Mirror Man (DCI Jack Hawksworth, #3) in Aussie Readers

Jul 19, 2021 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aussie-authors, 2021-release, 5000-2021, mystery, thriller, arc, crime, own-read

A sensational read!

Jack’s promotion saw him now Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth and his Scotland Yard boss, Martin Sharpe instructed him to head up a new case, on the very hush hush, called Operation Mirror. It seemed that criminals who were being released early from prison were meeting a particularly brutal end within days of their release. When it came to the notice of the powers that be, Jack was tasked with finding the link, finding the evidence and finding the killer.

With his old t ...more

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Jul 16, 2023 Helen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: borrowed-from-library

Another gripping page turner in this series, Jack is called back to get to the bottom of criminals being murdered after early release from prison, and he needs to do it quick and under the radar of the media. Operation Mirror Man is on and Jack has pulled together his team, will they get the answers and stop the killer?

Kate, Sarah, Mal and the team work well together and are soon uncovering clues but Jack also takes another step and consults someone from a past case but this helps with understan ...more

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Jun 12, 2021 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, arc-are, aussie-author

It’s been more than a decade since I read the first two books to feature DCI Jack Hawkesworth, Bye Bye Baby and Beautiful Death, so I picked up Mirror Man with only a vague memory of the storyline, however it’s not necessary to have read either to enjoy this third instalment of the series.

Mirror Man begins when DCI Jack Hawkesworth is reassigned from his role as a Counter Terrorism International Liaison by Martin Sharpe, the Acting Chief Superintendent of the Homicide and Serious Crime Branch at It’s been more than a decade since I read the first two books to feature DCI Jack Hawkesworth, Bye Bye Baby and Beautiful Death, so I picked up Mirror Man with only a vague memory of the storyline, however it’s not necessary to have read either to enjoy this third instalment of the series.

Mirror Man begins when DCI Jack Hawkesworth is reassigned from his role as a Counter Terrorism International Liaison by Martin Sharpe, the Acting Chief Superintendent of the Homicide and Serious Crime Branch at Scotland Yard, to investigate a possible link between three bizarre murders. Given a promotion to Detective Superintendent and a small team to command which allows him to reunite with DI Kate Carter, DI Malek Khan and analyst DS Sara Jones, Jack is tasked to figure out if there is a serial killer loose in London targeting recently paroled criminals.

The reader knows who is responsible for the deadly string of crimes from the outset of the novel but Jack and his team have to find evidence to first prove they are linked before they even begin to search for a suspect. As a police procedural, Mirror Man works well. The murders offer little in the way of forensic evidence, the killer has been careful to leave no trace of themselves behind, so the taskforce must painstakingly investigate every possible piece of information. The killer’s goal is more obvious, a vigilante seeking his own form of justice, though his exact motivation is not known to the team.

It’s rare to be ambivalent about the capture of a serial killer, but when his victims include an unrepentant, violent rapist; an abuser who beat his wife to death; and the drunk driver who annihilated the man’s wife, daughter and granddaughters you can’t help but feel a little conflicted. I liked that McIntosh explores this morally grey area, as well as issues surrounding sentencing, rehabilitation, early parole and how they impact on the victims of crime.

Once again Jack finds himself blurting the line between his professional and personal life when journalist Lauren Starling gets wind of Operation: Mirror Man. Much is made in this series of Jack’s good looks which leaves women swooning in his wake, including Kate whose crush on her boss is still as florid as ever. At Kate’s suggestion, Jack also seeks advice from Anne McEvoy, his former lover, and serial killer, who is serving several life sentences after Jack exposed her in Bye Bye Baby. A psychologist and criminologist, she provides a profile that offers some insight into the case.

Though the reader is led to believe they have all the answers the police are searching for, there are several well placed surprises in Mirror Man. The pace and tension accelerates as Jack grows closer to identifying his quarry, and the lives of several characters are at risk.

With its provocative theme and well crafted plot, Mirror Man is a gripping police procedural, sure to entertain crime fiction readers. ...more

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Aug 09, 2023 Pam rated it liked it

Whilst this was an enjoyable and quick read I think it may be my last read in the series. The plots are pretty well written but I am a bit over the main character’s good looks being such a focus and him falling in love (almost at first sight) very early in each of the books. Would a senior police officer really invite a fellow officer to his place for dinner, knowing that she has a huge crush on him and he has told her there is no chance of anything between them? Would said senior police officer ...more

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