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Release date: July 25, 2017

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Blurb: 

When eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home she finds her mother missing, the house covered in blood. Everything points to murder, except for one thing: there’s no sign of the body.

London detective Maeve Kerrigan and the homicide team turn their attention to the neighbours. The ultra-religious Norrises are acting suspiciously; their teenage daughter and Chloe Emery definitely have something to hide. Then there’s William Turner, once accused of stabbing a schoolmate and the neighborhood’s favorite criminal. Is he merely a scapegoat, or is there more behind the charismatic façade?

As a body fails to materialize, Maeve must piece together a patchwork of testimonies and accusations. Who is lying, and who is not? And soon Maeve starts to realize that not only will the answer lead to Kate Emery, but more lives may hang in the balance.

With Let the Dead Speak, Jane Casey returns with another taut, richly drawn novel that will grip readers from the opening pages to the stunning conclusion.

Review: 

My friend Renée at It’s Book Talk first brought this series to my attention with her amazing review and I just knew that I had to give it a try. Since I didn’t have time to start at the beginning, I just jumped in here. While it worked out great (I had no problems in doing so) I am going to add the earlier books to my TBR because this one was that good. I’m wondering how I ever missed this series to begin with?! I must’ve been buried under a pile of other books. 

This opens with a gripping first chapter, Chloe returns home to a gruesome scene, there is blood everywhere and her mom is missing. So naturally, I was all in right away and my attention never wavered once throughout this roller coaster ride of a book. I’m not going to discuss plot points any further, the blurb tells you just enough, but it’s safe to say that this was an awesome read. 

Two distinct things made this book stand out for me in a sea of police procedurals. First, the characterization is outstanding. Maeve is a beautifully crafted protagonist and is so multidimensional. Clearly her and Derwent have a complicated past and I’m definitely going to go back at some point and explore that angle. Their chemistry was fantastic and they have that kind of rapport with one another that makes you laugh while also feeling like you’re watching a genuine relationship between two people who are fond of each other. 

The second thing that made this a standout for me was that it’s a tightly plotted, multilayered mystery. At no time while I was devouring this did I have any idea what was truly going on or what would happen next. The twists were all shocking and unexpected and the pacing was dead on. The various subplots added to the story and provided an additional layer to peel back, it was just fantastic. 

This was one of the best police procedurals I have come across in quite some time. It was riveting and such an addictive read, I really can’t recommend it highly enough! If you’re like me and are new to the author, you can definitely jump into the series at this point. But remember, I regret not having read the earlier books, so you may want to do yourself a favor and just start at the beginning. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.