Settled Blood

DCI Kate Daniels #2

by Mari Hannah

When a young girl is found dead at the base of Hadrian's Wall, it's not long before Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels realises her death was no ordinary homicide. She was thrown from a great height and was probably alive before she hit the ground. Then a local businessmen reports his daughter missing, has Daniels found the identity of her victim, or is a killer playing a sickening game? As the murder investigation team delve deeper into the case, half truths are told, secrets exposed, and while Daniels makes her way through a mountain of obstacles time is running out for one terrified girl.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, LGBT, British Literature, Procedural, Queer

448 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2012

About the author

When an injury on duty ended my career as Probation Officer, I began writing. I am the author of the Kate Daniels and Ryan & O’Neil series published by Pan Macmillan and the Stone & Oliver series published by Orion. My debut, The Murder Wall, was written as a TV pilot for a BBC Drama Development Scheme - before the adaption. The novel won the Polari First Book Prize. Before becoming an author, I fell in love with scriptwriting and submitted speculative original dramas to the BBC Writersroom. I've also written a romantic comedy feature film that I hope will find a producer one day. In 2010, I won the Northern Writers' Award for my second novel, Settled Blood. And in 2017, I won the Dagger in the Library for my body of work. I'm represented by AM Heath literary agent, Oli Munson, and live in Northumberland with my partner, a former murder detective.

Reviews

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being throughly impressed by Mari Hannah’s recent thriller, The Silent Room, I have belatedly arrived at her highly acclaimed police procedural series featuring DCI Kate Daniels and the Murder Investigation Team of Northumbria Police. Starting with the second novel in the series may be seen as sub-optimal but for any decent long running series, despite an overarching storyline following the main character's lives, each novel effectively works in isolation and this is very much the case here and hence reading the first in the series is by no means a necessity.

Settled Blood gets off to a flying start and throws a recently back to work, DCI Kate Daniels, straight back into her demanding role heading up the murder investigation team in Northumbria. The harrowing discovery of a young woman's body lying at the base of Hadrian’s Wall dressed up for a night on the town and wearing five-inch heels is Daniels first priority and the post-mortem confirms her worst fears; that the girl has been tossed from a great height and sickeningly died on impact. The remote surroundings, lack of forensics and obvious futility of conducting a house-to-house in such a location leave Daniels and her team facing an uphill struggle to make headway. Before she can even get a handle on mounting the investigation, her superior, Detective Chief Superintendent Bright calls in a favour for one of his golfing pals. Wealthy entrepreneur and aforementioned golf crony, Adam Finch, has received a poisonous missive threatening his daughter, Jessica, a medical student at Durham University and he has subsequently been unable to locate her. Suspecting that this is her victim and on the basis of the description, Daniels takes Finch to identify the girl. However she is shocked by his declaration that it is not Jessica’s body, but that the girl is wearing Jessica’s precious Cartier necklace and the clothes that Jessica was last seen in… and it is the uncanny likeness of this girl to Jessica that chills the team to the very core and forces them to reassess just what a depraved predator they are faced with.

The body is identified that of Amy Grainger, another Durham student who seems to have paid a high price for simply bearing a likeness to Jessica Finch, although that is naturally of little consolation to her shattered parents. With no ransom demand arriving and Daniels suspecting that the matter is not financially motivated but centred around someone intent on destroying Finch, she is forced to look at his connections to her boss. With few leads of consequence the report of a third lookalike girl disappearing really ups the ante, but a simultaneous investigation into a prostitution ring tempting hard-up Durham students on the game muddies the waters and makes separating the two lines of enquiry difficult and pinpointing the motivation behind the murder of Amy and the disappearance of Jessica even harder. Set against a backdrop of the breathtaking Northumbrian landscape, the unremitting rain and winds combine to make searching the landscape treacherous. Daniels is a leader who wears her heart on her sleeve and displays a resilient attitude to her work, even when her own personal life is falling apart at the seams. Throughout the course of this case unfolding, readers will quickly gather that the first book in this series, The Murder Wall, saw Kate tackle a serial killer and her right shoulder still bears the ravages, but it is the breakdown of her relationship with lover and criminal profiler, Jo Soulsby that has left the worst scars.

Central protagonist DCI Kate Daniels is a fascinating character with an uncompromising attitude to her job and she leads by example. She is hugely compassionate and works hard to motivate and energise her team as new information is uncovered. It would be doing a major disservice to the character to simply sum her up on the basis of her sexuality, and whilst Daniels may have relationships with other females that is of secondary importance to her capabilities as a wily detective. As a detective above else she has simply taken the most sensible course of action for a woman with a passion for her job and an eye to moving up the ranks in not publicly disclosing her sexuality. Whilst her erstwhile second in command and genuine ally, DS Hank Gormley and her superior, DCS Bright are aware, it remains very much a non-issue amongst the rest of her team whose priority is cracking the case, finding the murderer of a young woman and rescuing another. However, Northumbria MIT isn’t just a one man show and the genuine camaraderie and spirit of the team is well explored and provides an excellent overview of a team working together well. Alongside the good humoured and genuine Hank Gormley, industrious and green DC Lisa Carmichael earns her spurs and DS Robson repays Daniels faith in him and shows why she is such a respected team leader amongst her loyal team.

Hard-hitting and gritty, Settled Blood is undoubtedly one of the most authentic police procedural novels that I have read and not only is the case itself complex but the searing pace and rigorous eye for procedure makes this an absolute winner. A three-dimensional plot allows Mari Hannah to demonstrate her talents as theories are thrashed out, scenarios tested, mistakes made and blind alleys closed down. Not only is this the real deal in terms of showing how such an investigation is tackled, it also provides an understanding of the conflicting demands of resources that a Senior Investigating Officer has to contend with. A thoughtful conclusion sees Kate Daniels pause for breath and take stock of the toll that this investigation has taken and provides a poignant wrap-up to the case. Sensitive and convincing, DCI Kate Daniels eye for the bigger picture and the ensuing loss of Amy Grainger’s life is ever present in her mind. Tightly-plotted with well-realised characters, this is a series that I shall undoubtedly read more of comes highly recommended for readers who enjoy the Sarah Hilary’s edgy realism and Lin Anderson’s eye for detail. Settled Blood is an emotive and involving police procedural and Mari Hannah writes with real depth and credibility and this novel comes highly recommend.

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think Jane Tennison - and you’ll be on track - strong female protagonist with great depth!

I thoroughly enjoyed the second instalment of a series I began many moons ago and have picked up again. Very detailed police procedural aspects to the novel which is character rather than crime driven.

Formidable, interesting, intelligent writing.

[Rebecca Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second in the series for the protagonist Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels. After a strong start and gripping end to the first novel, The Murder Wall, I wondered how you could come back and beat that, but this novel does just that, it comes back stronger and a lot more sure of itself. The characters really have their place in this book and I really love Kate Daniels Sergeant Hank Gormley. For me, he was just a brilliantly down to earth guy. The rest of the supporting characters were strong, all carrying their own stories and were well fleshed out. The plot was incredible and the sense of place was just stunning. What a beautiful and cold place Hannah weaved.

The finale brought Kate Daniels into her own when she was pushed into a situation she couldn't have foreseen and see needed to make a decision on facing it or not. Very real emotions that any of us would feel were considered. Brilliantly written. It had me hooked.

I can't wait for book three now.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, it's a good story, but the ending is, for me, unbelievable bordering on impossible. Never mind all the lesbian angst. Not that I mind lesbian angst; it's just that I don't read mysteries, thrillers, detective series for romance, thwarted or otherwise. I don't think I'll be carrying on with this series.

[Beverley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, not a bad story but fairly run of the mill as crime novels go. It's the first Mari Hannah book I've read. I may read others in the future but wouldn't particularly go out of my way to find one.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fast paced and gripping as Mari Hannah reunites us with the wonderful Kate Daniels. I love the characters in this solid police procedural series and they give a great dimension to the story. This is well written with a good complex plot. I will be back for more in this series

[Robin Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. The book is well written and the story line very believable

[Carly Rushforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨My Thoughts✨

Welcome back to another review for this special #TeamDaniels project.

This is book 2 in the series.

I was so excited to get back to Kate, her team and her partner Hank, this story begins with a terrifying prologue that leads to the opening chapter with Kate being called to a body being found near Hadrian’s Wall.

This was the most intriguing case, I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before and the circumstances in which the victim was killed was shocking.

It had a few surprises and changes for the people and colleagues that Kate works with that I wasn’t expecting but I think I’m going to like the changes going forward in the next books.

The case had multiple twists and turns and red herrings that kept me engaged until the last page.

This series is fast becoming one of my favourites and I can’t wait to read more.

( I loved the 24/Jack Bauer reference)

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Settled Blood is the second exciting installment in the DCI Kate Daniels series.

Daniels finds herself on the case of a young girl whose body is found dressed up for a night out by historical landmark Hadrians Wall, it appears she's been dropped from a height to her death.

When a subsequent student goes missing, questions arise is there a serial killer at bay or is this another unconnected crime? I'm not going to ruin it for you don't worry!

It was great to reconnect with the central characters so soon after finishing book one and I'm enjoying seeing their growth as we go further into the series.

I'm really enjoying the series so far and await book three landing on the doormat.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman is found dead at Hadrian's Wall and another is missing. Are they two separate cases or one.

DCI Kate Daniels and her team are about to find out.

It become a race against time to find the missing girl and track a killer.

Fast paced, well written, and interesting.

Highly recommended.

[Ashleigh Summerbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good thriller, especially for anyone who lives in or around Newcastle, you'll recognise locations and street names.

[Suzy Dominey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A police murder mystery with Hadrian's wall as a backdrop. Glad I never discovered a body whilst walking the Wall.

[Linda B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Settled Blood is the second in the DCI Kate Daniels series. The book seemed to be a little too much of an attempt to be an all inclusive genre. This mystery, thriller, suspense, police procedure and lesbian romance instead ended up a little muddled. There are very descriptive crime scenes, and the high suspense tension lasts until the end of the story.

I usually enjoy a methodical police procedure, but in this book, it seemed the details were too repetitive. How many reports does the DCI Kate Daniels need to receive ( and seem surprised about) stating the fall victim was alive when she hit the ground. It did nothing to add to the horror of the crime. Also, the pining over her ex-girlfriend seemed out of place in the middle of a tense drama.

This is a British author so there were quite a few terms and British slang that I was not familiar with, but that was not a big drawback because it just took a quick search online to find definitions. It did break up the flow of the story though.

A copy of this e-book was provided by Edelweiss, Above the Treeline.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree that the characters in this series are now well established. I liked most of the book but I struggled at the end. I didn't believe that someone can survive for 9 days standing in water underground without food or heat without dying of hypothermia (or something else).

I also found the resuscitation scene completely unbelievable. Firstly, nobody would put their mouth anywhere near the mouth of someone suspected of taking poison, with or without a mouth shield. Secondly, are we really to believe that Kate Daniels single handedly carried out CPR on the suspect for 15 minutes while her team apparently watched? Why was an ambulance not called? It is also usual practice to have one person to do rescue breathing (if done) and another to do compressions. It is also standard for helpers to take turns with chest compressions as CPR is so exhausting.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

One co-ed is dead and another is missing. Both bear a striking resemblance to each other. Can the missing girl be found in time?

A plot with multiple focuses does not detract or distract from the main story line. In fact, some parts add to the growth of the characters. Vivid scenes and an action packed narrative help to drive this somewhat serpentine narrative.

Some portions of characters' home lives were only partially explored, but to explore in full detail would have added much length, and changed the direction of, the book.

The dialogue is crisp, aids in character and plot development while adding humor at times.

Overall, a thrilling read!

[Gillian De'Ath · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was well formed and kept me guessing but I didn't find the style of writing appealing. I think this book reads like it was written with a television version in mind and didn't't leave much room for reader interpretation.

That said I enjoyed the story and the ending and I did like Kate Daniels as a character.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot is interesting, as is the Northumbria and Durham setting. Nevertheless, the character development and writing had a perfunctory quality compared to my other favorite British police procedurals set in northern England. Not in the same league with Reginald Hill and Peter Robinson. An unfair comparison, I know, but Kindle makes it so easy to revisit these contemporary masters.k

[Jane Shambler · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's true!

We as humans inflict pain on others sometimes without thought. You would think we were more evolved than that. This book is excellent. A little too true unfortunately. Well written, characters are realistic and you can feel a connection with them both in their anger and frustration. Great book, great author. Look forward to the next one.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much - it is a page turner. The characters are well drawn and the procedure seems realistic. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. I don't have much else to say as other reviewers have covered it more than adequately.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I enjoyed this book a bit more, it was a bit better, and yeah.

[Nicola Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, loving this author

[Rachel Bridgeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up very shortly after Book 1, Kate is thrown straight back into a murder inquiry unlike anything she has come across before-the body of a young woman had been found, face down, in a field. 

At first, identification seems relatively easy to come by based on the woman's clothing, she seems to have fallen straight out of a blue sky, her death a hideous contrast to the stunning North East countryside.

Shocked and appalled at this level of violence, worse is to come at the morgue when who is believed to be the victim's father, denies she is his daughter, but recognises all the clothing. The race is on to find out just who is dressed in Jessica's clothing, and worse, where is she?

As clue after clue piles up but leads frustratingly nowhere, Kate and her team find themselves dealing with a power shift, dangerous assignments for one of them, and a changing dynamic which challenges her personally, and professionally.

And then, another almost identical young woman goes missing....

After having faced down a serial killer already in her first case as a DCI, could this be history repeating itself?

A case and a mystery which leaves the reader breathless with the twist and turns that it takes, 'Settled Blood' can be read as a stand alone novel. But honestly, why would you when you can start at the beginning and follow her progression through the ranks?

The skills and intuition that she has as a detective are accentuated by her team and what is particularly interesting, is seeing how Kate mentors Lisa Carmichael , her junior, who she is trying to not only set a good example to, but also show the other members of her investigation team that she is not playing favourites.

She is as hard, if not harder on Lisa than the others , like Hank Gormley, or DS Robson-I only know him as Robbo, from the way she talks to him!-, but she is most hardest on herself. Her constant pull by the job to see justice done has impacted on her personal life, and the slow build of her character arc has shown , so far, what she will and won't put up with-as well as what needs to let go of.

It's really clear how the passion and drive of the team leads to mistakes being made, on occasion, in the pure adrenaline rush to locate the missing girl. This is inevitable as they are all only human but each has had the chance to grow, and other characters, such as Kate's new superior, Ronald Naylor, are allowed to take up space themselves.

The story which began in book 1 continues here as you see the cumulative effect of trauma on these individuals who you are becoming familiar with. Kate's banter with Hank is almost diametrically opposed to the way she deals with DCS Phillip Bright, her ex-boss and head of CID with whom she has had to have several very difficult conversations .

And, as ever, the North East -this time mostly placed in Durham and the area surrounding Hadrian's Wall-takes a role all of its own as the place which has grown, and nourished, the formiddable Kate , and provides a back drop for the crimes which we readers are g;ad to have her and her team investigating. For if there is one thing you learn about DCI Daniels from the start, she will sacrifice anything to bring justice to the loved ones of the dead. 

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the body of a girl is found in the wilds near Hadrian's Wall, the police are baffled about how it came to be there, because of the complete lack of scene-of-crime evidence. DCI Kate Daniels is called in as SIO and is horrified to discover that the catastrophic injuries the victim received came as the result of being dropped from a great height - and that she was probably alive when she hit the ground.

The case gets rapidly more complicated when a wealthy businessman discloses his daughter has gone missing. Rather than giving the investigation direction, Daniels and her team suddenly become embroiled in reports of disappearing Durham University students bearing a striking resemblance to the victim. This is an investigation that centres on a complex web of secrets and lies, and as the police wade through them all to get to the truth, it becomes clear that somewhere out there is a girl whose life hangs in the balance. Can they find her before time runs out?

