I have missed Max Wolfe! There I said it. I have missed a fictional detective...

In my defence, he is one of my favourite fictional detectives! Along with his dog and his daughter.

We are always given an insight into the “normal” side of his life, how much he cares about things, and this is partly what makes him a great detective.

16 years previously a young Max arrested Emma Moon for her involvement in a robbery than left two innocent men dead and several others on the run with the proceeds.

Emma says she did it for love, and denies knowing what was in the safe.

Max’s instincts tell him to believe her, but his colleagues don’t.

When one by one her old adversaries begin to die, Max begins to wonder if they are right and Emma is behind it. He knows that people kill for revenge, but something just doesn’t seem right.

And then there’s the murder of an innocent young homeless woman, unconnected to Emma Moon but about to lead Max down a road of police corruption and deprivation like he’s never seen before.

With his own career on the line can Max get to the truth before time runs out?

This is the seventh in the Max Wolfe series but could easily be read as a standalone. Max seems more reflective in this book, perhaps it’s because his daughter is on the cusp of becoming a teenager & trying to find her place in the world but also because he is thrown back in time, to one of his first arrests.

Emma Moon has just been released from prison after serving many years inside for her part in the murders of two innocent men during an armed robbery. The safe was physically removed from the residential property & its contents remain unknown. An enigma, much like Emma who remained resolutely silent on her role in the theft & refused to give up any names, even though the police knew who the gang members were. Max’s interest is piqued when he sees her again but also because those other gang members are dying. One by one. As if they’re on a hit list.
There are also a couple of side plots which weave themselves through the main story & add to Max’s thoughts on life & its fragility.

This is another great addition to the series & I love the main characters, especially Stan. I was blindsided by the ending of one of the sub-plots but it was cleverly handled. I can’t wait to see where Max goes next but please, Mr Parsons, don’t ever use THAT phrase again - ‘he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding’ - or along those lines! A recommended read to kick off 2025.

I do think that Tony Parsons just gets better and better. However, I did find that this Max Wolfe title took me a little longer to get into. He is divorced, a single dad and has a dog and they all live in an upmarket converted warehouse - which is why many people think he's on the take and ask how can he afford it on a copper's pay? In this book his past comes back to haunt him. He was a naive, young copper on his first murder case where the criminal gang got away apart from the girlfriend of one of the gang. Emily Moon has now been released and many people connected to that gang are now being murdered and all fingers point to her - except she has iron clad alibis, so who is the murderer? There are lots of twists and turns as well as family goings on with his precocious teenage daughter. I really did engage with the characters in this book, there are many red herrings and it's a thoroughly enjoyable book. Many thanks Netgalley for the chance to read and review.

An excellent book full of believable characters and situations. That combination of characters and situations make for a gripping story between the police on one side, "the crooks" on the other and the "day-to-day" people who found themselves mixed up in the whole thing.

On the face of it a simple tale about a woman who may have been falsely jailed, a number of people who should have been jailed and the policeman who decided that someone should uncover the actual truth.

Give yourself a treat and see if you can work out the denouement.

A thoroughly enjoyable episode for Max when a blast from his past comes to taunt him and involve his daughter . Though part of a series you can read this as a new to the characters venture.

Although book 7 in the series, it reads well as a standalone as I hadn't read the others. The story does jump about a bit at the start but only to get all the details together. Great twist at the end which I didn't see coming!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

I had no idea until I finished this book that it was the 7th in a series. That alone shows that it reads well as a standalone.
Max Wolfe's early police career comes back to haunt him as his very first arrest, Emma Moon, is released from prison. She was the only member of "The hole in the wall gang" to be charged with an audacious robbery where two people were killed and a safe ripped from a wall with the contents unknown. Moon's release coincided with the deaths of the gang members, the first of which was discovered by Wolfe whilst out walking his dog. Coincidence or was this connected with her release?
Wolfe,a single parent, lives with his 12 year old daughter who has developed a liking for the homeless and keeps disappearing to help them. When one of these homeless people gets murdered amid talk of police corruption Max Wolfe takes it upon himself to find the perpetrator putting his career and life at risk.
This book appeared to stutter a bit at times although all became clear as the book progressed. It was well paced and had plenty of action. Watch for the twist near the end.

Murder for Busy People is a great mix of cold case and current crime for Max Wolfe to solve. Emma Moon has just been released from prison after serving 16 years for her part in an armed robbery that left two men dead. But she's never revealed the true secrets of the day in question. Now that she is out, and her beloved partner has moved on, will she talk? And more importantly, will she seek revenge?

