Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Murder for Profit is the 22nd crime novel by Veronica Heley featuring non-profit housing charity with an ensemble cast including director Ellie Quicke and her husband and colleagues. Released 1st Nov 2022 by Severn House, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a long running and well plotted crime series with an ensemble cast of characters. They're all self contained and can (more or less) be read in any order, although developing character relationships will potentially give small spoilers for earlier volumes. The author is good at providing the necessary backstory and readers won't find following the story difficult.
It's written in a very direct third person voice and I found the narrative expository rather than descriptive. It's doesn't necessarily detract from the story, but it is noticeable, and there's a lot of "telling" rather than "showing". That being said, however, it is a well constructed mystery and another good addition to this very long running series.
Four stars. Engaging and worthwhile. Fans of British crime by authors like Rebecca Tope and Jeanne Dams will likely enjoy this offering.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reviewed by annieb123 on
Reading updates
- 10 April, 2023: Started reading
- 10 April, 2023: Finished reading
- 10 April, 2023: Reviewed