Settled Blood is the second book in the DCI Kate Daniels series. It starts with a terrifying bang at a famous beauty spot, and burgeons into a twisty case that brings with it a bevy of red herrings and blind alleys before Daniels and her team can understand what lies behind a shockingly bizarre murder.

Hannah does a fine job of leading you down the garden path multiple times in this story, with cases that cross over each other around missing girls, mistaken identity, prostitution, and the desperate acts of a broken mind out for vengeance. The clues come from oodles of solid police procedural content, which keeps you compulsively turning the pages as the plot flips between tense, slow-burn elements, and pacy action scenes, all the way to the heart-in-your-mouth finale.

There are some meaty themes running through this second book that delve nicely into difficult family relationships, loyalty, secrets, and twisted notions of guilt, and alongside the highly addictive investigative shenanigans Hannah treats you to compelling storylines that build on what we learned about Daniels' personal life and the colleagues that make up her team in the first book, The Murder Wall, too.

I thoroughly enjoyed my second adventure with DCI Kate Daniels, and am really looking forward to more in book three, Deadly Deceit.

[Andy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just read Mari Hannah's debut novel, The Murder Wall (which was fantastic), I swiftly moved on to her second (I do like to read books in order), Settled Blood. I read it inside two days and the reason for that was that I simply could not put it down. It's a brilliant, ingeniously constructed mystery, centring on the abduction of a local businessman's daughter and the desperate search to find her before it's too late. As with her previous book, Hannah drops in a few red herrings and false trails to keep the reader guessing and along the way reveals more about her central character, DCI Kate Daniels, her workmates and her estranged ex Jo Soulsby.

Hannah keeps the plot racing along (short chapters help with that) and it's fascinating what she packs into her story. Settled Blood has as its backdrop the north Pennine moors and the search for the missing girl seems all the more bleak given the area she is believed to be missing in. It's not all rolling hills and bleak countryside, Newcastle and Durham (and even Teesside) all get a look in as Daniels's team battle the odds - and time - to try and find their missing person. This book had it all - a great plot, plausible and believable characters that you care about, tension, thrills and a brilliant ending. It really is unputdownable. Is that a word? Well, I've just looked it up in the dictionary and there's a picture of the cover of this book.

I've already ordered the third Kate Daniels novel, Deadly Deceit, from my local library and I can't wait for it to arrive. In the meantime, I'm starting 'The Seductions of Lucy Foster', the first novel by Tony Garnett, who produced the seminal 90s police corruption drama, Between the Lines. You see, I'm such an addict for anything to do with crime fiction . . .

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following straight on from “The Murder Wall” (the first in the DCI Kate Daniels police procedurals), “Settled Blood” is Mari Hannah’s next book in this fabulous series and for me is an even better read than its predecessor.

Kate is the SIO for the Murder Investigation Team at Northumbria Police and in this story she is racing against time to save the life of an abducted girl following the unusual, brutal and unexplained death of another young girl found near Hadrian’s Wall. The emotional involvement of the team members was a credit to their DCI and working constantly around the clock, putting themselves in danger going undercover and being determined to uncover the whereabouts of the missing girl before time runs out, made for an entertaining read, the likes of which doesn’t come around very often.

It takes one ingenious and very talented author to plan, execute and publish such a tense, fast paced and intricate story that literally has you on the edge of your seat from the very first page. I’ve took an instant love to all the characters and felt a personal connection to them even after the first book. Set in my local area it was a pleasure to read about the places I am familiar with, even the ice cream shop by Durham river! Whether you live local too or just enjoy a first class crime thriller, you will NOT be disappointed at “Settled Blood” and I’m now itching to get going on “Deadly Deceit” - book 3. With a hint at a possible love interest for Kate ahead, this has me very excited as she has had a tough time with her most recent relationship. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this series or this unique and tremendously talented author, who is easily giving Ann Cleeves a run for her money in North East crime writing.

