Welcome to this week’s post about my reading journey. Today I have three books to write about. These are the first three in a crime series by Lesley McEvoy: Dr Jo McCready…

I actually read the books out of order because I found book 2, The Killing Song, on the library’s ebook collection first. When I realised that I really enjoyed it, I bought the other two books. Here, I am going to present them in series order, starting with the blurb for The Murder Mile…

“”Jo, it’s me. We’ve found another body.”

A body is discovered on a canal towpath in the small Yorkshire town of Shipley. DCI Callum Ferguson calls on forensic psychologist Jo McCready to help investigate the mysterious crime.

The victim is the second to be found on the canal in as many weeks, and Jo believes a single killer is responsible. Then, when one of her troubled patients is found brutally murdered, a puzzling connection is the murderer taking inspiration from the most notorious serial killer in Britain’s history?

As DCI Ferguson and Jo McCready race to find the killer, the investigation takes more twists and turns than Yorkshire’s canals. And with more questions than answers, can they solve it before another body turns up?”

And here is my response on Goodreads:

The Murder Mile by Lesley Mcevoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic read and, if I could, I would rate it as 4.5 or very nearly 5. I loved the main character. The author wrote a fully rounded and well developed woman with strengths and flaws. The other main protagonists were also interesting and varied.

As I have read this series out of order, I already knew something about how this one would turn out, but the book didn’t disappoint in any way. I am now going to pick up the third episode immediately as I cannot wait to see what Jo does next.

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By the way, I rated all three books as four stars; two were almost the full five. OK, now the blurb for the second book, The Killing Song…

“On a busy train station platform, a man pulls a knife and viciously attacks another passenger before fleeing – apparently unaware of what he has just done.

To the police, it looks like a terrorist attack. But Forensic Psychologist Dr Jo McCready has seen this bizarre behaviour before, in controversial psychological experiments. She knows this is no random killing spree.

When a botched cold case resurfaces, and the mistress of a controversial billionaire philanthropist is found dead, Jo discovers all these crimes are tangled up in the same web of deadly local secrets. Secrets that some will kill to protect . . .”

This was my review on Goodreads:

The Killing Song by Lesley Mcevoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a thoroughly absorbing read and an excellent crime novel. There were so many twists and turns with a very satisfying ending. Enough was left to lead on to the next book. The heroine was well drawn, from the expertise of the author herself, and I liked how she had her own issues and flaws.

I now have to reverse and read the first book in the series! I hope this is as gripping.

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And, finally, we have the third episode, A Deadly Likeness. This is the blurb:

“Jacob Malecki killed fifteen people over a thirteen-year period.

At the height of the murders, Dr. Jo McCready was at university and, as an exercise, compiled a profile of Malecki, which broke open the case and helped send him down for life.

Twenty-five years later a copycat killer is re-creating his murders. What’s more, Malecki offers to help the police catch him from his own prison cell.

Malecki claims he’s repenting for his crimes. Jo doubts it, but as the body count rises, she can’t ignore the killer’s offer. What does he really want – and can Jo find out before anyone else dies?”

I wrote this short review a short time ago:

A Deadly Likeness by Lesley Mcevoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third part of the excellent Dr Jo McCready series. I have just read all three very quickly and finished this book a few minutes ago.

The plot was very complex this time with recurring main characters and some interesting new ones. The author obviously enjoyed teasing her readers with hints as to who might have done it, but, for once, I didn’t guess the final twist.

There were a little too many long explanations of the human body and I spotted another homonym (proof readers should be more careful – that’s several so far in three books!). All in all, this is a gripping series and I look forward to another episode.

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I am not at all sure which genre I will read next, but perhaps not crime after that three book spree!

Happy Reading to you all.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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