Body of Lies (Gemma Woodstock #4) (2024)

I have only read book one in this series and I remember not liking DS Gemma Woodstock at all in that one. Somehow I have managed to pick up book four on Netgalley, and luckily I find that Gemma has improved greatly since that first book.

In Body of Lies she is on maternity leave with nine months old Scarlett, and living with Max, Scarlett's father, and Ben, her older son. Gemma's return to work is approaching and when a really strange case involving a missing corpse turns up she is keen to help out in a casual way. This becomes awkward because she cannot of course run the case and she does not cope well with not being in charge.

It is an intriguing case involving several murders, a stolen corpse, an abandoned baby and much, much more especially in the last third of the book. This is when the author decides to throw everything possible into the mix. As long as you do not want your fiction to be realistic this is actually okay and perfectly readable if a little crazy.

I thought this book started off extremely well and I enjoyed the police work and the characters. As the story progressed it seemed to lose direction and rambled into some very unlikely scenarios. Still quite readable but not the best. Three stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is book 4 in the Gemma Woodstock series and probably the book I enjoyed the most out of the four of them. In this book Gemma is living in the regional town of Smithson in NSW with her partner Mac and her children. She is on maternity leave but when a body disappears from the hospital morgue and a staff member is found murdered she cannot help but want to get involved.
The Gemma in this book is a lot more likeable and relateable than the Gemma in the prior books. She seems to be getting her personal life on track, but this case could jeopardise all of that as well her family and professional relationships.
A good gritty story with a few twists that I didn't see coming. Happy to recommend this, but probably better to read the series than read this book as a standalone. Thank you Allen & Unwin as well as Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

The new Gemma Woodstock police procedural, the 4th in the series, begins as Gemma’s off work on maternity leave after the birth of Scarlett. But while she’s supposed to be taking it easy, events conspire to draw her back to work and into a strange mystery that has everyone perplexed.

A high speed car accident outside the town of Smithson results in a woman brought into the hospital in a critical condition. After she succumbs to her injuries her body is placed in the morgue pending further examination.

But before the examination can take place the hospital experiences a power failure that precedes a fire alarm. Gemma happens to be at the hospital at the time, visiting her father who has had a heart attack. Just as she’s trying to work out what’s happened, another alarm is raised - the body in the morgue has been taken.

Officially, Gemma is on leave, but she can’t stop herself from being drawn into the investigation, much to the annoyance of the detective in charge, DS Julian Everett. Given that the unit is currently short-staffed, her boss, Chief Inspector Ken Jones, a man she has worked with for years and only refers to as Jonesy, gives her the green light to investigate in parallel to the official team’s work. An odd arrangement and one that you can tell is sure to cause ructions.

And this is the thing with the Gemma Woodstock character, you’re either gonna love her or hate her. I found her to be exasperating. Overly judgemental, resentful and willingly abrasive towards her colleagues, she’s the opposite of a team player and, in highly hypocritical fashion, derides others when she senses it in them. As needy and insecure as she comes across in the course of this book, her behaviour has actually improved from the way she’s acted in the earlier three books. It’s a good thing she’s got a strong instinct for getting to the bottom of crimes.

Along with her reporter friend Candy Fyfe, Gemma manages to squirm her way to a position where she can pick up vital information about the case. Together they start to put a few pieces together, interview a few people and try to come up with an idea of who the woman might have been and why she was driving so dangerously. And then another person is found dead and that’s when the case really starts to take off - as does the friction between Gemma and Everett.

Now, normally I can’t stand police procedurals where the investigation is hampered by the in-fighting amongst the law enforcement officers. And, to be sure, there’s a lot of that going on here. But the fact is, the insecurities of Gemma, the aloof dismissiveness of Everett and the timid behaviour of Minnie, a constable working the case, all play an important role in the outcome of this mystery. It’s all quite well put together, creates an emotional response for the reader to latch onto and has some implications for the nature of the crimes being investigated.