Max Wolfe was the fresh faced office who arrested Emma Moon all those years ago, and soon becomes entangled with her again in the present day. Juggling a spate of murders and his relationship with teenage daughter Scout, Max really has his work cut out.

Murder for Busy People is an engaging read, with multiple storylines and excellent characters.

This is book 7 in the Max Wolfe series and although I haven’t read any of the previous novels, I had no trouble picking this one up. The plot line of this book was great and had me intrigued. However I felt in some parts that it was too slow paced and didn’t keep me completely enthralled. I did want to see how the plot unfolded through so would rate it 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

Having read a couple of books by this author, and really enjoying them, I was looking forward to reading this book, Surprisingly, however, this was the first book in the Max Wolfe series that I had read.
I loved it, one of my top reads of 2024. Like the other books of his that I have read, the author not only provides interesting and easy to read stories, he also provides great character progression developing relationships with the reader, he also brings out the character of the location where the story is set so that you feel you are in the same space.
This book looks at a number of storylines which all intertwine, from the perception of the police by the general public, the stress an difficulties involved in being an Authorised Firearms Officer, but most of all the relationship of a single parent father with his 11 year old daughter and their elderly dog. This is an high action police story but there are also elements of family life and romance. It covers a number of subjects that the reader can look at from a different perspective and can ponder over.
Do not be put off with this being the seventh book in a series as it reads very well as a standalone. I could appreciate there was a lot of background to the series but it did not deter my enjoyment
Many thanks to Random House UK Cornerstone, NetGalley and the author for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
The book is to be published on 2nd January 2025 and will be available in e-book, audiobook and hardback mediums

I cannot believe it has been so long since we were in Max Wolfe´s company. Nearly 5 years, in fact, since #Taken hit the shelves. A lot has changed in that time for all of us, and, it seems for Max. still, it was a very welcome return to Max and his colleagues, with Murder For Busy People providing all of the intrigue I've learned to expect from the series, as well as the compassion and emotion from the books' hero. This is not your typical police thriller, and as much as Max is engaged in a (possible) investigation into what might, or might not be, murder, these books offer so much more than the whodunnit of the crime.

That is what I like about the books. Max Wolfe, action hero as he may be, or at least have been, is also a father. And the exploration of his relationship with his daughter, Scout, and his ageing dog, Stan, is as much a part of the stories as the investigations he leads. In some respects, it is this aspects of Max's life that leads on this particular story. Yes - there is a case, sort of. People associated with an old case that Max was once involved in as a fairly green PC, start dying in unusual circumstances. It can't exactly, or easily, be declared murder but there is a clear connection. The question is whether someone from the case is seeking revenge or not and, if so, is Max also at risk. But if Max is, this means that Scout may be too, and as a girl on the cusp of teenage, she's already changing in ways that Max is struggling to keep up with. How do you keep your daughter safe when she is keeping secrets from you and engaging in a life that puts her right in the path of danger? I love this side of Max, the way in which Tony Parsons explores and highlights his compassion and the emotional turmoil Max feels in trying to protect Scout whilst also battling his feelings of guilt towards the woman whose conviction he helped to secure.

There is a secondary investigation in the book - or maybe I should call it the primary investigation given than Max can't quite get anyone to believe the people from the old case are actually in danger. It is the murder of a young homeless girl, who situation is amplified in that Max and Scout knew her, to a degree. The book highlights the plight of the many homeless people on the streets of London. The way in which they are largely ignored and discarded, and how disposable they seem to some. This is where we really see the kind of compassionate and independent girl Scout has become, her dedication to the defence of those less fortunate being just one of a few reasons Max finds himself at odds with his daughter. It is one of the many scenarios that tugs at the heart strings, and really makes you think.

If you are looking for some of the gruesome and intense moments of the earlier books, this latest offering may not quite deliver that as it is a far more contemplative and emotional novel than an thrill based one. There are scenes of action and tension, but they are far fewer than other books in the series, and whilst the sense of threat is ever present, it is less obvious and less pulse pounding in delivery. I still felt compelled to read onward - there is a real mystery at the heart of this book - but it was more about wanting to know what really happened than because of an intense rhythm or pace. And it is still a classic Max Wolfe story - all of the empathy and determination of our hero to ensure justice is done, just with a lot less bloodshed along the way.

Emma Moon has served her time for killing two people and now she is out and ready for revenge.
She has nothing left and is dying so needs to move fast and soon the bodies begin to appear.
The detective on the case is the one who years ago arrested her for the murders!