#SettledBlood - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ivana Richards · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself getting rather bored reading this, to be honest. There was no logical explanation of the death of Amy Grainger , for one thing - she may have been thrown from a plane or a helicopter, but either way it would have been difficult ( if not impossible) for one person alone. The ending is just plainly ridiculous. As per usual, there were a few editing/proof-reading problems, though it took to page 313 to find them - then 2 happened on the same page. Firstly we get "asking him to arranged a lift". Then, at the bottom of the page, Daniels says "We're going to need her statement asap". Great, but that's followed with "Tell him it's urgent, ok?"only two lines later.
And why would an author set a book close to Housesteads Fort on Hadrian's Wall and do absolutely no reseaerch on it whatsoever? OK this isn't an historical novel, but surely a bit of context would be nice? She could easily have a character reading the sign in the carpark saying how old the fort was and how many visitors it gets each year. Obviously too lazy to do so. LJ Ross manages to put loads of this sort of detail in, so I don't see why others can't.
In general, it's an OK novel though I'll not be racing to read any more by Hannah.

[Becca Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say I liked this one more than the first? Loved it!

Thanks to Tracey at Compulsive Readers, Mari Hannah & the publishers for copies of these books in the #DCIDANIELS series. I’m really enjoying them so far. Especially how they’re set it and around Newcastle which is where I’m from.

Synopsis:

Settled Blood is Mari Hannah’s second gripping crime novel featuring DCI Kate Daniels.

When a young girl is found dead at the base of Hadrian’s Wall, it’s not long before Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels realizes that her death was no ordinary homicide. She was thrown from a great height – and was probably alive before she hit the ground.

When a local businessman reports his daughter missing, has Daniels found the identity of the victim, or is a killer playing a sickening game?

As the murder investigation team delves deeper into the case, half-truths are told and secrets exposed. And while Daniels makes her way through a mountain of obstacles, time is running out for one terrified girl . . .

Thoughts: Fast paced excellent police procedural. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I love the banter the main character DCI Daniels and her DS have. There’s also little side stories going on inside the main plot. And there’s quite a few red herrings! Some of the twists I never seen coming. I haven’t been to Hadrians Wall since I was a child and this story has really made me want to go. If you like good easy read detective stories, you’ll love this.

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my second foray into the world of DCI Kate Daniels I was again riveted! Mari Hannah said Kate would take me on a journey, and she is! You are shown her personal side with loyalty running through her like the Tyne through Newcastle. We’re shown how she has to keep who she is under wraps, although she may be opening up to the possibility of a life outside of work. Just may.
She’s an astute character who picks up on the subtleties of people. This makes her more realistic rather than less.
Settled Blood is intensely gripping and really draws the gasps from you as Hannah goes into the victims head to show their feelings and emotions.
I’m growing to love Hank more as the stories progress. He’s such a genuine character that you feel everyone needs a friend like him.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
With thanks to Tracy Fenton, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[Shane Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book in Series I have read

(Mild references which could be Spoilers Below)



Pros

Characters I felt were well developed and easy to differentiate from each other.
Different stands of the storyline was woven together well
Overall a good story.
(By and large) the villain was not the product of a "Gotcha" style plot device where the murderer is revealed to be a minor completely forgettable character from 1 scene 200 pages earlier like a lot of detective novels.


Cons

Felt it was overly long. Audio book was 11 hours which considering this wasn't a story about 6 or 7 murders seemed needlessly long in patches.

Linked to that, there were a few red herring/side stories which probably could have been wrapped up earlier than they were.

I will probably read a further book in the Series.

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel in the Kate Daniels series and I felt, yet again, absolutely in awe of Daniels. As a crime lover, I find myself often setting ridiculously high expectations of the plot, characters and outcome, but I can confidently say that this book was fantastic through and through. In Settled Blood, we had a chance, as readers, to learn even more about Daniels and her personal life - something that I think is utterly integral when providing a protagonist of a series. We learned more about her quirks, her ways of working and previous experiences that led her to this point and it was wonderful to see. The 'crime' was an extremely interesting one that initially sparked up plenty of questions and theories in my mind. We were introduced to shady characters, manipulated situations and deceit, all of which heightened my interest even more. Another fantastic novel by Mari Hannah.