When Max Wolfe stumbles across a dead body while walking his dog he doesn't immediately realise that he is going to be dragged back to his early days as a police officer and one of the greatest unsolved crimes of the past twenty years.

I vividly remember reading Man And Boy by Tony Parsons back in the 1990s and to this day it still remains one of the most emotive books I've read. I've read a few others by the author but was very surprised when I realised I'd not read any of the Max Wolfe series, despite The Murder Bag having been on my TBR pile for years.

When I was given the opportunity to read and review Murder For Busy People it was the author's name, along with the quirky title, which persuaded me. There's always that moment when you realise you're about to embark on a book in a well-developed series, book 7 in this case, and you haven't read any of the previous books. You question whether you will get the best from the novel having no idea of the backstory. I'm pleased to report that the novel works well as a standalone and has enticed me to read the series from the beginning.

While walking his dog early one morning, Max discovers the body of another dog walker. He immediately recognises the man as a getaway driver who was involved in one of the biggest robberies of the past twenty years when a safe and its contents were stolen. What makes the case memorable for Max is that only a week out of his police training, he was the first officer on the scene. Max arrested a young woman, Emma Moon, the only person to be convicted of the robbery in which two men were killed. Sixteen years on, Emma Moon has been released from prison and those alleged to be involved in the crime alongside her begin to turn up dead.

Max Wolfe is definitely a maverick, so while he's a police officer this isn't a police procedural. Wolfe strikes out on his own to find out how the members of the gang are dying, particularly as many of them have given up their criminal past and settled down. He's tenacious, refusing to back down. When he stumbles across a group of corrupt officers we discover how relentless he truly is.

The novel covers some extremely timely themes such as police officers using their powers to arrest women and the challenges of being an armed officer. We also see Max struggling with his personal life. His ex-wife who walked out on her family ten years earlier has made contact with their daughter, Scout. As a pre-teen Scout is pushing the boundaries and Max is finding it difficult to balance allowing her some independence alongside protecting her.

The different threads within the novel work well together, allowing us to see the different sides of Wolfe. The characters and the setting really made you feel as if you were right there in the east end of London. Throughout the story, the big riddle is what was stolen from the safe? The conclusion gives us the answer, but it's a frustrating one.

I enjoyed the twists and two storylines. It kept me guessing. Conflicted personal life bringing up a 12 year old daughter alone is not the norm for murder squad male detectives.
The arresting officer 16 years ago to an infamous female criminal who was convicted under joint enterprise. Released on licence back in to the community, stirs up the press interest especially when members of the original gang take their own lives. Past bumps up against the now, along with a murder close to home that starts off a different investigation.

A great read and one which keeps you wondering as to how many people are involved in such an awful crime and were happy for others to take the blame. The side story being that the police aren't always as they seem which has been played out in real life of late!

Max Wolfe's first arrest as a rookie cop was of Emma Moon.16 years later she is released from prison and the bodies start to mount up as members of her old gang start to be killed .she has not given anybody up in her prison years but is this her payback? Max, now a detective tries to investigate but he doesn't always get the help he needs from colleagues .He wonders if he is going to be a target because of the arrest.Max also needs to sort his daughter Scout out , she is trying to help the homeless volunteering at a soup kitchen and even at one time letting them in to their home for a party. Max arrives home and is not impressed by what he finds . Scout's volunteering is putting her life in danger but she doesn't know it .A well written novel with many twists along the way.

I have not read DS Max Wolfe before but it is easy to pick up on .I really enjoyed this book ,great characters a real page turner and so gripping truly a hard to put down book !The twist at the end took me completely by surprise .Excellent ...Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

I lost out on the body count along with the " he did it" followed by a seemingly cast iron alibi. Then "she must have done it" then the knowledge that she was in jail. Emma Moon's fellow gang members from 16 years previously have reason to be nervous.

Max Wolfe also has reason to be nervous as his daughter, Scout, finds a pair of rose tinted glasses giving her a less than true view of the local homeless. Max's attic turns into party central/sanctuary for one night. How to explain the dangers without scaring Scout witless.

This was my first Max Wolfe and I did enjoy it but without having the back story i did get confused at times.

Another great read from Tony Parsons. I'm so invested in the characters & Max isn't a stereotypical, hard-knock-life, detective. I like that he has Scout & that she's giving him a bit of a runaround, as teenagers do. I can hear and see Smithfield market, so vivid is the description - I just feel fully immersed which, I always think, is a great talent.

I really enjoyed the back story of a fledgling Max being involved in a case that once again rears it's head. The characters are all a bit unreliable, which I love as it keeps me guessing. Another great, recommended read.

Max Wolfe is back and this time he is investigating his own.colleagues. When his first ever arrest is let out of prison and the gang she was suspected of working with suddenly start dying, Max starts investigating to see if Emma Moon is picking them off one by one, whilealso trying to navigate parenting teen daughter Scout.

