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    Pop Goes the Weasel: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller
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    Pop Goes the Weasel: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller
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    Pop Goes the Weasel: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller
    Audiobook8 hours

    Pop Goes the Weasel: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller

    Written by M. J. Arlidge

    Narrated by Elizabeth Bower

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    From the international best-selling author of Eeny Meeny comes the second thriller featuring Detective Helen Grace.

    A man's body is found in an empty house.

    A gruesome memento of his murder is sent to his wife and children.

    He is the first victim, and Detective Helen Grace knows he will not be the last. But why would a happily married man be this far from home in the dead of night?

    The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse: a serial killer preying on family men who lead hidden double lives.

    Helen can sense the fury behind the murders. But what she cannot possibly predict is how volatile this killer is - or what is waiting for her at the end of the chase....

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 6, 2015
    ISBN9780698410480
    Unavailable
    Pop Goes the Weasel: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller

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    Reviews for Pop Goes the Weasel

    4/5

    154 ratings27 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This was a great book. The story was fast moving, and kept my interest the whole time. Since this is book 2 in the Helen Grace series, there was some personal development and character growth. There is also a really solid murder mystery to solve. The crimes are horrific, but as the story progresses, the murderer becomes strangely sympathetic. In addition to solving the murder, Helen must deal with the fall out from occurrences in the first book, and a new boss, Ceri Harwood. She has a lot to overcome, but that makes for an interesting read.

