Lynda La Plante

Thank you to BookishFirst for this ARC. The book published October 2019.
This is the 3rd (and final) book in the author’s “Widows” series. I did not realize that when I read the book but the author does a good job of recapping highlights from the previous books. I had previously read the author’s book “Buried” which had a prologue of Dolly Rawlins getting out of jail and going to this old house to meet up with some ladies who were also in prison who all wanted to be her friends. “She’s Out” picks up on the rest of that story.
Dolly was in jail for murdering her husband. She is released and goes to the “manor” house to meet up with other ladies. All Dolly wants is to find the diamonds she stashed before she went into jail. She quickly discovers these ladies aren’t her friends and are looking for a cut of the diamonds. DI Mike Withey is also looking for Dolly as he blames her for his sister’s murder 10 years earlier.
She quickly changes gears and resorts to Plan B and sets those plans in motion. At the same time, she decides to restore the manor house and use it as a home for young girls who need a stable home.
I didn’t quite understand why she stayed there at the house with these people who really weren’t her friends. The book ends with a bang….maybe a 4th book?… (more)

I received this book from BookishFirst. First book I've read by this author but won't be the last.

This book starts out with a meeting of several women who had been in prison. Then, it cuts to "present day" and a lovely cottage called the Rose Cottage has burned down. During the initial investigation, a body is discovered in the living room and thousands of bank notes in the fireplace.

Jack Warr is a young detective constable who is considering taking the sergeant's exam. He lives with his girlfriend, Maggie. Jack and his team are assigned to investigate the Rose Cottage fire which includes identifying the body and trying to determine where the money came from. As Jack investigates, he realizes that his past may be linked to these crimes and/or the perpetrators.

Jack was adopted and discovers that his birth father may have been a criminal related to one of the women potentially involved in the stolen money caper....and the burning of the cottage.… (more)

Thank you Netgalley and Zaffre for the eARC of this book for free. This review is my honest opinion and strictly voluntary.
This is the latest book in the Jane Tennison series by author Lynda La Plante, but the first I’ve read in the Tennison series. I also have not seen Prime Suspect. While I’ve not read the other books in the series, I didn’t feel like I was terribly lost.
Jane and her partner, Spencer Gibbs, are investigating the brutal murder of Charles Foxley, an entertainment representative with many enemies. His ex-wife quickly becomes a suspect. There are many other potential suspects and it’s an arduous investigation.
Prior to this investigation, Jane had been a member of the Flying Squad and had gotten kicked off the team as a result of an incident during an arrest. Now that she’s working in a local precinct, she feels a bit unsure of herself and her abilities so she starts taking shooting lessons at the suggestion of a friend. Her instructor, Elliott, is a bit harsh and they exchange words a couple of times.
I found the writing a bit clunky at times and the storyline a bit slow, especially at the beginning while she’s developing her characters. After that, it pulled me in and I enjoyed the different twists this story took.
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Taste of Blood written by Lynda La Plante is the latest title (Book #9) in the Jane Tennison series. (Jane Tennison of the brilliant, award-winning tv production Prime Suspect)
The series follows Jane’s early years in the force and concludes with the publication of Whole
Life Sentence to be published in the U.S. in late 2024.
Tennison - Hidden Killers - Good Friday - Murder Mile - The Dirty Dozen - Blunt Force - Unholy Murder - Dark Rooms - Taste of Blood and 2024’s Whole Life Sentence - the entire series. Not to be missed.
I love Ms. La Plante’s work. Tense. well-plotted. well-researched in every detail. A police procedural. A crime ‘story’. Each title showcases Jane’s brilliant, tenacious, relentless detective work as she tries to break down the barriers of rampant sexism, jealousy and deviousness of her fellow officers. And solves the case.
Each title is brilliant.
In Taste of Blood, Jane transfers to a new station and is involved in a serious and long-standing altercation between neighbors over a disputed boundary. Is it a trivial case to be brushed aside or something more serious?
***** Five Stars… (more)