Evil Impulse

Another solid instalment in this well established series with the return of a cast of characters and a gruesome murder or two to solve.
I wasn't sure what the point of the side plot with Geraldine's sister was all about but otherwise an enjoyable police procedural

Things are getting worse in York. Random women are being killed on the streets, but the post-mortems reveal they've been dead for some time. A teenage girl goes missing. And Geraldine Steel is kidnapped by a drugs syndicate....

Another excellent addition to the series

I have been following Geraldine Steel from the first book, so I was grateful to receive an early reading copy from NetGalley and No Exit press of her next book. It is a stand alone, as relationships are well explained, but more satisfying having read the series. It doesn’t disappoint; I enjoy police procedural and as always, this is good. I hope it will encourage readers to follow the series and the many problems
that Geraldine surmounts solving cases with her sidekick Ian Peterson who is also now her partner. Read it and enjoy!

Another good instalment in this series and it appears that things are finally looking up for Geraldine. She is now living and working with Ian and together they are investigating two brutal murders. Can they discover who is responsible for the killings before they strike again?

A good addition to this series. Looking forward to the next one.

Having enjoyed Leigh Russell's books in the past, I was eager to read this latest offering. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. The on-going story line continues through this latest book and will obviously do so in future ones, making Leigh's books a must read.
I look forward to the next instalment.
A recommended read.

I’ve followed this series since the very beginning and have watched Geraldine go through many highs and lows.
This is another excellent thrilling ride, albeit on a rollercoaster which takes the reader through a gripping case while Geraldine goes through a really gut wrenching personal trauma. Long may this series continue!

I have avidly followed this series since the outset and, as anticipated, this latest instalment did not disappoint,

Really enjoyed the ongoing storyline of Geraldine and her team although I believe this could be read as a stand alone too.

Recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley , Oldcastle Books and the author for this ARC of Evil Impulse, the fifteenth book in the Geraldine Steel series. You know it’s a good read when you find yourself shouting at the characters in your head! . This is a brilliant series and shows how real life and family loyalties can clash with a police career. It opens with the grisly discovery of a body by the river in York and with Geraldine and Ian living together. The main plot is excellent and although we are given many possible culprits to choose from along the way the actual villain and their justification for their acts was a surprise
I’ve followed this series from the beginning and for me the subplot has been brilliant. One can’t help but applaud and sympathise with Geraldine and in this vein I was delighted by the ending.
Looking forward to seeing what comes next for her in number 16

Another superb book written by Leigh Russell. It had me gripped from the start, a real page-turner, well written as usual. Geraldine is an excellent character and her relationship with Ian is very believable too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review, I will put this review on Amazon too.

So pleased to find that Geraldine and Ian have finally got together after Geraldine's move to York. They work well together but will it be all plain sailing.?. They want to keep their relationship from the rest of the team although rumours do seem to be circulating. The journey to find who murdered two women is long and arduous, with very few clues. to go on. Geraldine is also having personal problems from her past that get out of hand. I love the writing style of Leigh Russell, I always know that I'm in for a brilliant read.

Leigh Russell never disappoints with this series featuring Detective Geraldine Steel. The plot is very interesting and there are new characters to get acquainted with. There are plenty surprises and tension, centred around Geraldine's kidnapping, as well as a good steady pace. A good stand alone too with enough background information for new readers. It's another winner for the author and one of my favourites. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I’d like to thank Oldcastle Books, No Exit Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Evil Impulse’ by Leigh Russell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The body of Angie Robinson is found floating in a river after being suffocated, then another body belonging to Leslie Gordon has been left lying in rubbish next to a nightclub. As DS Geraldine Steel and DI Ian Peterson are investigating what looks to be the work of a psychopath, Geraldine is abducted by two men who threaten to harm her twin sister if she doesn’t do what she’s told.

I’ve read all the books in the DS Geraldine Steel series and although ‘Evil Impulse’ was an easy and enjoyable read, I don’t think it was quite as good as those previously. I enjoyed catching up with Geraldine and Ian who were working to solve the latest murders but Geraldine’s private life was in turmoil and she was so thoughtless of Ian’s feelings that I wanted him to give her a piece of his mind. Nevertheless, the storyline was interesting, with drama, suspense, credible suspects and twists and turns, and although I was going to give 3.5 stars I increased it to 4 for giving us such an exciting ending.