      ***************************************
      Just a thought while I am reading this book. I received an "ARC" from NetGalley, but I can see that this book was first published in October 2014. NetGalley says the book will be published in Oct 2015. Is this for an American edition? I don't know. Either way, the copy I received has a ton of formatting errors (for kindle) and is a little distracting to read. I am trying to ignore the formatting, because I am enjoying the story, but it is difficult.
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in the Helen Grace series was just better than the first. In this book DI Helen Grace is once again on the trail of a serial killer. The story opens one year after Eeny Meeny and Charlie has just returned to work after taking a year off to heal from her ordeal. When it appears that someone is targeting "Punters or Johns" the team gears up to catch another killer. The clues lead them to some chat rooms that rate prostitutes and it seems that all the men killed have been reading about someone named Angel. In this story Helen is not only dodging reporter Emilia Garanita, but her new boss seems to be out to get her as well. As the team gets closer to the killer Grace's secrets are suddenly being uncovered and she faces the possibility that they could be revealed and she lose her job. As more of her private life and past is revealed in this story, Helen becomes more real and garnered more sympathy from this reader. This book did not disappoint and I will definitely read the next one to find out what Helen Grace gets involved in next time. WARNING: There is brutality and vivid descriptions of the crime scenes in the book. If you like to read thrillers and police procedurals and are not squeamish about bloody descriptions, you should pick this one up, it will keep you on the edge of your seat.
    • 2/5
      This book is just full of things I don't like. First there's a serial killer. At least this time it's the johns being killed rather than the prostitutes, but that doesn't make it any more interesting for me. Second, the author uses short sentences and chapters to create a sense of urgency. Or maybe he is just incapable of writing complex sentences or sustaining a point of view for more than a few pages. Whatever his reason, I don't like the writing style. Finally, Helen is the clichéd troubled detective. I didn't read the first book in this series, but beware that the constant recaps in this book of the messy prior case that had been personal to Helen completely spoil the first book, so they should be read in order. When I got to these sentences I knew for sure this book and series are not for me:"As Jake brought the crop down for the fourth time, Helen realized that for the first time in days, she felt truly relaxed. And more than that, she felt happy." Strangely, I didn't feel happy at all. Book abandoned. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
    • 5/5
      I received access to this galley for free through the First to Read program. The blurb sounded promising and it was by an author I had never read before but wanted to try. This is the second book in Arlidge's Helen Grace series. However, this can work well as a stand-alone because mentions are made of past characters and events. From the first line, the descriptions are vivid, setting the scene. The chapters are short and often end on a suspenseful note. The narration alternates between Detective Inspector Helen Grace and other characters. Southampton, England is where the story takes place and a series of gruesome murders is assigned to Grace's team. Although there is profanity, sex and violence(some of it graphic and disturbing), it fits into the storyline and isn't gratuitous. I liked the unpredictability. The plot twists and turns and the culprit remained a mystery to me until the story neared its conclusion. Although I would have preferred an alternate ending, it was realistic and satisfying. I had assumed that, because the protagonist was female, the author was too. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. Also, I appreciated that the setting was a foreign country because it gave me a glimpse into an unfamiliar culture. The varying perspectives greatly helped in character development. I enjoyed the back stories and the relationship dynamics. Overall, I loved the book and plan on reading the first in the series, Eeny Meeny, and look forward to more of Helen Grace. I was thrilled to discover that an excerpt of the next in the series, A Doll's House, was included. At the same time, I was dismayed that I would have to wait until February 2016 for its release.
    • 4/5
      Helen Grace is a badass copper. Her life is flawed and so are the people she surrounds herself with, which makes for an interesting character. She has a knack for Chasing serial killers and taking them down. If you like suspense and mega thrills this is the series for you.
    • 4/5
      excellent new British mystery series
    • 5/5
      M.J. Arlidge proves that his first Helen Grace novel "Eeny Meeny" was no fluke. "Pop Goes the Weasel" is an absolutely riveting thriller.In this second book in the series, Detective Inspector Helen Grace finds herself on the hunt for a serial killer who appears to be targeting family men. The men are brutally murdered in seedy parts of town, and a gruesome memento of each victim is delivered to a person who personally knows the victim. What is the killer's motive, and how are the victims chosen?DI Grace continues to be an intriguing protagonist. She is still a damaged person who has her own demons to face. Her colleagues DC Charlie and DS Bridges continue to face their own personal struggles in this book, and the changes in their lives will have a big impact on how the next book goes.What I really like about this series is the character development. Arlidge does a great job of letting the reader into the personal lives of the main characters. By doing so, the novel does not come across as simply a procedural thriller but a fully fleshed out suspense novel. And I continue to be amazed that a male author can so thoroughly and convincingly inhabit the mind of a female protagonist.I'm loving this series and can't wait to read "The Doll's House," the next DI Helen Grace book!
    • 5/5
      Since I now have all of the DI Helen Grace books, I'm rationing them in between my other books. This is the second book in the series and DI Grace finds herself looking for a serial killer who is targeting family men. The men are being murdered in seedy parts of town, and a part of each victim is delivered to a person knows the victim. How are these victims being chosen and why? DI Grace is fast becoming one of my favorite detectives. While she is damaged herself, she never lets that stand in her way to do her job. The author, M.J. Arlidge does a great job of setting up the personal lives of the main characters and letting the reader become invested in each of these characters. As you tell I am loving this series and can't wait to read next DI Helen Grace book, "The Doll's House"! Beyond highly recommended!
    • 3/5
      This novel seems to follow on very closely from M J Arlidge's previous book, 'Eeny Meeny', and as I hadn't read that i was probably starting off at a slight disadvantage.The basic story was quite gripping - someone is killing men who frequent Southampton's red light district, and then cutting out their hearts and posting them to either their wives or work colleagues. The investigation is led by Detective Inspector Helen Grace, who has more than the customary amounts of personal baggage including the fact that her own sister was a serial killer and that she herself regularly visits a dominator. There is also a slightly superfluous back story about Grace's nephew, Rob, whom she watches over and tries to steer away from a life of crime.The story did keep rolling along but it was both unnecessarily long and unnecessarily squalid.
