Line of Sight by Claire Askew is a compelling, razor-sharp police procedural that had me hooked from the first page. Set against the backdrop of Edinburgh, the novel dives headfirst into the harrowing world of people trafficking and forced prostitution, told through a powerful three-pronged narrative that is both emotionally resonant and utterly unputdownable.

DI Helen Birch is once again a standout lead—sharp, determined, and fiercely principled. Her fight to be heard within a police force that’s all too ready to look the other way is a central tension that drives the story forward with urgency and grit. Her strained dynamic with her boss and the friction between doing what’s right versus what’s expected, adds even more depth to her character.

Equally compelling is Beatrice “Bee” Crozier, the psychic whose visions become increasingly impossible to ignore. Her storyline adds an eerie, almost otherworldly layer to the plot that somehow blends seamlessly with the gritty realism of the case. And then there’s Linh—one of the trafficked girls—whose chapters are heartbreaking, raw, and vital. Askew gives her a voice that demands to be heard, making the reader feel every ounce of her fear and courage.

The way the novel threads these perspectives together is masterful, building to a tense, emotional crescendo where not everyone makes it out unscathed. This is not just a thriller—it’s a wake-up call. Sharp, humane, and deeply engaging, Line of Sight is Claire Askew at her absolute best. I loved it.

This is another excellent addition to the DI Helen Birch series, and what a conclusion! I cant wait for thenext installment!

Helen is recovering from significant injuries and gradually returning to work, though she appears to have lost some of her usual spunk. She is seeing a psychiatrist to address her trauma and is experiencing very troubling nightmares. When contacted by an old friend of her deceased mother, who is worried about a girl in her foster care, Helen feels obligated to assist, but the case is assigned to DI James McLeod, with whom Helen has a strained relationship.

We are also introduced to Beatrice Crozier, who contacts the police with information about a missing girl in serious danger. However, her credibility is challenged due to her self-professed psychic abilities.

Claire Askew is a fabulous author and her books always grab you from the go! Her character are well developed. The ending was unexpected but also not and i cant wait for the next installment!

Book 6 in the DI Birch series, I wasn’t aware this was part of a series when I started it but I loved it so much I’ve since started the whole series from the beginning! Gripping, suspenseful and brilliantly written! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my arc

Claire Askew delivers another gripping installment in the DI Helen Birch series with Line of Sight, a thought-provoking and suspenseful police procedural that explores themes of human trafficking, institutional bias, and personal resilience.

Still recovering from serious injuries sustained in the line of duty, DI Helen Birch is struggling to find her place within the force. She’s on a phased return to work, but bureaucracy and office politics keep her from meaningful cases—until an old friend of her mother approaches her with a desperate plea. Linh, a young Vietnamese trafficking survivor, has gone missing, and Helen fears the worst. However, when she brings the case to her boss, it is assigned to another detective who dismisses Linh’s disappearance as a voluntary escape from the asylum process.

Meanwhile, a woman claiming to be psychic, Beatrice, reports visions of a kidnapped girl. Though skeptical, Helen finds herself increasingly drawn to the psychic’s insights—especially as traditional police methods yield little progress. Torn between her instincts and the rigid structures of her profession, she must navigate a web of conflicting interests to uncover the truth.

Askew masterfully balances procedural grit with psychological depth, portraying Helen’s inner turmoil as she reassesses both her career and her ability to trust herself. The novel also casts a critical eye on the biases and blind spots within law enforcement, particularly in cases involving vulnerable individuals. Detective Sergeant Amy Kato continues to be a standout character, offering a refreshing contrast to the more rigid and prejudiced members of the force.

While the inclusion of a psychic as a key witness may divide readers—particularly those who prefer strictly evidence-based crime fiction—the novel remains a compelling read. The suspense is well-paced, the stakes feel real, and the exploration of human trafficking and asylum-seeking processes adds a layer of urgency and social relevance.

Although Line of Sight may not be the strongest book in the series, it is an engaging and emotionally charged addition that leaves me eager to see what’s next for Helen Birch. Fans of the series will appreciate the continued character development, while new readers may find themselves compelled to go back and start from the beginning. Highly recommended for those who enjoy crime fiction with a psychological edge.

Two young girls have disappeared.

DI Helen Birch is back at work, still in agony after being shot. She is still unable to drive and still in therapy. Her mother’s friend comes to ask for her help when a young Vietnamese teenager under her guardianship disappears. Linh had been trafficked from Vietnam and the worry is that the man who had brought her into the UK may now be the person who has once again taken her to act as a prostitute.

Helen Birch boss denies her request to set up the investigation, instead giving it to another Detective Inspector. A man who loathes Birch and refuses to take what she has to say seriously, especially after a psychic comes forward with information.

This was an interesting case. Birch is sceptical about the psychic’s abilities, but at the same time, feels that the psychic could be right and that they should explore what she has to say, Unfortunately, Birch’s boss refuses to have anything to do with this witness.
I’m sorry that I’ve not read the previous books in this series. In this novel, Birch and her boss are clearly at odds, and Detective Inspector Crosbie is eager to worsen their conflict. A fast-paced novel with interesting characters, especially the psychic.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book from NETGALLEY to review.

I'm a big fan of the Helen Birch series and this one didn't disappoint. I live in Edinburgh and love being able to actually picture the places Claire Askew is writing about. The writing style in this book is slightly different from other ones in the series in that it switched between Helen's story and the background of the psychic in the story. It was interesting getting the background of the psychic but I did find the large role the psychic played in solving the crime slightly unbelievable.

The end of the book left us on a cliffhanger of whether Helen continues to be in the police. I really hope she does as I'd love to read more books in this series. Claire is an automatic read for me when she publishes a new book in this series.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

Book six in the D I Birch series and a second read for me Helen is on a phased return to work after the injuries she sustained in the line of duty.

