Blood Pact

DCI Jack Hawksworth #6

by Fiona McIntosh

'A compelling read' Sydney Morning Herald

Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth is seconded by counter-terrorism to investigate a spate of domestic events. First it was needles in strawberries, then tampering with lipstick samplers and baby formula. But when toxic mushrooms enter the market system and a death occurs, a wave of terror is set to sweep the country. Breaking news of a possible serial killer only heightens the alarm.

There are no leads, no DNA, no witnesses, no CCTV footage. Jack and his team must work on instinct to figure out why someone would want to harm innocent victims, each of them curiously linked to a single blood transfusion.

When a hospital bomb threat erupts, it is up to the team to prevent the inevitable bloodshed. The clock is ticking, and no one is safe from the possibility of a tragedy on a catastrophic scale.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Audiobook, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

Fiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Hawksworth is back!! Blood Pact is such a hard book to talk about. As always with these books, there is so much happening. Jack is back in the UK and in a good place in his life. He is finally happy, which is so nice to see. He isn’t constantly beating himself up for past mistakes for a change.

So for the story, less is more I believe. Jack is called in to work in counter terrorism. He is given his choice of personnel to work with, so of course Kate is the first one he needs. They make such a great team, and on this case they have some new faces to work with. They are try to stop what they believe is just the start of a domestic threat, with some smaller incidents occurring. When somebody dies, the big guns are called in.

This is a dark, dangerous and emotional case for the team. They have very little evidence to work with, until they find a link to a blood transfusion. The tension is high and the urgency is working against them. They need to solve this case to save lives.

I was immediately hooked on this story and the pages just flew by. It was over before ai realised how deep into the book I was. Another fantastic book from Fiona McIntosh.

Thanks so much to Penguin Australia for sending me an early copy of this book. Publishes on January 7th.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack is back in another page turner, this time the team is called back together to investigate a series of domestic terrors that have been happening around the counties, starting with needles in strawberries, then tampering with baby formula and lipsticks but then moves onto toxic mushrooms and when this causes a death the team are pushed to get answers and fast.

When there are more murders it is looking like a serial murderer is on the go, when the clues all turn to the death of a small boy in a hospital who was given the wrong blood years before, all but one of the victims appear to be linked to a blood donation from the original donation through to the giving of it, the team need to work fast and uncover the culprit before any more victims are killed, but with no CCTV footage, no DNA it is not easy, will they find their culprit or is there more than one?

The pressure is on when one of their own goes missing and there is the threat of a bomb, will they get there and avoid a tragedy and how will everything work out?

I did love this one, there is tension and suspense all the way through, I found it very hard to put down and there is Jack’s personal life is it time for him to make some changes, has Jack finally found the one and will there be more DCI Jack Hawksworth stories?

I do highly recommend this one and the series, they are fabulous well written stories.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When young Billy died in an unfortunate accident, his parents, Hannah and Jonathan, were shattered. Their marriage broke, as they did, and Jonathan left, heading to live in Scotland, leaving Hannah in London at their family home.

When Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth combined his team with counter-terrorism after a few events which smelled like domestic terrorism, Jack had no idea what was ahead. With the four different events being investigated, the suddenness of the murders shocked the team. Jack's good mate, Detective Geoff Benson, was heading up the murders and they all joined forces. What they discovered astounded them all - why would someone focus on these people? Why were the murders occurring? What was the motive? They had a serial killer on their hands, but nothing else made sense...

Blood Pact is the 6th in the DCI Jack Hawksworth series by Aussie author Fiona McIntosh and it was an intense, heart-stopping thriller, as is the norm from this author! All the usual suspects were there - Jack, Kate, Joan, Sarah, Nat - as well as others, and they worked well together. I'm loving this series, and looking forward to the next, hopefully not too long away. Highly recommended.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5 Stars⭐️
Blood Pact by Fiona McIntosh will have you turning the pages at speed! A hugely entertaining read. This is possibly my favourite in the series and it’s the sixth book.

I enjoy Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth’s exploits and in this book he’s involved in some particular interesting cases …. Needles in strawberries, lipstick samples that have been tampered with and poison mushrooms are just some of the featured domestic incidents alarming the public.

We also have an unhinged serial killer at large and the tragic accidental death of a young boy in hospital, there’s no leads and no DNA to work with so Jack and his team must work together to find out why innocent victims are being targeted and is there a link between them.

Jack’s personal life takes a romantic direction and there’s a hint we may not see Jack for a while after this book.

A hugely entertaining and easy crime read with a hospital theme.

Publication Date 07 January 2025
Publisher Imprint Penguin

A big thanks to the awesome team Penguin Books Australia for a copy of the book to read .

[Denise MF · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
A great story, interesting angle & definitely a page turner, couldn't put this one down
Keeps you guessing til near the end.

[Erica Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great crime thriller written by Fiona Mcintosh, like her other Jack Hawksworth books is a great read. Never knowing where it's going & surprising when the criminal is unearthed. Thinking you know the crim, then another twist. It's one of those books you can't put down till the end. I loved it.

[Deborah (debbishdotcom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Pact by Fiona McIntosh is the sixth in the series featuring DCI Jack Hawksworth . I've mentioned in the past that Aussie author McIntosh sets this in the UK with Jack working for New Scotland Yard but there's always an Australian connection or two. This is another outstanding addition to the series and McIntosh is doing a great job, mixing up the cases on offer and balancing regular players (like Jack, his boss Carol and work partner Kate) with newcomers, often bringing new skills into the mix.

There's a very real sense of tragedy here - first in the accidental death of a young boy (through human error), but then in the retribution doled out to those who were mere bit-players in that event. Eventually the killer is confronted with the lack of logic they're employing in their punishment, but McIntosh allows us to see how emboldened (bitter and twisted) they are by then and as a result of other life events.

This is another excellent instalment in this (slightly) historical series (this investigation is set in 2011). As mentioned earlier I like that McIntosh is giving us very different cases each time and she also proffers a good balance between police-work and the private lives of our characters. Jack becomes engaged here and I very much like Lou, his betrothed but of course he's had a heart broken before and is aware his job puts himself and those he cares about at risk... and it seems there are some changes afoot for Kate, so I'm interested in where McIntosh will take this series.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...

[Aryani Siti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Jack Hawksworth deals with strange and dangerous events, like needles in strawberries, toxic mushrooms, and a hospital bomb threat. With no clues or witnesses, Jack’s team must quickly find the link between the victims—a shared blood transfusion.

This story is full of surprises, excitement, and tense moments. A great read for crime lovers!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a bit of a glitch around number 4 this series is back to its easy read, easy solve (predictable) standard. I must say that having Jack in a relationship certainly made this easier for me as a reader as the lack of ladies fawning over the handsome detective was a welcome relief.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. This was a good one for the ending of the series. I actually liked the whole series but a few books better than others.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tik Tok ... tik tok ... the time has come in the new crime novel, Blood Pact by Fiona McIntosh bringing back to life some of our favourite characters and introducing new ones.

I really enjoyed this brand new crime novel set in Venice at the beginning where the opening scene is set in a gelato bar and then the many wonderful sights and locations all over London and England.

This is a novel about grief, retaliation, revenge and in a small way about love and how we deal with it.

It's also about the mistakes that can happen in a hospital.

It'll keep you on your toes right to the final page!

[Abby Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice easy read. Bit predictable though.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the premise. Bored to death by the execution

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Jack Hawkesworth detective series by Fiona McIntosh. This latest instalment is excellent and kept me turning the page and wanting the answers. Jack is a great character, very relatable and 'real'.

[Mary Sefton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the plot a bit light and predictable. The main characters were at their best though. All in all a good read.

[Kim Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic story Fiona! I so love Jack & how his team work together to get their target. I honestly thought I knew who was behind the action. I highly recommend not only Blood Pact but the previous 5 books too.
Fiona you did it again. 👌🏻

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant instalment of the Jack Hawksworth series!

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. One of Fiona's best and maybe her best Hawksworth novel. Complex and intertwined story with many possible avenues and a fast pace. Can't wait for the next one!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yet another bold slap-in-the-face copy cat of all her other books. It's irritating and disappointing that she can't create other concepts, plots, characters, and avoid repeated clichés. Descriptions from the female characters of how the male characters treat them in the series are glaringly and insultingly outdated - not least as books are being written and published in the current decade. There are so many trite expressions in this series that it's a game to PREDICT when her characters will use them, and equally predictable lack of character development - the characters remain as they were on books 1 and 2 (something which is repeated verbatim throughout the series). McIntosh likes Copy & Paste (aside from when she forgets who did what on her previous book/s).
Due to sticking to the same plot structure and character archetypes she's made the Hawksworth series empty and extremely boring, and at worst insultingly patronising to the reader. It's a huge wasted opportunity as there was potential for something great from the first book. I only found the last 4 books consumable because they're free to borrow at the library and the audiobooks being fairly well narrated by Jerome Pride (accents and character voice skills aside his voice is soothing) makes them easy listening as I go about my day.

[Elle (IG: simply.elle18) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant Jack Hawksworth novel!

[Lachlan Ainsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great read, this is the first book I have read of this author and after hearing that there are more before this particular story. I’ll have to go back and read them. I thought it was fantastic and I didn’t feel like I was missing any information even coming into his story without having read to the previous.

[Linda Sander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable

[Chantelle Petrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, the investigation part was enthralling to read however very predictable ending

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 7 yr old boy Billy is bleeding after a tonsillectomy and needs a transfusion. He is confused with another 7 y old with a different blood group and the transfusion kills Billy. His mother Hannah and father Jonathan Parker are so grief stricken they part, Hannah to live alone but Jonathon, a victim of PTSD, is determined on revenge. Jack Hawksworth is now engaged and that cleanses the text no end: Kate his sidekick is now engaged to Geoff and is out of the silly flirtatious stuff that has rather spoiled previous Hawksworth stories. Two investigations: needles in strawberries, tampered lipstick and baby formulae and a series of murders, all but one have something to do with the dead Billy. A complex plot and compelling reading, building up to a powerful climax. Parker’s behaviour is said to be due to PTSD but it seems more like paranoia as he doesn’t display the usual PTSD symptoms of anxiety, confusion, reliving key events. McIntosh is usually very accurate on things like that as she is on strangulation and blood transfusion. An excellent read though probably the best of hers I;ve read so far so I’ll give it 5 stars, just.