The murder plot itself is quite a tangled one, complicated by more than one astounding twist as well as the occasional blindside that had just about everyone reeling. With hints of a possible cult involvement, high level scientific genetic research and constant reminders of tragic past events, there’s rich fodder for this case to go in any direction.

I must say I had quite a lot of trouble working out the size of the (fictional) town of Smithson, New South Wales. Sometimes it seemed as though it was a small country town, while other times I had the impression it’s quite a sizable city. It seemed to be a short trip to get out onto deserted country roads while also proving to be a struggle to get through congested streets within town. Not only that I sensed that the Smithson Police Force, complete with a forensic team, was quite large for a country town. I just had difficulty positioning the place in my head and, consequently, I felt there was no sense of place.

When Body of Lies put the in-fighting away (and I got over the geographical mystery of Smithson) and got down to the business of solving the crimes that were presented to the Smithson police, the story flowed more evenly. From a slow, plodding start, the pace picked up to deliver an exciting climax which answered many questions but still left me scratching my head a little.

My thanks to Allen & Unwin via NetGalley for my ARC which allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I did enjoy it very much, I am not sure whether I really like Gemma that much, she tended to rub me the wrong way at times but she does her job and well, Gemma is on maternity leave visiting her father in hospital, when the lights go out and the fire alarm sounds, Gemma jumps in, baby in tow and starts asking questions and DS Everett sent to investigate is not happy with her jumping in, when they discover that the body of a woman killed in a suspicious car accident is missing and Gemma is determined to find answers, little does she know how things are going to turn out.

Gemma’s partner Mac, is working on a cold case at the moment and Gemma is eager to get back to work and this case seems the right time especially when a new born baby is found by the lake, are they linked? Then the hospital CEO is found murdered the pressure is on the police to find answers and Gemma is in boots and all, even though she and DS Everett are not getting on at all, the tension grows as they all do their best to find answers.

With Gemma’s journalist friend Candy pushing for something she can write about, Gemma soon finds herself in danger, when she is attacked, Mac seems to be keeping secrets from her as is her boss DI Jones, who can she trust and what’s more are all of these cases linked and who is behind it all, will she and the police find the answers before there are more bodies turning up.

This is a twisty story with shocking revelations for Gemma and a very busy story with lots happening all at once, there are fabulous characters who have personal issues at the same time they are working and getting to know them added to the story. This is one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good crime thriller, it did have me turning the pages to find out what happened. Well worth the read.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

Oh Gemma, Gemma, Gemma. She might be one of my favourite fictional Australian detectives, but she still makes me shake my head in frustration. After book #3 (Where the Dead Go) I really thought DS Gemma Woodstock was starting to get her act together, but this latest (and final, according to Bailey) story shows that in the right circ*mstances, a person/character can regress.

Because in Body of Lies, things seem to have come full circle for Gemma. She's living back in Smithson, and having been out of action for some time on maternity leave, the old insecurities about her job, her professional skills and her relationships, are all beginning to bubble to the surface again.

Gemma and baby Scarlett are visiting the local Smithson Hospital one evening when an unusual security incident occurs. Between hospital execs, security and local police, nobody can work out what's going on until someone realises a corpse has gone missing from the morgue. The dead woman had been involved in a suspicious road traffic accident earlier that evening. Then when a newborn baby is found abandoned at the lake mere hours later, Gemma decides to cut her maternity leave short and 'help out' the short-staffed police investigation, led by DS Julian Everett.

This was a classic Woodstock story, although the details of the plot were a little unusual - unlike anything I've read for quite a while. The twists and turns are all there, some guessable but many took me by surprise. While Gemma is a very effective investigator, the way her brain conducts analyses is anything but straightforward. She frustrated DS Everett, she even frustrated her boss Jonesy, who is her biggest supporter, and of course she frustrated me too! In one of the early case briefings, even I wanted to tell her to shut up! But at the end of the day she's a fantastic character and I feel a little sad to say goodbye. (And even sadder to think there may never be a joint investigation with journalist Olive Groves from The Housemate!)

