Ramona Chang is setting out as a PI in London after a traumatic end to her investigative journalism career. She's changed her name, home and appearance to keep herself safe from the organised crime gang she exposed. Madeleine Farrow is a DI who works on special crimes, often abroad. She's recently returned from a job where she exposed sex trafficking of very young boys. Taking time out to recharge, she's working on a case that ends up overlapping with Ramona's and they work together. Danger, jeopardy, worlds colliding. #netgalley #DirtyMoney

I've read a few Charlotte Philby books after being given one by secret Santa a few years ago.
I found this one to be different. It's the first book in a new series about two strong female characters, doing the right thing. One legally, in her job in SCID (serious crime investigations) and one undercover, as a former journalist.
It took me a while to get into it, and get to grips with it flicking from Ramona to Madeleine, but I enjoyed it. The characters have a solid story and it was nice to get to know them.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Money laundering and a dating agency - who would have thought they could have anything in common, however Ms Philby did and it makes for a good story. First book featuring Farrow and Chang who are two strong, tenacious females with their own ghosts at times but that doesn't stop them. Certainly a thriller from a different outlook and I look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this Ebook ARC in return for an honest review.

This is my first book by Charlotte Philby, Dirty Money follows the POV of Ramona Chang, who was an investigative journalist, and Madeleine Farrow, who is a DI part of the SCID.

I usually like crime series but this one felt really slow and didn't really grap/pull me in, I didn't really care what happened to the main characters and/or if they caught the 'bad guys'

This is the first in this crime series, so maybe the next one will pull me in, but who knows. If you like crime series and you're new to that sort of book, it will make a good entry level, but I think there are others that hold your attention more.

Ramona Chang hides in plain sight. Her last case as an investigative journalist took down a crime syndicate but left her hunted. Reinventing herself as a private investigator, Ramona investigates a predatory website that targets students. What she uncovers means she needs help from someone with official contacts. Madeline Farrow is a security operative who works on high-profile crime investigations that often take her into the darkest areas of criminal activity. Returning from a successful but emotionally damaging case, she becomes involved in another operation that demands all her skills, but she needs the skills of an unorthodox investigator. I like the complex characters and authentic, compelling cases. The fast pacing and the dynamic between the two protagonists make this a riveting read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Newly back from Vietnam and a successful operation to expose a child exploitation ring, Madeleine Farrow realises that she is now 50. She is placed in charge of an operation involving money laundering and a prominent Kazakh family. Ramona Chang is in hiding, her last scoop exposed a crime gang and placed a target on her back. She lives off-line under an assumed name and is scraping together a living as a private detective. Both have worked together in the past and joining forces they try to solve their two cases.
I quite liked Philby's last book but I really liked this one! There's a great modern twist to this with international money laundering clashing against police corruption and the killing of those that get in the way. The two protagonists are different but both work well and the supporting cast is varied and well-defined. I hope there are more Farrow and Chang books as there is mileage in the duo.

Dirty Money is the first book in the Farrow & Chang series by Charlotte Philby.
In short, DS Madeleine Farrow and rookie Private Investigator, Ramona Chang are both working on personal cases but when their cases collide, the unlikely allies team up to get justice for the multiple victims of corruption and exposure.
This is the second book I’ve read and enjoyed by Charlotte. With ‘Dirty Money’ I did wonder where the connection was between these two very different characters as there were two different plot lines going on but when the strands eventually came together and the pace shifted up a gear the storyline came together in a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more from this duo.
Big thanks to Charlotte Philby, John Murray Press and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

This novel features the detective duo of Madeleine Farrow, a middle aged detective sergeant at an elite government agency and Ramona Chang, a former investigative journalist battling with past addictions and now working as a private detective. The two are investigating separate cases initially but then they get together to uncover corruption and concealment at the highest level.

This is not the most compelling book I have read on this subject and the backstories of the characters suggest previous novels have featured these characters. The plot was fairly predictable and it felt like the start of a series with a suggestion of more interesting potential storylines to come.

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

An interesting story which appears to blend together characters from previous novels by this author. This being the first one I have read I was still able to piece together of the backstory to make sense of the characters motivations. . Ramona a private investigator and ex reporter investigates a report of a sophisticated scam to sexually abuse students while at the same time Madeleine a police investigator is tracking money from a foreign criminal family. When their paths cross the pair work together to their mutual advantage.
The novel covers many aspects of modern criminal life from money laundering to police and political corruption and sexual exploitation.
I enjoyed the writing style and the plotting which made this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Dirty Money is a great thriller that pulls back the curtain on the dark underbelly of London’s elite—where power, corruption, and oligarch money intertwine with disturbing ease. Charlotte Philby crafts a razor-sharp, timely narrative that feels both utterly gripping and frighteningly plausible.

The dual perspectives of Ramona Chang, a former journalist-turned-private investigator, and Madeleine Farrow, a determined government agent, make for a dynamic and compelling read. Both women are strong, complex, and refreshingly believable, navigating a web of deception, danger, and institutional resistance. Their intersecting investigations—one into a high-end escort service, the other into global financial corruption—are brilliantly woven together, building to a tense and rewarding conclusion.

Philby’s writing is crisp and immersive, painting a vivid picture of a London tainted by dirty money and those who enable it. The pacing is excellent, balancing intrigue, action, and character depth in a way that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The ending lands with impact, leaving enough threads open to make readers hungry for more.

For fans of intelligent, fast-paced thrillers with a social conscience, Dirty Money is a must-read. I hope there is a follow up!

