jmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
DS Allie Shenton is struggling, her sister is dying and she is being taunted by her sister's attacker. Then she gets the call that Jordan Johnson has been murdered. Jordan and his brother Ryan work for Terry Ryder - the criminal kingpin in The Potteries. Whilst Ryder is behind bars the Johnson brothers have been helping to run things and 'look after' Ryder's daughter Kirstie. Ryan is devastated, he put a hit on his brother to injure him but someone has gone much further and now there is also a large amount of cash missing.
This is the third Allie Shenton book in the series and I have read two of them so far. There is much to enjoy about this book as it is a pacy police procedural. I particularly like the setting in the Black Country and the fact that the community that Sherratt writes about is obviously close to her heart. Whilst the plotline about the attacker of Shenton's sister is, at times annoying, it does provide an exciting end to the book. The plotline about the murder of Jordan Johnson is clever and links various background characters from the previous books as well as standing alone. Sherratt is a confident writer who is mastering her style and audience.
This is the third Allie Shenton book in the series and I have read two of them so far. There is much to enjoy about this book as it is a pacy police procedural. I particularly like the setting in the Black Country and the fact that the community that Sherratt writes about is obviously close to her heart. Whilst the plotline about the attacker of Shenton's sister is, at times annoying, it does provide an exciting end to the book. The plotline about the murder of Jordan Johnson is clever and links various background characters from the previous books as well as standing alone. Sherratt is a confident writer who is mastering her style and audience.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Booktrail the locations of the novel here Only the Brave Booktrail
48 hours in Stoke on Trent. Now this is not the kind of agenda you’d want to follow in real life but in a fictional setting, it’s more than an adventure weekend!
With the case of double dealing growing by the day, Allie Shenton is back but at her most vulnerable, not surprising as she is being stalked. As she continues to investigate the murder of Jordan Johnson, she gets further and further embroiled in the web of deceit that seems to cover much of the city of Stoke. One character is described thus –
Growing up with two older brothers on one of the meanest streets in Stoke on Trent….
The community in and around the flats where the body is found is a cold, dubious and insular place to be. Most have alibis of where they were on the night it happened but the threads of truth seemed to be frayed and barely holding the various stories together.
Enter Allie Shenton trying to pick her way through this jungle of lies and it’s a hard, gritty path she treads. Smell the fear and the anticipation as one thing leads to another, the tension of the stalker emphasising one woman’s fight to carry on regardless. Police work is a series of tough calls, with the team sacrificing everything apart from the next potential lead.
He parked on Ford Green Road noticing a few more neighbours’ cars nearby…
The 48 Hours in Stoke is a gritty and very realistic ride. The sense of a closed and insular community reveals a disparate bunch of people, each with their own set of values, reasons for telling the story they tell, and the overall effect on this crime in the wider community.
Over a small amount of time, a puzzle is set and the clock is set ticking. Whether the pieces will be blown to smithereens before the time runs out is the exhilarating journey Mel Sherratt takes you on..
48 hours in Stoke on Trent. Now this is not the kind of agenda you’d want to follow in real life but in a fictional setting, it’s more than an adventure weekend!
With the case of double dealing growing by the day, Allie Shenton is back but at her most vulnerable, not surprising as she is being stalked. As she continues to investigate the murder of Jordan Johnson, she gets further and further embroiled in the web of deceit that seems to cover much of the city of Stoke. One character is described thus –
Growing up with two older brothers on one of the meanest streets in Stoke on Trent….
The community in and around the flats where the body is found is a cold, dubious and insular place to be. Most have alibis of where they were on the night it happened but the threads of truth seemed to be frayed and barely holding the various stories together.
Enter Allie Shenton trying to pick her way through this jungle of lies and it’s a hard, gritty path she treads. Smell the fear and the anticipation as one thing leads to another, the tension of the stalker emphasising one woman’s fight to carry on regardless. Police work is a series of tough calls, with the team sacrificing everything apart from the next potential lead.
He parked on Ford Green Road noticing a few more neighbours’ cars nearby…
The 48 Hours in Stoke is a gritty and very realistic ride. The sense of a closed and insular community reveals a disparate bunch of people, each with their own set of values, reasons for telling the story they tell, and the overall effect on this crime in the wider community.