    • 4/5
      Second book to feature DI Helen Grace which revolves around a serial killer who targets men who seek out prostitutes. I really enjoyed the first book so I quickly obtained a copy of the second installment. This book I felt wasn't as good as the first. I still enjoyed the book but the first one is hard to beat.Like the first book this story has lots of tension and plenty of gory bits. Not quite edge of your seat but still a solid thriller.Helen is quite likeable and there is more coming out about her past so this part of the series is still developing. Other character's too are going to have their stories which may be interesting to see how it all pans out.I will seek out the other books as in the first two there is enough gor me to want to continue. Like the fact that the books are easy and quick to read. I would recommend the books so far especially the first one.
    • 3/5
      Pop Goes the Weasel, A Detective Helen Grace Thriller by M. J. Arlidge continues with the aftermath of Helen Grace's debacle with her serial killer sister. The storyline was great, but the spacing & no breaks in paragraphs was very distracting. Because of that I gave it three stars. It needs more editing."Even after all this time, she couldn't bear being the center of everyone's attention, gossip & intrigue. It had been nearly a year since she'd brought Marianne's terrible killing spree to an end, but the interest in Helen was as strong as ever. Bringing in a serial killer was impressive enough; but shooting your own sister to do so was something else."Harwood is the new chief. She & Helen got off to a bad start. "In her artfully worded way, Harwood had reminded Helen just how close she had come to dismissal."Emilia Garanita, the reporter who was Helen's nemesis was active in the story as well. "Helen wanted to punch her--she had never met anyone who seemed to take such active enjoyment in the unhappiness of ordinary people. She was a ghoul--without a ghoul's redeeming features."I would like to thank Penguin Group Berkley, NAL & NetGalley for a complimentary kindle copy of this book. That did not change my opinion for this review.
    • 4/5
      The second installment in the Helen Grace series deals with a new grisly murder series, but also with the aftermath of the happenings in book one. Both Helen and Charlie still suffer from the horrible events and have to find their way around the other again, but return to work nonetheless to face another brutal serial killer.I found reading this sequel went much more smooth, as the author seems to have found his rhythm with this series. The plot was suspenseful throughout and worked out perfectly, and the gore level was OK, serving the story without being just for show. As in 'Eeny Meeny', a great part of the book dealt with the inner demons of the main characters, making 'Pop Goes The Weasel' more than just another average thriller.Definitely worth reading, though if you're new to the series I recommend starting with the first book. While the case is a new one, you will want to know the background on the characters from book one to better understand their motivations and behavior here. I will definitely follow Helen Grace to her next case 'The Doll's House'.(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
    • 5/5
      Pop Goes the Weasel is the second book in the series featuring Detective Helen Grace. Helen is good at what she does, is a flawed individual with a dark side that enables her to find the bad guy. Murdered men are showing up with their hearts ripped out and delivered to a loved one. Who is committing these horrific murders? It appears that it is someone who is punishing men for visiting prostitutes. Buy why? Helen and her team race against the clock to find out who is committing these murders and stop them before there are more. As with Eeny Meeny, there is definitely a creepy element to the plot. There are characters carried over from the first novel, except that Helen now has a different boss. There were some serious repercussions from the previous case, which includes a co-worker returning to duty after her injuries that occurred in Eeny Meeny. Plus there is a reporter who seems to undermine Helen at every turn. A taut thriller which has an ending that I did not see coming.I enjoy this series and hope to read more! Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for review. I was not monetarily compensated for my thoughts.-
    • 4/5
      For those readers who have not read the first book, you can read this book but be warned as there are references to the events in the first book that will give it away if you have not read it. Yet, I am confident that you will still want to read the first book if you have not read it. M.J. Arlidge is my kind of author. Strong characters, a nice storyline, just as strong a killer, and a great ending. Helen shows that she is an independent, strong female heroine. She can hang tough with the big boys. Then there is Charlie, who I thought was evenly matched to Helen. The dynamics between these two women was great. Due to their past history and the way that Helen felt towards Charlie just pushed Charlie to up her game that much more. Also, I have to say that I did not feel sorry for any of the victims. They got what they deserved. There was nothing "heartless" about the murders. I read the first two chapters of the next book and I can not wait to read it.
    • 4/5
      Detective Helen Grace and her co-worker Charlie are still struggling to get back on their feet after what happened at the end of book 1. Now with a new boss, who seems to want to take all the glory but not actually do any work her team is faced with a new challenge. Men are being murdered and their hearts are being sent to their families. With her team falling apart, her boss doing everything she can to remove her from the case and the reporter who seems to know her every move, DI Grace is running out of time to solve this case.Since I read a galley copy of this book I am assuming some of my issues will be solved when it is published but there were transition issues from one character to the next where I found myself confused. Paragraphs ran together leaving me having to go back and figure out whose story I was reading and this was distracting. Despite this I found that I enjoyed this book more than I did Eeney Meeney, book 1 of this series. I'm finding the development of DI Grace to be intriguing and it will be interesting to see how some of the other main characters either evolve or disappear in coming books.All in all this is a good suspensful mystery thriller. Chapters are short which keeps the book moving and you turning the pages. The next book in this series is due out in the US in February 2016 and I find that I'm actually anxiously awaiting it. I hope this series just continues to improve.
    • 4/5
      This is a well written mystery/thriller. It was a good second book in the series. I liked the characters better in this second book than I did in the first book. This book was much easier to follow than the first book. This one flows much better. You will need to read the first book to enjoy this one or you won't know any of the characters. I received an ebook of this from Firsttoread for a fair and honest opinion.
    • 4/5
      I received my copy through the Goodreads giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.