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller set in the world of money laundering - love the voice, the view of London , the two female sleuths aand the writing. I enjoyed the End of Summer which is why I chose this and it did not disappoint!

In this gritty thriller from author and investigative journalist Charlotte Philby, we follow Ramona, a former journalist turned PI, and Madeleine, a Detective Sergeant with the Serious Crimes Investigations Department. They are initially working on two separate cases, but when their paths collide they decide to pool their respective talents to help each other.

The book takes its time to establish the different characters, highlighting the contrasts of London through the two different worlds these women inhabit. I'm looking forward to reading more books featuring this duo!

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first Charlotte Philby book I have read. A fast paced, quick and gripping read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Charlotte Philby and also the first in new detective series. There are two strong and believable female lead characters, an ex alcoholic, ex journalist and a wealthy, well connected intelligence officer. It’s a slow burn but well plotted story. I feel there’s a film or tv script here. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading further instalments.

Madelaine works for Serious Crimes dept and is investigating a group who are money laundering. When she is warned off within her group, she has to find a other way to get enough evidence to bring g the gang down.
Ramona has previously helped Madelaine to bring down a gang and is currently living under the radar as she is a key witness in the case. She is struggling with alcohol addiction, living in a seedy flat and trying to make a living as a private investigator. Investigating a set s am, a chance meeting of the two girls has them join forces to solve both crimes.
An exciting story although a bit slow to start as the scene is set. London descriptions help you picture the action. Worth a read

A first in the series, this was an ok read but a slow burner and I thought it would be more.
Chang was a journalist but is now a PI, hiding out in a run down flat.
DS Farrow is investigating A case when she crosses paths with Ramona again.
Two strong female leads working together for the better good.

This is my first Charlotte Philby book and I love a new detective series, so I was eager to read Dirty Money. I very much enjoyed the way the two characters inhabit very different versions of London. Ramona Chang used to be a journalist on the Camden News until a story she was working on brought her into conflict with organised crime and her life was seriously threatened. Now she has changed her name, hides out in a grotty East End bedsit and works pretty much under the radar as a private detective. Ramona is also a recovering addict, regularly attending AA meetings.

Madeleine Farrow, on the other hand, is independently wealthy as a result of inheritance. She is well connected (her brother is a government minister), dresses with style and lives in Marylebone. Madeleine is a Detective Sergeant with SCID, the Serious Crimes Investigations Department – an elite discreet unit of the Met. She is frequently abroad working on cases of international importance, such as the Vietnamese sex trafficking case from which she has just returned. She’s very well regarded in her circles though she and her brother have very different views on most things.

Madeleine is working on pinning down an international money laundering operation, operated by a Kazakhstan family where the wife and two adult children live in luxury in Mayfair and the oligarch father is currently in Kazakhstan, out of the Met’s jurisdiction. She must try to show that the whole family is engaged in substantial money laundering if she is to get authority to seize their assets under the proceeds of crime statute. At the same time she is mourning the loss of a friend, an MP who was murdered, leaving two small children behind.

Ramona has a new case. She has been contacted by a student who has been sexually assaulted after applying to a website to be considered as a kind of ‘sugar daddy’ escort in return for having her university fees and expenses taken care of.

The two cases could not be more different. Ramona does what she can on her new case. She’s certainly motivated to get to the bottom of this case, but her enquiries can only go so far. Then Ramona encounters Madeleine, whom she has met once before. Chatting to Ramona, Madeleine realises that the two can help each other. Ramona can go undercover for her and she’ll get paid, and she can help Ramona by providing some information on her case. Ramona agrees and the two women’s paths are joined.

Charlotte Philby’s book is a slow burn, as she takes time to establish her characters and mark out their very clear differences. I found it hard to visualise the SCID unit which seems remarkably small for such an important task. But the portrayal of the very different London that the two women inhabit is beautifully contrasted and conveys the settings so well. She really pins down the ghastly extremes of poverty and wealth – and how the two come together to destroy what’s best about the city.

Philby’s characters are very well drawn and it’s quite easy to visualise them. On the face of it, they are quite different, but they do have shared values. Both women are outsiders, and slow to trust others. Theirs is a relationship of respect, despite the fact that Madeleine is twice Ramona’s age.

Once you get to the meat of the plot, the tension rises sharply and the danger increases exponentially. Madeleine also starts to suspect that there’s something going on in SCID that no-one is willing to tell her and that just serves to make her suspicious of pretty much everyone.

Ramona, too has things on her mind, but she is a risk taker and will put herself in danger in order to catch some pretty bad guys. I felt that the ending was a little rushed, but all the loose ends do get satisfactorily tied up.

Dirty Money is an excellent start to a new detective partnership – almost a female version of ‘the Odd Couple’, which I’m sure will go from strength to strength.

Ramona Chang was an investigating journalist but is now a private detective, in hiding, in a run down flat.
Her latest job is investigating a upper class escort agency.
Detective Sergeant Madeline Farrow is investigating global corruption when she meets Ramona again.
Can they work together to bring justice to those who need it.

First in the series and I'm afraid to say I couldn't connect with this one.

A slow burner that I found myself struggling to engage with and I just couldn't gel with the characters.

A crime thriller with two strong female leads. Madeleine Farrow comes from a wealthy family but works in law enforcement dealing with the worse type of criminals. Ramona Chang was a journalist but is hoping to solve her first case as a private investigator.
Ramona 's client is a student; while Madeleine is chasing the family of a jailed Kazakh oligarch who her team believe are money laundering.
A great read by an author who should know all about espionage.