A great ending to a great series.

With thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for an advance copy to read and review.

3.5★s
Body Of Lies is the fourth and final book in the Gemma Woodstock series by award-winning Australian author, Sarah Bailey. A pub brawl, a fatal road accident with an unidentified victim, the corpse of that victim stolen from a hospital morgue, an abandoned newborn baby, and the stabbing murder of a hospital executive, all within twenty-four hours: some of these incidents are definitely related, but DS Gemma Woodstock, still on maternity leave, is on the scene of one, and knows they should be thoroughly but separately investigated.

With a severe staff shortage, her former boss in Smithson, DI Ken Jones seems eager for her input; Smithson DS Julian Everett is chagrined by her participation; her close friend, independent journalist, Candy Fyfe, wants information to guarantee her a scoop; and her partner Mac is sympathetic to her irresistible urge to get involved.

Of course there are things to consider: ten-year-old Ben is anxious for her safety at work; nine-month-old Scarlett needs care; and Mac has his own work keeping him busy, some of it requiring travel. But starting back in Smithson would stand her in good stead for a potential senior position coming up, Ben could stay in the same school, and she could be close to her father and his health issues. Do she and Mac want to settle in Smithson?

Jonesy agrees that Gemma can run a parallel investigation and share information with Everett, who will lead the case, which sort of works except that she is less than impressed by Everett’s methods and attention to detail. Then things get dangerous for Gemma and she is ordered to step back by Jonesy, and begged to do so by her dad and Mac. But Gemma is hooked by the stimulation the cases offer, and retreat isn’t in her nature: teaming up with Candy is an acceptable compromise.

With each case there are unanswered questions and a myriad of possible explanations and connections. There’s a lot of CCTV to trawl through, and DNA test results seem to take longer than they should. Some witnesses are inexplicably evasive, and others are very likely lying, but Gemma is determined to find the truth. Then a lab result reveals that people Gemma has always trusted implicitly have lied to her on a grand scale. What does it mean for the cases? And can she forgive the betrayal?

Bailey gives the reader an intriguing plot with quite a few twists and turns, although the truth, when revealed, does need the reader to don their disbelief suspenders, and does feel a bit like an overdone trope. Gemma is still a gutsy protagonist, even if most of her decisions are less impulsive and more responsible. Attending grisly scenes and prison interviews with Scarlett strapped to her front might also stretch the credibility a bit. A fitting conclusion to this excellent series.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin.

⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
Body of Lies by Sarah Bailey
Loved this fast paced police procedural, what a ride! There’s so much happening and plenty of intrigue and suspense. This will be the last in the Gemma Woodstock detective series of 4 books, I haven’t read the others yet but I’m definitely keen now. Easily read as a standalone.

I enjoyed Gemma’s character and her complex life. The story begins with Gemma back in her hometown, she’s on maternity leave, her daughter Scarlett is now eight months. While Gemma is visiting her father in hospital, a corpse in the hospital morgue is stolen and Gemma is drawn into a mystifying investigation although still officially on leave.

Nobody can work out why the woman’s body was taken, she was a car crash victim and not known in town.

Soon after the incident a newborn baby is found abandoned near the lake and Gemma learns of some family secrets that are devastating to her. So much crime in a small town!

Totally gripping, lots of action and well worth reading.

Other books in the series are:-
#1 The Dark Lake
#2 Into The Night
#3 Where The Dead Go

Publication Date 27 February 2024
Publisher Allen & Unwin

Thanks so much to the wonderful team at Allen & Unwin for a copy of the book.

Much easier to read than write 😎

This is the 4th instalment of the Gemma Woodstock series. I was so keen to get to this after all the fabulous reviews I was hearing, that I didn’t wait to read the first three … I will be going back though as Body of Lies was so good! 🤩

DS Gemma Woodstock is on maternity leave and juggling a busy home life with her baby daughter, pre-teenage son and a complicated relationship with her second husband.

