Tony Parsons never disappoints me with his books and yet each time I think my luck may run out, it hasn't. Each of his books are different and there are twists that I never expected. Just when I think I might have worked it out, there's another turn. Emma Moon has just served a jail sentence but her story is unclear, it's complicated, except when she is let out, one thing is for sure, is it's payback time for her. The book moves fast and is tense. Max Wolf is the detective and a likable person. Murder mystery isn't always about bad people.
I can't wait for another book by this author.

I really enjoyed this book so much so that once I started reading it I just couldn’t put it down. The story was very gripping and I just had to read on to find out what happened next with unsuspecting surprise about one of the characters. It was just so good and I liked the characters as well. This was my first book by this author but it won’t be the last.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a detective story that just keeps you gripped with a good story and good characters.

I would like to thank Penguin and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Max Wolfe #7

Emma Moon has just been released from prison. She had been locked up for an armed robbery where two men were murdered. The rest of the miscreants escaped and Emma refused to name them. Since Emma has been liberated, the people who were involved in the robbery with her are dying. Is this a revenge case for DI Max Wolfe to solve?

What a gripping read this book was. There were some really good twists. The characters are complex and well-fleshed out. We also get the story of a homeless girl who Max keeps an eye on. I like the author's writing style. I wasn't expecting to cry at the end of this book.

Published 2nd January 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Cornerstone and the author #TonyParsons for my ARC of #MurderForBusyPeople in exchange for an honest review.

Max Wolfe is walking Stan, his dog on Hampstead Heath when he comes across a dead body. He recognises him as the alleged driver in a robbery murder 16 years ago. Upon investigation it appears he died of fright, but by no other hand The only person, Emma Moon, who served prison time for the murder is being released in a couple of days and her supporters have always declared her to be innocent.
Max is torn, he is being told by his superiors that it wasn't murder, but is curious why other members of the gang seem to be dying as well all of a sudden. He is also having problems with Scout. She is very mature for her 12 years and cares deeply. He feels that a gap has opened up between them and doesn't know how to handle it. When she says she has re-established contact with her mother, he goes with it.
One of the local homeless girls asks for help and later ends up dead, again he is told to leave it as someone has confessed, but he knows the person who confessed and he wouldn't have done it.
A well written book and a delight to read.

Max Wolfe is back in another of his murder mystery stories. Many years ago, as a fresh faced policeman he arrested a young woman for armed robbery and murder. The woman, Emma Moon never disclosed who was with her the night of the robbery.
But now, 16 years later, she’s out of jail, and the bodies are starting to pile up again. Is she finally out for revenge for her lost life?
Can Max find out what really happened - and avoid getting sucked into the Emma Moon vortex?
A good read, even if you haven’t read any of the Max Wolfe stories before.

This is the first book I’ve read in the Max Wolfe series, but now I need to go back to read them from the start! Max Wolfe finds the body of one of the perpetrators of a burglary which went wrong, just before the person who was jailed, Emma Stone, is released from prison. Max starts to wander if the two incidents are related, especially when the rest of the gang start to die, one after the other. Meanwhile, where is his 12 year old daughter disappearing to at night? With two police graduates to mentor, his life is always busy.
I loved this book. I was intrigued by Max’s daughter as well as the power Emma Stone reportedly had over her closest circle. With lots of twists and turns, this is an exciting and unpredictable story.

Another great story from Tony Parsons loved the main character DI Max Woolfe as he juggles looking after his daughter on his own after his wife left them and his job. He is trying to find the killer who is going after a gang. who committed a robbery 16 years ago and arrested a Emma Moon who refused to name the other suspects.
When Emma Moon is released the other men involved are being killed Max has to work out who is responsible and does not believe Emma Moon is responsible.
This is a story that will keep you guessing with many twists and also as he struggles with his daughter.
Would highly recommend for a thrilling read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Gripping, fast paced and action packed. Absolutely loved it.