Just simply beautiful. Maybe a strange thing to say about a murder mystery story but it really was. The premise of the killings, people literally being scared to death because of an old score to settle is ingenious and original. The sensitive handling of who is the good guy and who are the bad is also exquisitely explored , especially in the landscape of Police who are not necessarily all they seem. The lines are so blurred it’s hard to know who to put your trust in. The main characters and supremely poignant relationship between Max, our detective and single parent to a fast growing up, almost teenage daughter is completely spot on, vulnerable, no instruction books and feeling your way through as though in the dark, superb and makes the characters so achingly real and likeable. My emotional dial was all over the place by this point but then Tony keeps writing a dog into the narrative and suddenly I’m gone, an emotional wreck, but I feel so blessed for having found and read this book. Full heartedly recommend if you can’t tell from my review thus far. More please!

Tony Parsons can certainly write a book that intrigues the reader!
Max Wolfe is back and it’s like he’s never been away , he’s a complex flawed family man ( single parent) .
The story revolves around Emma Moon who was involved in a robbery where two men died . She was the only member of the gang to serve time in prison and now she’s been released.
Is it a coincidence that the rest of the gang are starting to drop like flies now Emma is out?
Max was the police officer involved in the arrest of Emma and is now trying to stop the deaths of the rest of the team .
Is Emma getting her revenge and is Max on the hit list?
Max has his own way of working and doesn’t let the rules stop him .
He’s an independent maverick character which makes the pages fly by and left me wanting more!
A great read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone .

I have always enjoyed this series, and even after a long time since the last book, I was right back in that London loft with Max and Scout. Beautifully complex characters and a plot that kept me up very late to finish the book. Welcome back!

Tony Parsons can spin a yarn but it was so long since the last one in this series that I almost felt like I was starting as a new reader. Some of the character traits and back story were lost from my memory so I did feel a bit alienated and this took away form the overall enjoyment of the story. I also felt ion this case it was quite a manly read but hadn’t felt that in the past.

Emma Moon has just been released from prison after serving a long sentence for armed robbery. Max has never forgotten her as she was one of his first arrests and the rest of the gang had fled the scene. She also has something of a cult status as she never informed on the gang members who left her to carry the can. Now Emma is out of prison, people who had dealings with her are dying and Max has to investigate. But are Max and his teenage daughter also in danger? This is the First Max Wolfe book I’ve read. I didn’t realise it was part of a series and it works well as a standalone novel. It has a great plot and is full of action. I really enjoyed the setting in an area of London I know well. I found Max’s relationship with Scout, his thirteen year-old daughter odd as she seemed to be free to roam around the streets alone late at night. She’s an interesting character though with a strong social conscience which makes for some great tension with Max and his chosen career.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for this review copy.

Definitely one with plenty of unforeseen twists and turns- a great page turner. Emma Moon served 16 years in prison -not informing on the other members of a robbery gone wrong. On her release deaths occur- is it a coincidence or is she involved.

Tony Parsons is quite new to me but he is definitely now on my list of favourite authors.
As a nervous rookie cop Max Wolfe put the cuffs on Emma Moon, charged with armed robbery where two people died, nine years later Max is now a respected detective and Emma is out on licence. Emma has always refused to name the other people involved in the crime and they have lived a comfortable life of freedom.
After Emma's release, her accomplices started dying one by one, all from natural causes.........or ware they, Max wasn't convinced.
Max has to combine his homicide duties with being a one parent family to his twelve year old daughter, Scout, Scout is mature beyond her years, she has a great social conscience and worries about the homeless, I could feel the anxiety of Max as he thinks that he is loosing the connection that he has with his beloved daughter.
When a young homeless woman asks Max for help, he is disturbed when she relates the series of events, this could open a can of worms, a can that no one wants opening and when the young girl is found dead Max must follow his conscience even though it could cause anger in people close to him.
This story has wonderful, relatable characters, Down to earth, Max who loves his daughter to distraction and worries that she is so independent in an unsafe city. Scout who loves her father but is at the awkward stage where she doesn't show it, Emma who is a complex character, served her time for a heinous crime but comes across ans gentle and caring and there is definitely a connection with Max. There are so many twists and turns in this complex story, so many leads, so many dead ends, so many red herrings, and a surprising ending that I didn't see coming, I am now a firm fan of Max Wolfe

Comment: Who was responsible for the robbery in London all those years ago. Was the right person arrested and jailed for all those years – was Max, at that time, a new wet behind the ears copper get set up? Out of prison now and is that person responsible for all the deaths now happening. Max, now a DI in the Met finds himself involved in the current aftermath of the robbery and what conclusion will he come to this time? Meanwhile, being a single parent to a 12-year-old girl isn’t making things easy. I enjoyed the book, but I’m not sure that the inclusion of the daughter helped the story along and would a police officer really let a child of that age do the things she did? My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC.