall, the three investigations are good ideas and the writing is sound, but I found all of the repetitive political and social material a major distraction. However, it is the seventh in a series and is clearly popular and will command an audience, so maybe I’m an outlier.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Murder for Busy People Tony Parsons

4 stars

My first introduction to DS Max Woolfe

I have never read any of the previous 6 books featuring DS Woolfe however this was not a problem as this can easily be read as a stand-alone. I would have liked a little more knowledge of how Max is a single parent to his 12 year old daughter, Scout but it did not detract from the story in this book.

Sixteen years ago a very fresh-faced new Police Constable 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 committed suicide and Emma is out for revenge or so it seems. One by one the people involved in the crime die in suspicious circumstances, all of the accomplices until the only two people left alive are Terry and DS Woolfe.

This was an interesting story with an unexpected ending but I particularly liked the interaction between Max and his daughter. She is on the edge of maturity and has always suffered form her mother leaving her when she was 4 It is obvious how much Max adores his daughter but finds it difficult to communicate with her. This scenario was very well written particularly at the end when Max tries to articulate his feelings for Scout.

I enjoyed this book although I found some of it a little far-fetched and I still have not worked out how the title relates to the book!
!

Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

Tony Parsons manages (yet again) to combine interesting, believable characters, real-life situations, a plot with cunning twists, and bad-boy colleagues his protagonist, Max Wolfe investigates. His ability to remain compassionate and generous in the face of his daily police encounters whilst remaining principled and detached in his investigations is enviable; his descriptions of his love and fears for his daughter tugs at the heartstrings, especially his closing interior dialogue. The bladder behind my eyes struggled not to leak. Wolfe’s engagement with Emma Moon is intriguing - part guilt, part admiration, part longing – is handled with delicacy; his pursuit of historical criminals, the murderer of a homeless girl, and determination to keep the force clean makes one want to cheer. And there is tension, action, and dilemma aplenty to keep the pages turning.

Was super excited to be given an advanced copy of this book and was looking forward to what Max Wolfe and his daughter Scout were up to.
I felt it was quite a slow burn. the antagonist Emma Moon who has just been released from prison after a 16 year sentence for her part in a robbery with fatalities has always kept her mouth shut and never ratted on her accomplices. Now she is free they are dropping dead and Max who was the one to arrest her doesn’t know if he’s next.
I initially thought I was going to give this four stars as I just wasn’t getting into it how I normally love a Max Wolfe story but then “BAM” and I loved it.
I don’t give five stars often and I certainly don’t give them just because I received an advanced copy. I highly recommend the Max Wolfe series.
Thank you NetGalley & Tony parsons

I have never read a book from from this series before, however it was easy to jump into.
Emma moon was with a group of people who committed a robbery that went wrong, and she was the only one convicted.
She has been released from prison, while she was in prison the people she done the robbery with moved on with their lives with the proceeds of the robbery.
There's the storylines of Emma Moon and the ones she committed the crime with disappearing, Max Wolfe and his relationship with his daughter and also his work in uncovering corruption.
Great Story
#netgalley #MurderForBusyPeople

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book-really enjoyed it, particularly the style of writing which is quite different for this genre. I love a good character and will definitely be picking up some more of the Max Wolfe series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read any of the Max Wolfe series to date but I don't think that impacted my experience of this book. Of course, a bit of context around Max's relationship with his daughter, ex-wife and other appearing characters may have helped the 'getting to know you' part of the book but I felt this worked as a story in its own right perfectly well. However, I did find Max a bit difficult to visualise, From the description, I couldn't really tell his age or appearance so I guess reading his other stories would have helped here.

I read an advance copy so there remained a few typos and other distractions (changing character names) which I am sure will be tidied up before publication. However, I was more confused by trying to work out which was the main story here as there seemed to be multiple subplots going on. The Emma Moon plot was, I thought, exciting and compelling. Emma is a well-defined character, and her backstory with the Gatti brothers is intriguing. I was really engrossed in this storyline - and then it all finished a bit abruptly for me, with Max taking actions I didn't think were right for his characters, albeit the little I know of him. Then there were subplots with his daughter, as well as others - though no plot spoilers here! They just didn't gel together that well for me so I ended up a little disappointed at the end, and I couldn't work out how the title was relevant either. Perhaps just me reading on a bad day! However, I like the character of Max and may well give one of his other stories a go.

This is the first Max Wolfe book that I have read. It wasn't the usual police caper. Rather than just narrate a plot line, this was written from the perspective of Wolfe and how it affected him emotionally. A lot of the book is about his relationship with his daughter, Scout, who is twelve. I certainly would't let my twelve year old child out til 10 pm unaccompanied. It can be a bit slow at times, but it is so well-written that I couldn't stop reading. I will certainly look out for this author again.

