Fabulous Reads: DI Helen Grace returns in 11th edition

Cat & Mouse, MJ Arlidge, Jonathan Ball Publishers, ISBN: 9781409188513

THIS is the 11th edition in MJ Arlidge’s Detective Inspector Helen Grace series. And while the nearly 500-page-book might seem like a daunting task, its short, choppy chapters make it a fast-paced read.

Grace and her team are once again hunting a deranged killer. This time it’s an axe-wielding murderer with no seeming motive or victim type.

While Grace struggles to find a link between the cases, she is being hunted by the vengeful suspect who managed to evade arrest, badgered by her corrupt ex, Joseph Hudson, and her current boss, Chief Superintendent Alan Peters, who stops at nothing to kick her off the force.

However, despite all of this, she still manages to put all female superheroes to shame by sustaining an incredible number of injuries without ever needing hospitalisation.

Adding to this theme of unbelievability were some questionable aspects in the storyline and irrational decisions from some of the characters.

The mystery behind the murders was simultaneously chilling and poignant. However, I was not 100% sold on the suspect and his motive. And while Grace seems like a hero that beggars belief, she is not an unlikeable character. Her team and their loyalty was one of my favourate aspects of the book.

It is for this reason that I would advise you to read the series in order. While it was decent as a standalone, I do feel that I missed a lot of context and history between the characters. Mariclair Smit 3/5 stars

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