Another great read from Leigh. I love following Geraldines career and glad she has Ian to share her life. New characters to get to know. Plenty of twists and turns along the way.

This is now the fifteenth adventure for DS Geraldine Steel, and the series remains as interesting and fresh as ever. In the past Geraldine's life has been a bit up and down, finding out she was adopted and helping her newly discovered birth sister escape the clutches of a drug dealer which led to her getting demoted from the rank of Detective Inspector to Sergeant as a result. She moved to York and found herself working for her former sergeant, Ian Petersen, now a DI and a man she has secretly been in love with for a long time. Ian has now moved into her flat but Geraldine is still reluctant to make the relationship public, particularly at work where she has a good DCI in Eileen Duncan and has made friends. The story begins with a gory description of a woman’s murder. It’s very messy and the killer vows to use suffocation next time. And there will be a next time. In a York canal an early morning walker spots a woman’s body. Police initially think she may have fallen in drunk but find no bag or belongings with which to make an identification. Alarmingly the post mortem reveals she died many hours before she entered the water and was suffocated. Meanwhile a woman is watching her husband meeting with other women and knows she must put a stop to his evil compulsions. Finally the detectives identify the woman in the canal and immediately suspect her husband as a teenager goes missing and they fear for her safety. In the middle of all this Geraldine finds herself abducted, hooded and thrown in a van. The men who work for a drugs gang try to blackmail her into working for them, threatening her sister’s life if she does not comply. Stupidly she at first tries to hide the truth from Ian, and even when she does finally admit what happened, she begs him to keep quiet to give her enough time to warn her sister. Ian agrees to give her one week. She’s not thinking rationally and certainly not like a police office. Does she not realize after last time complying in anyway with these criminals will mean she gets sacked and a lengthy prison sentence? Oh Geraldine, how will you get yourself out of this one? Thank goodness she now has Ian on her side. There is plenty of action and a great twisty plot as more suspects emerge and Geraldine tries to help hunt a clever and resourceful killer while dealing with her own personal nightmare. There’s even a happy ending this time for some in this series which never shows any sign of flagging or getting stale. I look forward to many more stories to come! 5*

As always this was an enjoyable read, a good mix of crime and personal lives of the officers although I'd like to find out a little more about Ariadne. The team in this instalment have a particularly brutal killer on the streets of York, one whose crimes shock even the most battle scarred cops. I did work out early in the book who the killer was but I still read it in one sitting.

Leigh Russell is the foremost writer of crime fiction. She is a world authority on detection, and has exemplary insights into police investigation procedures.Vaciferously, she diisects the evidence. She is a ferocious proponent of writing exemplary researched projects, before embarking on her final draft. As an examiner, judge, lecturer and helper to young writers, she has all the credentials to write exceptional crime stories that leave the reader spell-bound. A page turner. I wish to thank Netgalley, the publishers and the author for a free book, that is unbiased and honest. The plot is superb. No need to expand on this novel , as the publicists have done a superb job in getting yet another best seller promotedBuy it before it's sold out. Just been informed that her book has, indeed, sold out. get your name down now for the reprint.

This is a long running series of books featuring Detective Geraldine Steel and seems to have mixed reviews. I must admit that I haven’t read all the books in the series but I enjoyed Evil Impulse. In this book we find Geraldine living with her colleague and long time love Detective Inspector Ian Peterson but she is keeping their relationship a secret from their colleagues. Her happiness is soon shattered as there is a killer loose on the streets of York murdering unrelated young women, Geraldine finds herself then abducted by the drugs syndicate that has threatened Helena, Geraldine’s twin sister and ex drug addict. They threaten to harm Helena if Geraldine doesn’t do what they want. She tries to hide it from Ian but then finally admits to him what is happening. She wants to go see Helena and warn her but Ian takes matters into his own hands when Geraldine is thrown into a prison cell after having drugs planted in her home, he goes to see Helena and persuades her to change her identity and move away. When Geraldine discovers what he has done behind her back she ends up breaking off their relationship. Evil Impulse has an interesting plot. I love the location of York, which is local to me, and all the twists and turns of the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.