A review by ingo_lembcke
Deadly Games by Sally Rigby

2.0

Snatched this up, blurb sounded interesting, setting is UK, and it was free.
It had no DRM, so I had no trouble converting the Kindle ebook to EPub for my other Reader (a larger Tolino Epos).
Do not like the female detective (one of two female MC's), old fashioned and even according to her superior still living in the 70ies... Already I have to force myself to read this, looks like a 2star book and a possible DNF, but I want to be sure bevore abandoning it.
So far by-the-numbers-serial-killer-book. Nothing special, and the the thoughts of Walker grate on my nerves, they are uninteresting, rather dull and mostly could have been cut.
While the setting is supposed to be UK, I do not really feel it.
Unless something changes, I will beginn at some point to skim the pages and look for the end.
Certainly so far not the page-turner promised by the blurb.
Really liked George and how she handled Stephen at about just after 50% of the book.

And also, as this is the beginning of a series, I will most probably not read anything else from this author.
OK, so I did not DNF it, there where no real twists, I did guess whodunnit since the point of introduction, so no surprises there.

Would have given more stars if one of the following would have happened:
- Whitney gets fired (should have happened IRL) and will not turn up sequels or as a PI
- Killer walks free (could have happened, some evidence was obtained illegaly)
- MC's get together as lovers (would have been a good twist and stranger things have happened).

While at some points it might be ok to bend the rules, I prefer books where the police work feels more real and evidence etc. is obtained within the rules, not outside of it.
Glad they have not made other mistakes (going places alone without telling anyone, not charging their cellphones etc.). They even had support in the final scene.

As is, I will read the promised epilogue for another book, as I am more interested in what happens to the arrested than to the MC's.

End is as usual, meaning forseeable and boring "arrest made, etc. all is well".
A real good twist would have been one more victim, the detective fired because of her faults and the dealing with the fallout from all that in the next book.

Will check what the following books in the series are about, but guess more of the same, so will most probably not read them.

Some might like this, but to call this a page-turner is stretching a reality I do not live in.
So two stars for more than one reason, could have been three if Walker was more interesting and up-to-date. Also, although it is set in the UK, I did not feel it, could have easily been Germany, or US with a few different expressions.
Not recommended.