Lovely to meet up again with Max Wolfe, daughter Scout (now 12) and an aging, wonderful Stan - I’ve missed you (but did read throughout with a sense of dread – please can he ‘pass on’, outside the books?!’m a coward…)
The book starts with Emma Moon being released from a 16 year sentence she served to protect the 'Hole in the Wall' gang after a robbery at a posh house in which two people were killed.; She never gave up secrets or names and took the full 'blame by media' for the robbery. She stayed loyal to her lover Terry Gatti - who has now moved on and remarried a 'younger version'. He and his brother have lived a life of luxury in the meantime.
But then other members of the gang begin to die. The Gatti brothers are convinced Emma is killing them all out of revenge. Max had just started to like and trust her – is he making a big mistake?
Balancing the crime aspect is the homelife part of Max’s story which I find so endearing. Scout knows her own mind and is sensitive to the injustices in the world, particularly to the homeless and those inhabiting the streets around Smithfield Market, where they live. This can lead to conflict with Max; they need to sort through priorities, safety and consideration to others. Then, one of her homeless acquaintances is brutally murdered.
A couple of irritants – repetition in a few places (particularly around fast track police entry v ‘on the ground’ coppers, and scratchy uniforms; please don’t turn into Peter James (who seems to have a set amount of ‘in’ jokes cut and pasted into his books) You’re MUCH better than that Tony!
Enjoyed this though; lovely to revisit the family as much as enjoy a good crime story. Recommended, but maybe not quite as exciting as his earlier ones

The story is based on when rookie policeman Max Wolfe arrests a woman, Emma Moon at the luxury house where two men have been found murdered and a safe stolen. She never admits who was responsible for these terrible crimes and spends many years in prison as a result. Fast forward to when she is released and Max is now a vastly experienced officer. Will Emma ever admit her role and those of others? Max finds the body of one of the men involved on that fateful night. He has died from an apparent heart attack but is that the truth or is something more sinister going on? This was a decent enough story that was an easy read but for me I felt events were a little too convenient. For example Max stumbling across the aforementioned body. In the middle of London. Further into the book other characters seemed to appear from nowhere as though London is a small rural village where you can’t help but bump into people you know. My other concern is for Scout, Max’s daughter. A single parent who loves her and is proud of her but what sane person would let their 12 year old wander the streets of London (or anywhere) late at night and on their own without any checks or supervision. He’s a policeman and with that comes the knowledge of how dangerous this behaviour must be. It’s absolute madness and even when a girl is murdered nearby Scout is still left to her own devices. I found this unnerving throughout and detracted from the main story. I hadn’t read any Max Wolfe books before now and I understand they are best sellers. However, as a stand alone book I felt this was too contrived.

How this book stands out is with short chapters and a straightforward narrative.
This does not mean that the plot is simple or the story easy to guess.
It does mean that the reader is not easily confused.
I loved the characters and I liked the storyline, and appreciated the various insights into policing and life in London.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found the story a little slow to start but once it got going it hooked you in. Many storylines cleverly woven together along with the family drama of teenagers and their fathers! Current story including armed police bought this right up to date.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

Having read all the DC Max Wolfe series I was really looking forward to reading this book and it didn't disappoint. Whether reading this as your first Tony Parsons novel or having read all in the series the book is a definite page turner. I was hooked from the start with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end.
The story was well written and for those who have read all in the series it was great to catch up on the relationship between Max and his daughter Scout and Stan the dog. Although as Scout becomes a teenager their relationship is a bit more strained than in previous books.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly Recommend.

This story intrigued me and having never read a Tony Parsons book before I now know that I must have missed out and have to go back and seek many more from his collection. A woman is released from prison after serving 16 years for a crime that she probably didn't commit, but she kept quiet for those who did. Nevertheless, many of the people involved are now being hunted down and killed and it's the original policeman that arrested her over 16 years ago that gets to interview her and perhaps finds out too much about her as he investigates the new murders. The twists are impossible to guess, but I do wonder if he should have allowed his almost teenage daughter to become as involved with potential murderers as he did. You'll find out when you read this outstanding book and although everything is wrapped up at the end you'll still be thinking that many of these characters could have made different choices and their outcomes might have been better and they may have still been alive. Of course, as is standard in all these police books these days, the policeman has to fight all those above him to get his way and you wonder if they are involved in any of the deception, while Max, the lead character, also fights some dodgy police officers during the course of this novel. Excellent story, very well written, I look forward to more by this writer.

I couldn’t put this one down, really really good.

I enjoy the way this author brings the lives of the characters in to the investigations-it feels more real.

Can read as a stand alone but I’d recommend the series as it it really good and you get more from it that way.

I absolutely adore Tony Parsons’ writing style, it just clicks with me and I could quite happily read anything written by him!

This is the first book I have read in his Max Wolfe series and it won’t be the last. I really like Max, his daughter, Scout and the relationship between them; the single father and the almost teenager. A very tricky balance that Max manages well.

The plot was excellent; a woman released from prison after 16 years, who was a young Max’s first arrest. You know what they say? You never forget your first! And it appears that applies to young coppers too! The woman took the heat and did the time for the man she loved and now that man’s associates are dying. Is she to blame or was she innocent all along?

5⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Tony Parsons and Random House, Cornerstone for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I love this author’s books, they are good and keep you enthralled all the way through with twists and turns. This one is no different with great characters and setting. Why would someone keep quiet about a robbery/murder and do the time for someone else? Keep reading as it is really good the way it all comes out.