Over a small amount of time, a puzzle is set and the clock is set ticking. Whether the pieces will be blown to smithereens before the time runs out is the exhilarating journey Mel Sherratt takes you on..
lynsey284's review against another edition
5.0
i loved this book full review closer to publication day but very powerful end to a story hoping not the last we see of Allie though
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
When I first met Allie Shenton in Mel Sherratt’s debut novel I liked her very much and thought the storyline fantastic. Equally so in the follow up but then I did my usual trick of falling behind with a series. When I eventually got around to reading the third book it didn’t take me long to pick up where I left off.
The books are very closely linked, there is a very strong thread running through the series so if you haven’t read the previous two you might struggle slightly. They are very good though so I would recommend them anyway.
When the body of a local man is found on a rough estate there are plenty of suspects. Most of them are known to the police and having appeared earlier in the series also the reader. Some of them are victims but there are also some nasty characters, all of them very believable. Allie is struggling, her sister’s health has deteriorated and the case is very intense. The team are desperate to solve quickly and Allie hasn’t been as truthful with anybody about a continuous personal threat.
I have read two of Mel’s series of books now and whilst enjoying The Estate Series I like this one more. Allie is a character I really like, she isn’t a senior officer, constantly has to answer for her actions to her superior officers and keep her marriage on an even keel. Her marriage feels real, they are devoted to each other and her husband understands her commitment to her job and her guilt over her sister. I felt that a lot of research has been done, talking to serving officers on how they keep everything level. The case was also believable, you often see on the news about ongoing ‘situations’ in real life cases like the one that features in the book.
This book seemed to provide closure to a few of the storylines but I would love it if there will be more in the series.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received via NetGalley.
The books are very closely linked, there is a very strong thread running through the series so if you haven’t read the previous two you might struggle slightly. They are very good though so I would recommend them anyway.
When the body of a local man is found on a rough estate there are plenty of suspects. Most of them are known to the police and having appeared earlier in the series also the reader. Some of them are victims but there are also some nasty characters, all of them very believable. Allie is struggling, her sister’s health has deteriorated and the case is very intense. The team are desperate to solve quickly and Allie hasn’t been as truthful with anybody about a continuous personal threat.
I have read two of Mel’s series of books now and whilst enjoying The Estate Series I like this one more. Allie is a character I really like, she isn’t a senior officer, constantly has to answer for her actions to her superior officers and keep her marriage on an even keel. Her marriage feels real, they are devoted to each other and her husband understands her commitment to her job and her guilt over her sister. I felt that a lot of research has been done, talking to serving officers on how they keep everything level. The case was also believable, you often see on the news about ongoing ‘situations’ in real life cases like the one that features in the book.
This book seemed to provide closure to a few of the storylines but I would love it if there will be more in the series.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received via NetGalley.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
5.0
Only The Brave is the third in the DS Allie Shenton series and in my opinion the best so far. I have loved all the books in this series but Only The Brave pushed through the 5 stars and if i could award it more I would do.
Set over a couple of days, Only The Brave is fast paced and had my attention right from the off. For me this story had plenty of thrills and chills and a couple of twists to keep you on the edge right up until the end.
I found the storyline in Only The Brave to be more darker than the previous two books. There are some recurring characters from the previous books which I love as the author doesn't have to spend to much time going into each characters background as we already know them.
I can't really go into the storyline as will ruin it for any new readers but will be interested to see what the future holds for Allie after certain events in this book. All I will say is that I had one hell of a big lump in my throat and tears in my eyes at the end of this book and if you want to know why then you will have to read it for yourself.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Set over a couple of days, Only The Brave is fast paced and had my attention right from the off. For me this story had plenty of thrills and chills and a couple of twists to keep you on the edge right up until the end.
I found the storyline in Only The Brave to be more darker than the previous two books. There are some recurring characters from the previous books which I love as the author doesn't have to spend to much time going into each characters background as we already know them.
I can't really go into the storyline as will ruin it for any new readers but will be interested to see what the future holds for Allie after certain events in this book. All I will say is that I had one hell of a big lump in my throat and tears in my eyes at the end of this book and if you want to know why then you will have to read it for yourself.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
charmainelim's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this a lot and basically had no problems with it, but even then, it wasn't great or fantastic for me. Still, it was a really solid book and a good read.
Full review here: https://charmainelimen.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/review-only-the-brave-by-mel-sherratt/
Full review here: https://charmainelimen.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/review-only-the-brave-by-mel-sherratt/
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