      I wish I had read the first book before getting my hands on this one (I will just have to do that soon) At first I thought I was going to have to really trudge through this book but it soon picked up pace. Definitely worth the time.
    • 4/5
      There is a serial killer on the loose in Southampton but in a change from the usual, he/she is targeting the men who use prostitutes rather than the girls themselves. The murders are quite gruesome with the victims' hearts being cut out, put in a box and sent to someone known to the deceased.This is the second novel by the author in the Detective Helen Grace series. It is advisable but not essential to read the first (Eeny Meeny) before this one. This is because characters and events are referred to which would spoil your enjoyment of its predecessor if you read it out of sequence. Pop Goes The Weasel is set a year on; as well as having a difficult case to try and solve Helen has issues and secrets in her personal life to deal with.
    • 5/5
      The body of a man is found in an abandoned property known to be used by the area’s prostitutes. His body has been ripped open and his heart is missing. The police soon get word that the killer has sent his heart to the man’s wife and children. The dead man had by all accounts what looks to be a picturesque life. He was a man of faith with a devoted wife and children, so how did he end up in such a shady part of town? His wife insists he was doing the Lord’s work and trying to help the women working the streets, but the evidence is not adding up.As another victim appears with similar circumstances, Detective Helen Grace is placed on the case to find the city’s newest serial killer. It quickly becomes apparent that the killer is a prostitute herself and is hunting men who masquerade as family men during the day, but turn to the streets for satisfaction at night. With each new body it appears the killer’s rage is growing. Can Detective Helen Grace and her team find the killer before she completely spirals out of control? Who is this woman playing Jack the Ripper in reverse?M.J. Arlidge creates another vicious killer for Helen Grace to hunt down in POP GOES THE WEASEL. Wasting no time between books, this one picks up shortly after where EENY MEENY ended. The short lapse in time between books allows the effects of the first novel’s case to continue impacting the characters of Helen Grace and Charlie, without being the entire focus of this book. I appreciated that this brought a heartfelt set of emotions mixed with the thrilling hunt for a serial killer. Speaking of serial killers, this novel's reverse Jack the Ripper style killings are brutal, gritty, and intense. The reasons behind them, once revealed are no less shocking. Arlidge kept me at the edge of my seat throughout the entire hunt and before I knew it I was face to face with the murderer. I could not put this book down and with the ease of short, fast-paced chapters I never felt like I had to. Yet another heart-stopping edition to a brilliant series!
    • 5/5
      MY TAKE:5+++ STARS!!!This book is the second book in the Helen Grace series by M J Arlidge, (her first was Eeny Meeny.) These books are in no particular order, so you can pick either of them up to enjoy reading without having to have read the previous book. This book is about a new and different serial killer now on the loose in the darkness of the city streets of London. In this book, we now have a new serial killer who seems to be only after men, or at least so far it is only men who have been killed, and the way they die, or were ‘killed’, just doesn’t quite seem a strong enough enough words to describe what happened. After these men are killed, their hearts are literally ripped out of their chests, and most are even delivered to certain people, in particular, their families, or sometimes the heart is only halfway torn out, as if the serial killer got interrupted in the kill. Either way, this serial killer is cold, calculating, and absolutely sickening in what it does, and it is incomprehensible in what is done.Now, to catch ‘em! This is where DI Helen Grace comes in! If anyone can solve something like this, it is her. The thing that blew my mind was they wanted her OFF the case at one point! Does this stop her? NO WAY!This is about all I can tell you about from this book so I don’t give ANY spoilers away! I will say this again, though, if you love thrillers, this series is one you will become addicted to on the very first page! I say this 'series' because at the end of this book, SURPRISE! A THIRD book is coming out!!! It states, 'the next chilling case', "The Doll's House", available from the New American Library, is available in February 2nd, 2016!' I can't WAIT!!! Yes! It IS available for Pre-Order NOW!!!This author, M J Arlidge, does not disappoint the reader at ALL! She is one unique and remarkable writer about serial killers and the stories she writes to put her heroine, DI Helen Grace into. She is one very talented writer! I have to admit, in my opinion, that this author is one of the BEST out there writing serial killer novels! Her plots and the way they play out are so amazing! The only complaint I have is they are SO EXCELLENT that I cannot stop reading these so quickly! These stories have you glued to reading about everything that is happening sentence after sentence that you are not going to put this book down! I really mean it when I say you end up ‘reading ferociously through these’! I read the ebook galley, and I just kept my thumb/fingers constantly ready to flip the page!I want to thank the Publisher, Penguin Group/Berkley/New American Library and NetGalley, along with the Publicist who coordinates all reviews, Blog Tours and more for inviting me to be a part of this book in exchange to write a review of my own opinion. Thank you!