This book follows the case of two missing Vietnamese girls who have gone missing and an unlikely individual comes forward to offer her insight in bringing them home.

Claire has a way of really bringing her characters to life in their descriptions and personalities.

Helen is a tenacious complex character who knows her own mind and in this edition we see her vulnerable side and the internal battles she is facing in dealing with her past traumas and it's manifestation.

Another excellent book in the DI Birch series. It is definitely worth reading them all so you understand the history. The tone has changed a lot over the years as Helen gets older, wiser, and more disillusioned with the police culture and her male colleagues. The exception is Amy Kato, a brilliant police officer, and a good friend to Helen.
In this book Helen is involved in the investigations into two missing girls even though she has been told to keep out of it. The main witness is a psychic called Beatrice, so understandably the police officers are sceptical about her. This causes a lot of conflict at the station.
Helen's father features quite a bit in this book, and he is a good addition to the cast of characters.
This is a great read, I couldn't put it down, and the showdown was very exciting and tense.
Highly recommended.

This is book six in the Helen Birch series and, as always, to get the very best from it, you really should start from the beginning and read in order. Helen and her current situation is a little complex so I think you will have a better time with her if you do this.
When we begin this book, Helen is still off sick, after antics in the previous book exacerbated injuries already suffered - see I said you need to play catch-up! Although she is due to start a controlled return to work, she fears it will be boring and mundane, exactly as it starts... until she is approached by an old friend of her mother's who needs help finding her foster child who has gone missing. The child in question was a victim of trafficking and has nearly hit the maximum age for care, the age when they have to formally seek asylum as an adult, so the powers that be think she has just run away to avoid that whole process... Helen wants to help her but when she takes it to her boss, he allocates it to her nemesis who, she knows, will not give it the time, energy, and dedication it deserves.
And then, we have a psychic who, still haunted by something she "knew" but didn't report many years ago, wants to do the right thing this time but is fobbed off and sent packing...
So, as you can see, Helen is up against it once again, torn between what she "should" be doing, and what she wants to do, bearing in mind her track record for toeing the line, you'd better buckle up cos you are in for a wild ride...
I love this series, I love Helen as a character, she is great and has a lot for an author and reader to get their teeth into. My eyes were especially opened by the plight of Linh and the whole child trafficking, foster care, asylum application cycle. Never knew the half of that! I wasn't overly sold by the psychic involvement as I usually like my police procedurals to be straight, evidence gleaned from hard graft, and I am not sure why the author has chosen to impart key evidence in this way in this book, but it is what it is.
I did however like the way the author depicted the mental anguish that Helen went through around her own self-doubt and place within the police force. Her interactions with her colleagues and, basically, her reassessment of the job. Which I guess did cross over with her eventual acceptance of the psychic so...
All in all, this was, for me, not the strongest book in the series but I am sure Helen still has more to give and will look forward to her next outing with baited breath. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I thought this hovered over some of the current prejudice and judgements that is standing in the way of catching criminals and or how we see crime. And more importantly how victims are or are not treated.
It's a reflection of society. But sadly when crime is.involved the consequence are far worse.
And this time we have tie case of the police not taking a missing person's case seriously. Because od who she is and what's happened to her. I found this so relevant. And also so sad.
This leaves our good cop Di feeling even more disillusioned with her job, the role,.and the conditions of our current policing.
Then in steps a physic who says she has had vicious of the missing.
A really good, deep and understand novel in the series. You're rooting for all the good guys in this one.

Another excellent read in the Helen Birch series, set in Edinburgh. This one finds Birch feeling disillusioned and fed up with her police role. Birch is investigating the disappearance of a missing girl and the characterisation is excellent in this suspense filled, expertly crafted thriller. I hope there is more to come from this series as it is certainly very enjoyable. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

DCI Helen Birch is still on a phased return to work after sustaining serious injuries twice in the line of duty ( and in the last two books in the series). Fed up of endless paperwork and suffering from a disturbing recurring dream, when she is approached by an old friend of her mother’s for help with finding her missing foster daughter, she wants to help, but is sidelined when the case is given to another colleague, and neither of them seem to be taking it seriously. Linh is Vietnamese and had been a victim of sex trafficking, from which she had escaped, but rather than pursue this line of enquiry they assume she has chosen to disappear rather than go through the difficult asylum seeking process when she reaches 18. When a woman claiming to be psychic contacts the police claiming to have seen a vision of a kidnapped girl, Birch, though sceptical, finds herself drawn in, putting herself in direct opposition to her boss. This is a slightly unusual take on a police procedural as most of the “evidence” in the case comes from the psychic, although the suspense and the unravelling of the plot still grips. What I found interesting was the psychological emphasis, both on Birch’s feelings about her work and her loss of confidence, and about the understanding the psychic, Bee, gains from “knowing” the reasons behind the behaviour of those she encounters. A critical eye is cast over the prejudices and assumptions endemic in the police force which can stand in the way of resolving crimes, and which have left Birch increasingly disillusioned, although balance is somewhat restored by the empathy and skill of her friend, Ds Amy Kato. I really hope this wasn’t the final outing for Birch and co- Edinburgh needs her!

Another strong police procedural from Claire Askew, a real page turner with the usual excellent writing.

Missing girls and a psychic nobody believes sets the scene here, the plot is clever and very entertaining.

Characters and story superb, overall a most excellent read.

Line of Sight is the latest boom in the DI Helen Birch series and it is another enjoyable police procedural with a slight twist which keeps you interested throughout.

Wow... a fantastic read it was a true page-turner... I could not put it down. I was fully engrossed right until the very end.

Holy smokes... I never saw the end of this book coming. It was fast-paced and kept me enthralled! This book you certainly won’t will not be disappointed!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars