A review by judithdcollins
The Close by Jane Casey

4.0

Jane Casey returns with her popular series, DS Maeve Kerrigan Mystery #10, THE CLOSE—the highly anticipated domestic thriller/cop procedural with two main characters we love and an intriguing mystery in a perfect suburban neighborhood. What secrets lie behind closed doors?

DS Maeve Kerrigan knows all murder investigations are different, yet they seem to begin similarly.

Three crimes, a lot of sexual tension, and more in store in #10.

At a London hospital car park, age 34, Dr. Hassan Dawoud is discovered murdered in his car. His husband, Cameron, was away. Maeve is still recovering from her trauma of past events, domestic violence, and not at her best.

In the meantime, DI Josh Derwent, her boss, suggests she join him on a stake-out undercover, requiring them to live together, posing as a couple in a rural suburban neighborhood.

Of course, lines will be blurred, but she accepts his offer, and the new surroundings may help her.

Josh is Maeve’s landlord and boss, but they have a strong friendship. Josh is in a relationship and has a stepson, Maeve is single after coming out of an abusive relationship.

The two Met detectives are sent undercover by the senior aide to the London Mayor to discover how her brother-in-law ended up dead.

At first glance, Jellicoe Close seems to be a perfect suburban street THE CLOSE with well-kept houses with pristine lawns and neighbors. However, dark secrets lurk below the surface, and a ruthless criminal is on the loose.

It is up to DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent to uncover the truth. They pose as a couple and move into The Close with the academy dog, Pippin.

Davy Bidwell was found dead, and Judy Thwaites had been looking after him for a few days. Davy’s family believes that Judy is part of a team exploiting vulnerable adults. Others have disappeared in the last six years in this same neighborhood.

For Maeve, she has the pressure of running a murder investigation, but she has DC Georgia Shaw and Zoom calls. And while Maeve and Josh try to gather the evidence they need, they have no idea of the danger they face – because someone in Jellicoe Close has murder on their mind.

The neighbors are nosy and immersed in everyone's business (quite a cast of colorful characters). This was fun and suspenseful, with the two posing as a couple and seeing how they would hold up. both professionally and personally.

The relationship between these two has played out over the nine installments, leaving fans with when and where?

From murder, child and domestic abuse, suspense, the investigation, the tension between Maeve and Josh, and the three storylines keep you turning the pages.

A razor-sharp police procedural with sizzling tension between the two main well-developed characters, with a twisty mystery set in a picture-perfect suburb where nothing is as it appears.

Fans will be excited about the long-awaited tension between Maeve and Josh. Highly entertaining! Fast-paced and INTENSE, another great installment by the talented Jane Casey.

THE CLOSE may be read as a standalone; however, if you missed any of the books in the series, you will be dying to catch up.

Thanks to #HarperCollins for a gifted ARC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Pub Date: June 13, 2023
June 2023 Must-Read Books