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Dead End: A gripping mystery packed with suspense (A DI Geraldine Steel Thriller Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Leigh Russell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 2,248 ratings

The third in the detective series featuring DI Geraldine Steel

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Really enjoy this author once you start reading you can't put the book down' Amazon customer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Leigh always writes books I get lost in and the Geraldine Steel series is just fabulous!' Beyond The Books

'I could not put this book down'Ann Marie Muldoon, Newbooks Magazine

Headmistress Abigail Kirby is found dead with her tongue cut out.

A potential witness has been murdered.

And for DI Geraldine Steel, the stakes have been raised higher. Abigail's teenage daughter, Lucy, is missing, believed to have run away with a girl she met online.

With a serial killer on the loose and a shocking discovery, Geraldine's own life is in danger, could it be too late to save her?

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  1. Book 3 of 23
    DI Geraldine Steel
  2. Print length
    463 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    No Exit Press
  5. Publication date
    26 May 2011
  6. File size
    788 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Shop this series

 See full series
There are 23 books in this series.

In this series (23 books)

Kindle Edition

Product description

Review

'All the ingredients combine to make a tense, clever police whodunnit' -- Marcel Berlins ― The Times

'A brilliant talent in the thriller field' -- Jeffery Deaver

'Leigh Russell has been building a reputation as a solid practitioners of modern crime fiction' -- Barry Forshaw ― Crime Time

'I could not put this book down'

-- Ann Marie Muldoon ― Newbooks magazine

'Well written and chock full of surprises, this hard-hitting, edge- of-the seat instalment is yet another treat... Geraldine Steel looks set to become a household name. Highly recommended' -- Amanda C M Gillies ― Euro Crime

From the Back Cover

When headmistress Abigail Kirby's corpse is discovered in the woods, police are shocked to learn that her tongue was cut out while she lay dying. Then, shortly after a witness comes forward, he is blinded and murdered. With mangled bodies appearing at an alarming rate, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel must race against time to find the killer before he claims his next victim ...

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00796E1W6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ No Exit Press (26 May 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 788 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 463 pages
  • Customer reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 2,248 ratings

About the author

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Leigh Russell

Leigh Russell

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Leigh Russell has sold over a million crime fiction novels. Her Geraldine Steel titles published by No Exit Press have appeared on many bestseller lists, and reached #1 on kindle. Leigh's work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library, and her books have been optioned by major television production company Avalon Television. She chairs the CWA Debut Dagger Award judges and is a Consultant Royal Literary Fellow.

Leigh has also written stand alone thrillers, a dystopian novel, and a historical novel for Bloodhound Books, and the Lucy Hall international mystery series published by Thomas and Mercer.

Find out more about Leigh on her website http://www.leighrussell.co.uk where news, reviews and interviews are posted, with a schedule of Leigh's appearances. You can contact Leigh via her website, where you can subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Twitter and facebook.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,248 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They appreciate the decent plots and involving storyline that explores human nature. The characters are interesting and presented as humane, though some readers felt the heroine was too gullible. Overall, customers find the book engaging and well-paced, keeping their attention throughout.

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162 customers mention ‘Readability’155 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it an easy, enjoyable read with a good storyline and twists. The writing is clear and concise. Readers mention the book can be read as a standalone but also recommend reading through the series in order.

"...The crimes in the book are as ususal gruesome and bloody, and extremely well detailed, without being too over the top...." Read more

"Leigh Russell has done it again with a really good read which charges ahead disguised as a gentle canter...." Read more

"...The writing is clear, concise and we are carried along with all the ups and downs of the investigation...." Read more

"...Still it's an easy read and I shall go on to read more by this author." Read more

113 customers mention ‘Plot quality’94 positive19 negative

Customers find the plots engaging and well-crafted. They appreciate the well-paced narrative that keeps their attention. The stories explore human nature with an intriguing heroine and engaging characters. Readers also mention the author's use of a unique plot device that keeps them hooked.

"...This time around the writing is so much better as the story flows so easily...." Read more

"...The author employs a brave and relatively unusual plot device which can leave the reader a little wrong footed, which is exactly the right thing to..." Read more

"...novel is a printed interview with Leigh Russell which is honest and inspiring for those people still trying to write a book...." Read more

"An interesting read, but not so far one of my favourites...." Read more

32 customers mention ‘Character development’25 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the subplots around the characters well-drawn, and the heroine presented as a humane person with her shortcomings. However, some readers feel the heroine was too gullible in this book.

"...The characters have developed so much more and as reader you feel like you are taking their life journey with them...." Read more

"...In this novel the sub-plots around the characters are drawn very well, they do not detract from the main plot but give the reader more insight into..." Read more

"I like the heroine Geraldine Steel , but think she was very gullible in this book. I guessed the villain almost from the start. Weird bloke...." Read more

"...Yet again we meet Geraldine a somewhat engaging although obsessive character...." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Pacing’12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast-paced storyline with twists and turns. They find it well-written and straightforward. The crime is described as not too gory but keeps readers guessing. The characters are believable and have human failings.