Thank you Tony Parsons, Random House Cornerstone and Netgalley for the ARC

I’m new to Max Wolfe and liked him, also his relationship with his daughter who is more mature and compassionate than you would expect from a 12 year old.
There are several threads to this story and each one is interesting, although I think it’s all written rather simplistically.
In my opinion this can be read as a standalone book.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found it a confusing storyline at times and didn't really feel that it was what I had expected from the title. I haven't read any previous books about DI Max Woolfe, but this didnt impact the story.. Emma has been released from a 16 year prison sentence, as a result of an arrest name by DI Woolfe as a new PC. He therefore has an interest in her case and the subsequent unexplained deaths of characters linked to the case. Is Max on the list? Alongside these cases, the story explores reports of bad members of the force.
I didn't find this story particularly gripping. I was worried about the freedom Max, as a single parent allowed his 12 year old daughter in London.
The conclusion of the book was slightly unexpected.

Max Wolfe arrested Emma Moon 16 years ago and now she is out of prison. Now 5he people who escaped the scene of that crime are dying one by one. Is Max on this list too? Can the deaths be stopped?

Well paced, well written novel. Great characters in this unusual murder mystery. Who is really behind these deaths and why? Very enjoyable snapdragon very readable book.

Tony Parsons books have entertained me for over 20 years. I enjoyed his latest book which examines in detail various facets of the police both good and bad. It also provides emotional sides recognising how short a dogs life is and the effects of decision making when you have a terminal illness. All high octane stuff to hold the readers attention and stimulate thought. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Murder for Busy People by Tony Parsons is the seventh in the series featuring detective and single dad, Max Wolfe. I assumed I'd missed more recent ones but discovered I'd read the sixth when it was released in 2019... so it's been a while between books in this series (of which I've only read #1, #3, #6 and now #7). Wolfe's daughter Scout seems to be ageing in real-time. She was eight in Taken and is now 12, almost 13, nevertheless I was quite surprised at the freedom she's offered here given Wolfe certainly knows that London is not a particularly safe place.

In re-reading some of my earlier reviews I'd talked about some plot weaknesses but it's certainly not an issue here, other than a few coincidences... such as Wolfe being the one to come across a few of the bodies and Emma just happening to be in Wolfe's neighbourhood on a number of occasions. But this is really solid crime fiction with two mysteries for the price of one. There's the case of the sixteen year old heist and Emma's silence on her accomplices (now dropping like flies following her release) not to mention what was in the safe that allowed the two instigators behind the robbery to live-large ever since. And then there's the murder of a homeless woman who'd been telling Wolfe she'd been harassed by police officers prior to her death.

Parsons keeps a good pace here as both plot-lines are complex and include the usual red herrings as well as some impressive twists. And again he gives us really strong character development, as Wolfe starts to worry he and Scout are less-close as she gets older. I loved the way Parsons has Wolfe being extremely proud of the person Scout's becoming but at the same time fearing for her and not wanting her reliance on him to change.

This is my favourite of this series to date, so I hope now we don't' have to wait another five years for the next instalment. (I should mention though, there's a slight sense of finality at the end of this book so I hope there will be another to come!)

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

The description of this book read like a high-stakes, intense thriller which may have followed both Emma Moon and Max Wolfe, but that is not how it played out. The book was a decent detective drama but without input from Emma Moon’s perspective I felt as though none of the intensity landed.

I enjoyed the plot lines of the book and I liked the fact that the Emma Moon case was not the only one to follow, but I think the author tried to cover too many topics in one book. Neither case ever felt overly climactic and I think this may have been due to the main character never seeming to depict and real or intense emotion. For me, I feel that this felt the stakes were lowered and I didn’t hold much anticipation for the answers.

In fairness to the book, I may have felt more attached to the characters had I read the previous books in the series, but I was not aware that this was a series until half way through. If the author intended for these books to only be read as part of the series, it may have worked, but I don’t feel that as a standalone I was encouraged to form any attachment to the characters.

