Brilliant 5 star audio book

Today is the day I have come full circle in my relationship with DS Jason Smith, I first read this book as part of the blog tour back in March and it was the first in the series I had read.  Now, thanks to Stewart and Jill re-releasing them all, I have read the first seven, plus Phobia, which was Book 0.5, and reviewed them all over the last couple of months.

As this is book 8 in the series you do really need to have read some of the previous ones to find out what Stewart has put our poor DS through in his short life, plus you find out the relationship dynamics between Smith and the ever faithful Witton, who now has a baby girl with him.

At the end of the last book we find out that Witton is pregnant with Smith's child, and this book is set 1 year later when little baby Laura is 6 months old and Witton is on maternity leave. Jason is also on leave but is called back into action when a woman's body is found with her baby boy in the house.

As the story progresses more women are killed with their children nearby and Smith and the team have to try and find some connection between them all.  When the connection is finally made they end up with a list of 6 women, one of which is Witton herself.

Due to the fact that Witton is on the list Jason now takes the case very seriously and the team go into overdrive to solve the case before Witton is killed.

The thing I love about this book, along with Stewart's other books, is that you also follow the killer in different parts of the book and learn what they are doing and why before Smith and the team, but also don;t know who they are until the big reveal at the end.

Even though this is the second time I have read the book, or more accurately I listened to it this time, I still could not work out how any reader could have solved the case before Smith did as there were loads of clues as to why and who was going to be killed, but nothing linking these people to the murderer until it was all explained near the end.

Once Smith works out who the murderer is it is just a simple case of getting all the way across York before it is too late and they get to Witton.  As I know that Stewart Giles has a mean streak with regards to DS Smith and likes to kill off key people who have any interaction with him, the doubt is always there as to whether or not Smith will get to Witton in time and if so whether to killer is still there.

As i briefly mentioned I listened to the audible version this time so it would be remiss of me not to review the narration.  This book as with all but Harlequin and Phobia, was narrated by the brilliant J.T McDaniel, and as it is the sixth book he has narrated I have got used to his narration and his nuances with regards to different people's voices.

Overall this is a brilliant book and series, and I can't wait for book 9 to come out, which is an extra special book as combines both of Stewart's great Police detectives Harriet Taylor and DS Jason Smith in a book which spans a vast area of England in a great police mystery book

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