I love the various characters in this series especially Rae and Sophie but I didn't enjoy this book as much as earlier ones. I think it was because there was too much of a political emphasis. I.prefer a more straightforward murder case. I look forward to the next book from this excellent author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

This is book number 13 in the series but the first one that I've read. The booked worked well as a stand alone and I didn't feel it was a problem to have joint at a later stage. The characters re well developed as you would expect at book 13 and the storyline was well plotted.
The story is full of twists and turns and red herrings which held my attention throughout the book although a fairly standard police procedural story it was very enjoyable so I would be interested in catching more in the series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DCI Sophie Allen is still in hospital following on from the last story but her excellent team are carrying on under the present leadership of DI Barry Marsh. A hit and run, break in, attempted assault, missing person start to be seen as maybe linked when a link is made with EcoFutures, a local company developing ecological answers to a variety of developments. Her old team are as good as ever, work well together, senses of humour etc and try to keep Sophie resting. Fat chance. However, plenty of red herrings and some good plots. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Heartless crimes by Michael Hambling.
Detective Sophie Allen Book 13.
I did like the cover of this book. I did enjoy this book. I am enjoying this series. I did like the short chapters. I read in two sittings. I couldn't put it down. Twisty and gripping. I did enjoy this book. I do hope there is more to come. Recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Joffe Books, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of ‘Heartless Crimes’, by Michael Hambling’.

When seemingly, unrelated events happen to a team of workers from EcoFutures, members of the Wessex Regional Serious Crime Unit are assigned to ‘connect the dots’. Led by Detective Barry Marsh, they have to see how a murdered, missing man, an attempted assault, and a home break in are related. Does it have something to do with a work project or just unrelated coincidences? Meanwhile, Detective Sophie Allen is recovering from injuries sustained on a previous case, but that does not stop her from getting fully involved.

The story takes some unexpected turns, as the team plods through the evidence, even though they cannot get all of the parties to give them the whole truth. Otherwise, this was a fairly reliable British crime novel, with a some interesting characters.

Something is definitely up at the EcoFutures facility, a company which provides ecological modelling and solutions, including work for overseas governments. First an admin manager is nearly hijacked by a girl pretending to be injured, her male partner brandishing a knife, resulting in a high-speed car chase where Bryony O’Neil ends up injured and in hospital. Then the group’s programmer is certain someone has been in her flat, although nothing has been stolen. Finally, the body of the unit’s head Robin Pryor is discovered by police several days after the keen rambler set off along a cliffside walk. Detectives at the Wessex Regional Serious Crime Unit, including DI Barry Marsh, DS Rae Gregson, DC Tommy Carter and newest probationer DC Jackie Spring can’t believe all three events are not related, especially as the project those people are currently working on involves a small country rumoured to be used by Columbian drug smugglers. They’re pretty sure no one at the company is telling them everything but could someone there be involved? At least the murder squad now has an actual murder to investigate, even if they are low on numbers with the DCI off on another case and Chief Supt Sophie Allan in hospital recovering from her injuries gained when someone tried to kill her. However, that doesn’t stop Sophie from becoming engrossed in the investigation and finding a way to come back to work. As they delve into EcoFutures, a bigger picture appears, one possibly linked to international organised crime and the case becomes far more involved and deadly.
All the detectives and other officers featured were very likeable and work together as a team extremely well and, unusually for crime fiction, none of them have personal problems which prevents them doing their jobs. The plot is clever and complex, and with lots of twists in the story, it was hard to decide just which of the many characters was guilty and who was telling the truth. It certainly kept me hooked right to the very satisfying ending. I very much enjoyed this story which forms part of an excellent series and I look forward to more!

Heartless Crimes by Michael Hambling is the 13th book in the Detective Sophie Allen series and is the first book I have read by this author "where have I been?" and I loved it. I found it easy to get into especially as the author's detailed explanation of the all characters etc, made it easily to read and was a great stand-alone book.
I enjoyed learning about the main character Detective Sophie Allen and I really liked her, so I will be going back to get the audiobooks etc from my library to listen to.

Big Thank you you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my ARC.

★★★.5

What connects an attempted carjacking, a break-in where nothing is taken, and a disappearance turned murder? As Chief Superintendent Sophie Allen’s team quickly realizes, all three victims work for the same company, EcoFutures. While Sophie is still recovering in the hospital from injuries sustained in their previous case, her team, led by DI Barry Marsh, is trying to uncover exactly what EcoFutures does and who might want to prevent their latest project from being completed.

This is the 13th installment of the DCI Sophie Allen series—safe to say, a lot has happened. Yet, you can still read the book as a standalone. Be aware, however, that you might not fully grasp the shared history between the characters. When additional context is needed, Michael Hambling does a great job of providing brief summaries.

