This is the third book in this series and I definitely will go back and read the other two. I enjoyed the book as a standalone, but there were references made that I think will be sorted out in the first two books in the series.
There are two threads in this story. The first is the murder of Jordan Johnson. He is involved with organized crime and there is a lot of double crossing going on. Leah, a tenant in the building where he is murdered, stumbles upon his body and finds a bag of money nearby. She takes it with plans of keeping it, until she sobers up. The others involved in the murder are a thoroughly unlikable bunch and I could not wait until they all got what they deserved. Allie Shenton is investigating the crime as well as dealing with the impending death of her sister which really brings out her human side.
The second thread is the stalking of Allie by the man who assaulted her sister 17 years ago and put her in a coma. This is one of the reasons I need to go back and read the other two books.
I really liked how she developed the story using all the other characters and not just from DI Shenton's point of view which is what many authors do. A very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

A dead body, a bag of money, and a group of people all lying to the police and each other. ‘Only the Brave’ by Mel Sherratt is third in the DS Allie Shenton books set in the Midlands city of Stoke-on-Trent. The sub-plot is a strong storyline here and it weaves in and out of the murder investigation throughout the book: Allie’s beloved sister Karen is expected to die within days. With a head full of grief, guilt, regrets and love for her sister, Allie confronts the underworld of Stoke to find the killer. Is the city’s crime lord Terry Ryder behind it all, even from his prison cell?
Mel Sherratt’s books are good value easy-read novels which get you hooked from page one and don’t let you go. As Karen lies in hospital, Allie must work out which petty criminal is lying to who and why, who has the most to gain and whose fingers are covertly dictating the action. And all the while she dreads having to question Terry Ryder in prison, the man she found herself attracted to despite all her instincts and her much-loved husband Mark. And to top it all, Allie senses someone is following her. Is her imagination running riot? Is it lack of sleep, or stress? Or is she being trailed by the attacker who put Karen into her coma seventeen years earlier?
If I have one criticism, it is that at times it moves too fast. I felt a little like a rabbit in the headlights and would have liked a few pages to catch my breath, to let the clues sink in and try to work out for myself whodunit.
Read the first two books in ‘The Estate series’ before this one, or you won’t get the best of Allie.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ ( )

DS Allie Shenton is struggling, her sister is dying and she is being taunted by her sister's attacker. Then she gets the call that Jordan Johnson has been murdered. Jordan and his brother Ryan work for Terry Ryder - the criminal kingpin in The Potteries. Whilst Ryder is behind bars the Johnson brothers have been helping to run things and 'look after' Ryder's daughter Kirstie. Ryan is devastated, he put a hit on his brother to injure him but someone has gone much further and now there is also a large amount of cash missing.

This is the third Allie Shenton book in the series and I have read two of them so far. There is much to enjoy about this book as it is a pacy police procedural. I particularly like the setting in the Black Country and the fact that the community that Sherratt writes about is obviously close to her heart. Whilst the plotline about the attacker of Shenton's sister is, at times annoying, it does provide an exciting end to the book. The plotline about the murder of Jordan Johnson is clever and links various background characters from the previous books as well as standing alone. Sherratt is a confident writer who is mastering her style and audience. ( )

A welcome and reasonably quick return to DS Allie Shenton after her recent outing in Follow the Leader. While Only the Brave can be read as a stand alone, I recommend you read the previous novels first as not only does this continue some of the themes, it also means you'd not be missing out on great reads.

The basic criminal plot evolves around the murder of one of the notorious Johnson brothers and a bag of missing money. It resurrects characters from previous titles and is set in the locale of Stoke on Trent. The plot is made the more interesting as we follow the case over the course of 48 hours so the investigation is quite intense. Running parallel to this is the ongoing need to discover the individual who is stalking Allie, made all the more sinister as it is believed to be the same person who attacked her sister 17 years ago. I intend saying no more about the plot as not only would it spoil this novel, but it also impinges on story lines that have gone before.

I love Mel's writing style her characters are always believable and her plots are fast paced with twists and turns that keep you engaged. Allie in particular is a great character, a mix of efficiency and vulnerability that makes her likeable and plausable.

I would also like to congratulate Mel for taking the brave decision to bring particular ongoing themes to a satisfactory conclusion in this book. As she has already said this is not the last we have seen of DS Allie it would have been easy to let particular strands carry on. However I can think of one mainstream crime writer who insists on maintaining a running theme through his books which has gone on for far too long and has now become an unbelievable distraction. So thank you for not taking the easy route, but giving us the promise of an unencumbered Allie to look forward to.

If you like gritty police procedurals with realistic plots and believable characters then this is for you.

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

Only The Brave
By: Mel Sherratt
Published by Thomas & Mercer
Pages. 342 May 2015
Reviewed By: doseofbella

A beating gone wrong…

When Jordan Johnson is are murdered…everyone is a suspect!

I found the writing to role smoothly along, but I also found the story to only be middle of the road interesting. The plot was a bit weak in my opinion. I was looking for a bit more suspense and it just wasn’t there.

I would recommend reading the first two novels featuring Allie. Many references were made in regards to them, which made this a difficult stand alone. I had a hard time relating to the various characters, and couldn’t seem to bond with any of them. That being said… I regret not being able to post a higher rating.

2/5 ( )