While visiting her father in hospital an alert comes across that a body has been stolen from the morgue. As the team attempt to uncover the identity of the woman and who stole her body, Gemma can’t help but also get involved. As another crime is committed, Gemma and the team believe that she is in danger, especially as she gets closer to the truth.

Full of mystery, intrigue and action it’s another compelling crime thriller that held my attention from start to end!

Huge thanks to @allenandunwin for sending this beauty my way 💌

When I heard that Sarah was writing a new Gemma Woodstock book I was thrilled. One of my favourite Australian detective series, I was so happy to have another installment in the series. As soon as the book arrived I was into it. And I am happy to say that it is another winner.

Gemma Woodstock is visiting her father in hospital when the alarm sounds. It appears that a body has been stolen from the morgue…wait what?? Yep, how’s that for a hook! Gemma is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter, but old habits are hard to break and she can’t help but get involved. She still has a few months before she is due to return to work, but this case makes her want to return now. Especially when the next day another crime comes across her radar. Smithton is one dangerous small town!!

I loved Gemma and her internal struggles of what she should do with work and her family. She wants to be a good mum to her children but the pull of the job is too much. She has a strained relationship with the lead detective, and always, struggles to take orders and do what she is told. She really does put herself in danger so many times in the process of getting answers.

If you haven’t read this series yet, why not? You need to change that, and get yourself aquatinted with Gemma. It was so nice to have her back for one more case. Thank you to Sarah and Allen and Unwin for sending me an advance copy to read. Published in Australia on February 27th.

Body of Lies is of all the books in this series that I had the most problem with getting into, I even thought of giving up, but I kept on listening to the audiobook version since I've read the previous 3 books and I liked them and wanted to know how it all would end. Luckily, around halfway through the book got better and better and I came to enjoy the story when I started to get the sense of direction it was going and I got some answers.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

More reviews at: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
When a woman dies in a car accident and her body is stolen from the hospital morgue and the next day a newborn baby is found abandoned on a walking track Gemma is convinced these two cases are related and asks if she can return to work to work on the case. Gemma has to juggle motherhood and working, along with rivalry in the workforce.

Body of Lies is another shrewdly plotted police procedural. The action never stops which keeps the pace up throughout the book.
It was nice to see Gemma in a good place psychologically in this novel. She had grown up a lot but still had trouble distancing herself from the victims which caused her much distress.

Body of Lies is another highly entertaining novel from Sarah Bailey with plenty of jaw-dropping twists and a light exploration of some ethical issues.
I found it a fitting finale to the series.

Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The speed of a car crash at the beginning is symbolic of how fast and furious this ride is going to be.
Gemma Woodstock returns to the frontline, her passion and dedication for the role overshadowing her maternity leave.
Buckle up.
The victim of the car accident disappears from the local morgue, unleashing a litany of intrigue and suspicion.
Gemma has to find the fine line of being there for her family and the dangers of her work.
Secrets will unravel her core.
Her life is constantly at risk as she delves into a dark world of crime.
A climatic ending, in fighting within the force and a murder tangled with intrigue all make this fast paced read.
Clever and intricate best describes this final book in the series.
It can be read a standalone but the experience is enhanced if the backstory of Gemma is known.

Body of Lies is the fourth and final book by Sarah Bailey to feature Detective Gemma Woodstock, and though I’ve (strangely) not read any of the earlier series instalments this worked perfectly well as a stand alone.

Set about a year after the events of Where the Dead Go Gemma has returned to live in her home town with her partner, their new baby daughter, and her young son from her previous marriage. She’s visiting her father, hospitalised after a heart attack, when the body of an unidentified woman killed in a car accident is stolen from the morgue. Though still on maternity leave when Body of Lies opens, Gemma can’t help but involve herself in the mystery and when an infant is later found abandoned, which she suspects is related, she decides to return to work early.