The story is a slow-burn police procedural, though it begins with quite a bang! There are plenty of hints and inconsistencies to guide the reader toward the final reveal, but at times, the personal lives of the team members slowed the story down too much for my liking. Perhaps I would have appreciated these additional details more if I had read the previous installments. That said, I never fully connected to the story or the characters, though I must admit Michael Hambling does an excellent job of summarizing Sophie Allen’s backstory and setting the scene. His love for the Dorset area shines through in his detailed descriptions and the author’s notes. I also appreciated the glossary, which included not only some common British phrases but also a helpful explanation of UK police ranks in order of seniority.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy police procedurals with a slower pace and a friendly, close-knit police team.


Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books, and author Michael Hambling for a copy. All opinions are my own.

Strong police procedural which does a great job of ensuring you don’t get lost in the characters if reading as a stand alone. I enjoyed the interplay between characters and found Sophie’s expertise fascinating.

I really enjoy this series. The characters are very believable and the book is fast paced. I have read all of them in the series and they just get better

I am loving reading the DCI Sophie Allen series, it gets better with each new book.

This has a great gripping storyline which is set in a lovely setting of Devon. I look forward to reading more.

Part of a series but works as a standalone.Complex thriller with a good set of characters and an intriguing storyline.

This is a gripping and entertaining series, solid police procedural featuring Sophie Allen, a clever detective, and a cast of well plotted characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel even if it's not my favorite. It can be read as a stand-alone but reading the series in order will help to better understand the characters.
The surprising twists and the solution kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed his books, they have good characters, and the plot flows. It catches
my attention from the first pages, and builds to the end.
I recommend this book. Given book by Net Galley and Joffe.

This is a great read and even though I haven't read all of the other books in the series I still enjoyed it and I really like DCI Sophie Allen as a character and would like to get to know a bit more about her. The story is gripping and thrilling and the writing is flawless. I love the tension and mystery and love the writing style.

Even though at times it seemed a little slow it worked well and kept me reading. It is easy to read a s a stand-alone but I do want to read more in this series as I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Joffe Books, NetGalley, and the author for the eARC in exchange for this honest review.

In this intallment of the series, DCI Sophie Allen is still recovering in hospital after the end of the last case. Her team, led by DI Barry Marsh, are investigating the goings on at an environmental engineering firm. First a staff member experiences a car-jacking that puts her in the hospital, a second staff member's house is broken into, and a third goes missing. Together the team, with help from Sophie in her wheelchair, hunt for the connections.

While this book is part of the Sophie Allen police procedural series it can easily be read as a stand-alone. There's a list of the cast of characters so those new to the series have a character cheat sheet. I've read several others in the series, really enjoy the characters, their development and the writing. This is not my favourite, but it's still an enjoyable read. I recommend checking it out.

Another gripping Sophie Allen book. Though for most of it Sophie is in hospital and then a wheelchair, she's still able to sort out the baddies when it's necessary. The question is whether Sophie is going to have to move to a different career due to never being able to walk properly again. This book showcases members of her team and could be the opening of a whole new series - you need to read it to find out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the the publisher Joffe books, I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and jmy own opinion.

First book I have read from this author.. It had plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Great characters. Enjoyed the style of writing.. All round great book. Look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Heartless Crimes by Michael Hambling is a recommended procedural. Even though this is the thirteenth book in the DCI Sophie Allen series, it can be read as a standalone novel.

Three people who work at the same company, EcoFutures, need assistance from the police. Bryony O’Neil experiences an attempted car-jacking and ends up hospitalized. Justine Longford had someone break into her home, but it appears nothing was stolen. Finally Robin Pryor sets off along a clifftop path at Lyme Regis and never comes home. Later his body is found by the path. Detective Inspector Barry Marsh has to lead the team because Chief Superintendent Sophie is hospitalize and recovering from a vicious assault and Polly Weston is on another case.

This is my first Sophie Allen novel and it was easy to jump right into the story. There is also a list of the cast of characters at the beginning if readers need some extra help keeping characters straight. Sophie does end up playing a role in the investigation so she's somewhat involved in the case.

Heartless Crimes moves at a slow pace throughout the procedural. It does carefully follow clues, follow up on the information, and carefully question those involved. This makes it a good choice for those readers who enjoy procedurals. I like procedurals, but prefer those that move at a faster pace with surprising clues and building tension along the way. The actual case never really grabbed my complete attention. Thanks to Joffe Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

car-jacking, cooperation, crime-thriller, due-diligence, intense, investigations, law-enforcement, missing-persons, murder, procedural, read, series, stalking, suspense-fiction, teamwork, unputdownable*****

I missed a couple of installments so I feel that I can honestly say that this one can easily stand alone. There is an abundance of characters, but there is also a cast list at the beginning.
Chief Superintendent Sophie Allen of the Wessex Serious Crime Unit (Wescu) has a law degree and a master's in psychology but is so dedicated to police work that she twists the arms of her surgeons and rehab staff to allow her to get in on the case despite nearly losing a leg on her last case. The investigation is very busy but feels like a treadmill at times because of lack of actionable evidence.
Totally unputdownable!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Dec 12, 2024 #HeartlessCrimes by Michael Hambling #DetectiveSophieAllenBk13 @JoffeBooks #NetGalley #PoliceProcedural