Book Review: Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten

Publisher: One More Chapter / Harper Collins UK
Publication Date: 16 October 2020

Blurb

A murdered woman…

When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she’s dealing with no ordinary killer. The murder victim has been disfigured; her outfit changed to resemble someone else. Someone Maggie knows all too well…her close friend Dr Kate Moloney.

A determined detective…

Maggie is determined to keep her friend safe, but with Kate already struggling with a threatening stalker, Maggie now fears Kate’s life is in real danger. Who else would want to harm Kate and why else would the killer be turning his victims into exact replicas – his living dolls?

Can Maggie find the depraved killer? Or will Kate become his next living doll?

Review

I do enjoy a police procedural and Dead Perfect, the third instalment in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, is right up my street. Whilst the book follows on from the previous, the references to the earlier case are subtle and, as such, it could easily be read as a standalone novel.

In a new case, Maggie and her team are investigating the death of a young woman who closely resembles her friend and colleague, Dr Kate Maloney. Knowing that Kate has a stalker, Maggie must consider whether the killer and Kate’s stalker are one and the same? Is Kate in danger? Can Maggie catch the killer before they strike again?

Maggie is a great protagonist – loyal, strong and likeable. She may be a bit hot-tempered and bullish at times, but if I was in trouble I would definitely want her on my side! Kate is also a very likeable character. Police procedurals can be quite male-heavy and I therefore appreciated the author’s use of strong female characters, including the supporting characters of DCI Rutherford and DC Kat Everett. I also found myself intrigued by the development of Maggie’s love-hate relationship with reporter Julie Noble. I hope to read more about this in future books.

The book is well-plotted, suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining, with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me on the edge of my seat. I came up with a number of theories as I ploughed through the book and I must admit that I came close to working out who the perpetrator might be, although their motivation/reasoning caught me by surprise.

The book ends on a cliff-hanger which means that I will, of course, have to get number 4 in the series once it is released!

Fast-paced, tense and totally gripping, Dead Perfect is a great addition to the DC Maggie Jamieson series and I will certainly be recommending this series to anyone who enjoys police procedurals and crime thrillers.

Thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review purposes.

About the Author

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

Author Links
Twitter: @nholten40
Facebook: @noelleholtenauthor
Blog FB page: @crimebookjunkie
Instagram: @crimebookjunkie
Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk
Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

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