There is a lot happening in Body of Lies, and Gemma quickly finds herself with more questions than answers. Several well crafted red herrings complicate the investigation that grows to include a pub brawl, a brutal murder, and a local cult. With the main action taking place over a few weeks, Gemma slowly makes the connections necessary to piece the complex case together, unwittingly putting herself in mortal danger as she does so. The root of the crime is unexpected, and perhaps a touch fantastical, but certainly adds shock value to the plot.

Gemma’s personal life is similarly complicated in this novel. Already struggling with the dilemma of balancing motherhood with her career, the sensitivity of her son to his father’s recent death, and her insecurities regarding her current relationship with Mac, Gemma is devastated when she learns the identity of the stolen body and the secrets it reveals about her past, putting her at odds with almost everyone she is close to. Gemma is a complex character, well portrayed with realism and nuance.

A gripping police procedural with a compelling lead, Body of Lies is a great read. As this is the last book which will feature Gemma, an epilogue set around three months after the dramatic end of the investigation proves to be satisfying.

Another fabulous novel by the author.

DS Gemma Woodstock is back from maternity leave and returns to her hometown of Smithson with some surprises in store for us in this one.

She arrives to find a the body of woman has been stolen from the morgue, with no explanation. Why would someone want to take the victim of a car crash? The team race to find the thief and the identity of the woman and Gemma's long term reporter friend, Candy, joins in the hunt to solve the mystery. But the town experiences another shocking crime and it is clear to the team that Gemma may be in danger, as she gets closer to the truth.

This one was full of action and mystery! It was so nice to see old characters return, along with some new ones that really moved the story along. The author did such a great job of creating intrigue and suspense with some big twists. I enjoy her writing style so much and it was fabulous to be back with Gemma again. A fabulous novel and one I highly recommend. 4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for the gifted copy.

3.5★s
Body Of Lies is the fourth and final book in the Gemma Woodstock series by award-winning Australian author, Sarah Bailey. The audio version is narrated by Felicity Jurd. A pub brawl, a fatal road accident with an unidentified victim, the corpse of that victim stolen from a hospital morgue, an abandoned newborn baby, and the stabbing murder of a hospital executive, all within twenty-four hours: some of these incidents are definitely related, but DS Gemma Woodstock, still on maternity leave, is on the scene of one, and knows they should be thoroughly but separately investigated.

With a severe staff shortage, her former boss in Smithson, DI Ken Jones seems eager for her input; Smithson DS Julian Everett is chagrined by her participation; her close friend, independent journalist, Candy Fyfe, wants information to guarantee her a scoop; and her partner Mac is sympathetic to her irresistible urge to get involved.

Of course there are things to consider: ten-year-old Ben is anxious for her safety at work; nine-month-old Scarlett needs care; and Mac has his own work keeping him busy, some of it requiring travel. But starting back in Smithson would stand her in good stead for a potential senior position coming up, Ben could stay in the same school, and she could be close to her father and his health issues. Do she and Mac want to settle in Smithson?

Jonesy agrees that Gemma can run a parallel investigation and share information with Everett, who will lead the case, which sort of works except that she is less than impressed by Everett’s methods and attention to detail. Then things get dangerous for Gemma and she is ordered to step back by Jonesy, and begged to do so by her dad and Mac. But Gemma is hooked by the stimulation the cases offer, and retreat isn’t in her nature: teaming up with Candy is an acceptable compromise.

With each case there are unanswered questions and a myriad of possible explanations and connections. There’s a lot of CCTV to trawl through, and DNA test results seem to take longer than they should. Some witnesses are inexplicably evasive, and others are very likely lying, but Gemma is determined to find the truth. Then a lab result reveals that people Gemma has always trusted implicitly have lied to her on a grand scale. What does it mean for the cases? And can she forgive the betrayal?

Bailey gives the reader an intriguing plot with quite a few twists and turns, although the truth, when revealed, does need the reader to don their disbelief suspenders, and does feel a bit like an overdone trope. Gemma is still a gutsy protagonist, even if most of her decisions are less impulsive and more responsible. Attending grisly scenes and prison interviews with Scarlett strapped to her front might also stretch the credibility a bit. A fitting conclusion to this excellent series.

