"Fade to Dead" is the first thrilling book in the Jessica Wideacre series"............ well the book's blurb description certainly lived up to that - thrilling, gripping and engaging, with a really original storyline and an aptly named title - I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. This British police procedural is brilliantly written by a new author to me Tara Moore whose writing is so polished and professionally expressed you would think this was an established sequel in the series. All of the characters were strong, believable and likeable but I particularly loved DI Jessica Wideacre, a stubborn unpopular but truly dedicated officer who doesn't care what she says or to whom. Her personal life is in turmoil but still her drive and determination to find the serial killer of young girls in London is commendable. It was so refreshing to read about police officers that are actually human (going to bed at night, eating and having a personal life) rather than the 'superhuman' characters in other books that never seem to sleep or eat when solving crimes. I was informed by a couple friends that this book had an unexpected ending and oh my! - I too definitely didn't expect that and I thought it a very fitting and surprising ending to this unique story. With a really scary deranged serial killer called "The Director" targeting young girls, great dialogue and banter this really was my kind of book, I highly recommend "Fade to Dead" and hope to meet Jessica again soon

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was hooked. Simple as that. I had to read it, there were no other options. And I’m so glad I did as this is a totally absorbing serial killer thriller with shed loads of punch. It’s my kind of book. Thanks to a killer who calls himself ‘The Director’ the body count in South London is on the rise. Young girls with a very specific look are being targeted, only to meet a horrific death at the hands of a deranged killer. Ballsy, newly promoted DI, Jessica Wideacre, is in charge but the clues are few and far between and progress is slow. The situation is not helped by her DCI keeping a very close eye on her progress and thinking her not up to the job (a man would be much more suited). But Jessica has her own problems; her marriage is on the rocks and her family are THE family from hell! Can Wideacre and her team piece together the flimsy evidence and stop The Director before the end credits roll on his leading lady..? (Sorry, cheesy pun. I couldn’t help myself!). DI Wideacre is a mess. She’s aggressive, she’s unpopular and the way she treats her team puts her on the cusp of a disciplinary hearing. But she’s also driven and determined to get results. If that makes her even more unpopular then so be it, she doesn’t give a rat’s bottom! Wideacre is the type of character that I normally adore but for some (still unknown) reason, I didn’t really warm to her. Saying that, I didn’t dislike her. It’s just that there were other characters in the book I liked more than our heroine. Having pondered on this conundrum it for a few minutes, I have come to the conclusion that I liked Wideacre more towards the end of the book when her relationship with arch nemesis and superior officer, DCI Beckwith, started to mellow. I think throughout the book I was more a part of #TeamBeckwith than #TeamWideacre. The investigation is slow and the body count is high. There are lots of red herrings along the way to keep you guessing and I didn’t see the twist coming (that always gets extra points from me). I enjoyed Tara Moore’s style of writing. The plot progressed well and at a enjoyable pace. Would I recommend this book? Heck yes. Even though my relationship with DI Wideacre has started off a little on the tentative side, I hope to read more about Jessica and team in the future. This is a brilliant start to a great new series. Four out of five stars. Thanks to Matthew at Urbane Publications for providing me with a copy of Fade To Dead in exchange for an honest review.