Another great instalment in the life of Max Wolfe.

In 'Murder for Busy People' by Tony Parson's, Max Wolfe is faced with a number of suspicious deaths that are very close to home. 16yrs previously, as a new police recruit, he arrested Emma Moon. She was found at the scene of a safe break and double murder by the 'Hole in the Wall' gang. Whilst no one thought she was the leader of the gang, or the murderer, she was the only person caught and served 16yrs for the crime. When released, members of the gang start to die, and as the arresting officer Max isn't sure if he will be next. He also isn't sure if his police colleagues will protect him after he is forced to confront some fellow officers who have been using their status and power to sexually assault women and may have gone even further.

'Murder for Busy People is a very enjoyable crime novel, with a good amount of plot and subplot to keep things moving at a good pace. However, in addition to writing about crime, Parson's weaves into the narrative Max's love for his daughter Scout and the changes in their relationship as she grows older. These parts of the novel added a deeper emotional layer, that as the mother of a tween, were sometimes difficult to read. They also normalised father's as single parents and the fact that mother's can sometimes walk away for various reasons. As a result, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it, both for the crime writing and also for the deeper emotional depths.

I’ve wished for another Max Wolfe story for a long time and I’m thrilled it’s finally here! It was everything I could have hoped for. The crime story is interesting and well plotted, but what appeals to me most in this series is the strength of the writing and the characters. The cast are perfectly drawn and totally believable. I love in particular the way that Max’s relationship with Scout has developed now she’s older; the fear and frustration of loving a child will be familiar to all parents and there are some really poignant moments in the book. It’s a triumphant return for Max Wolfe and I hope there will be many more.

Excellent police procedural thriller.

My first Max Wolfe novel and well worth reading. The story takes place in London and focuses on the murder of a homeless woman before developing in something much more involved. There’s quite a death count in the end but it’s also a story about love, misunderstandings and revelations. It’s quite a page-turner with interesting characters. Highly recommended. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have read all of Tony Parson's Max Wolfe series so was looking forward to reading this. As expected wasn't disappointed and it didn't take long to finish reading it. An excellent read full of twists and one to be recommended.

Absolutely superb writing! Great plot, great characters and great writing. What more could you ask for?

As an avid reader of the original Tony Parsons books I was excited to be granted to review this book before publication and remembered quickly why I loved his books.

I didn’t realise Max Wolfe was a series of box and I will definitely be downloading more of these as I loved this detective style.

A great read.
Fantastic plot that keeps you guessing till the end of how it all comes together and ‘who dunnit?’

Great set for the book and the characters are described well.

One of my favourite things about the writing in this book was the beautiful relationship Max has with his daughter Scout and Stan the dog and you want to ensure this stays safe abs on course!

A great read and looking forward to go backwards and read more about Max Wolfe and this detective series!

This is the first Max Wolfe book I have read byt I don't think I missed too much by not having read the earlier books in the series. Unfortunately I did find the pace of the book quite slow. A good story and well written just a tad too slow for me.

I like Max Wolfe books by Tony Parsons but found “Murder for Busy People” not to be one of his best. Our hero, detective Max, has an interesting life story and we get to know more about his private life – that of a single dad parenting a teenage daughter. Very quickly into the action with some really great features to the main and sub-stories, and at times breathlessly pulling me onto the next page or chapter. Great takes on police procedure as the characters start dying, often for non-obvious reasons. At other times, some jumps or inconsistencies I found hard to credit, as well as dwelling for too long on certain scenes which seemed irrelevant to the stories – almost as if the author was padding it out. Surprises abound (and no spoilers here!) which really “had me” but overall, not quite up to the mark – hence only four stars. I’ll keep getting Tony Parsons books though!

I didn’t enjoy it as much as his other books. Emma has come out of prison after being sentenced for armed robbery where 2 men where actually murdered now she is out people begin to die it seems to be those that were connected to the crime.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC

I really really enjoyed this! Another book which was right up my street. Slightly slow to start with but I was then hooked. The twists and turns kept me interested and I liked the characters. Looking forward to reading more books by this author!

Hard hitting, gritty, character driven crime, just how I like it. Wolfe is back with a 12 year old daughter and sees misery on the streets and despondency in the police force but he’s out for the truth whatever it turns out to be.

I wasn't really sure what to make of this, as I think I was expecting something a little more.

This is a straightforward murder mystery with a number of sub plots and plot twists.

The basic premise of the story is that when a woman is released from prison after serving 16 years for a crime she didn't commit, those she was covering for suddenly start to die in unusual circumstances. The main protagonist, a detective who originally arrested her, investigates the murders and uncovers a lot of unexpected things along the way.

It was an OK read, but not one that was particularly memorable. 3.5 stars