Book 4 of Gemma Woodstock and this one was a lot!

We see Gemma on parental leave but drawn into an investigation involving a woman killed in a car crash, when her body goes missing from the hospital. Throw in a whole lot of bickering with her police colleague Everett, and her daughter’s father being secretive and you’ve got Body of Lies.

This is one where I definitely needed to suspend my belief late in the book. There was absolutely alot to take in, as the threads of the story came together. Gemma is a really prickly character, not prone to great warmth though there is a sense from her in this book of her struggle - wanting to be home with her child but not feeling challenged, which becomes more evident the deeper she is ensconced within the case.

The setting of this one was a bit unclear for me - country town or large regional centre … it at times seemed too small but at others the infrastructure sounds well beyond the town’s boundaries. Lots of layers within the book, stories within stories - lies, secrets and deceit.

Well worth picking up.

3.5 stars. I got sucked in but the ending was so far fetched it was ridiculous.

Body of Lies is the surprising fourth Gemma Woodstock novel that we all thought we were never going to get. In my review of the last Gemma Woodstock novel, I lamented that the series was coming to an end as a trilogy and put in a request for Sarah to write me a fourth one. I’m so glad she did! See, sometimes all you need to do is just ask…

In all seriousness though, this is once again top shelf crime fiction, police procedural at its finest. You do want to read the previous three though to get the most out of this story. Gemma’s life appears more settle within this one, so of course, it’s necessary to derail this with a complicated case that is uniquely linked to Gemma’s past in a way that catches even her by surprise.

The case in Body of Lies is complex and quite horrifying in its intent and scope. This one kept me guessing right up until the end. While I’m sad to know that this is Gemma’s last hurrah, I’m also satisfied that we’re leaving her in a good place. This has been a terrific series, one of the best crime ones I’ve read to date.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

I got this book in a blind book date, glad I did because this story was GOOD. I was invested the whole time and the audiobook narrator - felicity jurd is AMAZING

This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Bailey and even though it is the fourth in a series I found it easy to read without having any prior knowledge of Gemma Woodstock. Body of Lies could have been titled So Many Secrets as all of the mysteries unfolded throughout the book. Thanks to @betterreadingau for the opportunity to read this preview copy which is now available for lovers of mystery/crime fiction.

I didn’t know this was the 4th book in a series which makes sense in hindsight. i liked it, twists I didn't expect

I found Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock a bit bratty and grating in this novel. Body of Lies is the fourth and final installation in this series by Sarah Bailey. I’ve read three of them, and I liked this one the least. It kicks off with DS Woodstock returning to work after having a baby “painfully aware of my make-up free face, unwashed hair, unflattering outfit…” She finds her male colleague Everett grating: “Everett answers his phone, self-importantly, walking over to the window and propping his hand against the frame as if he’s posing for a corporate stock shot.” I wouldn’t say her attitude is any better with women: “Mindful I’ve been accused of frostiness toward female peers in the past”. Her bestie, journalist Candy Fyfe, cops the odd mouthful and some fairly unflattering analysis. Despite this Candy remains a fierce, loyal friend to Gemma when it looks like her partner has done the wrong thing: “I’ll kick him in the balls, write a highly embarrassing reputation-damaging story about him, publish it on my website and boost the living sh*t out of it via Facebook ads.”

As you can probably imagine from that, the long-suffering Mac doesn’t get through this book unscathed either. Gemma models poor behaviour by engaging in some tit for tat by lying to him: “I felt guilty about lying to him, but then rationalised it by assuring myself that this is what happens when somebody crosses the line the way he has. The centre of gravity is off-balance in our relationship, and the old rules, no longer apply.”

The other bits that annoyed me about this book included the way the author continues to insert police procedural factoids by telling rather than showing, thus disrupting the flow of the narrative. For example, “Witnesses often make similar gestures when they relive trauma and backtrack through emotions.” I suspect paramedics in Australia might not appreciate some of the unqualified generalisations either, like “[a] lot of paramedics struggle with addiction” very much either.

