Hey You, Pretty Face (A Jack Rutherford and Amanda Lacey British Detective Novel) Paperback – October 25, 2018

This is a really nice book.It’s well written (sadly an author using correct grammar and appropriate language is a novelty these days, so this is novel) and the characters are highly believable. The good ones are likeable and the bad ones are horrid, but not so much that they become unrealistic.The mystery is just mysterious enough to want to hear how it all fits, while the ending does slot together without relying on edge-of-your-seat implausible heroics and explosions to work. I know a few reviewers said that getting to the resolution was tedious and the ‘solution’ was obvious but that wasn’t really the point of the book. This is not a book that fits into the thriller/whodunnit genre, instead it’s actually a drama about interesting things occurring in the life of someone who just so happens to be a police officer solving crimes. When viewed in this light it is not slow but perfectly paced and whether or not you guess whodunnit is completely irrelevant.Originally I wanted a little bit more resolution to the ending, but on reflection, I’ve changed my mind. Don’t get me wrong, there are no cliff hangers left to force you to buy the next in the series, it’s just that a lot of the ‘sorting’ out of the aftermath is left to our imagination rather than being explicitly written down. Which annoyed me since I like the characters so much I didn’t want to leave them before I was sure they were all going to be ok. But on thinking it over the ending is actually perfect the way it is, since that’s the way real life works.It’s a great book, you should read it, and I am looking forward to reading more in the series.

This is a UK-based crime/suspense. I typically like UK-based crime stories due to their emphasis on the human aspects of the case and more-or-less proper procedure.This once deals with the very sensitive subject of child sexual exploitation asDC Jack Rutherford finds himself with two perplexing cases: one of an abandoned newborn, and the other of the disappearance of young girls. How the two cases become intertwined will have the reader puzzling as the plot twists and turns until the final revelation.There were some minor issues with the book that a careful re-editing can correct, but the plot is solid and the final reveal well-hidden, so the reader finds him/herself constantly drawn to the next page, then the next just to find out what the real story is behind the abandoned baby, her mother, the situation she found herself in, and how all is reconciled in the end.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*I truly enjoyed this book. Forgot quite a few times that it was one I’d gotten for free.Good writing, interesting characters, not the same old tired plot. Some of the “plot twists” for the detective were revealed to the reader many chapters ahead of time, but were very surprising when first revealed. It did create a bit of frustration on my part with the detective because it took him so long to figure out the connections; I had to keep reminding myself that I was privy to information he didn’t have.Overall, I highly recommend this book.

This series has to be read inr order to enjoy them. You can read it out of order but it is best, by far, to read them as intended.Every book builds on the previous ones.Most times you can figure out some of the connections but it's very entertaining anyway.For us in the USA a few phrases and spellings are a little different but it doesn't take anything away from enjoying them.

At first this got off to a slow start with a few cliches. Then it took off and the reader has quite a job navigating the twists and turns of the characters' backgrounds. The characters are realistic, not perfect cut-outs, just ordinary people as is DC Jack Rutherford. No shooting action; no fast cars; just good police work. Congratulations Linda Coles on creating a police everyman, rather than a superhuman as so many others have. And the convolutions at the end are shocking.

I’ve read loads of police procedurals over the years and have always found the protagonist to be gruff, sad, broken—or all three. But in Hey You, Pretty Face, he is kind.For a cop, DC Jack Rutherford is an odd bird. He has a happy marriage and enjoys his work. That’s not to say he doesn’t have challenges. For one thing, his boss is a lazy ass (or should I say arse?). He’d rather hang out at the pub than solve crimes. Thank goodness for Jack.The case that the detective is assigned occurs during the holidays, making the circumstances of the crime bittersweet. And being the mensch he is, Jack is determined to bring about a happy ending for all—especially the abandoned baby. She’s touched his heart more than he realized.If you like a crime thriller with a heart, I suggest checking out Hey You, Pretty Face. In DC Jack Rutherford, Linda Coles has created a stellar character. And we all wish existed to solve even the most heinous crimes and bring about sweet justice.

The premise and plot provide the potential to make this an unforgettable story. Unfortunately the characters and scenes do not ring 100 per cent true and are superficially developed. They are not memorable. The writing is generally good but has a few disconcerting anomalies.

This is my first Jack Rutherford novel, and I enjoyed every word. The characters are so much better than trite, cliche placeholders easily exchanged with any number of others in this genre. This is a well developed, three-dimensional cast with fully developed personalities. Some are lazy and annoying, some are sweet and pitiable. A few are reprehensible. And the lead is stalwart and true. His relationship with his wife warmed my heart, and his interactions with Billy, Chloe, and Mary warmed my soul.The author did a remarkable job of tying up all the threads into one tidy bow. While I saw how it was all going to come together very early in the story, it didn't diminish my pleasure at all. It was the character progression that carried the novel.Like I said, this is my first jack Rutherford novel. But it won't be my last.

Absolutely terrific read. Great characters and an exciting storyline coupled with twists aplenty made this a very enjoyable read. Could not put it down until it was finished. Linda Coles is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine she never fails to delight. I would recommend this book to all readers of good fiction.

This is the best Linda Coles book I've read so far, and after reading 3 of them, I can gladly say they just got better and better! This one is definitely a 5 star! Like her other books It could be a true story, and has twists and turns which are very captivating, so much so, I could hardly put this book down. I really like jack Rutherford, he's so likeable, so is Janine, his wife, and it's nice to have some decent people to balance the disgusting abusers in this story. I'd like to think they'd be spending the rest of their lives in jail for their twisted, selfish dealings of abuse of the innocent, all for the sake of money. I'm very much looking forward to this author's next story, it really can't get much better than this one!

Just 2 or 3 typos. Nothing else is wrong with this extremely well crafted plot with very engaging characters, so well written, no swearing either. Just great writing! The plot is fantastic, I had to finish it in one go. Don’t miss it.

When I first started to read this story I wasn’t sure if I liked the style of writing. It was written in a very simple almost cosy style and the very nature of the subject matter, didn’t seem to work for me, I liked the short snappy chapters as long drawn out chapters lose my interest generally.Eventually the writers style started to grow on me and what could have been a very descriptive disturbing read became less graffiti and left a lot to the imagination which I liked. Let’s face it we live in a horrible violent world nowadays why read these graffic accounts for pleadure.I will definitely read more of this author now.

This book kept me gripped from start to finish.Great story line and characters.I will be looking to read more from this author.