I really enjoyed the first novel in this series but was a little disappointed with this one although it was still enjoyable. There are plenty of signs that this series will improve in future books as the characters develop and their back stories are told.

I commented at the time that this was an ideal fun read, enough twists to keep me engaged, good character development, yet also a quick read.

I am catching up on books because of an illness so am going off of what I remember and a few notes I made at the time. My apologies for the brevity.

Another great read. Easy to read easy to follow police procedural. We are given a great story line with great characters, twists and turns a plenty. I like how the author has highlighted OCD, with the main character suffering from this. It's done brilliantly and sensitivly.
Another super read for anyone who enjoys police procedural books, i've gone right in to the book 3 after finishing this and looking forward to see what we have on offer this time around.

This was a very good police procedural. It was Gripping and twisty with some surprises along the way. I really liked Greco and thought his slight OCD made him more interesting. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Many thanks to Joffe Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Detective Greco & his team have to find a killer who has left a brutally murdered young woman in an empty house – the killer seems to be smart and not leaving behind any clue, as to how he is choosing his victims. As the team is working on finding the killer’s whereabouts another body is found within 24hrs!
Eventually the team learns that victims are being chosen at random, but there’s one common element and that is the location – the killer is very careful about choosing the right house where he wont be disturbed as he proceeds to kill!
We also learn that the killer is making use of another person who might already be following the killer’s orders as he is hearing voices!
Amidst all this Greco is going through issues at home with his wife, who seems to have decided to leave Greco for another man – a major twist comes up during the end of the book and the book ended in a fast paced manner after that!
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will. Enjoy

The bare outlines of this murder mystery seem familiar: Dead bodies start piling up quickly in empty houses, and the cops struggle to find the killer. But the twists and turns make for compelling reading. For veteran mystery readers and newbies alike, I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books, and Helen H. Durrant for an advanced copy of Dark Houses for an honest review.

The second book in the D.I. Greco series Dark Houses is an edge of your seat page turner. A killer who sets up a mentally ill fall guy. Two murders within 24 hours, and a team that has yet to become the cohesive force they can be. As Greco's team works together to find a serial killer we learn a bit more about the characters and what makes them who they are. I definitely recommend Dark Houses.

This was a good second book in the series. I enjoy main character Stephen Greco, and liked watching him try to solve the mystery of this one and determine the killer's real identity. The book was quick and easy to read, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

In all honesty I am absolutely kicking myself. The reason for my self flagellation is that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m disappointed that I haven’t read it sooner. This is a good, solid police procedural which drew me in from start to finish. I haven’t read a novel by Helen H Durrant before but I can guarantee I will be more from this author in the future.

I loved Detective Stephen Greco. He’s my sort of protagonist. He suffers from OCD and although this didn’t play a particularly big part in the story-line, it did make me like him even more (I like my detectives to be grumpy and damaged, in other words I like them to be human). I also enjoyed the relationship between Greco and DC Grace Harper. DC Harper is rather taken with our hero but he only has eyes for his very recent ex-wife. The other characters in the novel were all interesting, particularly DS Jed Quickenden known to friends and colleagues as ‘Speedy’. His growing despair towards the job really pulled me into the story.

Now I like my murder scenes to be a little on the gory side and Helen H Durrant has done me proud in Dark Houses. This is the first book in a while where I’ve winced at the description of the scene. And as there are several victims, there are several gory descriptions which, of course, I loved.

The plot really pulls you in and before long you’ve read half of the book without realising it. There is one particularly big twist which I didn’t see coming and had to re-read several times to make sure it had sunk in. I loved the way it completely changed how I felt about the characters. Brilliant, suspenseful writing.

Would I recommend this book? I would. I think it can be read as a standalone but I would have preferred to read the first in the series (this is book two) before Dark Houses. That’s how I always feel though, always best to start at the beginning. I loved the characters in this book and I hope to catch up with them again soon. A great police procedural which kept me coming back for more.

Four out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an ARC of Dark Houses. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Helen Durrant books are always interesting to me and a good read. This one was no different. Please keep them coming. Great crime stories.

Three and a half stars
Another case for DCI Stephen Greco and the team. Two young girls have been killed in a particularly cruel and horrible way by someone without an ounce of kindness or goodness. You would not want to come across this particular individual - ever! Greco is still not a people person but is trying his best, both at work and at home. Although this book began with a good pace, it definitely went up a gear or two later as the team began to piece it all together. I found myself racing through the pages in my haste to see who had done it and why. I've enjoyed all this authors' books and this is no exception - perfect for those who enjoy crime/police novels.