While I agree the story had a lot of twists and turns, I found it convoluted rather than clever. The twists and turns made it a preposterous story, however the conclusion relies upon a trope I have read before. I struggled to read much of it each sitting as I knew what the final twist would be way too early. Yep, another situation where people with too much money and power meet with people desperate for drugs, money or help: “young men who could easily disappear without a trace.”

Thanks to NetGalley & Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy to read.

3.5 stars
A car crash victim clings to life and is rushed to hospital but can't be saved. Hours later, the body is stolen from the morgue. No one knows who the dead woman was or why her body was taken.
Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is back in her hometown of Smithson on maternity leave when the bizarre incident occurs. She is intrigued by the case but reluctant to get involved, despite the urging of her journalist friend Candy Fyfe. But in the days after the body goes missing, the town is rocked by another shocking crime and Gemma can't resist joining the investigation.

Once again as I seem to have done a bit lately, I did not realise that this was part of a series, and I requested the fourth book in it. In saying that I did not find that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book, but I did realise that I had missed out on some of the character development that would probably have enhanced the story for me. I really liked the character of Gemma Woodstock and the relationships with those around her, Jonesy, Everet, Mac and her daughter Scarlet as well as her father, I felt they were all well portrayed.
The story held my attention right up to the end when I felt this ended up a bit rushed and wrapped up a little too quickly, more suspense and tension could have been created to draw this out and make it a bit more exciting. I do not want to say more as I do not want to give away any spoilers for other readers.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Its about a crash victim that clings to life as she is are rushed to hostipal but she couldn't be saved ....

Hours later her coprse is stolen from the morgue but no one knows who is the dead woman or why her body was taken .

Detective Sergent Gemma Woodstock has came back to her hometown of Smithson on maternity leave that when a bizarre incident occured .

Intrigued with the case but reluctant to be involved despite the urges of her jounalist friend Candy Fyfe .

Days after the body goes missing , the town is yet rocked by another shocking crime and this time gemma cant resist joining the investigation. .

Candy and Gemma follows the clues the dead woman that she left behind as they attempt to discover the identity of the missing woman .

They starts to uncovers devastating secrets about the people that she knew the best .

As Gemma goes closer to the truth but more danger that she is in as she deperstely needss to confide in someone but she isn't too sure on who she can trust a

When a corpse is stolen from the morgue, Gemma finds herself assisting with the case despite being on maternity leave. What Gemma doesn't know is that the missing woman is someone she knows and someone is out to get her too.

Holy dooly, this was a smashing read! I was invested in the mystery from page one and zoomed through the book, aching to know how it ended. The author really does have a remarkable style of writing as this was such an easy to read book. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I love the Gemma books and this one is another great addition to the series. Gemma is more settled; a stable relationship, a new baby and Ben is living with her. But, not everything is as it appears! New colleagues are making Gemma second guess things, Mac is being secretive and something is going on with her mentor, Jonesy. It all leads to a disturbing crime with an unexpected victim. Highly recommended reading!

Contemporary Australian whodunnit with interesting characters, realistic dialogue, and a believable, flawed heroine. The plot is complex but gives the reader a genuine chance to resolve the mystery. I particularly enjoyed the relationships between Gemma, Jonesy and Everett. I'll be reading the earlier books in the series!

I’m a fan of Aussie crime writing, ever since living there a year in my teens, and my fave audiobooks are often Australian crime procedurals. This was no exception! My second Sarah Bailey and the second book in this series for me, it worked really well. The characters are well drawn and flawed enough to feel real, the plot complex but not overwritten. The author balances the character development and the mystery well, and manages to tie up all the loose threads by the end. Recommended for fans of detective crime.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audio arc.

I really enjoyed the final novel about Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock.

Full of heartache, twists, and turns throughout following car crash and body disappearing from the hospital morgue.

Gemma gets involved in the investigation, even though she's still on maternity leave.

Thoroughly enjoyed.