Is Stephen zelf van de brug gesprongen? Of is hij vermoord? ( )

Somehow this didn’t have the same impact as the previous 4 in the series.
There were some bits I loved and thoroughly enjoyed, however, I found the Ava, Luc situation to be over the top. And quite possibly over done.
Some of the plot was to far fetched.
Some of the banter/ humour remains good. I will continue to read the series hoping that it gets back to its early enjoyment ( )

I'm a huge fan of the Perfect series of crime books by Helen Fields and I think Perfect Crime is probably one of my favourites so far.

Once again we have two sets of crimes, one of which turns out to be a little bit closer to home for Callanach. The other one is the mysterious deaths of people who had previously been (or still are) suicidal.

I'm not going to give a lot of information about the plot as it would be a huge shame not to go into it with as little information as possible. What I will say though is that it's a plot that's perfectly executed, with both strands providing equal amounts of tension and twists, and brilliantly weaved together.

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are as wonderful as ever, especially the scrumptious Luc. I do have one complaint though and that there's not nearly enough of him in this book but I'll forgive the author as there's always next time (Perfect Dark in case you were wondering). I could get hold of these two characters and knock their heads together. There's so much sexual tension between them it practically leaps off the page. For God's sake, just get on with it you two!!!

We also have the return of the team at Police Scotland including DS Lively, Detective Superintendent Overbeck and newly promoted DS Tripp, but there are also a couple of new additions in DC Janet Monroe and DI Pax Graham, both of whom appeared in a previous book. One of the things I particularly enjoy about this series is the way the team work together, and the fact that each of them is an established character, not just people to fill in the background slots.

Perfect Crime is exciting and shocking in equal measures. Old foes return, new psychopaths are introduced, and there's a bit of personal stuff going on too. This is easily one of the best police procedural/crime series around. By book five it could easily be going off the boil but not here. If Perfect Crime is anything to go by, this series is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see what Helen Fields is going to do to the characters next. I can guarantee it's going to be something dark and disturbing, that's for sure. ( )

Suicide, misadventure or murder……that’s the million dollar question for Edinburgh MIT after a young man’s body is found at the base of Tantallon Castle. And over the next few weeks, it’s a question they’ll be asking again & again.

The team has been enjoying a bit of a lull in major crimes but that’s about to change. In short order, they have 4 bodies on their hands & the victims couldn’t be more different. But a little digging reveals a common thread. They all attempted suicide at some point in their pasts.

Meanwhile, DI Luc Callanach has an investigation of his own & it’s personal. He’s still dealing with what happened to his mother before he was born. She was raped by the men Luc’s father worked for. Fearing for her husband, she kept it secret until recently when she finally told her son. Luc’s father died young & ever since he learned of her ordeal he’s been haunted by one question…was the man who raised him really his father? He knows who assaulted his mother & plans on paying them a visit. I don’t want to spill any more beans so lets just say things escalate & the ramifications of his search could end up derailing his career.

These are the investigative plot lines of the story but much of the book is given over to the ongoing dance between Luc & his boss DCI Ava Turner. It’s a classic will they/won’t they scenario that has everyone who knows them shaking their heads as they wait for Luc & Ava to get their sh*t together. Sooo….do the planets finally align in book #5? Not a peep from me. I’m not talking & you can’t make me. Unless chocolate is involved.

All the old gang is back with the permanent addition of DI Pax Graham. We see much more of Detective Superintendent Overbeck in this outing & she’s a hoot, stealing every scene she’s in. As far as the hunt for the serial killer, If you read a lot of police procedurals you’ll probably spot the culprit early on. But Luc’s personal story line takes a surprising twist that ties up threads from previous books.

There is plenty of action to keep you turning the pages & your enjoyment really depends on how you like your crime. Straight up procedural fans may prefer more time with the investigations but those who love romantic suspense will gobble this up in no time.

3.5 stars ( )