    • 5/5
      Pop Goes the Weasel is the second in M.J. Arlidge’s Helen Grace series and is positively brilliant. I do advise readers to start with the first book in the series, Eeny Meeny, and sit back and enjoy Aldridge’s mastery of psychological thriller genre.
    • 5/5
      op Goes the Weasel is an engrossing thriller starring Detective Helen Grace. After reading Eeny Meeny (the first in this series), I was impressed and knew I would eventually check out more from Arlidge. Now that I’ve read this one, Arlidge is at the top of my list of must-read thriller authors. I’m hooked!If you haven’t read Eeny Meeny, you can still enjoy Pop Goes the Weasel without much confusion because they’re about two completely different serial killer cases. However, Eeny Meeny provides a lot of Detective Grace’s backstory, and I must say, she is one of my favorite female characters ever. She’s smart, tough and unapologetic about the way she operates–the ultimate detective–but she’s also flawed in ways that make her vulnerable. She’s not even a real person, yet I have such respect for her. I want her to find happiness and companionship, but I also want her to keep on being the bad-ass copper she is.A multitude of secondary characters (ranging from good to bad to good who’ve simply been driven to do bad things) are included in this story. Arlidge skillfully weaves each and every one of them into the plot. Some made appearances in Eeny Meeny and some are new, but all are relevant and developed just enough to move the story along nicely.If you like serial killer novels that are full of intrigue and suspense, then I highly recommend adding M. J. Arlidge to your to-read list.
    • 5/5
      Pop Goes the Weasel by M.J. Arlidge is the second book in A Detective Helen Grace Thriller series. Detective Inspector Helen Grace has returned to her job at the Southampton Central Police Station as a leader of a Major Incident Team. She has kept herself busy (with work) since she killed her sister Marianne (serial killer in last book). DC Charlie Brooks will be returning to work in the next few days. She has not worked since she was held hostage by Marianne. Charlie lost the baby she was carrying. Instead of going to another department or station, Charlie is returning to the team. They also have a new boss, Detective Superintendent Ceri Harwood. Harwood is very different from Michael Whittaker (former boss and Grace’s mentor). Harwood is the type to let others do the work and then she takes the glory for promotions. Harwood also believes in working with the press. She has decided to work with Emilia Garanita, a reporter with the Southampton Evening News (a royal pain in Helen Grace’s behind).There is a new killer in town. The killer is sadistic and takes an organ from the victim. The perp then delivers the organ to family (or co-workers). Will the team be able to catch the killer? Pop Goes the Weasel will keep engrossed until the very last word. It has great characters and a juicy mystery. I was a little disappointed at how easy it was to figure out the killer. Pop Goes the Weasel is superbly written, and I was interested to find out what happened to the characters after the death of Marianne. The book does contain explicit violence and sadomasochism (fair warning). I give Pop Goes the Weasel 5 out of 5 stars. In order to understand Pop Goes the Weasel, you do need to read the first book in the series (which you will enjoy). I cannot wait for the next book from M. J. Arlidge. I received a complimentary copy of Pop Goes the Weasel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Pop Goes the Weasel: A DI Helen Grace Thriller by M. J. Arlidge is a 2015 NAL publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A dark, intense, gritty, edge of your seat thriller!This is the second book in the Helen Grace series and if you have not read the first book, I highly recommend you read it before starting this one, since the story pretty much picks up where the last one left off and there are spoilers. As you may recall, Helen and her team were put to a real test with a heart pounding. race against time. chase to catch a serial killer.Now, Helen is back on the job, (!!!), and trying to put the shattered pieces of her life back in order. But, the dynamic has changed with the entire squad under new leadership making Helen's life a pure misery, not to mention her old friend with the press who seems to have a personal vendetta against Helen, practically stalking her. But, Helen doesn't have a great deal of time to address the political areas of her job because there is another serial on the lose and this time the target appears to be family men who hire prostitutes. Any time the sex trade is under the microscope, you know things are going to be rough. The perverted depravity of men who claim to be good, faithful, family men will have their dark secret revealed, exposing their hypocrisy, and anyone could be the next victim. I was incredibly impressed with Eeny Meany, the first book in the series, and of course we all know that when a debut novel is that good, the bar has been set and