"...ususal gruesome and bloody, and extremely well detailed, without being too over the top...." Read more

"...The story unfolds at a pace that keeps the readers interest. If you like good crime stories then this for you." Read more

"...character development realistic and flaws of human nature exposed to great spellbinding effect. an exceptional entertaining read" Read more

"...The characters are believable and have human failings, and the police procedures are all quite realistic too...." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Series quality’6 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the series. Some find it great and improving, with a better storyline. Others find it disappointing with predictable plots, gratuitous violence, and repetitive elements.

"The series is improving with this 3rd book having more of a storyline...." Read more

"...This book is so bad that it could be written by someone as awful as Rachel Abbott...." Read more

"really like this series and cant wait for the next one...." Read more

"...End she tries to make it more of a murder mystery/whodunnit and fails miserably - it is blatantly obvious from very early in the book who the..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • BCB & More
    5.0 out of 5 stars Her best yet!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 May 2011
    Verified Purchase
    In Leigh Russell's third installment of 'DI Geraldine Steel' Series we once again see Geralding thrown into a messy and disturbing case. In this particular book, headmistress Abigail Kirby is found dead in a park, but in this instance it seems that her tongue has been cut out. DI Geraldine Steel, along with her colleague Ian Peterson are put on the case, and when a potential witness is blinded and murdered, the case seems to get out of control.

    I admit that I am a sucker when it comes to 'series' featuring the same people. In particular I liked Leifh Russell as I have read each of her books from her debut novel 'Road Closed'. This time around the writing is so much better as the story flows so easily. LeighRussell is a writer that is going from strength to strength with every book she writes.

    I found that in the first book we didn't learn enough about Geraldine herself, or the people she worked with. In this book Geraldine's personal life seems to run alongside her career and we get to see the more emotional side to her which I loved. We also see a lot more of Ian Peterson and this is a true testemant to how much better this book is than her first.

    The characters have developed so much more and as reader you feel like you are taking their life journey with them. Geraldine is far from perfect but is a complete workaholic who has some serious personal issues that can sometimes affect her judgement. It is things like this that add the touch of realism to this book.

    The crimes in the book are as ususal gruesome and bloody, and extremely well detailed, without being too over the top. We see the workings of real police who make some huge errors along the way (which is always nice).

    I only have one criticism about the book and that is that I had a sneaking suspicion of the killer around halfway through. Having said that, I do that with many of the books I read. Apart from being suspicious (and then being correct in my assumption) this book is absolutely, 100% the best book Leigh Russell has written so far. I am now eagerly awaiting the next installment and there were major parts of Geraldine's life that are unanswered and I realloy need to know more about.

    Thoroughly reccommended and I truly think that Leigh Russell has now created a series that can rival other major crime writers out there. I would suggest starting at book one and working your way through as by the time you get to this one you will be itching to read book 4. Can't wait for the next one!
    29 people found this helpful
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  • Aurora
    4.0 out of 5 stars keeps the reader guessing.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Leigh Russell has done it again with a really good read which charges ahead disguised as a gentle canter. There is sufficient discussion of what is not happening with the investigation to distract from what is happening, thereby keeping the interest going without engendering the assumption that it will all be revealed imminently, thus signalling the end of the book. Instead, whilst there is plenty happening, the reader feels there is so much more to be revealed - as indeed there is. There is a secondary storyline which affects the family of the primary victim, which may distract the team for a while and certainly illuminates the dysfunctions of that family. The author employs a brave and relatively unusual plot device which can leave the reader a little wrong footed, which is exactly the right thing to do to provide maximum enjoyment from this novel. There was a certain saying with regard to three monkeys going through my head as I read which I expected to play some part in all of this, but I can neither confirm nor deny if that is the case. Whatever it is, don't expect anything to be completely straightforward.
    A brilliant teaser from an author who isn't afraid to change things up a little.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • M. Knight
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Page Turner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is the third Geraldine Steel novel and, in my opinion the best to date. The writing is clear, concise and we are carried along with all the ups and downs of the investigation. There is plenty of intrigue as the list of suspects ebbs and flows the reader is willing them to succeed.

    In this novel the sub-plots around the characters are drawn very well, they do not detract from the main plot but give the reader more insight into the characters. The character development is both independent of the preceding novels but building on what we know for those who are new to the series, just the right balance.

    There is enough detail for the novel to be convincing but it is not too taxing at the same time. Dead end allows us to see into the character of the police and the criminal, and I can't wait for the next one.