The one thing that bugged me about the book was how preachy it felt regarding the police. I respect that it acknowledges the problems with ‘bad apples’, however it felt like a sympathy letter to armed officers given the number of times their struggles are mentioned, often without prompting. I work as police staff and have great respect for officers, but the coverage of their struggles felt like overbearing overcompensation somehow.

Overall I think this works as a detective book in that the crimes were interesting and the characters had potential, I just think fewer issues needed to be covered (the rainbow bridge, abandonment from a mother) to allow for more depth within other areas.

Another good episode in the Max Wolfe series this time going back to an arrest some 16 years ago and the present day repercussions after the convicted woman is released. The story also leans heavily on Wolfe’s relationship with his 12 year old daughter which cleverly fits into the main storyline of deaths that are not quite murders. The murder of a young rough sleeper adds another layer to the tale with shock revelations, it all adds to another satisfactory read with this fascinating character.

This was my first Max Wolfe story and I quite liked him. I think he shouldn't let his daughter have such freedom, but I liked the police story.

Latest DI Max Wolfe book..
Emma Moon was convicted of murder 16 years ago, one of Max's first arrests. At the time she swore she was innocent and begged to be let go.
Emma is out and suddenly the gang involved in the botched robbery start dying.
All points to Emma. Can Max solve who is killing before it's his turns he was there that day...
Great characters and flavour of East End London.

Thanks to Tony and NetGalley for allowing me to read Murder for Busy People before the publication date.
This is the first book in the series which I have read.
Unfortunately the uncorrected proof of the ARC which I downloaded had formatting issues which it made it difficult to read.
I will therefore not publish my review out with NetGalley as it has obviously been impacted by that.
My review is limited as I found it impossible to add to the description of the book without giving away spoilers.

When Emma Moon is released from prison having served 16 years of a 30 year sentence, due to the campaigning efforts of the rather slimy Lord Nevermore, the media are quick to republish the pictures of Moon’s arrest by PC Wolfe, who had only graduated from Hendon the week before.

Now DS Wolfe finds himself in the limelight and attracting attention from the public and his colleagues.
As more of the people who were suspected, but not proved, to be involved in the armed robbery with Moon are found dead, Max is told that they were all names on Moon’s kill list…. as is Max.

Tony has written a book which highlights a number of topical, and often social, thought provoking issues, weaving each issue into the story.
In particular, the discussion which Max has with an old friend and colleague, SFO Jackson Rose, about the difficulties which AFOs face on a daily basis and the public attitude is very topical.

I always enjoyed the Max Wolfe books. The cynical detective who suspends his pessimism when it comes to his daughter and dog has been a favourite since the first book.

In this latest episode Max has to cast his mind back to his early days when he was the first on the scene of two brutal murders and a robbery that would keep it's gangland bosses - the Gattis - in clover for decades. However the only person Max meets that night is Emma Moon. She is arrested and sent down for life.

However after 16 years she is being released on licence. A trusty band of supporters are there to greet her but what Max sees is a woman who did the time for others and after the death of one of the gang in very suspicious circumstances, he concludes that she might just want revenge - and not just on the gang.

There is a sub-plot that deals with the parlous state of the reputation of the Police Service in general and The Met in particular.

The story itself seems, at times, a little fantastical but it is all explained satisfactorily at the end. In general it's simply a fast paced novel with some likeable characters.

(I'll be honest, the only part that really irritated me was Max's daughter, Scout, being given free rein to do what she likes with her father's implicit belief that she's telling the truth. She's 12 in this book. Frankly I fear for Max's sanity when she reaches her teenage years if he's believing anything a pre-teen tells him now. It's a personal point of view but he could do with some cynicism as far as his offspring is concerned.)

It was, however, a good story and I'd recommend it. It's good to see Max back.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I read the first book in this series and none in between but it doesn’t matter, there’s enough detail and context for everything to make sense. Some topical and hard hitting themes but an enjoyable read with an ending I didn’t see coming