the second book will have some mighty big shoes to fill. I am happy to report that not only did this novel maintain the level of excellence I was hoping for, but may have even exceeded it a bit. While the taut, sweaty palms, suspense in Eeny Meany isn't as prevalent in this book, the writing and characterization has really developed giving the reader a very realistic and human insight into the lives of the detectives working this case, which the media as dubbed “Jack the Ripper in Reverse”. Tony and Charlie both have compelling story lines which expose the raw underbelly of human needs and the pressures of family and work, which can lead to tough choices and decisions. But, Helen once again steals the show. This is one tough cookie, let me tell you. She's still relying on her special friend, still dealing with the emotional repercussions of the past, and coping with her fragile position on the force. Helen is one of the most puzzling and complex characters I have come across in a long time and I'm very curious to know what else, besides the obvious, lies behind some of her more bizarre behaviors. I really like her, warts and all. The author doesn't sugarcoat the characters, the crimes, the drama, or the politics. It's so real, so dark, so suspenseful it feels like it's really happening, which made me squirm a little from time to time. I was pulled so deeply into the story, was so invested in the character's lives, and so absorbed by the twisted, sick games of a sadistic killer, I had to remind myself to breathe. The twist and turns took me where I sometimes didn't want to go, but then led me around a corner to an even more startling revelation. I could never have guessed how all of this would turn out, but at least this time Helen is given a slight reprieve in the end. She may not have long to bask in it, but I feel like she got her mojo back a little and will be a formidable force to be reckoned with in the future. This is an outstanding series, highly recommended to those who read very dark, graphic, violent thrillers that explores the darker side of human nature, not only of the bad guys, but good guys as well. 4.5 stars
    • 5/5
      I received an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a well-written and very past paced British crime thriller that I couldn’t put down. I enjoyed the authentic language and colloquialisms of British origin used by the author. Each character has many issues but is fully developed by the author. Someone is butchering men who use prostitutes and delivering body parts to their families and coworkers. There are many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing right up until the end. I hope to read more books about Detective Inspector Helen Grace and her team in the future. This is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys a good crime thriller.
    • 4/5
      Pop Goes the Weasel is the second in the DI Helen Grace series by MJ Arlidge. If you’ve read the first book, this is very similar. DI Grace is still a slightly broken individual, the murderer she’s pursuing is yet another crazy bent on slaughtering people in the most gruesome ways, and at the end of the book your head spins from all the twists thrown at you. This time though the killer is a prostitute who is taking revenge on clients and delivering parts of their butchered bodies to relatives and coworkers. Helen has a lot to deal with on her team too; she’s hesitant to take Charlie back after the traumatic events of last year, her newly appointed partner, Tony, is set to go undercover risking his life, and she has a new boss, DS Ceri Harwood, who isn’t happy with the way Helen runs her team. Can Helen keep her team from falling apart long enough to track down the crazed killer before any more victims turn up? The last half of the book was incredibly fast-paced with twists thrown at you, more twists than most thrillers I’ve read. It all fits together brilliantly at the end to make every piece of the puzzle fit together seamlessly. I would have given the book 5 stars but the first half of the book really seemed to drag for me—very similar to the first book too. There’s a lot of angst we have to read about from the characters and their unfulfilled lives. Once it picks up though, it is one wild ride. This is the second in the series, and although you could read this as a standalone, it would definitely help to read the first before Pop Goes the Weasel. This is definitely a book I would recommend and most definitely a series I need to continue to read.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the Helen Grace Series. I didn’t read the first book. I loved that the chapters were short yet full of intensity. In this book we have a serial killer who is killing men who have visited prostitutes. What was disturbing was that the killer keeps sending body parts to the victims’ families. I loved this because it was just creepy enough to keep me reading, turning pages as quickly as I could. The author has done a great job of creating characters that have flaws. This makes them more believable. If you like lots of description in your books then this is the book for you. I can’t wait to see what cases Helen Grace has in the next book, “The Doll’s House”. I feel like I definitely must go back and read the first book in the series. I will leave this warning. This book is quite a bit on the dark side. Maybe that is why I liked it.I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.