A mundane morning dog walk takes a sinister turn for DS Max Wolfe when he uncovers a corpse tangled in the undergrowth of London's urban jungle. This macabre discovery is the grim harbinger of a tempestuous investigation, a puzzle with pieces scattered across a sixteen-year-old heist. Tony Parsons' Murder For Busy People isn't just a crime novel; it's a labyrinthine exploration of guilt, redemption, and the enduring shadows of the past.

As Wolfe delves deeper, the case grows more intricate, with each unearthed body a fresh layer of complexity. The specter of Emma Moon, a convict soon to be released, looms large, casting a shadow of doubt over every suspect. Parsons masterfully intertwines the gritty world of crime with Wolfe's personal struggles, creating a character who is as flawed and vulnerable as he is determined. The dynamic between Wolfe and his teenage daughter, Scout, provides a poignant counterpoint to the darkness of the investigation, offering glimpses of humanity in a world consumed by greed and violence.

Mad Wolfe is definitely back

What a fantastic read. I was hooked from the first page to the last

5 stars Thank you for the opportunity to review

Without doubt, Tony Parsons is a versatile author – from the thought-provoking ‘Man and Boy’ published a quarter of a century ago over his wonderful short stories (are they sadly now out of print?) to his psychological thrillers and the gritty thrillers that have emerged in the last decade. With his character Max Wolfe, Tony Parsons reprises the lone parent theme that he writes so well. This time, Max is negotiating a series of changes that make him realise how fast time passes: the daughter that Max is raising on his own is now almost a teenager, and the armed robber he arrested more than fifteen years ago by the name of Emma Moon has just been released from prison. Max is trying very hard to keep these two females apart from each other but finds that despite his best efforts, his personal and professional worlds eventually collide, with disastrous consequences ….

Written in a fast-paced, engaging and socially-aware manner, ‘Murder for Busy People’ is a wonderful addition to the Max Wolfe series that does not only unravel a compelling murder mystery, but also opens the reader’s eyes to some pressing urban issues. Highly recommended! Whilst writing, I wish to extend my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I was really looking forward to reading Murder for Busy People but after reading felt just a bit disappointed.
Same great characters and London settings. It’s great knowing where Max is and can almost be walking alongside when he is in Smithfield and other known locations. Loved the description of the aprons worn in Smithfield.
Bang up to date subjects, perhaps too many in one book but they were all important issues and dealt with care and attention.
All in all a good read but I have to say I just knew Bear was a ‘wrong un’ from the start and found the last few pages schmaltzy and unnecessary.

Another brilliant book by Parsons.
I was hooked from the start and reading it felt like watching one of my favourite detective tv shows.
I especially enjoyed the detail about Woolfe’s dog, having read about the author’s own pup 😢
Highly recommend this read!

Another cracker of a book with Max Wolfe, I enjoyed it immensely and did not see the twists coming, and Stan - oh lovely Stan. The best dog in the series of books.
Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this and revel in.
Without wishing to give away any potential spoilers it felt almost like a farewell,

Another novel in the deservedly acclaimed Max Wolfe series. With his precocious daughter, Scout, approaching adolescence, missing her mother and often at odds with expectations, DS Max Wolfe finds that he has his hands full at home as well as at work.
Sixteen years earlier Max was instrumental in criminal Emma Moon’s arrest. Always insistent on her innocence, she has served her time for her part in an armed robbery which resulted in two deaths. Despite the fact that she took the rap for the rest of the gang, she has remained unswervingly loyal, refusing to reveal any details of the crime. Now she’s out and it looks as if she has come for vengeance on those who allowed her to rot in prison and those who put her there in the first place. And, with a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer, she hasn’t much time left.
Not only must Max watch his back and look out for his daughter, there’s work to do in investigating the murder of a young vagrant woman close to home. Max believes that she may be the victim of a predatory policeman using his position to extort sexual favours. Soon he hears that a police grooming gang operates out of a flat in Archway. Can this be true?
As ever, Tony Parsons manages several plotlines with consummate skill. The reader remains concerned for Max’s relationship with his daughter, whilst also trying to unpick rumours and truths. Fans of this series will certainly enjoy the latest tale whilst also appreciating that there are likely to be some rocky teenage moments ahead for Max and Scout to navigate!
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this latest of Wolfe investigations.
Emma Moon is an excellent character, easy to hate and hard to fathom and the grimy underworld that reveals itself via the murder of a homeless woman reads true to what we hear in the news about the way society treats those who fall through the gaps.
A really good plot, beautifully crafted.

I’ve read most of Tony Parsons previous novels - I loved his early family dramas but haven’t been keen on his more recent psychological thrillers. However the Max Wolfe series has always been my favourite and so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the latest instalment in this series.
Max, his daughter Scout, now aged 12 and their dog Stan are back, still living in their loft apartment in Smithfield. Emma Moon was one of Max’s first arrests 16 years ago, she is now out of prison and those involved in the armed robbery she was convicted for are dying. Alongside this plot line a homeless women is murdered and Parsons uses this to explore homelessness in London and the corrupt and abusive behaviour of some Met Officers.
I loved being back with Max and Scout and Parsons portrays the relationship between them extremely thoughtfully. The plot focuses on very current issues and like the rest of this series is well written and I raced through it over the course of 24 hours.
A recommended read that can be read as a stand-alone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book having never read any of the Wolfe series I was very impressed. the whole book was very entertaining and I felt myself being drawn to the different ongoing storylines. Very entertaining detective thriller Thankyou to Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book

Another outing for Max Wolfe, the unconventional detective. In this instalment he is faced with a blast from the blast, his first arrest for murder is being released but she has grudges to settle. The underworld crimes are set against a contemporary story of homelessness and exploitation. Wolfe’s 12 year old daughter is at the heart of this. Her character should perhaps have been 14-16 or so for some authenticity and for Max to not be regarded as a completely negligent father.

