The Kill by Jane Casey

 

When an off-duty police officer is killed on his way home DC Maeve Kerrigan and the rest of the MIT team have to investigate if the murder is related to his personal life or his professional one.

The Kill by Jane Casey is the fifth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. Maeve is a young woman trying to find her place in a male-dominated team in the Metropolitan Police Force. Fans of the series will be aware that Maeve is frequently paired with the more experienced DI Josh Derwent. From the very beginning of the story, Josh is as boorish as ever, he delights in pushing Maeve's buttons in the hope of getting a reaction. Over time Maeve has toughened up and is well aware of Derwent's tactics so doesn't rise to the bait very often.

The initial investigation into the murder of the off-duty police officer doesn't immediately throw up any suspects but his troubled home life makes the team think that the motive must be a personal one. It is only when other police officers are attacked that they begin to wonder if it's the police force that has been targeted. If this is the case, the big questions are who and why?

Maeve has her own suspicions early on as to the reason for the seemingly unprovoked attacks, however, her lowly position within the team makes her reluctant to voice her thoughts. Added to this is the possibility of implicating another officer. As Maeve struggles with this dilemma every member of the police force is vulnerable, including Maeve herself and the people she is close to.

One scene in particular involving Maeve is terrifying, showing just how exposed the police are. Alongside this is another scene in which you are holding your breath, terrified to read on in case the worst has happened. Author Jane Casey puts the reader through the emotional wringer, showing clearly that following a traumatic event people don't just brush things off and go back to normal, there are psychological consequences, some of which take a long time to overcome.

The head of the MIT, Superintendent Godley, is determined to find the person responsible for the attacks on the police, however, Maeve seems to be the only person on the team to notice that her boss is distracted. When things come to a head she eventually has to confide in Derwent and this is when we see his true nature. Derwent is fiercely loyal and extremely protective of those he respects and cares for (even if he does hide this side of his nature very well).

A near disaster leads to the discovery of who is ultimately responsible, even though Maeve still has a hunch that something isn't quite right, leading to a tense and terrifying conclusion.

Each book in this series is better than the last and I'm already looking forward to settling down with book six.