Review: Little Boy Blue by MJ Arlidge 


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Release date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Berkley NAL

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Goodreads blurb: 

Detective Inspector Helen Grace is no stranger to tragedy. But when a body is found in a Southampton nightclub, the death cuts too close to the bone. Hiding her personal connection to the victim – and a double-life which must remain secret at all costs – Helen becomes a woman possessed, working her team around the clock to chase down every lead. As the killer strikes again, the investigation takes its toll not only on Helen but also her senior officers. Tempers flare, friendships fray and Helen faces an impossible choice. Confess her sins and lose control of the case? Or keep living a lie, protecting her darkest secrets, and risk getting trapped in this tangled web? But whatever she does, this killer will not stop until the truth is revealed: there are some fates worse than death. 

Review: 

This is the first book that I’ve had the pleasure of reading in the Helen Grace series although it is the fifth installment. While I had absolutely no problem whatsoever reading this as a standalone, I’m still rather eager to go back and read the first four. Kate from Bibliophile Book Club and I figure we will have time in 2018 to schedule a buddy read, right Kate?! 😂😜

I loved the lightening fast pacing of this book, the chapters are brief but they beg the reader to just keep going for a few more chapters. Helen Grace finds herself struggling to solve her toughest case to date. Someone is targeting people from the BDSM community and killing them in a brutal fashion. Things are linked to her very private and personal life, but will she be able to solve the case while keeping her own secrets? Or will she have to reveal her personal connection to the case in order to catch this madman?

Everything about this book is dark, deadly, alarming and depraved. All of these things make for an enthralling read and one that I flew through rather quickly. I’m more hesitant than usual to discuss plot details as there are a number of twists and turns that I don’t want to spoil. The police are frustrated by dead end after dead end even after several very promising leads. The mounting exasperation adds to the tension and the book ends in a shocking cliffhanger that I never saw coming. I’m positively desperate to read the next book to see how it will all play out. If you’re a fan of crime fiction with a cast of characters that are brilliantly flawed and interesting, check this one out. Arlidge’s writing style is excellent and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat the entire time.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to Berkley NAL for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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