am enjoying this series ( )

The sixth in the series and one of my favourites. A fire in a tower block apparently kills three people, including an MP with outspoken views on topics like immigration. There is no reason for him to have been in the building. The other people killed are trafficked prostitutes. It is not clear whether this is arson or an accident. Another woman is attacked as she escapes from the fire.

Josh and Maeve are assigned to the MP's case, but manage to have a finger in each of the strands of the story. Josh's character is a continuing delight. I am thankful to see an end to the Maeve's stalker storyline, which has been dragging on for ages.

I read it in one afternoon - highly recommended. ( )

I'm not very good at reading books in a series. I tend to read the first one and then never get round to the others. However, this series featuring DC Maeve Kerrigan is one that I have stuck with right from the beginning because it is just superb. Jane Casey has a new book out this week, Let the Dead Speak, but I wanted to catch up first and so have just finished the fantastic After the Fire, the 6th book in the series.

Once again we meet Maeve and her arrogant, chauvinistic, but incredibly likeable boss, DI Josh Derwent. This time they are investigating a fatal fire in a tower block. One of the victims is a well-known and controversial politician. Was he the target or not?

Maeve is also dealing, once again, with her stalker, Chris Swain. This is a storyline that has been a feature of the series and is a fascinating extra strand. In this book it provides Derwent with an opportunity to be Maeve's protector and I loved seeing his (very slightly) softer side.

This is such a fantastic series. It's written from Maeve's point of view in the first person and is done so brilliantly. The author is adept at getting across every side using only Maeve's narrative. She's a fantastic creation but I have to say that once again Derwent stole the show for me. He's easily one of my all time favourite characters in a book.

There is so much going on in this action-packed novel. Once I had got through the first few chapters and fully immersed myself back into the lives of these characters I just couldn't wait to pick it up again and carry on reading. A story about police officers investigating a fire doesn't necessarily sound all that different or thrilling but I promise you this book and this series has a real kick to it, that bit of extra oomph that makes it into an outstanding read.

You could read this book as a standalone although I think, as with any series, you would miss out if you did so. Mind you, I'd had a sleep since I read the previous book and so couldn't quite remember all that went before. I do wish there could be a little recap at the beginning of books in a series.

After the fire is another triumph for Jane Casey and I have no doubt this series will go from strength to strength. I can't wait to meet up with the characters again. ( )

Each new installment of the Maeve Kerrigan crime series gets better; this is the sixth.

Maeve is a Detective Constable in London, one of only a few woman. She mostly works with Detective Inspector Josh Derwent, with whom she has a complicated and interesting relationship. Josh is attractive and apparently irresistible to women. Although he and Maeve spar repeatedly, Maeve knows that she is one of a small group of people that Josh would defend with his life, without question. But she is prickly about taking care of herself, whether she always can or not.

In this book, the team investigates a fire that tears through two floors of a cheap tenement building. There are three dead, one of whom is quite high profile, in rather suspicious circumstances. And the signs point to arson.

Although the story is on one level about the investigation of the fire, Maeve’s personal life really takes center stage.

Maeve now lives alone; her boyfriend Rob left, and Maeve feels like it was her fault. No matter that, as Josh points out, “he raped you, he lied to you, and then he cheated on you.” Like other victims of domestic violence, Maeve makes excuses for Rob and keeps wishing she could just talk to him and make things better.

Also adding to her stress is Chris Swain, who has been stalking Maeve for years, and always seems to know where she is and what she is doing. She decides to set a trap for him to lure him in so she can deal with him once and for all. Josh helps her, while also ensuring he can find her if things go wrong. And they do go terribly wrong.

Only parts of the story get resolved, but the reader is not left unsatisfied. Rather, one looks forward all the more to finding out what happens to these people we have come to like so much.

Evaluation: If you are unfamiliar with this crime series, I highly recommend it, and suggest starting with the first book in the sequence. It is definitely one of my favorite series. ( )

Welcome back Maeve Kerrigan and team. I have really enjoyed this series so far and there is always a fear that at some stage diappointment will set in. I'm pleased to say that with this one it doesn't. For those who haven't read previous titles in the series, this can be read as stand alone. It does feature the Maudling Estate and some previous characters and in particular brings one running strand to closure, so be aware if you like to read things in order.

The plot this time revolves around a fire in one of the tower blocks on the Maudling Estate. It appears to be arson but the questions focus around who, if any, was the intended victim. Three people die and several are seriously injured including a prominent MP, an abused wife and what appear to be trafficked girls. The sparse evidence leads the team to follow different theories, not always with the approval of their commanding officer.

As ever, what I enjoyed about this is the combination of an engaging plotline, realistic characters and dialogue, and the relationships/tensions within the investigating team. The relationship between Maeve and her boss Derwent is as ambiguous and compelling as ever, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that hopes/believes that something will develop between the two. Despite the sexism and machismo that Derwent exhibits, there is a sense that much of it is role play as his actions also display an underlying care and tenderness. Either way, the relationship between the two is an integral part of the series.

So if you enjoy, good realistic police procedurals, with engaging characters then I recommend you read this, or better still, give yourself a treat and start the series from the beginning.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. ( )