Tony Parsons delivers another riveting instalment in the DS Max Wolfe series with Murder For Busy People. In this fast-paced thriller, DS Max Wolfe stumbles upon a body while walking his dog in London, setting off a chain of events that ties back to a heist from 16 years ago. The novel is a masterful blend of crime investigation and personal drama, making it a compelling read from start to finish.

The story kicks off with Wolfe discovering the body of a man who was involved in the notorious heist, a crime that also saw Emma Moon incarcerated. With Moon's release from prison imminent, Wolfe is thrust into a complex web of mystery as more bodies connected to the heist surface. Parsons intricately weaves the past and present, creating a narrative that's both thrilling and emotionally resonant. Wolfe is faced with the daunting task of determining whether Moon is exacting her revenge or if someone else is settling old scores.

Parsons excels in developing his characters, and Murder For Busy People is no exception. Wolfe's relationship with his 13-year-old daughter, Scout, adds a touching layer to the story. Scout is navigating her own challenges, growing up without her mother, and their father-daughter dynamic is portrayed with authenticity and depth. This subplot enriches the main narrative, providing a poignant counterpoint to the darker elements of the crime investigation.

Parsons' storytelling is brisk and engaging, with each chapter propelling the reader forward. His knack for creating suspense and his ability to deliver unexpected twists keep the reader hooked until the very end. The twist in Murder For Busy People is particularly satisfying, blindsiding even the most astute readers.

DS Max Wolfe returns and this novel opens with Stan his dog finding a body on Hampstead Heath.

The body turns out to be a old lag who never went down for the biggest job he was involved in.

By coincidence,Max was the arresting officer for the only person who went down,Emma Moon.

As the rest of the gang start dying one by one, Max's team have to solve the crimes.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Century Publishing for the chance to read and review this book

Brilliant book - a real page turner of a read. I haven’t read any previous Max Wolfe books but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this book. I think this would make a great Christmas gift for any readers on your to buy for list

I have missed Max , Scout and Stan and loved this book. The story was different and really interesting. Highly recommended!!#MurderforBusyPeople #NetGalley

After sixteen years in prison for her part in an infamous heist that went wrong, Emma Moon has been released - into the arms of those who campaigned for her release. A body found on Hampstead Heath shows a connection to the case - and it seems that sixteen years later, someone may be getting their revenge for what happened in te house.

This is another good book - I'd read one previous Max Wolfe book, so I was familiar with the characters. A solid 4* book for me.

I haven't quite worked out the relevance of the title; Murder for Busy People, as it doesn't seem to sit with the contents. Maybe it's for the busy reader? I recollect an old Clint Eastwood movie called Magnum Force, where Clint played the Dirty Harry role, coming up against some bent motorcycle policemen. In this novel Max Wolfe, a serving detective plays a similar role but Max is one in a million, he's a really nice guy. Whilst the crimes are nasty, you can't help but like Max, especially if you have ever had children. Because Max (a single parent), is bringing up Scout his twelve year old daughter (going on 20) in the best way he knows and he sure is hurting. Communication is difficult between parents and adolescent children and much of their shared time together is spent in silence, the alternative being an argument. However, Max has villains to catch, both inside and outside the Met.
A thoroughly entertaining and weirdly gentle, detective thriller.

Tony Parsons always delivers, whatever genre he writes in so I was excited for this one.
Whilst an excellent police procedural thriller in itself with all the right twists, turns and edge of the bed stuff, because Mr Parsons is a cut above many, it's also simply a beautiful read.
His description of the meat market, for instance, transport the reader to such an extent that we can almost experience the sights, sounds and even the smells coming off of it.
If you are going to write an excellent whodunnit and want to bring the reader along, why not involve them in the atmosphere throughout?
Mr Parsons makes this feel effortless.
Absolute quality and an easy 5 stars from me.

16 years ago Max Wolfe's face was all over the news, as the young policeman who arrested Emma Moon at the scene of a double murder and robbery. Emma never implicated anyone else in the events of that night and now she is out and looking for her own kind of justice.
Max is doing his best to keep control of his personal life but with an almost teenage daughter, who is beginning to show her independence and an elderly dog who isn’t as fit as he once was, Max has a lot on his plate already.
Then a young homeless woman is found murdered, Max had met the young woman a number of times and is determined to get justice for her. But the release of Emma Moon seems to have triggered a spate of unusual deaths and Max is soon embroiled in something far more complex than he ever expected.
Can Max meet the challenges of parenthood and his job or will something fall apart just when he needs it all holding together.
This book is as much about Max as a man as it is about Max the detective, but that isn’t to the detriment of the story. You get an insight into why Max does the things he does in the way he does. I loved discovering this.

This is a clever combination of a straight forward murder story complicated by examples of the operations of New York gangsters and corrupt police. The basic story is of a young child carer working in a small residential street who sees a murder and knows who did it. That gives her an opportunity to make money but she lets it all get too complicated. Another respected local,resident is arrested for murder. She, Ruby, has connections with that family too. The other layer on the story complicates the whole thing unnecessarily and it is not particularly pleasant to read about the extensive corruption in New York’s structure which seems to permeate into all parts. The book is complicated to read because there are so many characters. I would have preferred it to be simpler but it does come to a satisfactory end.