[Samantha Rodgers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I enjoy the DCI Jack Hawksworth novels and this one was no exception, but it felt a little less polished than the others in how the story came together. A bit too neat, and while parts were as grisly as McIntosh's early novels can be, it just didn't seem as compelling a story as others. I really just couldn't fathom the connection between the two investigations: the murders of people linked to the accidental death of 7 year old Billy due to human error, and the spate of domestic terrorist attacks. It all just seemed too improbable to swallow.
I did enjoy learning more about Jack's relationship with Lou, although I felt his previous relationships had more depth and Lou at this point still feels so two dimensional. I wish she had a storyline of her own and wasn't just Jack's plot device.
It felt very much like McIntosh was 'putting Jack to bed' for a while - which is why I can understand the ending, but I've read so many great murders mysteries recently, that this one was a bit of a let down, especially in comparison to previous in the series, which I thought were fantastic.

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

Fiona McIntosh is back with another great (6th) instalment in the DCI Jack Hawksworth series. While Jack still calls New Scotland Yard home, McIntosh never fails to slip in the Aussie connections, giving her UK-set series a unique touch.

What starts as a tragic accident—the death of a young boy due to human error—spirals into a chilling revenge spree. The killer is ruthless, targeting people who played only minor roles in the original incident. McIntosh masterfully shows how grief and anger can morph into something truly dangerous, and by the time the killer is confronted with their twisted logic, they’re too far gone to see reason.

I love how McIntosh keeps shaking things up. Each book brings a fresh case, and she strikes the perfect balance between gritty police work and the personal lives of her characters. Jack’s now engaged to Lou, and changes are brewing for his partner, Kate - so I have to read Book Seven!

Another stellar entry in the series—tense, engaging, and packed with emotional depth.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t mind the three earlier books in the series, but by the fourth and fifth was getting heartily sick of Kate’s infatuation of with Jack Hawksworth, and his fawning female admirers in every book.This one was a step too far for me.

This book dragged his (latest) girlfriend into the plot. She turned out to have hidden powers - unusually long arms that were able to look around her legs so she could take a battery out of an iPhone (anyone else see a problem with that?) and yet she had to rub her face against a tough surface to try to remove tape over her mouth… what about those hands just used to remove the battery? No good for removing tape? And on and on it goes. One silly mistake after another- where’s a good editor when you need one?

The ending is so tacky with the awesome foursome looking for a well earned break.

I won’t be reading any more in this series - scared I’ll get diabetes!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth is seconded by counter-terrorism to investigate a spate of domestic events. First it was needles in strawberries, then tampering with lipstick samplers and baby formula. But when toxic mushrooms enter the the market system and a death occurs, a wave of terror is set to sweep the country. breaking news of a serial killer only heightens the alarm.

There are no leads, no DNA, no witnesses, no CCTV footage. Jack and his team must work on instinct to figure out why someone would want to harm innocent victims, each curiously linked to a single blood transfusion.

When a hospital bomb threat erupts, it is up to the team to prevent the inevitable bloodshed. The clock is ticking, and no one is safe from the possibility of a tragedy on a catastrophic scale.

****************************

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth investigation, Blood Pact (2025) by Fiona McIntosh sees an escalation of dangerous domestic crimes. Jack works in counterterrorism and is tasked with solving why needles were found in strawberries, the tampering of lipstick samplers and then baby formula contamination. Then the death of a boy from toxic mushrooms raises public fears, requiring all of Jack’s investigative skills, amidst the possibility of a romance and a bomb threat. A quality police procedural with a series of domestic crime cases that has steadily building tension and has an enjoyable four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

[Cactus · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4* Much better! I thought I’d try JH a year after my last read which I did not like. But an audio listen.

Though the voice was good, there was little intonation & differences in characterisation. You need to focus!

A child’s death, a serial killer etc reflects intense grief & trauma in this plot. But wow Fiona, the toxic mushroom case in Victoria, Australia, 2023 (**) certainly impacted your plot-line! It was only a matter of time when authors & screenwriters began to copycat the idea.

**It’s an horrendous crime with deaths & survival caused by Erin Paterson…a global media sensation almost…but we await her sentencing now..having been found guilty**

I’m sure the ‘strawberries with needles’ in them was also an Aussie crime? Might as well utilise what’s on trend in the real world of crime!

And I was pleasantly surprised that there was little of the Mills & Boon element in this book.

Thank goodness!!

Jack is settling down. So are his female colleagues. Finally!

A twisty tale as you try to determine the ‘whodunnit’ aspect. Suspenseful & paced well. I liked it.