Body Of Lies by Jo Callaghan

 

Six months after the devastating events that tore apart her home, DCS Kat Frank returns for the first time. On her first night alone in the house, Kat receives a phone call from a colleague about a body that has been found nearby.

As a long-time fan of the Kat and Lock series by Jo Callaghan, I approached Body Of Lies, the fourth book in the series, with trepidation. Not only was I still in shock from the events at the end of the previous book (I really do suggest reading this to get an idea of how everything pieces together), but I was also apprehensive knowing this was to be the end of the series. I was extremely concerned as to how everything would be tied up.

It was incredibly easy to understand Kat's fear and reluctance as she returned home after six months. The scene of a shocking crime that had far-reaching consequences has marred the family home and the memories she built there. The timing, Halloween, and a town-wide power cut don't help her to settle. It is no wonder she leapt at the chance to investigate an apparent crime nearby.

Discovering a dead body, publicly displayed, is the distraction Kat needs. When a chilling note is found on the body, it becomes obvious that she was meant to investigate the crime, and the killer is taunting her.

Kat's AI assistant, Lock, has undergone a comprehensive upgrade to ensure he follows correct protocols to preserve life. However, he still seems to be obsessed with gaining a body, and there were times when I really began to doubt his motivation. As the story progresses, the author outlines many of the ways in which AI can be an extremely beneficial tool, but she also shows us some of the shortcomings, such as not having a physical presence.

The tension really begins to mount when a cyberattack takes place. It is shocking to realise how reliant we are on electricity, and how vulnerable we are without it. With a deadline approaching, it does begin to look as if all is lost.

I was shocked by the revelations at the end, but not surprised by the outcome, which I felt had been signalled from the very start of the book. I am incredibly sad to see the end of this brilliant series, but I love the way that Jo Callaghan has tied everything up.

Body Of Lies by Jo Callaghan will be published on 21st May 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers (Facebook) for a review copy.

Author Details

Jo Callaghan works full time as a senior strategist, carrying out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. She was a student of the Writers’ Academy Course (Penguin Random House) and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing In the Blink of an Eye, her debut crime novel, which explores learning to live with loss and what it means to be human. She lives with her two children in the Midlands, where she spends far too much time tweeting as @JoCallaghanKat