Deadly Dance (Di Vogel Mystery) Paperback – October 1, 2019

Three murders: by a man seeking the perfect wife, by a paedophile, and by a closet gay. They all turn out to be the same person? And a person the detective knows fairly well? This stretches incredulity a bit too far.

3.5 stars rounded up.This was a strange book for me because I pretty much clocked how it was going from the start. I also guessed the culprit really early so the rest of the book didn't really yield anything surprise or shock wise for me.So we start with the discovery of a dead teenage girl. DI Vogel is quickly on site and starts his investigation. It appears that the 14 year old had told her mother she was studying with a friend but it soon transpires that studying was far from her mind with what she had planned. The investigation then follows all the usual paths; speak to the parents, the school, the girl's friends etc etc and it progresses nicely. But here's the rub. In between chapters following Vogel and his team, we also hear from three other characters, a short chapter at a time. Each with a particular, somewhat seedy, predilection and that's all I am going to say about them here. Things hot up when more crimes are discovered which although completely different in pretty much all aspects, appear to be linked by forensics. Can Vogel and his team catch the killer before the body count rises further?I found Vogel to be a rather interesting character and I warmed to him straight away. He's a bit odd at times but he has an instinct and trusts it so is not afraid of going out on a limb with his peers and superiors when it is something he really believes in; however bizarre. He also doesn't come across as a stereotypical wounded cop like so many in this genre of book. I especially like his interaction with his wife and, OK, he does have a few things to deal with in his private life, but who hasn't? Some of the other characters were quite hard to read about but I guess kudos should be given to the author for making them come across as real. That said, I am just a little reticent to completely get on board with the actual killer and their motivation and have trouble really believing in how things progressed in their life to get to what happens in their present.Ignoring my issues with the killer for now, this book was well written and the crimes and the majority of the book well plotted. The police team worked well together and, as already mentioned, I did like Vogel and definitely think that he and his team have more to give. I just hope that next time the crime and motivation is a little more credible. I am definitely not put off by my reservations with this book as I can see beyond them and see quite a bit of potential from this series and characters.My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The first installment in the DI David Vogel series, Deadly Dance by Hilary Bonner is a dark yet compelling police procedural.DI David Vogel is affected more than usual when he is assigned to investigate the death of fourteen year old Melanie Cooke since he has a daughter who is the same age as the victim. He does not let this affect his investigation but he is definitely determined to bring her killer to justice. Like many murder inquiries, he and his team, DC Dawn Saslow and DS John Willis, begin with the victim’s family. Although stepfather Jim Fisher has an alibi, troubling information almost immediately comes to light. Melanie’s father, Terry Cooke, is incredibly distraught at the news but he co-operates fully with the investigation. However, DC Willis zeroes in on Terry as a suspect right from the beginning. Vogel is not convinced Terry murdered his daughter, but will the evidence prove Willis is on the right track?Interspersed with David’s investigations are chapters written from three very different individuals. Saul desperately wants to meet and marry and turns to an online marriage website to find a bride, but will he find a woman to share his life with? Leo is gay but he is so deeply closeted he turns to hook-ups to satisfy his desires but will he change his mind after he becomes infatuated with a one-night stand? Al is a pedophile with voyeuristic tendencies but will he continue to resist acting on his fantasies? While these three men initially do not seem to have any connection to Melanie’s murder, will this change once Vogel delves deeper into the investigation?Deadly Dance is an intriguing but rather slow-paced mystery. The investigation into Melanie’s murder is a straight-forward murder inquiry and Vogel is a by the book detective inspector who has keen instincts and a sharp intellect. The chapters written from Saul, Al and Leo’s perspectives are somewhat explicit but Al’s exploits are particularly difficult to read. These chapters are not intended to be titillating and none of their scenes are gratuitous but the subject matter is not for the faint of heart. Readers will most immediately guess the identity of Melanie’s killer, but Hilary Bonner still brings the novel to a jaw-dropping, action packed conclusion. The DI David Vogel series is off to an outstanding beginning with this first clever installment.I received a complimentary copy for review.

This is my first book with this author and I thought that it was surely going to get 5 stars but unfortunately I worked out fairly early on just who the bad guy was, the circumstances surrounding his persona however I wasn’t expecting and it was that lost it the extra star. It was a shame really because it was a very well written book, I just thought it was a little convoluted, however I’ve already got her next one in the series lined up, I just hope it’s not too far fetched

Been a big fan of Hilary Bonner for years. This book sees a new detective and a new area of policing. So far I’m half way through the story and am enjoying feeling unsettled as it progresses. A departure from her other book subjects this one is making my skin crawl at times.

This was a truly dire book. Extremely poor plot with one cliche after another. Very little character development, the victims were skimmed over so you didn't care if they were murdered or not. Oh it was awful and has put me right off this author. Don't bother buying this it's not even worth the postage cost let alone the cost of the book. If I could return it I would!

this was a book I just couldn't put down . I read it in a oner . great story line and kept me guessing .first time reading this author but def not the last .

a good read.