    An extra bonus at the end of the novel is a printed interview with Leigh Russell which is honest and inspiring for those people still trying to write a book. That is well worth a read as well.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Cathy
    3.0 out of 5 stars It's OK
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Slightly disappointing that Geraldine seems to be a little slow getting to the truth even when staring her in the face. Her sergeant, Ian, gets there before she does as did I. In this story she has a little love interest which may or may not have a future and her sister continues to be a thorn in her side. Still it's an easy read and I shall go on to read more by this author.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Mme Hustwayte
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well done
    Reviewed in France on 22 December 2014
    Verified Purchase
    At last, i really enjoyed this, it was so much better than the first two books. Far less waffle and got on with the story. Sticking with it, well done.
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  • A. Ch Lanz
    3.0 out of 5 stars nach den esten 2 Bänden der Serie jetzt eher enttäuschend . . .
    Reviewed in Germany on 27 November 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Die ersten 2 Bände der <Geraldine Steele> Serie haben mich durchweg begeistert, ja vom Stuhl gerissen - so dass ich mich voll Vorfreude auf diesen 3. Band gestürzt habe. Unabhängig von den emphorischen Hymnen auf amazon.com für diesen Band, bin ich beim Lesen im Sturzflug flach auf der Nase gelandet.

    Die Gründe hierfür (wie immer ohne näher auf den Inhalt einzugehen, der jederzeit anderweitig nachzulesen ist):

    > Der Einstieg ist super spannend gestaltet - bricht dann abrupt ab, um lange später wieder aufgenommen zu werden . . . . allerdings so lange später, dass ich schon beinahe nachschlagen mußte, um was es denn anfänglich ging.

    > Die psychologische Charakterisierung der Hauptakteure, die in den ersten 2 Bänden so meisterlich gestaltet war, wird zwar weiter detailiert - allerdings in meinen Augen in ein nicht mehr glaubhaftes und / oder nachvollziehbares Vakuum.
    Beispiel 1: Die Heldin selbst, die beruflich so selbstbewußt ihre "Frau" steht, wird im Privatleben immer unsicherer, unfähig Entschlüsse zu fassen oder dann auch durchzuziehen, unfähig ihrer Freunding oder Schwester gegenüber ihre eigene Meinung zu vertreten, hormongesteuert wie das letzte Dummchen mit logisch/analytischem Denken reduziert auf das für die Handlung notwendige Maß.
    Beispiel 2: DS Peterson, gut aussehend, intelligent, auch er im Beruf seinen "Mann stehend", entscheidungsfähig und "unbeugbar" zeigt sich gegenüber seiner Dauerfreundin wie der letzte Waschlappen der Prärie. Dass ausgerechnet er, der ansonsten durch die Stories durchaus denkend und vorausschauend erscheint, sich dann im (nicht nachvollziehbaren)Testosteronrausch in die Ehe stürzen will (ohne dass es hierfür ersichtliche zwingende Gründe gibt), zeigt nur, dass wohl in einem der Nachfolgebände der Serie das Ende diese Bezieung schon vorprogrammiert ist (auch hier steht EHE wohl als Abkürzung für EHEMALS).
    Mir ist bewußt, dass berufliches und persönliches Verhalten durchaus verschieden sein kann (und i.d.R. auch ist), nur bei solch gravierenden Abweichungen kann man langsam schon von pathologischer Persönlichkeitsspaltung sprechen.

    > Der "Bösewicht" ist zwar recht ordentlich charakterisiert - erscheint mir allerdings in vielen Dingen nicht glaubhaft. Zudem war schon bei der Hälfte der Story abzusehen, woher der Wind weht . . . . . was aber durch Nebengeschichten etc. verzögert wurde, um dann am Ende recht abrupt und kurz abgehandelt zu werden. Die "Aufklärung" und das WARUM wird so was von runter gespult - ob da wohl nur die Tinte ausging, oder das Soll erfüllt war und die Autoring Wichtigeres zu tun hatte . . . . ????

    > Über weite Teile erschien mir die Story künstlich in die Länge gezogen. Diese war der erste der 3 Bände, bei dem ich mehrere Seiten überflog, weil's mir einfach zu dumm wurde.

    Lob an amazon-kindle: auch hier funktionierten alle features . . . . auf besonders in Hinblick auf das "Überfliegen" für mich irgendwann extrem wichtig wurde.

    Nun kann ich nur hoffen und wünschen, dass der nächste Band, den ich leider (?) schon geladen habe, wieder an die alte Form anknüpfen kann.
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  • Mel M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on 7 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed this book. Loving the whole series so far.
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  • kat
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on 24 February 2018
    Verified Purchase
    good writer, read all her books so far, but prefer M.A. Comley better
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  • Kdramakid
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loving DI Steel...great detective
    Reviewed in the United States on 19 August 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This third book in Russell's series starring DI Geraldine Steel is well-done and intriguing. Along with the day-to-day workings of the British police system, the unexpected direction of the various crimes in this police procedural were quite interesting. As she did in her previous books, Russell doesn't just stick to one main crime, but brings other offshoots to fore. We also gain more insight into Geraldine. I'm finding her struggle with her family (I won't say more to avoid spoilers) a great window into her personality. Russell has created a complex, tough, vulnerable character in Steel, one I can't wait to get to know better and follow in future investigations.
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