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A review by bethpeninger
Truth or Dare by M.J. Arlidge
4.0
It's a newly post-COVID world, and Helen Grace and her team at Southampton are challenged by a wave of crime washing over the city. At first glance, none of the crimes are related—arson, vandalism, robbery—crimes that seem par for the course. But as each crime is investigated, little threads of similarity emerge. However, DI Grace works in a "divided house." During the height of COVID and after her affair with DS Joseph Hudson, the team has taken sides. Nobody is wearing a shirt, but there are two offerings - Team Grace or Team Hudson and Joseph is doing everything he can to, in his words, "end Helen Grace." He's even gone over to Emilia Garanita and is leaking information about ongoing and current investigations to her. (By the way, that's a BIG no-no.) DS Hudson ignores DI Grace's investigative directives and goes rogue, determined to prove he is the superior detective, and her time has come and gone at Southampton. This throws everyone into a state of confusion and delay, exposing how the crimes are connected and why. Helen feels the urgency of putting a stop to the crime wave and getting her Southampton house back in order. Will she be allowed to do either, or will DS Hudson find a way to exile her for good?
This is another excellent offering in the Helen Grace series. How the crimes connected was clever, and the why was smart and sinister. The tension Arlidge had created with the addition of DS Hudson a couple of books ago, and the apex of the relationship between Grace and Hudson in this title was satisfying, although probably not very realistic. We want the truth to always win, but reality heavily leans toward the white male always being the victor, whether they hold the truth or not. But hope springs eternal for the women of this world. Arlidge took Grace through some interesting personal shifts in this title, and I'm curious to see how those continue to flesh out in coming titles.
This is another excellent offering in the Helen Grace series. How the crimes connected was clever, and the why was smart and sinister. The tension Arlidge had created with the addition of DS Hudson a couple of books ago, and the apex of the relationship between Grace and Hudson in this title was satisfying, although probably not very realistic. We want the truth to always win, but reality heavily leans toward the white male always being the victor, whether they hold the truth or not. But hope springs eternal for the women of this world. Arlidge took Grace through some interesting personal shifts in this title, and I'm curious to see how those continue to flesh out in coming titles.