Evil Intent: a SERIAL KILLER carving PENTAGRAMS into women's chests... HE HAS TO BE CAUGHT!: 4 (DCI Helen Lavery)

DCI Helen Lavery returns in the latest instalment in this police procedural series, this time round she is Acting Superintendent, but she is still very much at the forefront of the action that continues to occur in rural Hamptonshire. She and her team are chasing the tail of a serial killer who murders his female victims and carves a pentagram on their chests. The perpetrator is very clever, always staying one step ahead of the team, inciting Helen to do something that could be dangerous, but she is determined to bring the killer to justice.Evil Intent is the fourth in this series and hits the ground running, as in previous books it's full of characters with colourful lives, which is what makes these books so easy to read. Isaac creates her characters in a way that the reader connects to them, becoming invested in them and whatever life throws their way. Each one of her books is fresh and exciting, the plots are authentic, the subjects she covers are written sensitively, with compassion and integrity, keeping the reader coming back for more. The chapters are short and seamlessly executed and, although this is part of a series, can easily be read as a standalone, though I would recommend you read them in order, to appreciate the backgrounds of the characters. If you love a good detective novel, this author is definitely one to get acquainted with!

This is another fantastic book in the DCI Helen Lavery series & it’s probably just as good if not better than the other three. Helen like many working mother’s struggles to juggle family time with her police work & it’s thanks to her own mother that she can work such unsocial hours. Women are being murdered & when Helen discovers the similarities in their personal lives there’s suddenly an urgency to catch the murderer before he strikes again so someone has to work undercover putting their own life at risk.Jane Isaac always manages to strike the right balance in her books incorporating the work and personal life of DCI Lavery meaning the reader gets to know her much better.Although this can be read as a stand-alone book I would definitely recommend reading the others in the series as well.

Evil intent by Jane Isaac.Dci Helen Lavery book 4.When a series of women’s bodies is discovered in the heart of rural Hamptonshire with a pentagram carved on their chests, DCI Helen Lavery is forced into a cat-and-mouse chase with a murderer who ultimately turns the tables and targets her. Meanwhile, she is shocked to discover that her younger son’s new best friend is the nephew of organised crime boss Chilli Franks – the man who has held a grudge against Helen’s family since her father first put him away in the 1990s. As her personal and professional lives collide, Helen finds herself in mortal danger as she races to track down the serial killer and restore safety to the streets of Hampton.I really really enjoyed this book. Great story and characters. Helen was my favourite. 4*.

This is the 4th book in the DCI Helen Lavery series and she still feels like a character who has more to offer. We always get a mix of her personal and professional life and that’s definitely the case here as her son’s new friend gives her cause for concern. Another engaging thriller from one of my favourite authors.

Really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading others by this author. Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves crime and thrillers