Thanks to the Severn House (a great publisher particularly for captivating procedurals) for this eARC

In Death on Wolf Fell by Nick Oldham, Sergeant Jessica Rake returns as she attempts to defeat Mag's, a clever cruel criminal mastermind.

Another suspenseful read from Oldham, best read if you read the 1st in the series as I found the storyline well developed, however the characters weren't quite as well developed. Personally I need to like the characters and relate to them to wholly enjoy the story. Had I not read earlier offering, I am not sure this told me enough about Jessica to be drawn to her and her motivations in this story.

Regardless, other characters were a bit more developed, for example one of the detectives had a particular hatred for house burglars, and knowing why made me really enjoy his character.

Regardless this is a tense and nail biting police procedural / mystery, and a solid 4 stars from this reviewer. I greatly enjoyed it.

Having read the first in the Sergeant Jessica Raker series, I was looking forward to the next instalment and it didn’t disappoint.

Jess used to be an armed response officer in the Met but, after an incident that put her life at risk, she moved back to Lancashire, where she grew up, and took up a sergeant vacancy for a sergeant there. Jess and Samira, a PCSO, become good friends as well as colleagues.

There is an ongoing story from the first book, where an old school classmate of Jess’ – Mags Horsefield – is the leader of an organised crime group (OCG). The police are called to Wolf Fell Hall but, when they turn up, they’re persuaded that there’s nothing wrong and the call was a mistake. Jess isn’t going to be fobbed off as easily as that, and the battle lines are drawn between her and Mags.

Brilliantly gripping and highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Sergeant Jessica Raker has relocated her family from London to rural Lancashire. There is an organized crime ring responsible for drugs and thefts in the area. She is determined to take them down, especially the female head, an enemy of hers from school days. Wolf Fell Hall, a stately home, seems to be the center of their activity and after an incident there, the thrilling chase is on, leaving victims in the wake.

A fan of British police procedurals, I wanted to try a new to me author. This is the second in a series by Nick Oldham. While I did not read the first one, this worked well as a stand alone.

This is a fast paced thriller with a good story line, action, and well developed characters. All this makes for an entertaining read. I liked Jessica, an all too human but dedicated individual struggling with some personal issues while trying to make a way for herself in her new position. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Death On Wolf Fell is the second in the Jess Raker series. The former Met firearms sergeant is back in her native Lancashire as a rural patrol officer, coordinating policing across a wide area. The novel sees her on the trail of local drug dealer - and former schoolmate - Mags Horsefield, who is now having an affair with a London crime boss.

The novel is relatively short and fast paced, as Jess and her team investigate. Some of the characters are a little one dimensional, but leads Jess and her PSCO sidekick Samira Patel are well developed and believable. There is a lot of violence and occasional moments of dark humor in the novel - and a thrilling conclusion.

I received a free arc copy of Death on Wolf Fell but this review is my own opinion. Thank you to net galley & Severn for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

**Crime Thriller**

This is the 2nd book in the Jessica Raker series but you don’t have to read the 1st to get into this one. Jessica Raker has returned to her hometown area after the events of book 1. She has a husband who works out of town a lot so her mother helps her with the children. Her daughter’s best friend just happens to be the daughter of her rival, the criminal drug lord of the town. Chasing Mags is a professional choice of doing the right thing and possibly a leftover choice from her childhood. This adventure was riveting and a source of great writing by a former detective.
Nick Oldham brings a bit of his past, as a former detective and that makes you feel immersed into the criminal world of trying to do the right thing, when it’s so much easier to be bad.

Jessica feels real as she grapples with her past and present to right wrongs and live her best life. There’s also the very sexy firefighter that she finds attractive. She struggles with the very adult issues of loyalty vs happiness and choosing between being true to herself. She definitely has a tough discussion and decision to make in her future.

The whole book had a lot of adventure, human feelings/struggles, and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.

I totally recommend this book to readers who love a good thriller. Things aren’t always as they seem and that’s what makes this book a fun read in middle of serious subjects. Immerse yourself and see where this takes you, as well!

My 1st book to read of author Nick Oldham. It definitely won’t be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This is the 2nd in the DS Jessica Rakers series and as good as the 1st one. I finished it in one day and can't wait for no. 3!
It's a tense and heart stopping read. Mags, Jess' former school mate, is determined to end Jess for good and together with Tommy, her lover and a seasoned member of a dangerous criminal group, makes life for Jess almost impossible.
I really like Jess, as well as Samira, they work so well together and have each other's backs. And I really liked the ending, making me impatient for no. 3!
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A tense and utterly addictive police procedural set on the Lancashire moors featuring Sergeant Jessica Raker.

Former Metropolitan Police firearms officer Sergeant Jessica Raker is on a mission to bring down a brutal organized crime group operating in the idyllic Ribble Valley.

The OCG's leader, Mags Horsefield, is determined to make one of the members pay for getting caught by the police, using her contacts to make sure he’s released from prison early . . . into her waiting clutches.

Jess knows Mags from their school days, but their lives now couldn’t be more different. A fire at a local mill puts Jess on the tail of Mags’ OCG; is this her opportunity to catch the Ribble Valley’s most wanted criminal? The battle lines have been drawn, but when Jess is called to an incident at Wolf Fell Hall, a series of terrifying events follow . . .